In the nick of time

It all happened suddenly in the Walmart.Shreya was struggling to push the trolley that had defective wheels with bags on both hands. It was then she heard a soft voice from behind “Would you mind my helping you up to your car?”. Without waiting for her answer he pushed the trolley to the car and helped in keeping the contents inside. He did not make any attempt to converse with her and left abruptly with a smile when she thanked him. His smiling face lingered in her mind even after she reached her home and the subsequent days too.

A week later she saw him on the same day and time and exchanged a hello. He walked with her in the aisles making small talk and then suggested a hot drinking chocolate. As they were sipping they agreed to meet regularly on this day. In three months time they were in love and matters moved fast to find Shravan moving in to Shreya’s apartment at Burlington. Both of them were in IT working in different offices and had plans to wed in six months time.

In a month’s time Shreya found to her concern certain angularities in Shravan.Generally jovial, he had bouts of low moods or fits of anger when he tended to avoid her. He was very particular that Shreya does not enter his room when he is not present. He kept his closet always under lock. He had mentioned that his parents separated and that he lived with his mom. He hardly spoke about his dad. His mom had passed away a couple of years back after what he said was an unhappy life. She did not evince much interest as she felt their memory affected him. She also kept away from his room as far as possible.

One day there was a call for him on the main line and she took the receiver to his room. He was in the bathroom. The door of his closet was slightly open. She could see some woman’s clothes on the shelf neatly folded and on the top a red coloured diary. She took the diary but placed it immediately as she heard the flush being pulled. She moved out of the room fast. She had failed to note the napkin she had on her shoulder had fallen down.

“Did you come to my room when I was in bath room?” he asked

“Yes, there was a call for you. I brought the receiver”

“Did you pry into my closet?”

“What are you talking about? Why should I pry? I did not even see in that direction”

He noticed the diary has been taken out as it was placed in a hurry differently. He did not talk about it. She could feel the change in his attitude towards her. He was no longer loving. She could see certain hostility in his eyes. She was suddenly afraid of him but did not reveal it. She tried to be normal but determined to find out more about the clothes and the diary.

The opportunity presented itself in three days when a friend of his from one of the neighboring houses came to take him urgently.Shravan who was busy rummaging his closet had no time to lock it and had to leave with him to his house.Shreya rushed to his room and found the closet open
She took the diary and rushed through its pages.

She was shocked to find pictures of young women one in each page with name, details of how he trapped them into friendship, how long he lived with them before killing them. With all of them he had relationship. The modus operandi was same binding them with nylon rope and stuffing them in a box and dropping in a deep river. She realized he was a psycho and that he carried against all young women his hate against his father who led a licentious life with many women to hurt his mom. She knew she was in great danger.

She wished to ring 911 but when she heard the front door opening she quickly dialed some number on her speed dial. He entered before she could talk .The phone was on by her side in the chair.

“So you are at your snooping business again. I knew and so came rushing. You will be the seventh woman to die in my hand today. I will wreak my vengeance as long as I live on all women on behalf of my mom who was wronged all her life. She spurs me to kill though dead through her clothes in my closet” he rattled on livid with anger as he took a nylon rope from the closet.

Shreya almost fainted in fear till she heard a faint police siren from afar. Soon the police broke open the door and came rushing in to watch Shravan busy tying her. He was overpowered and taken into custody along with the red diary.

Her friend Anupama whose number she had pressed put her hand around Shreya and assured her”All is well. Don’t fear. Lucky the phone was on and I could hear the conversation and telephoned 911 immediiately.It was a close shave, though”.