A Thousand Eyes

A magical story about a marginalized community.

When Anil Babu stepped out into the morning, he was greeted by a somber embrace of overcast skies. The air hung heavy with humidity, clothes clanged to him like a second skin. Retrieving his handkerchief, he delicately blotted his brow, preparing for the arduous day ahead. With determined strides, he approached the office where the laborers awaited.

Pandu hurried behind him, clutching an umbrella tightly as he glanced at the shifting hues of the grey clouds. His objective was to overtake his master and orchestrate for a suitable conversation with the leader along with Babu’s henchmen. Yet, despite his best efforts, he fell short. He knew Anil Babu would be furious if he had to wait there.

“Manoj, bring one chair for Babu”, he ordered one of the henchmen. Manoj, a rugged big man timidly obeyed his command and brought along a wooden stool. Pandu slapped his forehead with a loud thud. Displeasure smeared across his face.” No, you imbecile mound of muscle . A proper chair. Not a stool”.

Manoj nodded and brought along the chair. The laborers were all sitting on the crimson floor, watching this circus, dismaying all thoughts of getting a chair. Anil Babu took measured steps near the laborers, casting a disapproving glance at Pandu. As he reached their midst, a collective hush fell over the throng. Each labourer rose in unison with folded hands, save for the one strongly defiant at the front. A man, probably in his forties. Darkened skin, small height, face full of beard, wearing a torn trouser and a muddy vest.

Anil Babu settled in the chair, one leg on top of another, gazing squarely at the man before him.“You must be the leader?”,Anil Babu enquired with an authoritative tone.”What is your name?”

The man, met his gaze unwaveringly, standing tall and resolute like a banyan tree.”Sambhu”, he murmured.

“Hey, down with the glare”,Pandu scoffed at him.

“Why?”,Sambhu turned his attention to Pandu.”Just because I work with my bare hands? Ask your master when is he giving our money? Our children are hungry”.

Anil Babu scratched his clean-shaven cheeks, yawning."If you want to deal with Pandu, then I don't want to waste my time here. You know, I am a busy man.”

“Okay fine..”,Sambhu focused on Anil Babu.”Tell us then, when are you going to give us our money ? It's been three months, and we haven’t received a single paisa”.

“Hey!!!”,Manoj cried from the background.”Talk with respect. You’re speaking to the soon-to-be MLA over here. He will be a minister in some day”.

Sambhu, undeterred, took a bold step towards Anil Babu.“What kind of an minister keeps his people hungry?”

“Hey..”,one of the henchmen behind Manoj bristled, eyes flashing anger as he moved to intervene.

“Stop !!”,Anil Babu lifted his palm to express his displeasure.”You’ll get your money, but because of the elections my hands are a little tight”.

Sambhu’s face crumbled in utter disbelief. He croaked,”Election is three months away. How am I supposed to feed my children?”.A group of other labourers also murmured in unison.

“Why did you have children in the first place when you cannot feed them, disgusting adivasis”,Anil Babu grunted.“Now move on, do your work.”

“No one will go to work until you give us our money”,Sambhu approached another step.

“Not one step further, Sambhu!!”, Pandu’s voice sliced through the tension, a warning to Sambhu.

” Have you forgotten your place? You Adivasi son of a bitch. Don’t you know your shadow itself will harm Anil Babu. Listen to the man and get back to work”.

“Haa haa!!”,Sambhu spurted with disbelief.” You don’t want our shadow to befall you, yet you like our women to warm your beds. Fear the eyes of God you bunch of monsters. Keeping your workers unfed, stealing their land, their lives, their identity, their forest. Their will be a day when you’ll get your share. Nothing goes unnoticed by the one sitting on the sky”.

With a surge of indignation, Manoj could no longer tolerate Sambhu’s insolence towards Anil Babu. Flexing on borrowed authority, he charged forward and planted a tight slap on Sambhu’s cheeks. Sambhu’s bony figure jolted in mid-air and landed with a thud on the crimson soil, billowing a mote of dust. Witnessing this sudden violence, other laborers froze in fear and instinctively recoiled.

“Go back to work, you bunch of imbeciles. Otherwise, I will smack every one of you”, Manoj’s roar rattled the mines, sending fear among the labourers.

