I opened my eyes and pointed to me was the cold , heartless Gunpoint….
The sound of my heavy breathing drummed even in my ears as death dangled before me inches apart. Fresh tears stung my eyes as someone screamed into my ears, "Solu da!!! Yaar da nee??( Tell me. Who are you?)"
SILENCE.
"YOU WON'T SAY?" Same voice demanded again threateningly, before striking a death blow on my already dizzy brain.
Pain...
It shoot through my system and with a loud thump I fell down hitting my face on the concrete dirty floor. Blackness crawled in slowly, but this time I heard a different voice , " Enough!" The voice ordered, and silence fell into the room. But did I hear a female voice? My brain is completely churned –up I guess, or else how can I even imagine a woman in the hub of goons... Oh Lord! I thought.
"Bala! He can be a threat, I will dispose him." A man said while pulling me up and strangling me arrogantly.
" It won't be needed," Again the authoritative voice said, but how can it be softer than the rest, maybe I have impaired by hearing ability, I thought. " The man is of no threat," The sound decided.
"But, Bala," The rough voice started arguing.
"Release him," The soft yet authoritative voice said, and a relief spread through my system when I realized I could finally breathe freely. My eyes rolled-in front, and it opened an inch apart before fear clasped my soul again. Standing in front of me was the scariest female I had ever seen in my life, scarier than my own mother ready to launch her slippers at me when she was angry.
Slowly a smirk crawled on to her tanned small lips, brightening her face. She had a strong set of jaws and her hair was chopped to rough-pixie cut, while her eyes shined bright black just like her hair and her dusky skin looked more tanned and rough due to her rough lifestyle. But, Sri was scared to admit that even when the woman was close by an inch to kill him, he found her strangely attractive. Until, the smirk left her lips and her hands rose-up and without a warming shot into the space, while I flinched and screamed.
Thump .. thump…. Thump….
She laughed out sarcastically, " This is why, if he was a threat by any means he won't stand in front of me screaming, and ready to pee any moment, this is just a civilian." Bala declared, " Aren't you?"
It took a moment for me to compose myself, but I hope I nodded as she began to speak again in affirmation, " Why are you here?"
I tried to strain my vocals and answer but only blood spurted out with no words.
"He won't say anything Bala," a huge bull dog size man came running to attack me, now you are dead (my soul chanted inside) . " Naa Podhumnnu sonne( I said ENOUGH!!)" The tiger growled and it tamed every single men in the room, and at that minute I knew, she owned the room. She was the real Mafia Queen.
The fear navigated me as the predator approached me, " Ten lakhs, your guys stole my money. I didn't come to do anything. I just want my money back. It's ten lakhs, we saved it for my sister's wedding. Please give it to me. I promise on God , I won't ever come before your eyes again. Please. But I need that money.. please its Ten lakhs!!!' my voice again started to trail behind.
"Ten lakh ? What are you talking about? Who took it??" She ordered me to answer with no hint of mercy or empathy.
"Your guys. Your man." I accused trying to sound bold, " He snatched the money from me when I was starting my bike, give back my money," I demanded, and her single eye brow arched" Please give it back I have worked so hard to make this money , it is for my sister's wedding , Please..!!!"
"Who is he talking about?" Tigress questioned , and somebody answered, ' Jaya, he is talking about Kathi-Jaya (a byname given to Jaya who uses Knife as his lethal weapon to attack people)."
"Ahh, Okay." Bala said and started walking away.
"Sister! Madam!" I called out even though my throat felt like shrinking. The rowdy turned around to look at me uninterested, "Enna ( What)??"
"Sister my money!" I cried.
" Yo Marshmallow, didn't you get it? We aren't giving you back any. So get out, this isn't a place for a softie like you, get away before we char you down." She scoffed again, and walked away. Anger erupted inside as adrenaline took the power within me , ' Oi!' I barked , and in a flash she turned around eyes blazing in annoyance, but I didn't have time to look at that as a bag dropped behind her, and my heart leaped to my sleeves, "My bag! That's my bag. Give it back to me."
At my sound, everyone turned around to stare at my black bag lying on the floor, when the so called Kathi-Jaya tried to snatch it up. " That's my bag," I screamed , and ran forward, when Bala stretched her leg affront toppling me down and pinning me down with her elbow as she barked, "To the window," and I only heard that sound before I felt the ground shake and I was in the middle of the shooting ground.
I was pulled, thrashed, hidden behind cabinets by Bala, as bullets after bullets shot through the room, breaking –crushing-destroying anything in the sheer borders of visibility. I ran trying to find my hiding through the limited lighting the evening could spare me, when I crashed onto a big body and we both screamed like high-schooler, "Ahhh!!!"
"You are screaming too?!" I asked the large goon.
"Well, you screamed too." The goon retorted.
"Well, it is acceptable of me, but you are a goon aren't you supposed to be familiar with these kinds of situations and be manly?"
"Oh then didn't I see you cry when Bala shot a gun in the space?" The goon snapped back, and we both stared at each other as a minute of silence fell into the room.
"Anyways Rowdyanna( Rowdy Brother) help me fetch that bag please, if so I will write a poem praising about you and your chivalry in my neighborhood." I played a small trick, thinking it is the worst kind of attempt, but to my surprise, the goon agreed. And, we snaked through the bullet rain to fetch my bag and snake out through the window I entered before the police entered the building.
"The guy is new to the business I guess, he is easily tamed," I thought.
"Shut-up you fool, I am helping you as Bala ordered me to escort you safely out with your money, do not think your intelligent, and the next time you say anything about me think twice, or else my one hand is enough to crush you lineage," The goon threatened before throwing the bag at me and shoved me out. I stood for a second there in hiding watching the man disappear in the darkness while shooting continued. Then as a bullet escaped me by a hairline, I ran away into the night, wishing never to return to this space, world, or anyone ever again in my life.
However, on the other side of the building a police officer stood-up suddenly as he felt someone running ahead through the night. His eyes kept the trace and he saw the young man of 25 in checkered shirt holding a black bag running away , he was about to follow him when a car boomed to life and ran over him.
One month Later
It had been a month since the odd evening in Sri's life. He never spoke of that evening to anyone and hence everything went by smoothly, so did his sister's wedding. And, Sri was once again the same old-confident, carefree youth eligible for marriage when suddenly he received a call, and on the other end his best-friend died.