Cross Roads: Pick a Path

by Janaath Vijayaseelan

  “Nilani go,” I said, giving her a little shove on the shoulder. Aiming my gun to her head, I walked back slowly towards the SUV door. Opening the vehicle door, I noticed Nilani enthused to run into her father’s arms. However she turned to look at me, and for some odd reason her face seemed to be drowned in disappointment; it bothered me.

  Chapter 12 - Making Amends

  I haven’t gotten much sleep since yesterdays incident. I haven’t even got the time to go over to the Duranji residence to seek punishment; well assuming they weren’t pleased with actions. Instead, I have been practicing my shot at an abandoned warehouse; I’ve come to notice that gun handling is a must. I don’t want to be that one guy who is wasting bullets, shooting into space.

  Remone accompanied me half way through, and he told me that I have become a fine shot. I guess that’s what happens when you spend an entire day practicing. Although the compliments did not last too long, soon he began pestering me with questions of how I will explain things to Marona. To be honest I didn’t know how to explain myself either. I mean, Miran now has a fractured leg and nose; I even let Nilani return home in peace. My intentions were right, and I do not doubt it at all, but I don’t know if they will understand my true intentions.

  “We have to go over to Marona’s,” said Remone.

  I could have avoided it for a bit longer, but it was probably best if I don’t evade this problem. Remone drove, as I started preparing for every possible scenario. Remone mentioned that there wasn’t any form of hostility when Verone spoke to him over the phone; which put my mind at ease. Upon reaching the house, I noticed that most henchmen were starting to get more familiar to me. A lot of them simply nodded their head, which is usually a form of acknowledgement.

  Verone was already outside; I assume he was giving a job to the henchmen. Stopping me in my tracks he said,” Have a seat inside, I’ll get father.” As Remone mentioned, there wasn’t any noticeable intimidation in Verone’s tone. I really didn’t need to fear for anything to go wrong, and I was right as I saw Marona approach me with a huge smile. Getting up from the couch, I was the recipient of a tight hug.

  “My son, my son,” he exclaimed.

  “You aren’t mad at me?” I asked.

  “Arrun, why would I be upset with you? Because of you the commissioner has decided to cut ties with Khan! I don’t care how you did it, but you got the job done and that’s all that matters. Impressive kid, you just came and you’ve already made a significant impact on the empire. As for the situation between you and Miran; you’ll have to deal with that on your own.”

  “Where is Miran,” I asked with great hesitation. It makes sense for us to make a stronger relationship, especially with outsiders wanting the empire to fall. If we can resolve our issues, it will benefit all of us. Maybe I will have to come down a little bit; but knowing Miran, he is just going to be furious with me. Marona looked in direction of the room to the right; I understood that he must be in there.

  Peaking into the room I noticed Miran lying down in his bed, with a brace over his left knee, a few stiches and a bandaged nose. I hated the guy, but watching anyone in such a condition is hard; knowing that I was responsible did not help either. To my disbelief Miran gestured me to come closer; I was expecting a lot more anger, but he seemed rather cool. “Thank you,” he whispered as I stepped closed. Pure confusion ran through my mind. I was responsible for his state, yet he wants to thank me?

  “You did the right thing, you made the right choice by stopping me. I get that you had to hit me; what I appreciate more was you saving me. You could have easily just let me bleed out, or even get shot down by one of Khans men, but you didn’t. You actually helped me get out of that place and get medical attention. I’m indebted to you. I also heard of you getting the commissioner off our case; I guess you’re alright.”

  I could not believe that it was Miran speaking; everything seemed so out of character. I didn’t want to trust him, but he actually seemed like he was being true to the words that came out of his mouth. I thought I was the one that had to come down to make this relationship work, but he made things a lot easier. Yet there was still a slight tension and pride that stopped me from actually uttering a word to Miran, although I did give him nod to acknowledge the words that came from his mouth.

  When I came out the door I bumped into Thambi, knocking over his plate of food. “Sorry brother,” I said, desperately attempting to hold back laughter. The poor guy looked as if he just went through a bad break up, the way he stared down at the plate of food all over the floor.

  “It’s okay, is everything cool between you and Miran,” he questioned.

  “Yeah, it’s all good,” I responded; I noticed smiles across the faces of individuals around the room. I guess everyone was hoping for us to eventually get along. Our bad blood was just holding the empire from growing any further; it was right to make amends.

  It was great that we made amends and all, but what mattered more was the fact that Khan is still out planning the next hit. I was able to catch both Verone and Marona at once. “I need to talk to the both of you,” I demanded; and as they gave me their undivided attention I had to voice what had to be done.

  “We can’t just sit around and do nothing! Marona, from the moment we set foot on ground, Khan has attempted a hit. He wants you dead, and he has made it clear on two occasions; I’m pretty sure the whole situation in Toronto was his doing as well. If we don’t take initiative and send a message soon, he’ll surely get us all. Marona, I don’t understand how you’ve remained so calm after all that has happened. Seriously, lets do something!”

