The victim was assaulted with a mask always for no future disasters. After all his image of a gentleman had to be protected at all costs. People loved him at work. Interns looked up to him. Colleagues adored him and his seniors applauded him whenever they got a chance. It was a perfect cover-up. Jatin Sharma, an orphan since birth and a self made man hailed from Amritsar. Delhi was his home and refuge. At the age of 12, he was spotted feeding the fish at the Golden Temple pond by a wealthy family of perfumers thus changing his destiny completely. Perfumes attracted females and from a very young age his eyes were accustomed to all sorts of women thronging his foster parents’ shop. Weekends acted as the much needed intoxication for his curious mind. Pleasures of the skin brought him comfort. Sharmas were oblivious to this new habit of his. Education suffered with no obvious reasons. His distracted self found peace in adult magazines. This meant sleepless nights that aided him to become an insomniac. Education suffered gravely and he failed to pursue his graduation. After his 12th exams which he completed after failing four times, he got a job in a call centre as a trainee and that catapulted him to new experiences and insights. He never saw himself selling perfumes. He loved gadgets. Electronic goods excited him so this job at a call centre was the thing for him. He was a good learner and later in life got promotions annually. By the age of 20 it had all become way too fractious. His first brush with a girl two years older to him unleashed the animal within. A mother could have nurtured his questioning thoughts but Mrs. Sharma never could bridge that gap. He was a quiet child who kept things to himself with no clear signs. Access to explicit content on the internet fuelled this ever growing darkness. By the end of 1996 a year after internet made its presence felt in India, he had already molested half a dozen women. A housewife, drug addict, college goer, village girl, corporate hotshot & an aspiring model were victims with no witnesses. This was becoming his favourite pastime. For the Sharmas he was pursuing a career that acted as a balm for their failed efforts not knowing that he was actually becoming a monster.

“Should I consult a psychiatrist for my condition? But then that would be exposing myself fully. What if he blackmails me? What if I am cured and I don’t indulge at all post a confession? But I enjoy it so much. Nothing thrills the way this does. I feel like on top of the world. Women should be experienced at their vulnerable best. The thunder they give is beyond words when they are fighting against me. Ah! So novel a concept. The smell of a woman. The contours and soft skin are my favourites. Let’s keep playing till I can as it’s a game of a win win situation for me. I have nothing to lose. I am gaining with every encounter that I make it happen.” Jatin often had such fleeting thoughts.

Fast forward to 2016, March 10th was to be his 5th wedding anniversary. Indu, his wife, 40 years of age, could have never imagined that her husband is a sexual predator. Indu was unaware of his menacing ways. For her and her circle of friends he was a doting husband who loved Indu dearly. They had a beautiful life of mutual hobbies & interests. Unlike her, deserted roads in the morning had been witness to so much. Finding a lone woman had always smartened Jatin’s moves. By abandoning his car in the nearby shed he always opted to walk towards his luscious meal of the day. He used to cover her head from behind and then drag to his car. Monotony got the better of him always. The victim’s eyes were always covered throughout their ordeal. Mouth was gagged and hands tied to the hand support of the other door. He lay them on the back seat of the car for his feeds. A fighting girl kicked his moods to eclectic heights. And then there were some who out of fear just gave what he needed without a fight. Delhi being the rape capital of India was a delight for rapists like him. His office was in Gurgaon. Gurgaon had too many lonely stretches that came to his rescue in the hours of his physical needs. Post the act the tied and gagged victim was dumped on the pavement to God’s mercy. Why he did it he had no clue. With Indu he was a thorough gentleman in bed and otherwise too. Though he often feared for the safety of his wife who he married after a brief courtship of two years. Indu was a fashion designer by profession who he had met at a cafe on a bright sunny day of December 2009. A crowded Sunday gave way to sharing the table he was sitting at. Indu had come to meet a client and the client’s delayed arrival had just worked in Jatin’s favour. They shared the table not knowing that two years later they would be sharing lives under one roof. Indu couldn’t meet his foster parents as they had died in a car crash months after Jatin completed his probation period at work. The wedding was conducted in an Arya Samaj Temple with the closest of her friends.

“Indu what are your plans for our wedding anniversary?”

“I guess a few of our friends would be dropping by to wish us in person, Jatin. Post that the night is all ours. Why do you have something else in your kitty?”

“No I was just checking. A whole evening would be just perfect with you though. Only for my eyes and just us makes it for me always.”

What a romantic at heart this guy I chose, Indu soliloquized.

“Aren’t you tired of me yet? Most of the time I am away travelling to get the best of the collection. Your lonesome nights didn’t ever make you feel the need to go astray ever?” asked Indu.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Who can know better than me? I look forward to your return so as to ignite my passion. It doubles what you get, don’t you agree?”

