“Dude, there never was a race or competition. It was all your imagination. I was the only one running. You could never even come close to me."
“Yeah, you are right. It was never a race. At least you agree on that, you filthy cheat. You bloody well know the foul methods and all your lies you used and lived.”
“Well, don’t they say all’s fair in love and war.”
“You don’t talk about love. You don’t even know what it is. All you’ve done your life is planning and cheating, just to beat me in some fucking race you thought we were a part of. You can’t love anyone. You’re so full of hatred and jealousy.”
“It doesn’t matter what you say. I’ve won. I snatched away your prize right from under your nose and I am gonna make sure you never get her back again.”
“What have you done, you piece of shit. What have you done to her?”
“I didn’t do anything. You did it. Don’t you remember?”
“What did I do? What are you saying? I’m gonna kill you, you psychotic animal.”
“That’s precisely what you did. See, let me narrate what you did since you have a weak memory; you always had. Actually, you were never better than me, not even in school. You always got preferential treatment because you were good at ass kissing. You don’t even know how much I’ve suffered because of you and now you’re gonna pay for it. You’ll suffer for all your life. You’ll rot in prison for murder and that will be my revenge, my vengeance will be complete with you for those years of pain.”
“I am not getting you. Are you trying to scare me by saying all that? You’ve definitely gone insane. Consult a doctor before you turn completely into a psychopath.”
“Oh! Don’t worry about me. I’m completely in my senses. The truth is I’ve never been at so much peace with myself ever before. Today is the day I’ll achieve what I’ve always wanted. Today is the day I finish it all with you. No more race; I’m tired of running. No more. Everything comes to an end today.”
“You need medical attention. You’re losing it. Let me help you.”
“You’ve already helped me so much and you’re going to help me fulfil my only desire left unfulfilled. I’ll destroy you -- that I promise and after that I won’t be needing anything.”
“You’ve gone mad. Do you even know what you’re saying? And where is she? What have you done to her? I promise you the consequences will be bitter for you.”
“I understand what I’m saying. As I said, I’m at peace with myself and my surroundings. You’re the one who seems worried and tense and thus I see you’ve forgotten what you’ve done. So, allow me to remind you.”
He pulled out the cellphone of his alter ego from the pocket. Then he dialled a number. Within seconds, another cellphone started ringing. He picked up the call.
“Firstly, you come on the roof of my house and call me as you want to meet me. You know that I’m not at home. I tell you I’ll be there in half an hour. You look at your watch. Then go down the stairs to her house. Then you knock on her door.”
And he walked away from him, down the stairs and knocked at a door. She opened the door, surprised to see him at that late hour of the day. He walked in and was out of the house in less than two minutes. The smile, on his face was even bigger.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. I’m not even here. You knock at her door, go in and as she turns to get a glass of water for you, you take out this, take a perfect aim at head and wham. She had to pay for betraying you, for dumping you for the one guy you hated all your life; me. So the score is one down and one to go.”
“That’s my pistol. Where did you get it from?”
“Oh! I told you that you’re no match for me in this race. You’re too slow. Anyway, you don’t need to know how I got it but what I, no, let me correct; what you did with it? It doesn’t have anyone else’s fingerprints except you.”
“You’re dead. You get that. I’m gonna kill you for this.”
“I know,” he said with that cool expression on his face that he had carried all night. “You’ve a very bad habit of interrupting. Now let me complete tonight’s events’ log before you say anything again. Okay, so you come back on the roof, waiting for me to come. I drive my car into the parking, go inside my house to see if you’ve come in by taking the key from the guard or not. I don’t know that you’ve even killed the guard. I go inside my house and I find a total chaos. Everything’s been smashed and broken. I get your call again. You tell me you’re waiting for me on the roof. I smell something’s wrong. I call the police telling them about an attempted robbery at my house. They say they’ll be there in some time. I pickup my baseball bat and reach here to see you with your pistol in your hand, aiming at my head.”
“You’re lying. I didn’t do any of…. Ahh!”
He smashed the baseball bat into his skull, the force just enough to not make any serious damage, just enough to make him unconscious. He then untied the knots on his hands and legs, placing the pistol in his unconscious hands, as if they were about to pull the trigger.
“I told you not to interrupt. When will you ever listen to what I say? Now let me continue, will you? So, then we have a fight. I hit you with the bat. You lose balance and are disoriented. You fire. First shot scrapes my chin. You fire again. This time the shot is accurate. The bullet finds its way through my heart. I lose balance and fall down from the roof – 15th floor to the ground. I scream, the last sound I make. Rest, you’ll know as it hasn’t yet happened.”
He laughed at the helplessness of the other guy. He did not hate him anymore. He was almost finished with whatever he wanted to achieve. And then made a knot in the rope. He inserted his own hands and legs in them and tightened it enough so that he could move. He came near him and lifted his hand up in which the pistol lay. The sound of two bullet shots invaded the silence of the night and then the shriek of a man. Then there was a loud thud. And then it was silent again.
S.R.
