Heroes R Us Read online

  As he hung up, he was thrilled, and terrified. Meeting her in college was one thing, but to go out for dinner with her was quite another. He didn't know what he should wear, what he should talk about. He fished out his good pair of jeans, shaved and slathered on after-shave liberally, combed down his curly hair at least a dozen times to ensure it wasn't sticking up like always, and then Arnab Bannerjee hit the town.

  He spent the one and a half hour bus journey doing little else but thinking about what he would say and do. Should he walk up and say hi loudly, or would that be too familiar? Should he get some flowers for her? He decided on the latter and along the way, picked up a bunch of Orchids.

  Not too romantic, not too boring, said the florist, and not having given flowers to a woman before on a date, Arnab decided to go with his advice.

  They cost a small fortune, but then Arnab decided Mishti was worth it. One thing kept puzzling him-why would an attractive, smart young woman like her want with someone as obviously ordinary as him? Was she still harbouring any notions of him being a brave hero? For the life of him, he couldn't remember having done or said anything that he could imagine would impress someone like Mishti, but then, here he was-on his way to have dinner with her on her invitation. There was one thing he was sure of-the fact that he had not looked forward to anything with as much anticipation or excitement in a very long time as he was looking forward to this dinner. An idle mind may or may not be the Devil's workshop, but in Arnab's case, it certainly proved to be the playground for Cupid, as his mind conjured up one fantasy after another about what the future held in store for him and Mishti. It was when he found himself thinking that it would be easy on the relatives since she was also a Bengali, he stopped himself, realizing just how far he had stretched his imagination.

  As he neared the restaurant, he realized that he had not even thought about his strange experiences of the previous evening and that morning even once. He decided that was a good thing, as the prospect of meeting Mishti for dinner seemed a decidedly better way to spend the weekend than discovering that he was turning into some kind of freak.

  He stepped into the restaurant, scanning the tables for Mishti. While he tried to project an attitude of casual nonchalance, he was sure Mishti would notice how nervous he was. His heart beating ever faster as he looked around the restaurant, Arnab finally caught a glimpse of Mishti.

  Then he froze.

  She was there all right, but with her were four other people-two women and two men. Mishti still had not seen him, so he took in the scene before him in silence. Mishti and her companions were all wearing expensive clothes of the sort that Arnab would occasionally stare at in malls but never really contemplate owning, and made Arnab's attempts at dressing up look woefully inadequate. His visions of a romantic dinner date already crushed, he thought about it for a second, and then quickly deposited the flowers in a nearby garbage can. By now Mishti had seen him and was waving him over. As he approached the table and awkwardly greeted everyone, he was introduced to her friends. He didn't catch all the names, but figured the chances of his meeting them socially again were pretty slim anyways. As he sat down, Mishti asked everyone to order drinks, and the women ordered cocktails, while the two men ordered beers. When it came to his turn, Arnab ordered a Coke.

  'Don't you drink?' asked one of Mishti's friends, an attractive woman called Neha.

  'No, actually I don't.'

  The guys seemed to enjoy a chuckle at that, but Arnab was thrilled to see Mishti rise to his defence.

  'I find it quite refreshing that someone isn't ashamed of saying they don't drink.'

  One of the guys, a beefy man called Varun told Arnab he was an investment banker and asked him what he did. His answer was greeted with a look of disbelief.

  'A librarian? Really? How do you and Mishti know each other?'

  As he was fumbling for an answer, Mishti spoke up.

  'He works with my Uncle. Jayantada said he's new in Delhi and doesn't have too many friends here, so I thought he might enjoy going out with us.'

