This short story became SPIXer (Most popular story) on 03 Nov 2012 and won INR 500 (US$ 10)
An Unusual Verdict – Short Story of a Girl
Photo credit: dhester from morguefile.com
“Life, he realizes, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it’s in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.”
“Dr.Sen!” A call broke in.
He was lost in the book but put it back, without a cue of displeasure, bookmark kept intact. He has always loved his job.
An avid lover of literature and music.
A loner, but a free man; bailed out of the strings of life.
A renowned forensic psychologist, by profession.
In short, a bunch of contradictions!
Books and music were his greatest delights while not shuttling between prisons, detention centres and courts and while not catching up with case files or paper work.
If any mental instability was exhibited by the criminals the authorities would call him in. His experience, skill and accuracy made Dr. Sen the final word on the sanity or insanity of the criminals.
The fact that the abnormal gets better treatment has always justified the melodrama trials by the culprits. But neither the finely plotted dramas nor the influential people could win over Dr. Sen, a man of justice, his psychological tests and intuition.
That day he was going to work on a new case.
The case file described the brutal murder of a middle-aged, robust business man by a nineteen year old girl. The police records showed that it was a well-planned murder by the girl for his money and she was perfectly normal. Yet they have requested Dr. Sen’s service as it was the procedure.
Dr. Sen walked past the distressing cells of the criminal detention centre and entered the interrogation room where a lean girl, the culprit, was seated in a chair.
“This one? Open to doubt!” Dr. Sen’s mind wavered.
He always had the privacy with the criminals; his job demanded it. So the officials left him.
He talked to her- her name and whereabouts.
He carried out the usual tests. Checked the emotional responses.
No signs of insanity!
He could have supported the police records. But something held him off.
May be, the thought of a young, sensible and parent-less girl ending up with pakka criminals?
“So…you admit that you killed him?”
“Yes, I do!”
“You wanted money?”
“Money?!” A scornful smile.
“For better things!”
“Like?”
Dr. Sen could see a face without the slightest flash of remorse. Too confident for that age!
Then she talked.
“We had that old monster who preyed on the young women in our place. Either give in or commit suicide were the only options before us. No one dared to oppose, he was rich and that made him powerful………”
Her face was dead calm. She explained.
“That day I was on my way back from college to the mercy home, had to pass across that lonely way. I saw that monster attacking a woman, I don’t know her. He had a dagger in his hand to make her yield. She ran to the small forest nearby, no one might have heard her cries. Even if someone had heard, none would have come to save, that was his power. He would clear anything or anyone standing in his way…..”
She fell silent for a moment.
“…..he went after her, stumbled upon a root; his dagger fell away from his vision, but my eyes caught them…..he got up and followed her, he didn’t need a dagger to catch a woman. She had disappeared though. He stopped for a moment and looked around for her. He might not have expected a silly girl holding his blood thirsty dagger would clear in from behind and end him ……”
She smiled.
“I did it! Bore his heart out of his chest……At that instant I had seen the faces of all women who were abused by him….I did it! For them all!”
Dr. Sen sensed her dry throat and offered her water. She rejected.
Dr. Sen asked,”Are you feeling guilty?”
“Me? For what? Did I do something wrong? I did what was needed; I did that for all. Women can peacefully sleep until another monster comes, then of course, there will be another ‘me’ too!”
She fell silent.
“But don’t you know that nobody can take rules in their own hands?”
“Who makes the rules? For whom? Who follows the rules? The rich and powerful always escape; there are loopholes in all rules, for THEM……”
She continued.
“…they say giving and taking life was god’s business. But what does this god do when thousands of innocent women and children get attacked every moment? Is there a fair rule? If yes, why women in our place had to bear this? Why no rule came to rescue us? We were poor and insignificant. That means we should give in? Suffer in silence? Is that what society wants??”
Dr. Sen saw a rageful face!
She asked for water; drank four glasses.
A long pause!
Dr. Sen remained silent.
“And you did it for someone whom you don’t even know! Does she know this? Where is she now?”
“I don’t know, maybe she doesn’t…… She had escaped that day. I don’t mind. If I were in her place no one might have done that! I could have escaped from there minding my own business. But I did what was RIGHT and my conscience is clear!”
‘Years of diverse experiences with criminals and murder, but had never met so young a culprit, so brave and selfless!’ Thought Dr. Sen.
He wanted her to talk more.
She then laughed.
With raised eyebrows, Dr. Sen observed her.
“You know, I have watched a couple of movies with lot of violence and killing…..I have never enjoyed them. I always thought the killers were all psychos and bad people, and killing someone needs lot of physical strength. But you know, it is easy, quite easy when it comes to the matter of our survival, our life ……”
She looked into the brown eyes of the doctor.
“I believe…. this instinct, the instinct to kill, when some mugger pause a threat to our peaceful existence and esteem, is inbuilt in the strong and in the weak, equally… ….I could! Look at me! Skinny right? And he was a strongman!” She snickered.
“If I hadn’t done that, many….I mean, MANY, might have got attacked by him within this time….I didn’t kill him; I saved many others. I am proud of it!! Ready for any punishment!”
“Okay!” Dr. Sen sighed.
“No more questions?”
“No!”
“Thanks! By the way, I never have thought here I would be interviewed by a doctor, a psychologist!”
Dr. Sen smiled and then left.
When the report was finished, he opened the book he has been reading, re-read the bookmarked page.
“Life, he realizes, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it’s in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.”
The highlighted portions of the profile report prepared by Dr. Sen read :
“…………………………………..tests prove that the culprit is mentally unstable………………………………………………………………also that she had committed the crime in self defence………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”
As usual, Dr. Sen’s verdict was final.
__END__