Anil Babu prodded his fingers on his head and waited for them to retreat when suddenly an old man came crawling.

“Babu, my daughter Jayanti hasn’t come home from last night”, he prayed.

Anil Babu furrowed his brows, his gaze shifting to Pandu. Getting the hint, Pandu brought his mouth to Anil Babu’s ears,” He’s referring to the girl from last night”.

Anil Babu, unable to conjure the girl's face, bobbed his head. It's been a lot of girls lately. How was he supposed to remember who bears what name? Most of the time, he sleeps with these girls inebriated, without looking at their faces or asking for their names. And in the morning, he throws a handful of cash while still drooling in his sleep. This had been his daily routine, a cycle of excess.

“Tomorrow, tomorrow..now get back to work”, he stood up and shook the dust off his white cloth. He hates stains on his clothes. And before he could get back, he took one last glance at Sambhu.

“Check if he’s dead or alive?”, he instructed Pandu.

Upon receiving his master’s orders, Pandu approached Sambhu’s prone body, carefully placing one finger under his nose for a sign of life. After a tense moment, Pandu’s expression shifted to one one grim concern, prompting Anil Babu to hurry over and squat beside Sambhu’s body.

”tcsk, tcsk,tcsk.”, Anil Babu bleated his tongue disapprovingly.” You’ve cost me a labour, Manoj”.

But just as he spoke, Sambhu stirred, and hurled a fistful of dirt at Anil Babu’s face.” Fear the God's eye, you damned monster”, he roared triumphantly, as if he had won a battle.

Anil Babu recoiled in shock, rolling onto the ground as he shouted in agony.” My eyes, my eyes!!!”. He wailed, his distressed voice bouncing through the stones and crevices of the mine as he tried to free himself from the stinging dirt.

Amidst the chaos, a couple of Anil Babu’s henchmen rushed to his aid, raining down kicks at Sambhu’s bony demeanor. Blood oozes out of his mouth as he keeps on glaring at Anil Babu. There was no cry, no scream when he was tossed like a football, his stoic silence a testament to his resilience. The other laborers trembled in fear, darting back at the Mining supervisor and soon-to-be MLA rolling on the ground, dabbing his eyes.

“Pandu, get me to the hospital. I can’t see, my eyes are burning”, Anil Babu’s whole body contorted in pain. On the other hand, the henchmen took Sambhu inside the supervisor building and locked him up for more thrashing.

“Pandu..Pandu!!!”, Anil Babu’s shrieks filled the air of the entire mine, sending shivers down the spine of all who heard them. And thus, another rebellion was quashed.

(2)

Anil Babu sat silently in the wheelchair, fidgeting with his fingers. Although the pain had placated, the burning sensation was still gnawing on his sockets. On top of that, the potent smell of hospital phenyls was giving him a headache. Within moments, he heard footsteps.

“Pandu, is that you?”, asked Anil Babu. His voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Yes, Anil Babu. I brought the doctor with me as well”, his voice sounded wet.

Anxiousness shot up Anil Babu’s spine as he braced himself for what was to come,” What’s wrong? I can sense your unease.”

“We have some good and bad news”, An unknown voice seeped into his ears.

Anil Babu’s head swiveled in the direction of the voice, shaking. His hand reached out, grasping for support like a drowning man reached for a straw. Pandu, sensing his distress, immediately grabbed his head and began sobbing.

“Don’t worry Babu, everything will be all right”.

Anil Babu shook his head and scoured for the doctor,” Just some dirt was hurled at me doctor, why do you sound so grim? You know, I am going to be the MLA. Don’t play games with me. Speak plainly”.

The doctor sighed heavily before delivering the bad news.”I am sorry to say, sir. But you have lost your eyes.”

Anil Babu's hand shot out, landing a tight blow at the doctor's cheek.

”Are you a drunk doctor? Don't you know who I am?”, Anil Babu retorted.

Pandu intervened, grasping him by his shoulder,” Babu, Babu..don’t get angry”.

Anil Babu’s nostril flared like a hooded snake as he broke from Pandu’s grip and held the collar of the doctor.

”What did you say? Say it again”.