  Arnab nodded along and sipped his Coke in silence, but rebuked himself for having been such a fool. How could he have ever imagined that someone like Mishti could have been interested in him? She and her friends belonged to a totally different world, one in which he could never fit in. As he watched the five friends chat and laugh together, he also felt a bit angry. Yes, he was a nobody, and yes, he lived a very ordinary and boring life, but he certainly didn't need Mishti or anyone else to go out with him out of pity. He was happy just the way he was. Mishti's friends seemed to revel in talking about things that were totally alien to the world he belonged to. Varun told them about the huge bonus he had got that year and how he was looking forward to his holiday in Spain. Neha complained about how Delhi discos were just not up there when it came to music compared to what she had seen in Bangalore, while the second male companion, Vivek, talked about how he was being contacted by headhunters about new jobs that would give him a huge jump in salary. Mishti seemed so at ease with them, blending in so seamlessly into their world that Arnab felt truly alone and isolated. What could he possibly talk about that would interest them? Would they really want to know about the missing book he had tracked down, or would his dreams of getting an ordinary government job really impress them? They were the same age as him, but the more they talked about their lifestyles, the more Arnab felt that they had nothing in common, and the more he found himself feeling just how insignificant and boring his life was compared to theirs.

  The rest of the evening passed with him being largely a mute spectator to the proceedings or mumbling monosyllabic replies when pushed to make conversation. At about eleven o'clock, everyone decided to call it a night, and as Arnab walked to the door, Mishti caught up with him.

  'Arnab, you were really quiet tonight. Is everything okay?'

  Arnab replied truthfully, 'I guess I just felt a bit out of place. Your friends are all so articulate, all so qualified, all doing such big jobs…'

  Before he could complete, Mishti had put her hand on his arm.

  'Oh God, Arnab. Don't ever feel that. You don't need to be anyone else to fit in. Yes, you're so unlike them-you don't drink to fit in, you don't always brag about your designation and salary, you don't always talk about work, but that's what makes you special. That's what makes you Arnab.'

  There was such genuine warmth in her voice that Arnab felt almost guilty about how he had felt about her. Still, a part of him was angry at not having been called alone. He realized it was a silly feeling, as he had no basis for expecting such a thing, but then he figured he was only human, and wanting more than one had, or even deserved, was not a capital crime, was it?

  Mishti realized that he was still feeling a bit miffed, and she said,

  'Arnab, I'm sorry; I had no idea you would feel this way. Look, lemme make it up to you. How about a cup of coffee? Just you and me, no friends, no need to make polite conversation with them.'

  Arnab was tempted, but reminded himself of what she had said about calling him because he didn't have friends, and refused the offer, saying he needed to be at work early. Mishti asked him if she could drop him anywhere, as she had driven down in Jayantada's car, but Arnab said that he would be fine. As they were about to part ways, Mishti said,

  'Arnab, it was great meeting you. I'll be going back to Bangalore tomorrow, but I do travel to Delhi on work, and I hope we meet again.'

  As Arnab walked to the bus stop, he realized he had behaved in a really childish and immature way, but he figured even he was sometimes entitled to having an ego, wasn't he?

  ***

  The next morning when Arnab reached the college he was surprised to find no sign of Jayantada, who had a habit of getting to the library at least an hour before the rest of the college staff. Initially, Arnab had tried to get in earlier to keep pace with his boss, but decided over time to grab the extra hour's sleep every morning when he realized that Jayantada came in early out of habit and didn't
really expect him to follow suit. When Jayantada still hadn't shown up by ten, Arnab began to get concerned and called him on his mobile. The phone seemed to ring forever before Jayantada answered, talking in a strangely muffled voice.

  'Hello, Arnab?'

  'Hi Jayantada. You hadn't come into work so just thought I'd check if everything's okay.'

  'Arnab, I can't talk now. I'll call you in ten minutes.'

  With that cryptic response, Jayantada hung up, leaving Arnab thoroughly mystified as to what was going on. When his phone rang after about fifteen minutes, Arnab grabbed it and answered after the first ring. It was Jayantada.

  'Arnab, sorry, but when you had called the doctor had just come by.'

  'The doctor? Jayantada, how are you feeling?'

  Jayantada's answer sent a shiver up Arnab's spine.

  'It's not me Arnab. It's Mishti.'

  When Arnab asked what had happened, Jayantada suggested that he just come by the hospital after work. Arnab certainly couldn't wait that long, and thought that since he could hardly concentrate on his work anyways without knowing what was going on, he somehow pottered around in the library till lunch, and then made a bee line for the hospital, stopping at a flower shop on the way.

