Dr Nishant was constantly clicking his pen as he studied the case files of a newly apprehended serial killer who caused a stir in the city after murdering four people in the adjacent town of Zori. As he attempted to comprehend him before speaking to him in person, the clicking sound of the pen rang around the empty investigation room. Nishant was set to leave his job as a criminal psychologist and return to his hometown with his family, but he decided to stay for this case since it aroused his interest. The perpetrator was a 13-year-old child, not an adult who would know what he was doing. He was horrified to learn that in just four months, a little child killed four people with a kitchen knife. He wanted to know all there was to know about him, and he wanted his final case to be as unforgettable and intriguing as this one.

"Bring him to me," Nishant told the police officer positioned outside the door. The police officer took the youngster into the inquiry room with him. He was cuffed and made his way slowly towards the doctor's chair. The child's eyes were lifeless as if they couldn't communicate any feelings any longer. His face looked pallid as if he hadn't slept in a long time. He sat in the chair slowly, looking down at the ground, but it did not appear that he was guilty, but rather that he was unclear of what he had done.

“Hi! "My name is Nishant, and I'm a doctor," he explained. The boy showed no reaction to it and continued to stare at the ground. "How were you able to murder those four people?" Nishant said, "if you talk, I think I can assist you. You appear to be rather young..."

Arjun said, "There was a good rat." “What?” Nishant inquired. "Once upon a time, there was a good rat....a happy rat that used to dwell in his modest burrow midst the rocks. He would come out, seek for food, and then return to his house to eat it," he said. Nishant set his pen down and listened intently to the kid with his eyes wide open. "One day, a nasty rat would come along and take his food while he was looking for food. The good rat would return home disappointed, and this would happen every day. The good rat discovered food, but the nasty rat took it. Food was discovered, and it was stolen... The good rat once let the nasty rat steal the food, but the nasty rat eventually died in its house. The good rat discovered rat poison, but the wicked rat just considered taking the food without realizing what he was doing. The pleasant life of the good rat had returned.”

"How come you're telling me this?" asked Nishant. "Doctor, is the good rat still good, or has he turned evil?" Arjun inquired. "I see that the nice rat was bullied," Nishant reasoned, "but going too far like killing is evil. So it's possible that it's suddenly a bad rat.”

"I don't disagree," Arjun responded. "You're correct, it's turned into a terrible rat. But what options does he have? What if someone actually takes what you desire... or makes your life a living hell? Isn't it counter-intuitive to be evil in order to combat evil? Why do people believe that a good person can never become a bad person and that a terrible person can never become a good person? What if the nice rat gave him a chance to live? Then it's a danger to his own life because he would have died of starvation. Now tell me is the rat now good or bad?”

"Why did you kill two people over the age of 30 and two teenagers?" Nishant questioned. For a brief while, Arjun gazed up and stared at the ceiling, and Nishant's gaze fell into line. "Because they didn't deserve to live, at least in my eyes," Arjun said.

4 years ago.....

"Arjun, your father has arrived to pick you up. You are no longer required to reside in our orphanage," Ms Mary stated. "I am back my son, now we can live together," a tall guy said as he entered the room with a bag in his hand.

Subash, Arjun's father, has been absent from his family for many years due to his military service. Since the day he was born, he hadn't even looked at his son. His wife died shortly after Arjun was born. He was placed in an orphanage until his father returned. Finally, the day has arrived for Subash to take an extended vacation from the army in order to spend time with his son. "Papa," Arjun said. Subash's eyes welled up with tears as he said, "Come, let's go home"

A span of four months has passed. Arjun had made it to his father, but something was wrong. He would simply sit in his room, drink, and weep. He was glad he was able to meet his son, but he never spent any time with him. Arjun used to say, "Papa, come let's play." "Not now," Subash would answer with a smile, "but definitely next time." This was something he used to say all the time. After a year, Arjun began to wonder if his father would return. "Will papa abandon me in the orphanage once more?" he wondered.

"Papa, Papa!" said Arjun as he returned home with his soccer ball after playing with his friend. We won in today's contest. "How are you doing?" He called his father. Then he hears two voices, one of his father's and the other of an unknown guy, both heavy. "So, will you bring Arjun with you?" Subash asked. "Where is he taking me?" Arjun wondered as he peered out the window carefully.

"Sure, we'll look after him well. You may go hide now" the other guy responded, his age clearly greater than his father's. He wore a black coat and was bald and slender. "Hide?" Arjun wondered. "My son should not know the reality about my life," his father added. "Don't worry, we'll make him forget about you, and you can forget about him," the elderly guy said as he stood up, noticing Arjun peering through the window.

