Gray - Bharat.

Hindustan Times.
Sunday. 6th March.
Last night two unidentified men were found dead inside an abandoned mall. The place was in news only a couple of days back due to…
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“Its been over a month since I called them and still there has been nothing. I paid for the fucking thing. My entire year of savings would go to waste if nothing happens. Can’t even sue them. I know they will come for me, they promised. But I can’t take it any longer. Because of those fucks I have to go home every night to wife I couldn’t care less about and to kids who were better off unborn. Honestly, they would have more of my love then. Terrible thing – to bring a kid into world. I swear I would never do it again. And what kind of an office doesn’t let an employee overwork. The stupid guard stands in front of me right at 12 and just stares. I KNOW ITS TIME! I leave not because the time’s up but because I could kill him if I see him standing for more than a few seconds. Fuck man, I could use a vacation from this bullshit. Now, where’s my car? WHAT THE F…”
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“My head is about to split open and I think they broke my nose. Fuck it hurts. I have been awake for about fifteen minutes I think but I can’t be sure. The room doesn’t have any windows. There is only one bulb hanging in the center. They’ve taken everything from me, even my clothes. I’m naked and the room is freezing. There are some empty bottles lying in the corner. I guess they are for taking a piss. There is another man in the room. They’ve bashed him up pretty bad. He is still passed out. I thought I would be alone in here. This wasn’t part of the deal. I will ask for some refund after I’m out. This wasn’t the deal. They didn’t tell me I would be shoved in with another man. I hope my wife is having fun at home. I would do anything to see what she going through right now. Haha. Let’s see what these guys have in store for me. This will be fun.”
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“What the fuck was that? I can hear some cars I think but the sound is too low to recognize. There is a constant low humming that is barely passing through the walls. Can’t hear properly. I was just woken up from my sleep by some sounds and they seem to continue. Something is going on up there. Maybe they are bringing in more people. I just hope they have more rooms. I will fucking kill someone if anymore people come in here. I didn’t sign up for this. This wasn’t the deal. And by the way this bastard is still passed out. What fucking level did he sign up for? I thought Level 3 was the highest. He looks worse than before. …Hmm… Let’s see. I don’t like his face. I think I’ll beat him up too. Get some of my money’s worth back. After all I did pay to be alone here. Its only fair.
Here you go buddy …Ugh… …Ugh… …Ugh…
Shit! What the fuck are they doing to this guy? I just kicked him in the face thrice and no reaction at all. I hope they come for me soon and start the second round. I am getting bored. By the way I can still hear the sounds and its sounds like a lot of cars. If that’s what they are.”
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“I just woke up and its getting really cold. I have lost complete sense of time by now. I keep on passing out most of the time. In the beginning I still had a rough idea of time but by now I have no fucking clue. It could be only a half a day since I’ve been here or it could be two which means I’ll soon be out of here. But since they haven’t come for me yet I’m gonna assume not much time has passed since the sounds. The other guy must have woken up sometime while I was asleep. I think I could hear him. Also there is one more bottle filled with piss. I’m getting fucking bored now. They haven’t come yet. Since I heard the sou… Wait... …I think he is waking up. Later.”
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“What the fuck did they leave that for?”
“Its my audio journal. I think they knew that. Must have wanted me to keep it.”
“Hmm…”
“You look pretty badly beaten up. How come? I paid for the same Level as you.”
“I paid extra.”
“You mean more than Level 3? But that’s the highest.”
“I paid extra.”
“Fuck! So… You think you’re gonna come back here? Again?”
“No.”
“A bit too much huh? Paying extra didn’t really work too well, eh?”
“I’m not coming back because I’m not leaving.”
“The fuck do you mean? So you’re gonna spend the rest of your life here? Ha. Fuck you!”
“It will be all over in a few days. Won’t be leaving to come back. Won’t have to come back.”
“What the…”
“By the way it was you who kicked me while I was lying, wasn’t it?”
