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"Doctor? Who said I am a doctor? I am an army man. Can't you see I have a gun? A policeman always has a gun with him," The man says.
Jim in angry voice, "Are you fucking serious? First, you were fighter then doctor and now an army man? Are you trying to fool me?"
"Why are you saying again and again that I am a fighter or a doctor? I am an army man."
Policeman shouts, "Enough of your bullshit Tom. Keep your gun down. First, you kept that boy in the room and now this one. Now you have nowhere to run. Enough of your madness."
"Don't worry, Jim. I will save you at any cost," The man fires two bullets towards policeman but misses. In response, policeman shoots the man on leg due to which he falls on the ground.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcBbhodFE2
Policeman's team run towards the man to grab him and policeman himself goes to rescue Jim, "You will be okay boy. Don't worry!".
Police team puts the man and Jim in police van and takes them to police station. On the way, the man tries to free himself and scuffle with police team but fails to do anything. On reaching police station, doctors are brought to take a look to Jim's injury and the man gunshot wounds. After the checkup and dressing, policeman locks the man in jail and asks Jim to wait for him in the main office room. Jim sits in a chair in the main office.
Policeman enters the room, "So, Jim. How are feeling now?"
"Better sir but when will I be able to meet my parents?"
"We have called them. They will be reaching here soon. Till then, tell me what happened in that room?," policeman grabs pen and notepad. Jim tells all the story how he woke up in the room and how that man first told him that he's a fighter and beat him and then told him that he's a doctor and did all the bandaging and how he claimed to be an army man when the police came.
"This man treated you more badly than his previous victim. I along with my team busted his hideout last time but were unable to find him. We only found the boy but luckily this time, we caught him and were also able to rescue you. Thanks to various inputs, security camera footage and the information provided by that boy we were able to track him," Policeman taps Jim shoulder.
"Yes, he was talking about some boy. So, you were the one who saved that boy? Do you know why he is acting like this?," Jim asks while drinking water. Then only Alan along with his parents arrive to police station.
"Hello, sir. How are you? You asked me to come here. What's the issue?," Alan sits on chair.
"Alan, meet Jim and Jim this is Alan. Jim, for your information Alan was his previous victim whom I rescued and Alan, this is Jim who is his latest victim."
Alan and Jim shake hands, "Sorry to hear that you were also his victim. And he did beat you badly. I can tell it by looking at your face only."
Jim closes his eyes and the opens it, "I literally don't want to remember those hours in that room."
"But sir, why did you ask me to come here?," Alan asks policeman.
"Alan, we caught the person who locked you and Jim inside the room. He's in lockup right now. Also, after rescuing Alan I did a lot of research on this man and got information about his background. I wanted to tell this story to you that's why asked you to come here."
"I enquired about him from various people and also got his files. So here’s the story of the man whose full name is Tom Wilson. His records show that he kidnapped a boy but when his location was found, that boy’s dead body was found. So, you can say he did 1 killing. Now, if I include you two, we can say that he has done 2 kidnappings and 1 killing till now. I also consulted his doctors and got to know that severe physical and sexual abuse inflicted on Tom in childhood by his stepfather caused his personality to splinter into 4 separate personalities that had little knowledge of the others’ actions. The four personalities he exhibit are a joker who survived nuclear explosion, fighter, doctor and an army man. He ran away from his home and that's when his real problems started. Due to various personalities, he was unable to get any job or any accommodation and after sometime he did his first kidnapping. His first Vitim was a 10 years old boy who was kidnapped when he was coming back from the school. As I told, he was found dead. When he was with Alan, he was thinking that he is joker who survived nuclear explosion. When he was with Jim, he thought he was a fighter. And yes, his condition is also deteriorating due to which fluctuations in his identities is now uncontrollable that’s why his identity was frequently changing when he had Jim,” Policeman picks up glass of water and drinks it.
"So, you are saying he has multiple personality disorder?," Alan asks.
"Yes, he has multiple personality disorder which today is called dissociative identity disorder."
"Sir, you have done good investigation," Jim says.
"I have to. This is my job. He's a killer whose real place is in jail. Policeman continues, “We have prepared a court case against him and now it all depends on court, what punishment he will get. And I want you two as eye witnesses in the court,” Policeman points towards both Alan and Jim.
