The Cage

Raj sat looking out of the window. The trees and fields ran past in a hurry. The tracks slithered along below. The warm breeze struck him on his face, tousling up his hair. The heat and the noise inside the carriage were suffocating. Some college guys were discussing the recent defeat of India in cricket and were trying to determine who was to be shaved bald as a result. A middle aged man snored away blissfully in the opposite seat unmoved by the noise, which his family, sitting around him, was creating. Raj gave them an empty glance before turning his eyes back to the outside world. He didn't care about what was going on inside.

"Get out of the class," yelled Mr. Raha, his eyes glowing like those of a nocturnal rodent. Raj looked back at him not knowing how he should react. Should he plead, should he do as his teacher suggests or should he just say, "Go to hell" and walk out? "I say, get out," repeated Mr. Raha, ferociously. Trying to pretend to be sorry, Raj slowly trudged out of the class. Last night he had returned home late from tuition and as a result was not able to complete his homework. And this grave sin had blown his mathematics sir's fuse. When he had tried to persuade his mother to discontinue his tuition, his mother had replied, "Don't try to escape your studies, Raj. You won't study if you don't take tuitions. In class 10 you have to take tuitions..." Next day he had his Chemistry tuition where he had an exam of which he knew nothing. Looking out at the school field, Raj felt that familiar feeling of despair.

The train stopped at an unknown station. People began pushing each other trying to get off before the person in front stepped onto the platform. An equal number of people were trying to get onto the train. Some unlucky guys, caught in the hustle, were trying their best to stay on the train and also to stay alive. Raj looked at them impassively. Whenever he had tried to reason why people act so inhumanly at times, he had failed to find an answer. That’s why he had given up burdening his head anymore. He no longer cared.

Raj stopped walking. A group of four twenty-something boys were tailing a girl. It was getting late and Raj was taking a shortcut home, when he came across this sight. The guys were shouting lewd comments at the girl but the girl tried to hurry on not taking note of what they said. Then suddenly the boys ran unto the girl and surrounded her. She stopped dead on her tracks. Raj sensed trouble. Without thinking, he ran up to the girl. "What's going on?" asked Raj. "None of your business, kid. Go home," replied one guy. "I am not talking to you," shot back Raj. "Wow! Got guts, huh? I am giving you one last warning. Get lost." Raj just stared back. "Abbey, chokhh kake dekhachhis be? Chokhh khule haate diye debo." Raj turned to look at the girl and said, "Go home." The girl hesitated for a moment, before running off. "You bastard!" cursed one of the guys and landed a punch on Raj's face. Raj fell on the road. All the guys landed kicks on Raj. Soon a group of people gathered and watched as the guys kept beating Raj mercilessly. After Raj had nearly lost his consciousness, the boys stopped kicking Raj's limp body. "This will teach you a lesson," said one of the boys before landing a departing kick on his chest. Raj looked around and saw a mass of people staring down at him. In spite of the tremendous pain rending through his body, Raj grinned to himself, not knowing why.

Raj ran his fingers on the still new bruises on his lips. The train had become more crowded. The stinking smell of fish, the howls of infants and the rustic conversations between the commuters had become more pronounced. But it still had no effect on Raj. He was lost in his own world, in his own cage.

Raj slowly and with great difficulty was able to push the key into the lock and unlock it. His parents were out of station. He walked unsteadily into his room and fell into his bed, his head swooning. He still felt the pain, but strangely it was more internal than physical. For the first time Raj felt an urge to break free, from what he had no idea. Raj shut his eyes hard as if to block it from any light although the room was dark. A teardrop ran down his cheek.

The bruises had started to bleed again. Raj covered it with his forefinger. The train had again started moving with a jerk. He had no idea where the train was going, and he didn't care to ask anyone. All he wanted was to escape from the cage...