Mainak Dhar - Heroes R Us

'Well, today I feel like celebrating!'

'Because you're leaving hospital?'

'No, because the monsters who attacked me are out of business!'

Arnab's throat went dry. Had news gotten out so fast of what had happened the previous night? Mishti was now standing up, talking excitedly.

'It's all over the TV news, Arnab! They tried to attack another woman, and someone busted them. Can you believe it? Someone thrashed them so badly they're all in hospital and then they'll get locked up for a long time, I hope!'

Arnab asked her what the news channels were saying.

'Come on, haven't you seen TV today? It's all they're talking about.'

With that, she reached out for the remote and switched on the TV in the room. As the screen came to life, it showed a young reporter in the studio, talking to the camera.

'As we have been reporting, the big news for today in Delhi is how an unknown hero saved a woman from three attackers last night. Police have confirmed that these three men have been behind at least four cases of assault or rape over the last few months in the Gurgaon area, preying on lone women drivers. This is what the woman he rescued, Miss Anita Duggal, had to say earlier in the day.'

Arnab watched with growing fear as the camera panned to the woman he had met the previous night. Had she seen his face? Would he get into trouble with the law? His thoughts snapped back to the TV when the woman began speaking.

'He was an angel sent down to save me. I couldn't see his face since it was covered by a hood and it was so dark, but he moved faster than a car, and his strength! Oh my God, his strength! He tossed those men aside like dolls! They fired a gun at him, but he dodged the bullet! I don't know who he is, but I'll never forget what he did for me.'

Arnab was relieved that she had not seen his face, but had never thought about the risks of making his new skills publicly known. Mishti was now talking excitedly to Jayantada,

'Who do you think it was? My God! Imagine, someone outran the car! Arnab, what do you think?'

Arnab tried to keep a straight face as he answered.

'How can anyone outrun a car?'

At that moment, a familiar face appeared on TV. It was DCP Upadhyay, and he was addressing a Press Conference.

'DCP Upadhyay, what do you make of Miss Duggal's descriptions of her saviour?'

The DCP seemed amused at the journalist's question.

'She was in trauma and is obviously very grateful to the individual who saved her. But how can any man do what she described? I don't think it would be responsible of the press to further such fantastic stories. He must have happened upon the scene of the incident, and as for dodging bullets, the criminals must have just missed him in the dark.'

'What do we know about him?'

The DCP pointed to a chart behind him, and Arnab watched in silence as the camera moved to show the crude sketch of a man.

'From what we have ascertained from Miss Duggal's description and from the confession of the three criminals, he is an extremely fit and strong man, perhaps in his mid-twenties, and certainly must be of an imposing build and height. From my experience, I would say he may be very skilled in some martial arts, or perhaps has some military training. We don't know what he looks like, but do know what he was wearing.'

Arnab heart skipped a beat as the camera zoomed into the figure. He was wearing a hooded jacket, and prominently displayed on the chest were the letters 'GA'.

'While he did do something good last night, I must stress we do not encourage vigilantes. One of the criminals is in the ICU and could have died. It's good to help others, but he should know that the best thing to do is to call the police, not take the law into his own hands.'

Mishti switched the TV off with an angry grumble. 'Idiot! The man who saved her is a hero, and I hope he gets rewarded in some way. What do you think, Arnab?'

Arnab mumbled his agreement, and as Mishti and Jayantada left in his car, Mishti promised to come by to the library to say goodbye the next day before leaving for Bangalore.

On the way back to work, Arnab kept replaying what he had seen on TV in his mind, and he could barely wait to get back home and turn on the TV himself. When he got home he noted, with some disappointment, that his story was no longer the lead item, having been relegated to second place by a Breaking News report about an inquiry into how a certain Minister claiming to be from an 'economically backward background' had amassed properties worth tens of millions. However, the story was still being covered on most channels, with ad nauseam replays of the interview with Anita Duggal and the Press Conference. The most fame Arnab had experienced previously was a part of his shoulder featuring in a photograph of the Minister after the bank robbery, so this was a totally new experience for him.

He knew at a rational level, that they were really not talking about 'him', and their perception of the unknown hero was almost the polar opposite of what he was in real life. Yet, something in him felt really good, as if he had finally achieved something. Finally made an escape from the obscurity that he had taken for granted all his life. He would perhaps never admit it in public, but for the first time in his life, he felt that he had something to be really proud of. Something he wanted to shout to the world.

He had turned all the lights off, and had taken off his glasses, revelling in both the coverage he saw on the news, and also his ability to see without his glasses in the dark. He was taking almost childish pleasure in walking around his house in pitch darkness, exploring the full extent of his power. He realized that when he got close to a source of light, such as the TV or when he opened the fridge door, his vision got a bit blurry. The darker it got, the clearer his vision was.

Then he remembered the DCP's parting words, and he realized how lucky and how stupid he had been. If anyone had seen his face, he would probably be facing a police questioning now. What would he tell them? How would he explain his newly found capabilities? They would probably think him a freak or lock him up. No, the next time, he would have to be more careful.

Then he stopped himself in mid-thought.

He would be a suicidal idiot to go out on such an adventure again. Why was he even thinking that there would be a next time?

The next morning, Mishti showed up at the library as promised. Arnab walked with her to the Cafe for a coffee as she told him about how much she was dreading going back to work.

'I would have thought you would take a break, since your arm isn't fully recovered', said Arnab.

'You don't know my boss. A total workaholic.'

'I never did ask you, which company do you work for?'

'Woodpecker Industries. Heard of them?'

'Who hasn't' said Arnab. Mishti's employer was one of the biggest corporations in India. The fact that she worked for such a large firm made him realize once more just how out of his league she was. Mishti caught him completely off-guard with her next question.

'Arnab, do you have a girlfriend?'

Arnab almost choked on his coffee as he responded after a pause.

'No, I don't.'

He saw Mishti's expression and thought she was asking why. Without thinking too much, he blurted out what was according to him, the truthful answer.

'I don't think too many girls would be interested in me.'

Mishti put her cup down, and looked at Arnab with a smile.

'And what kind of guys do you think girls like?'

'You know, well-built, good-looking, rich, sophisticated. Certainly not an Associate Librarian from Uttarpara.'

He hadn't meant to come out sounding as bitter as he did, but he was shocked when Mishti reached out and touched his hand.