15~NOT just a passionate affair~ 56 (2 PT) 7 Oct - A fitting END?

~COMPILATION THREAD~ (Thanks to Anushka)

INDIVIDUAL LINKS (Thanks to Nams)

THE LIVING ROOM

'She's dead, isn't she?'

'I am asking you one last time' his flaming eyes didn't even blink 'WHERE IS THE KEEEY?'

'No...' he toughened his grip around the pocket knife tactfully hidden behind his back, WAITING for this distressed boyfriend to recklessly lunge at him. All he had to do thence was plummet the tool right into the heart cavity. Then, everything would be done. His enemy wiped out. Just like he'd always wanted. Why, he'd even pre-marked his aim on Jalal's chest - ready and raring to attack 'If she can't be mine, she can't be anyone else's...and definitely NOT YOURS!' he'd dealt the final verbal blow

That was it. That distasteful retort was the red flag. The final undoing. The decimation of any sentiment that'd still kept the young man human. He tore ahead in a flash - a man possessed!

Simultaneously; the stalker's assault weapon sprung up like a bolt out of the blue - making a lethal swoop towards its target. However, that shocker didn't deter this boyfriend's rampage. Not for a bit. He'd predicted a sneaky ambush all along. After all, he knew his opponent well-enough by then.

So JUST as the tip of the blade landed upon his skin, Jalal managed to arrest the attack. He'd seized his foe's palm with an iron-clad grip - like a rabid canine paralyzing a deadly insect under its claws. Any slower and he would have been spluttering in his own pool of blood. Yet, such a tragedy wasn't going to happen. With the stalker acting in seconds, he was going to respond in microseconds. With the stalker playing sly, he was going to play slier!

Jalal didn't let go thereafter either. Nah! Instead; he continued to quash the man's right palm while the weapon was still perilously pointed at his own heart - enjoying the escalating agony in the demon's eyes. Worse. As each moment passed, he gradually began cranking up the force of his ruthless grip. Till the strain reached a point that the weapon HAD to be dropped. Till such point that the life was squeezed out of those ensnared fingers. Till the professor's finger-bone eventually cracked under the crippling pressure.

'Ooowwwrrrghhh' Ram Charan yelled in anguish, but his student was in no mood to let him play victim.

Scornfully jerking away the fractured hand, Jalal moved forth to up his game. Seizing his prisoner by the neck, he let his fingers dig into the throat 'Are you...' he growled intimidatingly 'Are you going to tell me where the key is or...'

'U...ugh... n...n...' he choked, coming up with no coherent answer promptly. Straightaway, the tight-hold around his airways constricted further - a warning that his pupil's temperament was running dangerously-low on 'patience'. Starting to frantically gag for oxygen, he wrestled to free himself - but this was tough. Much much tougher than he'd hoped. He scratched. Pushed. Punched. Kicked. However, NOTHING seemed to shake his young aggressor. An aggressor who was way stronger and way way more resilient than he'd imagined - even with a flesh wound on his back!

As the agonizing seconds ticked, Ram Charan was compelled to admit that his battles were futile. That he was losing. That his time was possibly up. And for a maniac, a fear worse than losing his own life was the fear of his enemies winning. His sadistic morals didn't take long to decide. If THAT night was to be his last, a similar fate would befall his victims too. If THAT living room was to be his graveyard, he would ensure his victims breathed their last there too - one way or another! 'W...w...' he subsequently rasped, almost out-of-breath 'W... what... do... I get... if I... tell... you...where th...the...key is?'

'I shouldn't have to teach you this proverb PROFESSOR...' Jalal sneered 'But, beggars can't be choosers!' the vehemence in his clutches had escalated to such an extent that the psychopath's feet were on the verge of being raised off the ground 'WHERE... IS... THE... KEY?'

The renewed choke-holds were stifling. Smothering. Harrowing. Excruciating. Worse than anything this 40 year old could withstand 'J... Ja... Jala... Jalal' with his trembling hands, he indicated towards his neck - requesting for some relief from the deadly strangulation 'Ok... o...I'll... tell...y... you...p...put me...d...down!'

Piercing into his captive's eyes with a nasty glare, the wary boyfriend ultimately loosened the throat-clamp by a small margin 'You have less than 5 seconds to spit out the truth!'

Grabbing Jalal's arm for support once free, the pale professor set his own pace thereon - repleting the depleted oxygen stores in his body by drawing in many sharp breaths. Yes! He could use his lungs again! His wheezy admissions had worked - briefly. He'd managed to buy himself some leeway from the desperate lover boy. After all, his mind needed a breather from the torture too - a breather before he could effectively drive a heartbroken youth into permanent insanity 'I...' panting aloud, he gradually looked up at his impatient student 'I w... would have given you the key... had I not... swallowed it already...'

