I opened my eyes ever so slowly. I was lying down on a hard surface. The walls had a shade of grey and a roughened up exterior. The room was barricaded by iron rods, and two people in orange garbs were staring back at me. My vision was blurred and the head was throbbing in extreme pain. My temple was blaring sirens. I tried to get on my feet but wobbled in the process. I sat on the bench. The place had a rotten smell and atmosphere didn’t encourage much of positivity. I was restlessly rubbing my eyes unaware of where I was? How did I land up here? Who are these people in orange garbs? I had eyes wide opened. To my horror, I realized that I was inside a prison cell with burly inmates staring back at me.
I tried to remember the events from the past. I could remember coming back from my office having my dinner and going to sleep. But how did I end up waking up over here? The police officer went across the cell, I asked him, “Why I have been brought here, sir?” “Because you are a filthy criminal, get down there before I cock that round head of yours.” The officer said. I went back and sat on the bench. “Hey, don’t worry man. The officer is on the son of a biscuit. Never mind his jabs.” One of the inmates said. “I don’t know why I am here and I feel something is amiss. I shouldn’t be here.” I said.
“Everyone feels that way, that they had a reason for their misdoings, and they shouldn’t be here. We stole for our family, to have them fed. But were caught red handed.” The other guy said. “While taking out the stash?” I asked. “No, while keeping the money back.” The first guy said. The first guy was Sean and other was Marty. “You will be here for a while,” Marty said. “Understand the rules of the jail. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t make eye contact and don’t get into a quarrel.” Sean said. “You are the safest in your cell. Out in the common area, anything can happen. Food comes twice once at twelve noon and eight in the night.” Marty said. “Alright,” I said and felt a knot in my stomach. I could feel my mouth going dry.
I lay flat on the floor. I turned to another side and felt a sudden pain. I got up with my butt hurting. I reached for my back pocket and found five things in it. Two movie tickets, a pen, a restaurant bill, a note, and a photo. I spread the five things on the floor. “The Rogue World Showtime – 7: 00pm Screen 2 Seat : J10 Date : 15/ 5 / 18 .” I read out aloud stressing the date. There were two tickets that means someone had accompanied me to the movie. I saw a photo of a girl. It was Cynthia’s photo. The girl I am madly in love with. Nothing can make me forget that. But where is she? Is she safe? And does she know I am here? If fourteenth was the last night I slept and woke up today and the two movie tickets have the date fifteenth. That means I landed up in jail yesterday. The whole twenty-four hours where left erased from my memory. All this while I was talking to myself and Sean and Marty were looking clueless.
Seventeen hundred dollars the bill read. Hotel Cinnamon, San Fransisco. That’s some distance away from my home but definitely not out of this planet. I thought. I can call Hotel Cinnamon to sort this out. But Why would the Hotel Manager come to bail me out? I don’t have a vague idea at what time I was there? Was Cynthia with me? I unfolded the note, ‘Trip across Europe’. I didn’t understand the note. I kept everything back in my pocket. ‘Let it sink in John’ I thought. I must have been asleep because Sean was waking me up and Marty was holding the plate of food.
I was having my food listlessly and suddenly something flashed in my mind. Certain scene. “I have to go back...” “...We will meet soon.” Cynthia said picking her purse and leaving the Restaurant. My head started hurting again and the temple began to throb. I pushed another mouthful of the food. “How do you find this place?” I ask Cynthia. She looked around and said, “I wanted to go for this movie.” The scene becomes dark I shake my head to stop the flow of consciousness. But it keeps coming back. “We will have to save the Nation from the terrorists…” A random scene from the movie played in front of my mind’s eye. I was holding my head. “...yeah this place seems amazing. What’s the occasion, Mr. Writer.” Cynthia said with a wink. “I wanted to tell you that...” “… I will save the nation, sir.” The scenes were muddled in my consciousness. “ How are you now? Are you feeling too sick?” Cynthia said. “… I am saying that...” I was trying to say something. “Sorry I have to rush back home my sister is not keeping well,” Cynthia said. “...But, never mind, hope we meet tonight, it's important.” I said. “Yes sure, I will make up for this,” Cynthia said with a smile. I sat there finishing up my dinner just when a lady came and sat beside me.
