Gangtok Crime Story : The Drug
A story based on unrequited love, crime, and duty set in the heart of Gangtok, where A young man named Ravi, was caught between his love for Anita and a life of crime who faces the wrath of her police officer boyfriend, Roshan.
“What’s in it for me?” the shabbily dressed young man asked a smartly dressed septuagenarian man, as they met in a quiet ally near Development Area, at the heart of Gangtok.
“I will give u thirty per cent,” the old man said, and Ravi Raj Pradhan replied: “Forty per cent, or am walking out.”
The deal was struck for thirty-five.
Both men shook hands and the youth strolled on, whereas the old gentleman entered his Xylo parked near M G Marg Gangtok.
***
Sadar Thana (Main Police Station) of Gangtok was full of activity. The cops had a tip on a heavy consignment of drugs entering Gangtok.
The young SI, Roshan Thapa, was a committed young officer. Having worked hard all his life, he now adorned the uniform with pride and utmost loyalty.
He had quickly become famous among his colleagues and superiors and was respected even by the small-time criminals in and around Gangtok , for his sense of fair play.
He wore his Ray Ban Aviator goggles, gifted by his girlfriend, Anita Gurung, and rushed out to save the day. He sent a text message to his girl cancelling their date for the fourth time.
Anita was happy to hear her phone buzzing but was disappointed to read the text.
Dating a top-gun cop was exasperating, but guess love did make this couple stand together through thick and thin.
***
She left her office at Manan Kendra and headed straight home to Tathangchen located in the north eastern part of Gangtok.
Born to a Gurung father and a Sikkimese mother, she had a fair skin and a very bad temper, to match the glow her face exhibited on the surface.
She was furious as she parked the Swift outside her house.
She went inside fuming not noticing him looking at her.
He had been waiting for her for an hour.
Ravi had two cravings, one for drugs and one for holding Anita in his arms someday.
They were childhood buddies and best friends during their teenage days, but then Anita shifted and Ravi was off to a hostel in Delhi.
They had lost touch with each other. However, Ravi hadn’t forgotten her. He always hung around her house, waiting desperately to catch a glimpse of her.
As he was about to leave, he saw her again, smiling as she entered her car.
That smile was his gift warmed his lonely heart and carried him on.
Ravi had been disowned by his family and one couldn’t blame them. They were tired of his behaviour, of their incessant visits to the thana and the hundreds of brawls he kept getting into.
***
Ravi had been an intelligent boy. Anita thought he would make a great engineer one day, for he was very good with his hands. He could fix anything and was seen repairing the neighbourhood vehicles when he was just in Class Seven.
The genius had fallen into dark days when he picked up bad company. His mother’s failing health and her subsequent death pushed him to the edge.
Now, he was an outcaste. He lived separately from his family, gave tuition classes and thus lived on scraps.
Basically he was waiting to die. The only thing that filled him up with joy was the sight of Anita, for her smile made his day.
But somehow, he never got the courage to face her and talk to her.
He wouldn’t be able to see the disappointment on her face, it would kill him.
So he satisfied himself by stalking her whenever he could.
***
Roshan had changed into a blue shirt and black cotton jeans and was waiting for her outside Denzong Hall, one of the prominent theaters of Gangtok.
He gazed at her appearing figure: her hair was long, and she looked cute in a light blue dress that he had bought for her.
Her heels brought her a little close to his six feet frame.
“Hey love,” he smiled sweetly, looking into her dark eyes and longing to kiss her painted pink lips.
She hugged him to his embarrassment as he spied his superior with his family, who winked at him expressing his approval of his beautiful girlfriend.
The movie was good, but the feeling of sitting next to her, holding her hand and smelling her sweet fragrance was the best.
They went to his room which was a mess. Anita tied her hair into a pony tail and like always, straightened up his room.
She found his lost earphones, a sock and a five hundred rupees note while cleaning up.
“You’re an angel,” he said as he stretched his hand around her waist and pulled her close.
He was hungry for her and she knew it. Her body was warm and he felt cold, his lips were on her luscious ones.
He took out her rubber band and let her gorgeous hair fall below her shoulders.
He looked at her to marvel at this beauty, he kissed her again and carried her to his bed.
He laid her head softly on his pillow and explored her body while the dress was unzipped and pulled out.
The lovers lay in each other’s arms for a while, and then he stood up to make tea for both of them.
She lay asleep on the bed when Roshan entered with tray of tea and her favourite snacks.
She wore his blue shirt and he said it looked better on her instead.
She noticed he looked a bit worried, but he told her it was work related.
***
The next day, Ravi was caught peddling drugs near Tadong School, and he was getting grilled at the thana.
Roshan entered the scene. Ravi saw him at a distance. Both his eyes were swollen and he could taste blood, his own blood flowing down from his bloody nose.
He noticed this man to be the one his Anita was dating, and he hated him more than he hated his father, who had disowned him and left him to his miseries.
Roshan told the men not to beat him further. He went near Ravi and whispered something into his ears.
Ravi was shocked: How did Roshan know he was stalking Anita!
“You stay the hell away from her or I will get you killed buddy,” was what Roshan said, intimidating him.
Roshan had noticed him many times looking at Anita, who was oblivious of his burning desire for her.
Ravi smiled and said aloud, “Officer, she’s my drug, how can I leave her,” and that was enough to enrage Roshan.
He went up to him and kicked him in his stomach. Ravi was knocked off from the chair and he was now puking all over.
Roshan left seething in anger and disgust, more so over himself for having lost his cool.
***
The consignment was caught at Rangpo Police Check Post itself.
Roshan had been instrumental in getting it caught.
The driver broke down after a few minutes of a ‘police welcome’, and Roshan wasn’t surprised to hear Ravi’s name come up.
The two men were facing each other when the phone rang. Roshan saw her name flashing on the screen, and on purpose he left the speaker on.
“Babes, I wanted to say,” she giggled and continued, “I wanted to say yes, yes babes yes I will marry you.”
Roshan told her he was a bit busy and would get back to her. He laughed and said, “Yes, I love you too.”
Roshan then looked at Ravi. His attitude had disappeared, he looked lost and beaten.
Ravi looked into Roshan’s eyes and told him, “Do take good care of her, she’s a blessing and if you harm her, I swear I won’t leave you.”
Somehow, Roshan saw the truth in his defeated eyes.
Love makes the world go around. It’s your biggest strength and your weakness at the same time.
And as far as unrequited love is concerned, such love burns fiercely, and sometimes it burns true.
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