The Night Piercers

By Payal Gupta

 In the shadowy corridors of the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ), Ratri, a seasoned criminal profiler, is thrust into a chilling case that challenges her mind and shakes her to the core. She along with Aditya, a cop set out to hunt the killer. Enters John, an enigmatic convicted serial killer in captivity who must help them and one who exerts an inexplicable hold over Ratri. In a gripping and morally complex narrative that moves in a nonlinear fashion, the novel delves into the haunting psyche of the characters entangled in a web of dark desires and disturbing connections.The story explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the twisted nature of obsession, leading to a chilling and unexpected climax

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers
• Release date: Dec 19, 2023

Book preview

Chapter 1

Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover

Give me your eyes and be mine. There is no escape from your fate., he said, looking into her eyes. She could see rage and blood in his eyes. But somewhere in them, there was love too. Dangerous and destructive love. Love that is doomed and is a curse for all. Love that existed between the spaces, but which could not be felt. She was afraid and wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. It was like her gaze was controlled. She could not move her eyes. She wanted to look away from his dreadful features, but her eyes were fixed on his face. Her eyes were wide open and his face across her like a harsh reality. She felt the numbness in her legs. She couldn’t move. What had happened? What had he done to her? He stood there looking at her without blinking. He looked so scary. His wet outgrown hair fell on his shoulders and face. His face was covered in sweat and blood. His silhouette shone against the white light behind him. He was tall and lean. There was no one around. It was a desolate road. So abandoned, like no one ever walked on it. So quiet, like it never carried any footsteps. She could not call for help. She could not speak. She wanted to scream but her lips won’t part. She couldn’t feel her face. Was she paralyzed, she thought? Had he done something to her? He took a step forward, looking at her with a smirk on his face, like he knew he was going to conquer her. She gathered all her strength and courage and clenched her dark green satin dress. Just when he was too close and extended his one arm towards her, she felt a rush of energy in her body and pulled back. She felt the ground beneath her feet and held up her long green gown in both fists so she could run. She ran as fast as she could, and he ran after her. She ran faster and harder. He followed. She turned back after a while but could not find him. She had outrun him. She was relieved, but not free. She noticed something glaring at a distance. She went closer and stood upon the intensely shining water pool. She was exhausted from being hunted. She extended her left foot and felt the water on her skin. She sighed and felt glad she was still alive. She stepped inside the pool and lowered herself till she was submerged.

Deep down in thick waters is where she found solace. When butchered flashes of her past haunted her in the night, she dived down to wash them off. To her, the water felt like her own. She settled underwater in her green gown curling up like a small child, like water was her mother. Her shoulders were bare, and her long brown hair descended into the water like serpents. She closed her eyes and let go of everything. The water responded to her. Smooth waves wrapped her, and she opened her eyes. She floated like a magnificent creature, like she had always belonged there. She swam across, trying to feel all of the water there was. She did not want a single molecule to remain untouched. Her face was as calm as stillness itself. Her eyes were filled with nothing. It is the nothingness she longed for. She swam upward to look at the evening sky. She raised her head above the water, only to find darkness all around. She found pitch darkness as far as her eyes could see. She looked around but found nothing. She felt afraid. Where was she? Where was her home? Where was the sky? Where were the evening stars? The moon? It was dark everywhere. She thought she had lost her vision. She looked at her hands. She could see her hands and the water around her. But nothing else.

But wait.

How could she see her hands and the water? What was the source of this light, she thought? She turned around, and a giant flash of brightness impaired her vision. It was so bright like a firewall had just appeared in front of her out of nowhere. She put her arm in front of her eyes and waited for the brightness to subside. After some time, the brightness began to fade. She uncovered her eyes and found herself in another unfamiliar world. There was no water. Like there never was. She now stood on a black floor made of glass. She wasn’t wet anymore. She wondered when and how she came here. Her clothes were not the same. She couldn’t recognize the tight black pants and the black corset she was in. Neither the solid black high heels. Her hair was curled differently, and she wore dark makeup.

At a distance, there was a giant mirror. It was huge and majestic, like an entrance to a royal palace. She could see herself in the mirror. She noticed the thick kohl in her eyes and how it made her eyes appear even bigger. Her lips were dark red, like she had just tasted blood. She didn’t remember the last time she had worn so much makeup. She was startled to see her reflection and stared at it for a long time. She wasn’t familiar with what she saw in the mirror, but then she began to appreciate it. She adjusted her hair and started to admire her beauty. This was not real, her mind told her, but it was too stunning a fantasy to break. She wondered again about the source of light. Why was light not visible to her? How was she able to see herself when it was all dark around her? Where were the sun, the moon, and the stars? What was this? She moved closer to the mirror, still looking at her reflection. It was her own reflection, yet it seemed separate from her. Like a stranger but not so unfamiliar. She couldn’t tell for sure whether it was she who was moving closer or the reflection coming towards her. It felt surreal to her. An out-of-body experience. It felt like one side of her wanted to communicate while the other dwelled in her, waiting to break free. She got extremely close to the mirror and her gaze got locked with the eyes in the mirror. Time froze for a while. She raised her right hand to touch the mirror, and her mirror image did the same. Just when her hand almost got to her face, the reflection in the mirror grabbed her wrist and pulled her in.

