CHAPTER 5
The Road To Salvation
“I was brought back to life. However, I was made aware of the fact that my life now belonged to them. I was indebted to them for life. They were a secret, yet powerful group of radicalised, highly resourceful individuals. Their men were seeded everywhere, at every government and IT department. They had their eyes and ears everywhere. And they used to brainwash, radicalise, and then train men and women like me as their human assets.
“I, for one, had fallen into their lap, and they took me in as the Almighty’s gift. I, along with many other aggrieved, deprived and vengeful men and women, who had no purpose, no next of kin, were trained rigorously. We were the ones who held grudges against people, society, and the system at large, And they leveraged our suppressed wrath and abhorrence to mould us into lethal weapons. We were brainwashed and programmed to obey orders sans any questions.
Once my training was over, I was given a new identity, a new job as ground staff in an international airline. I was assigned the task to befriend, rather, romantically engage with a girl named Sandhya. She was a Purser in the same airline. Though I was hesitant initially, I never expressed my hesitation or inhibitions to them. I knew they knew no morals, no ethics, no mercy. They were highly skilled, supremely motivated to achieve their mission, whatever it was.
“However, I soon realised why they chose me for that assignment. Apparently, they knew me better than I knew myself! I had never known or explored that side of my personality before. But when I was playing my part as Sandhya’s lover, I gradually realised, it all came naturally to me. I was bisexual! I fought back my feelings, rather impulsively. It took me days to accept my truth. But once I did, everything became easy. Unbeknownst to me, I had fallen for Sandhya. I wasn’t supposed to, as she was merely a part of my assignment, but I did, anyway.
“My task was to gather information and intel about the flight schedules, the security detail, the clearances, the housekeeping exercises, etc from an unsuspecting Sandhya.- Finally, through her contacts, I was tasked to find ways to dodge the security detail and smuggle the chemical explosives to IG-7203.
“The plan was just to smuggle the explosives from Vizag and deliver them discreetly at a designated drop point in Bangalore airport itself. Being an airline employee, they said, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. At least that’s what I was told.
I had carried the explosives on my person.
“Everything became clear now. I wasn’t a mere carrier. I was a Human Bomb! I was on a suicide mission and I didn’t even know it! They had another person tailing me, who was tasked with detonating the bomb. Apparently, they had already got a whiff of my feelings for Sandhya. And they wanted no loose ends. So they ensured that she was on that flight with me.
“From the news, and later from Mayank, I came to know that there were 123 passengers on board, including four high-profile IB officials. I now knew that they were the targets. The rest were mere collateral damage. Everything was crystal clear now!
“I won’t leave those bastards! I will expose them all! Let’s go to the police. Now!” I was infuriated. I felt betrayed and played. I knew I was a mere pawn in their big game. But I had no idea how big or how dangerous it was! I wanted them all exposed, I wanted them dead!
“Are you mad? Don’t you think they are already finding ways to kill you?
“Everyone knows that you have no memory left of the incident. And that’s why you’re still alive. If they get the slightest inkling that your memory is revived, you, being alive, will be their biggest threat. Do you realise that you’re in grave danger? We must head back to your house. Now!” Mayank commanded.
I resisted going back to my apartment, fearing yet another attack by those dreadful ghouls. I laughed at the irony of my existence. I survived a plane crash, to be killed by either ghosts or by the people who once saved my life.
Finally, I gathered enough courage to enter my apartment. The day’s revelations, the emotional and mental turbulence had taken a toll on me. My entire body screamed for sleep, yet my mind was fearful. I finally popped a couple of sleeping pills and hit the bed.
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I found myself on board flight IG-7203. I was talking with Sandhya, but this time we were standing outside the lavatory, and we both were smiling. I felt a certain peace when I was with her. Then, there was a blast! Out of nowhere!
I felt my body explode and disintegrate into tiny bits. My flesh, blood and bones, along with several others’, splattered and scattered in the space. There was no pain, but chaos and confusion, and fear! I along with several others, presumably all the co-passengers of Flight IG-7203 were floating in the vast space. There were no bodies; only us, in our pure spirit forms. Floating!