“...Hi, I am Mary.” She said. She had ordered a drink for two of us. I remember hesitantly gulping it down, she soon left. “...Farewell sir, have a good night.” Mary said leaving the hotel with a brim capped gentleman. I waved her goodbye. The waiter brought the bill and I paid him. I felt light headed as I moved out of the hotel. I am standing there outside the hotel waiting for Cynthia. I wanted to tell her I am flying to Europe for my writing assignment. Suddenly the police come and grab me by the hand without warning. All the scenes have started unfolding distinctly. It was making sense. I got into the police car. You have been evading the police for ages and we have found you Mr. D’ Cruz. “I am not D’ Cruz I am ….” and everything went blank and I woke up here with my heading hurting like a nail had been hammered into it.
I was excited to know the details of yesterday’s evening. I called the grumpy officer. “Sir, It been a case of mistaken identity. Give me a chance to explain my side of the story.” I said. “Your face says it all Mr. D’ Cruz. The notorious gangster. We have been after you since ages.” The officer said. “Sir that’s the whole point I am a writer. A mere pen pusher. I am no gangster.” “What! Your face is similar to Mr. D’ Cruz. Come with me.” The officer said. I went with him and saw the documents. D’ Cruz had a similar face. I leafed through the photographs and saw the picture of the lady and remembered her from the last night. “Officer I know this lady she sat beside me and had a drink. And then left with someone else.” I said. “Yes the hotel manager called us to nab you and recognized you with this lady, but we found you alone outside the restaurant waiting for someone. And we know one thing she is always with D’ Cruz.” The officer said.
“That means your D’ Cruz was there at the Cinnamon yesterday. They saw me in the restaurant. The lady got the drink spiked and left the Hotel before you could nab them. The manager saw me with her and called you. You arrested me and I felled unconscious in the jeep and woke up here. It was there plan to escape unscathed and trap me.” I said. The officer understood my case and admitted his mistake. He gave me my wallet and mobile phone. The entire team said sorry and waved me goodbye. I switched on my phone to find twenty missed calls from Cynthia. She had been worried about me since the entire last night. I headed straight to her house. I rang the bell. She came out and hugged me tightly. “Where you have been Mr.?” She asked. “It's a long story and I have plenty to tell. Let me in. How’s your sister?” I said. “She’ doing just fine. But what about you? I want every detail of the story.” She said with her hands on her waist. “I will let me catch some breath first,” I said heaving a sigh of relief as I sat on the couch.
I tried to remember the events from the past. I could remember coming back from my office having my dinner and going to sleep. But how did I end up waking up over here? The police officer went across the cell, I asked him, “Why I have been brought here, sir?” “Because you are a filthy criminal, get down there before I cock that round head of yours.” The officer said. I went back and sat on the bench. “Hey, don’t worry man. The officer is on the son of a biscuit. Never mind his jabs.” One of the inmates said. “I don’t know why I am here and I feel something is amiss. I shouldn’t be here.” I said.
“Everyone feels that way, that they had a reason for their misdoings, and they shouldn’t be here. We stole for our family, to have them fed. But were caught red handed.” The other guy said. “While taking out the stash?” I asked. “No, while keeping the money back.” The first guy said. The first guy was Sean and other was Marty. “You will be here for a while,” Marty said. “Understand the rules of the jail. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t make eye contact and don’t get into a quarrel.” Sean said. “You are the safest in your cell. Out in the common area, anything can happen. Food comes twice once at twelve noon and eight in the night.” Marty said. “Alright,” I said and felt a knot in my stomach. I could feel my mouth going dry.
I lay flat on the floor. I turned to another side and felt a sudden pain. I got up with my butt hurting. I reached for my back pocket and found five things in it. Two movie tickets, a pen, a restaurant bill, a note, and a photo. I spread the five things on the floor. “The Rogue World Showtime – 7: 00pm Screen 2 Seat : J10 Date : 15/ 5 / 18 .” I read out aloud stressing the date. There were two tickets that means someone had accompanied me to the movie. I saw a photo of a girl. It was Cynthia’s photo. The girl I am madly in love with. Nothing can make me forget that. But where is she? Is she safe? And does she know I am here? If fourteenth was the last night I slept and woke up today and the two movie tickets have the date fifteenth. That means I landed up in jail yesterday. The whole twenty-four hours where left erased from my memory. All this while I was talking to myself and Sean and Marty were looking clueless.
