THE NIGHT BEFORE DEATH: TERROR STRIKES BACK

"Everything in this world comes with a price........ even love."

I was sitting alone in my dimly lit room, savoring the last few bites of lunch, when an unexpected knock echoed through the wooden door. Startled, I set my plate aside and rose, wiping my hands on a towel before cautiously opening the door.

Standing there, framed by the weak afternoon light, was Sarla David. His sudden appearance was both unsettling and perplexing. The man had an aura—a disquieting mix of authority and menace. I swallowed hard as he greeted me with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Suraj," he said smoothly, his voice carrying a strange warmth that only deepened my unease.

I forced a polite smile, masking the turmoil brewing inside me. "Not at all. Please, come in."

Sarla stepped in calmly, deliberately striding, his boots clicking softly against the floor. He scanned the room casually before settling on the cot, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. I took my place on the ground, instinctively lowering myself before him.

"I was having lunch," I said, breaking the heavy silence. "Have you eaten?"

Sarla's lips curled slightly, but the expression didn't seem genuine. "Yes," he replied, his tone light yet unreadable.

The quiet stretched between us, thick and oppressive. I hesitated, then asked, "Do you… need something from me?"

Sarla leaned back, clasping his hands together, and he regarded me with almost fatherly patience. "No need to rush. Finish your lunch first."

I nodded, though the lump in my throat made swallowing difficult. His presence was unnerving, but I forced myself to eat quickly. My mind raced as I chewed, questioning his purpose, and his sudden interest in me.

After washing my hands, I returned to find him watching me intently, his expression grim.

"Suraj," he began, his voice low and deliberate, "after Aanchal and Ravi eloped, and my brother died in that house—both events happening almost simultaneously—I couldn't ignore the strange coincidence. So, I used my resources to look for Aanchal and Ravi, hoping to find some answers. But the world is vast, filled with strangers, and no one has time for another's troubles. I found nothing."

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as if piecing together a puzzle. "But an interesting thought occurred to me: You were there. Present at both incidents. Aanchal drugged you and left you in the middle of a forest instead of inside the house. Why go to such lengths when time was clearly against her? It made me wonder—could the two events be connected? Did Aanchal know the house was going to burn, or was it just another coincidence?"

His questions were unsettling, a relentless probing into the dark corners of my memory. "These thoughts haunt me, Suraj. I need answers, and I think you can help me find them."

I tried to steady my voice, but the tremor betrayed me. "How can I help you with that?"

Sarla's smile returned, but this time it was laced with something predatory. "You can. When we first met, I noticed a quality in you—something rare. Fearlessness. You didn't flinch when you spoke to me, didn't stammer or look away. You're not ordinary, Suraj. There's something in you—something that can help me get the closure I need."

My heart pounded in my chest as his words hung in the air. "What do you want me to do?" I asked hesitantly.

He leaned forward, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "I heard you met Premji Mathur in the colony. That old man—once a close confidant of my father-in-law—is bold and dangerous, even now. Though his body has grown frail, his mind remains sharp and cunning. He knows how to reach Anthony."

I stiffened at the name. "I can't… I can't kill him," I stammered.

Sarla threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing ominously in the small room. "No, no, my friend," he said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "You don't need to kill anyone. All I ask is for you to plant this little device in his house."

He pulled a small, unassuming black box from his pocket and placed it carefully on the table between us.

"But why me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Surely, you have other people for this."

Sarla's smile faded, replaced by a look of almost paternal regret. "I do," he admitted. "But none of them possess your fearlessness. I would have done this myself, but I'm not the same Sarla David as before. There are… restrictions on me now. You, on the other hand, are free. You can do this."

He rose from the cot, his movements fluid, and made his way to the door. Before leaving, he turned back, his eyes locking onto mine with a steely determination.

"You leave tonight, Suraj."

The door shut behind him with a soft click, but his presence lingered, suffocating the room with an invisible weight. I stared at the black box on the table, my hands trembling as the magnitude of his words sank in.

I rushed toward Meera's room, my heart pounding with urgency. Without bothering to knock, I flung the door open. Meera, seated on her bed with a book in her hands, jolted at my sudden intrusion. Her startled expression quickly hardened, and before I could say a word, she pointed a gun at me.

"Idiot," she hissed, lowering the weapon once she recognized me. "I could have shot you dead. Why are you in such a hurry?"

I stood there, catching my breath, trying to put my words together. "Meera," I began, my voice shaky with desperation, "I have a problem."

Her stern gaze softened for a moment, and then, to my shock, she burst into laughter. The sound was sharp, almost mocking, and it cut through the tension in the room like a blade.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, my frustration bubbling over.

Still chuckling, Meera stood, closed the book with a snap, and patted my shoulder. "Sarla was just teasing you, Suraj. This box you're so worried about? It's empty." She tilted her head, her smirk widening. "Do you think he would trust you to end his arch-enemy? You're a fool if you believe that. He's testing you, Suraj. You're lucky you didn't march straight to Mathur Uncle, or you'd be dead by now."

I frowned, confused and angry. "Why would he kill me?"

Meera sighed and pushed me gently onto the bed. Her tone grew serious. "Because, you idiot, everyone knows that Mathur Uncle secretly supports Anthony. If you had gone to him with that box, it would have been crystal clear that you and Mathur Uncle are plotting something. Sarla would've have killed you along with Mathur Uncle."

I stared at her, my mind spinning. "So, what am I supposed to do now?"

