“You do?”
“Yes. I think so. It is the deadliest weapon of Lord Krishna. The magical object he carries in his hand.”
“A flute?” said Alejandro, sounding baffled.
“What? No. What makes you think that it would be a flute?”
“It’s nothing. I have seen the depiction of Krishna holding a flute in his hand in pictures before and also at the temple today but do continue, this information might be very critical for us.”
“Where was I, yes, the weapon. No, it is not the flute. Although, I must say, you have great observation. Krishna was very fond of his flute. It was, you can say, magical in a way. He would use it to attract beautiful women companions.”
“What? A Don Juan of the Gods?”
“And who might I ask is this gentleman, Mr. Juan?”
Alejandro couldn’t help but giggle, despite the grimness of their situation. “No one important. Sorry for the interruption. Please continue. Watch your step!” Alejandro cautioned as he saw Dr. Sinha nearly trip over a large piece of wood that had broken off a shop door when the terrorist vehicle had rammed into it earlier.
“Very well. So, if it is not the flute, then what could it be, you ask? This is an object you will find in the hands of Lord Krishna at the time of battle as depicted in our ancient texts. It is the Sudarshan Chakra. A weapon like a throwing star but magical and inordinately powerful. A weapon that would make the bearer invincible.”
“No way! This has got to be it then. The weapon that Aifra seeks. What are the chances that it might be here in the ruins of the sunken city?”
“The chances are high by my calculation, given that it was the weapon of Krishna’s choice in his major battles. The fateful battle of Dwarka was the last major combat of Vishnu’s mortal form on earth before he departed to his celestial realm. It is therefore very likely that his favourite weapon was deployed in this fray, and it may still be buried within the ruins of the fallen city.”
“That would explain a lot. Although, how the Aifra might have found out about this is still a mystery.”
“Well, they have friends in governments and high places, you say. Anyone in India familiar with the legend of Lord Krishna could have told them. It isn’t a huge secret. Nor was the first finding of the ruins of Dwarka.”
They were at the end of the alleyway by the time Dr. Sinha finished this sentence, and Alejandro was starting to get worried. Dr. Sinha had barely managed to walk this far with his aching knee. The bazar was still about half a kilometre away. At this rate, they would never make it to the car before the cops arrived, no matter how lazy they were in these parts of the world. He wondered if he should let Dr. Sinha wait here while he ran to fetch the car but leaving the old man alone in these circumstances did not seem wise either. At that moment, a pair of headlights appeared from the bend of the road in front of them. A car materialized from the darkness and parked itself in front of them. The driver quickly got out and bowing slightly, held the door open.
“I saw an Audi drive past a few minutes ago. It was driving like crazy and going towards Rajkot. I got worried and brought the car for you. I think we should leave quickly,” said the friendly driver with a polite smile.
“Thank heavens, Rahul,” beamed Alejandro. “I am so glad you came. Yes, let’s go, quick.”
“Where is madam?” asked Rahul.
“She is not coming. This gentleman will join us instead. Are you sure the Audi went to Rajkot?”
“Definite,” said Rahul.
Alejandro exchanged a glance with the professor and wondered what to do. They got into the car and waited for their driver to board. When everyone was seated Alejandro spoke again.
“Do you know a different route to get to Rajkot?”
“Yes, but it will take longer.”
“How much longer?”
“Two, maybe three hours more with traffic.”
“Let’s take it,” said Alejandro conclusively “and hurry whenever you can. We have no time to lose.”
The drive to Rajkot was long and tiring. Dr. Sinha slumbered through most of it, but Alejandro could not manage a wink of sleep. He tried to be as alert as he could. The roads were pretty empty at these hours aside from the long-haul buses and inter-city truckers that plied between the regional towns. They stopped for some strong chai tea at a roadside stall in the wee hours of the morning and Alejandro gave Dr. Sinha a soft nudge. Tea was after all, his favourite beverage. Dr. Sinha rose immediately, and they ordered three steaming cups of masala chai and half a dozen samosas. Rahul brought them their order in the car and went back to the stall to enjoy his own tea and snack on a bench under the stars.