Shaken by fear, the doctor shut his mouth. His eyes widened with terror as he stared into the bandaged face of Anil Babu, trembling. In the meantime, Pandu and Manoj came to his rescue.

“Babu, leave him. He’s just trying to help. Please..”, Manoj pleaded.

After much coercion, Anil Babu reluctantly let go of the doctor and slumped back into the wheelchair, enraged.“How to fix this?”, he asked silently.

”People will not vote for a blind MLA”.

The doctor, still reeling from fear, found himself fumbling for words. Even though he knew the news wouldn't lift his mood, he had never dreamed of being threatened like this. But still, he had to break this news.

“The dust particles had traces of metal which severely damaged your retina. Only a transplant could bring back your vision”.

“Transplant?”, Pandu exchanged bewildered glances with Manoj, both at loss of words. Understanding their ignorance, the doctor continued,“That means someone has to donate the eyes”.

“But how? How will someone donate their eye?”, the idea seemed a fantasy to Pandu.

“When someone dies, we can take the retina from the dead body and use it to treat blindness”, the doctor continued.

“Pandu!!”, Anil Babu roared.

“Yes, boss”.

“Bring me Sambhu’s eyes. Dead or alive, I don’t care. I will take back what’s rightfully mine”.

Seeing another impending trouble, the doctor tried to retreat from the room. But Manoj's agility outmatched his, blocking his way out.

“You’re not going anywhere until you fix our boss”.

Gripped in fear, the doctor squeaked a little,” but..”.

“No ifs and buts.. you will stand right here”, Manoj placed him like a piece of object in front of Anil Babu.

“Pandu..get me Sambhu first. I’ll gorge out his eyes myself and then burn his entire family.”, Anil Babu ordered again.

Pandu immediately ran out of the hospital, leaving Anil Babu with Manoj and the doctor.

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Anil Babu was squirming in the wheelchair. Frustration had coiled around his entire body like a python does to its prey. Hours had past and yet, all he saw was darkness. The ripples of erratic thoughts clouded his mind. It felt as if he was trapped in a room full of cacophonous voices. Some were crying, some were venerating, and some spoke of illness he never heard of before. But amidst all these, one thing remained absent, laughter.

He felt alienated sitting in somewhere devoid of celebration. For him, celebration was everything. Celebration of life, women, and money. Every night was a raucous affair, filled with parties, dancing boys, and the company of women from far and wide parts of the region. His gait brimmed with smugness as he jutted through the mines, feeding off the fear of men and women alike. But this man Sambhu, dared to challenge his authority. He even rallied the laborers and mocked him in front of them. An Adivasi, a low-born with a dream to become a Master. And worst of all, he robbed his eyes. His precious eyes. Anil Babu wanted to cry, but these bandages might soak his tears..

As time passed, his anxiety piqued. He repeatedly instructed Manoj to call Pandu. But every time, the phone got disconnected.

“Perhaps, his phone is out of charge” Manoj offered a resolution after a few futile attempt. Needless to say, Anil Babu was far from pleased with the progress. He clenched the handles of the wheelchair and muttered curses at Sambhu. Silent abuses hurled at the eternal darkness that had engulfed him.

“Babu!”,a panicked voice broke his reverie.

“Pandu”,Anil Babu responded, his attention snapping to the sound like a dog responding its rescuer.“What news have you brought?”

Pandu came closer to his ears and whispered,”Babu. something has happened.”

“I know something has happened. I lost my eyes”,Anil Babu said irritatingly.

Pandu paused for a moment before whispering cautiously,”I know Babu. But Sambhu has received his punishment. The man is beaten to death”.

A grin appeared on Anil Babu’s face. Finally, some good news.

“But Babu”,Pandu said with consternation, ”He is an Adivasi, a santhali. What will people think if his eyes are to become yours”.

Anil Babu had indeed considered this. Though his decision had been hasty, upon deeper reflection, he saw no other way .He turned towards Pandu and instructed firmly,” Make sure no one knows of this”.

Pandu shook his head and instructed the doctor to continue his work.”Any mistake and I will fit your eyes to our boss's sockets”.

The doctor shaken in fear.”But we need another doctor for this. And also a few apparatus which are not available here. It will be better if we go to the city and perform there. And I will need the corpse as well”.