  “Verone, this is why I love this kid,” exclaimed Marona.

  “Arrun, always so quick to pull the trigger. I heard you’ve been practicing your shot, are you already so anxious to test your skills? Young blood let me tell you something; I didn’t get to the top by rushing every decision I made. Of course I want to get rid of Shekhar Khan, he’s been bugging me for years. Plus he hadn’t only attempted a hit on me; he tried to take my sons life as well. There is no forgiving that, and so we’ve waited; I guess you’re right. It is time for our move isn’t it? I’ve got a plan in store, and he won’t see it coming. Be patient with me, we’ll go over the plan sometime today. Though the main focus of the day is to celebrate, because it’s Verone’s birthday.”

  “Happy birthday brother,” I wished Verone. I guess Marona was right; he is the wise one. I have been a bit anxious to get myself involved in the business, and it could be because I want to make a statement, but I was just tired of losing, even when all others saw recent events as a victory. With every passing moment, I could not help but think that I was going to lose another life around me.

  ~

  The time was 6pm when I stepped into the shower, and fifteen minutes later I started hearing a call of my name. I jumped into my sweatpants and made my way down the stairs. Half way down I asked Remone to tell me who’s asking for me “You have to see this for yourself,” said Remone. “Aren’t you going to ask me to come in,” inquired a voice. It was Nilani, why on Earth did she come here? This is the last thing I needed; I actually thought I would never have to see her again.

  “Not bad,” she joked, as I placed my hands over my chest feeling naked.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I questioned.

  “What? I can’t visit a friend,” she replied.

  “A friend? Are you serious? How’d you get our address?” I asked.

  “I’m the police commissioners daughter, remember,” she answered in amusement.

  “Good luck with this brother,” laughed Remone as he walked out the front door.

  Why me? Why me, is all I could ask myself. With everything happening around us, the last thing I needed was Nilani’s attention. “Why did you come here,” I asked walking back up the stairs. “I just felt like seeing you,” she responded, as she followed me up, and through the door to my room. I couldn’t help but think that she was catching feelings for
me. What else is a guy to assume when a girl that he kidnapped came looking for him, without the police?

  “Are you looking for a shirt,” she asked curiously.

  “No, I’m just casually digging through my clothes,” I replied sarcastically.

  She must have noticed my irritation to her presence, but she didn’t seem to care. She was a beautiful girl and all, and sure if my mind were in the right place, I would have probably made a move by now. Unfortunately I knew mentally I would not be ready to allow another women into my life. The life I chose was not of any help either; I could lose my life at any moment these days. I would be a moron to let Nilani get close, leaving her to deal with my loss.

  “You should really leave Nilani,” I suggested.

  “But why, couldn’t we just talk for a bit,” she countered.

  My will was not strong enough to ask her to leave twice. A part of me wanted to talk to her from the moment I laid eyes on her. But isn’t it wrong? It has only been a few months since Hasini passed, it wouldn’t be right to move on so soon. Though Hasini would want me to; she wouldn’t want me to be the emotional wreck that I am today. I asked God to show me a sign, could Nilani be so?

  “For a bit, but not too long,” I replied, giving in to her pressure.

  “To be honest, I really wanted to hear you finish off your story. You know, the one that you were telling me of, on the balcony. I couldn’t sleep last night, I kept thinking about you. I know how it sounds, but hear me out. I just couldn’t understand why you went out of your way to help me, and then the way you handled the situation with my father. You don’t seem to be like the rest of them; obviously there’s more to you, and I just want to know. Actually, I need to know.”

  “First of all, I’ve already explained why I saved you. I have or had many important women figures in my life, and I wouldn’t have let anything happen to them. If you’re referring to me taking you home, instead of keeping you captive, there’s reasoning for that too. I used you as my bargaining chip to get your dad off our case; he was working with another criminal to kill my boss. Who by the way is actually more of father figure to me now, something I grew up without.”

  “Why the hostility? I know you’re just trying to push me away. I just don’t get why.”

  “Do you really want to know, because I’m actually tired of keeping everything a secret from everyone. People are always so lost, wondering why I do things the way I do. Where did I stop my story? My Siblings? I have five siblings back in Toronto, and a stepmother who passed. Life was hard but we moved on, and then I met a girl. One girl, and every aspect of my life came tumbling down. Hasini, she was the first girl I met that made me feel complete. I was going to marry her; I even bought a place for us. Unfortunately I lost her in a car accident a few months back, and it condemned me to darkness. I came here after a series of unforeseen events, and as odd as it may seem, the new life here has been helping me free my mind.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t see that coming,” she responded regretfully.

