Pavi

I've cussed more than I've ever did in these last few days. Well someone dragging you by your hair and throwing you around like a ragdoll would make some very colourful words come out of your mouth.

"You degraded piece of shit, let me go!"  Everytime I tried to run off or free my self from the woman's grip she pulls me back and gives me a slap. The audacity of this bitch! Not even my parents have ever slapped me.

"Veera, I swear holding her feels like holding a wet slippery white fish," She huffed as we continued walking.

Veera laughed. Oh fuck, is that laugh annoying. 

"Shall we just push her off this cliff and call it a day? We have someone else to deal with," Mano suggested. Veera clicked his tongue, "Okay, okay, we'll try to keep her alive," Mano said sadly.

This Mano is more enthusiastic is killing me than Veera.

The winds got stronger and the path got steeper as we walked further. I guessed we weren't going back to the village. But it's so hard to see where you are going when you are blindfolded.

The woman halted me to a stop and tied my hands to something and removed my blindfold. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the light since it was very bright today, my eyes felt like they were burning. I couldn't even rub my eyes.

"Where is he?" Veera asked pulling out a butcher's knife from a back of a rock.

"The boys are bringing him, wait," Mano said sitting on the ground.

After my eyes got adjusted, I looked around. We were at the end of a cliff, what is with this guy and cliffs? Then I found out the answer by myself. You could just push the people who you murdered off easily. The police can't find them in this thick forest. Easy disposal.

Veera looked at me as he sharpened the knife on a rock. He gave me a smile. I turned my head in the other direction.

"Don't spare him like you spared her," Mano said.

"I won't even if you tell me to," He said.

A group of young men approached us carrying a coffin-like wooden box. Veera stood up, smiling like a psycho. Mano approached them and helped the boys with the box.

They dropped the box in front of Veera. I heard a loud grunt coming from inside the box.

"You guys go," Veera ordered the boys.

"Okay Anna," They said as they went back to where they came from.

Veera twisted his mustache and circled around the box like a lion circling its prey. He kicked open the lid.

My eyes widened as I saw a well alive man tied and gagged up. He had a horrifying look on his face and he was shivering from head to toe. He shook his tied hands as if pleading with Veera.

"Welcome," He lifted the guy up and placed him on a rock. "My sweet Machan, All well?" He asked untying the ropes.

(Machan - brother-in-law)

As soon as he untied his gag he went into full begger mode.

"VEERA! VEE-PLEASE DON'T DO ANYTHING TO ME VEE--!" He cried, tears streaming down his eyes like a waterfall.

Veera clicked his tongue in pity. "Mano Anna, shall we let him go? Poor fellow he's begging," Veera asked pressing that guy's neck to the rock.

"No, no, if you feel generous give him a painless death," Mano said.

"Umm," Veera said placing the butcher's knife close to the guys neck. "Tell me, Chinna, how do you want to die?" He asked slowly running the blade along Chinna's face.

"V-Veera, I didn't do anything," He cried. "It's all--that pol--ice guy's f--ault," He stammered.

"Where were you when he did that to Nila?" Veera asked.

"I-i..."

"You ran away, and let her die," He ran the knife along Chinna's chest, wounding him. He screamed in pain, wiggling under Veera's arms. I turned my head unable to watch the torture.

"What did you tell me when you took Nila's hands?" He asked pressing the knife deeper into his stomach.

Chinna shook his head. "I wi-will,"

"I will stay....?" Veera helped him

"I will stay--" Chinna gulped "with her even after de--ath, Veera-Veera I'm sorry,"

"She's dead, why are you still here, Shall we send you there? Then you can live with her?" Veera said placing the knife at Chinna's neck.

"Veera," Mano said. "He still has the watch," he said removing the gold watch from Chinna's bloody right hand and handed it to Veera.

"The watch that we gave you right?" He asked weighing the watch in his hands. "We gave you our sister too, were is she?" He asked handing over the watch back to Mano.

"You have the watch, but not my sister huh?' He took Chinna's right hand and cut it clean off. Blood splattered across Veera's face and the man gave out an ear splitting scream.

The scene was horrifying. I started hyperventilating and felt like vomiting. Chinna's hands laid on the ground. It felt so rong.

Veera placed the knife on Chinna's neck, but didn't do anything. He was thinking about something.

Mano looked at Veera and asked him what the problem was, but Veera didn't answer.

He lifted himself up from Chinna and backed off. Chinna kept weeping and screaming, he rolled over and fell to the ground face first near his dismembered hand.

"What Veera? Lakshmi asked, who quite enjoying the show.

"What's the fun in killing him?" He said stretching his hands, mocking Chinna. "Let's have some fun with him," He said.

He knelt down and pulled up Chinna's face by his hair and smiled at him. The guy was a wailing mess, he was covered in tears, sweat and blood. Before Veera could move on to his next torture technique and boy of about 15 cam running towards him.

"Anna! The photographer came," The boy called out not even a bit fazed by Chinna's condition.

(Anna - brother)

"You go I'll come," Veera said. The boy nodded and took off. "I'll come back and take of you," He got up and gestured Lakshmi to untie me.

***
We went back to the woods near the river. Four men stood there pushing around a poor little guy who had a camera in his hands. Veera washed off the blood off his face and hands at the river then looked up and down at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Go change your clothes, it's your photoshoot no? You should look good," he told me.

"Told YOU talk about looking good," I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, okay, Lakshmi Akka, give her a new set of clothes," He called out to her. (Akka-sister)

She nodded and took me with her. We went to a old hut, she fished me some clothes out of a pile. She hesitated before giving me the saree. A red cotten saree with white border and a black blouse. She handed them over to me and walked outside. I looked around the hut to see if anyone was watching me and started changing. I am kinda relieved that I got some new clothes since the clothes I came here with are a bit tattered.

Mid way through changing, I heard the blue barrels in the hut fall, I jerked, My heart almost came out through my throat. I swiftly put on my saree and turned around. But no one was around. Before I could go investigate Lakshmi entered.

***

I followed her to the river, Veera and his gang where talking and laughing about Chinna. Veera turned towards me, his smiled faded off his face, he then looked at Lakshmi.

"Didn't you find any other saree?" He asked rudely.

"I gave her what was there," She said.

"Fine," He said. He gathered everyone around and made them stand in 'group photo position' "Come!" He shouted at me and made me stand in the middle.

"What is this for?" I asked. This is extremely weird.

"Your husband thinks you're dead, Poor fellow. Shouldn't we tell him you're alive?" Veera said. "OI Photographer, tomorrow this should be in the front page of the news paper," He shouted at the photographer, who gave a slight nod.

"Hey everyone, Smile," Mano said, everyone roared laughing and the camera flickered. Picturing my fear.