Pandu placed a reassuring hand on the doctor’s shoulder and said,”You don’t have to worry about anything”.

(3)

Needless to say, Anil Babu’s eyes were replaced smoothly. Whether it was the doctor's skill or the fear of Anil Babu that spurred him on, the procedure was executed with precision. Anil Babu was instructed to remain in bed for fifteen days and not to remove the bandages under any circumstances.

Once back in his house, Pandu told him that he had taken care of the rebellion .Two more people tried to protest and demanded money, but the henchmen handed the situation adeptly. Anil Babu felt satisfied with Pandu. He rubbed his head like a master does to his dog.

“You are a good man Pandu. I don’t know what I would have done without you”, Anil Babu praised him warmly.

“Babu, you’re being generous. I am doing whatever my ancestors would have done”, his supplicant eyes brimmed with generosity. Anil Babu ran his fingers on Pandu’s head and chuckled.

“Tell me Pandu, what did you do to Sambhu’s body?”

“We buried it. His wife was crying and children too. Loss of their father. But we took care of them.”

Anil Babu recalled the humiliation and decided that the eyes were not enough. He needs to keep the children as well, in case they come seeking revenge in the future.

“After two weeks. Bring the bitch and her pups as well to me. We cannot let them go away easily. The whole community should learn from this”, Anil Babu declared before laying down his head to rest.

“Yes sir. I was also having similar thoughts”, Pandu affirmed.

Anil Babu felt satisfied. His father had imparted this lesson very early in him. If you kill a snake, make sure to crush all its eggs. Never leave any work unfinished.

By the fifteenth day, the doctor arrived and removed his bandages.“You’ll have some blurry vision and after that, all will be well”, the doctor reassured him.

Anil Babu let his pupils warm up by the light for a moment before slowly opening them.

“I can see”,he declared with a smile. A sense of victory deluged over him. Pandu put on a garland of marigolds over him and nearly cried in happiness,” Welcome back to the world Babu”.

Anil Babu’s face glistened with delight. After three weeks of slumbering in darkness, he finally saw the light of the day. Should he be grateful to Sambhu for giving his eyes? Of course not. This was his right. What was taken from him, must be reclaimed.

When the doctor left, Anil Babu declared,” Today, we will celebrate and tomorrow we will start our election campaign”.

Pandu came up with a glass full of whiskey and winked at him.” Everything is ready. And we have locked Sambhu’s wife in the room”.

Anil Babu grabbed Pandu’s head and embraced him.” You are my Senapati. I’ll make you the head of the village council once I get elected”.

Pandu touched Anil Babu’s feet with veneration. His voice quivered as he said,” Thank you Babu. You’re my god”.

Anil Babu patted his back before drowning the whiskey in one gulf.

“Babu, please be gentle with her. She hasn’t had food for quite a few days”, Pandu cautioned.

Ignoring Pandu’s plea, Anil Babu hastened to the room. But upon entering, he was taken aback by the sight before him. The woman tied to the bed resembled more like a skeleton than a human being. Her eyes were sunken, her skin dried and wrinkled as if life was sucked out of her. Her voice sounded weak and feeble, like dried leaves being trampled.

“What?”,Anil Babu frowned. His blurry vision couldn’t make out her face and his ears deaf to her pleas for food. As he touched her emaciated legs, he felt nothing. Nothing that would make him sleep with her except for the fire of revenge.

The woman spoke another few words, but Anil Babu paid her no heed . He ran his hands all over her body without any resistance from her. Just as he about to sink his lustful teeth into her, she managed to utter a word loud enough to pierce through his defiance.

“Khana..food”.

“Saali..your husband stole my life and you want food. Bloody bitch”, he slapped her tight as if her hunger was responsible for all this. But as soon as his hand left her skin, an unimaginable pain twisted his stomach. “Ugg!!”,Anil Babu screamed and writhed.

Quickly he rolled over the floor and flattened on his back. Pandu stormed into the room upon hearing his scream.

“Babu!!, Babu..what happened?”,he exclaimed, founding his master contorted in pain.

“Quick!!”,Anil Babu screamed as he turned to the side.” There is something in my belly”. He pressed on to his white kurta, just a little above his navel.

