Unofficial Crimes: A Collection of Short Stories

by

Nupur Luthra

SUBHARAMBH PUBLICATION HOUSE

SUBHARAMBH PUBLICATION HOUSE I.B. ROAD, SIKARAIPUR, JAGATPUR CUTTACK, ODISHA,754021 Email: [email protected] Website: www.subharambhpublicationhouse.com

COPYRIGHT © By Nupur Luthra, 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, Electronic, Mechanical, Magnetic, Optical, Chemical, Manual, Photocopying, Recording, or otherwise (Except for mention in reviews or edited excerpts in the media) without the prior written consent of its writer and publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

“Unofficial Crimes: A Collection of Short Stories” ISBN: 978-93-5504-015-2 FICTION 1st Edition EDITOR: Ritu Bhatnagar TYPE SETTING: Subir Kumar Pati COVER DESIGN BY: Rohan Tiwari PRICE: Rs. 250/The opinions/ contents expressed in this book are solely of the author and do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thought of publisher

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My heartfelt appreciation goes to my family for their contribution and advice. My deepest gratitude goes to my parents for helping me create and sustain my career. I had the pleasure of writing this book with conversations and ideas received from my friends and family. This book wouldn’t have happened without everyone’s help. I am thankful to Seema Saxena (Jashn Events) and her team for their support and guidance in shaping this book.

3

Contents Tapped For Revenge Chapter 1- ………………………………..06 Chapter 2 ................................................... 40 Chapter 3 ................................................... 50 Part 2 ......................................................... 64 The Curse of the Minuscule Rock ............. 96 The Death of a Friend ............................. 115 Two Special Uncles Rampaging to the Beat133 Unlucky Death ........................................ 144 Feeling of Hope ....................................... 155

4

Tapped For Revenge

5

Chapter 1

6

I don’t know what has come over me lately. I seem to talk without thinking. I send messages without giving it much thought. My mind is playing games on me. I kept pressing all kinds of buttons on my phone while yelling at Doris as she drives through the rain drenched streets. My mind is filled with all kinds of strange thoughts. My fingers aren’t moving fast enough. They are clumsy and I nearly dropped my phone. I’ve been planning a long weekend with my friends to Shimla for months now, to get away from work. My boss says he’s not sure if he can let me have time off after all. “What a jerk!” I grumble as I thump out a text message to my boyfriend, Vikram, “My boss says he is not sure if he can let me take time off from work. He wants me hanging on for an entire month, one of his dirty tricks.” Doris is upset. 7

“Such a shame…! It won’t be the same if you don’t come.” “I KNOW…!” I have always admired her long nose and thick dark hair that spills over her shoulder except her thick bushy eyebrows. I am plain and boring. I never tan during the summers. Vikram calls me white chocolate. Doris works in human resources. Her boss is a lot more understanding and will never play mind games like my boss. Her boss gives her team time off whenever they want it. The rain slashes down and the wind shakes the little Fiat, leaving Doris holding the wheels tightly and her knuckles turning pale. She passed her driving test only a few months ago and is still a nervous wreck when it comes to driving at night. Every now and then she’ll joke about how she’s been a late 8

bloomer and has never been on a date till she was twenty. “I am so angry”, I shout out loud, as I press to send on another text. “He doesn’t have a life of his own!! He wants to ruin mine too! Did you know he hasn’t taken one day off in his entire life?” Doris’s phone starts to beep continuously in her coat pocket and for a quick second, her eyes start flickering downwards and then back on the road. As we drive home, I suddenly get an urge for a sympathetic hug from Vikram. How much I wish he were here. Why isn’t he here? “My boss’s marriage is on its last leg. About time too, since he seems to be having an affair.” She was happy to be the one to impart this hot piece of gossip. 9

My boss’s wife is a slight, timid woman with big eyes that could scare anyone. She meets him for lunch occasionally. Sita, I think... I can’t imagine someone like her could have the courage to walk out on my boss. “She found out about the affair a week later.” A shadow passes Doris’s face, “Really? That can’t be right. His wife would have told us, right?” I shrugged, “Who knows? I can’t imagine him going out with someone else. He seems so serious.” Doris laughed uneasily. My anger seems to be sitting at the bottom of my stomach, like a stodgy meal. My boyfriend will grumble about me not going on the trip. Not that I have said as much to Doris. I don't want her to think he’s overprotective. 10

“Will Vikram be coming home soon?” She asked as she pulled up outside my two small bedroom house that Vikram owns. We’ve been together for almost 4 years now. He’s a practical person and sensible with money. Unlike me who loves to spend money on frivolous things. He did promise to put my name down on the lease too but hasn’t done it yet. I suppose it’s a big step that will eventually happen. The street is so quiet, even though it is only 6 in the evening. The dustbin fell over with the wind and is rolling around the pavement like a drunk. The house is dark and scary. “It doesn’t look like he’s home yet.” I spoke. I look down at my phone lying in my lap. There’s no message from Vikram. He’s probably still in the metro. I can picture him hunched over his laptop, 11

trying to get a little extra work done on his way home. He’s an engineer for Abbott and is always sent on various assignments all over the world. I thought I would be travelling places too, but my boss doesn’t think much of the idea. I don’t like the idea of coming home to an empty house. I tend to relax when I see Vikram pottering around the kitchen, making dinner, filling the place with the aroma of cottage cheese or pie, which shows he’s happy. The engine stops but I don’t get out of the car. Inside it is warm and cozy, with the radio playing in the background. I rummage around my bag for my umbrella, stalling, not wanting to be alone with my anger. I see Doris reach into the pocket of her coat. “Oh, you sent me a text”, she said, and I turned to see her frowning over her cell phone. I haven’t sent her a text. I take the 12

phone from her, my eyes scan the text accidently sent, sick feeling creeps over me. I begin to feel nauseous and dizzy at the same time. “Oh, what have I done…? Oh... no…no… this can’t be... oh no…!” “Hi honey! My boss is being difficult. I am so upset. He said he wasn’t going to give me time off to go on the vacation. What an idiot. I so hope he dies.” It was the text I was supposed to send to Vikram. Doris gasps. “Emm, that’s a bit harsh, right? Wanting him dead?” “I didn’t mean to say those things. I was typing fast. I meant to say I hope he does, as in I hope he gives me time off. How did I end up sending it to you instead of Vikram?” And then I see. At the top of the text there are several names. I gasp. “Good grief, what have I done? I have not 13

only sent it to you, but to all my coworkers!” “What are you talking about? Let me see.” She takes the phone from my hand, her lip twitch. “Oh dear, only someone like you can do such a thing.” “What if someone shows his new girlfriend the message? I COULD LOSE MY JOB.” Doris takes a deep breath. She normally has all the answers to my problems but falls silent. Eventually, she speaks up, “She wouldn’t do such a thing, would she? I mean, she is our friend after all, right?” “She has crossed the line.” I said while getting out of the car. “She didn’t tell any 14

of us. Did she? She’s no longer our friend. How can we trust her?” I wake the next day with my stomach churning. I can’t eat anything. Vikram is in the shower whistling to some song, I don’t know. It irritates me. How can he be so happy after what happened last night? He came home from work, looking crumpled and late, as was becoming the norm. I told him about my boss, he simply shrugged, unconcerned, and I accused him of being pleased that my weekend may be ruined. He came to bed at 1 am, smelling of alcohol. Next morning, we got dressed and had breakfast in silence. Before he left for work, he planted a kiss to the side of my head. I lean against the kitchen sink, drinking coffee trying to gather my thoughts as I wait for Doris. She lives a few blocks away, so we take turns to drive to work. She’s happy single and has 15