Who Killed Me...?

One plate of panipuri, and three people: Himal, Kshitij, and me; we had been having panipuri on the height of Kirtipur, beside Baghbhairav temple. Kathmandu valley was apparent to our eyes. The crisp fried dough of puris stuffed with potatoes, sprouts, and spicy tangy water had accompanied the moment. The shopkeeper Aamai was busy serving other attendants. The two girls beside our table were whispering and giggling. Were they talking about ‘boys’ having panipuris? It wasn't mere girls’ food though. Whatever, we were busy talking about our own university kinds of stuff.

"Diwakar sir is so rude to us; he doesn't understand our problem regarding loads of assignments. I haven't slept the whole night. It's too much yar," muttered Himal, fluffing back his wavy hairs.

"Literally, he is teaching us to cheat; how can we accomplish the whole proposal in two days?" I added.

"Leave it guys, he doesn't mean us to finish it within deadlines. He just wants us to try. He doesn't mind if we don't submit it on time." Kshitij slurred around a mouthful of puri. The puris on the plate were almost over. We decided to ask for one more plate.

We had come to meet at the height by chance, as we were not close enough to hang out together. Actually, I was drifting around there with my girlfriend, Meesma, and her friend. She never came alone when I asked her to meet me inside Kirtipur. She would come with somebody-her brother, sister, or friend. She would say-"What will people think if I meet you alone?" Hadn't she ever thought to date me alone?

"You girls hang on; let me talk to my friends", I told them, when I saw my classmates approaching me through Chithu road, by the Narayana temple. "Go! Eat them," she mumbled with anger and disappeared through the narrow street towards Devdhoka. “Mee, wait for me by Umamaheshwor” I bawled out. "Go, stop them," an old, giant, and dark-skinned man interrupted when he saw her going. Hell! Was he listening to us?

"By the way, why are you guys here?" I asked, though I shouldn't have, after seeing the DSLR with them. "Just.....", Himal shuddered his shoulders. "Sorry guys, I need to go," I hurried out from there, another plate of panipuris was yet to be served.

I rushed towards Uma-Maheshwor, pondering that Mee would be waiting for me there. But, she wasn’t. Oh my God! Was it a coincidence? The same old man, whom we met in front of Baghbhairav, was there, standing in the premise of temple. “Hee-hee,” he grinned, “I knew you would be here.” He had pale teeth, stained by gutkha. He was very gaunt, with sunken eyes. “She has already gone.” Who the fuck was this man? I was baffled, but didn’t reply anything and moved from there.

Picture Attributes: Airjordanenligen

When I reached Tyanglaphat bazaar, I encountered with another bizarre glimpse. A crowd of people was shooing away a dirty and timid dog. It was besieged by all sides -God knows why- and all people were yelling to it. I could see some police leashing a bulldog in their hand, trying to confiscate that retriever. Escaping from the circumference, the small dog, from the loop of the crowd, ran towards me. “Poor dog!” I have been pondering over the fate of this dog. Suddenly, somebody pulled me aside, “Beware, it’s a mad one.” Actually, it didn’t look like so. “Thanks,” I uttered to the man, who ‘rescued’ me. “Prakash,” he was surprised to see me, “I know you, you live in my neighbourhood.” “I am going home,” I asserted, “Are you too?” “Yeh,” he replied. I never saw this fat man in my neighbourhood before though.

We were about to reach near my home, at Balkhu, a bit away from Kirtipur. We had been walking through the lonely part, as we took short-cut way, amid of Tribhuvan University. When we passed the science department, we happened to come through lowland, the way - which people scarcely like to take. A bit forward, we encountered three boys with shabby appearance when we were about to reach Balkhu. One of them, face with scars, was young- most probably less than twelve. Others hardly seemed to have crossed their puberty. “Hey!” shouted the youngest one, “come here.” We stopped by. He removed his slippers and hit my companion on his face. “Bloody, fatso,” one of them bantered.

I banged my fist on the face of the youngest one. Two of others seized me by my arms; however, I had been trying my best to release myself. Right at the moment, I noticed Kshitij and Himal rushing towards us from behind, a bit away. “Stop, Stop! Mother fuckers,” I could hear their voice. Frightened, those three boys ran away from there. I looked at my ‘neighbour’; he was still trembling fiercely. His eyes had reddened and his sweat was apparent in the forehead. “What happened?” I was relieved. Ouch! He had a brick on his hand. Bang! He smacked it on my head before I could realize what was actually happening. Darkness! I really don’t remember what happened thereafter.

“Hmm.”

“But…… sir, I don’t know who could have killed Meesma.”

“How did you know the deceased was Meesma?”