Pandu dashed at the unconscious woman on the bed, and then at his master. Without hesitation, he check Anil Babu’s his kurta.

“Its paining Pandu..!!do something”, Anil Babu’s facial muscles squeezed like a lemon.

“Babu!!”, Pandu shrieked, his eyes widened in horror as he lifted the kurta. He screeched away like a cat encountered a cucumber ,and started sweating.

“What is it, Pandu? Why is it paining?”,Anil Babu squealed.

Pandu pointed a shaky finger at his belly.”It's an eye..it's an eye jutting out of your belly”, he stammered.

Anil Babu tilted his head to look at the growth on his belly. And indeed it turned out to be an eye, protruding from his belly. He could see the blurry lines of the brow, the white conjunctiva, and then the iris, revolving around the surface of it. Watching the ceiling, the doors, the bed, the woman, and the whole surrounding.

Panicking, Anil Babu cried out,”Get it out, get it out!!!!” before collapsing unconscious on the spot.

(4)

Anil Babu was floating in the air, watching the laborers drilling through the mines. Some were unloading iron ores on top of dumper trucks, while others wielded their axes with weary hands, pushed on by the relentless commands of his henchmen.

He spotted Manoj hurling abuses at one of them and immediately satisfied by his vigor.

“Finish up the work you lazy bastards”.

As he was about to turn back, suddenly, a sharp pain rose on his back as though someone lashed a whip on him.

“Ahh!”,he screamed in pain and plummeted to the ground. His white cloth was now smeared with red from earth and blood. As he touched his back, he felt the wetness of blood, unable to discern whether it was truly blood or merely the colour of the earth smeared on his palm.

“Get back to work!!”,Another whiplash struck him, forcing him to his feet. He turned to see Pandu hurling curses at him.”Why aren’t you working imbecile?”

Anil Babu furrowed his brows and stared at him with astonishment,”Pandu, it's me. Your master.”

But before he could finish, a tight slap sent shock waves throughout his body,”Get to work bloody adivasi!!”.

“But..I am the master, You know me..”,Anil Babu pleaded, attempting to explain. But one of the henchmen landed a kick on his abdomen, tearing his intestines.

“Don’t come closer to Babu.. how dare you try to touch Babu?”,the henchman growled menacingly.

“But. But”, his protests were cut short by relentless brutality of the henchmen, jolting him out of his dream.

“Babu!!”,Pandu’s voice broke through the haze of dream. ”Don’t worry, you are safe and sound”.

Anil Babu was breathless from the pain. His eyes roved in the room, finding familiarity with reality. It was such a horrific dream. He looked at Pandu and pondered whether he would do something like that. Whip lashing his own master and then suddenly, he remembered about the eye. The one protruded out of his body. He lifted his white kurta and found the eye was still there.

“Pandu, tell me I am dreaming”,he grabbed Pandu’s hand.

Pandu with his usual sadness, could offer no reassurance. ”I don’t know Babu..I don’t know”.

Anil Babu tried touching his eye, and he felt his vision was getting blurry. Even if he closed his kurta, his vision didn’t get rectified. It felt like he needed that another eye.

“Pandu.what is happening to me?”, Anil Babu started shaking.

With no credible explanation, Pandu started sobbing like he had lost a close relative, further infuriating Anil Babu. ”It's all because of that Sambhu. Pandu, I don’t want his descendant to live for one second. Kill his wife and his children too”.

Pandu rose with new vigor .”Yes Babu .It will be done”. He brought the henchmen along with him and entered the room where Sambhu’s wife was tied.

The sound of a gunshot from the room brought a momentary solace to Anil Babu’s troubled mind. However, as the smoke of gunpowder poured into the room, a new type of pain rose in his body.

“Pandu!!”. Anil Babu cried out in distress.

Hearing his plight, Pandu came out of the room, along with the henchmen. And as they got close to him, they soon realized the reason for his anguish. Another eye had appeared on his forehead. Right between his two eyebrows, parallel to the existing one. The men behind Pandu suddenly knelt in reverence.

“Bholenath has appeared Pandu, our master is the reincarnation of the lord Shiva himself”.

“What?”Anil Babu shouted .”Another eye!!”.

