Mumbaistan by Piyush Jha Read Free Book Online
Authors: Piyush Jha
normally would. Then ask him for forgiveness.' Rabia was following her script.
'Then you would know that one can't help falling in love,' she continued. A hollow laugh was all she got in return.
'I know that you got Tanvir involved in a criminal activity. Please don't. He is innocent and, sometimes, hotheaded. He gets easily swayed by people.' Another hollow laugh was offered in reply.
'Tanvir and I want to start a life together. Please spare us.' Aalamzeb fell silent now. Rabia seized the moment 'But before that, I want to meet you one last time, for the sake of all that you gave me. Will you meet me?'
The silence was prolonged this time. For a brief moment the ACP felt that Aalamzeb had left the line, but then his voice crackled through, 'Excel Godown. Next to the Sewree Christian Cemetery. In exactly two hours'
The line was disconnected.
◉
Tanvir paced up and down the room that seemed to get smaller and smaller with every stride. He felt like shooting someone in the head, gouging someone's eyes out. The fury at his situation was burning an acid hole inside him. At the best of times, Tanvir was a man who hated being helpless and uncertain. The current scenario, where he was unable to 'fix' anything, was driving him up the wall.
His mind was screaming at him to walk away from the clinic and bid goodbye to Mumbai for life, but his heart was behaving like a super-charged magnet keeping him glued to his place.
He forced his mind to relax and focus on what was keeping him back. It wasn't the fact that he still had the three attempted-murder charges on him—ACP Hani had already told him that his services were not needed any more and he was a free man. It wasn't that he wanted to somehow avenge the pain and humiliation heaped upon him by the police officer at the Robert Circle lockup. All of a sudden, he stopped pacing the room and stood still. It dawned on him. Rabia.
As his thoughts became clearer, he realized that he didn't want to leave Rabia alone in this situation. He wanted to protect her.
An orphan who had made something of himself in the city, Tanvir did not get attached easily, but his connection with Rabia was something he was not willing to give up anytime soon.
He sat down on the bed as the full import of the feeling finally hit him like a punch in the solar plexus.
◉
Under the given circumstances, the appearance of a Turkish evil eye pendant, about the size of a child's playing marble, in the hands of ACP Hani, seemed nothing short of bizarre. Also known as the 'nazar bead' because of its appearance, the pendant is supposed to attract the evil eye and absorb its damaging power before it affects the wearer. Therefore, the bead is always on display, and not worn as a secret talisman. After a plain clothes policewoman, at the behest of the ACP, slung it around Rabia's neck, its bright blue hue seemed all the more striking against the jet-black of Rabia's burqa.
However, this particular pendant was not quite what it seemed. It contained a high-resolution chip-camera, no bigger than the head of a standard sized screw. Powered by a battery as big as a matchstick head, the camera could record high-quality video and sound for up to three hours.
Rabia had been briefed about the operation in detail. She was to enter Excel Godown, meet Aalamzeb and engage him in conversation. While doing so, she should ensure that she turned towards every other person in the room, so as to record their images on the camera. After concluding her conversation, she should leave the premises as soon as possible. Once she was back with them, the ATS would extract the camera. Then they would confront the terrorists immediately. Helped by the images retrieved from the camera, the ATS would know the lay of the land, and also be able to identify all the terrorists. Even if one of them escaped, his image would be flashed in the media prominently enough for someone to identify him sooner or later.
Rabia was pacing up and down the
'Then you would know that one can't help falling in love,' she continued. A hollow laugh was all she got in return.
'I know that you got Tanvir involved in a criminal activity. Please don't. He is innocent and, sometimes, hotheaded. He gets easily swayed by people.' Another hollow laugh was offered in reply.
'Tanvir and I want to start a life together. Please spare us.' Aalamzeb fell silent now. Rabia seized the moment 'But before that, I want to meet you one last time, for the sake of all that you gave me. Will you meet me?'
The silence was prolonged this time. For a brief moment the ACP felt that Aalamzeb had left the line, but then his voice crackled through, 'Excel Godown. Next to the Sewree Christian Cemetery. In exactly two hours'
The line was disconnected.
◉
Tanvir paced up and down the room that seemed to get smaller and smaller with every stride. He felt like shooting someone in the head, gouging someone's eyes out. The fury at his situation was burning an acid hole inside him. At the best of times, Tanvir was a man who hated being helpless and uncertain. The current scenario, where he was unable to 'fix' anything, was driving him up the wall.
His mind was screaming at him to walk away from the clinic and bid goodbye to Mumbai for life, but his heart was behaving like a super-charged magnet keeping him glued to his place.
He forced his mind to relax and focus on what was keeping him back. It wasn't the fact that he still had the three attempted-murder charges on him—ACP Hani had already told him that his services were not needed any more and he was a free man. It wasn't that he wanted to somehow avenge the pain and humiliation heaped upon him by the police officer at the Robert Circle lockup. All of a sudden, he stopped pacing the room and stood still. It dawned on him. Rabia.
As his thoughts became clearer, he realized that he didn't want to leave Rabia alone in this situation. He wanted to protect her.
An orphan who had made something of himself in the city, Tanvir did not get attached easily, but his connection with Rabia was something he was not willing to give up anytime soon.
He sat down on the bed as the full import of the feeling finally hit him like a punch in the solar plexus.
◉
Under the given circumstances, the appearance of a Turkish evil eye pendant, about the size of a child's playing marble, in the hands of ACP Hani, seemed nothing short of bizarre. Also known as the 'nazar bead' because of its appearance, the pendant is supposed to attract the evil eye and absorb its damaging power before it affects the wearer. Therefore, the bead is always on display, and not worn as a secret talisman. After a plain clothes policewoman, at the behest of the ACP, slung it around Rabia's neck, its bright blue hue seemed all the more striking against the jet-black of Rabia's burqa.
However, this particular pendant was not quite what it seemed. It contained a high-resolution chip-camera, no bigger than the head of a standard sized screw. Powered by a battery as big as a matchstick head, the camera could record high-quality video and sound for up to three hours.
Rabia had been briefed about the operation in detail. She was to enter Excel Godown, meet Aalamzeb and engage him in conversation. While doing so, she should ensure that she turned towards every other person in the room, so as to record their images on the camera. After concluding her conversation, she should leave the premises as soon as possible. Once she was back with them, the ATS would extract the camera. Then they would confront the terrorists immediately. Helped by the images retrieved from the camera, the ATS would know the lay of the land, and also be able to identify all the terrorists. Even if one of them escaped, his image would be flashed in the media prominently enough for someone to identify him sooner or later.
Rabia was pacing up and down the