Death and Dishonor

by Abhimanyu Saxena

  CLINK!!!

  All of this happened in a fraction of a second. After throwing the tool, I quickly hid behind an old machine to my left and waited for an opportune moment. To my surprise, the moment came sooner than expected. Both of the officers reversed their path and quickly raced to the upper floor. I tip-toed my way to her at the back and tapped her shoulder.

  “Are you ready?” I asked.

  She nodded and with caution, I pulled the door open. There was complete darkness in the room but what we saw outside made us shit our pants. It was Zayed, and he stood right in front of us.

  “Here we go again,” I muttered under my breath.

  CAUGHT

  He stood a few meters away from us. It was the darkness inside that had given us a few more minutes otherwise Zayed was at the striking distance, and we couldn’t have done anything. He was unable to see anything, but it wouldn’t be long until his eyes got used to the new surroundings. I still had a handgun, but we were surrounded by the Police from all sides. I placed my hand on Tia’s mouth so that she didn’t make a sound but what she did, was far worse. She bit my fingers as mercilessly as she could. I didn’t know whether it was in the heat of the moment or she didn’t recognize my hand, but the pain was excruciating.

  “Argh!” I cried with my teeth tightly clenched.

  I wanted to pinch her or hit her to stop her biting. Tears were flowing through my eyes because of the pain. This was it – I wasn’t murdered or sentenced to death, but I would die of a girl biting the flesh off my hand. The fingers of my left hand had swollen, and I prayed to God that she left me soon otherwise I was gone. Surprisingly, she left the hand immediately, and I took a deep sigh of relief. I tapped her elbow and motioned her to hide to the left. There was a whiteboard there which was humongous in size. She complied and quickly rushed towards it.

  “Where are you Arjun? Running and hiding is pointless. Come out along with Tia, and it will all be easier.”

  I raced my mind as to what could be the best possible solution out of this as I had no intention to be caught or killed today. I could just dash straight ahead toppling Zayed, but Tia was hidden inside. I knew one thing though, I had a minute or two to do something. I could see another shadow outside, that meant there was one more officer with Zayed. Before I could have done something, it was Zayed who stepped right towards her. He was about to look behind the huge whiteboard when I pounced on him.

  I had figured it out that only an element of surprise could have helped us escape and I didn’t waste more time analyzing about other strategies. I jumped on him and quickly toppled him to the side, he fell on the old board head-on. The impact had definitely caused some concussion, and this was our golden opportunity. I caught hold of Tia’s hand and dragged her with me to the back door.

  “Arjun, they have surrounded us. It’s over.”

  I took a deep breath. “Nothing is over until I say so.”

  The other officer had heard the sound of the crash and rushed inside. He pulled his gun out and pointed towards me. However, my left hand was at the most vulnerable stage possible all thanks to Tia. I hit him with my gun at the back of his head, and he fell unconscious on the floor.

  “Arjun, he is starting to move,” she added pointing towards Zayed.

  At that moment, the officer’s walkie-talkie beeped.

  “Madan, is everything alright there? Did you catch the perps? Over.”

  Tia looked at me with a blank expression. My initial thought was to turn it off, but it would have increased the suspicion.

  “Madan, do you copy?”

  I picked the instrument up, pressed the knob on the top and made the worst fake voice ever.

  “It is all clear here over. The boss says to keep a lookout on the front entrance; we have got eyes on the back. Over and out.”

  Tia had a smile on her face. “You have crazy skills.”

  “You have crazy teeth.”

  We stepped out of the building and looked around us cautiously. There was an alleyway which was free of cops. I didn’t know where it led to, but it was our safest bet.

  “Let’s run without looking back.”

  At that moment, she felt something behind her. She turned around immediately to see Zayed’s hand on her shoulder. His breath was erratic, and he held his head with the other hand. She pushed him aside, and he fell to the floor without trouble.

  “You got him good Arjun. He is out.”

  I nodded, somehow appreciating the willpower of that officer. “Let’s run now.”

  ~*~

  Pratap paced frantically in his chamber. There was no update from Zayed today. Pratap could have sworn that he saw a fire in his eyes. He tried to gather any Intel from wherever possible, but no one knew where he was.

  “Ye saala hawa me hi ud raha hai ab,” he shouted.

  “Sahib, why are you in tension? He is no match to you,” replied Constable Dharampal.

  “I know that. Everyone knows about his dirty deeds, but with the exposure from Devraj, he has started thinking of himself very highly.

  “Sahib, hasn’t he told you where did he go today with all the Policemen?”

  Pratap was breathing fire. He took a deep breath and shouted out.

  “FUCK OFF!”

  ~*~

  We ran frantically just stopping to catch our breaths. After reaching a stranded place, Tia fell down. She couldn’t run anymore and struggled for air.

  “Tia, we cannot waste any more time. I bet they would be after us.”

  “I ca- ca- can’t run any further.”

  “You have to. I am public enemy number one, and you are in danger yourself because of me.”

  “I kn-knew where I was getting involved.”