'What!' stunned by disbelief, Jalal studied his rival - debating if this new statement was a lie or if someone was actually capable of being THIS mental? Well, he didn't have to rack his brains much. The answer arrived a short while thereafter in the form of a low evil laugh. The madman really had swallowed a key - just so Jodha couldn't be hauled out to safety! There was no limit to this creep's mania, was there?

'Tch tch... unfortunate, na?' the professor concluded with a mock

Unfortunate? Actually the bigger unfortunate was the professor now - for he'd GROSSLY undermined the magnitude of Jalal's present hysteria. He'd ended up playing a very bad joke. On a very very vengeful opponent. And at a very very very inopportune juncture!

An eerily quiet instant later, all forms of repressed emotions exploded within that living room. Consumed by a never-before rage, Jalal rammed his own torso onto the lunatic - using the sheer might of his shoulders to mercilessly hammer into the monster 'You bastaaa aaa aaa rrrd!'

'W...wha...what...' caught unaware by the fury of this unexpected cannonball assault the professor was trapped - and at his attacker's mercy - literally being swept through his own house. Like dirt.

In no mood for any form of empathy, the avenger forcibly ploughed through his prey - blitzing him from one end to another. They soared from the entranceway. Charged across the living room. Slammed into the patio doors at the far side. And blasted right through its glass.

Even scraping through the sharp edges of the broken panes didn't slow the momentum. In fact, the duo landed in the balcony with such potency that the professor was brutally pummelled onto the terrace wall, causing him to trip over backwards.

THE BALCONY

'N...n... n... n... n... nnno...ooo' he screamed deliriously - his fingers seizing the short parapet wall at the nth moment, as his body dangled from a three-floor drop 'H...help... someone... Jalal...'

At that crucial point, the 25 year old returned to his senses. Steadily. Perhaps coming out in the open and away from the poisonous air of that apartment had helped calm him down. Perhaps the loud shrieks from the crowds pooling below had jolted him into reality. Either way, the 'wildness' in his manner had made way for something else. It'd made way for a more 'composed' form of hatred - a more 'rational' pursuit for revenge!

'I... can't be doing this...' he soon realized! Not because he pitied a maniac, but because he cared for his own future. While the law might be able to attribute his violence so far, to self-defence - the professor's death hereafter would definitely land him in trouble. And spending years in prison for getting rid of a deranged madman was not how he'd envisioned his days ahead. Yet - and a BIG yet - he knew that hoisting this dangerous man to safety would only expose himself and Jo to new perils. Which meant; he had to put his enemy permanently out-of-action - and without flouting the law too! But, how?

'H... help someone... please...' Ram Charan's howls echoed again, indicating that his hands were unable to carry the weight of his body anymore 'Jalal beta... please help...lift me up ... I promise... I'll hurt you no more...'

Damn! The boyfriend had to snap out of his dilemma. NOW. Time was of the essence. He only had seconds to act. Even lesser to come up with a ploy.

In a hurry, he surveyed his wrecked surroundings. The floor. The glass. The doors.

'The doors' he abruptly stopped - he'd detected something 'The hinges!'

Leaning across ever-so-subtly, he touched the grease on those door hinges and smelled his fingers 'Oil' it was common cooking oil. Odourless. Colourless. And eventually traceless too! His lips curved into a sly grin. His quest for vengeance had hit upon an ingenious ploy. Quickly brushing the oil on his palms, Jalal stepped forth and leaned over.

My my. The sights he witnessed thereafter were so ironical, he could laugh. Shocked crowds that'd thronged the streets beneath to catch sight of this 3rd floor balcony drama were voraciously shouting slogans in unison

'Save him'

'Pull him up to safety'

Funny how after everything that'd transpired, the professor had garnered such empathy from onlookers - onlookers wholly unaware of what an inhuman fiend this man was!

Nevertheless. Wasting no further time, Jalal bent low and stretched his hands out 'Here sir...' he shouted with mock-concern - loud enough to be overheard by the many eyes watching his actions closely 'I'll pull you up... please grab onto my hand... I'll rescue you somehow ... don't worry...'

Thanking his stars, an unwitting Ram Charan instantly welcomed the assistance. He held onto his student - and let go of the terrace wall thereupon.

Alas. The devious stalker had just committed the biggest mistake of his life!

