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Caution: this is a long story. For those who are not able to read it complete, this story is not meant for you.

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Disguting rats. All They want is cheese. They never have enough of it. More they get, the more they want. It is their never-ending greed that disgusts me.

I have been thinking along the same lines for quite a long time now. Your ideas become rigid when there is no one around to improve them and when there is no way to experiment them. Thats how it was in my current condition. I have put in State Cage for violation of code of conduct of rats. I have never had much inclination to follow the law, nor did I have someone who would matter enough to make me love my life (I hate life for I have to live among these rats who were always hungry). I always believed in anarchy where nothing mattered when you dont care for it and everything mattered when you care for it. I had stopped caring for life, God knows when. But I never gave up hope, for I knew there has to be a way.

But once I saw these police rats beating a rat who was caught trying to steal a slice of cheese from a State Cheese Manufacturing Unit-IV, for he was hungry and hadnt eaten for days and from the looks of it, he would have died soon too. He took a heavy beating and died three hours later from the wounds and chilly winter. Oh, how he cried for cheese and how no one spared him a bite even if he was lying in front of SCMU, highest producer of cheese in state. Oh, I watched it all. You would think of me as a heartless bastard who didnt give cheese to a dying man. But, truth be told, I hadnt had any for days as well. I was in front of SCMU trying to figure out how to smuggle some out. Yes, I saw it all. And when in the morning, they were dragging his corpse into the river, I swore revenge in his name, in my dead friend's name, even though I was not aware of his name.

Well, few days later, I figured out the plan of SCMU and burnt it from inside. I came out after litting the fire and stood in the exact place where my friend had died. Few hours later, when they asked me if I did it, I said YES with a smirk on my face. After that it has been like a blur.

They tried everything to wash that smirk off my face. Torture of unimaginable verocity, but I dont remember even half of it, because I was numb (It had all stopped hurting long time ago), but I guess even then I was smiling coz they never stopped beating me. And I watched it all. They kept me hungry for so long that I lost count of days.

Suddenly, few days ago, I was taken out of my cage and taken to another one on other side of State and there I was treated differently. They said they have a task for me and I would need my strength for that. So they have been feeding me as much as I want. And I eat it, for it doesnt matter, for the rat who needed it had died long time back.

Today, a high official visited me. Glennu, they called him. A disgusting rat with the same stench that comes out of all power-hungry morons. I knew he was coming before he actually showed up, coz people like that always arouse disgust in me and yes, I was feeling pretty disgusted that day.

He said to me,"I am Glennu, head of Rat Council."

And I thought he was still a rat, scrambling through gutter.

He said,"I see that you are not impressed".

He was very perceptive. "Very well. I come to you for a job I have in mind." he continued, regardless,"I am not happy with the state of this State right now. I have been trying to improve it. I have worked day and night to ensure that everyone gets their fair share of cheese."

The stress, he put on word 'fair', gave me goosebumps. He was passionate and a believer.

"As you know, SCMUs control production of cheese. And they never give it to one deserving, for some of them have grown out of control of RC. So I have in mind a particular SCMU-IX, which is most notorious. I want you to steal all the cheese they have there. All SCMUs have same structure plan, which you are quite familiar with." he said this with a smirk on his face,"You do this and you can go free. I will personally make sure of that."

I had no one on the outside, I thought. Only one who mattered, died long time back. Why would I want to go out again?

"Well, even if you don't want your freedom, you will have control of your life once again."

It was like he was reading my mind. This idea struck the chord somewhere. I stopped smiling. He sensed me yielding.

"My men will take you there tonight. You will show them the way inside. They will take care of the rest. Then, you can go any way you want", he said while leaving.

SCMUs, they are all disgrace. What does it matter if I steal from one of them? Instead of going into hands of high-end government officials, it goes into hands of Glannu, who might have some other plans. I was looking forward to sunset that would bring the nightfall that would release me of this prison-hole.

A rat doesnt need much cheese. A small bite is more than enough to satiate one normal rat's appetite. But there is never enough for the greed of the people up there in power. They brought a huge vehicle along for carrying back the cheese. I was laughing inside coz there is never much kept in the SCMUs. Still, I didnt say a single word. What do I care? They could bring thirteen trains along. But I knew there wouldnt be much more than one loaf in the SCMU. It takes them full fortnight to make one loaf. But one loaf is enough for thousands of decent meals. Just thinking about it, had my mouth watering.

When we were crossing the front gate, I saw a lady guard give some cheese to a fellow who looked like he could really use some food. He was an infant and was begging for it. Something was not right. We were getting to our destination, I had to think fast.

