Gemini

 The man sat on a rickety chair, not quite suited to his size, on one side of too large a table. It made him feel small and vulnerable. It brought back memories of his childhood. His brother, his twin, was always the bully. His need for control always got the man in trouble, while the twin would always hide and vanish for days and only return when the trouble had cooled down. This habit of his is still prevalent. He started to wonder if this was also his brother's doing somehow.

A man walked into the room with a folder in his hands. He seemed agitated and looked at the seated man with a mixture of contempt, disgust and, I could be wrong, but was it fear? Yes fear. He was also afraid. This confused the seated man and also imposed upon him a sense of foreboding and great fear. The darkness in the room started affecting him now. The pale lamp hanging from the ceiling was barely illuminating the table and creating monsters in every shadow that were hunting the seated man. He, oddly enough, saw his brother in every imagined monster in the shadow. He was starting to believe that this indeed was his brother's doing.

The man came closer to table and in the light you could see he was wearing a uniform. The khaki marked him as a police officer and in the mind of the seated man, distinguished him as another source of fear. He almost trembled now. He was close to crying innocence without knowing what he was in for.

The cop moved the lamp to light up the man's face. He shone the light straight into his eyes and peered at him closely. He took out a picture from the folder and placing it against the man's face compared it to the image. Satisfied, he let the lamp go and sat down with the photo back in the folder. The lamp, now swinging from one end to the other of the table, now alternately lit up the man and the cop. The shadows in response moved around even more as if they were excited and were rushing with anticipation.

The cop opened the folder and asked the man his name. He gave it out and the cop nodded. He next asked about his car and confirmed its number. He then closed the folder but did not remove his hand from it. He sighed and looked at the man closely. Now anger was slowly lighting up in his eyes. Yet the fear had not yet gone. It was as if he was looking at a monster, intimidation and ego mixing in his eyes as he gazed upon it. It chilled the man to the core. The cop then asked him "Why would you do this?"

The man looked at him confused.

"What Sahib? Have I made a mistake?"

"Don't act coy. You know what you have done and what I am talking about" The cop now seems driven a bit by his emotions.

"You are a monster, I know it, you know it, and soon everyone else will know it."

The man now violently shakes his head and pleads innocence. He blabbers out salutations, promises, reasons, and emotional outbursts, all in the defence of his innocence.

"Sahib you have made a mistake sahib. I have not done anything. There has to be a mistake. I don't even know why you have brought me here. I know there has to be a mistake. Please Sahib let me go. I have not done anything. "

His begging was getting on the cop's nerves now. He finally lost his cool and screamed.

"Murderer. That's what you are. A cold blooded monster, killing innocents and now pretending to be one himself. You are doomed you freak. I have finally caught you"

With that he walked away from the room, leaving the man alone with his thoughts, guilt and the lamp dancing with the shadows.

The man felt alone, truly alone, and afraid, not just of the shadows, but of the light of law as well. He like any sane man was afraid of the law, but never as a criminal on the other side, but a victim. Now here he was playing a duet on both the sides of the law with the lamp marking the beat of the song. It seemed familiar. 

Ajeeb Dastaan Hai ye...

Kaha Shuru Kaha Khatam...

Ye Manzile hai kaun si....

Na Tum Samajh Sake na Hum....

The pauses in his head were punctuated with a light thud, as if a cleaver cutting a slab of meat. He was trying to remember something.

He was driving back and the song was playing on the radio.
He parked the car and went towards his room.
The light was off and the radio was on here too.
The same song was playing.
The little light that entered the room from the covered window showed the silhouette of his brother.
He was cutting something with a cleaver.
Maybe mutton was dinner tonight. His brother often made it.
Then he heard the whimpers. In between the cuts and the thud of the cleaver.
That was no goat, no that was, a woman? Yes definitely a woman.
He looked around.
A purse, a sandal, remnants of a sari, decorating his house, rather morbidly.
The woman whimpered one last time, in time with the song ending.
My brother turned and I ran out.

The swinging lamp again came in focus and the man stood up. The chair fell as a result and the lamp was eye level with him. Moving to and fro, turning his eyes into pinpricks of light and shadow alternately.

The cop walked in again. This time he had a few photographs with him. As he approached the table he threw them on it and screamed at the man to sit down and watch. The man lifted up his chair and sat down. The cop held up each photo, marking each gruesome scene with a date, time and name. Two photos later he saw his room, the same sari and the woman that he barely glimpsed in the dark. He screamed and rushed away from the table towards the wall. He turned and saw the shadow. His brother stood there, smiling at him and nodding. He fell down in shock and the twin walked back into the shadow.

