It seems like it was yesterday, but it had been 6 days past my 22nd birthday. My new year’s eve was as good as my birthday celebration. Usually, I am a denizen of Lansdowne but due to my studies I had been staying in Mussoorie for the past 4 years. I had been living a dual life since my childhood. It had been 22 years to the beginning of the journey of my life but I was unaware with the fact that the path I have been travelling on would one day take me to the edge of my life and make me understand the difference between life and death. Although I believe in philosophy of “learn from your mistakes and experience” but this particular one is a bit unique in itself which has brought significant alternation to my life and a saturation to my memoir.
My story is far spread in the beautiful valleys of Mussoorie in such a way as the rays of rising sun spread to overcome the darkness of night. This is the place where I had transformed from an innocent coward boy to a warrior and finally into a headstrong individual. I had experienced the feelings of love, friendship, betrayal, jealousy and immolation here. Here only, I had touched the life with my fingers and experienced the chills of death entering into my body.
The first day of the new year had begun today. I was getting ready for my college. I had to leave for my hometown, Lansdowne, after completing the registration work at college.
It was already evening by the time I got free from the registration work as it was the last day for the enrollment due to which there was a long queue of aspirants.
After getting free from the college, I returned to my flat, picked up my bag and headed towards the bus stand. Till the time I reached the bus stand, I came to know that even the last bus had bygone and the next one is scheduled for the afternoon, the next day. I didn’t have any other option rather than to return to my flat. I was immensely tired with the whole day run off.
Abruptly, I received a text from Rudra while I was lying on my bed. It had been just one day since I had started talking to him. We both met on a gay dating app. He was quite attractive and three years elder to me. While we both were talking, all of a sudden he catechized me if I had ever tried high fun.
(High fun is a kind of situation where a person uses a special kind of drug as a result of which the eagerness for sex goes beyond the limits)
I replied that I hadn’t but I would like to try it once. At this, he said that he had some stuff of such kind and if I was intrested I could join him. Before I could respond, he called me. During the conversation on the call he seemed to be a well educated person with a good background. Then he asked me to accompany him at his place. It was already nine at that time and I didn’t know him much so I refused his proposal.
He started insisting me to come at his locale. He stated that it was the premier night of the new year and he didn’t want to shell it out solo. Since he asserted for a long time, I agreed at the end but told him that I would be reciprocating if didn’t feel comfortable with him over there. He sent me the address of his venue. Soon, I got ready and booked a cab. The pick up was about to arrive in five minutes. Meanwhile, I locked my flat and panned out on the road. It was already thirty minutes past nine and the weather was quite chilling. After holding for sometime, the cab arrived. I explained the location to the cab driver but he denied from the duty as it was quite far from my residence. He suggested me to book another cab and i did the same but the scenario repeated for four times.
At last, I thought to give it a final try and booked a cab for the fifth time and it worked out. The driver agreed to drop me at that location. Usually drivers don’t prefer long distance rides at late night so it was trivial that four of the drivers repudiated but it might not be a coincidence rather than a sign of god to stop me from stepping into that morass. I boarded the cab and we departed for the destination.
The wight whom I was about to meet was the owner of the guest house named “The Grandiose” as he told me during our conversation. His guest house was entirely vacant that day as all the visitants had left after celebrating new year’s eve. The destination was in the outskirts of the city and thirty kilometers away from my domicile.
Although, it was totally frivolous to meet an unknown after traveling such a long distance at that point of night but I was so captivated with his talking skills and enchanting personality that I could not resist myself from going there.
The outer area of the city had started. After travelling for more than an hour I reached the desired location. But, it was shocking to notice that there was no such guest house over there as described by him till far distances. This night was playing strange games with me.
“Was all this a prank”?
“Was it just a nightmare or reality”?
“Did the guest house and Rudra really existed or was it all my fantasy”?
“If all this was authentic then did I succeed in reaching there and meeting Rudra or not”?
“Was something thrilling or horrible waiting for me”?
“What happened next”?
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(To be continued)
