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Chapter Three
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2021-07-12 11:17:27Related chapters
What did Tashi do? Chapter Four
The gods must have been laughing It was raining outside. Frail arms closed about her drawn-up knees, head lowered, sheathed in limp hair that hadn’t been washed in days, Tashi wept. Her sobbing helped her withdraw into herself, to seek solace in a place deep within that was unrelenting and unforgiving. Her phone lay forgotten by her side, the screen flashing with four unread emails from the blackmailer. Over the past three weeks, her tormentor had kept her constantly on the edge, but today – with a single text message showing her just how close by he was, he had shaken her entire world. The thin line that blurred her reality from the horror online was shattered, and she had no hope of turning back. This thought felt heavy as a sack full of rocks on her frail heart. Unbidden, her mind conjured up a memory of Akash’s trembling voice on the phone. He had been bold in suggesting they go to the police, but he hadn’t contacted her during the next few days. She
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Five
But he was my best friend Tashi sat up straight, not sure of what to expect. “Do you remember my friend Ravi from section B?” “Yes, Ravikant, your so-called best friend. I could never bring myself to like him - he made me uncomfortable at times.” “He and I were friends from the first year. You know how close we were. So, um, after you broke up with me, Ravi – sort of – asked me for your nudes sometimes.” Tashi was horrified. “What? Don’t tell me you obliged?” “No, I never let him save your pictures, I swear,” his voice sounded more uncomfortable now. “But there were times when I… uh, when I showed him some of them.” She was disgusted. “How could you have done that? I trusted you so much, I never -“ “Calm down, Tashu,” he said using the name he had called her all those years back. “I was an asshole and I accept it. This is something I am extremely ashamed of, and I - I swear, if there was a way I could undo it, I would. But right now, you need to stay
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Six
The only way out of this messSleep is an enemy these days, it hardly stops by where I lay - staring at the ceiling, heart beating in rhythm to the relentless ticking of time- as the hands of the clock gouge my face like fingernails made of steel.My thoughts flow out in black rivers:some get lost in the darkness beneath my eyes,and some come back to haunt me -words stripped of meaning clogging my veins,making my heart stop,choking me up as I try to take one desperate lungful of airbefore I go down,before I lose myself.The sun has lost significance- it comes up and goes down at will,but my world remains dark all the same.The bed, these sheets, my heart, this painare all I have,and these words - that shatter the silence into a billion shards,with jagged edges I could slash my wrists with.But escape is not an optionand release is not going to be easy.I am going to go somedaybut the world i
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Seven
Tashi, you crazy womanIt was forty minutes past seven in the evening.A woman stepped out of a twelve-storied building, her hair in disarray. A loose cardigan was thrown lazily over her shoulders as if she had put it on in haste. Her clothes were mismatched, and she had dark circles under her eyes.Her gait was unsteady as if she were drunk. She walked with the air of one who had lost the will to live. Every few steps, she kept looking back as if to check if she were being followed. Then, looking ahead and gaining her composure, she walked on.The woman’s name was Tashi Chotten, and today, she had lived through one of the most gruelling experiences of her life. She had faced a storm head on and had come out victorious. It didn’t matter that the victory was short-lived; that it rested precariously on the thin edge of a dagger.What mattered was that after months of being made to feel small and defeated, Tashi had fought tooth and nail to carve out for herse
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Eight
It is a dead endTashi was seated in the Delhi Police Cyber Crime Cell, wearing a simple green shirt with blue jeans, her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her mother, who had accompanied her to the police station, was waiting outside. Tashi sat across from Inspector IndrajitBhowmick, with his scarred, yet polished desk separating them.The inspector had a spacious office lined with shelves full of old folders and creased paperbacks in different colours. A golden framed logo was hung on the wall behind the inspector’s chair with shiny letters proclaiming: ‘Satyameva Jayate’ – ‘Truth alone triumphs.’ His window looked onto the street outside, with a tiny fraction of the iron sky visible from where she sat. Tashi glanced at an odd series of clouds. They looked like misshapen chimaeras breathing ashen fire onto the world.Presently, he was leafing through a file of her case, with several lines he had jotted down during their past hour of interrog
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Nine
Just some drunk menKaran Mondal was a final year engineering undergraduate from Durgapur doing his internship at a company in Gurgaon. He had rented an apartment for two months in Sector 29. As was his habit, he sat down on his computer for his usual evening schedule while sipping coffee from a large mug. His room was dimly lit with wires strewn all over the floor. His laptop cover had at least ten different stickers of famous electronics brands. His place smelled of cigarettes. There were several crumpled packets of previous food delivery orders thrown carelessly around the floor.Karan slouched shirtless in his chair and opened an incognito window on his browser. He entered his search item when there were a series of sharp raps on his door.Startled, Karan sat up.He had no friends in the city and the only person who ever knocked on his door was his maid who came to clean up in the we