“Do you live alone, Dr. Sinha?” Alejandro asked, sipping his tea and pretending to make small talk. In reality, he wanted to make sure his whereabouts would be safe while he stayed with the professor.
“With my son, actually. A doting young man. Very lucky to call him my boy and a blessing he has been since my wife passed away five years ago.”
“I am sorry to hear about your wife.”
“Thank you for your kind words young man but we are alright now. Me and my son, we have pulled it together.”
“Good to hear,” said Alejandro, smiling affectionately. “So, it’s just the two of you in the house then?”
“Well, three actually. Although right now, you’re correct, we are only two. My son is travelling for work this week. He’s been very busy lately.”
“Oh, I see. Who is the third? Your other child?”
“You could say that. Although he’s not my child per say, but he has worked for my family for a very long time.”
“You mean like a domestic helper?”
“Yes, exactly or a servant as the uncouth, ignorant would say.”
Alejandro sniggered at Dr. Sinha’s choice of words, but it came as no surprise really, given that he was starting to get used to his elderly companion’s bombastic style of speaking.
“I get it. How long has he lived with your family?”
“Oh, countless years. I don’t even recall how many anymore. I am an old man, you see, and my memory is far from reliable. But I would say at least twenty years, if not more.”
“And he speaks English?”
“English? No. That he does not. Only Gujarati and a tad Hindi. Do you speak any of these?”
“Unfortunately, no. Though I would love to learn,” said Alejandro as he wistfully thought about Nirmala and the special corner in his heart she had come to acquire of late. He was relieved that right now there was no one at the Sinha residence who spoke any English other than he and the professor. That way, if he could make his stay there as short as possible, then the likelihood of him getting discovered would be low.
Their tea break was over shortly, and they hit the road again. Dr. Sinha dozed off as soon as the car reached a cruising velocity. The sky was starting to pale in the east, and with the advent of dawn, the highway started to get a lot busier. The second half of their journey was naturally slower, although Rahul did a splendid job of living up to Alejandro’s expectation of speeding up when he was able. It was close to eight in the morning when they finally pulled up in front of Dr. Sinha’s house in Rajkot. Rahul dropped off Nirmala and Alejandro’s luggage that was still in his trunk and took his leave, promising to return with the car again, if needed.
“Welcome to my humble home,” said Dr. Sinha with a flair of hospitality once they were inside. “Let me show you to your room, where you can make yourself comfortable while I get the breakfast going.”
“Very kind of you. Please don’t feel any pressure to arrange for breakfast right away. I am not that hungry. I could use a power outlet though. I need to charge my phone.”
“Oh certainly, we can find you one of those. There should be a few in your room as well. Follow me, if you will,” said Dr. Sinha as he led the way through a passage towards the back of the house. There at the end of the corridor was a cozy little room with a twin bed, a night-stand and a
wooden clothes-closet built into the wall opposite to the bed. There was a window right behind the bed, but it was completely hidden behind heavy, violet coloured curtains with a floral design.
“Here you go,” said Dr. Sinha, ushering Alejandro in. “Here I hope, you will find a couple of days of solace before your next adventure. Please make yourself comfortable. I will go and check on breakfast.”
“Thank you and like I said, no rush about the breakfast,” said Alejandro with a smile as he scanned the room for a power outlet. He could already see three. He quickly put his backpack on the floor and fumbled inside for his charger and adapter. The only thing he could think of right now is that he needed to call Wolfgang as quickly as possible. Too much time had already gone by, and with every additional second lost, Nirmala’s life could be in graver peril.
When Dr. Sinha left for the kitchen, Alejandro closed the door to his room and got ready to charge his phone. A few minutes had passed when there was a knock on the door.
“Brought you some coffee, my friend, may I come in?” Dr. Sinha asked from the outside.
“Yes, of course, please come in.”
“Oh, what is the matter? You do not look happy,” asked the professor as he entered the room, a cup of steaming coffee on a saucer in his hand.
