The Guy Next Door
'Subject has entered the building' she stated looking through the binoculars
'What is he subject wearing?' asked the other girl in the pitch dark room, the curtains were drawn even in the warm summer's day
'Of course the usual black' the third person in the room mocked pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose
'Right, man in black' the first answered looking at her two best friends, one taking note and the other sitting idly on the bed.
'Geet lets do something else man' he complained looking at her with his sweet but goofy smile and the other girl looked his way with a similar goofy yet sweet smile.
'No ways Adi, we need to figure this guy out' answered Geet turning towards her large window and pushing the curtains ever so slightly so she could inspect her new neighbour. The guy next door, figuratively speaking.
'OMG he's taking his shirt off Pinky' she screeched turning red but still glued to the binoculars, as Adi quickly pushed forward from the bed feeling scathed, how dare he?' he wanted to shout but as usual Pinky intervened throwing Geet over and gazing in affection at the now semi-naked man that lived in front of Geet's house.
'Oh my! He's so hot' Pinky gushed as Adi looked at Geet hoping she hasn't seen the sight which Pinky seemed to be blown away with.
'OWWW he's taking out the rubbish' Geet screamed, as if it's the crime of the century and Adi and Pinky quickly huddled to the window watching him throw a suspicious glance towards Geet's house and then quickly walked in as they hid under the window sill.
'He's definitely up to something' Geet added as he more than once looked towards the bin in worry. The room then filled in suspense, over the last week they had thought of every possible job occupation for their suspect, who lived across the road. Ever since he moved in, Geet the suspense-thriller fan seemed to have gained a feeling of uncertainty. He was her object of interest, like all dark characters he wore black; acted suspicious and hid away from civilisation. All three things operated as a catalyst, forcing Geet to ignore college and dwell into her not-so-friendly neighbour.
'OMG is that blood?' Pinky screeched examining the ground where the black bin-bag was placed before it was thrown into the large bin. All three looked at one another, equally freaked; this wasn't something 18 year olds expected. Especially these three, who were as curious as Nancy Drew and as awkward as inspector Goole.
'Hey what's that?' Geet squeaked noticing a slight movement near the window that faced their window, all shocked with freight
'Is he going to shoot us?' Pinky piped closing her eyes clutching onto Adi, as he clutched onto Geet and Geet held her breathe ready to be dead. Why o why did they have to awaken the beast that lived beyond the narrow road?
'GEET' the shout resonated like a bullet through the thin air jumping them up, as they screamed in agony; her mother, Rano entered rather amused seeing them hugging as if life depended on it.
'I know you guys have a submission date, but there's no need to cry' she laughed picking up the notes pad from the floor, forgotten and displaced.
'Foods nearly ready, so be there within 5!' she warned looking at each one of them hyperventilating until Geet threw in one of her famous I-am-up-to-nothing' stroppy smiles. As if Rano believed her, flashing a thinning gaze she made her way downstairs as the others in the room sighed in relief.
'What's all this about?' Geet asked her mother nipping at a carrot chip, as Adi and Pinky got about helping Mr Handa set the table for dinner.
'We invited the new neighbour for lunch, he helped your mother today at the supermarket and she in return asked him to join us tonight' Mohinder, Geet's ever-so-innocent father informed not noticing how Geet's eyes almost popped out or how she started choking letting Adi pat her back and Pinky tended to Adi who was gasping for air.
'WHY?' She cried once her breathing restored as her parents looked at their only child bemused, Geet could be a weird child at times but before any one of them could react the loud doorbell rang and Rano commanded for her compliance, not wanting to see another one of her daughters bizarre detective-type dinners
'I'm not opening the door' she freaked running behind Adi who in turn pulled Pinky in front
'When would they grow up?' Mohinder giggled fondly shaking his head as he went to welcome their guest for the evening
It was a rather a strange dinner; Geet, Adi and Pinky sat gnawing quietly at their food as Mr and Mrs Handa made little conversation with the new occupant of the street. They found him sweet and cultural. Maan, he called himself but Geet just new that was a ploy. Dennis, Martin even Gurmeet could be his real identity; didn't they all hide their identity so they could fit within the common citizens of the world. Weren't all spies and assassins given a fake story to hide under? She watched all four seasons of NIKITA and knew exactly what or rather who made him.
'So what do you do Maan?' Mohinder asked catching her attention
'I've just graduated and currently working at a Law firm' Maan answered nicely looking at the new group of faces that minutely dissected all his movements but stopped at Geet, throwing her an extra smiley look. Nonetheless, Geet just knew what that meant, o gosh was she his next target? Was she to die soon? But why would the government want her killed, was it because she was extremely beautiful and talented, and were the spy world threatened by her amazing analysing skills?
'Graduated, oh mature student?' Pinky finally spoke as her friends looked at her in shock seeing her clear her confusion. Adi quickly nudged Geat as in to say why was Pinky speaking; did she want to die?
'NO' he answered with a tinge of annoyance
'Are you not in your late thirties like Adi suggested?' when he nodded angrily looking at Adi, he immediately slammed the hand Pinky used to point at him and looked away scared
'Then you must be in your late twenties or early thirties' she added winking at Geet, again Maan nodded for a NO; irritation brewing in his eyes as a petrified Geet looked at her plate timidly, oh she was so dead. Guaranteed dead?
'I told them lot, you must be in early to mid-twenties; but they thought you had plastic surgery done to look younger' Pinky laughed as did Mr and Mrs Handa knowing that their daughter and her friends were extremely immature and imaginative, almost stupidly juvenile living by the laws of their favourite fictional character, NIKITA.