Seventeen hundred dollars the bill read. Hotel Cinnamon, San Fransisco. That’s some distance away from my home but definitely not out of this planet. I thought. I can call Hotel Cinnamon to sort this out. But Why would the Hotel Manager come to bail me out? I don’t have a vague idea at what time I was there? Was Cynthia with me? I unfolded the note, ‘Trip across Europe’. I didn’t understand the note. I kept everything back in my pocket. ‘Let it sink in John’ I thought. I must have been asleep because Sean was waking me up and Marty was holding the plate of food.
I was having my food listlessly and suddenly something flashed in my mind. Certain scene. “I have to go back...” “...We will meet soon.” Cynthia said picking her purse and leaving the Restaurant. My head started hurting again and the temple began to throb. I pushed another mouthful of the food. “How do you find this place?” I ask Cynthia. She looked around and said, “I wanted to go for this movie.” The scene becomes dark I shake my head to stop the flow of consciousness. But it keeps coming back. “We will have to save the Nation from the terrorists…” A random scene from the movie played in front of my mind’s eye. I was holding my head. “...yeah this place seems amazing. What’s the occasion, Mr. Writer.” Cynthia said with a wink. “I wanted to tell you that...” “… I will save the nation, sir.” The scenes were muddled in my consciousness. “ How are you now? Are you feeling too sick?” Cynthia said. “… I am saying that...” I was trying to say something. “Sorry I have to rush back home my sister is not keeping well,” Cynthia said. “...But, never mind, hope we meet tonight, it's important.” I said. “Yes sure, I will make up for this,” Cynthia said with a smile. I sat there finishing up my dinner just when a lady came and sat beside me.
“...Hi, I am Mary.” She said. She had ordered a drink for two of us. I remember hesitantly gulping it down, she soon left. “...Farewell sir, have a good night.” Mary said leaving the hotel with a brim capped gentleman. I waved her goodbye. The waiter brought the bill and I paid him. I felt light headed as I moved out of the hotel. I am standing there outside the hotel waiting for Cynthia. I wanted to tell her I am flying to Europe for my writing assignment. Suddenly the police come and grab me by the hand without warning. All the scenes have started unfolding distinctly. It was making sense. I got into the police car. You have been evading the police for ages and we have found you Mr. D’ Cruz. “I am not D’ Cruz I am ….” and everything went blank and I woke up here with my heading hurting like a nail had been hammered into it.
I was excited to know the details of yesterday’s evening. I called the grumpy officer. “Sir, It been a case of mistaken identity. Give me a chance to explain my side of the story.” I said. “Your face says it all Mr. D’ Cruz. The notorious gangster. We have been after you since ages.” The officer said. “Sir that’s the whole point I am a writer. A mere pen pusher. I am no gangster.” “What! Your face is similar to Mr. D’ Cruz. Come with me.” The officer said. I went with him and saw the documents. D’ Cruz had a similar face. I leafed through the photographs and saw the picture of the lady and remembered her from the last night. “Officer I know this lady she sat beside me and had a drink. And then left with someone else.” I said. “Yes the hotel manager called us to nab you and recognized you with this lady, but we found you alone outside the restaurant waiting for someone. And we know one thing she is always with D’ Cruz.” The officer said.
“That means your D’ Cruz was there at the Cinnamon yesterday. They saw me in the restaurant. The lady got the drink spiked and left the Hotel before you could nab them. The manager saw me with her and called you. You arrested me and I felled unconscious in the jeep and woke up here. It was there plan to escape unscathed and trap me.” I said. The officer understood my case and admitted his mistake. He gave me my wallet and mobile phone. The entire team said sorry and waved me goodbye. I switched on my phone to find twenty missed calls from Cynthia. She had been worried about me since the entire last night. I headed straight to her house. I rang the bell. She came out and hugged me tightly. “Where you have been Mr.?” She asked. “It's a long story and I have plenty to tell. Let me in. How’s your sister?” I said. “She’ doing just fine. But what about you? I want every detail of the story.” She said with her hands on her waist. “I will let me catch some breath first,” I said heaving a sigh of relief as I sat on the couch.
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