ESCAPED BUT PUNISHED (PART 3)

It still hurts me to see Ratu in such a hapless condition. He was once a brave guy and fun guy to be around. Now, he can barely remember his own name. Ratu was cool and brave but a little negligent too. He would be up for any sort of heist without any regard for his own safety or financial profits. Tiger on the other hand would ask a lot of questions before agreeing to a certain job.

In our line of work, bravery and courage is a must. A little bit of carelessness and negligence helps too. After all, we are but thieves and robbers. 

One other thing about Tiger was, he was a little edgy all the time. He was always ready to start a fight and appeared to me that he loved the thrill of it. Whenever we went out, he would get easily riled up and before long we would be fighting some random people for no apparent reason. That's why we called him Tiger. 

Anyway, Ratu lost his sanity and Tiger was nowhere to be found. I never saw him nor heard from him for a long time. It never occurred to me that it might be because of all the things we stole that night from the temple. Sometimes I felt like selling all of it and taking all the money for myself. But I knew for a fact that if Tiger and Ratu were in my place, they would never ever do it.

One night, like usual I was drinking and smoking some weed when I heard someone banging on my door, just like Ratu did few weeks ago. This time, I wasn't as shocked or afraid as I was the first time. 

I opened the door and just as I expected, there was Tiger; pale and unkempt, his dress, all torn and sogged. It looked like he just dipped himself in a pool and came out. Remember, it was peak winter and water is freezing cold. 

He was a muscular dude but now he had become all skin and bones.

He pushed me aside and ran directly inside my bedroom. He was frantically looking for something and soon he turned to me.

"Where is that statue? Where is it? Let's take it back. They are after me. They will kill me...? Tiger cried as I watched him. I just kept quiet for his sake. But deep inside, a lingering doubt began to surface. Was it all because of this statue and antiques? Did Ratu became insane because of it?

Pondering, I went inside the kitchen and brought back all the loot. As soon as I stepped inside the living room, Tiger freaked out. Rather than taking the loots, he backed away, his face pale with fear. 

As I walked closer to him, he backed away even more. His eyes are fixated on the statue and he began to shoo me away. By this time, he was sweating profusely and his eyes were wide with fear. 

He began chanting some mantra and started to beg for forgiveness. He even started to prostrate towards me, his palms clenched on his chest. Now, I was becoming confused and even a little afraid. He looked at me as if I were an executioner. 

"Tiger!" I shouted. 

"Get a hold of yourself?"I boomed at him.

"What are you doing?" 

He shakily raised his hands and pointed his finger towards me. 

"Behind you." Tiger said shaking with fear.

As I turned to look behind my back, through the corner of my eyes, I saw the man in black gho and hat, who was following me few weeks ago. This time, he looked much more larger and menacing. 

As I turned to confront The Man, I saw nothing, except my own shadow. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned back. Tiger stood there on his knees, his neck bent. I walked closer towards him. Soon as I reached him, he began to convulse profusely. I tried to hold him but he pushed me away like a rag doll. 

After few minutes of convulsion and what looked like a seizure. He suddenly stood up. He looked at me, his eyes blood red. Chills went down my spine and I stood there on my back, frozen with fear. Out of nowhere, he began to perform chham (mask dances).

Meanwhile, I slowly stood up and was planning to dash out the door. After about 10 minutes of dancing furiously, he stopped.  

In a blink of an eye, he lunged at me and pushed me away. I briefly passed out, by the time I came back to my sense, he had the bottle of whiskey, raised high above my head. I barely managed to escape it but the bottle shattered and left some cuts on my cheek. I was bleeding and really furious. He again came lunging at me, this time I braced myself for a fight but he just rag dolled me around like nothing.

By then, I was exhausted and bleeding badly. Tiger stood there without moving a muscle. Tiger slowly turned towards me and left my blood curdling out of fear. I saw that he was bleeding from his eys and blood was oozing out of his ears. As he tried to speak he just he sputtered blood. He raised his hand and walked towards me. After few steps, he fell down flat on his face.

I passed out and woke up in police station. I was sure that I am going in for a long time. The punishment for vandalism and smuggling of antiques is life sentence. I lost all hope.

They sat me down for questioning but to my utter surprise, they just want to know about Tigers death and asked my nothing about the statue and the antiques, which I am pretty sure in lying on the floor of my living room.

I thought they must have missed it. They suspected that I must have killed Tiger. But due to lack of any physical injuries, they couldn't pin his death on me. 

I walked out a free man after few weeks in jail. Little did I know that my ordeal has just begun. I went inside to my house but someone has already moved in. I asked the landlord about my stuffs. He replied " You took all your stuffs that very night you fought with your friends."

I was shocked and even more confused. I didn't say anything as everything that was happening lately was way more surreal than I can explain, so, I just kept quite. 

That night as I was trying to sleep. The man in black and big black hat once again came and slapped me across my face. I woke up sweating profusely and my left cheek throbbing with pain.

Few days later, I was walking to my hotel room after drinking. It was about 4 in the evening. Once again, I saw the man in black gho standing across me. He slowly walked towards me and after a few steps, he took out a long whip from his hemchu (pocket) and lashed me across my arms.

I felt the stinging pain on my arms. After few more whips on my back and thighs, I jumped at him tackled him down. Blind with rage, I rained down punches on him. I felt hands pulling me away and when I came to my sense, I had tackled a young school boy and he was crying.

The police arrested me and locked me up for few more years. I was sure that someone did whipped me. I saw the whips marks across my arms and thighs and I felt the pain for weeks.

Even in prison, The Man attacked me number for times. He broke my nose once, twisted my arms couple of times. But whenever I retaliated I would hurt an innocent person. I once jumped and attacked a police officer. Another time, I attacked an old lady and one time I ttacked some inmates.

Even now, he would come and beat me up but now I don't even retaliate. I just let him beat me. At times, he would come and beat black and blue. He even broke my ribs couple of times. I lost two front teeth too.

Doctors scold me not to get into fights. But I never did. The Man beat me. He comes when he likes and then beats me up. I wish I could convince them but how?

People started calling me mad. I know I am not seeing things because the pain was too real, the wounds took months to heal and some even years. I have x rays to show that my ribs were broken. I have stitch marks on my head to show the lacerations his bearings left.

I think this is how Ratu sees the world too. He sees the world in a way nobody else can see and that's why he looks crazy. 

One thing, I cannot go near Mani Dungkhors and temples. I once went to memorial stupa to pray but the man came and whipped me for hours on end. I was bedridden for three months after that. One time, I went to Changangkha temple but again he whipped me for hours and left me bedridden.

If I stay away from temples, The Man comes to bash me up twice or thrice a year now. Before it was twice or thrice a week. I see him every day though. He watches my every move. 

Even as I write this, he is standing infront of me. I don't fear him anymore. I see him everyday. He has become part of my life now. People find me crazy only when I react to his presence. 

P.S. I later learned from the news that the statue and the antiques stolen from Thadrak Goenpa were returned to the temple all in one piece. Since then, monks and police were stationed in the temple. 

I think I returned the statues and the antiques, right after my fight with Tiger. How and why? I still don't know. He is coming closer now. I think I have said enough.

THE END