The cop rushed to him, lifted him up and slapped him. He then dragged him to the table and took his face real close to the photo that made him react. His nose was almost touching the woman's body in the photograph. The man kept whimpering.

"This woman you remember? She was the last one I believe."

"Did something change here? Something went wrong?"

"Did she not fit your menu? Or was she the final satisfaction?"

"Tell Me! You Monster! Why did you do this?"

The man broke down and cried.

"Pathetic"

The cop pushed him down on his chair and sat down opposite him on the table. His head now stood above the lamp, hidden in the darkness, giving him the appearance of an angel of vengeance. He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke on the man's face. His crying eyes burned more.

"Tell me, everything". Blows smoke again.

The man wailed "It wasn't me, it was my brother!"

The cop laughed.

"How filmy! Was there a mother too? Maybe blind?  A father who is framed and behind bars? Is the man responsible for your family's sorrow your brother's mentor? Stop this bullshit freak and tell me the truth."

He crushes the cigarette on the table near the man's handcuffs.

The man screams in fear and pleads again.

The cop lights up another cigarette. He nods at the man to tell his story.

"It was my brother sir. I had gone home for my lunch break. I remember it was as Thursday and the classics were on the radio. The song was our favourite, both mine and my brother's. I was hungry and was wondering what my brother had made. He is an excellent cook Sahib. Especially mutton. He makes the goat sing as he cooks it."

The cop slaps the man.

"I haven't asked for a recipe or a food critique, tell the goddamn story."

Another cigarette lights up.

"The cop is a chain smoker", thinks the man while holding his stinging cheek.

He continues the story.

"Sahib, I walked into the room and heard the song playing and there was also this sound of meat getting cut. I thought it was my brother preparing the mutton. I got angry that he was running so late. I had to eat and go back to work and he still had not prepared the food. So I walked towards where he was in the shadows. The light was off I remember and even the windows were barred. "

"Then?" The cop asked impatiently.

"I heard a woman. Every time the sound of the cleaver hitting the meat came, it followed with that of a woman whimpering, as if it was her limbs being cut."

"She was alive? OH MY GOD! WHAT MONSTROSITY ARE YOU!" The cop bellowed in anger.

He started hitting the man in anger. The cop was beyond control now and he was venting on the man.

"Sahib it wasn't me! It was my brother! My twin! He was the one killing the woman. I heard all this and got scared, so I looked around and saw the sari, purse and sandal. The moment my brother turned I screamed and ran out. I drove away that instant and that is when you caught me at the checknaka."

"Now you are inventing a twin brother to save your skin. You commit the crime and lay the blame on your fictitious twin. Don't take me for a fool. Here look at these photos and wallow in your brother's sins and when you are ready then tell me the truth. One way or the other you are going to pay for your sins."

He threw the pictures at his face and walked out. The man gathered them and looked at them. One was familiar and the others? Maybe he had seen them or given them a ride, in this city you never know.

He started wondering about his brother. Where could he have hidden now? He couldn't have hidden himself so well. People have seen them together. There was no way he could pin this on him now. He smiled as he remembered the tea stall they always had tea. Always the same order, single masala tea, one by two. Twins share everything they were taught. Now they were sharing sins and consequences.

The last time they had tea, they sat on their usual table, the corner one with the broken light over it. The music player was right behind the table and we always got it to play our favourite song. That day also the same thing happened. We ordered the tea and requested the song. The boy came with tea and my brother leaned back to listen to the song. His face completely shadowed. The boy left.

Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Ye

Kaha Shuru Kaha Khatam

Ye manzile hai kaun si

Na tum samajh sake na hum

He called out to the cop, telling him to go to the tea stall to find out about his brother. They would vouch for him and identify his brother.

No one acknowledged him. The silence was driving him mad. He tried again and again and when enough time had passed but to no avail, he wept. That is when a constable walked in and gave him a glass of water and something to eat.

He had hope again.

They must have gone and found something. They now were on the track of their brother. The slop they served him in the name of food now felt like a kingly feast. His brother was getting what he deserved. He would be free soon.

**************************

It had been hours when the cop returned. By that time the man had fallen asleep.

The cop kicked him awake and pushed his chair as a result. The man fell.

"Sahib, did you find my brother? Did they tell you about him? We always go there for our tea and snacks. They must know us as regulars."

