The Train

Giggling out loud and chattering like bunch of hungry birds, Mithra and Pauline boarded the train in a rainy evening on their way back home. They had a long way to go almost every day, out of which Mithra traveled more, the loneliness was overwhelming that she always clung on to Pauline who would be there to accompany at least for an hour, after which she would travel alone for half more hour until she would reach home tired and weary. They had nothing serious to chat, the topics were common and redundant, yet the girls enjoyed their journey back home every day.

Mithra was cursing her colleagues quite out loud when Pauline nudged her. Mithra panicked and looked around, to see no recognizable faces from office, except those familiar frames that she sees every day in train and never bothered to move up a level from a smile and a nod.  She looked questioningly at Pauline who was intensely eves dropping conversation of two ladies nearby. Mithra pinched her, she shushed back and listened more.

“You are starting to freak me out Poly..”

“Mithu just listen.. they are talking about that killer..”

“What killer?” Poly blinked in disbelief on Mithra’s ignorance

“Tell me what killer? What is this all about, just tell..”

“Mithu how you can be this unaware of such a serious issue.. Don’t you watch news?”

“Ya I do.. International and Sports..”

“I Bet! that news is going to help you, when he stalks you.”

“Huh..? er.. who?”

Poly calmed a bit, inward she enjoyed this attention, for the first time in her life, she knew something that Mithra doesn’t.

In a professionally superior manner Poly spoke, “There has been some spooky incidents occurring in the not so remote places of our city, there is a killer, and two victims in just two months, police doubt it to be a serial psychopathic killer in action.”

“Oh.. my.. I didn’t know that!, its really bad.. (Sigh) how do they know that it is a serial killing?”

Poly smiled grimly, “They both were killed in a same way with a sharp glass piece, on the same day… third day of a month”

“Poly! That is scary.. today is the 3^rd day of this month..”

A sudden gasp, startled them both, they looked around to see a panic struck girls face, listening intently, they looked at each other and laughed. The new girl, was offended and moved to the far corner of the compartment, and sat there staring at them. Trying hard to stop laughing and panting in between, Mithra came up with a game to kill time, she looked around the ladies compartment they were sitting, which had a max of 20 people now and commented,

“Poly, lets just assume that the killer is a lady and is in this compartment.. Come on! don’t panic… lets play, You tell me, which one would be it?”

Poly hesitated for some time and said, “It would be that girl who walked away now..”

“Na! she is too scared.. she is a chicken! How about that lady.. no.. not that one.. the one to your side..”

As Poly looked at the side Mithra pointed, she saw a well build, slightly obese lady, staring fixedly at them. This was getting out of hand, she sensed trouble, all Poly could manage was a whisper a Why!. Mithra, unaware of the panic in Poly’s voice continued, “She looks well build to strangle a person, she looks moody and dangerous, like a perfect psychopath to me”.

“Enough Mithra I am literally scared now, stop it..” Mithra understood her friend’s mood and stopped talking. For the next few minutes, they listened to music from mobile. It was time for Poly to get down now.

“Ah..! its my stop, take care dear, I am really scared, call me when you reach home.. Bye call me..”  Poly got down from the train shouting.

Mithra laughed at her friend’s silliness and waved a good bye. As looked around the train the truth started to sink in, the compartment was empty except for herself and the lady in the corner, she was terrified. Lines of perspiration started to flow down her neck and back, she looked at her mobile, shoot, no charge. It will switch off any moment now.

Just two more stations and she would be safe. But life is not so predictable, to add fuel to her pain, a drunken guy got into the compartment and started to trouble her, she tried hard to shoo him away, but when he started to touch her, she lost control and looked for help to the lady. The lady answered her silent prayer and shouted him to leave. When the man saw the well build lady, he decided to better leave them and got down. Mithra thanked the lady, and invited her to sit next to her, she was relieved and relied on this women entirely.

The train was nearing her station, and she looked at the approaching tunnel, she was scared again, the light would be switched off for few seconds before the tunnel. She rummaged her bag, as she saw this lady smile mysteriously at her, her search became more furious, everything inside that big hand bag was turned upside down until she found it, and as the train entered the tunnel Mithra cautiously took out a sharp object, that gleamed in the flickering light!

PS: My first attempt on thriller, please let me know the feedback..!