Chapter 30 The Devil Strikes

• As he found himself lifted into the air with his head banging on the compartment ceiling Arunava closed his eyes and waited. He waited for he knew he stood little chance of fighting back. But the last confrontation with the masked man at Shivangi's flat and now these dreams had made him consider the myth about incarnations he had read in fictional novels. According to the rebirth theory if he was really an avataar of Vikramaditya he knew there must be a greater purpose in his life and he wasn't going to die without having attained it. He waited for the creature of the other world to discover the birth mark on his chest. It seemed to read his feelings and suddenly driving him up the wall broke down into peals of laughter - the maniacal laughter Arunava was accustomed of hearing.
• 'So you thought I'd get pissed off seeing just a tattoo? You forget my friend that I'm not dead like other soldiers of the great Vetaal's army. No, no don't give me that all-knowing look. Neither am I alive. It's the middle of two states that I belong to. I can change forms according to my wishes. Today I'm going to prove what you hapless mortals can never even dream of using your imbecile ways of reasoning. And yes. If you think yourself to be an incarnation of Vikram .. come on prove it'. The man or the giant or beast - whatever it was winked at him. The punch had come immediately but Arunava was late by the fraction of a second to avoid it. He felt a cold, hairy hand reach for his groin. He watched helplessly as his revolver - his only means of self-defense slid on the floor under the seat. 'When in battlefield don't think dear Vikram, just act' Raghu had come into his original form by that time and his face showed the scorn he felt.
• Before Arunava could turn back Raghu caught his arms and pinned him to a wall. With the next punch he broke Arunava's jaw. A few more of them caused him to bleed through mouth and nose. As Arunava made futile attempts to release himself from the vice like grip, Raghu lifted his body by holding his torso, his limbs dangling just like one would lift a doll. Arunava had expected that he would be thrown on the ground next, but the devil was waiting. Why? It's heartbeats could be heard loudly from the position he was in. There was a pattern in the sound. The rate was going down and rising again after sometime. But soon he realised that those were his own heartbeats . Did the man have any heart at all? Otherwise how could it's beating have escaped Arunava's ears when there was pin drop silence all around? He forgot that he was travelling inside a train. The clickety-clack sound made by the gaps in the rail to allow for thermal expansion, the interrupted squealing of wheels on rails and all other sounds associated with the running of train had suddenly gone missing. A few moments earlier there were krickets chirping out in the open. Occasionally another train had crossed past. But now it seemed his ears were blocked of all noises in the world except his heartbeats. And they were slowing down. Was this the end then? Arunava thought.