The cop this time calmly sat on the table. One leg on the fallen chair, the other hanging in the air he lit a cigarette, and blew the smoke towards the lamp now. He was lost in thought.

"A doctor will come see you now to see how you are doing. We have to make sure you are fit in custody. Then we will see what to do with you."

"Sahib, he was there wasn't he? You found him? That's why you are letting me go right?" The man smiled and said all this. The cop, but, ignored all that he said. He just looked at him a few times with confusion and then went back to his smoking. He was smoking slowly now.

"I went there. To the shop you told me about. I spoke to the owner; he had no recollection of the people who visited him, except for the local goons and heavy spenders. The boy on the other hand remembered you. He said you were always there whining for the same song on the player, almost obsessively. You would not leave or drink tea until that song played. Once when the electricity went, you reacted so badly that it scared the boy. He remembers you for sure. You were right on that account."

The man was now overjoyed and failed to notice the tone of the cop. He asked "So he must have told you about my brother also! My brother always left him a tip and was always with me! He must have told you the truth. I am free now!"

The man got up and looked expectantly at the cop.

The cop didn't even look at him and lit another cigarette with the one he had almost finished.

"He remembered you for sure, but when I asked him about your brother he was confused. So I told him about your story. He then told me that you always order one tea one by two and drink alone on that corner table. He always brings the tea to you and has always seen you, never your brother."

"We are twins sir that's why he must be confused. My brother is always there. He is mischievous that way. He always sits against the wall and in the shadow, pretending not to be there, it was a game to him we played since we were kids, pretending to be a spy. He would not even talk to me when he would pretend to hide. That must have confused the boy. Ask him again Sahib, he has to agree. My brother was there always listening and watching, staring at the boy directly. He must have felt his eyes on him Sahib! It's impossible not to."

"He remembers you talking to yourself, directing your conversation to the wall, but he never saw you with anyone. You always finished both the halves and walked away after leaving a tip. He is not lying, he is afraid of you, though fear would not be the appropriate response."

The man now desperate lurched at the cop, grabbed his collar and screamed " No! He is lying and you are making him do this. You want to frame me to solve your case. Or maybe my brother has you in on the plan. What did he offer you? Medals? Money? Glory? What did he offer? You can get it by going after him also! Don't fall for his plan. He will make a fool out of you too. He always does this to me. Even as kids. He would run away after doing something stupid, sometimes killing a goat, sometimes pushing the teacher in the well, once even after trying to force the neighbour's daughter, and every time I would be blamed. He would wear my clothes and do all this, and then after making up some story he would run away. He is doing his vanishing act again Sahib! You have to get him!"

"There is no brother. You have no twin. I checked" The cop replied nonchalantly while prying his collar loose from the man's grip.

At that moment a man walked him and stood in the corner and nodded at the cop.

The man made one final attempt to prove his point "My CAR! That is proof also! I drive the car in the day and he takes over in the night. I always park at the same spot and he picks up the car from there. You can check Sahib. I'm telling the truth."

The cop gave one final sigh and indicated the doctor to come forward. He came with two guards who held the man in his chair.

"You drive the car during the day yes. But we checked the footage. You get out of the car when you park, stand near the pillar and a few minutes later get back into the car and drive away."

The man perked up, "That's my brother you see in the footage Sahib. See? You now have proof"

The doctor got a syringe ready.

"The footage shows you in the shadow for a few minutes, where it is possible your brother and you swapped places, but I checked the whole footage, there is no record of you walking away from the parking spot. After your brother, as you say, takes the car, you cease to exist."

The doctor gives the injection, drugging the man, making him more complacent. They start taking him away.

"You are wrong, I have a brother, we are Twins, we have always been together. He is a demon. He is framing me for this. Let me go! Once I find him i'll kill him and bring him to you. Then you'll know. It was him, it always is. That demon! That monster! He's the freak, not me! You have to understand!"

His cries eventually died out. Whether it was because he lost consciousness or they took him away, the cop did not know. He just extinguished his cigarette, picked up his file and starting walking out. But before he went, he turned to look at the room. The lamp still moved, the shadows still danced. For a moment he thought he saw someone in the shadow. He took a step forward. Was it the man again? Was he telling the truth? Was his brother here the whole time? He tried looking closely, but startled he stepped back. He shook his head, laughed and walked away. For a second he thought he saw not just the man's twin, but his own. He walked out of the room, never noticing the second cigarette left burning near the door.