'Villain’, ‘Psycho’… yes, that is what they call me. That is what YOU called me. Did I have a choice? NO. Because that is what you had written for me, my fate. And was I even that important? I was just a pawn in my father’s game. I am that typical antagonist who loves money and power and crushes the dignity of people not in power. The one who instantly gets attracted to the sweet and kind female lead. How typical and funny!! That is how you wrote me, which I have never been. I have no control over my life since you hold the reins of my fate.

I was just a child when Mother passed away. I had seen my father being blood-thirsty all his life. Being a gangster, he was always bathed in blood. Mamma was the only good person in Father’s world. She had always hated his ways of dealing with the world. But she had kept quiet since she was scared of him. I too was scared of him – those intense screams, the sound of gunshots, the blood. I would cower in fear whenever I looked at Father and his burly men. Mamma would take me in her lap and hide me away from all that evilness. Alas! She was killed in the same petty game of cruelty, instead of that wicked man that I call ‘father. Her death snatched the hope of staying hidden from the cruel world. I had to hug myself to calm down every time I was faced with evilness. You got my childhood right. But you didn’t know what went through my mind growing up. I never wanted to step into Father’s world. I had the dreams of a simple and beautiful life, of a life filled with smiles and peace, that Mamma had described to me. But you made me a bitter kid. A kid who was initially scared of the evil world but grew up getting used to it, adapting the same cruelty that I hated.

And one day I saw that wicked man getting shot. Not so surprisingly, I was relieved. I thought his empire was going to crumble, and I could finally run away and be free. But you had other plans. That man came out alive, only with a slight limp. He had his right-hand man, ‘Beta’, do all the dirty business for him. That was the moment Father decided that he had to train me to take that throne as his successor. Beta was loyal to his ‘Alpha’; he always stood behind me, teaching me the insides of that dirty world and training me to be tough. Unfortunately, you made me a smart and sharp kid. I was very good at all those stupid skills required to be a gangster. Thankfully, I was never directly involved in those evil dealings. Since, to him, I was an arrogant and impulsive person. He was hesitant to take me as his right or left-hand man. The knife slashes, the wounds while practising fighting never pained me. But why did you make me do all the cruel things that I hated, which you conveniently portrayed to be the things that I loved? You made me attend all those dealings in the drug cartel as the boss’s heir, where I had to witness innocent lives being pulled into a world of darkness. The moment you made me thrash an innocent man just because I wanted some fun? That was the most heart-breaking moment for me. I had become... No, you had turned me into a monster that I had never wanted to become. You were too into the thrill of having written a bone-chilling scene to notice how my hands had shivered when I hit his jaw. But did I have control over any of my actions? I was just your puppet. A character that you wanted people to hate, which you succeeded in. Do you know how I had cried from inside every time I had to ridicule someone, kick those innocent house helps, and torment anyone who came in my way in the name of fun? You covered my tears and the redness of my eyes as anger and madness. You wanted to portray me as a psycho. My heart crumbled when your readers called me that.

I was still reeling in my guilt when the female lead entered. She was sweet, kind and everything that I wasn’t but aspired to be. I met her accidentally when she was helping kids. Cliché! I know!. To be honest, I liked her. No, I wasn’t mesmerised by her beauty, by the way her hair blew with the wind, as you made the readers believe. I wanted to be like her. I thought that she was the light at the end of a dark tunnel. She didn’t know my background. I befriended her to get out of this hellhole. My smiles and laughter were genuine whenever I was with her. I wasn’t bewitched; I couldn’t name what I felt for her. For once in my life, I was happy. Entered, the male lead. The rugged policeman, who too was mesmerised by her kindness. They met, and as the fate written by you, sparks flew around them. Soon she too fell for him. The smile on her face was so different when she spoke about him. Was it jealousy that I felt?! I wasn’t sure. I realised that she was falling for him, and no matter what, they both were going to end up together. I had no chance to be with her, even as a friend. The male lead knew who I was and how dangerous it was for her to be with me. I was ready to let her go. I had already seen too much violence to be fighting for her. But you made me an enraged bull; I had to thrash everything around, go to her and confess my feelings. If that wasn’t enough, you made me claim that she was mine and threaten the male lead. Well, that was all it took for her to go away from me.