As I got out, I told them to stay right there. I said I needed to confirm the entrance before leading them to it. They agreed but did not trust me. They kept looking at my back as I turned a corner out of their sight. I headed straight for the main gate. The lady guard was in her position again.

"Who goes there?", she asked in a commanding and ruthless voice.

Things havent changed much I said to myself. I brought up my hood, went upto her and said,"I am hungry."

She looked close at me and after quite some time said,"You look in pretty good shape. We give food only to the needy."

I looked up and filled with anger, I said,"I know who your needies are. Those rats sitting up in their posh rat-holes. You have a skewed sense of needy."

She replied softly this time,"You are wrong. Here we try to keep the cheese for hungry rats. You need to go."

"I am hungry."

"Either you leave or I resort to other means of making you leave", she said brandishing her spear. Anger was showing in her voice.

"I wont leave until I have some cheese."

"Whats this commotion about?" A voice boomed from inside the building.

I was not able to see the face of the rat coming towards me now, but I was sure I remembered it from my good old days.

"Whats the issue?" He said as he came closer.

"This rat says that he is hungry. But he looks nothing like it" said the lady guard.

I could see his face now. It was Prabal. I removed my hood. I think I saw a shine in those eyes.

"Miles, what are you doing here? I thought you were dead or something. After they caught you, no one ever heard of you again." he said while hugging me.

What was Prabal doing here? As I remember, he was a decent rat, who was always ready to help. Maybe time has changed him after all. No one survives against time, I thought and smiled. I had a mission to accomplish and I was looking for an excuse to take his leave, when another rat showed up. He was even smaller than the earlier one. When the lady guard spoke to him, it was the soft voice again,"You should come inside." When they were going inside, Prabal said to her,"Dont overdo it. There are many more of them." She nodded and they went inside.

I was about to ask Prabal what was going on, but I didnt need to. "We try our best you know. To keep them from dying. But there is never enough food." he said while showing me the way inside,"We always try to keep some cheese for needy rats. But there is always pressure from their side not to give away any."

When I reached inside, it was a long room, as I knew it would be. What I didnt know was, beside the construction line, they had made a kitchen and there was a round table with chairs for dining purposes perhaps. I watched as lady guard carefully cut just enough piece from an already small loaf of cheese, put it in a plate and brought it to small rat who was sitting on a chair. He devoured it within seconds. I knew that desire. There was a cat tied to a pillar. I was surprised to see that someone kept cat as a pet in the rat state.

“I see you have met RD1234,”Prabal said. Lady guard nodded in my direction. “Its her pet cat.” I knew that lady was mad from the start. It is impossible to have hope when you live in state like this if you aren’t mad.

"I have to go," I said as I turned to leave. I had to save this unit and I needed a plan. Prabal soon caught up with me and sensing that something is not right, he asked for explanation. I told him everything as fast as I could. He looked worried.

“This is not the first time they have tried to get inside this building. But they have always failed, for I have closed all the entrances to the building. This time they brought you. God knows what Glennu plans to do next ,”he said.

Well I knew one secret entrance he couldn’t have known. And I saw that it was still open. There would be time to close this, I thought. I had to get rid of the police rats back in the alley. There was a trap entry where the friend of mine was caught. It was rarely known and most of the times, rats caught in there died, as no one knew about that trap. That ending would have been worse than the ending my friend had had. There were few corpses in there, all dressed in uniforms. Glennu’s soldiers we guessed. We opened it and cleaned it.

I went back to the soldiers and guided them into the trap entry. Then we unleashed RD’s cat in there. Lord, did she have a ball or what.

I decided to hang around for some more time. Small rats kept coming one by one. They were all welcomed and fed, and soon, the loaf of cheese was gone.

In the morning, Glennu himself came there. I met him at the door.

“I see you changed sides,” he said.

“I never had a side until now.”

“You are a criminal. You belong in a cage,” he said signaling his soldiers to capture me.

“I am unconquerable unless I wish to be conquered,” I said as I drew my sword.

Ha, those poor soldiers didn’t even realize what struck them. All of them were defeated within seconds. They all ran for their life. My sword was at Glennu’s throat.

“I am going to guard this place from now on and if you ever even dared to look in this direction, I will hunt you down and I wont sleep till the time I have disposed of you in the gutter you belong.”

He nodded through enormous trembling. I released him free.

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The skin on my hands has started withering as winter approaches. I am shivering of old age. Glennu kept his word. For what reason, I don’t care to know. Its almost like a dream. I cant believe that I lived to see the day when my demons don’t visit me anymore. All day long I stand guard of this building. More and more small rats keep coming day by day. The place now has become sufficient to feed an army. So they are all fed well. At last, when I fall in bed at night, I can tell myself ,”Ab sab sahi hai.”

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If you were able to read through the end, Thank You

miles247