Suddenly, the grip felt weaker. Somehow, his fingers were slipping faster than they were a moment ago. However, he attributed the unstable grasp to Jalal's sweaty palms. His distraught mind was too troubled to think otherwise - too self-absorbed to suspect any foul play!

'Pull me up!' he screamed once more 'I'm falling...I can't hold on...'

'I AMMM' Jalal yelled back, the numbness in his soul hiding his dark emotions 'I'm doing my best sir... but aapko bhi koshish karnaa chaahiye...' he repeatedly tried to yank the man up - but the cautiously-planted 'oily' layer on his own palms ensured that any rescue attempts wouldn't work very well

And just like the cunning young vindicator had planned,

The professor's fingers subsequently slipped...

Further...

And further down...

Till there was nothing for him to hold onto!

At long last, he fell. Nearly ten metres below! No, NOT to his death - but to an alternate fate!

The slower fall had saved his life - but his back had taken the brunt of that ten metre drop. A fall that should leave him with serious injuries - injuries from which a 40 year old would NEVER be able to recover to normalcy.

'Call for an ambulance...QUICKLY!' Jalal shouted out the last part of his performance to the startled bystanders, before slowly stepping back. Moving away from the chaotic scenes below. And onto the privacy of his own thoughts. Never in his civilized life had he ever imagined he'd be driven to such monstrosity against a professor - but, he had!

On that victorious note, he glanced up at the grey night skies - his face reflecting a brief spell of serenity 'Karma's a bitch, isn't she?' he smirked under his breath. As the evening breeze ruffled a tuft of his auburn hair. As another drop of blood trickled down the sides of his face. As he stood tall, he resembled a warrior at the top of his game.

However, now that he'd sailed through the storms. Now that he'd immobilized the stalker. Now that he'd achieved what he had to, the effects of the adrenaline-rush were commencing to wear off! His energy levels were beginning to dip. The first signs of fatigue were taking over. The feverishness that'd kept his beats pounding rapidly so long were becoming shaky jitters. His left shoulder was throbbing in pain again - like it'd been sliced apart from his torso. Before long, he'd hit upon exhaustion like one would a blind-alley brick wall.

Sucked into an unhealthy daze, he turned around - and what he witnessed thence left him giddy and nauseous.

The trails of blood covering the tiled-floors were unnerving. Disturbing. He hadn't noted it for so long - but he'd been losing blood at the rate of knots! No wonder then that all of a sudden, his head felt ten times lighter. That his eyes were beginning to see double. That his balance was deteriorating too - and fast! Even a non-medical man like him knew the symptoms couldn't be normal. What he'd endured couldn't be a superficial flesh wound. It had to be an injury far worse.

'Bah!' he dismissed the notion thereafter, aware that he didn't have much time on his hands 'As long as the blood's mine and not hers... I can't be bothered...'

So, he resumed the strenuous journey back to the opposite end of the living room. His feet getting heavier. Pinning himself onto furniture for support every now and again. Till he eventually reached her still body.

THE LIVING ROOM

'Jo... I got him... we've won!' he celebrated meekly, slumping on the ground once he'd reached her spot. Obviously, her face remained placid - like she wasn't around to share this joy with him. With edgy fingers, he held her cheeks - a growing sense of despair throttling any remaining optimism in him. For some reason, her form felt more 'lifeless' than it had ten minutes ago 'No Jo...' the lump in his throat intensified 'You c...cannot...' overlooking his collapsing expectations and the inconsolable agony in his heart, he bent close to her ears 'Jo, I know I came late...I might have failed you by being unable to tear down that door... but that gives you no right to punish me like this...' he chided her - as though she could hear him 'You cannot give up on me... ok?'

Well, who was he fooling? 'Himself', of course! There was no pulse. No sign of breathing. Her limbs were frozen - like blood had not been running through them. She resembled nothing more than a beautiful corpse. He nervously turned to the main door 'Abdul... any luck yet?'

An instant later, a worried voice echoed from the other side 'Vijaya Hospital's ambulance is on the way...' he paused 'But we've only managed to get hold of one ambulance so far... all others are out on call... Renu's still trying... waise Jalal...we've been calling out to you... what crazy shit's been happening... are you...'

'Abdul' he interrupted, a soft smile lingering on his lips 'Promise me one thing buddy...' he took a much-needed pause 'Promise me that the first ambulance to arrive will take Jodha in it...'

'W...' the friend nearly yelped in distress 'Dost... why are you saying this yaar... what's happened... I just heard that Ram sir fell from...'