  “It’s alright, I wouldn’t expect anyone to,” I replied; walking towards my pack of smokes I asked her to join me outside. Nilani didn’t utter a word as she followed me to the rooftop. She watched as I took seat at the edge of the house, looking out at the city. “Well aren’t you going to join me,” I asked, staring at her as she stood quietly. She smiled gracefully, prior to taking a seat next to me. “So you’ll never love a girl the same,” she questioned hesitantly.

  “Nilani, I’ll never love any else the way I did Hasini. Although there is no saying that I may love someone more, someday. I’ve yet to meet someone more open-minded than her; she thought of things in the most beautiful ways. With her I believed I could’ve lived life to full extents. There was this one time, she told me to find love even if she passes. How many girls would desire the same? The depression I’ve gained over the past months is not just a result of her death. I placed myself into a dark world to further understand the beliefs she passed on to me.”

  “She is something else, I get why you miss her so much,” replied Nilani. We remained quiet for a brief moment before she delivered me with a shock. “Do you think it would ever work between us?” she asked. I didn’t know what to say, she caught me by surprise. I had a suspicion that things were going in this direction, but I didn’t think it’d come so soon.

  “Nilani, think before you speak. I’m a criminal Nilani; I’ve killed people. You’re the daughter of the Police Commissioner. What makes you think that it’ll ever work? You’re well educated, and you’ve got a lot going for you in the future. Me, I walk out of the house prepared to die with every passing moment. Just walk away now Nilani; it’s the best thing to do.”

  “Couldn’t you just give it a chance Arrun,” she pleaded, as a tear stroked down her cheek. I didn’t know what to say; my thoughts made me believe that if she were here any longer, I maybe give the relationship a chance. “Nilani, I think its better if you leave now,” I suggested, hoping she’d leave. “Fine I’ll leave, but you’ll love me someday, I know it!” she shouted. She got up and walked away, wiping her tears, as she took final glance at me before heading down the stairs.

  I listened as I heard Nilani storm out the door, I assume she came here in hopes of things going much smoother. Staring out at the city retiring for the day, I began to question if she was in love? More over was I in love? No, it can’t be possible. I hardly even know her, how am I to call this love? Then again, why did I care so much? She was a just another person, nothing but a job. That is all I did right, my job? It was the first glance wasn’t it; she whirled me in. So easily, am I really that vulnerable? Wait, what if it was the similarities; Nilani reminded me of Hasini a numerous amount of times. Is it wrong for me to run into her arms because she reminded me of Hasini? She wouldn’t want to be Hasini; how can a girl like being compared to another?

  Forget me caring so much, how will I explain this to Marona and the others. They won’t be pleased to know that I have been getting close to the Commissioners daughter. I can’t allow my personal life to collide with business; it will never work. She’s going to get hurt, and people are going to meet ends if this goes any further. It was right for me to let her go.

  My battling state of mind was interrupted by a phone call from Remone; he wanted to be picked up on my way to the Duranji residence. It took me a few minutes to get ready and head out, but Remone waited at a nearby street side coffee shop. I guess we had some time for a coffee; we shared a cigarette while sipping down some coffee.

  “Arrun, look over there,” exclaimed Remone, as he pointed in the direction of some stranger. “I didn’t know you were into guys bro! Sorry, I have no expertise in this department, but you got my support,” I responded amusingly. “That’s Khans only son Abdul, you idiot,” replied Remone; it was obvious he didn’t know what to do. I guess the stranger wasn’t much of stranger after all.

  “Alright Remone, listen close cause this is what you’ll have to do. Take the jeep, and wait for my signal. When I give you the signal, drive towards us as I take out the man next to him, and then toss Khans son into the car.”

  If we can get a hold of Khans son, we’ll be able to set some fear in Khan. Opportunity came and decided to have a coffee across the street from us; we would be fools to turn it down. I walked a bit down the street before crossing sides; the two of them remained calm as I drifted in the back unnoticed. Standing two meters apart from them both, I signaled Remone to drive by. The next few actions must be quick; pulling out my pistol I didn’t think twice before firing the first shot, it drove right through the head of Abdul Khan’s companion. My hands were too deep in cold water to care of adding another person to my list of kills; remaining calm I pistol whipped Abdul leaving him to fall unconscious. After throwing him in the jeep we drove off, watching the pedestrians stare at us in fear along the street of the local stores. It did not feel great knowing that I had become a monster; nevertheless I knew that my emotions needed to be slain.

/>   The time was around 9:45pm, I asked Remone to drop me off at the Duranji residence before taking Abdul Khan to a safe house. I have already been receiving phone calls from Raja and Verone for being late. As soon as it maybe, even Miran gave me a call to reach the party as soon as possible. The drive wasn’t too long; Remone dropped me off at the front gate as he drove off quick. We did not want to cause a commotion, just in case the guests noticed the unconscious body of Abdul lying in the back of the vehicle.