  When Arnab reached the hospital and tracked down the room Mishti was in, he found Jayantada pacing the corridor outside. He looked up when he saw Arnab approach.

  'Good you're here; otherwise I thought I'd go crazy talking to myself. The doctor's in there checking her, so we can't go in for a few minutes. Let's go out for a minute-I need some fresh air.'

  As they walked out to the garden outside the ward, Arnab asked Jayantada what had happened. By way of reply, Jayantada asked,

  'Mind if I smoke?'

  As Jayantada lit up and puffed away, he saw the expression on Arnab's face and took a deep breath,

  'Am telling you in a minute. I just need to cool myself down a bit.'

  As the two of them walked along the garden, Jayantada started telling Arnab what had happened.

  'Mishti had gone to Gurgaon to meet some friends for dinner last night.'

  'I know, I was with them', replied Arnab.

  'Oh, I didn't know that. Well, after she left, she was still on the highway when a gang of guys in a black SUV started tailing her.'

  Arnab felt his stomach tighten involuntarily as he imagined Mishti alone, driving in the dark, being chased by the gang.

  'The smartest thing Mishti did was not to stop. She kept driving and it seems the chase went on for several minutes. But when the gang started closing on her, she panicked and lost control of the car.'

  Arnab was listening in complete silence as Jayantada continued.

  'Luckily, a couple of nearby cars stopped and came to see what had happened, and brought her to hospital. The gang disappeared when they saw others coming to her assistance.'

  'How is she, Jayantada?' Arnab asked in a low voice.

  Jayantada put an arm around Arnab's shoulder, and Arnab began to appreciate that there was much more to the man than being a cantankerous old librarian.

  'Thank God that she is not more seriously hurt than she is. She's fractured an arm and has a few cuts and bruises, but the doctor says she's lucky to be alive.'

  Arnab breathed an audible sigh of relief and was about to ask about the gang when the doctor appeared at the door and called for them to come in. When he entered the room, he realized he'd have to wait even longer before he got a chance to talk to Mishti, since she seemed to be giving a statement to a police officer. Mishti was lying on the bed, with her left hand in a sling. Her face had several bandages on it, and her lip was swollen so that when she spoke, the words came out slowly and slightly garbled. She saw Arnab out of the corner of her eye and turned and smiled at him, but even the act of smiling seemed to have hurt as she flinched in pain. The police officer was sitting on a chair by her bed, taking notes in a small pad.

  'So Miss Ghosh, how many men were there in the Tata Sumo that was following you?'

  Mishti seemed to be searching in her mind for a few seconds before she replied.

  'It was dark, and I certainly didn't stop and count, but there were at least three of them.'

  The cop wrote that down and asked if she had got a look at any of their faces, but Mishti said that she had not got a close enough look at all their faces.

  'But I did notice that the one who was driving was wearing a red bandana around his head.'

  The cop took a few more notes and then thanked her. As he left the room, he spotted Jayantada and Arnab and told them that the police were on the case.

  'This is the third attack in the last two weeks, and with each attack we are getting more information on them.'

  Arnab asked the policeman what the previous attacks had been.

  'Same modus operandi. They attack women driving alone at night on the National Highway. Miss Ghosh was very lucky compared to the previous two victims.'

  He lowered his voice as if he didn't want Mishti to hear him, 'Both of them were raped and robbed.'

  As the policeman left, Arnab and Jayantada approached the bed.

  'Mishti, I hope it doesn't hurt too much.'

  Arnab realized it was a meaningless thing to say, but he had no idea what he could ask or do. Mishti smiled again at him as he handed her the bunch of Orchids he had bought for her. She motioned for both of them to sit down but Jayantada was visibly agitated and kept walking around the room.

  'Bloody animals! It's just not safe for women nowadays in this jungle. I shouldn't have let you go out all alone at night. What will I tell your parents?'

  Mishti laid a reassuring hand on the old man's arm.

  'Jayantada, I'm not a little girl any more, and who could ever have planned for something like this? Remember you used to always scold me for driving too fast? See that's what saved me yesterday!'

  Seeing her smile and be able to still retain her sense of humour made Arnab smile but he realized that seeing her like this was making him angry in a way that he had never been before.

