The Killing of Men

The men of Bharatpur, wouldn’t go out at night.

They were being picked off and after a couple of days, their mauled bodies were found in the gutters.

The rumor in town was that a woman with red eyes and breasts on her backside was behind the killings.

The shops would get closed before eight. Men would get back home in groups, dreading walking alone at night.

On one such weekend, Arjun, a college graduate, the first person in town to get a college degree, decided to go alone at night after 8 pm.

He was a rationalist. He didn’t believe in such a thing that flouted the second law of thermodynamics. Nor did he believe in monsters, or creatures that sounded like they came from gothic stories.

He called the village people to his house. They all gathered, the anxious men and their scared wives.

“What is it Arjun, why have you called us here?” One of them demanded.

“The sun will go down anytime soon. She is going to come out soon...” one of them said stammering.

“You will get us all killed, you fool. You and your western education don’t work in our village.”

Soon a chorus of voices started to shoot their accusations on Arjun.

All the while Arjun remained calm and laughed off the insults and doubts thrown his way.

“Silent everybody. You are scaring my little cousins. Today, once and for all, I will prove to you that no such thing as ghosts and monsters exists.”

“I will go out alone, at 8 pm sharp through the deserted road where most of the men have disappeared. Some folks can walk till the entrance, the rest I will meet you in the end.”

“There is no such thing as a woman with red eyes and breasts on her backside. Breasts are in the front, not in the back.

Arjun took out something from his side pocket.

The whole village looked at awe at that thing.

“Stay back. Stay back,” the women shouted.

Some of the men came closer, with excitement in their eyes said,

“Where did you get that gun?”

“That doesn’t look like the local katta. It must be from foreign.”

“I have seen such guns in Hollywood movies, they never fail to work.”

Arjun aimed with the gun at a far distance.

Posing in a macho stance, with his one eye half shut.

“I know what is killing other men of this town. It is an animal, a leopard, a tiger, a fox, or a crazy monkey. Whoever it is, will face its end today, I will get rid of the monster haunting this town.

“Men!” he shouted, brandishing his gun in the air.

“I will protect you.”