28th December 2015

Ratri woke up from her dream, feeling heavy and anxious. The morning cold didn’t hit her immediately. She took a deep breath and sighed that the dream had ended. But she wondered, what would have happened next? Where would her mirror image have led her? She remained in bed with her head in her hands trying to come back to reality. What does she do with these dreams? She thought about it all, yet nothing made sense. She often dreamt of unending water around her, darkness, giant celestial bodies, confusing shapes and places she had never been to, and her younger self trying to break free. And that man with frightening features. He appeared in her dreams, often.

But there was something common in all these dreams; that she was always searching for something. Always trying to solve a puzzle, unravel a mystery or look for a way out of the maze. But it remained unresolved. She dismissed the alarm on the mobile phone which was yet to ring. She often woke up just a couple of minutes before the alarm. She was relieved that she did. This way, she escaped many of her indecipherable dreams. She would open her eyes just before hitting the ground, or just before getting pulled into a black hole.

The top right corner of the phone displayed the date and time, ‘28th December 2015, 7:00 AM, Monday’. There were a couple of unread messages. One of them was from Sudha which read, Didi, aaj nahi aaungi. Chote ko bukhaar hai. She texted back immediately telling her to take care and reach out if she needed anything. She turned to the wall clock and got out of bed wasting no time and still feeling the weight of her brain. She assembled the blanket and rearranged the pillows. She opened her closet and pulled out a dark blue satin shirt and gray pants. She put the phone on charge and headed to the shower. She got under the shower feeling hot water on her body rinsing all her troubles. But the flashes of her dream appeared in front of her eyes. She put them aside and got out of the shower. She juggled between getting ready for work and making herself breakfast.

On other days, Sudha would do everything. But Ratri wasn’t troubled by her absence. She could do her things. Having Sudha around her became more of a responsibility over time that she liked fulfilling than a necessity. She got into her chosen clothes and settled on the dining table near the open kitchen with a butter toast in one hand and a glass of hot milk in the other. She finished the milk while holding the toast. She was in no rush. She took her time. Not more than what she would normally take and neither less than her usual. She kept the glass aside and reached for a stack of photographs lying on the table. The photographs had been hand delivered to her the night before. She took a bite from the toast while holding the photographs in her hand. The toast felt alright. She looked around the house and realized how impeccably Sudha maintained it. She couldn’t resist and smiled at her diligence.

In her heart, she once again acknowledged Sudha’s dedication. She missed having her around. Sudha did everything from cleaning to cooking. Over the years, Ratri had developed a bond with her. She trusted her with the house. She appreciated her hard work and discipline and never had complaints. Sudha always said she was thankful she worked for Ratri and how different she was from other women. Ratri returned to looking at the photographs she held.

The young boy in the photographs lay dead, was blindfolded, and his hands were tied in front. His jeans were intact, but the color and the pattern of his t-shirt could not be determined with all the blood splattered. It looked red though. His corpse lay on the muddy ground inside the yellow demarcation the police had done around his body upon reaching the crime scene. She went through the crime scene photographs one by one and looked at each of them with attention. This was a job for her. She kept looking at the images like she was collecting some mental data from them, while also finishing the toast. She collected all the photographs and put them in her black sling bag. She wore her gray overcoat and black heeled shoes and looked in the full-length mirror. With her three-inch heels, she stood at five eight. She got closer to the mirror and looked carefully. She had pulled her hair back in a low pony and had almost no make-up. She noticed the slight maturing of her hair from one side and the skin around her eyes didn’t feel like earlier. The lines were not prominent but were visible to her. Forty-four wasn’t young but it wasn’t old either, she thought. She was still passionate about her work and treated each day with sincerity. She looked around the house and was sure nothing was out of place or unkempt. She picked up her car keys and locked the door behind her. She was ready to face the world. She was ready to leave the world of her dreams behind and survive through the unforgiving day. She did not know what awaited upon her, but she would face it, nonetheless.

