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Short Story: Terrorist



Republishing this story to pay Homage to 26/11. This was written on the day of trial of Kasab. If you have not read it before, hope you enjoy it, if you have read it before, hope you understand it.


Foreword: I am writing a Short Story after a long time, it is based on the backdrop of 26/11 and the events that follow. Hope you like it.




His forehead was completely covered in sweat as he sat in the court clutching the collar of his cape. The cold metal of the gun touched his chest inside the cape, sending a spine chilling shiver in his body. The last three weeks where the most difficult in his life. No, getting the gun was not hard, he got one local, hand made gun illegally and cheap too. But the real task started after getting the gun. Learning to use it was harder than he had thought, his thumb pained of the mark the recoil of the gun had caused.

But the pain was nothing. God knows he had to do it, there was no other way. He could see it clearly now. 
He was following up the trial for the last 369 days watching the 296 witnesses retell the horror in front of the blind lady of justice. He studied the layout of the criminal court very well, so that he could execute the plan perfectly. 
Today was the last day of the trial, last day for him to complete the task of God. He closed his eyes and prayed one final time, after today he won't be able to pray again. This was Jihad, his final act.
The authorities would arrest him, he knew, he had no escape, he did not wish to escape. Why would he escape? for whom? Everything he owned, everyone he loved had left him, left him to feel the guilt everyday.
The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to al QaedaThe judge ordered the court to silence and spoke to the open court about the 'act of war' and that the infiltrator cannot be 'spared.' Then the judge proceeded to read out the crimes under which the man was convicted on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 166 people were killed in the carnage. The man was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and under the Explosive Substances Act.
Slowly he closed the eyes in the court room. The judge had spoke, after a year of silence the dead could now rest in peace.
He walked out of the courtroom in silence, the moment he was waiting for was very near. The cold touch of the barrel on his chest demanded blood.
'Son, is the judgement done?' an old lady was sitting outside the court.
'Yes, he is to be hanged.' 
'Lord be praised,' the old lady spoke with tears in her eyes, 'He finally gets punished for his deeds.'
'Yes,' he replied silently, 'He deserves to die.'
'Who are we to say what he deserves or not,' the old lady said, 'All we can do is judge his deeds according to the laws of the society.'
Inside Terrorism'He didn't obey any law or any rule before killing the 166 innocent people, why should we do so? This compassion of ours is the result our weak system is failing,' he said.
The old lady simply smiled, 'The fact, that, despite him killing 166 innocent people, we give him a fair trial shows that our system still is in place and we do not follow the jungle law.'
'He killed my wife and my kid,' he said with bitter mouth.
'And so he did to my own son,' she said, 'But I do not want him dead as a revenge. I want him punished because it is the right thing to do. What he has done to your family is wrong, but that doesn't justify you doing the same to him. He killed them and he gave the reason of his own, you will kill him with the reason of your own, what is the difference between both of you?'
He simply stared at her, unable to speak.
'Son, you have a lot of time to live, don't live mourning over the dead, instead use your life building good stuff so people will remember them as they were. What is death but a mere moment, your wife is still with you in your memories, in your thought. Don't tarnish them with the deed you will repent forever. The man who did this deed should be punished by law.'
'But... look at this, it took one year for them to pronounce the law. Then he will appeal in the Supreme Court, according to our law, anyone can appeal for his pardon to the president. This process may take years, he will rot in prison till then.'
'Son, our system is made of people, not machines. I agree there are flaws and delays in the system, but eventually, the good thing gets done. The system does not forget nor forgives. People do escape the clutches of law many times, but trust me, eventually everyone pays his price in the system.'
'Why are you still here then? Did you come here for a year just to watch the trial?' he asked with bitter mouth.
'No, I came to tell the young boy, who is now guilty, that I forgive him. My son was the same age as he was, I just hope, he can forgive himself for what he has done. I have no regrets now, my son was the only means of support for me in my old-age but I am not going to mourn over his death and ruin my life. No. My son died a hero's death and for that I won't let anyone tarnish his memory. I will live for my boy and hope that he has attained heaven and is waiting for me soon,' she smiled.
She asked him to support her as she got up and she whispered close to him, 
'Don't go down the path the boy has gone, there is no return from there. Don't spoil your families memory by marking your soul with his blood. What is done is done, you won't find peace this way. Let go of all prejudice holding you together and start afresh in the loving memory of your wife. I hope you do not lose your way in between,' she smiled and limping walked away.
Epilogue: In a shocking twist of the convicted terrorist trial, the police found a local made revolver thrown in the trash just few meters away. 
He now leads a happy life and he did opened a old-age home for the elderly in the name of his wife. The house supports the old whose sons are far off in the army or lost in the natural disaster.
Across the road from his old age home, the old woman smiled and walked away in a limp. A few distance apart she vanished into thin air.