  I thought about the turn of events that had caused my life to go haywire. All I did was run, nobody was safe with me. Karma is a bitch, but in my case, it was a motherfucking bitch.

  “Okay, we wait here for five minutes, then we leave.”

  She nodded and fell in my arms unconscious as I was kneeling down beside her. I looked around for water but didn’t find any. I couldn’t have left her in order to find some. Then astonishingly, I found a half filled water bottle near a dumpster.

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  I picked up the bottle and opened it quickly. After sprinkling some water drops on her face, she opened her eyes weakly.

  “Tia, have some water.”

  She opened her mouth cutely and gulped down the water in a go. A strand of hair was irritating her as it kept falling on her left eye. I caught hold of the strand and tucked it behind her ear. At that moment, I don’t know what happened, but something took over me, and I couldn’t control my urges. I leaned towards her, and our lips met. She was taken by surprise, but her eyes closed instantly, and her lips opened a little. The moment felt magical when my lips pressed against hers. Nothing mattered anymore; this was one of the best feelings I ever had. I bit her lower lip slowly until she moaned a little. To my surprise, she slid her tongue inside my mouth, and the taste of her tongue was out of this world. I was ecstatic and on cloud nine. However, my fate had something else planned for me. Out of the blue, I felt a loud thud on my head from behind. I staggered on the floor. I opened my eyes feebly. To my horror, I found Zayed standing in front of me with a wooden stick in his hand. Tia tried to punch him, but he pushed her aside easily.

  “You two horny sick fucks are really something. Never heard of ‘get a room’ did you?”

  I scoffed at him. “Do not lay your hands on her.”

  He laughed. “Next time, don’t indulge in your lovemaking during a manhunt.”

  “Get on with your business! Where are the rest of your cop buddies?”

  “They were a liability. Now I can easily kill you both without thinking of taking you into custody.”

  “And here I thought that you were an honest cop,” I added.

  “I am more honest than you ever were. I know about all the drug smuggling, girl tr
afficking, and illegal liquor trafficking. Plus, you killed off an honest reporter, who was a gem of a person. And still, no sign of regret, here you are trying to get laid with another girl.”

  I don’t know what triggered me, but I couldn’t stand still. I leaped towards him and punched him right on his face. He didn’t waste any time too and returned the honor likewise. I was already concussed, so it was a hell of a task for me to strike him. I caught hold of his neck and tried to choke him, but he freed himself up and drove my face to the ground.

  “You fight like an old man. All the stories regarding the great Arjun Rathore were just stories.”

  “You don’t know me and the alle-allegations that you pointed out are all lies.”

  Zayed placed his leg on my back in a triumphant way. “No one believed me when I said that I could capture you, but here I am. I have slain the beast; serves you right for everything that you have done. I won’t dirty my hands with your blood, the justice system will take care of you, and I will make sure that you rot in a cell. Everyone is bad naming the Delhi Police because of people like you.”

  I tried to get up but only managed to turn around. Now, his right leg was on my stomach.

  Tia was unable to hold her anger. She tried to jump on him, but he easily evaded her.

  “You pig. You are just doing this so that Devraj wins the election after blaming an honest person.”

  The smile on his face disappeared. “I don’t work for him, neither I am in his pocket nor do I care who wins the election, but I cannot let a person like Arjun live freely. If you help me and turn into a Government informant, I will get you into Witness protection, and you can divulge all the details on him.”

  “In your dreams,” she replied.

  I let out a huge chuckle and was instantly kicked in the face by him.

  “If you don’t help then I will ensure that you are tried with the charges of ‘aiding and abetting’ among many more slapped on you.”

  She was about to say something when I realized that I had an opening. I swung my right leg upwards with all my might into Zayed’s crotch. It was a painful scene to witness let alone experience it. He fell on his knees, and I quickly took care of the business with a straight sidekick on his temple. He lay unconscious on the floor, and I stood up from the ground wiping the blood on my face. There were a couple of bystanders who had gathered. Tia had a smile on her face, and I hugged her.

  “Let’s go back to the church now.”

  ~*~

  Devraj cleared his throat and looked at all the press reporters. He gulped down a bottle of water and wiped his lips. He was in his trademark white khaki kurta pajama and a saffron tilak on his forehead.

  “Namaste, today I am here to address the capital one last time before the voting begins. Our party has already distributed our manifestos, and we plan to right all the wrongs by our current CM Satyendra Singh. I have been on my toes, and I intend to improve the city just like I did in Mirzapur.”

  As soon as he stopped, there were a plethora of questions, and hands being shot in the air by all the correspondents.

  “I won’t be taking any questions today –”

  “Sir, why was your nephew Ajeet hiding for all this time? Is he guilty of something?”

  Devraj took a deep breath. He was caught in a dilemma whether to answer these questions and raise a hundred more or ignore this and raise a doubt in the people’s mind just before the vote.

  “He was mentally traumatized by the false allegations from his friend – the disgraced Arjun Rathore. He had left the city to find peace as I have told earlier, and I didn’t know when he came back. I guess he finally cleared his mind and all the negative vibes.”