'P... promise me...' garnering whatever physical might he could from his body, he stretched his cold palm across to check upon his shoulder wound. Fresh blood was still oozing out. Profusely! 'Promise me y... yaar...' he reiterated

Abdul said nothing. Instead, a moment later - a series of thunderous bangs were heard at the entrance. Bangs that were powerful enough to rattle all the door-frames on that floor 'This f**king lock doesn't budge...' he let out a flustered scream 'And we haven't located a key yet... and...you're not saying anything, Jalal...and the police are taking their own time...and...'

'Abdul... please... just calm down and promise me ...' somehow, his torso sank closer to the floor by the end of that statement - he understood that he was losing his ability to sit upright. To keep his eyes open. To even communicate coherently 'Just p... promise me' he struggled to revive his diminishing reflexes 'Before I blank out...or something...'

'Jalaaal...yaaar... don't do this!' Abdul broke down, unable to restrain his pent-up emotions anymore 'Ok... ok... I... I promise...but...'

'Thanks mate!' he chuckled a final chuckle 'You're a star, you know that?'

'N... no...' Abdul frantically tapped the door, trying to get his bestie's attention 'Listen to me... Jalal... Jalal... are you listening...'

No. Jalal wasn't listening thereafter - because his attention had reverted to her 'Jo...' his faint voice echoed fondly 'You know what... I... I'll take you near the door... that should save the paramedics a few seconds...' he tried to carry her up - but he failed. How could he - when he couldn't even support himself? 'You've got to be strong girl... you've got to help me out here... ok?' he continued speaking to her unresponsive body as he shuffled her lifeless physique along to the best of his ability. Stopping only when they'd reached the right hand side of the main door. Thus ensuring she'd be the first 'casualty' the medics noticed when they eventually came barging in.

Once Jalal had laid her apparently peaceful form to rest, he recognized that his enthralling Jo was disappearing from his field-of-vision. He was passing out. But, there was yet one thing he hadn't done. One thing to do before he lost consciousness. He was yet to share a precious moment with her. A moment that he hadn't been able to share for three months now - unaware if he'd ever be able to do so again.

He bent down.

And kissed her tenderly.

'Your lips are chilly...' the heartbroken boyfriend teased his girl, oblivious to the fact that his own lips were becoming just as blue 'I love you...'

As he slowly came away from her, something dropped out of his shirt collar - consequently catching his fading attention. His Taveez. The lucky Talisman that his abbu had given him as a child. A possession that he held dearer to himself than any other materialistic belonging he owned 'Looks like this wants to be with you now...'

Following a generous amount of strain and scuffle, he managed to remove the protective charm that he'd never removed in the past 'It'll keep you safe, Jo...' he tucked it within the folds of her listless fingers, prior to slouching on the floor - not far from where she was 'Ya Allah!' he shouted, drained out of every ounce of life by that point 'I think I'm tired now Jo...' he mumbled - to keep himself company 'I want to sleep... for some time...and when I wake up...'

OUTSIDE THE FLAT

'Jalal... Jalal... are you listening...' the frenzied buddy turned to the lady kneeling beside him 'Renu... h...he's stopped talking...Jalal is not responding...'

'But why have YOU given up? Why are you sitting down?' battling a fresh surge of tears, Renu almost dropped her mobile as she angrily attempted to prop him up 'Keep going at it Abd...' suddenly, she halted. Her quivering fingers recoiled from his body. His arm was blazing hot to touch. So antsy had she been for the past quarter-hour that she hadn't even spared a thought as to how worn-out this man must be from all that relentless thumping and hitting. Her friend had literally been using his body like the flat head of a hammer - fighting to break the solid brass lock of that door! 'I'm sorry Abdul...' wiping the droplets off her cheeks, she went on to empathize with her weary chum thereafter 'It's ok... you, take a break...'

'No...no...' nudging her away in panic, he rose from the ground - fraught with a renewed sense of unrest 'You're right Renu... I have to keep going... I... can't afford to stop!'

'Madam...'

It was the watchman - intruding their emotionally-charged conversation once again 'Madam, shall I try these spare keys fir se? Shaayad they might open the lock now?'

'Er...yeah...yeah...' she mumbled, kneading her forehead fretfully before stepping out of the way. She knew that the keys weren't going to work. Well, they hadn't worked in ten previous trials. Fat chance they were going to work now.

'Beta...' came another soft voice from the cacophony of noises humming behind them 'Why don't you both move aside for a while... he is going to end up injuring his shoulder badly this way...and you're doing yourself no favours by getting so worked up...'

