Chapter 9

Chapter 9

09 May

At half past midnight Sonny called Shiva the attendant in Alipore shore resort property.
“Hello Shiva I am Sonny.”
“Sonny Sahib, I didn’t see you for last few months?”
“Fine, did you receive two guests I sent them?”
“Yes they are here, one is called Rishi and other always is Hermit who always yells Jai-Ganga-Mai.”
“I guess they came by boat.”
“Yes they came by boat and driver is also sleeping in home.”
“Do me a favor, starting tomorrow morning call me anytime they enter or leave the place. This is very important company business. Write my phone number.”
Shiva said, “Now we have caller ID. I got your number.”
Shiva didn’t ask any further question because he was always an accessory in Sonny’s Company Business at the Alipore rental property. Isolated situation of the property was most suitable for the activities requiring privacy.
Sonny finished half of the bottle and a pack of cigarettes and went to sleep at three PM.

2

Omar was trying to sleep in Uttarkashi but a combination of liquor and heroine made his mind very hyperactive.
He was angry like a king cobra.
I served them for ten years and they all conspired to eliminate me. They made me dig my own grave but God was with me.
He wanted revenge.
He called reception. “Can I make phone calls from my room?”
“You must leave a deposit.”
“I am coming down to leave a deposit.”
Omar gave the reception clerk one thousand rupee and returned to his room.
Let’s imitate Late Mulchand.
“Hello Danny, how are you?”
“Mulchand, we are trying to call you for the last one hour.”
“Job is done.”
Danny laughed, “Good! Good, good. And …...”
“Omar is meeting his own maker. But his body is lying with me.”
“Good! Good, good. And his cell phone and Mr. K. Nife …?”
“That is the problem. I want to retire early. I want you to pay me.”
“What did you say? You fool, you know with whom are you talking?”
“I want you to arrange 20 boxes in ten lots of two box each by Western Union.”
“You are a dead man Mulchand.”
“In that case I will throw away cell phone and Mr. K. Nife in the holy river.”
“You will get the money in Mumbai.”
“Take it or leave it. Bye.”
“Wait, we don’t have this much cash on a short notice.”
“And I have no desire to wait with a dead body lying next to me.”
“Can we settle for half the money?”
“No.”
“Half the money now and rest in Mumbai.”
“Allah-hafiz.” Omar said.
“Wait, are you sure that job is done.”
Omar said, “Yes my words are as good as your words.”
“Look Omar, Western Union only send money from abroad. Come to Mumbai and we will pay you. This is my word.”
“You know money laundry experts, you are sending money to England, USA, Nigeria and Dubai.”
“You win Mulchand. You will get the money in one hour.”
“Yes you give me all ten codes and I will call my agent to confirm the transfer.”
“And then.”
“I will leave Mr. K Nife and cell phone in Late Omar’s possession. I will also make sure that everything goes well in the morning.”

In Mumbai, Danny sat with head head resting on his hands. This Rishi drama was gone out of control. Mulchand was his friend and how fast he has changed.
Hope all goes well. Mulchand will be taken care later on.
He called his brother in Dubai, gave him the news. Don was now very angry; he was to arrange the money transfer. His own money.
Now Rishi was dead, Danny called Poppy and asked him to find Sunny and get back the cell phone.
Poppy replied, “Sonny is not picking up the cell phone and his uncle Roger is in Mumbai, police and media vans are crowding around his home. I will find him first thing in the morning; he sleeps late and wakes up at the noon.”
Danny grunted, “We must have that cell phone back in the morning.”

3

Directors were waiting for Roger in the conference room but at the last minute they were told to move to the terrace of the same hotel. They all took seats on neatly arranged chairs. Roger arrived there at 1am. and walked straight to the open-air bar and asked for a mineral water bottle.
There was hand clapping but he waived his hands to display his displeasure.
He barked at his CEO to get rid of all waiters and hotel attendants immediately and secure the entrances. He walked in front of all guests. Microphones and amplifiers too were removed.
Suddenly there was a silence in the room.

He started the address:
I appreciate your being here at a short notice. I appreciate your participation in our coordinated efforts. Gentle men this year we made lots of money, but it was a bull run where everybody makes money but actually we made more than everybody.
My current assessments to the situation indicate that a reversal is due in the stock market. Our stocks are overpriced. I again demand your participation in a new coordinated effort to use this reversal in our favor. This time we will make even more money.
A hand was raised from the last row and Roger said, “Please stand up and speak.”
A little bald man in his fifties rose. “Nice to see you Roger, I think it is still a bull market I think we must ride the wave till reversal starts.”
Roger asked the man to sit down.
“Gentlemen we are not on the mercy of bull or bear markets. Bull or bear markets are in our hands and I want your coordinated effort again. I want to see you even richer in this year. I have a plan.