O you are a ravenous sweetheart and I love it. Just that I will never tell you ever so to keep the romance alive. Everything known kills passion. So I guess my silence will do the bit of mystery it teases. That whisper to herself didn’t reach Jatin’s ear and Indu just hugged him softly by thanking God for the blessing he had given her in the form of Jatin. Indu just didn’t know that her absence gave way to more rounds of molestation of innocent women that filled his appetite. A satiated wild appetite gave way to sombre needs. This Indu herself had been fulfilling beautifully over the years. Jatin left no trace for suspicion. The car was cleaned for any clue and proof. Often Indu used to say, “Unlike others I find you hellbent on cleaning your car yourself. Why is it like this?”

“I find my true self mostly in the car hence it gets my utmost attention.” confessed Jatin.

That line always puzzled Indu but she never ever questioned it. Many men preferred cars as their first loves. Jatin belonged to the same category of men for her.

Indu had to be away to Milan for a private screening of an International Fashion Show. This meant two days of absence from her married life. Jatin always looked forward to these days as this meant he could be himself again. Himself meant daydreaming about all his past acts of sexual violence with women. Reliving those moments of extreme satisfaction with different women irrespective of age and status. For hours he used to feel again their shaking breasts and the satisfaction he had got when he had violated their private spaces. A meek woman clawing him in the act turned him on. Their trembling selves helped him climax. Their muffled screams caressed his sadistic attitude. He loved re-runs of their anguish in his head, Indu’s absence brought him immense pleasure as he could feel it all happen in their bed. A car seat subtracted the ambience of a comfortable bed. Whenever he was unable to get his fill these visuals excited him for more such adventures. With women knowing he just couldn’t do his bit. A tarnished image meant falling apart. He worked hard to reach where he was in life without the backing of a sound education. It was all his doing as he fell prey to his internal demons. Guidance from parents to an extent helps change the direction of a vulnerable mindset. Jatin was beyond repair. A responsible parenthood would have got the same result still. He was solely to blame for what he had become. There was no turning back. There was no solution. His bouts of control got him irritated and a shade mad. He was an addict of female anatomy. Fondling them with force in real and in thoughts boosted his mood and this meant better productivity at work. This cannot be explained to anyone. He wanted an easy life amid pleasures. His job moulded his moods courtesy the women on calls. A devoted wife and a steady job were not enough. Variety was key.

At work, many women tied rakhi as he was this quintessential good man. Team building and motivation trips to nearby cities with colleagues strengthened his ties with them. Jatin still had no friends. His friends were his violent acts of pleasure. They cheered him and kept him warm. He often dropped women colleagues to their respective houses if things were not in their favour thus earning their respects. It was a gesture for his clean image. If ever he was caught he could blame the victim for victimizing him. He was a skilled rapist and was a pro with repeated encounters. He used to marvel at his effortless ambush. Jatin was 5 feet 9 inches. Donned a moustache with a light complexion that gave him a very gentle look. For onlookers fine lines on his brow gave him character. Those lines for him were his victory bridges. He knew he was characterless but a blessing is a blessing and he used it to the best of his ability for years.

“Do I deserve their unconditional love? Am I not playing with their emotions? What would they think if they ever find out? How can they ever find out? I see to it that there are no proofs ever. Oh I am invincible. God loves me. He loves me so much that he gave me Indu to make it all perfect. I will revel in this beauty of life. Beast undercover though saint for the world.” Calls from women clients pushed him to cull these thoughts of righteousness.

March was pleasantly cool since its onset in 2016. After two days, Indu thought she will be able to finally share her joy to the man she so loved. She was three months pregnant and she wanted to seal the moment. An idea had struck her not knowing that it will freeze her forever. This was for the night she had to fly off to Milan. She was so excited for Jatin’s reaction. By telling him and then leaving for Milan would juice up their night of togetherness post her return she had thought. Two days with that news Jatin would miss her more and their moments of passion would take a new high as after all it was to be their 5th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, destiny had something else in store and Indu was not ready for it at all.

“Love, only half an hour is left for you to leave. Hope you have packed your red dress as well as the scarf that covers it? You look stunning with those drooping shoulders. Your slender figure will blow their minds. I feel that scarf will hold off their eyes. I don’t want my lifeline to be molested by any maniac.” exclaimed Jatin.

“Jatin, I have something to say.” trembled Indu.

“I am all ears. Tell me my eternal love.” Jatin said softly.

“It has been quite some time now car theft has been on the rise. You love your car so much that God forbid if it had happened to us you would have been devastated. So to save ourselves from that misery 3 months back I had got an inbuilt camera installed to nab the culprit the thief in future. You were away to Manali with your office colleagues and when you returned a week back I had completely forgotten about it. Work fogged my mind and slipped further from my memory. A couple of hours back I checked if it was working fine to record something precious which I had to share. To do so I rewinded the recordings to find the betrayal I didn’t deserve.” concluded Indu. Her eyes were bloodshot. She was shaking uncontrollably.

“How could you Jatin?”

Jatin was sweating profusely post hearing this.

“Either you turn yourself in to the police or I abort our child who is due in September. I can’t have him/her if you continue to be who you are as his/her father after whatever I have watched by God’s mysterious ways.”

Jatin was totally numb in disbelief and was at a loss of words. He didn’t know where to hide or run.