In between necessity and greed
With broken ribs, a broken nose, and other minor injuries throughout my body, The pain is unbearable but that's not bothering me. I was wondering whether I will be thankful that I am still alive and out of all legal issues or if I should regret that I lost everything I earned last year.
I am Abir, just passed 12th with bare minimum marks and stepped into the professional world. I live with my parents in a small district of West Bengal, every day I go to Barabazar which is in Kolkata to work as a headload worker that's how I earn my living. Things are going as usual until one day my boss sends me to an office which is located in the northern part of Kolkata with a thick packet. I don't have any clue what was inside of that, he just said to me that I must reach there before 3 pm. As a headload worker, I use to carry heavy loads but for the first time, He handed out a packet which is under 2KGs. I asked him what is inside this packet he replied that's none of your business, just do it as I said. The packet was made of thick cartoons so I can't feel what is inside. I don't think too much and leave for the destination without wasting more time, anyways it's just another day at work. I took a bus and term for traveling and I reach that area, I just need to walk for another 20 mins to reach the office. I already knew that part of the city is not very safe, a lot of illegal practices are conducted there. It was in the afternoon, the sun was high in the sky. One of the hottest days in summer. Leaving the main road I started walking in a small "gally"(a narrow street). I was alone there was no sign of any other human being, I got scared at that time. After walking for a few minutes I got surrounded by two other guys. They asked me to hand over the packet to them and they will let me go. I don't have the time to think, I just know only one thing that is if the packet is lost I need to pay for the loss and I have no clue how much it's valued. I used all my mental and physical power to kick the guy who was on my right side. And I started running with the packet. The guy I kicked fell into a high drain. And the other one is running behind me. I was running out of fear, I was running to save my life. I don't have any clue about the direction the only thing in mind was to run. While taking a turn someone hit me in my leg with a piece of wood and I fell into the road. Now three guys kicking me and asking me to give them the packet. There was no energy left in my body. All I can do is got beaten. I was hiding the packet inside my shirt. Now I am full of anger, no I am not that week that people just come and start beating me. I tried hard to give another fight. I said to them stop beating me now I will give you the packet, they stopped one of them grab the collar of my shirt and pull me up. I gave him a solid punch in his jaw, another fight broke out. When you're struggling to save your life you don't think too much you just act. I was throwing punches at them. One of them got a metal road from somewhere and he hit me on my scalp. I was unconscious for a few seconds. I watched with blurry vision that now they finally have the packet from me and started walking with it. I somehow stand up and start following them. I watched them to took a boat from a jetty which is in the Ganga River. And with in few minutes, they got vanished. I already had enough for the day, so I decided to go to Howrah station and take a train to my home. I went home with punches on my face, chest pain, and some blood coming out of my scalp. I don't want to tell my parents about this incident so I did not go to any hospital. I took bath after reaching home and washed all the blood. Thankfully bleeding stopped after a while. I can't show my face to my parents because I fear I can't come up with a good story that they will trust. I told them that I will have dinner outside and take some money and leave the house. I brought some pain killer from the medical store with that money. I got back home and go to sleep. I don't even have the energy and willpower to rethink what happened throughout the day. I slept. Tomorrow morning I woke up in a lot of pain. I don't know what to do next. I have lost the packet. I don't reach to the office. I don't go back to my boss. A lot of things going on inside my mind. And decided to heal myself for now, took some days off and focus on finding a new job. That day in the evening a friend of mine who also works in Bara Bazar told me that yesterday police came in evening to the place I work and arrested my boss. They searched the entire workplace and a few other workshop offices my boss had they suspected that he deals with drugs and money laundering. And my friend asked me to underground(hide) until this matter cools down because the police are interrogating each person who ever worked for my boss. After telling me all this he leaves my residence. I don't tell anythink to my friend about what happened yesterday to me and about the packet. Now I know what was inside that packet, a packet of drugs. Now I was in complete dilemma about what to do next! I am directly involved with the crime. A poor guy who does not have strong evidence or any political or social support how he will prove himself is not guilty?
This is just to set the stage up, Abir has a long story to tell. The real action begins after all this. This is just to give the reader a background. All the characters in this story are completely fictional if anyone finds any similarities that's nothing but a coincidence. I used the real name of the places. I will continue in the next part. Stay tuned. I am writing blogs to improve my grammar and vocabulary. Improving communication skills overall. Thanks for reading this till the end. Make sure to give some feedback. Have a good day.