The Red-Light Area

Strip me naked of the lies that I flaunt

“I need your help, Pietro. I am really sorry for what happened. Can’t we put it behind for some time and act more professionally. It’s a matter of life and death. I know, you know that Atri isn’t the murderer and I know, you have the clue who it could be. Please…I beg you. Help me.” Kiara said as she sobbed on the phone call. “Justice must be served! Truth must be revealed! You remember that, right?” She stuttered within hushed breathes.

I had an urge to roll my eyes at her shades, only with much self-control for the sake of humanity, I had refrained myself. I thought of an appropriate reply, only to keep my mouth shut when I couldn’t think of anything.

Times changes everything─ I had read somewhere as a child, but that day─ I understood the true meaning of that phrase.

All it takes is time to tame people and make them realize the worth of people. There used to be a time when I could have died for her, just to watch her smile. I was crazy, wild and in love, but that day her sobs didn’t affect me. I could not feel her pain like I used to do and there were no emotions of pity. I could only remember the miserable and lonesome hours I had spent when she had left me with only a note that she was breaking up and moving out of the country.

Why?

Wasn’t the question worth answering?

There were no answers, but only silence. The silence that was eating me. I used to dial her number every minute, waiting for her to pick it up; yet the calls were never answered and the number was soon added into ‘blocked list’. She didn’t know how it felt to keep walking, watching people smile, children playing and the traffic flowing freely with happy chatters and carefree air unaware of the pain I was enduring, everything seemed to be in order—except that none of them knew that I had lost the most important woman of my life; even if they knew, they didn’t care or pretended not to care.

Nobody realised the pain I was in. Nobody felt sad, sympathetic, supportive of a man whose soul was losing believes in love as if it were losing blood from a deep open wound; but the universe continued laughing, immersed in the lives of happy people that only happened on weekends─ and she wasn’t there.

I received a call from Kiara as soon as I out of our apartment, expecting her to boost up her knowledge and abilities to control the situation as she always does, only to get a shock of my life. I have known Kiara since she had first found her interest in law. She used to play with facts like a pro, moulding it in the shape that would be beneficial for her. Colour the lies as truth and truths as lies was one among the various skills that she used to wear as a badge of honour.

“It’s duty hour, Ms. Aronson. Please call me back after sometime. I am busy.” I managed to choke out after a prolonged effort. I had decided to stay alone until I had managed to work out what was going in my life, but all in vain. All it took was a single phone call and I was back to square one.

From the driver’s seat, Raien gave me questioning look and I shook my head, implying that it was nothing.

“Pl…Please, Pia. His life is at stake. I have tried everything. They aren’t letting me see that gift. I think it contains something important. No one is helping me in the police station. I don’t even have clear facts. Ahura uncle has powerful influence on them. He is hell bended to hang, Atri. I…I feel helpless. Just three days…trial…Please.” She hiccupped, making me shiver.

“Fine! Meet me near the red-light area in an hour. And don’t forget you have promised to do anything.” I said before I hung up on her. I heard her saying something. I took out my notepad. I decided to get all the ideas out of my head and put them down on paper. The trick had always worked for me.

“Alright officer, let’s leave sentiment to one side and see what you should do.” I talked to myself. I needed to be practical while contemplating the options; after all, life wouldn’t give me another chance. I would not be the first nor will I be the last policeman who had found the shreds of evidence and could do nothing to catch the criminal.

There might have been many constables in the history who had almost solved the case only to witness their superiors promoting as a payback for their hard work. I might also not be the only man who had been blessed with an opportunity to get revenge on his girlfriend, but I wanted to be the only man.

The only man, Kiara will remember for the rest of her life as THE man.

“Take the turn to the Red-light area.” I told Raien, doing everything to gather my thoughts as I braced myself for the evening.

~~~

It took us exact forty-five minutes to reach the red-light area. I spotted a strip club at some distance and motioned, Raien to follow me which he did. It was a small club standing like an igloo in-between two large towers that offered massages and alcohol. I was still dressed in uniform, but nobody cared. The news of the murder might have spread throughout the area, like a fire in the jungle and the people might be presuming us to be the sleuths. Or they just didn’t give a damn.

I was the first one to enter the club, followed by Raien who looked at the place curiously. “Is it your first time in a strip club?” I asked tilting towards the stage were women were dancing. Raien blushed, looking everywhere but I and I got my answer.

We greeted as if we were old friends of the family; “What would you like to have, Sir?” asked the manager as he guided us to his office.

“Nothing! We aren’t here for Juana’s case. Treat us as a customer.” I replied sternly and watched the manager’s demeanour changing. The muscles in his face relaxed for he was clearly put to ease.

“Of Couse, sir! Juana Rodriguez! The woman has nothing to do with our club. She was not our girl, you know. She used to work for Joseph. Why am I telling you all these? You are here to relax. Let me show you our best place. Come! Please follow me.” He smiled relaxed and guided us to a table from where the whole stage was visible. It covered the maximum display; the manager had told us as he helped us with the drinks and instructed a waitress to take care of us.

“Can I get somewhere secluded? I may have a friend later.” I asked and was shown a booth next to an exquisite clock; I listened to the music blasting through the speaker as I entered inside the private chamber that looked out at its private stage.

I smirked at the pole as I made myself comfortable on the couch. “I am waiting, Kiara. Let’s see how desperate you are for the justice.”

