INNOCENT MURDERER

    It was the first day of the week, the clinic was occupied by a dozen visitors. ‘Doctor Purush is on his way. We request you to wait for some more minutes,’ said the receptionist. I was one among those visitors, waiting for my regular counseling. This was my first session with doctor Purush. My name is Vasu, a typical Indian middle-class youngster. I am under depression for months, which drove me crazy. It took me long to realize that I need help to heal myself.

    Twenty minutes later, a black BMW arrived at the entrance of the clinic. A tall, sturdy man stepped out of the car. He was dressed in formals, a white shirt, and grey pants, I assumed that he might be the doctor by noticing the stethoscope on his neck. He greeted the receptionist as he came in. His face was bright, his smile added him a glowing look. The man walked past the visitors, entering the cabin that belongs to doctor Purush. The receptionist called out my name after ten minutes of his arrival.

    ‘Please come in,’ he said when I opened the door to his cabin. I found myself comfortable on a couch inside his cabin. ‘How are you feeling young man?’ he asked with a bright smile. ‘I am good,’ I replied. ‘I know what is your problem young man,’ he said. I was surprised by his statement. ‘This is insane. How did you?’ I asked. I didn’t mention any of my problems. ‘I know you are in depression, and I know how to bring you back,’ he said. His words didn’t enter my mind, the smile on his face started annoying me. I felt like he was making fun of me like a lab rat. ‘I want to go, this place sucks,’ I said looking down. I could not tolerate his smile anymore. I asked him to stop smiling, but he was not ready to do so.

    His smile and the way he was talking started pestering me. I could not tolerate his attitude. Suddenly, I heard another voice from behind, but there was none behind me except the model skeleton. The voice started talking to me. It told me not to listen to his words. ‘I am your friend, I am here to help you out,’ he told. ‘Who are you?’ I asked. The voice from nowhere replied that he was my friend, he also insisted that the doctor was trying to separate us. I felt comfortable talking to him. I was not listening to the doctor.

    I stood up from where I was standing. The doctor asked me to sit down. There was a knife staring at me from the table. The voice inside me asked me to take the knife. I can’t resist my actions. I took the knife, it was so sharp and shining. Suddenly, I felt a strong agony inside my head, the room started spinning, strange visuals arouse in front of me. I tried to come out of that situation. I swung my hands and attacked the person standing in front of me with a snake. The agony was getting stronger, which led me to go unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself lying on a pool of blood, my hands were drenched with blood and I was holding the knife in my hand. I found the doctor lying on the floor drenched with his own blood. His neatly ironed white shirt was stained with blood. I heard someone knocking on the door, a dozen of people broke in as I was standing with a knife.

    ‘Okay, so, your mind was not stable when you killed the doctor right?’ asked the investigating officer sitting in front of me as I remained silent.

    ‘I am gonna submit the report to the investigating committee tomorrow. Considering your state of mind, you will be taken into an asylum where you will be treated till you are cured,’ said the officer.

    ‘Don’t listen to his words, listen to me, your friend, your friend who saved you from that evil doctor, now do as I say,’ said the voice from nowhere.

    ‘Yes, I do as you say,’ I said.

    ‘Good, now stand up from your seat, take the pen in front of you and kill him.’