Then, one by one, all those spirits came together to form a giant ball of light. It was nothing, but raw energy. That giant ball then gradually advanced towards me. Soon, I was engulfed in that white, giant ball.
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I opened my eyes, and found myself lying on the bed, perspiring! It was morning already. I called Mayank and asked him to come home immediately. “Please bring Sam with you,” I requested.
As they both arrived, I narrated my weird dream to them. Sam listened to everything carefully and then asked, “Have you experienced any other weird things lately?”
I told him everything – my dreams about Hell, about Sandhya and those shadows lurking in my house. Only, they were too real to be dreams!
Sam listened to everything intently and then slipped into some deep thoughts. After some time, he gathered his thoughts and proposed, “I have a theory. I don’t think whatever you saw were just dreams.”
He took a pregnant pause, gauged our expressions and continued only after confirming that we were taking him seriously.
“Your dream about hell wasn’t really a dream. It could be a manifestation of your thoughts, your guilt, as you knew at a subconscious level that you were responsible for the loss of so many lives. Maybe your soul did traverse the road to hell.
“Perhaps, Sandhya and the other ghosts that you saw, are here to protect you, and not to harm you,” he proposed.
“Now, coming back to your last dream. I feel I now have an explanation for how you survived the crash,” he looked at us, scrutinising our expressions again.
“I think you never survived that blast. You, just like all the other people on board, had died instantly. But the spirits of those people brought you back to life, together. Their accumulated energy gave you life. But they did it for a purpose. They want you to avenge their death,” he concluded.
“What? Avenge their death? How am I supposed to do that?” I scoffed. “By bringing the culprits to justice,” Mayank said, gravely.
Suddenly, an idea struck me like a flash. I hurried towards my study. I fetched a detailed diagram of a decently large building from the drawer. It was the masterplan of their hub.
Their mastermind lived and operated from that place, which to outsiders was a call centre. I, along with a few chosen ones, was once given the task to man that building on a rotation basis. Hence, we all had a copy of their floor plan. I remembered the emergency exits, the backdoors and the secret passageways like the back of my hand.
“What are you thinking? Are you planning an attack? Who do you think you are? Commando?” Mayank asked, reprovingly.
“No. All I have to do is share this information with the IB. They have already tried to investigate me. Now I will tell them everything. I’m sure they will be keen to avenge the deaths of their people. And I will share this building masterplan with them so that they have an upper hand. I want those bastards caught off guard. Just the way they caught me off guard!” I divulged my plan.
I quickly checked my phone for the number of the IB officer who was interrogating me. Within the next few hours, the so-called Call Center building was ambushed by the elite armed forces. Several rounds of bullets were fired. There was fire, bangs and flames everywhere. After a minutes long operation, the entire guild was neutralised.
Mayank, Sam and I saw everything from a distance, hiding from their sight. As the entire group was boarded and locked in a large police van, there was a large explosion. Before anyone could register what had happened, we saw the police van burning in flames, and the men inside the van screaming for help. Their cries for help were gradually silenced as their souls left their bodies. The police personnel were running helter-skelter, trying to figure out the source of the explosion. As the crowd gathered, witnessing the horrific scene, agape, I slyly slid the detonator into my pocket, and the three of us walked away.
I still remembered the formula of a chemical bomb, after all!
As we walked away, I felt a sense of calm and contentment envelope my being. I couldn’t remember when I had felt that way last. I was drowned in my own blissful thoughts when I felt a sudden, sharp jab in my chest. I looked in horror, as I realised what had just happened. Sam had pierced a dagger through my chest. I panicked, and my bewildered eyes sought Mayank for help. Mayank stood nearby, motionless, tears streaming from his eyes.
“I’m sorry, my friend! But you have to go. You’re not human anymore!” I heard Sam’s remorseful voice.
But I felt no pain, rather, I felt lighter. I felt at peace! I was happy! I was floating. As I propelled upwards, I looked down to bid adieu to my friends; They stood there, dejected, as my charred, mutilated body was lying there, lifeless. Sam was right. I wasn’t human anymore. I wasn’t alive anymore! I was one with the universe!
I was one with the cosmos!
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