FF: Before The Last Sun Sets: 3/33 Blog Link Pg 1 - Page 13

Interesting start and very apt chapter title...khushi running away from shankar and landing straight at arnav's doorstep...plz continue soon.

Chapter Two: Baptized In Blood

"Bhai!"

Arnav swatted his hand out lazily at the annoying voice intent on ruining his slumber. The days were hot and the cooler in his room was no longer droning loudly. Powers out, Arnav thought drowsily going back in to the pitch black recesses of his mind.

"Bhai!"

"Sallay, can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Arnav growled.

"Bhai this is important!" Rakesh cried out shaking Arnav awake who rolled over on his back and opened his eyes a crack to regard Rakesh, his hand resting on the butt of his gun, lodged firmly in his jeans under his shirt. "Bhonslay's men are in our area, some trouble with some runddy over in Narayan Nagar."

Arnav jumped of the bed and grabbed his automatic from his bedside table, ramming it in his jeans before wearing a pale yellow shirt over his white under vest. "Where's Aman?" he asked sharply as he ran out of his house in Jagat Ram Park, ignoring Nani who sat in front of the small mandir in their living room.

"Chhotay! Breakfast," Anjali called at her brothers retreating back but knew it was useless.

"Bhai got the call of duty early this morning," Akash said sarcastically as he walked in to the house.

"Stop it Akash," Anjali said reproachfully. Akash bent at Nani's feet and took the blessings of the agni before he steeled at the breakfast table. "How was your night?" Anjali asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Tiresome," Akash said dismissively. "American's are such spoiled brats!"

"And so are you," Nani said to her youngest grandson as she settled at the table. "Don't ever let me hear you talk disrespectfully about your brother who sacrificed his childhood in the slums for you to get an education, so you could have a better life than him."

Akash pushed his plate away and stormed in to his room, banging the door behind him.

*

"How many?" Arnav asked Aman who was lounging at the end of Dak Khana Road. Aman pushed off the wall he was leaning against and joined the long purposeful strides of Arnav Singh as they made their way towards the narrow back streets of Narayan Nagar where the wh**e houses were situated.

"About five," Aman said casually. "Apparently one of the chutias has been visiting Kareema Bai's house often off late, fell in love with one of her girls. After Gopal told her not to entertain Bhonslay's boys anymore she told the cock sucker to shove off. But he didn't take no for an answer. Said he was in love, wanted to marry the kulta."

Rakesh started to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of Bhonslay's men. Wanting to marry a prostitute, Ha!

"So now he's brought his boys to get the girl?" Arnav asked stopping suddenly and staring at Aman in disbelief. Aman nodded and Arnav shook his head at the stupidity of men who thought with their cocks. "Well let's hope she was worth dying over."

They met Gopal and his team of three young boys at the entrance to the wh**e street, small houses lined with red streamers and burning incense sticks, dying away in the early morning light. Arnav thanked Devi Maya that it was early morning and there wasn't a crowd to maneuver their shots through. At least there will be no unwanted casualties, he thought solemnly, eyeing the two men standing outside Kreema Bai's house, keeping guard for their love sick mate.

"Shall we go in?" Gopal asked Arnav. In the scheme of things in the H Company, Arnav was above Gopal, even though Gopal had more experience and was older, he didn't have what Happy Singh called natural instincts for the business, lack of initiative.

Arnav studied the area some more before he motioned Aman and Rakesh to go around the house taking the back street. Once enough time had elapsed for them to have taken up their positions Arnav motioned for Gopal and his men to come forward. "Let's smoke these rats out."

*

"I think I'll go to the mandir Amma," Khushi said quietly as she helped Garima with the unpacking. Garima ignored her deftly handing the folded clothes to Payal who gave Khushi a withering look. Khushi backed out of the room and in to the living room where Shashi Gupta was in deep conversation with his sister, Madhumati Jaiswal.

"Babu ji may I go to the mandir?" Khushi asked and Shashi nodded going back to his conversation about shops for rent or sale in Laxmi Nagar. Khushi covered her head with her bright pale blue dupatta, her pale blue shalwar kameez simple and unadorned.

"Take the thaal placed on the kitchen counter," Madhumati said in a cool voice to Khushi who obeyed without question.

*

They were on the run. After Arnav had shot one of the guards the others had gone running through the back alleys where Rakesh and Aman were lying in wait. Three were down with only two more to go, one of them being lover boy.

Arnav was hot on the heels of Romeo, weaving through the tiny streets of Laxmi Nagar, the bells from the temple providing music to the pounding of adrenaline in Arnav's ear. Arnav saw Romeo run ahead, and turn a corner and Arnav calculated and turned sharply to his left running as if his life depended on it. He turned another corner sharply, his gun ready to fire when he collided with a pale blue girl, the thhal in her hand flying through the air, glinting in the sun before it landed in the dust at their feet.

Arnav held the girl's shoulder, his angry scowl boring in to hazel eyes of such delicate beauty that for a minute he wasn't sure why he was angry. He looked down at trembling pink lips, soft and pouting, a quivering chin and even lower at heaving breasts. He looked back up at her sharply and noticed her cheeks blazing red while her startled eyes were now furious, with just a hint of frustrated tears.

Arnav let go of one shoulder lazily as he turned slightly, his gaze still meeting hers. Khushi heard rather than saw a man screaming as the man in front of her held him by his windpipe. She saw the man in pale yellow give her a sardonic smile before he let her go completely. Khushi's back collided with a wall as she backed away from the scene unfolding in front of her.

The youth in yellow squeezed the windpipe of the slight young man, pimples breaking on his chin. She watched as the boy was thrown to the ground, because he couldn't be more than twenty, a heavy foot stamping in to his gut mercilessly till he was spitting blood. She watched as the man in front of her punched the boy's face in to an unrecognizable pulp and then casually brought out a gun and shot him in the head.

Khushi looked up from the dead boy to see that the man had never taken his eyes off of her, how they glinted now, manic, possessed and Vikram's words came back to her; "they always want a good f**k after they've killed someone."

Khushi's trembling hand grazed the wall as she commanded her feet to start walking away from the man in front of her, his knuckles bleeding and raw, his white under vest drenched with sweat and blood. Khushi took two baby steps, three halting strides till she was running in the direction of her new home, knowing nowhere was safe.

*

Aman whirled his dagger up in the air and caught it, waiting outside the tiny room at Kareema Bai's. Rakesh, Gopal and his boys were playing cards while the sound of whimpering and agonized moans came from the room. After a while the door opened and Arnav walked out zipping up his jeans.

"How was she?" Aman asked.

"Meh," Arnav shrugged. "Not worth dying over." Rakesh and Gopal burst in to booming laughter, while Aman closed the door behind him, it being his turn with the c**t who had dared to fall in love with the enemy.