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  In the media, it was the hot topic. Everybody was talking about it. In the van, Simar sat quietly and was thinking deeply.

  The vehicles drove for some time then they had to stop for a while due to some accident on the road but soon it cleared, and the squad moved forward. All vehicles were moving at good speed as they approached a bridge over a river.

  Suddenly, the van started to stumble as if it had lost control. The policemen in the vehicle at the rear tried to contact the people in the van but before they received any answer something happened. The van broke the barrier of the bridge and fell into the river. All the vehicles stopped, and the policemen from the other vehicles ran to the edge of the bridge. As they reached there, the van exploded. The explosion was so gigantic that the whole van broke into pieces, even the windows of many other vehicles on the bridge shattered or cracked due to the vibrations of the explosion.

  No human being could have survived such a blast. The policemen informed the headquarters. Rescue teams reached the spot of the incident.

  There was nothing to rescue. The search team went in search of the bodies. The divers were called. Simar’s family, Zahid, and the DGP reached the spot. Media was rushing there too but they were not allowed beyond a certain point. Soon the police declared that nobody in the van survived and the search for the bodies was still going.

  Normally Jaspal remains strong but watching this horrible scene, he could not hold his tears. Zahid’s eyes went wet as well. His love remained unfulfilled. He could not even tell Simar that he loved her. This incident created deep sadness in people’s heart. When this news was telecasted, Rosy was practicing martial arts in Simar’s training center. Everybody in the center was very sad, many started crying. Rosy and other students very disheartened. Their role model was no more.

  All news channels started their own investigations. Who could have killed Simar? Was she framed in the Chief Minister’s assassination? Were those events interrelated? If someone wanted to kill Simar, why did they kill the Chief Minister? No one had an answer to those questions; different assumptions were coming from all sides. Police force called divers to search the river. The water flow was causing problems. All they could find was the wreckage of the van and some human body parts.

  Everybody was sad and almost everybody, from her fellow policemen to her martial arts students, came to her funeral. For most of the people, she was a hero. They never believed she had killed the Chief Minister. Only a fraction of the people considered her as a criminal. But the vast majority of people had only respect for her.

  The family organized a prayer for the departed soul. Many people came from Delhi to Amritsar. Zahid was as grieved as the family was. He comforted her mother and Jaspal. Many people’s hero, beloved daughter, sister had gone forever.

  ***

  CHAPTER 2

  It has been approximately six months since Simar has gone. Things are almost back to normal. Her mother is much settled now. She doesn’t cry anymore but misses her darling daughter a lot. Jaspal misses her as well but he makes sure the works she started, don’t stop. He and his mother make sure that the training center keeps running on her principles. Simar’s photo hangs on the wall in both the training centers, in Amritsar as well as in Delhi. Everybody bows in front of her photo before and after the training. They all are trying to keep her dream alive.

  In Delhi, Rosy is teaching self-defense to other newcomers now. Zahid is learning from the most senior teacher. Sweat drenched, his grey T-shirt which barely covers his muscular torso. His big biceps generate a considerable force in each punch. About 20-25 students are practicing different forms of martial arts. It is 8 PM and everyone has just finished with their sessions.

  Everyone bowed in front of Simar’s big photo on the wall before they left. Zahid placed the equipment in place while Rosy switched off the extra lights. Once done, they were ready to go home. Rosy bowed in front of the photo. Zahid saw her and looked at the photo. Once he looked at the photo, he froze. Rosy noticed that and came to him.

  “Do you miss her, Sir?”

  “Yes, don’t you?”

  “I miss her a lot, Sir. She changed my life. I have some purpose in my life now.”

  “Yes, she had a magical personality. Whoever came in her contact got influenced by her.”

  “What influence you got from her, Sir?”

  “She once told me that I have power but no technique, basically she meant I don’t know how to fight,” Zahid said with a little smile.

  “That’s why you practice so hard. You have learned very quickly, I am sure Simar Mam would have been very happy with your progress.”

  “I am not sure about that. Even if she would be happy she would not tell me. She never told me what was in her heart.”

  “Sir, I am sorry to ask you, but did you like her?”

  Zahid paused for a while then he started walking outside, Rosy picked up her bag and followed. Zahid switched off the lights and locked the door.

  “Yes, I did and I still love her.”

  “Did you tell her?” Rosy asked with girlish excitement.

  “I did, but it was not the right time. I don’t know she missed it or ignored on purpose. She was a smart girl; she must know I had feelings for her.”

  “Yes Sir, we girls know everything, our sixth sense is very sharp.”

  “I don’t know what was going on in her head. Anyways, Rosy, you better go home now, it’s getting dark.”

  “I am not afraid of the dark anymore Sir.”

  “Okay senior Rosy you won, but you still need to go home, your mother must be waiting.”

  “Okay Sir, if you insist.” They both laughed and left for their homes on their vehicles.

