A month had passed since the suicide of Varun's butler. He had been collecting intel on the names he had written down.
"Hmm... So, there are 15 people," Varun muttered to himself, one of his bad habits.
"They're really distinct from each other. How are they even connected?"
"Oh man, looks like this will take quite a bit of time..." Varun glanced at the television he had left on, another of his bad habits.
"The report submitted by the Army indicates that World War 3 is causing unprecedented devastation. Small countries like Burundi, Malawi, Liberia, and others are unlikely to survive. All food sources have been consumed, and there's no harvest. Experts predict that this war will cause more damage to the world in the next ten years than World Wars 1 and 2 combined. Moving forwa—"
Varun shut off the TV. He pondered over the war and how it needed to end, though he hadn't figured out how yet. His company, a private army and artillery provider, was profiting, but the war reminded him too much of what was happening in India—something he despised.
RRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGG
The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Of course, he picked it up.
"Hello, Dr. Varun Rao from Rao Corp, the current CEO. How can I help you?" Varun's politeness and formal tone clashed with his villainous reputation.
"...Umm... sir, it's me, your advisor," came the nervous voice on the other end.
"Oh, it's you. What's wrong? You sound off." Varun and his advisor were close, so he spoke freely with him.
"Sir, our army... has disappeared. No one can be found..." The advisor's fear was palpable.
"But we haven't even deployed them yet! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Varun's rage erupted.
"I—I don't know, sir. They were fine this morning, but now..." The advisor, softhearted, was on the verge of tears.
"Find out who did it. You can do that, right?" Varun, though furious, masked his emotions and tried to stay calm.
"Sniff... Yes, sir... I will." The call ended.
SMACK
Varun threw a chair at the wall.
"MOTHERFUCKERS! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. I KNOW WHO DID THIS!" Varun seethed.
"Those lower-state people think they can make a move without me reacting, huh?"
"JUST HOW WRONG THEY ARE! HAHAHAHAHA!" His laugh was manic.
"I'LL KILL EVERY ONE OF THEM." His anger seethed beneath the surface.
After calming down, Varun returned to work. The list his butler had provided contained 15 names—10 from the lower state and 5 from the upper state. He was surprised there were only 5 from the upper state; he had expected more.
The person he suspected most was Samir Fuudi, a lower-state man from Allahabad, a city rife with civil and religious wars. The riots, led by Samir's gang, made it impossible to walk the streets, even during the day. Samir's gang consisted mostly of street kids he had trained to use guns and knives. Samir himself hid behind these kids, using them as shields.
"He sure is another scum of earth that needs to be put down," Varun said to himself out of habit.
"This motherfucker is the one, yeah he is the one who ABDUCTED MY ARMY!!" Varun was getting mad.
"THIS.....THI...THIS...INSOLENT.....F...UCKER..." Varun was getting even madder.
"AGHRSOOAsdFADASAK" Varun fell off his chair.
Oh no, calm down, Varun. "AAAGGGHHHHHHHHHH," Calm down, Varun. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH," 'CALM DOWN,'
".......................................................Guess I will go check out 'Allahabad' myself." Varun calmed down. Good job, Varun.
"*YAWN, Guess I will go tomorrow." Varun seems just fine again today,
Goodnight Varun.
RRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG
The alarm rang.
"Hmm... What time is it? 8 o'clock, huh?" Varun groaned, waking up.
"I still have two hours till the flight. I guess I'll get ready or... nah, I'll sleep another hour. Goodnight." And he slept again.
Varun barely made it to the airport on time, another one of his bad habits. The flight was mostly empty, which didn't surprise him. Upper-state people feared showing their powers due to the threat of abduction, while lower-state people feared arrest for crimes they hadn't committed.
Varun understood both sides too well.
Upon landing in Allahabad, Varun knew he wasn't in Samir's area. No form of transport would take him there—no one dared.
"HEY, MISTER! OVER HERE!" someone called out to him.
Varun turned to see a taxi driver waving him over.
"Hello, mister. Are you new here?" the driver asked.
"Yes," Varun replied politely.
"Where do you want to go? This baby of mine can take you anywhere!" The driver patted his taxi.
"Anywhere?" Varun asked with a smirk.
"Any-where!" the driver replied, matching the intensity.
The tension broke as Varun smiled.
"Take me to a dhaba. I'm hungry," he said.
"Alright, hop in! We'll be there in no time."
About ten minutes later, they arrived at a roadside eatery.
"This place is nice," Varun said, settling into his chair.
"Ha! Didn't expect an upper-state guy like you to enjoy a place like this. Thought you folks ate stuff we can't even pronounce." The driver laughed as he joined Varun at the table.
"Nah, I've always had a taste for places like this," Varun replied calmly.
"You're a funny guy for a rich fella." The driver chuckled.
The waiter brought their drinks.
"Thanks," Varun said, accepting his.
"So, brother, what brings you here?" the driver asked.
"Hmm... research," Varun said.
"What kind of research?"
"Well, I basically came here to kill Samir." PFTTTTTTT The driver spit out his drink in shock, nearly spraying Varun.
"Cough Cough What did you say? You came to kill Samir?!"
"Yeah, he's not the type to surrender, so I'll have to kill him," Varun said calmly.
"Oye, oye... You do know who you're talking about, right? Samir is behind all the riots!"
"I know. That's why I'm here." Varun remained calm.
"Hmmm... You're an interesting guy, mister," the driver said, his tone shifting.
They both laughed it off. After finishing their meal, the driver dropped Varun off at a hotel.
"Here, mister, take my number. Call me anytime you need a ride." The driver handed him a card.
"Thanks," Varun replied.
"Also... if you want, I can drop you off in Samir's area too," the driver whispered.
".............. I'd appreciate that," Varun said after a long pause.
Three months passed. Varun had gathered intel with the driver's help, and the day had finally come. He called the driver one last time to take him to Samir's area.
"So, you really planned to go there, huh?" the driver said as they drove.
"Yeah, I did," Varun replied.
"We should be arriving soon. Would you like to go on your own now?"
"No, it's not necessary," Varun said.
"Because I'm going to kill you here, Samir," Varun smiled.