“I…”
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“I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with him. Good that he passed out. He scares me. How the fuck did he know I kicked him. I thought he was sleeping. And when the hell are these guys gonna come? I went and knocked on the door a while back. No response. Tried to listening for some sound. Its completely dead. I still don’t know the time but I’m sure quite a bit of it has passed. Something is odd. And I don’t like this guy. I’m starting to get scared.”
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“OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU PEOPLE? OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! MY TIME HERE IS OVER! I DIDN”T PAY TO BE STUCK HERE. YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF ME. I…
… STOP STARING AT ME. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?”
“Nothing.”
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“I haven’t eaten since I’ve been here. I’m sure my time here is up. No one has come since the sounds. Is this a joke? I did a deal with them. Now the deal is over. My time is up. They have to let me out now. And its getting cold and I’m naked. I… …I had to sleep next to him. God! There was no other way. I had no choice. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t seem to mind it. I fucking hate him for that. The walls are staring at me. I just hope its some kind of weird test. It has to be. Otherwise I can’t go on. What time is it? If I could just know that it would be some relief. How long have been here? How long?”
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“So why are you here?”
…
“Don’t like to talk about it? Both of us are dead men anyways?”
…
“You know I hate you and your silence. And for god’s sake stop stari…”
“Switch that thing off first.”
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“I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M RECORDING. What else do you want me to do? I have been drinking piss since I don’t know when. I haven’t eaten ever since I’ve been here. I have to sleep next to you so I can survive the cold even though I hate you. What else do you want me to do? Does it look like I have anything else to do? This all that they left me with.”
“What’s the point?”
“Can you stop asking me these questions for god’s sake?”
“You don’t have to answer.”
“FUCK! I could kill you right now.”
“And you’re just gonna sit there and take it, won’t you? You suicidal fuck. If you wanted to die so badly why didn’t you jump off a building? You know what? YOU KNOW WHAT? You should have just died with the rest of your family. One more asshole less in the world. You sho…”
“And you’ll die alone here, with me. You wanted your family to suffer and now you’re stuck here. Ain’t that funny? I could laugh.”
“My fami… FUCK YOU!”
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“The room is killing me. There is nothing here but the dark grey of the walls. I would do anything to see another color. By now the room is filled with stench of piss and vomit. But the smell doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m used to it. the air gets really cold and damp at times and I assume its night. If I go by that measure then I’ve been here for about five days. The heavy iron door is still locked. It won’t budge. There are no handles on the inside. I tried pulling it open by jamming by fingers in between the door and the wall. Now there is another trail of blood added in this room. The other guy just sleeps most of the time now. He will die soon. I hope he does. Maybe there will be some food then. Maybe… Maybe I can kill him instead. I’m hungry and… and I don’t think I can hold on much longer. Maybe I can break the bulb and slit his throat. I can also get rid of the gray then. I can get rid of the gray then."
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… a raid conducted by the police to bust an illegal business operation that has been slowly gaining popularity with the masses. In this one of a kind business people plan out their own kidnappings and pay for it as well. You are treated on the Level you choose. Higher the level, higher the price. This has been a shock to many and serious steps are being taken to shut such operations down. The raid resulted only in clues leading to the hideouts of the business operators. The room was a hidden room and had been specially built to keep the captives and was well hidden. The Chief of the police expressed his regret stating that though they had raided the building before It would have been impossible to locate it as the room was a secret room and very well hidden. It was only after the capture of the business operators that they became aware this room. He apologized and said in future the police force will be aware of such possibilities. He also promised to bring an end to such operations really soon.
Both the men are yet to be identified as no identification was found on them. Autopsy reports revealed that they died within the last 24 hours of their discovery and that one of the men had resumed to cannibalism to survive and was covered in the skin of the other prisoner when found. No evidence was found at the scene except for a small audio tape. The contents of this tape remain undisclosed and in the custody of the police. Though a source has revealed that the contents of this tape are shocking.