Shadow Play by Rajorshi Chakraborti Read Free Book Online

assurance that he would have confided in nobody, he brought you out into the open where others could see you and – no matter what they knew and whatever happened afterwards – remember your face for future reference. Besides, why would he meet you alone after seeing what you did to people you found alone with you? What you interpret so casually as his cowardice should have cautioned you even further: he had you so perfectly where he wanted you that he didn’t even bother to discuss business at that first meeting. And how could you have been so certain he lacked resources even after he informed you about the friends he had in disparate places? Most of all, you silly fuck, you were in Clapham Common at two that morning and so was he. With all your experience – though you looked around before you made your move – you still didn’t spot him!
    For a week none of this occurred to me, but it all streamed into my head in the minute-and-a-half it took Faisul to jog up to my room from the reception desk. He entered unflustered, smiling as usual, confirming my worst fears: this guy was deadly. Despite the warm afternoon, he wore a golden silk scarf with yellow flowers. ‘Mr Charles, it’s my fault. I gave you the wrong impression. From my nonsense the other day, you rightly thought I was a time-waster. And of course you believed that you were free to go, that there was nothing we wanted from you.No wonder you have seemed so relaxed this last week, as if you were on holiday.’
    â€˜I was just living my life as I usually do. I’m a freelance editor who works from home, I told you. And when I’m not busy I like to stretch my legs and take the air.’
    â€˜Yes, I remember you said so. But don’t worry, today I will not stay long, nor will I waste your time. This extra week was for the best, Mr Charles. It proves you are just the man we require.’
    â€˜Require for what, and why do you keep saying we? Who’s “we”?’
    â€˜Don’t worry, we won’t be expecting you to change your profession. It’s the kind of work you handle, and handle most admirably, I might add. I observed you from start to finish, and I am a great fan of your method. Not just your professional manner, but how you conduct yourself off the job. That is what has been so splendid about this past week, watching how smoothly and calmly you approach everything, how you still live such a tension-free life even after our meeting, full of parks and walks and picnics. So in that sense this time hasn’t been wasted, because it only confirms how lucky we are to have found you. And that’s why I keep saying we, Mr Charles. I mean, alone, I am no match for you. It took many, many people to keep up with you. In a way it was a tribute to your qualities. In my time I have never seen an operation planned on such a scale. Perhaps that’s why you are a little surprised.’
    â€˜So what do you want from me?’
    â€˜Mr Charles, you must be aware that you are unique. I mean, I realized that on the night itself, but since then I have studied you. In the beginning I wondered, how can such a man be inLondon, and that too from our part of the world, without us knowing about him? Who does he work for, what other jobs has he done? Because it was clear that you had experience. But when I went home with my story, someone suggested something and someone else said oh yes and nodded his head, and then when we saw the papers we realized whom we had encountered, and that of course you worked for nobody. I mean, I have to tell you – then I felt more afraid than I had on the night itself. I felt very lucky that you hadn’t seen me, because I mean, imagine if you had. Look at yourself and look at me.’
    â€˜What were you doing there? You were obviously hiding, and that too for a long time, otherwise I would have noticed you.’
    â€˜That’s where you have to acknowledge fate.