A Dark Truth

INT/ROOM

A man stirs up to the sunlight flooding his room. He stretches and rubs his eyes. Gets his spectacles from the side table. He goes to the window and sees a highway full of jam-packed traffic. Peels himself away from the honking and blaring horns of Mumbai traffic. He tidies up his bed and folds the blanket. He yawns and drags himself to the washroom. Sleepily brushes his teeth, on the verge of falling asleep again. He goes into his small kitchen and makes himself a cup of chai. He sips it slowly while reading a newspaper. Finishes and then he bathes himself with cold water. Opens up his iron cupboard and takes out a well-ironed white shirt and formal black trousers. He fastens the belt around his waist and brushes the dirt off his black leather shoes. He combs his hair with a side partition. He looks at his reflection and smiles at the mirror(finally we get to look at his face). Keshav, a 27-year-old boy with a mustache and brunette hair. He takes his worn-out office bag from the hook. Pops a slice of bread in the toaster. He opens up the freezer and gets the butter. Puts the frozen butter on the bread. And eats it slowly while staring ahead blankly. The fan creaks on the ceiling. He puts the dirty dishes into the sink. Takes out a room freshener and sprays the fridge, the other side of his bed, and the living room. Having completed his last chore, he gets the keys and locks the door.

EXT/FLAT

The sunlight is brutal at 10 a.m. He walks towards a small ration shop. The shopkeeper, an old man aged 67 acknowledges him.

Him: Aur Keshav beta wahi same order?

(Keshav, my child! The same order once again?)

Keshav: Hoye kaka. Aap batao kesi sehat hai aapki? Kal thora khansi jhukham lag raha tha.

(Yes, Uncle. How is your health? You had cough and cold yesterday.)

Him: Aab toh thik hai. Dawai khani bhul gaya tha. Sneha ne yaad dilwa diya.

(I am fine. Just forgot to take my medicine. Sneha reminded me.)

Keshav: Sneha bhabhi kesi hai?

(How is your daughter-in-law?)

Him: Achi hai, hamare chote natu ke saath busy rehti hai.

(She is busy with her child.)

Hands him a packet of Parle G biscuit. Keshav takes the packet. Fumbles in his pocket to find a twenty rupee note.

Keshav: Kitne saal ka ho gaya hai Varun? Jaab mei mila tha tabh toh bhabhi ko akela chorta hi nahi tha.

(How old is your nephew Varun? When I met him, he used to never leave Sneha alone.)

Him(laughs): Aab toh school jaane lag gaya hai. Pehle din toh itna roya ki Sneha thak hi gayi chup karwate karwate.

(Now, he has started going to school. On his first day to school he was crying so much that even Sneha got tired of making him quiet.)

Keshav(laughs). Keshav finally finds a note and gives it. The old man clutches the note.

Him: Beta ghar pe zaroor ana, Gayatri tumhe bahut yaad karti hai.

(Do come home. Your Aunty misses you.)

Keshav: Ji kaka. Aai ko mera namaskar kehna.

(Yes, Uncle. Say Namaste to Aunty from my side.)

Keshav folds his hands. And heads out for the railway station. He looks down while walking as if counting the steps he is taking.

EXT/RAILWAY STATION

He is immediately surrounded by a group of wagging tails. They all patiently wait for him to feed them turn by turn.

INT/RAILWAY STATION

He then purchases a ticket to Bandra and sits on a bench in the waiting area. Takes off his bag and keeps it beside him. He looks at his watch, at 11:01 a.m. His eyes furrow in frustration. Looks up to see the train arriving late. He sneers and then turns his gaze towards the oncoming wave of people. His eyes searching, which finally settle on middle-aged couple. They are bickering like always. The husband blames his wife for being late again. This time, the argument was loud enough to be heard. The husband gives up and starts walking ahead angrily. The wife clearly embarrassed tries to grab his arm. People stop in their tracks to watch the drama unfold. Once, twice, and thrice he pulls back his arm. He does not stop walking. The fourth time, he stops and shoves her back. This causes her to lose her balance and fall. People rush to ask her if she is okay. The husband gets annoyed as people start berating him. The wife tries to defend him but he folds his arms, turns away, and boards his train. He slings over his bag, gets up, and catches the train.

INT/ TRAIN

Standing at the doorway, he turns back to see the wife being escorted off. His eyes transfixed.

A person standing beside him laughs and exclaims: Yahi durse ki biwi hoti na dekhna kese bhag ke jata uthane. Aaj kal yehi hal hai.

He snaps back to reality, glares at the person who is still smirking and makes his way toward the seating area. Pushes aside people and then finally stops. The train reaches the station and he gets off.

EXT/TRAIN

He gets engulfed in the crowd coming out. He suddenly stops in his tracks. Confusion enters his face. He stares ahead, his eyes searching for an exit. Suddenly his eyes light up. He starts walking. His face is determined. He clutches his bag firmly.

EXT/STATION

The crowd thins and he walks briskly out of the station. This time not counting his steps. His gaze unwavering. He turns into an alleyway. No soul in sight. He zips open his bag. The husband walking ahead of him. Stops in his tracks. Turns around as if sensing someone's presence. But the darkened alleyway is empty. Shadows remain still. Only the wind blows. He shrugs softly. The hair on his back stand. Suddenly a black cat comes out of hiding. Her orange eyes glowing in the dark. She growls showing her sharpened teeth. And then runs off. A drop of sweat drips from his face. He turns around, an expression of relief. Pauses. A cord of wire wraps around his neck. Strangling him. A face comes into view. Keshav with his black gloves. His eyes darkened with rage. The man tries to push him away. His eyes wide open. His chest heaving. The iron grip around his neck makes him immobile. He tries to shout but no words come out of his mouth. His hands suddenly stop moving. His head falls to the side. Keshav loosens his grip. The body falls to the ground. Keshav takes off his rubber gloves and then puts the cord back in the bag. Smoothens his shirt. In the process, a newspaper clipping falls out of the bag. Its heading states: "A Drunk Man Beats His Wife To Death."