Deadlock

Present:

The sounds of boots, birds chirping, mugs and plates being washed and banged on the floor and against the iron rods of the cells fill the ambience.

Inside one cell, with no light – a squeaking noise of a mouse and the sound of water dropping from the tap is just about enough in the prevalent silence to kinda disturb my sleep.

I feel a mosquito sitting on my nose. Just as it makes an effort to enter my nose, I wake up – thanks to the irritation. I look outside the cell and its still dark. The day-break is just around the corner.

Cut Back:

A van full of convicts enters a prison. The prison is huge – much like a society in itself. "Is a prison a miniaturized society", I think. I mean after all, what's the difference between a jail and the world outside? The jail also contains criminals, innocent people and folks from all walk of the society, from all sorts of background, and thought-trajectory. Similar is the world outside! A house to all kinds of people. Does the society create a criminal or does the prison reform a criminal?

As my mind is grappling with all these thoughts, the guard opened the door of the van and all the convicts step out the van – including me!

We are made to stand in a line, walk as hundreds of other inmates see us. I look up at the cells rather loaded. I walk very slow and very meekly. I pick up my inmate uniform and walk into my cell. My worst nightmare just got realized, I thought!

Present:

My prison guard walks over and tells me to get up & have a bath. It's time, he says!

I get up, strip down to be naked, walk up to the wash area within my cell, open the tap, fill the bucket & start having bath.

Cut Back:

I get masked at the lock up, and hand-cuffed. I could feel a couple of constables and the case in-charge with me. They grab hold of my handcuffs, drag me and have me board a jeep. I sit quite uncomfortably at the back with 2 constables who have a rifle each in their hands. I'm still masked and finding it difficult to breathe; but still somehow managing to. The driver starts the engine; the case in-charge also sits in the jeep at the front. The jeep now speeds up the city, beating the traffic. I could feel the honks, screams, smell delicious street food, sirens wailing going past me. We beat everything on the roads to reach the court.

I could feel the vehicle stop. The back door of the jeep opens, and am pulled out by the guards. Once out, I could sense the lathi sounds trying to control the mob, human rights shrieks, cries, and screams. I could also sense camera shutter sounds and more. My face is still masked.

The time is 9.45, says the inspector. My hearing was to be at 10.00.

I am escorted away from the media glare & the mob. I'm taken to the court lobby. Its 10.00 and my name is called. I am unmasked and presented in the court. The hearing begins. I stand there – perplexed, confused, clueless – listening to the ongoing arguments. The public prosecutor presents a whole lot of gibberish evidence. Finally, after a round of prolonged talks, examination and cross-examination, I am convicted & sentenced to capital punishment.

The case is dismissed – the hammer is knocked!! I board the van with other convicts and head to the central prison.

Present:

I finish bath, wipe myself off clean, wear my inmates uniform. I walk out the cell, and see the guard standing there. The jailor comes, there, orders his sub-ordinate to handcuff me. I get handcuffed, and start walking. As I walk, I can see the hands emerging out of the cells. There are cries, screams and shrieks – so loud that they pierced the otherwise serene atmosphere of an early morning prison. I could also listen to the bhajans being played in the background.

As the sounds of Vaishnava Jana Toh filled the ambience, I walk through the rather well-laid by lanes of the prison.

Cut Back:

The red light of the interrogation room is switched on. I'm surrounded by cops. It was so silent, that I could even feel the room tone. The clock was ticking and the stunning silence made the clock ticking sound deafeningly powerful. I could feel myself breathing. Sweating profusely, I kept wondering what's to come!

Few moments of uncomfortable silence is shattered by a husky baritone of the case in-charge.

Do you accept what you did? He asks!

And I asked him, what do you want me to accept sir?

Excuse me, but I don't understand why am I here, I said.

The inspector asked me again – Do you accept what you did? I'd rather you accept your crime or else we'd be you know!

I ask him back – But what crime?

What have I done?

What exactly are you guys talking about?

This conversation goes on for a few hours after which the inspector just walks off from the interrogation room, ordering his sub-ordinate. I now am getting more and more confused. Everything seemed to be beyond my grasp.

I was left alone in the room for 15 mins and after a while the inspector came in, told me that I've been charged and have been detained. My rights to seek legal assistance have been frozen. The only way, he said, for me to save myself from the legal clutches was to confess to my crime and bow down; or else it could lead to dire consequences.

I was still unaware of what had I done and why was this happening?

They gave me 1 hour to think and decide; but I couldn't decide anything because I was still trying to figure out why I was picked up. I finally told them I choose not to conform unless given evidence and details of my crime.

The authorities made up their mind and decided the course of action.

I was stripped naked and locked up in a dark, lonely cell with no inmates. There was no light. There was just enough screeching sound to not let me sleep. Slowly but surely, the noise kept on increasing with a streak of light being let in – sharp and thin!

I couldn't sleep!

No food was served. Only water was served. There was no water to even wash myself. Sometimes only paper was given – for god knows what!

Few months passed.

They asked me again if I was willing to conform and I said "No".

The torture became ferocious.

The cops had my skin and my nails being pulled by tweezers. My body hair was shaved. My eye brows and eye lashed were also shaved off. I was circum-sized without my consent.

1 year passed and my decision didn't change.

I was subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Ironically, there was enough time span between two phases of physical torture to remove any scars or marks.

2 years passed and the torture kept on increasing.

2 and ½ years in the cell and eventually, I'm brought out of the cell, asked to dress up and my face is masked.

Present:

I reach the gallows area, and see the preparation. The noose was being checked to see if its tight enough or not. The entire floor was being washed, cleaned and mopped. After everything is done, I walk up to the gallows; my hands are still cuffed.

Cut Back:

The police jeep just pulls out the police station and I step out of the jeep. My hands are cuffed. I'm escorted into the interrogation room.

Present:

I climb the steps to the noose and face is now masked. My hands are tied together by a rope. Its tightened. I could feel the noose tighten around my neck.

Cut Back:

I open the door of my flat, see the cops outside. They've an arrest warrant for me. They handcuff me and take me down the stairs, make me sit in the jeep. The jeep speeds towards the cop station.

Present:

The jallaad just pulls the lever and noose tightens around my neck. My body is now hanging loose. My soul is leaving my body and I can feel my senses going off one-by-one.

Cut Back:

I get off my bed after I listening to a knock at the doors. I get up and open the door.