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Chapter Ten
Blackcurrant or chocolate?Tashi and Manav were seated opposite Inspector Indrajit in his office. He sat facing them from across the polished desk, his uniform crisp.The police had called Tashi in the morning to inform that the blackmailer had been found and put behind bars. After hanging up, she had immediately called Manav and asked him to accompany her to the police station.“The blackmailer worked in the sales department of a reputed IT company,” Indrajit said, showing them the first page of criminal’s file. “He had awell-paying job, and his friends would have been prepared to swear that they knewthe man well. On the surface, he was an average IT professional with a normal day-to-day life and nothing to hide.”Manav nodded, while Tashilooked at the inspector with rapt attention, her shaking hands hanging by her side.“But inherently,” the inspector continued, “he was a hardened criminal – a pervert who derived
Last Updated : 2021-07-12What did Tashi do? Epilogue: And After
It was a chilly Friday afternoon, almost eight months after the blackmailer had been caught. In their cosy two-bedroom apartment, Mrs Chotten was shelling some peas in the kitchen when her phone screen flashed with a call. Wiping her hands on her apron, she leaned over to pick up her daughter’s call. “Mom, I have to tell you something,” Tashi gushed. “Even I have to tell you something,” she smiled. “I got a promotion and a raise,” she squealed in joy, without letting her mother finish. “That is such good news. I am so happy for you, Ashi dear.” “Let’s celebrate by taking a trip to Shimla – just you and I.” “I would love that,” her mother laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want to bring Venkat along?” “Mom!" she chided, blushing. “Venkat is just a friend; you know that.” “Yeah, and who are you going out for dinner and drinks tonight?” “Mom, stop pulling my leg. Tell me, what were you about to say?” “Manav called. He said he is back in town for a few days.” “A
Last Updated : 2021-07-12
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What did Tashi do? Epilogue: And After
It was a chilly Friday afternoon, almost eight months after the blackmailer had been caught. In their cosy two-bedroom apartment, Mrs Chotten was shelling some peas in the kitchen when her phone screen flashed with a call. Wiping her hands on her apron, she leaned over to pick up her daughter’s call. “Mom, I have to tell you something,” Tashi gushed. “Even I have to tell you something,” she smiled. “I got a promotion and a raise,” she squealed in joy, without letting her mother finish. “That is such good news. I am so happy for you, Ashi dear.” “Let’s celebrate by taking a trip to Shimla – just you and I.” “I would love that,” her mother laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want to bring Venkat along?” “Mom!" she chided, blushing. “Venkat is just a friend; you know that.” “Yeah, and who are you going out for dinner and drinks tonight?” “Mom, stop pulling my leg. Tell me, what were you about to say?” “Manav called. He said he is back in town for a few days.” “A
What did Tashi do? Chapter Ten
Blackcurrant or chocolate?Tashi and Manav were seated opposite Inspector Indrajit in his office. He sat facing them from across the polished desk, his uniform crisp.The police had called Tashi in the morning to inform that the blackmailer had been found and put behind bars. After hanging up, she had immediately called Manav and asked him to accompany her to the police station.“The blackmailer worked in the sales department of a reputed IT company,” Indrajit said, showing them the first page of criminal’s file. “He had awell-paying job, and his friends would have been prepared to swear that they knewthe man well. On the surface, he was an average IT professional with a normal day-to-day life and nothing to hide.”Manav nodded, while Tashilooked at the inspector with rapt attention, her shaking hands hanging by her side.“But inherently,” the inspector continued, “he was a hardened criminal – a pervert who derived
What did Tashi do? Chapter Nine
Just some drunk menKaran Mondal was a final year engineering undergraduate from Durgapur doing his internship at a company in Gurgaon. He had rented an apartment for two months in Sector 29. As was his habit, he sat down on his computer for his usual evening schedule while sipping coffee from a large mug. His room was dimly lit with wires strewn all over the floor. His laptop cover had at least ten different stickers of famous electronics brands. His place smelled of cigarettes. There were several crumpled packets of previous food delivery orders thrown carelessly around the floor.Karan slouched shirtless in his chair and opened an incognito window on his browser. He entered his search item when there were a series of sharp raps on his door.Startled, Karan sat up.He had no friends in the city and the only person who ever knocked on his door was his maid who came to clean up in the we
What did Tashi do? Chapter Eight
