An Imperial Affliction

Chapter 1 - Time flows like a river

Somoy periye jaye, nodir sroter pray (Time flows like a river)

- Confucius

Neither the Bengali proverb nor the great philosopher explained about the stagnant water in the river and its relation with time. So if the water is stuck, time is stuck as well? The minutes seconds and hours will be frozen at the same place? Nothing will happen or the events just occurred will continue to play like an old recorder stuck in gramophone? Or as there is no flow, there is no time?

People say God made Universe and Man. everything that happened and will happen is all God's will. It's hard to believe the person, who created us, our Father, can be so sadist to throw all BS at our face every day. Holy books say without pain, we won't value happiness. We have to face it all and still be good, so that we can die peacefully and go to heaven. As if Earth life is not enough, another version to play in heaven and hell.

Atheist like me negates the existence of God. Man born out of genetic mutation. We created civilization, relationships, wars, and everything. We created the sense of time, and these proverbs that doesn't make sense when you are going lunatic, but pretending to come across as a tough one. We created these false invisible masks on our face so that someone else doesn't exploit us; we created the sense of security, or the lack of. We created it all.

We also created tragedy, bloodshed, death, enemy and revenge.

What we could not create is a way to shut it all. The Universe. The people. Everything we created. there is no way we can shut our door on universe and just curl up in our room, waiting for our hair to go grey and heartbeat to stop. It doesn't work like that. We have to go out every day. Face it all. Still be good.

Life is a war. Goodness is overrated. God is non-existent.

And unfortunately, time is stuck for me.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Across the city of dreams, Mumbai, Police Commissioner Raghu Ram sat quietly in his study room, staring at nothing, his fingers barely holding the frame of his Glasses. He looks deep in thought, but if the small drops of sweat are anything to go by, the man is in tension. The phone call that came just a few minutes ago shook the old man profusely. His daughter has been kidnapped, the man had said, and had also demanded 50 lacs of money. Money is not the issue, he has plenty, but right now he is torn between the duty of a father and his ideology as a Police commissioner. The threat on his daughter's life making him to do second guesses, he can't endanger her, but he can't just throw money at those scumbags to save her life, what kind of example that action will set?

Suddenly he shook out of his zoned state, deciding something. He put on his glasses, searched in his drawers for something while typing a number in his cell. It rang twice before a female voice on the other side picked it up.

"I need your help." he said, and exhaled a breath.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Where were the security guards when this happened?" ACP Arjun Rawte, the second in command of ETF, asked Raghu sir, who sat on the big fluffy white sofa, looking older than any of the members of ETF ever seen him.

"Sheen has this habit to sneak out under their watch." Sir answered, pinching his nose, "I am going to have serious talks once she is home. Then with the guards."

Aisha Kapoor, the director of ETF, eyed the old man sympathetically, "Don't worry sir, we will bring her home." to which he nodded, shaking off the emotion and trying to focus on it logically.