Arjun-Anjali FF-Man on Fire-A SEQUEL pg 10 - Page 7

Arjun let her in without a word. He began making a bed for her in the hallway.

"You know,I want to buy a new nail paint kit, but Mom says we don't have money. But I have just two colours left-yellow and black...and.."

"Your bed is made."

"But I am not sleepy..can we play..?

Arjun walked away leaving her muttering to herself. But he returned at midnight to cover her with blanket. He watched her for some time as she slept lost in dreams..

In the morning he saw the empty bed and deduced that she had left early in the morning. He was about to open the fridge when he saw a post-it on it. It read-"My resources were scarce but I hope you are nice enough to like it".

Arjun was puzzled and he looked around. He then noticed his index finger nail. She had made a smiley on it with the yellow and black nail paint. He did not realize but he actually broke into a smile.

The next morning he could hear noises from her apartment. Someone was screaming "Where is it. Give it back" and Maya was pleading with them.

His indifference was not penetrated but he hoped that Anjali was at school. She was not.

Arjun had gone to collect some supplies for his store at a mall,where he stopped in his trail after hearing few noises. He turned to see that a lady was holding Anjali by her arm and shouting at her. "you broke the entire nail set,you will have to pay for it".

"I was just looking at it. It fell by mistake" she said embarrassed and humiliated with the gathering crowd. She saw Arjun and stared at him all along, as if trying to communicate.

"Right, and by your appearance, I am sure you will not be able to pay for it". She was about to slap her when someone stopped her. No, it was not Arjun, who still watched from far. It was the manager of the shop.

"Sir, this girl broke the..."

"I know, but we need an adult to settle this. Are your parents here?"

Her hand slowly rose. She pointed at Arjun.

"Is that your dad?"

She nodded.

Arjun was taken aback. The stoic face gave way to a conflicted one. He turned and went away shutting his eyes and clenching his fist all through his long walk back.

Anjali stared at him blinking way the tears.

The manager decided to end the matter and very kindly let her go.

Evening had fallen. Anjali sat quietly at the bank of river. She had wandered aimlessly the whole day. But she was not alone here. For this was Arjun's quiet corner too.

He took out 300 Rs note and approached her. "Take this and buy the paint.."

She looked at him with anger and sorrow.

"I embarrass you, right? That is why you turned your back upon me?"

Arjun felt a lump in his throat as she continued.

"Its ok. Even my mother is ashamed of me. She says if I ever get lost,I should pretend like I do not know her number or address. That bully at school calls me trash. But you know what,you are meaner. But I do not hate you. For if I hate you, there will not be a single person in this world whom I like. And thinking about that, hurts me in here. So, I do not hate you. Sorry for the trouble. Goodbye Mr Arjun".

Arjun felt the wind wiping off the moisture in his eyes. He saw her shadow recede as she walked away into the darkness.

Arjun spent some time in solitude and walked back home. He switched on the light and was taken in by surprise. Four armed men waited for him. Arjun remained unmoved. He took out his wallet and watch and thrust it at them.

One of them laughed.-"You think we are petty thieves? Give us what Maya gave you".

"She has not given me anything".

"Oh..ya?" The three men attacked him. Arjun was quick as lightening and in half a minute the three lay on the floor.

The fouth guy was trembling but he gave his phone to Arjun.

"Boxo here. Do not act smart. We know Maya stole some drugs from the pub and has hidden it in a camera bag. Give it to us-else two lives would be lost because of you.

He heard Anjali's voice at the background shrieking for her mother.

His mind raced faster than the blood in his veins. He unlocked his cupboard and threw the bag at the man who tore the inner lining and took out the white powder. He then shot the men on the floor and left the phone with Arjun saying call me'. Arjun took a split second to react and then raced down the stairs. He saw the man getting into the car as it shot past him. Arjun ran behind the car and saw Anjali looking out of the glass. She cried her lungs out-"MR ARJUN...".

-/-

"So, Mr you are trying to tell me that your neighbor and her child was just kidnapped by some drug paddlers?

"Yes" came Arjun's trembling voice on the phone.