'I'm 21' Maan confirmed in clarity, pronouncing each number as Geet and Adi grew in colour. Whether that was in fear or embarrassment Maan couldn't tell?
'Ignore my daughter and her friends son, she watches too much of spy movies. According to her there's a black corporation with ex-criminals who the government have hired to kill national threats' Mohinder laughed louder as did Rano while Geet sat still watching Maan grow conscious and cold
'Who said they didn't exist, maybe I am one of them!' he added in a flow, sounding very much serious and committed. The three grasped as Geet clutched a butter knife and Adi gripped onto her immediately, while Pinky gripped onto him; her parents were also silent as they watched Geet and Maan look at one another intensely
'Oh I love your sense of humour' Mohinder broke into a guffaw followed by Rano as Maan winked at Geet joining them, soon Pinky also joined in as Adi and Geet faked a giggle looking at one another in apprehension very much believing in their alternative universe where she was the hero, he was her side-kick and Maan was the paid assassin sent to kill her. Obviously in Adi's world, he was the hero and Geet his love interest. Pinky looked at the hand that crept up to Geet's hand and immediately tugged it down in reflex, smiling and blinking her eye-lashes as all heroines do in movies trying to appease Adi with her charm. Geet was oblivious to this and looked at her suspect in growing interest.
'Thank you for dinner once again' Maan thanked from the door as everyone assembled near the door to see off the guest, once he was off; Adi and Pinky too went after promising to meet the next day to discuss the case of the Man in black' in more detail, after all now they had met him in person. Immediately after closing the door, Geet took off to her bedroom as her parents chuckled seeing their daughter's folly knowing she wouldn't be down until she has solved this new mystery, yes they knew of her mission and hence helped her in their own way. Their daughter was unique', saying so they headed for the kitchen to tidy up while Geet upstairs pulled out the notes book which she tucked neatly under the mattress. Ruffling through the various cases she locked and solved in the last few months, she stopped at her new suspect.
Name: Man in Black
Address: Lives opposite
Occupation: Spy/ Assassin/ Contract-killer (Me), druggie/murderer (A), model (P)
Age: 24? (P), 29 (Me), 38 (A)
She reread the suspect detail and crossed over the occupation and wrote 'ex-convict working for a black corps' and then crossed over the age and wrote '21'. Tomorrow she and her fellow analyst i.e. A for Adi and P for Pinky, would scrutinize the new found information and continue to spy on Maan which she added in bold letters beside 'Man in Black'. He was by far her complicated case, even more problematic than Dr Philips, her science teacher; who they thought ran away from a circus and fabricated his doctorate to woo Mrs Berry. Obviously, he was none, but just a depressed and clumsy teacher who hated his job and her from the looks he threw her way. Obviously, it had nothing to do with her telling Mrs Berry that he fancied her and would kidnap her, taking advantage of his circus truck which was disguised as a mini caravan. Till this date, both Mrs Berry and Dr Philips stayed away as if Geet was plagued.
Once finished with her notes, she fetched for her binoculars and once again looked for the blood stain on his driveway near his bins but it was gone, as if vanished. WEIRD. She then focused around the house watching out for any movements. Her natural spy skills hiking with every seconds. She stopped at the bedroom window noticing a silhouette of a female, but even before she could react he pushed open his curtains and looked directly at her and smiled wickedly, then he pulled out a gun and shot at her direction.
Lying on the carpeted floor, she awaited death gasping for air, way too crippled by pain to shout out for her parents but had just enough time and strength to scribble down a haphazard Maan killed me' in red ink. When death didn't come, she carefully reached for the wound closing her eyes anticipating pain however when no red liquid touched her small scaring fingers, her dapped her palm over more firmly and then looked at the so-called wound on her shoulder, nothing; nought, nada. Why was she perfectly fine?' scurrying up to her feet, she watched in aghast as he kissed the face of the female and waved good-bye from his door step, he then looked up in Geet's direction once again. How did he go from being upstairs to down? More over who was that woman? She asked herself as he then directed a wave in her direction. Was that Geet's sign to say goodbye to the world? He closed the front door shut and Geet released her breath which she never knew she held in anticipation.
Quickly turning around, she surveyed her bedroom for any red laser beams, after all if he was to kill her then it must be silent but deadly. But she saw none, rather that's when she realised that her curtains weren't drawn as usual and she stood out in the open spying at her potentially dangerous neighbour. He was onto her now, so she needed to be extra careful. She looked around once again, and noticed a small paper on the floor crushed up against the play bullet that was fired at her, unfolding it, she read the message that was solely for her.
Date with me, tomorrow at the park around 6pm,
Need answers then meet me
From your Man in black'
'He's a player and you're his next target' Geet shouted turning towards her window in furry only to watch him draw one half of his curtain and throw a flying kiss her way.
'Or a cold-blooded murderer, a serial-killer, a spy or an assassin' Geet rounded up immediately closing her curtain and landing face down on her bed. Maan' was his name, the name of her new mission; she concluded making her mind to meet him tomorrow but she shall go prepared with her blazing personal alarm and a pepper spray, and this time neither Adi nor Pinky could join her. This was a dangerous mission but Geet Handa was smart, intelligent and super-spy material. She shall crack this case even if her life depended on it, after all that's what NIKITA would have done. But was she ready to risk her life, ok maybe not.
'Tomorrow a 6, Central Park' she wrote under extra notes, so even if she went missing Adi and Pinky would know where to look, and more precisely who to look for.
Note: Ok this was my submission for last years Anni thread, it took me a year lol but finally it's found its own place lol
Hope you enjoy reading as much as i enjoyed writing this😊
Cricket
CID
663