with some horror at the devastation he had caused with just one kick, and then he looked up and realized it was far from over.
The large man had now released the woman, throwing her to the ground and now stood facing Arnab with a grin on his face. Despite what had happened to his friends, his facing Arnab with such confidence would have seemed misplaced had he not produced a revolver from under his coat. For the first time that night, Arnab was truly afraid. He knew he was faster and stronger than the man, but he also knew he could bleed. Dodging a man swinging a knife was one thing, but he was certain that there was no way he could dodge a bullet. The man pointed the revolver straight at Arnab and barked at him,
'Get lost or you die tonight.'
Arnab said nothing but looked straight into the man's eyes. He had come too far to walk away. He would now have to deal with what lay ahead the best he could. The man shouted at Arnab to go away once again, and this time Arnab took a step closer to the man.
The man fired.
Arnab would later reflect back on the moment and remember seeing the bullet coming at him, seeming to travel about as fast as a tennis ball thrown at high speed. But at that moment, all he focused on was somehow getting out of the way of the bullet by diving to his right. When he saw Arnab fall, the man assumed that he had been hit, and moved in to check if Arnab was dead. That proved to be a huge mistake. Arnab saw the man approaching, gun at the ready and lay still waiting for him to come closer. When he judged that the man was close enough, he lashed out with his left hand. The man was shocked at seeing his 'dead' adversary spring to life and stumbled backwards. Arnab's hand connected with the man's stomach in a grazing blow, but that was enough to send the man crashing to the ground. Arnab was soon on top of him and before he delivered the final blow to the man's head, the man looked up at him, asking with bewilderment,
'Who the hell are you? What are you?'
'Just someone who decided that your time was up.'
Arnab brought his fist down on the man's face. Part of him wanted to smash the man's face in with all his strength, but another part of him held back, not yet willing to take a man's life. The man fell unconscious with Arnab's final blow and Arnab got up to take stock of his surroundings. All three men were no longer moving, and a few feet away, the woman was lying on the ground, sobbing. As he took a step towards her, she cringed in fear, and he realized how fearful he must have looked with his hood on in the darkness, and with the violence he had just dealt out. He tried to sound reassuring but spoke way too fast, being psyched up from the action of the last few minutes.
'Please don't worry, I am here to help. Call the police and I'll wait here with you till they come.'
The woman dialled the police with shaking fingers, and then looked up at Arnab,
'Who are you? How did you do what you just did?'
Not knowing what to say or do, Arnab just stood there, feeling very uncomfortable and wishing the cops would arrive soon. When he saw the lights flashing and heard the sirens in the distance, he took one last look at the woman and raced away at high speed. As the woman gaped at him taking off like a rocket, her words followed him into the night,
'Thank you.'
***
Arnab woke up the next morning, his muscles aching from the previous night's adventure. The first thing he did was to check if he could see without his glasses, and to his disappointment, everything seemed a blur. As he put on his glasses, he realized that of all the things he had discovered himself capable of doing; his being able to see without his glasses had perhaps given him the biggest thrill, even more than his strength or speed. He could not remember the last time he had been able to see without his thick glasses, but remembered only too well all the taunts they had earned him in
The large man had now released the woman, throwing her to the ground and now stood facing Arnab with a grin on his face. Despite what had happened to his friends, his facing Arnab with such confidence would have seemed misplaced had he not produced a revolver from under his coat. For the first time that night, Arnab was truly afraid. He knew he was faster and stronger than the man, but he also knew he could bleed. Dodging a man swinging a knife was one thing, but he was certain that there was no way he could dodge a bullet. The man pointed the revolver straight at Arnab and barked at him,
'Get lost or you die tonight.'
Arnab said nothing but looked straight into the man's eyes. He had come too far to walk away. He would now have to deal with what lay ahead the best he could. The man shouted at Arnab to go away once again, and this time Arnab took a step closer to the man.
The man fired.
Arnab would later reflect back on the moment and remember seeing the bullet coming at him, seeming to travel about as fast as a tennis ball thrown at high speed. But at that moment, all he focused on was somehow getting out of the way of the bullet by diving to his right. When he saw Arnab fall, the man assumed that he had been hit, and moved in to check if Arnab was dead. That proved to be a huge mistake. Arnab saw the man approaching, gun at the ready and lay still waiting for him to come closer. When he judged that the man was close enough, he lashed out with his left hand. The man was shocked at seeing his 'dead' adversary spring to life and stumbled backwards. Arnab's hand connected with the man's stomach in a grazing blow, but that was enough to send the man crashing to the ground. Arnab was soon on top of him and before he delivered the final blow to the man's head, the man looked up at him, asking with bewilderment,
'Who the hell are you? What are you?'
'Just someone who decided that your time was up.'
Arnab brought his fist down on the man's face. Part of him wanted to smash the man's face in with all his strength, but another part of him held back, not yet willing to take a man's life. The man fell unconscious with Arnab's final blow and Arnab got up to take stock of his surroundings. All three men were no longer moving, and a few feet away, the woman was lying on the ground, sobbing. As he took a step towards her, she cringed in fear, and he realized how fearful he must have looked with his hood on in the darkness, and with the violence he had just dealt out. He tried to sound reassuring but spoke way too fast, being psyched up from the action of the last few minutes.
'Please don't worry, I am here to help. Call the police and I'll wait here with you till they come.'
The woman dialled the police with shaking fingers, and then looked up at Arnab,
'Who are you? How did you do what you just did?'
Not knowing what to say or do, Arnab just stood there, feeling very uncomfortable and wishing the cops would arrive soon. When he saw the lights flashing and heard the sirens in the distance, he took one last look at the woman and raced away at high speed. As the woman gaped at him taking off like a rocket, her words followed him into the night,
'Thank you.'
***
Arnab woke up the next morning, his muscles aching from the previous night's adventure. The first thing he did was to check if he could see without his glasses, and to his disappointment, everything seemed a blur. As he put on his glasses, he realized that of all the things he had discovered himself capable of doing; his being able to see without his glasses had perhaps given him the biggest thrill, even more than his strength or speed. He could not remember the last time he had been able to see without his thick glasses, but remembered only too well all the taunts they had earned him in
Similar Books