  Next day Zahid started work a bit late. He saw a newspaper on his desk. He started flicking the pages. There was a news about Simar that since her death the graph of crime was going up in the city. It was not new that someone published something about Simar since her death it was a matter of gossip for everyone. Still, he always read those articles and looked for any possible lead but so far, no significant progress was made.

  A policeman came to his office and said, “Sir, can you please come with me and see those criminals we caught early this morning.”

  “I am a bit busy, I hope there is nothing that you cannot manage,” Zahid replied and had a sip of his tea; he did not even look at that constable.

  “Sir, I think you should go and see that person at least once; he is saying something about Simar madam.”

  Now he got Zahid’s attention. He put aside his cup of tea and got up.

  “What did he say?”

  “Sir it would be better if you hear it by yourself.”

  He walked to the lockup and the same constable followed him. The policeman in the lockup saw Zahid and asked that man, “Tell our Sir what happened last night?” That man was in shock and was terrified.

  “Sir, I am a thief. Last night I robbed gold and cash from an elderly couple, they were not very rich people. I know it was wrong, but I must fulfill my drug needs somehow. When I was on my way back after doing this, I saw something which I never expected.”

  His eyes went wide open and there was a terror on his face as his story progressed.

  “It was two AM in the morning. I saw a girl in dark clothes coming towards me. She was very smart and beautiful. She wore sunglasses even though it was dark. But the most surprising thing was sir, she was flying!”

  Zahid said, “What rubbish is this, that girl was flying? You must have taken your drugs.”

  “No Sir, I swear, she was standing straight in the air. I hadn’t taken any drugs at that time. I don’t know how she knew what I did. She came closer to me, I was so afraid I could not even run. She was still in the air. She said, ‘The jewelry you robbed belongs to poor people. They won’t be able to do the wedding of their daughter. Give their gold back
and surrender yourself to the police otherwise, I will kill you’. Sir, I don’t want to die from a ghost. I returned the gold this morning and came to the police station.”

  Zahid asked, “So what this story has to do with Simar?

  “Sir, she looked like Simar Mam, it was her spirit! As she was good to people, therefore, she is looking after the poor people.”

  Zahid looked at him and then towards the policeman and said, “What rubbish!” and he left.

  The policeman followed him. “Sir, you don’t believe him?”

  Zahid said, “Really, the ghost of Simar? Are you out of your mind? That man is druggy, and he must be under the influence of any drug which caused him to hallucinate. Now stop spreading rumors and get back to your work.” Zahid walked away but inside he was thinking something.

  A couple of days have passed. Today Zahid had a busy day - gym, work, training center everything drained his energy. This was not the first time though. It was another way to keep him busy and keeping Simar’s memories at bay. After dinner, he slept straight away. Around 3 AM his deep sleep was interrupted by the ringtone of his phone.

  “Who is this?” He answered the phone in his half-awake half-asleep voice.

  “Sir, I am inspector Mohan. Sorry to disturb you at this time but there is something urgent,” he said in a worried tone.

  “What happened?”

  “Sir, I am at the slum near the airport, a fire broke out here and it’s really bad. The fire brigade is already there but people are going crazy. Police are having a hard time here.”

  “Don’t worry, I am coming.”

  Zahid reached there in his car in casual clothes. As soon as he reached he could see the chaos. One part of the slum was under fire, people were running here and there, and the fire brigade officers were trying to control the fire. Inspector Mohan, a young police officer approached Zahid. He was as worried as other people.

  “What is the situation here?”

  “Sir, the fire started around one this morning, the cause of the fire is still unknown. Ten huts are under fire. There have been no causalities. The fire brigade has isolated the fire; it won’t spread to the rest of the slum.”

  “What made you so overwhelmed?” Zahid noticed the anxiousness of this policeman was high.”

  “Sorry Sir, I started last month, and I don’t have the experience to handle such a situation,” he replied innocently.

  “Look, inspector, our job is to save people. People look up for help when they see a police officer. We must be mentally organized so that our emotions remain in control in such a situation. Everything happens for the first time in life. We learn, and we get an experience, just take it easy and do your job.”

  “Ok Sir, I will keep that in mind.”

  Their conversation got interrupted by voices of people who were trying to get into the fire zone and police were trying to stop them. Zahid and Mohan walked to the people.

  He asked the most desperate man, “Why do you want to go into the fire?”

  “My lord, that’s my house. That was the only roof over my kids. I want to save it.” A poor malnourished man in torn clothes said and started crying.”

  Zahid got moved by his words. He went closer and tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Look, my friend, the fire brigade is doing the same job. They can control the fire better than you, they know their job. If you go into the fire it will create more problems. You are worried about the roof for your kids, what if something happens to you and they lose their father, what will happen to them? If you are alive you can build another hut. I am sure the government will give some compensation for this to help you guys out.”

  He burst into tears and he calmed down soon.

  “I think you are right sir.”

  “Okay tell me, is everyone out? Do you think any of your family members, neighbors or any friend still stuck in there?