  “Sir, what about the promises that you made for capturing Arjun? The CM has stated your steps to be nothing but publicity gimmick.”

  Devraj laughed out loud. “He will get his answer after the voting, once his party is thrashed out of the state. No more questions. Jai Hind!”

  With this, he stood up and left the stage. Once he was backstage, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

  “Why was I not informed that Ajeet had joined the force? Sabke saamne chutiya banwa dia.”

  “Sorry, sir! I didn’t know about it too.”

  “Listen, you are my campaign manager. If I see another mistake from your side, you won’t be left alive. Bastard.”

  “Sure s- sir. Should I arrange a meeting with him?”

  Devraj scoffed. “Will it help in getting votes?”

  “Umm sir, I don’t think – ”

  “The question was rhetorical Satish. I don’t want to meet my spoiled nephew. He is an incessant fuck. Go, and find me some orphanage or a temple; it will surely touch the hearts of our people. The vote is in six days. It is time now that you buckle up if you want to stay alive.”

  “Yes sir,” Satish replied.

  Devraj placed the phone back in his pocket. “I am surrounded by a bunch of fuckers!”

  ~*~

  The whole journey back to the church was uneventful. I kept a hand on Tia’s shoulder and remained cautious about everything. I had covered my face with a muffler in the auto, and she just sat with her head down.

  “It’s the Sunday mass, isn’t it?” I asked when we arrived.

  She looked ahead and saw the church. There was a gathering, and the place looked lively. The place was filled with men and women, young and old. She smiled. “John would be delighted.”

  I nodded. “Sorry for all this mess, Tia.”

  She shushed me. “My friend betrayed us today. I should be the one apologizing, but let’s not do that anymore.”

  I smiled. “Let’s join the old man inside, what say?”

  She agreed and hopped inside the church courtyard instantly. There was a hoard of people in that courtyard which was outside the church’s hall. I joined them and was about to go into the hall when I looked back. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Zayed, standing a couple of buildings left to the church. He looked at me and smiled. The guy was like a zombie – nothing could keep him down. For the first time in a very long time, I was scared. The church was the only place that I felt safe. It was my ‘safe haven.’ John was like a father to me, and all of this was gone now. I had put all of their lives in danger. This surely meant that I had to do something – either take care of Zayed or leave this place. I dreaded both the choices. Out of the corner or my eye, I saw John, who was ecstatic and on top of this world. He was so happy to see both Tia and me but immediately sensed that something was wrong.

  “COPS!” I mouthed and hoped that he would have got it.

  All of his joy vanished in a second. He pushed his spectacles on the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath as Zayed stepped forward with a bunch of Police officers.

  ~*~

  Zayed had his eyes fixed on the prey. Arjun was right in front of him. He would never have expected the church to be the hiding place. He wondered why Arjun was being given refuge there after all the crimes that he has committed. Church should have been the last place where a savage criminal like him would be allowed to enter, but all of this cat and mouse chase was about to end for good.

  “Sir, hats off to your wits. Amidst all of this chase, you still managed to put a tracker on them.”

  Zayed smiled. He knew that he had done well. When he was about to catch them at the old factory, Arjun thwarted him, but he had managed to get up and place a tracker on Tia’s shoulder. Arjun had thought that he was trying to catch hold of her, but the truth was something else entirely. He looked at his tracking device, and the blinking dot was static.

  “Game, set, and match.”

  He was about to step inside when many things happened at the same time. Arjun pushed his way inside the hall and was not in the courtyard anymore plus the father of the church, an old man, had stopped him in his path.

  “Son, what are you doing here?”

  “Please get aside, and let us do our work. The animal Arjun is inside the church alo
ng with his associate,” replied Zayed, taking out his gun.

  “Lord Jesus! Please put that thing inside. This is a place of God and not a butcher shop.”

  Zayed scoffed. He was getting pissed off. “Listen, Sir, khuda ke liye, please let the Police do their work.”

  But John had something else in his mind altogether. “Here, arrest me officer, and take me with you, but please let the mass happen peacefully. The world needs a little bit of prayer and peace amidst all this chaos-”

  Zayed looked inside, and Arjun was nowhere to be seen. He ordered five-six officers to cover the back door. He wouldn’t let Arjun fool him twice, and that too in the same way.

  “Will you let us search the premises or should I fire a bullet here to make you understand?”

  The devotees felt something was wrong, and there was a sense of commotion. John stood at the topmost stone step and addressed all of them.

  “Please carry on with your songs and carols. The God is with us today. Please don’t worry about anything else.”

  He smiled and stepped down to face Zayed, who was getting restless with each passing second.

  “If you want me to talk straight with you, I will do that. This is a place of worship, and you brought guns and unrest to this holy place. If you want to search the premises, show me the search warrant, and I would happily allow you to do the same.”

  “That’s bullshit. You don’t even understand what you are doing. Many lives are in danger if you don’t let me in today.”

  John placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have already told you what to do.”

  Zayed nodded. He ordered four officers to stay in the front, and keep an eye out on all of the people going in or out. He quickly dialed a number on his mobile.