~~~

“Is this a place to invite a woman? A strip clubs? I was almost raped on my way down here, dragged to some chamber by a drunkard. Have you lost your mind, Boselli?” Kiara fumed as she threw her bag on me as soon as she stepped in which I caught easily. “Can’t you behave a bit humanly, Pietro? I have just lost someone and you are mocking my emotions. How can you be so insensitive?” She yowled as she set on the edge of the stage, putting her head into her hands. Her red hairs immediately formed a veil, preventing me from reading the emotions flowing on her face, yet I presumed it to be that of disgust or hatred.

“Insensitive!” I cackled skewered and paused. “I have learnt from the best, Kia. MY tutor is the most insensitive person in the world. Is this a way you treat the man you need help from?” I smirked enjoying her agony. Kiara raised her head and stared straight into my eyes for a couple of moments before heaving a defeated sigh.

Payback time, Ms Aronson. Enough of this cat and mouse game. Let's begin the real battle.

“You have changed, Pia.” She remarked gently looking at her shoes and I had an urge to smack her right then and there, but my principles and respect for the opposite s*x abstained me and I sat rooted to the couch.

“It’s like a thief accusing a burglar over ethics. Isn’t it? Aren’t you the one who made me change, Kiara Hussein?"  I sneered, looking at her. "Anyways, I am not here to scratch the wounds that I have licked very hard to heal. What is that you want? I am a ‘mere’ constable, Kia. A loser! How can I be a help for you?” I mocked her, looking at the ceiling as I waited for her to regain her composure.

Kiara sat straight, wiping her tears she walked up to me and occupied the adjacent couch. “The trial is to begin within three days. Police has framed charges on Atri-” She started but I cut her off in middle, purposely to annoy her.

The police department had taught me the art of getting into people's nerves.

“Mere constable or not, I am police officer and I know more than this. Leave the official part,” I clicked. “Straight to the point, Kia. Straight to the point.” I snapped my fingers at her, making her growl at me.  If eyes could kill, I would have met fairies by than. Fortunately, I was saved.

“I need your help to collect evidences. The facts are delusional and no one in the police department is helping me. Even those who used to be a part of our legal team had left us. Ahura has threatened everyone. Vensmith told me that you and your friends were the one who recovered the body. You might have collected all the circumstantial evidences from the spot. Can you help me with anything?” Kiara huffed as she explained everything in one go.

“Atri had a fit with Hussein. It could really be him. He was the last person who talked with him on phone. They were to meet. He knew Hussein could not swim. Got him drunk and all. Everything signifies evidences, Kia, towards the heinous deed. There were glasses of champagne with his DNA. His presence was recorded in CCTV. There is nothing I or anyone can do.” I shrugged. “Don’t you want to punish the culprit? Hussein was your soon to be husband after all.”

“He is being trapped! Why don’t you understand that? Atri can never do anything like that. He had gone to the bungalow to call off the engagement. They were discussing the same stuff on phone. I know that. I was their went they talked. He wanted to clear misunderstandings.”

“But cleared the person instead. Let me tell you what have happened. He had got into another heated argument with Hussein over Juana and ended up pushing him in the pool.” I taunted and looking at the other side. "He then took advantage of presence of Arabs in the town and approached Juana disguising himself as a Sheikh. He then took her to outskirts of the city and killed her."

“No! He didn’t! You know him so well, Pia. You used to be friends with him. Trust me! he hasn’t done anything.” Kiara sobbed as she stuttered out after much effort.

“I don’t trust people anymore. Betrayal is the most dangerous wound. It can kill souls without disposing off the body. I was lucky enough to survive once.” I choked out and didn’t realise when my eyes got teary.

“I am sorry for what happened…I was made to do it. I wanted to tell you everything. Please, Pia. I will explain you everything. I am sorry. I will do anything. Just give me a chance. One chance!”

“Anything?”

“Yes, Anything!”

“Fine, then get up and strip. I want you to give me a show. It had been a while some body has pleased me. I seek pleasure and I promise to help you collect all the evidences you need.” I hissed and looked at her face to watch her response. "I may help you reach the criminal, Kiara. Please me using your body!"

Kiara was shocked. Her face had paled and she was sweating bullets, hyperventilating. “P-Pia…you…”

“Yes, I! I want you to feel the humiliation I had been through when you left me. I want you feel the same agony. I have wasted enough of my time on you, tell me your decision. I have to leave.” I stood up to leave but a shaky hand stopped me. 

"How can you-"

"Don't waste my time if you don't want the deal." I snapped at her as I shook my hand away, making it slip off her grasp. "I don't care if your brother or any one in your family get hanged." I took a couple of steps to leave when Kiara stopped me.

“Wait! I will do it!” She said determined as she unzipped her dress with shaky hands and proceeded to undo my clothes as well.

Kiara had decided to give a blow job to the man who for all intents and purposes, was her life at a point. She loved how he used to smell, she used to do all of it happily but now she was forced to do it. He was taking a revenge on her─ maybe it was soothing him, but what about her? What about her feelings? It didn't matter. She needed his help and she would have to do it. Her favourite person in the family was behind the bars and ready to be convicted for a crime he did not commit for he wanted to protect her from that lewd.

After tonight, she wouldn’t be the same woman again. Yeah, she’d never dared to meet her eyes and eyes of people back home, but anything was better than a guilty conscience that would eat her for the rest of her life if she wouldn’t do it for the person who had done so much for her.

Getting down on her knees, she took one last look at the man who used to mean everything to her before she proceeded to face the worse degrade in her life. She had already started to feel disgusting and used.