She pressed for the elevator and waited in the lobby on the 9th floor where she lived. The elevator arrived and the door opened. She noticed Mrs. Gayatri from the 11th floor with her autistic child Shaurya in the elevator. She smiled at both and asked Shaurya how he was doing. He smiled at her and managed to say I am fine without making any eye contact. He knew her and felt comfortable around her. Shaurya didn’t talk to everyone in the society but with Ratri, he didn’t feel afraid. She treated him differently. Unlike kids in the building who hesitated to interact with him and adults who didn’t know how to behave around him, Ratri was extremely caring and affectionate towards him. She pressed B2. The elevator stopped on the ground floor and Mrs. Gayatri departed with her child. The boy looked back and waved at Ratri. She smiled and kept waving at him till the elevator door closed. She drove to the society gate and the guard gestured to her wishing her a good morning. She nodded and drove past the society sign that read 5 Palms situated on the Golf course road right in Gurgaon. She knew the way to Lodhi road where the office of Central Bureau of Investigation was situated.

Ratri reached the office of Central Bureau of Investigation on Lodhi road an hour later. The building with the blue glass façade stood elegantly and the morning sun’s rays fell on the glass making it shine. It was the building where crime and law coexisted. Where crimes were solved, and justice was established. She entered through the main gate and parked under the shed. It was cold and she was appropriately dressed. She was glad there was adequate sun. She entered the lobby and approached the young woman at the reception. The young woman was attending a call and smiled at her. She gestured to Ratri to wait while she quickly wrapped up. Ratri smiled back and waited patiently. She opened her bag and took out her lip balm. She applied some on her lips and while doing that she glanced at the noticeable CBI logo behind the reception. The blue, red and golden logo that read Satyamev Jayate was a symbol of truth and justice. The lady finished her call and requested Ratri to look into the camera. She handed Ratri an ID with a strap which she could wear around her neck. Ratri thanked her and headed to the elevator. There were a few people in the lift, faces that she recognized. She had been there before many times. She smiled at them and pressed four. Her floor arrived and she headed straight to the conference room at the far end of the corridor. That was the room where strategies were made, and plans were laid. Where defenders of the law got together and spent hours on solving heinous crimes. She opened the door and went right in. It was dark inside the room and the image on the projector screen could not be missed. She recalled the image. She had seen it in the morning. She stood still and kept looking at the screen. Few seconds passed and then the lights came on. She noticed two men seated across the table. She knew Arvind but was startled to see Aditya. Shocked. She froze. Aditya looked alert but not surprised. He immediately got up. She didn’t want to acknowledge his presence. Something shook in her. But it was too late to turn back. She didn’t know how to react, whether to turn back or go in and ignore his presence. She thought, if this was a couple of years ago, maybe she would have turned back and walked away from this situation. But not now. She allowed her duty to take over everything else at that moment and decided to let it go.

Come in Ratri, we were waiting for you, Arvind said, getting up and Aditya kept looking at her.

Arvind, who was in his mid-fifties, was the head of the Homicide Unit. He was sharp in his demeanor but over time, he didn’t hold back his paunch.

I have to say it looked a lot less messed up in the photographs you sent across, Ratri remarked while making her way to the chair.

Hope you had a good look at them?

Yes, I did.

Okay, come sit. You know Aditya. He is the lead on this case.

Aditya didn’t smile and looked at Ratri like almost studying her face. Like he wanted to remember her face and particularly her eyes. He wanted to smile but something stopped him.

Hi, Aditya said looking at Ratri.

Ratri knew his face, she knew that voice, she knew him. She wasn’t sure whether she felt relief or discomfort at that moment. She wasn’t ready for that moment. She didn’t know. She took a while before responding with a mechanical hi.

Arvind noticed the tension between them and intervened.

Ratri, I know. And I care. But trust me when I say this. We need you both to solve this one.

Ratri heard him. She didn’t like being surprised like that, but she moved on quickly and got to work. Shall we start?, she asked, adjusting her chair. It was set at too low and she liked to sit up and remain above the table.

Aditya and Arvind exchanged a quick glance and proceeded to sit. Aditya’s phone vibrated and he noticed the incoming call from Damini. He quickly disconnected the call and put the phone aside.

Ratri pulled out her diary and a pen from her bag to start making notes. Aditya’s phone vibrated again and Arvind turned to Ratri and asked, Ratri, how many criminals have you interviewed till date?

Interviewed?

Okay. You know what I mean.

Well.. I have profiled and psycho-analyzed seventy-three criminals to date. And I know I am here to know the details of my seventy-fourth candidate. What’s this about?

Ratri, I wanted to say that this one is nothing like what you’ve seen before, but I can’t say it. Not to you.

What do you mean?.