  'Mishti, I just wish I had gone with you last night. You wouldn't have been all alone.'

  Mishti smiled again at him, and held onto his hands.

  'Don't be silly, Arnab, what could you have done?'

  Jayantada backed her up by saying, 'Arnab, what can people like us do against such hoodlums? There seems to be no law and order any more-it's just the law of the jungle where might is right.'

  As Arnab left the hospital, Mishti and Jayantada's last words kept ringing in his ears. He thought back to what had happened on the bus and to what he had discovered himself capable of at home. As he boarded the bus on the way back to college, he kept thinking of what he could do.

  He may not have been there for Mishti the previous night and the old Arnab Bannerjee would certainly have been of no use even if he had been there. Perhaps there was indeed no real law and order to count on but if these goons thought that might was indeed right and that they could always get away with it, he was going to prove them wrong.

  FOUR

  That night Arnab made his way back to Gurgaon. Throughout the journey, he kept thinking in his mind what he'd do to the gang if he caught them, and he relished the thought of their reign of terror being brought to an end. And yes, he thought about taking revenge for what they had done to Mishti. By the time he reached MG Road, he was beginning to have doubts about his plan. It was a huge area to cover, and he had no idea how he was going to find the gang, let alone confront them. It suddenly occurred to him that it was so much easier in the movies or books, when the bad guys conveniently showed up on time and made it all so easy for the good guys. Not really knowing what else to do, he remembered that Mishti had said that they had followed her out from the mall itself, so he settled down in front of the Metropolitan Mall at a vantage point where he could also see DT Mall on the other side of the road. Two hours passed, and finally hungry, he took a break to grab some dinner. At about midnight, with his anger now tempered by
the onset of sleep and boredom, Arnab returned home a sleepy and defeated man.

  The next morning, he struggled to keep himself awake in the library, twice earning sarcastic comments from Jayantada on how the young nowadays had terrible sleeping habits. Arnab ignored it all, choosing to spend his time thinking about what he could do differently that night. Just after lunch, Jayantada told Arnab that he was going to meet Mishti at the hospital. Arnab's first instinct was to join him, but he held back, feeling that meeting Mishti without having avenged her somehow wouldn't be right.

  That night, Arnab was back at MG Road, wondering if this was all a colossal waste of time. There was no guarantee that the men would ever strike again, at least in this area. For all he knew, they were in another city altogether, while Arnab waited in the frosty November night, planning all manner of revenge, but achieving precious little other than to burn a deeper hole in his pocket with his daily trips to Gurgaon and wasting precious time that he should have been using to prepare for various upcoming exams. At least on the latter count, he had come prepared this night. As he sat sipping a Pepsi at a Pizza Hut located in front of the mall, he alternated between scanning the area for any sign of the men in their black Sumo and brushing up on the past 10 years' papers for the state banking services examination. At about ten o'clock, he began to get seriously bored and stepped out, deciding that this was indeed perhaps a waste of time. He began to ask himself what he was doing there in the first place. Mishti was nobody to him, and certainly he had no right to speak or act on her behalf. Perhaps it would be best if he just went home and got some sleep.

  Then he looked up and stopped in his tracks.

  Standing less than six feet away from him were three men. They would have looked unremarkable in the crowd of young people around them had it not been for three things. One, they were very obviously checking out women who passed them and exchanging comments between themselves. Two, they were clearly drunk, struggling to stand straight; and most importantly, the tallest and biggest of them was wearing a red bandana tied across his forehead. Arnab could hear his heart beating so loudly that he was barely able to hear much else around him. There was no way he could be sure that these were the men that had chased Mishti, but it all seemed to be too much of a coincidence. All his plans of vengeance dissipated in the confusion and fear he felt at that moment. He had no idea what he should do or say. He couldn't really launch into the men and attack them on a hunch that they were criminals outside a crowded mall, could he? At best, the police would cart him away, and at worst he would get seriously hurt if the police did intervene. While he was aware of all his newly found powers, he also remembered his lessons from the rooftop well enough-he was still mortal and could still be hurt.