Billa and Ranga on the prowl

It was past 9 pm and the broad road was desolate except for the occasional speeding cars. On one side of the road, there were high-rise buildings housing several big IT companies and on the other side an elevated metro line and railway station. Usually, the place jostled with activity during the daytime with office goers and small vendors. The metro station was also busy with passengers coming in and going out. After 7 pm, a ghostly silence descends on the place and the road becomes empty. The trains are also few and far between and the station has an empty look.

Billa and Ranga were walking on the road after dinner and drink booze from a restaurant and bar a little away. They were the last customers before the restaurant pulled down its shutters for the day. They were on the high and were walking unsteadily on the road near the IT offices talking loudly and singing film songs intermittently.

“Billa, look ahead. We seem to be fortunate today. A young woman is walking alone ahead of us. She must have been delayed at the office. A foolish girl, obviously,” said Ranga.

Billa shrunk his eyes and struggled to focus on the figure walking ahead. He said, “Yeah, a tall woman in jeans and a top. Let us hurry and close the gap before she reaches the main road.”

As they hurried their steps, she increased her pace. These two guys in turn rushed and were almost running to narrow the gap. When they came closer, they saw her turning her head under the street light to see them stalking but strangely slowed down her steps.

 Ranga said, “Billa, what a beautiful woman and a nice catch if only we can lay our hands on her! We seem to be in luck today.”

Billa said, “Ranga, look, she seems to have now slowed down her walk possibly waiting for us to come near her.”

They caught her up soon and Ranga asked, “Why are you walking alone in this deserted at this hour? Aren’t you afraid?

“No, what should I be afraid of? I am accustomed to walking alone on this road and have had no trouble,” she said.

“What a foolish girl you are! Haven’t you heard of people getting frequently mugged and women criminally assaulted here on this stretch? I think you should not have chosen to walk today. We will accompany you, especially in the dark stretch ahead without lights till we reach the main road,” said Billa in what seemed a friendly tone.

“You do not seem to have listened properly. I told you that I had been walking alone a few times till I was alive and continue walking almost daily these days,” she said with a bewitching smile.

“What crap you are telling? Don’t think so you can get away with such a prattle from us today,” said Billa with a lecherous smile, as he stretched his hand to put on her shoulders with Ranga closing to prevent her escape.

“Do you think so? See me now,” she said, as the duo saw before them a skeleton having a big head with hollow eyes, toothless and wide jaws, dangling legs and unduly long hands staring at them.

 They let out a shrill scream in fear and ran helter-skelter down the street in the opposite direction with the figure chasing and howling behind them.