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Policeman along with Tom [The Man] arrive at the court. Alan and Jim also arrive there as witnesses. Tom is provided public defendant who starts arguing that Tom should not be given any punishment as he is mentally unstable and case should be closed giving Tom clean chit under insanity case. Policeman's lawyer tells court about the 2 kidnappings and 1 killing Tom has done and how his actions are harmful for the society. Alan and Jim also give their testimonies. Court orders medical check up of Tom to verify if he's really insane or just bluffing.189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIDIcWfQrb
After some days, court date comes and everyone arrive to get further update in the case. Tom's lawyer submits the report that is prepared by several psychiatrists. The psychiatric specialists verify that they have also diagnosed him with multiple personality disorder. The court after hearing all the defense deems Tom unfit to stand trial because of his mental state and orders him to be transferred to Hirden Mental Hospital for seven months. Police, Alan and Jim are not satisfied with the judgment and submit various applications but all are rejected. At hospital, they work on fusing Tom's fractured personality back together. After seven months, he appears back before the judge but the treatment he'd gone through at Hirden doesn't hold and the judge decides it isn't jail time Tom needs, but rather more psychiatric treatment. Tom is officially found not guilty due to the insanity plea and instead of jail, he gets sentenced to psychological rehab at Limla State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Police, Alan and Jim again demand for jail punishment but their demand is rejected again. Tom is transferred to Daycares Forensic Center and then the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital. After some years of treatment, expert opinion that Tom is no longer a danger and his personalities are almost fused. He is released from hospital and all supervision.
After getting out of hospital, Tom starts working as a truck driver in Timber Factory. One night, Tom is walking on roadside after work when a person wearing long jacket and hat starts following him. After finding that someone is following him, Tom starts running. The person chasing Tom grabs him, throws him on the floor and places his leg on Tom's throat. The person takes out his gun and points it towards Tom. Tom begs, “Who are you and why do you want to kill me? I am a innocent doctor who save life of others....
Person interrupts, “You are innocent? Who is saying this thing, a man who kidnapped my son and killed him. I believed in courts and laws but now I don’t believe them. They are all bullshit. They save people like you who have done so much wrong and are dangerous to society. They think sending people like you to mental asylum will make you a good person. That’s a big joke! Once a mental will always be mental. You thought that you will run away like this? You should be….
Tom interrupts, “If you are in any problem, you can tell me. I am a doctor. I will try to solve your problem.”
Person shouts, “You will help me? Would a mental bastard like you know how it feels when your child is kidnapped and killed? You know how it feels when you find your kidnapped child dead after searching for 3 days? If law cannot give my son and other victims justice then I will provide them justice. I will become a ray of hope for them. I should have done this earlier,” Person fires three times on Tom’s head killing him on the spot. Person watches blood coming out of Tom's head for few seconds and then runs away.
Next day after news of Tom’s death is circulated everywhere, Policeman calls Alan and Jim at his house. After sometime Alan and Jim arrive at policeman’s house and sit in drawing room.
“Sir, it is pleasure to meet you after this many years,” Alan shakes hand with policeman.
“Same here, Alan and Jim. How are you nowadays? Everything fine?”
“Yes, sir. Everything's fine now. Did you hear about Tom’s murder? Someone killed him,” Jim asks.
“Yes, I heard about it.”
“Will there be any investigation on this murder?,” Alan asks.
Policeman answers, “I can’t say for now. On crime scene also, we couldn’t find any clue or evidence. Getting to the reason why I called you here. I just wanted to meet you two and I am happy to know that you two are now enjoying your life.”
“Yes, sir. Now, everything is good but the trauma we suffered during that time still haunts us sometimes but we are getting used to it.”
“I can understand that. As Tom is dead now, this chapter is finished and I hope you two will also try to forget it and fully live your life. Best of luck, boys.”
“Thank you sir. We will be grateful to you,” Jim and Alan shake hand with the policeman and leave for their home.
As Jim and Alan leave, the police man goes to his room, picks up his bag and gets in the car. The police man drives the car and slows down across the empty bridge and throws the gun into the river. The police man keeps starring at the river as the gun goes underwater and sinks to the bottom. The police man sits in car and drives away from the bridge.
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THE END
OF
INSIDE A ROOM TRILOGY
BY AKSHAT MAHAJAN
ns 15.158.61.23da2