“You didn’t have to. Here let me…” said Alejandro getting up as he collected the cup from Dr. Sinha’s slightly shaky hands. “Where is your helper guy?”
“Manubhai, or Manu as I call him, is setting up breakfast. I figured you would need your energy.”
“Very kind of you. I will be right with you.”
“No problem. But you did not tell me what is wrong. You look awfully worried.”
“Oh that. Well, my phone, I can’t get it to charge. Must have taken some damage last night, although I always have it in a shock-proof case. I will have to try and get it fixed right after breakfast. Would you happen to know where I could take it?”
“That is unfortunate news. Yes, I do know a few places where you could get it fixed, but it is too dangerous for you to be out and about in town, even in disguise. Why don’t you use my phone? I have long distance, if you want to call Germany.”
“Thanks for the offer but I can’t use a regular phone. Mine is encrypted for safety. It seems like a simple charging problem. Should be a quick fix. It won’t take long if I can find a reliable repair-shop.”
“Well in that case, I will send Manu, but mind you, nothing opens here before eleven.”
“Eleven?” Alejandro exclaimed, quickly glancing at his watch. “And it’s only eight thirty.”
“Yes. Things are slow in these parts of the world. We have no choice but to wait.”
“I suppose,” said Alejandro gravely, submitting to his fate.
“Breakfast?”
“Sure.”
Manu left with Alejandro’s phone shortly after breakfast and did not return until late that afternoon. Getting the phone to power-up had not been as easy as Alejandro had hoped, and after trying several repair-shops, the resourceful Manu had finally managed to get the job done. Once he had his phone in hand, Alejandro shut the door to his room and quickly plugged it into his charger. He anxiously dialled Wolfgang’s number.
“You gave me a real scare, Alejandro. I was fearing for your life. Glad to hear your voice. Now you must fly to London at once,” growled Dr. Müller when he heard Alejandro’s story. “I will arrange for your ride to the airport immediately. I will get you a ticket on the earliest flight and send the details to your phone.”
“No. I am not going anywhere without Nirmala.”
“Stubborn as usual! My contacts will find her. Trust me. We cannot afford to lose you at this critical hour. Too many of us are missing. We need you back.”
“Who is missing?”
“Wanda and Amon and now Zoya.”
“What? No way! Even Zoya? Are you certain?”
“Yes, but there is no time to explain. I am sending you a ride in the next hour. Be ready.”
“No! I need two days. Just two days, I promise. I will find Nirmala. I can’t abandon her like this.”
“This is your final choice then?” asked Wolfgang, sounding exasperated.
“Yes. Connect me with your Indian contacts so that we can look for her. I have a plan.”
“Very well, if you will not take no for an answer. But you cannot stay in Rajkot. I will not be able to protect you there. In the morning, I will send you a car. Leave for the airport. I will book you a flight to New Delhi, once I receive a green signal from the people I know at the embassy. You will take shelter with one of them in Delhi. Stay at the airport tomorrow until I make the arrangements. You will be safer at the airport. In the meantime, don’t step outside.”
Alejandro couldn’t get any sleep that night. He had not slept more than a couple of hours in the last two days, and his body was taut with fatigue, but his mind was working furiously. In his head, he was constantly replaying the incidents that led up to the attack and Nirmala’s capture and the events that followed, with the hope of recovering all the clues. He thought about the dark, peaceful inner sanctum of the temple where they were seated; the priest, the idol, the sentry snoozing at the door and then all of a sudden, the trance. Then he remembered Dr. Sinha’s words:
He was possessed. It happens rarely, but when it does, a prophecy is usually uttered.
Alejandro sat up in a rush and turned on the little lamp on the nightstand. Then, getting out of bed and pulling his backpack out of the clothes closet, he retrieved his notepad and pen from its side pocket. He plopped himself on the floor and started writing.
“To the North and East, in shining light,” he wrote.
