Chapter 7: Memories

Setting: Mumbai city, Lokhandwala, Star Tower Apartments

Day: Saturday(6th February 2021)

(Ranveer walks up the stairs slowly)

(Ranveer reaches the sixth floor)

(Ranveer opens the door to Anurag's flat)

(Ranveer enters the flat)

(Ranveer closes the door)

(Ranveer drops to his knees)

(Ranveer starts crying)

(Ranveer Shouts!)

Ranveer (Crying): Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

Ranveer (Crying): Why! Why!!!! I am such an idiot. I couldn't even save the one person who truly believed in me.

(Ranveer continuously punches the ground)

Ranveer (Crying): Why!!! Why!!! Why!!!!!!!!!!

(Ranveer stops punching and leans against the wall)

Ranveer (Crying): Why!!??

(Ranveer closes his eyes)

(Ranveer dreams of the past)

(In Ranveer's dream)

Setting: Mumbai city, Lokhandwala, Star Tower Apartments

Day: Friday (7th January 2021)

Anurag: Hey! Hey kid!

Ranveer: Hmm!

(Ranveer opens his eyes)

Anurag: Wake up kid. It's morning.

(Ranveer opens his eyes)

Anurag: It's about damn time.

Ranveer: Sir?

Anurag: Get up kid we start with your training today.

Ranveer: My training? Oh! Right, my training.

(Ranveer gets up)

Ranveer: So what are we gonna do today sir?

(Anurag looks towards Ranveer)

Anurag: The way you are right now will get you killed, therefore before I teach you how to use any weapon you will be doing body training. Right now you are like a twig.

Ranveer (Disappointed): Okay.

Anurag: let's start with muscle training then.

Ranveer: Alright.

(Anurag picks up the sand weights)

Anurag: Tie these around your wrists and ankles and run.

Ranveer: Sir where will I run.

(Anurag looks behind Ranveer)

Anurag: You are going to run on that treadmill.

(Ranveer looks at the treadmill)

......

......

......

(Ranveer runs on the treadmill)

Anurag: Kid I am going to increase the speed.

Ranveer (Tired): What?! Sir, please have mercy. I've been running for an hour continuously.

Anurag: The zombies will not pity you just because you've been running for an hour.

(Anurag increases the speed)

(Ranveer starts running faster but trips)

Ranveer: No! Nononono!!!

(Ranveer falls face first)

.....

.....

.....

Setting: Mumbai city, Lokhandwala, Star Tower Apartments

Day: Saturday(6th February 2021)

(Ranveer wakes up from his dream)

Ranveer (Thinking): What was that? Was it a dream?

Ranveer (Thinking): Hah! He used to train me like that every day and then in the evenings he would make me practice kickboxing, gunslinging and knife fighting. Even so I wasn't able to save him.

(Ranveer gets up and looks at his hands)

Ranveer (Thinking): These hands of mine are covered with blood. They are covered with the blood of the person who taught me everything.

(Ranveer runs towards the washroom)

(Ranveer opens the shower and starts cleaning his hands)

Ranveer: Come on! Get cleaned

(Ranveer starts sobbing a bit)

(Ranveer stands inside the shower)

Ranveer (Thinking): The old man did not deserve this. My naivety coated the old man his life. If all I do is put people in danger then what is my life worth?

(Ranveer shuts the shower)

(Ranveer walks out of the washroom)

(Ranveer picks up the gun that Anurag gave him and places it on his head)

Ranveer: My family was right to leave me. I guess they might be living a happy life now without me because the only thing I bring to people close to me is pain.

(Ranveer pulls the trigger)

Anurag: So this is where it ends ha? Oh well! I thought you could do better.

Ranveer: Sir?! Does that mean I am?

Anurag: Dead? No, I mean your will is but you're not.

Ranveer: But then how can I-

Anurag: See you? Well, you are just hallucinating.

Ranveer: Really huh?

Anurag: Really.

(Ranveer looks at Anurag)

(Ranveer starts crying)

Ranveer (Crying): I am sorry. I am so sorry, I couldn't save you.

Anurag: Hey kid! Why are you crying? Don't forget that I am just in your imagination and real Anurag is dead.

(Ranveer continues to cry)

Anurag: Well it is funny that you forgot that there were no bullets in the gun you just tried to kill yourself with.

Ranveer (Crying): What am I supposed to do now. I lost you because of my foolishness. What now?

Anurag: Kid you knew Anurag. If you want to kill yourself then go ahead but he would be disappointed. Don't you remember what he told you before he died?

Ranveer: He told me that he was proud of me.

Anurag: Do you know why he said that? It was because he believed in you. It was because he believed that you of all people could survive this hell and by killing yourself are you willing to let all his hopes go to waste.

Ranveer (Wipes his tears): I am not. I will...I will...

Anurag: Survive this!

(Ranveer comes out of his hallucination)

Ranveer (With cold eyes): I will survive!

Ranveer (With cold eyes): Be it zombie or human, whoever tries to get in my way I will kill it.

To be continued...