It was one of those days when I'd decided to have my glasses on, the entire day. No big deal about that, huh? Well, you wouldn't say that had you been caught in what seemed like the wildest storm the city had ever seen. Raindrops, the size of pebbles, rammed my delicate glass frame, and I didn't quite enjoy the blocked view! I and my friends Rahul and Krish were back from "The Murder At Wallabe Street" and were totally freaked out when the reel world caught up with the real world, since all the ongoing weather conditions bore remarkable resemblance to what happened in the movie. But, it was July, and such a storm was a common phenomenon.
Soon I was all by myself, desperately making my way through the rain, to get to my house as quickly and as dry as possible. I totally envied the other two for living so close to the theatre! I took the shortest path to my house, an alley that'd easily have won the award for "The Darkest and Spookiest Alley in the City", if the government ever decided to give away such an award. But that night it'd have won an extra award for "The Alley with the most number of puddles", too, hands down! As a 17-year-old I was forbidden to use that alley, especially at that hour of the night, but I was too air-headed, and wet (not to forget) to care.
I had just entered the alley when I saw some wild movement behind the old, abandoned warehouse. Two well-built guys were bashing up a frail-looking man, who was probably drunk. They were bludgeoning him to give them something, and he was pretty good at resisting them. They were hardly 5 yards away from me yet I couldn't make out their faces...DARN the storm! The two guys just wouldn't give up; they threw the drunk at a nearby wall and held his hands at the back. Finally satisfied with what had just come into their possession, they turned and to my horror, their eyes found me. A chill ran down my spine and I froze where I stood, I couldn't back out!
They started walking to me, but one of them let out a cry of pain; the drunk they'd just hit had pierced a scythe in his back! I took my chances and ran as fast as I could. Heroism would certainly not be considered smart at that moment, and I did what I could do best...RUN with long leaps in between! My legs are really long for my body, and I was lucky to have made good use of this fact that night!
I was hardly moments away from my building when my foot got caught in something and I fell over. I landed on my stomach and looked back. I'd fallen over the vertical lid of an open manhole. I was lucky enough not to have fallen inside it though, I'd had enough trouble for the night! Somehow I felt I could use the Municipal Corporation's random carelessness for my own benefit...
My two "followers" seemed caught up in another tussle with the drunk, they wouldn't have taken so much time to reach me otherwise. I knew my try was going to be a shot in the dark, and I would be counting too much on my knowledge of projectile motion if I tried, but hey, I could run home anytime I wanted to, there was no harm in trying some "herogiri". I tied the two ends of a strong rope I'd found near the manhole to the two "Out-Of-Order" streetlights at the two sides of the road, estimating as to where my target would land if he tripped over the rope. I hid behind a car nearby and waited for the hunter, to become the hunted (it's so cool when you come to think of it, ain't it?).
Moments later the bulkier of the two guys came running along the road. The other might have succumbed to his injury, and anyone could tell, even the drunk was dead. I decided to show myself to him, to make him run faster so that he won't notice the rope and fall for sure. It seemed silly at that point of time, but like a lucky "shot in the dark", I hit bull's eye! He fell, head over heels, into the manhole. The rope broke, too, (what made me think it was strong?) and followed him into the darkness of the hole. I jumped with excitement and turned to leave. I didn't dare going to that cursed place where the other two people were possibly lying dead. As I ran towards my house I had the satisfaction of trapping a cold-blooded killer, but it was eclipsed by the guilt of not being able to save that man who saved my life, even when he knew I wouldn't be able to return the favour.
Soon I was all by myself, desperately making my way through the rain, to get to my house as quickly and as dry as possible. I totally envied the other two for living so close to the theatre! I took the shortest path to my house, an alley that'd easily have won the award for "The Darkest and Spookiest Alley in the City", if the government ever decided to give away such an award. But that night it'd have won an extra award for "The Alley with the most number of puddles", too, hands down! As a 17-year-old I was forbidden to use that alley, especially at that hour of the night, but I was too air-headed, and wet (not to forget) to care.
I had just entered the alley when I saw some wild movement behind the old, abandoned warehouse. Two well-built guys were bashing up a frail-looking man, who was probably drunk. They were bludgeoning him to give them something, and he was pretty good at resisting them. They were hardly 5 yards away from me yet I couldn't make out their faces...DARN the storm! The two guys just wouldn't give up; they threw the drunk at a nearby wall and held his hands at the back. Finally satisfied with what had just come into their possession, they turned and to my horror, their eyes found me. A chill ran down my spine and I froze where I stood, I couldn't back out!
They started walking to me, but one of them let out a cry of pain; the drunk they'd just hit had pierced a scythe in his back! I took my chances and ran as fast as I could. Heroism would certainly not be considered smart at that moment, and I did what I could do best...RUN with long leaps in between! My legs are really long for my body, and I was lucky to have made good use of this fact that night!
I was hardly moments away from my building when my foot got caught in something and I fell over. I landed on my stomach and looked back. I'd fallen over the vertical lid of an open manhole. I was lucky enough not to have fallen inside it though, I'd had enough trouble for the night! Somehow I felt I could use the Municipal Corporation's random carelessness for my own benefit...
My two "followers" seemed caught up in another tussle with the drunk, they wouldn't have taken so much time to reach me otherwise. I knew my try was going to be a shot in the dark, and I would be counting too much on my knowledge of projectile motion if I tried, but hey, I could run home anytime I wanted to, there was no harm in trying some "herogiri". I tied the two ends of a strong rope I'd found near the manhole to the two "Out-Of-Order" streetlights at the two sides of the road, estimating as to where my target would land if he tripped over the rope. I hid behind a car nearby and waited for the hunter, to become the hunted (it's so cool when you come to think of it, ain't it?).
Moments later the bulkier of the two guys came running along the road. The other might have succumbed to his injury, and anyone could tell, even the drunk was dead. I decided to show myself to him, to make him run faster so that he won't notice the rope and fall for sure. It seemed silly at that point of time, but like a lucky "shot in the dark", I hit bull's eye! He fell, head over heels, into the manhole. The rope broke, too, (what made me think it was strong?) and followed him into the darkness of the hole. I jumped with excitement and turned to leave. I didn't dare going to that cursed place where the other two people were possibly lying dead. As I ran towards my house I had the satisfaction of trapping a cold-blooded killer, but it was eclipsed by the guilt of not being able to save that man who saved my life, even when he knew I wouldn't be able to return the favour.
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