Authors Note: The above story reflects the sentiment of the victims family, the unnamed 'He' is the one man who vowed to end the terrorist with his own hand. If we look into history, new terrorist are born this way. Terrorist is a person who causes the act of terror, the reason behind the act is immaterial, the act matters. We all hold grudges against something and at some part of the time, over a period of time, this anger consumes us causing another terrorist. If you like this story, vow to kill the terrorist in you and tell others to follow, the soon we let go the prejudice, the sooner the world will be a better place.

Fact: The trial mentioned in the above story is exact as the trial of lone gunman of 26/11, Kasab, even the judgement given by the Special court judge  M L Tahaliyani is exact with some parts modified, but not tampered, for the fiction story.


The characters are entirely fictional.


Comments

  1. emotional and to the mark...the composition did the work...hatts off Sid...

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  2. Nice message siddo :) and wonderfully written =) I LIKE!

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  3. I can never leave a comment on your blog without it getting deleted...
    I don;t know why...


    Nice story though!

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  4. Nice :). The best part is the message.

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  5. very much unlike you! ravan becoming Ram? aur khabardaar tu ne mere yeh comment delete kiya toh!

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  6. Loved the theme. . Emotional piece. . . . Its true that we still have our systems running though flawed in many cases. .

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  7. @rsvblogger
    Thanks Rahul, I have written a story after a long time. :D

    @Sweta
    Glad you like, hope we can kill the terrorist in us.

    @nivedithasperceptions.
    I can never leave a comment on your blog without it getting deleted...
    I don;t know why...

    Why is your comment deleted? I don't reject or delete comments re.. is there any problem posting any?

    Thanks for liking it...:D

    @Harini
    Hope the message has sunk in deep. :D

    @Mani
    very much unlike you!
    It is very much like me babes... I have written about such emotional topics many times.

    ravan becoming Ram?
    Nope, you still don't understand, ravan was the great person, a person

    aur khabardaar tu ne mere yeh comment delete kiya toh!
    I don't delete comment re baba...

    @Chatterbox
    Thanks, glad you liked.

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  8. Good narration Sid - but I did want to see a new take on it - your take.And I know you are one person who thinks or can think of something absolutely different from the rest of the world.
    So like I said this is a good one but,you've set your bar too high for this to be your best.

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  9. @SavvY.
    Loved the theme. . Emotional piece. . . . Its true that we still have our systems running though flawed in many cases..
    Thanks, but what we must understand is, system is us, humans not computers. Flaws is the one quality that separates us from being machines.
    Trust me eventually good things do happen.

    @Gyanban.
    Good narration Sid - but I did want to see a new take on it - your take.
    Wow, thanks.

    And I know you are one person who thinks or can think of something absolutely different from the rest of the world.
    :) that is the one thing I pride myself of, raging war against humanity.

    So like I said this is a good one but,you've set your bar too high for this to be your best.
    I agree but this was a comeback post, where I come back from my writers block, so i tried and i kept length less.

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  10. Is it a story written by you?
    It is nice, thx for sharing.

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  11. 'Son, you have a lot of time to live, don't live mourning over the dead, instead use your life building good stuff so people will remember them as they were. What is death but a mere moment, your wife is still with you in your memories, in your thought. Don't tarnish them with the deed you will repent forever. The man who did this deed should be punished by law.'

    wow! i loved those lines. I liked the way you wove this post out of reality and fiction. Though this story didn't have much of a suspense it made me read till the end. Beautiful take sid!

    :)

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  12. yes chatterbox said it: Keep it up ..good work ssid..cheers n wishes..:)

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  13. True, there is a difference between revenge and justice.. it is hard on those who lost their dear and near ones.. but ultimately the society has to run on justice and not on revenge. There was a Marathi article - probably in Loksatta a week ago.. it also expressed the same idea.

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  14. Awesome Sid...Lovely thought....Cldnt agree more...

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  15. @Burn Muscle Burn Fat
    Yes the story is indeed written by me and me alone.

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  16. a good story with an important message.

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  17. I appreciate you for thinking a bit out of violence.

    we all think death is a punishment but we comfortably forget that no one is there to tell if it is a punishment or not.

    even if someone escapes law, he can not escape nature. no one can commit a crime without knowing to his own heart. what ever path he chooses, he will definitely face the plus and minus that path has. by choosing violent path, the terrorist has got an ugly world of criminals with him.

    I think the old lady tries to explain this. Forgiving is the best gesture human kind can pose.

    You have done a good job propagating that.

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  18. It makes a good story .... but I want blood for blood. India is a soft state, and that is dangerous.

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  19. i liked the take sid...
    and abt ur comment on my post.. i don't want him to be just killed, i am completely in support of a fair trial and i understand the delays too... but i think the delay has been just too late

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