“No that’s not it.” He scratched it out. He wished he had access to Chris’s memory recovery set-up. It would have been so much easier that way. But there was no time to wait until he was in London. If these words were indeed a prophecy, then Dr. Sinha might be able to help decipher the meaning. Any further time lost in figuring out the prophecy could have disastrous consequences. Alejandro concentrated hard. Finally, he had it. He scribbled the entire poem on his notepad and tore off the page, folding and stowing it under his pillow. He would show it to Dr. Sinha in the morning.
Tomorrow he would have to work on his plan to find Nirmala. When he checked this evening, the GPS on her hair-clip sensor had registered a location within twenty kilometres of Dwarka before it went out of range. Thank God he had the App on his phone that he could use to trace it. Perhaps they were not bringing her to Rajkot after all. Maybe they were holding her prisoner at a secret hideout along the way. Whatever it was, tomorrow he would get Wolfgang’s folks on the case and start looking for her. She had to be alive. He just knew it.
* * *
The next morning, at eight o’clock sharp, Wolfgang sent a new driver and car to pick Alejandro up for the airport. The German tried to never use the same driver or vehicle twice on any mission. It was an additional layer of precaution. Alejandro exchanged some final pleasantries with his host before handing him the folded note with the inscribed prophecy. They had discussed it over breakfast, and Dr. Sinha was going to need some time to ponder it more deeply.
Alejandro arrived at the airport in about an hour, found a quiet area to plug in his laptop and immediately got down to business. He had to find that Audi. By mid-day, he had received his ticket to New Delhi from Wolfgang and tracked down five Audi dealerships around the country, but Nirmala’s hair-clip sensor was still untraceable. Either it was broken or out of range. It had to be one of those, because the other option was too horrible, and Alejandro refused to even consider that scenario. Wolfgang had booked his flight for five, and at around three Alejandro felt famished. Progress with tracking the terrorists and more importantly, their captive, had been slow, but now the German embassy in New Delhi had been put on the case, thanks to Dr. Müller’s networking. Alejandro saw this as a sign of hope.
He packed his laptop and walked towards the only resta
urant he could see inside the departure area. He bought himself a sandwich and a bottle of water and grabbed a seat at the far end of the restaurant next to a wall to wall window of one-way glass.
The airport wasn’t awfully busy, but there were more cars outside at this hour of the day than when he had arrived earlier. As he was about to bite into the sandwich, he heard a loud siren outside that seemed to disperse the congestion of cars right in front of the airport entrance.
The police! he thought with a sudden jolt. He quickly wrapped his sandwich in a napkin and was about to look for cover when instead of a police car, an ambulance appeared through the crowd.
Phew. He sat down, unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. A nurse appeared from the ambulance, assisting a heavily bandaged patient who was limping towards the front door. A few seconds later, the two disappeared inside the terminal, and the ambulance swerved away towards the visitor parking area.
Alejandro got up and decided to buy himself a coffee to go, before heading towards the security check area. The lineups looked long, so the coffee would keep him company.
“One regular coffee with cream and sugar,” he said to the guy at the counter.
“That will be a hundred rupees, sir,” replied the friendly server.
“I will get that,” came a woman’s voice from next to him.
Alejandro startled and whipped around, as his jaw dropped in amazement. There, standing next to him in a red and white saree and pink flip-flops was Nirmala!
Oh my God! How is this possible? Is this a dream? He thought, rubbing his eyes to clear his vision.
Nirmala smiled and extended a hundred rupee note to the guy at the counter which the latter accepted gladly.
“No need to look so surprised. It really is me. Shall we sit down?” she then asked, turning in Alejandro’s direction.
Alejandro felt a tiny drop of tear roll down his cheeks. He felt an irresistible urge to lift Nirmala off the ground and whirl her around with joy. But this was a public place and their cover could not be blown, so such excitement had to wait.
Although his mind was buzzing with all kinds of questions, he tried not to show it. Instead, he simply grinned ear to ear and said, as calmly as he could, “Sure. After you.”
The Coming of Kalki Page 17