It is a dead endTashi was seated in the Delhi Police Cyber Crime Cell, wearing a simple green shirt with blue jeans, her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her mother, who had accompanied her to the police station, was waiting outside. Tashi sat across from Inspector IndrajitBhowmick, with his scarred, yet polished desk separating them.The inspector had a spacious office lined with shelves full of old folders and creased paperbacks in different colours. A golden framed logo was hung on the wall behind the inspector’s chair with shiny letters proclaiming: ‘Satyameva Jayate’ – ‘Truth alone triumphs.’ His window looked onto the street outside, with a tiny fraction of the iron sky visible from where she sat. Tashi glanced at an odd series of clouds. They looked like misshapen chimaeras breathing ashen fire onto the world.Presently, he was leafing through a file of her case, with several lines he had jotted down during their past hour of interrog
What did Tashi do? Chapter Seven
Tashi, you crazy womanIt was forty minutes past seven in the evening.A woman stepped out of a twelve-storied building, her hair in disarray. A loose cardigan was thrown lazily over her shoulders as if she had put it on in haste. Her clothes were mismatched, and she had dark circles under her eyes.Her gait was unsteady as if she were drunk. She walked with the air of one who had lost the will to live. Every few steps, she kept looking back as if to check if she were being followed. Then, looking ahead and gaining her composure, she walked on.The woman’s name was Tashi Chotten, and today, she had lived through one of the most gruelling experiences of her life. She had faced a storm head on and had come out victorious. It didn’t matter that the victory was short-lived; that it rested precariously on the thin edge of a dagger.What mattered was that after months of being made to feel small and defeated, Tashi had fought tooth and nail to carve out for herse
What did Tashi do? Chapter Six
The only way out of this messSleep is an enemy these days, it hardly stops by where I lay - staring at the ceiling, heart beating in rhythm to the relentless ticking of time- as the hands of the clock gouge my face like fingernails made of steel.My thoughts flow out in black rivers:some get lost in the darkness beneath my eyes,and some come back to haunt me -words stripped of meaning clogging my veins,making my heart stop,choking me up as I try to take one desperate lungful of airbefore I go down,before I lose myself.The sun has lost significance- it comes up and goes down at will,but my world remains dark all the same.The bed, these sheets, my heart, this painare all I have,and these words - that shatter the silence into a billion shards,with jagged edges I could slash my wrists with.But escape is not an optionand release is not going to be easy.I am going to go somedaybut the world i
What did Tashi do? Chapter Five
But he was my best friend Tashi sat up straight, not sure of what to expect. “Do you remember my friend Ravi from section B?” “Yes, Ravikant, your so-called best friend. I could never bring myself to like him - he made me uncomfortable at times.” “He and I were friends from the first year. You know how close we were. So, um, after you broke up with me, Ravi – sort of – asked me for your nudes sometimes.” Tashi was horrified. “What? Don’t tell me you obliged?” “No, I never let him save your pictures, I swear,” his voice sounded more uncomfortable now. “But there were times when I… uh, when I showed him some of them.” She was disgusted. “How could you have done that? I trusted you so much, I never -“ “Calm down, Tashu,” he said using the name he had called her all those years back. “I was an asshole and I accept it. This is something I am extremely ashamed of, and I - I swear, if there was a way I could undo it, I would. But right now, you need to stay
What did Tashi do? Chapter Four
The gods must have been laughing It was raining outside. Frail arms closed about her drawn-up knees, head lowered, sheathed in limp hair that hadn’t been washed in days, Tashi wept. Her sobbing helped her withdraw into herself, to seek solace in a place deep within that was unrelenting and unforgiving. Her phone lay forgotten by her side, the screen flashing with four unread emails from the blackmailer. Over the past three weeks, her tormentor had kept her constantly on the edge, but today – with a single text message showing her just how close by he was, he had shaken her entire world. The thin line that blurred her reality from the horror online was shattered, and she had no hope of turning back. This thought felt heavy as a sack full of rocks on her frail heart. Unbidden, her mind conjured up a memory of Akash’s trembling voice on the phone. He had been bold in suggesting they go to the police, but he hadn’t contacted her during the next few days. She
What did Tashi do? Chapter Three
I am right beside you It was a chilly Sunday afternoon, almost three weeks after that first email.Tashi stepped out of her home to do some grocery shopping. She had wanted nothing better than to curl up in bed and introspect, but her mother had forced her out of her room to talk with her. She was concerned about her state of mind, why she kept refusing meals and why she hardly shared anything about her day anymore. Tashi dodged all questions, not wanting to burden her mother. After several failed attempts at proposing an outing, she had reluctantly agreed to go out and buy some milk.But Tashi regretted her decision almost instantly. The weak sun felt harsh on her face and seeing so many people milling around filled her with inexplicable anxiety. Her otherwise lustrous hair hung around her face in lank, oily strands. The deep brown rings rimming her eyes and the tired lines around her mouth were telling of having spent several sleepless nights on end. Her crumple