Arjun's eyes lit up as he dashed into his room. Subash screamed, "Arjun...". Wait" the old guy said, "we'll take care of it." Arjun was taken away from his father by two other men who entered his room and grabbed him. He was forced to sit in a vehicle. "Papa!! Papa!" cried Arjun, " I'm not sure where they're bringing me. "I don't want to go,". Subash did nothing but stand there and watch as his son was taken away.

He was placed in a different orphanage. It was darker than the previous orphanage where he had lived. It wasn't as vibrant and bright as the last one. Instead of playing with him, the other did not pay attention to him. He used to weep himself to sleep in his room. The children's caretakers never used to feed them properly. Even when the youngsters began fighting and behaving aggressively, no one seemed to notice. The youngsters there gradually became enraged, fighting over food, a bed, a place to sleep, and even placing bets among themselves. Every day, blood would trickle from any of the children. Arjun remained mute, days passed, years passed, but he made no response to anything. He never spoke to the other kids, either. The caretakers would believe he's special since he's one of the first children who hasn't been affected by their treatment.

"Hey there, kid! Why do you keep your mouth shut? Wanna fight with us?" a bald-headed teenager said, smiling as he said it with his friend. Arjun averted his gaze. They brought Arjun into the main hall and challenged everyone to fight with him. “No!" Before Arjun could finish, he was smacked in the face with a fist. They had an opportunity to beat the youngster one by one. Arjun had been unable to wake up for hours, and no one seemed to notice. He would never leave his room again after that. Every day, just close his door and think something.

He noticed a rat bringing rat poison into its spot one day, then another rat came along and snatched the rat poison and began eating it. The rat would stand by and watch as the other rat ate it, finally freezing to death. From then on, the rat would bring himself genuine food. "Why is this happening to me?" he wondered as he witnessed this.

“Oi! Do the labour," giggled the two teenagers outside the orphanage near the garden. Arjun dashed in front of them onto a deserted street. “Hey!" They asked, "Where are you going?" They ended themselves on that deserted street as they followed Arjun. He pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed both of the teenagers. He thought to himself, "Done...two more." That night, he ran away from the orphanage to his father's house. He then noticed his father outdoors, drinking and staring at the night sky. He then noticed Arjun beyond the gate and said, "Arjun...? What are you doing..." Subash was taken aback. Arjun approached him gently, holding the same knife in his hand. "What are you doing?" Subash said, his hand quivering.

"Don't worry, Father. I got out of there, and now I'm coming for you. Why did they take me there?" he inquired, his eyes lifeless and his voice low. As he was almost happy to see his father back. He saw a car approaching, a man running out of it. “Subash! that kid...” it was the old man who took him away. He then stopped after seeing Arjun in front of him. “Why did you let him leave?” asked Subash. “Papa?” Arjun mumbled. “I am not your father, I don’t even know you,” said Subash. Arjun's eyes widened as tears rolled out of them. “He is not your father, your real father was someone else,” said the old man.

"The orphanage where you reside is a breeding ground for tough kids who will grow up to be terrorists. This world is in desperate need of the threat it so well deserves. We require aggressive leaders who are young enough to scare the nation. You were a participant in training and a child of one of our prior cases. Your biological father was also a member of the orphanage, but he betrayed us by marrying a woman and having a child, you. We assassinated him and abducted him, but your mother placed you in a regular orphanage, promising that his actual father would return one day. Finally, we were able to locate you, and I believe you are capable of terrifying the entire nation without any training. Did you kill those teenagers?” explained the old man

Arjun, enraged, murdered both men and fled.

Present Day

"So you claim there was an orphanage that turned children into terrorists, and you were a part of it, but you fled after killing those four people?" Dr Nishant had asked. "Yes," Arjun said. "Impossible," Dr Nishant laughed, "if that type of organization existed, they would be arrested. You're a natural storyteller from a young age." Arjun locked his gaze on the doctor. "So, where is the orphanage?" says the doctor. "What about the other children there?”

"Do you know about the old collector's bungalow in the forest?" Arjun inquired. "Yes, it is abandoned, and no one goes there," the doctor responded. "It was the orphanage," Arjun said, his eyes widening. "Was?" said Nishant, looking at him. "Ask the cops to go there right now," Arjun urged. The doctor carried out his instructions. The doctor said to himself, "I don't believe all of this.”

"Sir..." said one of the officers as he dashed into the investigation room, he was breathing heavy. "The bungalow has entirely burned down. We discovered almost 30 casualties so far, and we're still counting. The police force is on its way there, along with a forensic team". "What?" said Dr Nishant as he set down his pen and got up. After that, he gave Arjun a terrified expression. "Can you tell me what you did? You didn't do that, did you?" Nishant said, his voice breaking. "Now tell me, is the rat now good or bad?" Arjun grinned and repeated.

The End