Arvind took a pause before continuing.

We have no idea who he is but whoever he is, is worse than an animal.

How are you certain it’s a ‘he’?

Well, I’d like to believe it’s a ‘he’. I hope it is a ‘he’. Cannot imagine a woman displaying such a blooded brutality.

You are assuming. Never underestimate a woman in rage. This could be an act of revenge, who knows?

Let me ask you something, Ratri. What is the ultimate objective of a killer? What does he want to achieve from his crime?

Well, evolution is natural to a human being. It’s the only way we know. When we do something for the first time, we achieve something out of it, a result. When we do the same thing the next time, we want the same result plus something else. The result is the constant and something else is the variable. When you apply this principle to a killer’s mind, the constant for him is the death of his victim. But the variable changes with every kill. In his or her….let me just say ‘his’ for convenience. In his first kill, the killer is only focused on claiming his victim’s life. And then he feels confident, he wants to do more, after killing his victim. The most natural progression is dismembering the body, necrophilia or cannibalism. Sometimes, the progression is intangible. You cannot see it. Like visiting the crime scene over and over to relive the act of crime.

You make it sound so rational. But you do agree that none of this is pardonable, right?

Of course, Ratri says, waiting for the big reveal.

"Well, before we discuss the insanity of this guy, why don’t we brief you on the crime? Aditya, go on.

Thank you Sir, Aditya said, turning to the projector with the boy’s body on it.

Ratri shifted her gaze to Aditya. She noticed how he moved. He was tall and well built. His hair was not gray but his energy was more mature and serious. His black jacket hung at the back of the chair, and he wore an olive-green shirt and gray denims. He looked just like before, she thought.

Twenty years old Casey Varghese, a college student. Local police found him three days back in the backyard of an unoccupied farmhouse in South Delhi. His hands were tied, and he was blindfolded. His specs were found next to his body. He could be identified with the driver’s license in his pocket. Proof of identification was not stolen, so we believe the killer wanted him to be found. He was stabbed in the gut and died due to excessive bleeding. There were no signs of any sexual assault, and his clothes were intact. The killer didn’t dump him but put him there. There is a canal that runs parallel to this ground, but the killer didn’t throw him there. He wanted us to find the body.

Or maybe he ran out of strength and just left him there. It isn’t easy to drag a human body without anyone noticing. Or without assistance. Arvind added while Ratri looked at the boy’s body on the screen.

The victim was easily identifiable. Worked in a pizza store part-time. We met his family. He was shy, very introverted, kept to himself, never got into any altercations. Which means he was vulnerable. He was lean, so could be overpowered easily, Aditya trailed off.

Ratri took a deep breath and turned to face the ceiling as if collecting her thoughts.

His blindfold though, she said.

Maybe the killer was ashamed of what he did and couldn’t look him in the eyes. What does that say about him? Arvind added.

That he didn’t want to, but he had to. He was probably fighting with his morals throughout the murder but was overwhelmed by the need to end his life to accomplish a greater goal. What is that goal, we do not know.

Aditya continued, There was no DNA on him. Nothing on his clothes, nothing on his skin, in his nails, teeth. Three days and no leads. Forensics is still working on it though. Trying to find something which can give us a lead. No one saw anything, heard anything. Nothing. No cameras in that area, no people.

Ratri knew those details from the photographs but she wanted to know the details that were not captured. Details that mattered. Aditya changed the slide that had the boy’s bare body on the autopsy table. Ratri leaned forward. Her expression immediately changed. She was not sent those pictures. Arvind noticed and quickly added, I know this was not sent to you earlier. Listen, this is sensitive stuff. We didn’t want to disturb you, so I thought it's best if you see it here in our presence.

She noticed a mark on the boy’s chest which was more like a cut, like a mark left behind after surgery.

What’s that mark on his chest?

No one spoke instantly.

She looked at both of them expecting a response.

Aditya sighed.

His body was cut open and his heart was removed, he said, not looking at her instantly but gradually turning to face her.

Ratri was disgusted but she contained her shock. She looked at Aditya and they both exchanged an unspoken acknowledgment. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard such disgusting details before but with this one, the disgust was different. She thought she had experienced a similar sickening feeling before. She looked for that similar feeling in Aditya’s eyes. And she found it. Aditya noticed Ratri looking into his eyes and he turned away to continue speaking,

In the place of his heart, we found something else. There was a…., he paused.

What is it?

There was a rock stuffed in his chest. A piece of fucking stone in place of his heart, Aditya’s anger was visible.

What?

Arvind spoke, "I know. You would wonder, who would do something like this? After so many years, I have come to understand murders and murderers but what I still cannot understand is violation. I