Chapter 35 / 51 · 1 min

Sin in Every Pore

Translated from Bengali

Alright, killing Sadia was maybe a bit much. But she’d been cheating on me since the first day of our marriage, and that’s no small thing either.

I’d been sitting in the waiting room for half an hour, thinking about all this, when a voice snapped me back.

“Mr. Sabbir! Come in…”

The moment I stepped into the dim room, a chill ran through me. The same chill I’d felt burying Sadia’s body in the dirt late at night.

“So… you killed your wife, and now you want to flee the country?”

“Yes. India first, then on to Germany. Possible?”

“Fifteen lakh taka. You’ll reach whatever country you want.”

“It’s a bit urgent, though. The police already suspect me.”

The man smiled faintly.

“I’ll arrange to get you out of the country today. Pay first.”

I gave him the fifteen lakh. Every taka I’d saved, handed over to some petty broker. I’d never once imagined it. He’d better not run off with it.

The man pulled a box of sweets from under his desk.

“Congratulations, Mr. Sabbir! Have a sweet. I’m starting the arrangements right away.”

I put one in my mouth. Not sweet at all. The moment it touched my tongue, drowsiness came over me. My eyes were closing. Everything was blurring.

Was this his scheme to make off with my fifteen lakh? What had he mixed in?

Desperate, I said, “Brother, you’ll arrange to send me to India, won’t you?”

The man laughed, detached. He held a mirror up to me.

“Already arranged.”

I stared at the mirror, eyes wide. I wasn’t there. A bat sat in my place… its eyes wide, fixed on the mirror.

(Inspired by a sci fi, found on internet)