Now, the male lead is collecting evidence against the gang. I wish he would take this mafia world down, and I would be out of this evil world. He is under Father’s radar. My experience tells me that you wouldn’t let me sit peacefully. I have to find out what you are planning to do.

Oh! What?! Father.

“Son, that cop has to be brought down. I want that man dead, and I want you to do that.” Is this the first time Father is talking so sweetly to me? You are making me try to kill the male lead. I mean, I know what would happen if I did that. He won’t be dead; he would be shot in a less dangerous spot on his body. I would be punished for shooting him. The female lead would be disgusted with me. They would be living happily ever after, whereas I would be shot in the name of encounter. End of the underboss!!. Well, I would want myself to be punished for all my wrongdoings. Even though I didn’t do any of that intentionally, I am guilty of all the sins I have committed. But getting hated by the person I cherished so much would be much more painful. No, I wouldn’t let you decide what is going to happen to me. Even if I make a small change in the story, I might be able to change the direction of the climax!!

Oh! You are handing me weapons. What do I do?! How do I change everything?! Mamma, help your little boy.

“Boss Junior! Let’s go. The boys are ready.” Beta brought me out of my reverie. Are we leaving already?! To kill the male lead?!

“ Son, make me proud. Prove that you are worthy of being my successor, and you will be rewarded.” Father said with a sly grin.

Why am I not able to stop myself? No, why am I getting in the car? Won’t I be able to change my fate?

“Did you really think you could outsmart me? Guess what? I have always been ahead of you.“ I don’t want to say this… Why am I smirking?!!

“Look, if you surrender, your punishment will be reduced. This is my promise.” The male lead said. Well, I too want that.

“Listen to me. I know those charities that you have been donating to secretly. I know you have a good side too. “ Is that shock on your face, dear author? You never wrote this, had you?

“I won’t spare you. You are finished today. “ Ah!! Why can’t I control my tongue?! You sly author.

My hands are moving towards the pocket of my coat. This was the moment. Author, let me control my hands. Oh no! My hand reached inside my coat. I would pull the gun. Is that a sheet of paper? Oh, you didn’t know, did you?. You were so busy plotting my end that you didn’t notice me wearing a different coat than the one in which weapons were placed. I had slipped a note in my pocket stating, ‘I surrender’. Why can’t I breathe? Why is everything so hazy? Is this the side effect of trying to change the story? No, I won’t let you win.

“This... This letter has every detail of everything that you have to know. I… surrender. “ I had finally uttered what I had to utter, and the world went black. I had changed the story, but at what cost?

…

Am I dead? Why is my head so heavy? Oh, where am I?

“You are up?!“ I heard the gruff voice of the male lead.

He must have noticed my confused stare.

“Based on the information you provided and the evidence I had collected, your father’s gang has been taken down. Many of the gang members have been arrested, and a few were killed…your father was one of them.” He told me, expecting sadness. But all I have been feeling was strange relief.

“Since you voluntarily surrendered, you will have to come with us.” Noticing my silence, he said.

“Though you haven’t committed serious crimes like your father and other mafia members, you will be charged for aiding the mafia, abetting drug deals and assault, which are not insignificant. But since you approved and surrendered voluntarily, the court will reduce your sentence if we prove that.”

“Daniel…” His words brought me out of my thoughts. Yes, I was no more a villain, not a psycho-antagonist, not even an underboss. I was 'Daniel'.

I was handcuffed and taken to the court. This wasn’t what I wanted as a kid. But this was definitely better than what the author and my father had planned for me. I had finally changed the climax. I had rewritten my story.