Bewilderment wrapped him like a python. He cried, laughed, and convulsed all at the same time.

“Pandu!,do something!”, he pleaded desperately.

For a second, Pandu was stupefied by this unexpected development. He thought for a second and then instructed one of the henchmen to bring the doctor. It was he who might have done something.

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As expected, the doctor was also puzzled by this development. Never in his wildest dreams, he had seen someone like him.

“Doctor, you’re the one who implanted those eyes. Now fix this. How can I go to a rally in this condition?”, Anil Babu frowned.

The doctor’s eyes dart back at Pandu, then the henchmen, and then at Anil Babu. He looked confused by this. And on top of that, his worry propelled knowing Anil Babu’s background. It dawned on him that whatever he did, it would end up badly for him. After a minute of inspection, an idea suddenly came to him.

“Anil Babu, you are surely going to win the election .Why don’t you embrace your third eye and use it in your election campaign?”

“Are you mad doctor?”,Pandu spoke out of turn.

“Ahh! Pandu..don’t get so hyperactive”, Anil Babu stopped him. Then he turned his attention toward the doctor and said,” Are you sure that will work?”

“yes. Why not? The public craves for these kind of miracles. And if this is not a miracle, then what is?”, the doctor reasoned.

Anil Babu seemed convinced. He knew the public doesn’t have the brain to decide for themselves. If they find some god-like characteristics, surely they will fall for it.

And thus what happened. They marketed him as the saviour of the state, the reincarnation of lord Shiva, the bearer of the third eye. Word spread like wildfire and thongs of people flocked at his door to get his blessings. The doctor’s plan worked as he continued his rallies, begging for a vote. Everything turned out to be great except for one day. The day when he fainted on the stage.

(5)

Lights and music had flooded the stage as Anil Babu prepared to narrate his election agenda. The crowd awaited for his words with bated breath as if a sermon from a deity. It became clear to them, that an avatar had appeared. Doesn’t matter what he said or did, he was the living incarnation.

And just when he grabbed the mic, he suddenly found himself dancing. The stage has been replaced by an open field where he frequently celebrated Launda Nach. The lights were blinking in a frenzy, the music changed its beats and there were men in front of him. Drunken men came close to him and touched his waist.

“Hey..how dare you?”, He was about to hit, and then suddenly, another man touched his butt. And then another joined in to caress his chest. Someone randomly planted a kiss on his cheeks, on his neck. Someone else grabbed his kurta and started smelling him. Anil Babu’s stomach churned and he retched in front of everyone.

“Leave me. Leave me alone”,he screamed but none of the men listened to him. One of them grabbed him from his back and bit his neck. It felt disgusting knowing their lustful teeth sunk into his flesh. His feet were numb, throat choked with such revulsion that he wanted to die of abhorrence. And when he turned to face his abuser, he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was his face that leered at him. Instantly, he fainted on the floor leaving the people perplexed.

And when he woke up in his bed, his body started aching again. This time, he knew what was happening to him, and when he saw himself in the mirror, he found another eye on his chest.

Soon after that, every few hour she found himself plagued by many despicable dreams. Dreams that felt very real. Sometime she found himself clad in a saree, being tied to a bed waiting for another version of himself to violate him. In other, he found himself subject to a beating. Iron rods and strong wooden beams lashed at him for unknown reasons. Sometimes, his hunger gnawed on his intestines. And the craving became so intense, that a friendly dog looked desirable. Time and after, these nightmares started haunting him, pilfering his sleep. And by the end of his dream, a terrible pain followed through, gifting another eye on his body.

As the election day drew closer, Anil Babu stopped stepping out of his room and forbidding everyone to enter. With much scepticism Pandu stationed a guard at the door. But that guard too, couldn’t take the wails coming from inside. The screams, the cries of a grown man felt haunting to their ears. Sometimes, his lamentation and bouts of laughter pierced through the household, instilling fear among the guards. In other times, an eerie silence loomed over the house, as if it had turned into a crematorium.

Guards didn’t stick for long. Slowly, they left under the pretext of family emergency or some other excuse leaving Pandu completely alone. One day, even Manoj came to his side and started discussing about leaving. ”Pandu, we have to get out while we can. Anil Babu is no more”.