"Hope this is not a prank,mister"

A muffled sob was heard in the darkness.

"Anyways, tell us your address".

Arjun threw the phone in desperation. He knew he would be framed for it and the only hope of saving Anjali would die.

Thus, he picked up the phone left by those guys.

"I will do whatever you want,do not hurt them."

"You made the correct choice. Listen carefully now. We want you to make a drug delivery for us"

Next day Arjun walked up to the basement of a club. He got into a red car and drove about 100 miles away from the city as instructed. The car had a packet inside a toy shaped bike. He had to deliver it to a Kingpin-Teja. He was not interested in the details and nor was repelled by his actions. However, something went wrong and the police arrived at the spot.

Arjun realized that all this was a set up and Boxor wanted to eliminate Teja and gain monopoly in the market. But getting caught was the last thing he wanted. So he ran as the police was preoccupied with the entire gang. He took the same red car out but was caught on the way. The police opened the boot of his car and moved back aghast. He stared into nothingness as he saw Maya's body. It had been ripped open and had organs missing. Finally things dawned upon him and wretched his guts.

This was an organ trade and Anjali was with them.

PART 5:

At the policestation.

Arjun sat chained in the interrogation room silently seething with anger and fear. But he knew this was not the time to give up. He had not spoken for an hour and the officers had gone for a break. Someone brought in the food.

"Sir, I am left handed. Tie my right hand"

As the guard freed his one hand Arjun availed the opportunity and escaped.

The officers looked at the CCTV footage in disbelief. In five minutes, the convict had managed to take down eight officers and break the prison.

"This is not a store keeper. Check his background" said first investigating officer Ajay.

Arjun made his way straight to the pub where it all began. He thrashed people left and right with the ferocity of a lion and the ruthlessness of a broken man. He managed to find the weak link of the racket. A dealer named Jack. Fear of death and pain was enough to extract information.

"Do you know a 9 year old girl called Anjali?"

"No...plz let me go...?"

"What do you do with children"

" Lab tests for drugs...then using them as mules for delivery and then harvesting organs..."

This was enough to generate Arjun' wrath and came a strong blow on Jack's face.

"Where do I find Boxor?"

"Hotel Sitara. But he works for his dad Antony who runs this trade...please let me go"

"I will". Arjun threw him down the terrace.

Police headquarters.

"Sir, you were right. This is a former RA&W agent. Especially involved in covert operations and political assignation investigation across the world. Part of the eilte Z team. Two officers fainted on just seeing his training regime. In 2009 he resigned."

"Why?" asked Ajay.

" Not sure, sir. That is classified. But the research team says that he saw his pregnant wife getting crushed by a truck in front of his eyes. He was not in the car with her,but was shot by an unknown assailant. His team reached there on time and saved him, but it is rumored that he had become mad with rage and guilt after that and took years to return to normalcy. Looks dangerous to me, Sir.

"Looks lethal. Using his acquired skills to get something back. But what could it be? There are no records of any more members of his family left...then who is it? Ajay wondered.

Sir, just in... there are reports of gunshots at Hotel Sitara...

"Lets go".

PART 6:

At the hotel. Boxol tied up and bleeding from multiple injuries. His henchmen all dead on the floor. Arjun held a gun at his face." Where is Maya's daughter?"

"I sold her to the factory...there is a lot of demand for child organs in the market..so we decided to shift...

" So you sell the organs to all parts of the world?"

"Yes."

"Did it ever occur to you that the souls of the children would never get peace, they would be wandering in different parts of the world even after their death"

"Its business".

"Yes, and I am here to make a deal. Call Antony. Now"

He could hear the police surrounding the building and he clutched the phone and ran out.

He stopped and pointed the gun at Boxor.

"Don't be foolish. If you kill me you will never find the girl".

"Maybe I won't. But if I leave you alive,those children will never find justice".

A gun shot blackens everything out.

"Cordon off the crime scene" shouted Ajay.

"Sir, this guy is helping us?? We would have never managed to lay our hands upon someone as powerful as Boxor.