Meera smiled, but it wasn't reassuring. It was the kind of smile that carried an edge of warning. "Stay safe," she said. "Sarla suspects you, but he won't act without proof. He'll try to rattle you, watch your every move, hoping you'll make a mistake. One wrong step, and you're finished."

Her words hit me like a cold slap. "Why does he suspect me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What did I do?"

Her expression darkened, her eyes flashing with anger. "You kidnapped Aanchal and Ravi and shipped them off to some foreign land, leaving them among strangers. That wasn't the plan, Suraj. If you'd stuck to what we agreed on, we'd have taken out all three brothers by now. But no, your damned generosity ruined everything. We had to scramble to fix it, and in our haste, we left loose ends. Loose ends that made Sarla suspicious. Now, luck is the only thing keeping us afloat."

I sank back into the bed, overwhelmed. "What now?" I murmured.

Meera stood, her tone brisk. "Stay away from Sarla. I'll keep him distracted as best I can. In the meantime, you should return to the colony. Mathur Uncle mentioned that the people there respect you. Keep them in check. Make sure their fire doesn't ignite too soon. The revolution must wait for the right moment."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Remember, timing is everything, Suraj. One wrong move and the whole plan crumbles."

I nodded numbly, pushing myself off the bed. As I left the room, my gaze stayed fixed on the floor, my mind a whirl of conflicting thoughts. I barely noticed Sumeet and Mukesh standing in the hallway, their sharp eyes following me as I walked past them.

I closed the door behind me and collapsed onto the bed, the mattress creaking under my weight. Sumeet came storming into the room, his eyes blazing with anger. He kicked me on my left leg, a sharp pain shooting through my body.

"What the hell were you doing in Meera's room?" he spat, his voice dripping with fury. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from her? Why don't you understand such a basic thing?"

I stayed silent for a moment, then slowly sat up and looked him in the eye. "Meera ma'am wanted to ask me something and therefore I went inside her room," I said, my voice steady.

Sumeet's face twisted into a grimace. "Use your fucking brains!" he snarled. "Even if she calls you, tell her you are busy or will go later. Barging inside someone's wife's room like this is both unethical and in this case dangerous. You can't imagine how much persuasion that chubby idiot needed to ignore your stupidity."

I remained calm, my expression unchanging. "There is no need to worry," I replied. "She is sending me back to the colony. Then, I don't need to be under suspicion anymore."

Sumeet sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Do whatever you want. Just don't do anything stupid and endanger our lives and compromise our mission," he warned, his voice softer now but still laced with concern.

I decided to change the subject. "Did you have contact with our old friends? I am sure they must be missing us."

Sumeet's eyes flickered with recognition. He instantly understood the hidden message. "No," he said, his voice loud and clear. "They must have forgotten us. I mean, who would even care for us poor and homeless people?"

Sarla, who had been standing in the doorway, listening to our conversation, stepped into the room. His presence was commanding, his gaze intense. "Friends come and go. But, only the true ones stay. If they don't care about you, then they were never your friends," he said, his voice deep and reassuring.

Both Sumeet and I nodded our heads, absorbing his words. Sarla turned to me, his eyes boring into mine. "Remember what I said. It must happen at the earliest," he reminded me, his tone serious.

I gave a weak smile, acknowledging his command. Sarla left the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. Sumeet glanced at me, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, but he said nothing. He turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving me alone in the room.

Sarla entered Meera's room, his face a mask of grim determination. "Mukesh told me that Suraj came to your room," he said, his voice heavy with accusation.

Meera, sitting by the window, turned to face Sarla, her expression equally somber. "At least someone comes into my room," she replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I often notice you are so busy with your work that you never come to my room, and I feel lonely. Suraj is a lot like you, and therefore, I always call him to do some trivial things for me."

Sarla sighed deeply, the weight of their strained relationship pressing down on him. "Our relationship was ruined because of your shortcomings. I am not saying that it was your fault that you couldn't bear me children, but your cold behavior towards me after finding out about it is what separated us. I go to the service women but I never sleep with them. I just can't. Every time I go closer to them, it feels like I am betraying you. Therefore, I couldn't have children with them."

Meera's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Lies. Straight lies. You don't sleep with them because you can't. You don't like women, you like men. The great Sarla David is homosexual and you want to hide this fact from everyone, even from your own brothers. But, you told me this, because you perfectly know that I won't tell anyone as it will ruin the reputation my father spent all his life building. But, I cannot hide it anymore. I may be infertile but I have needs. I also want to feel alive."

Sarla's eyes flashed with anger, his voice rising. "How can you even think so, Meera? How can you be so selfish? Am I not suppressing my desires too? Am I not sacrificing? You say that I never come to your room. But, can't you come to my room once? I may not want to be physical with you, but I still love you. I want to spend some time with you. You are my wife and I love you. You didn't even console me once after Raju's death. Can't you see my pain and despair?"

Meera stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "DON'T YOU SEE MY PAIN AND DESPAIR? You think of me as some doll whom you will cuddle and then throw away whenever you want. Your brother was a monster. He kidnapped young girls from the colony and raped them and you didn't do anything even after knowing all this. Your ignorance killed Raju. You are his murderer."

Sarla's hand shot up, poised to strike her, but his love for her stayed his hand. Meera's smile was cold and mocking. "Everything about you is an act. Your courage, your determination, and even your love for me." She walked away briskly from the room, slamming the door behind her with a resounding thud. Sarla stared at his reflection in the shattered mirror, his rage boiling over as he hurled a nearby vase, shattering the mirror into countless pieces...