Chapter Four

The dampness in the air on a cloudy night has a gloom in it. After the engine went off, he lowered the window of his old-fashioned vehicle to let the dampness come inside. He loves this peculiar smell before the rains. As if someone from the abode above is giving him signals. As if someone is watching him. And that gives him the kick. As if the spectators are applauding the ace player for getting the job done for them. He looked outside. The road was empty. The yellow tent made of cheap tarpaulin was in its place. He could feel movement inside. She was there. He likes to watch them before he goes for them. And now it’s her turn. The beauty of poverty is that people are not concerned about you. Wherever you go, none is going to ask you about that. And when you disappear, none is suspicious. When the young women living in the footpaths go missing, none bothers. Who will go to the police? Who has the guts to ask the cops to add to their burden? He thus loves the idea of playing this dangerous game.  His preys are easy to find. They can be lured easily.

He gets down, looks at the surroundings. He had already studied this place. There are no CCTV cameras around. They are always bothered about the places infested with human beings. Places like this have no value to the keepers of the law. He makes a whistling sound. The dimly lit tent was again alive with movements. She was coming out. And he looked at himself in the rear-view mirror. The smile of satisfaction on his lips showed he was admiring his own looks. She came out of the tent and looked at him coyly. He was thrilled to see her. She was around twenty years of age, dark-complexioned and unhindered by worldly sorrows. Just the match he was looking for.  She was wearing the red salwar suit he had gifted her the day before. Beneath the new clothing, there was a soul craving for salvation. He could read minds. That is why she was coming close to the man who was more than thrice as old as her. He smiled at her affectionately. She was now coming close to him. He opened the other door in the front seat and offered her a lily flower. A symbol of hope, a symbol of purity, a symbol of unending relation, one he has already started with her. And she will be watching him forever from beneath the clouds. She accepts the gift and says something. He could not understand a single word. He was already being transported to a different world. They went inside the car. She was expecting something to happen soon. But he was suave. And restrained. Restrained by the holy thought of performing the act in a gallery full of spectators. He started driving the vehicle. Peculiar music was playing in the car music system. As if someone was chanting some strange hymns. Must be a prelude to the wonderful act she would be a part of soon, the young girl thought. She smiled at the old man. He smiled back. There was a charm in that smile. He was quiet unlike the boisterous slum dwellers with foul smell coming out of their bodies she has been hitherto close with. It started raining outside. As the raindrops splashed on the windows, she started drawing some lewd figures on the vapor. He gave it a cursory glance. She was giggling. It was a win-win situation for her. Her body was already on fire. And she was with an old man who was generous in giving.

The car was going down the meadows. The evening was gradually ending to give birth to a new night. The car slowed down. They reached an isolated place. Something was written on the small building. From the look of it, she guessed it was a workshop of a kind. She was expecting it to be a nice little house of some sort. The car finally stopped but the engine was still on. ‘We are home’, said the old man. His only full sentence so far. He asked her to get down and wait under the shed of the workshop as he would park the vehicle. She nodded and got down as he took the vehicle behind the workshop. As he was moving, she could see his eyes beneath the busy wipers on the windshield. He had a mischievous smile on his face as he went on. She was dying for his warmth.

He came back in a minute and gave her a warm smile. He put his hand on her shoulder and they slowly moved forward. There was not a single soul around. In fact, she was surprised to see that it was the only building in the entire space. There was an eerie feeling in the air. She held him tightly. It was dark. The man opened the lock. Suddenly a strange smell came out from the building. They both entered. It was dark inside. He closed the door behind. And switched on the lights. As the lights were on, she was horrified to see the room. He was smiling. She screamed. There was none else around. None could hear her. Suddenly her world became blank.

The next chapter will be added on 20.06.2021

Read the chapter Five here

The Mission- Chapter Five

Read the Third Chapter here

The Mission- Chapter Three

The Mission- Chapter Two