'Don't worry ...' another neighbour added 'Your friends should be safe... the police will be here soon...'

'Why don't WE give it a few trials ... a few knocks... shaayad darvaazaa khul jaaye...'

'Huh?' casting a short glance at the anxious crowd of people flocking behind them Renu looked away, unconvinced. If a sturdy young man like Abdul hadn't been able to take down that door, there was no way on Earth that a puny watchman and a few old residents could achieve that feat. Reminded once more of all the dead-ends they'd been encountering over the past fifteen minutes, a suffocating wave of grief took over her sensibilities 'F**k you professor...' she swore 'Ram sir... you'll rot in hell... no medical help will cure you... you'll rot in HELL!' turning around, she cast another dismally inquisitive peek through the keyhole of the flat. Damn! The lighting was too dim. Nothing was clear. NOTHING! This unawareness. This state of ignorance was cruel. Torturous! What the hell was transpiring on the other side of that damned door? What had the professor done to those two? Was Jalal safe? Was Jodha safe? Were her friends even ALIVE? With the awful line of thoughts embittering her beyond reason, she went through a fresh round of angry door-banging 'Bloody idiotic thing...doesn't work with ANY key or any amount of brute force... and the ambulance is still stuck in traffic! What am I supposed to...'

'R...Renu' a tearful voice compelled the preoccupied tomboy to snap out of her hysterics 'Renu...' her cheeks now paler than a white sheet, Meera was unsuccessfully trying to muffle the speaker of her mobile as she stuttered 'Aunty is crestfallen... she's unable to compose herself... anyway, her family friends are trying to get hold of other hospitals for an ambulance... but...' she was beyond herself, on the brink of capsizing into a sobbing wreck 'I'm too terrified to call Jodha's house... I... I...'

'Wait!' abruptly cutting short the cry-fest, Renu stepped forth to clutch Meera's evidently tense face 'Stop... you've wailed enough...' she bore into the meek lady's eyes with a persuasive stare - her only means to hide her own insecurities for then 'Just keep calling...ok? Your friend needs you to be strong for her...' her voice dropped to a whisper 'Abdul needs you to be strong for him...so... buck up!' having meted the power-speech, she paused for a while. To think further on. And to press her head that was hurting from all that overthinking. Till an alternate idea dawned upon her 'You guys just keep doing what you're doing... I'm going to leave... to try and search for help... the police are taking their own sweet time to respond...I'm going to...'

'No Renu...' Abdul began protesting - but stopped when he saw the remaining shades of colour rapidly draining from his girl-pal's features 'W...what happened?'

'U...u...' words failed her. She right away thought she was going to lose her sanity. Why wouldn't she? It was not often that she saw such a sight - a sight so gut-wrenching that she was thankful the other two hadn't noticed it yet 'Ugh' she instinctively covered her mouth - feeling queasier than she'd ever felt in her entire life. She HAD to seal that gap at the bottom of the door. Fast. Before her friends spotted the ghastly development.

Choosing the quickest available option, she kicked the doormat towards the door and closed the bottom gap in a haste. Blood had started trickling out of the flat from under the door and she didn't want her friends to see that mess. They wouldn't have it in them to stomach such a fright.

'What happened, Renu?' a miserable Abdul questioned

'Oh...nothing' wiping the sweat off her forehead, she took a blank step back 'I'm just going to go... ok?' she wasn't even going to think or reason or suppose or fear whose blood it was that she'd just seen. She was just going to rush to get some help 'I'm leaving... you guys ... just keep trying!'

'I'll come with you...'

'No you stay here...' she overrode him, her dazed eyes still coming to terms with the shock of what she'd just witnessed 'Meera wouldn't be able to cope alone...I'll go... by myself...'

'But where are you going?'

'To search for someone who can open this lock...ASAP... a blacksmith maybe...there should be a shop nearby...'

And if she couldn't find a blacksmith, she'd look for a burglar to pick-open the lock.

And if she couldn't find a burglar, she'd hijack a crane to tear down that building.

But she would fine SOMEONE or SOMETHING to open that darned door! And soon...

Thank the Lord for her sake - and for a lot of other people's sakes - that her search didn't have to extend to such extremes. A man was working away at his shop just two streets away - a locksmith, to be precise!

Part 2 below 😳

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Dedication by Anjali -

THE SPIRIT OF A VINDICATOR

It's in my nature to be Kind, Gentle & Loving

But know this enemy!

When it comes to matters of protecting

My Family, My Friends & My Love...

Do not trifle with me for I am the

Most Powerful & Relentless Creature

you will ever know!!!