" But his running away means he still has not found what he is seeking. Is there a phone beside the body?"

"No sir."

"Which means he took Boxor's phone. Ask the team to trace it. And listen, keep this murder a secret as of now".

In the car.

Arjun: "Antony, its time to wrap things up. I have your son. Give Anjali back to me".

Antony: "You are messing with the wrong people. Who is the girl to you?"

Arjun with a pause: " A neighbor".

Antony: "Ya, right. You risking your future for a neighbor,right?

Arjun: "Wrong. I have no future. Just a present. And at present it is a hell. But I will show you what living in it is like".

"Come alone, unarmed at the location I SMS. And if anything happens to my son..."

Arjun cut the call and raced in his car.

Last Part

He arrived at the dingy looking basement of a closed mill. He was unfazed by the armed men around.

Antony came out of his shadows.

"So you are the guy who ripped apart my entire business in a day!...But I must say either you are over confident or very very foolish! My sources in the department say that you already killed my son. So what bargain am I to make with you?"

"People like you cherish your life more than of your family. Want to be alive? Leave her. That is the bargain.

"Well dear, you are a bit late. I had to erase all links as the police is on trial. So I burnt my entire hideout ...along with the kids. But your special girl..I have a memento from her, taken before her death. Take this". He rolled something on the floor which stopped at Arjun's feet. It was a nail paint.

Arjun's hand trembled as he went on his knees. He picked it up and crashed his knuckles on the floor. But he had something to go before breaking down. He got back on his feet. The men surrounded him gleefully. He put the nail paint in his pocket and closed his eyes. Years of training in defense skills was to be bought out of the hiatus.

And then he fought. The rage, the pain,the angst all found form in the swift moves he made at his enemies. He was cool and calculative. For now the worst was over. Everytime he pulled the trigger he saw the faded smiley on his finger.Knifes, gun shots,blows and kicks, everything about him had silent suffering written all over it.

Antony saw his men being over powered and quickly ran towards his car. Arjun followed him and started shooting but in vain. He realized that this was a bullet-proof car. Antony made a phone call to the police and mocked Arjun. Arjun did not blink. He put the gun on the windshield and started firing.

"It is bullet proof, you moron!" shouted Antony.

Arjun fired 8 rounds from the semi-automic gun of his henchmen and the glass crashed. The 9^th bullet was fired at Antony's head.

The blood splashed on Arjun's face as he looked around dazed . There was no one left to fight with. There was nothing left to fight for. He looked at the gun in his hand.

The last bullet was left. He put it at his forehead, remembering all that he had lost.

Just then he heard a Mr Arjun'. He knew it was unreal and did not blink. But he slowly turned and lowered his gun when he heard it again.

Out of the darkness he saw a very scared Anjali coming towards him. Antony had instructed his men to burn all the kids,but one of them took pity and defied him. He freed the kids and asked them to run. Anjali found her way to the basement.

Arjun stared in disbelief.

"Did you come to save me?" asked Anjali as she was about to run to him.

Arjun hid his gun behind his back-"Stay back, you will get all blood on you".

But Anjali was far from obeying. She ran to him and hugged him sobbing uncontrollably. Arjun found a tear of relief and contentment trickling down his cheek as well. He wanted to hug her back but the blood on his hands prevented him from doing so. He knelt down and said

"I am sorry for not standing by you at the mall. Sometimes when you find yourself caring for someone, but begin to pretend as if you don't"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know".

"Hey,you smiled. I have never seen you do that before"

Arjun looked at her lovingly and then saw the police close in. He sighed and said " You are on your own now. You will mange?"

Anjali looked devastated. But put on a brave face and nodded.

Officer Ajay and his men surrounded Arjun.

Arjun looked at them with indifference and said-"Please find a shelter and education for her."

Ajay nodded.

Arjun was about to walk away when he turned towards Anjali.

"You know I was beginning to forget what you look like. I wish I had clicked a picture of you".

Ajay patted the girl and asked her to stand next to him. He asked his team take a snap of both of them.

Arjun asked for water to clean the blood off his hand and face.

And then he finally hugged her.

--THE END--