  “No Sir, we all got out in time, thanks to her.”

  “Her? Who?”

  “The girl in black blue clothes, she saved all of us.”

  “Who was she?”

  “She was an angel from God. She just appeared from nowhere. She alerted us of the fire on time. She helped those who were stuck. One lady’s child was left in a hut. That girl rescued that child as well.”

  “Did she say anything? What was her name?”

  “No sir, she did not say anything. She saved us, called the fire brigade and flew away.”

  “Sorry did you just say ‘flew’ away?”

  “Yes Sir, she flew away. That’s what angels do; they fly, why are you so surprised?” That man said casually and walked to his family.

  Zahid forgot about the fire. He talked to the other people of the slum, they told the same story.

  Eventually, the fire was contained, and it was almost the time for sunrise. Zahid went back home to get ready for work. Media flocked there to cover the story. During the interviews, someone mentioned the flying girl to one of the reporters. The news of fire became secondary after that. All reporters wanted to report about that flying girl more than other channels.

  They interviewed all the people who witnessed this. To the people of the slum, she was an angel. Other stories from different parts of the city started to come up as well. Some used the word ‘Witch’ others called her a ‘ghost’. Some believed she was a guardian of the city who patrols at night. A few people thought she was the ghost of Simar.

  ***

  A few days later

  Many trucks, vans, cars, and customized vehicles were parked in a big ground. All vehicles had photos of jokers and animals. Advertisement and advance booking for the circus had started already.

  They had a large crew of mixed nationalities majority being Indians. Most of them arranged the tents while others practiced their acts. There were still a few days left for the first show, but people of the city were excited already. One tall strong man with a light mustache and fair skin was in charge of looking after all animals. They had a wide range of animals like elephants, tigers, horses, bears, chimpanzee and some reptiles. This man was in love with a beautiful Romanian gymnast. To keep it a secret, they used to see each other at night, mainly in the area where all the animals were kept.

  No other crew member would come to that side. The gymnast came to see her lover the night before her first performance in the city.

  Although it was dark already, he was still not finished with feeding the animals. He had a large bucket full of meat and was feeding the carnivorous animals. When he reached the cage of the tiger, his girlfriend came and hugged him from behind. He put his bucket down and turned around. He hugged her back. She pushed him against the cage and kissed with a little force. He stopped her and signaled towards his tent with his eyes. She ran into that tent smiling and he followed. He covered the entrance of the tent with a curtain on his way in.

  After about one hour they came out.

  “I wish I could stay with you all night, but I have to get some sleep before tomorrow’s performance.” The girl said to her lover.

  “I understand, my love. We can meet again tomorrow night.”

  “Okay, I will come at the same time.” The girl kissed him and left quietly.

  The man kept on looking at the girl until she disappeared behind the tents. Then again, he picked up the bucket to continue the feeding. He was still in the hypnosis of love. He threw a big piece of meat in the cage of the tiger. He fed all the animals in his subconscious state. On his way back, he noticed unintentionally that the tiger did not eat the meat.

  His hypnosis shattered in a second when he went to wake the tiger up so that he can eat the meat. He got shocked because there was no tiger and the door was open. He recalled what happened. He remembered when his girlfriend pushed him against the cage; he might have pushed the hinge lock as well. He ran here and there and looked for the tiger b
ut could not find anywhere.

  He went to the manager’s tent; he wasn’t sleeping and was busy drinking and counting money.

  “Sir, sir!”

  “What happened, take some breath.”

  “Sir, Johnny is not his cage. I checked everywhere but I could not find him.”

  “What are you talking about? How did it happen? How can it happen?”

  “I am very sorry sir, it is my mistake.”

  “Your sorry won’t bring him back. You know that he is the most dangerous of all the animals we have.”

  “Sorry sir, I don’t know how it happened.”

  “We cannot let him go in the residential area. If something goes wrong our circus will shut down. Call everyone.”

  All the crew members were called in and were delegated with directions. The whole circus crew looked for the escaped tiger but could not find anywhere. They all came back and reported the same to the manager. He asked them to not to tell anybody because if the word goes out, the circus will shut down and they won’t have a job anymore. The crew members felt that was wrong, but nobody wanted to lose their jobs. Next day the circus had a grand opening. A film star did the inauguration. The city flocked to the circus. All shows went house full for a whole week.

  An old lady came to a police station, crying. Her grandson was missing for two days. An FIR was filed and the case was referred to the missing people’s unit of the police. This was not the last one, every day one complaint of a missing person was coming.

  Police found some blood-soaked cloth pieces upon investigation. At a few sites, they even found some human toes and some other body parts. Then one day a witness mentioned a tiger. The rumor of a man-eater tiger broke out. After a few days, the disappearing of the people stopped. Nobody saw the tiger after that, but what happened exactly was difficult to figure out.

  One-day, Zahid was at the police station. He was busy reviewing some papers when one policeman came to him and said spontaneously, “Sir, Simar madam was innocent.”