But they both stayed on. Not by seer love for the man, but for their inquisitive minds to witness the transformation of Anil Babu. Pandu, who was a devout follower also lost interest in him. The miners had gone to strike. No party, no alcohol and no dancing boys. Things evidently became dull for them, except for the occasional wails.

Pandu tried to push open the door, only to find it locked from inside. Day after day , this same routine followed. Anil Babu had stopped eating or drinking anything. Sometimes, the screams became so unbearable that both of them had to cover their ears.
On the day of the election, Pandu finally heard his name being called from inside the room. With cautious trepidation, he approached the door and anxiously opened it. Inside, he found Anil Babu wrapped in a bedsheet from head to toe, his back turned towards him, shrouded in secrecy and mystery.

“Pandu..”, his voice sounded feeble.

“Babu..”, Pandu’s inquisitive eyes were roving across the room.

Without moving an inch, Anil Babu said,” I kept a note at the bedside table. Please take care of it”.

Pandu approached the table and picked up the piece of paper.

“What is it, Babu?”

“This is my confession. For all my wrongdoings. The women I had violated, the men I had killed, the land I stole from the Adivasis, and everything that I have ever done.”.

Pandu glanced over the paper and then darted back at Anil Babu.”But Babu..”

“No more Babu. I have come to realize that we are all the same. There is no distinction between a Master and his workers, no difference between an Adivasi or Thakur. Neither is a division between a man and a woman. We are all the same. I've lived my life blinded by power and greed, but now I see the truth. I want this confession to be made public. I want to make amends for all the harm I've caused. ”,Anil Babu stopped to cough a little.

Pandu’s eyes widened,” What are you saying, Babu?”

Anil Babu nodded. It became evident that his feeble body couldn’t take it anymore. But he continued,”I have to reap what I had sowed and I suggest you would do the same”.

Pandu was numb and paused for sometime.

“Give the laborers whatever they want. Specially, Sambhu’s children. I’ve robbed them of their parents”.

“This is unlike you Babu”, Pandu couldn’t believe his ears.

“Yes..give them. Give them my whole property”.

Pandu was gnawing his teeth. He looked at the confession paper and read through the details. Foul smell of excretion and urine wafted in the air. The man who never stepped out of his room without perfumes was living in his own excretion. Pandu was repulsed by this and upon further rumination, he realized the voice also sounded different. He remembered Manoj’s words and said, “You are not my Babu. This words couldn’t be his. You must have done something to him.”

“What?”, The man under the bedsheet asked.

“Yes. I have been with my Babu for a long period of time. I know every bones in his body. This is unlike him. He will never give away his property, especially to a bunch of Adivasis. I don’t trust you. Reveal yourself”, Pandu commanded.

The man under the bedsheet said, ”Fine. If that’s what you wish”.

He removed the bedsheet at one quick turn of hand and stood on top of the bed.”See me as I see you”, The man’s voice sounded otherwordly.

Pandu felt his feet frozen to the ground. His whole body shuddered as he witnessed the person stood before him. Beads of sweat dribbled down his ears, all the way to his back as he saw a thousand eyes glaring at him. The man who stood before him was less of a man and more of a creature being cursed. Not an inch left in his entire body where an eye hadn’t appeared. All roved and revolved in a frenzy for a moment and then suddenly fixed on him. The glare of these thousand eyes, pierced through his flesh and skin, scowling at his soul.

Pandu’s throat choked, heart stopped beating for a minute. He was convinced that the creature standing before him was not his beloved master, but some cursed being.

“Monster!! Monster!! You are a monster. Manoj!!”, Pandu cried as he fell down on the floor.

“Ha ha ha”, The creature laughed haughtily for a moment. And then he jumped down from the bed and approached towards Pandu,”I was a monster, blind to suffering. But now, I can clearly see”.

“Manoj!”, a panicked voice belched out of Pandu’s throat.

The creature stood with his arms wide open. “I am ready”, he said.

Manoj came running hearing Pandu’s voice. And when he saw this abominable depiction of Anil Babu, he picked up an iron rod and landed a sharp blow on his head. The creature didn’t utter a single shriek of pain, nor did it shed any tear. He fell to the ground beside Pandu and watched the world slowly descending into an ocean of darkness.