Vijay: The reluctant woman

Chapter 2: No Other Way

The door shut with a soft click, and for a moment everything was quiet. Vijay stood in the small hallway, breathing hard. The cool air inside the house felt strange on his hot skin. Uncle Raja looked at him for a long second, then gently pulled the kerchief down from Vijay’s face.

“Sit down, boy,” he said softly. “You look like you’ve run all the way from hell.”

Vijay dropped onto the old wooden chair near the door. His legs felt weak. Uncle Raja brought him a glass of water. Vijay drank it in big gulps, some of it spilling down his dusty shirt. The TV was still on in the corner, the news lady talking fast about the “Hyderabad Murder Case” and showing his photo again and again.

Uncle Raja sat opposite him. His kind face was serious now. “Tell me everything, Vijay. From the start. Don’t hide anything.”

Vijay took a deep breath and started talking. The words came out fast at first, then slow, like pulling out heavy stones from his chest. He told about the warehouse, the muffled gunshot, the politician falling dead, Srinivas Rao’s cold eyes turning toward him. He told how he ran through the night, how he saw his own face on every news board at the bus stand, how the police were calling him a killer.

When he finished, the room felt heavier. Vijay looked down at his rough hands. “I didn’t do it, Babai. I just saw it. That’s all.”

Uncle Raja stayed quiet for a while. He rubbed his silver hair and let out a long sigh. “I was expecting something like this would happen one day,” he said. “That’s why I came to you six months ago and gave you my card. I saw your eyes that day — tired, lost, stuck in that dirty world. I told you to get out. But you didn’t listen.”

Vijay felt a sharp pain in his chest. He wanted to say sorry, but the words wouldn’t come.

Uncle Raja continued, his voice calm but firm. “We cannot change what happened. What’s done is done. Right now you are a wanted man. The police are searching everywhere. They will check every person you know — friends, old neighbors, even family. They will reach my door too, sooner or later. You cannot stay like this.”

Vijay’s hands started shaking again. “Then what should I do, Babai? I have nowhere else to go.”

Uncle Raja stood up slowly. “There is only one way to escape for now. You need a disguise so complete that even your own brother would not recognize you. And luckily for you…” he gave a small, serious smile, “you came to the right place. I spent thirty years turning actors into completely different people for films. I know how to hide a face.”

He looked straight into Vijay’s eyes. “But you have to listen to me carefully. You have to trust me. This is the only chance you have right now. Come with me.”

Vijay followed him down a narrow corridor. Uncle Raja opened a door at the end. Inside was a small room filled with lights, mirrors, and shelves. Boxes and bags were neatly arranged everywhere. It looked like a mini film studio. On one table sat rows of makeup brushes, bottles of creams, and fake hair pieces.

Uncle Raja opened a big cupboard and pulled out two things. First, a long, thick black wig that shone under the light. Then a simple but bright green saree with a matching blouse, neatly folded.

He placed them on the table.

Vijay stared at the wig and saree. His stomach turned cold. He understood exactly what his uncle meant. “No,” he said at once, stepping back. His voice came out rough and angry. “Babai, no. Not this. Anything but this. I can’t… I won’t dress like a woman.”

Uncle Raja did not shout. He simply looked at Vijay with tired but steady eyes. “You don’t have a choice, Vijay. If you walk out of this house as a man, they will catch you before tomorrow morning. This is the only way to become invisible.”

Before Vijay could argue again, the lights in the whole house suddenly went off. The fan stopped spinning. Darkness covered everything. Only a little moonlight came through the small window.

Uncle Raja calmly lit two candles on the table. The soft golden light danced on the walls and made the wig look alive.

“Sit down,” he said quietly.

Vijay stood frozen for a few seconds, his heart beating wildly. The candle flames flickered. The long black hair of the wig shone like it was waiting for him. The green saree lay folded, ready to change everything.

Uncle Raja picked up the wig and gently placed it on the table closer to Vijay.

The transformation had begun.

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To be continued...