*SHORT STORY*
BOOM! A thunder echoed in the atmosphere, making me love the weather even more. The murky looking clouds pouring their tears was the most perfect weather for travelling. This was my first time travelling alone. I was quite enjoying the solitude. Right next to me sat a sweet looking grandma with her naughty twin grandsons. Even the cold weather could not keep the soft warmth radiating from her. She talked to me, offered me delicious cookies and made me feel at home.SCREECH!! Suddenly the train came to a halt. Everyone was confused and looking outside the windows, as the train stopped in the middle of freaking nowhere. Amidst the chaos, two men dressed in black came inside and sat in front of me. Abruptly the train started moving again as if nothing had happened. These men had a strange aura about them. The space around them felt tight, a sense of gloom surrounded them. Even the naughty kids beside me sat in discipline as if sensing danger. One of the men stood abruptly and started walking towards the washroom area. My eyes followed his movement, and they grew wide as I saw a metallic glint in his back pocket. A gasp tore through my mouth as realization dawned on me, that man was carrying a ‘FREAKING GUN’. I quickly tried to mask my reaction and excused myself to the bathroom. There I saw the man with the gun, he was by the washbasin and was rubbing his hands aggressively. I got near him and what I saw made my skin crawl, I was covered with goosebumps all over. I put a hand over my mouth to suppress the scream that was about to crawl through my mouth. Composing myself I crossed the man quickly leapt inside the washroom shutting and locking the door as if my life depended on it. I had watched enough crime documentaries to know that the man outside was trying to wash off blood from his hands. I tried to calm myself and think with a straight mind. Firstly, I called the police and informed them about the whole situation. They told me to stay where I am and not panic and that they would handle everything. I suddenly remembered that I had left the granny and her grandchildren with those scary men. Thankfully we had earlier exchanged numbers. I called the granny and told her everything, She asked where I was and I told her my location. She said she would be there soon. Well now I was kinda relaxed that I even helped the granny. After a few seconds two knocks came on the bathroom door. I freaking flinched when I heard them but soon my worry dissipated as grannies sweet voice reached me. I quickly opened the door to let her in. Well, how do I even begin now, I thought I had watched enough crime documentaries or read enough murder mysteries, but what I witnessed then was something no one in this entire universe could have me prepared for. The granny was holding a freaking gun at me pointing it straight at my head. To say I was traumatized would be an understatement. Gone was the sweet smile, the warm aura, the innocent granny persona. What stood in front of me looked no less than a monster. The granny had a smirk on her face which somehow completely changed her features, as she spoke to me even her voice sounded so sharp it could have cut through glass. ‘Hm, I guess you are not as dumb as I thought you were but now this stupid smartness of yours is going to get you killed sweety’ the granny said this to me in a tone that made it seem as if she was offering me cookies and not talking about my murder. ‘Well, my child RED IS THE LAST COLOUR YOU WILL SEE’. BANGGGG!!! A gunshot rang in the atmosphere.Well, the granny was not completely wrong I did see a lot of red that day. Starting from her brain matter scattered right in front of me and her blood all over me. The police shot her in the head right in front of me a sight I don’t think even years of therapy could get out of my head. I got out of the train unharmed and later got to know that the two men were the grannie’s sons and they ran a gang called the ‘RED HAND GANG’. Later I got to know that the red hand gang members were arrested and that criminal organization came to an end. Well, I learned only one thing from that incident, which is being a fan of murder mysteries and crime documentaries does not help with shit in real life situations, so trust no one and only think of saving your own life
~Sumiran Kashyap