It was about 2am Roger was announcing his closing statements.
A very fat director was sitting in the front row, Roger asked him, “Give me a hug.”
They hugged each other then Roger placed his arm around fat man’s shoulder and said, “We are looking forward to welcome a bear market. Next time I want to see your holdings to fat up like Lala Ji.”
Everybody burst in laugher but Lala Ji was bit embarrassed but was also proud that a great man gave him a hug.
Lala Ji thought, “Wish there was a photographer to take my picture. My friends and family may never believe that Roger gave me a hug.”

Roger said good-bye to all and asked his CEO to book him a room in the same hotel. A whole floor was already booked and he was taken to the room. He had no other clothes. He took a bath and swallowed two headache pills and tried to sleep. He wanted to have a drink but he was to follow Hermit advice and was not going to touch a drink for at least a week. Then he remembered Vinita and hugged his pillow and said, “Wish you were here.”
He cuddled with his pillow and tried to sleep but sleep was a rare commodity again.
“Wish I had your picture,” he kissed the pillow.
Priest’s words echoed into his ears again, “A match arranged in heaven. She is the water and he is dry earth. She is Mother Ganges and he is baking plains of North India in the heat of summer.”
Then Rishi’s words echoed into his ears, “This is your engagement. Go have a walk, make a left on the road up there, scenes are breathtaking.”
Yes scenes are breathtaking if you are Rishi.

4

Don was very angry in Dubai, was not happy to part with fifty thousand dollars. Most of his fortune was locked up in diamonds. He had to borrow money to pay to Western Union agent.
Sooner or later this money will come back to us. Mulchand will hang himself with his own entrails.

5

Omar called Danny, “Hello Danny.”
“Money is all yours, do you have a pen ready, write the codes.”
Omar had a pen ready he wrote ten codes. There was just one problem; money arrived on Mulchand’s name. No problem. He had a blank ID ready, they always traveled on fake IDs and also he found Mulchand’s picture and some blank id’s from his luggage.

He called his friend who was a Western Union agent in Mumbai and gave him codes and asked him to confirm it the money has arrived from Dubai. Yes it was really arrived. He could pick it up from any Western Union agent in India. Transfer was irreversible, but there was just one problem. Like he could make a fake ID Danny & company too can make it.
He must reach to some big city to pick up the money. It is rob or get robbed.
Omar packed up everything. Reception had closed the main entrance of the hotel he had to wake them up.
“I have to leave in emergency. My partner will leave in the morning.”
He walked to Taxi stand. A man was sleeping in a car he had to wake him up.
“Driving at nights is not allowed. You must invent some emergency,” Taxi driver started his car.
It was 3am and nobody stopped them. They found zero traffic on the road; he vomited five times from the window.
They were in Dehradoon at 10am. He went to ten different Western Union dealers and each issued him a bearer check, he cashed all checks. By 2pm he had all the money.
His next destination was Delhi where a money launderer was waiting for him; he was to transfer that money to Thailand all in Euros.

6

Hermit woke up Rishi at five. Shiva was still sleeping, Rishi made tea in the kitchen. They went out to have a long walk to catch a cobra. Shiva woke up at 6am and knocked at their doors. Then he saw the back door was unlocked and he understood that they are gone out for a walk. He called Sonny on his new cell phone but call went unanswered, he knew that Sonny wakes up late.

It was still morning Rishi and Hermit walked in the jungle and a narrow strip of rocky beach ran along it. Hermit had a worn up sack with him. Any time Hermit saw a poisonous or medicinal plant, he educated Rishi about it. He was looking for cobra’s hideout. They walked for many miles. Hermit saw many snake holes but none had typical cobra markings. They saw three snakes but none was cobra. At nine they came on a road and walked to a small fishing hamlet near by, they had a cup of tea with two buns at a small tea stall. Summer sun was shining on the cloudy sky. Humid coastal air was getting warm fast.

7

Roger slept at four in the morning and woke up at seven. He took a bath and requested a taxi. Luckily there was no press or police at the hotel gate. He reached Bishambar’s home.
There he had breakfast in a rush and they all went to hospital in two cars to see Bishambar. Media vans were starting to show up again. He spoke with Dr. Shah and Joshi Ji performed a brief Puja for Bishambar’s get well.
He took Vinita and his mother aside in a vacant room in the hospital and said, “I want to marry her today. That’s why Joshi Ji is here. This is going to be a private affair.”
“She has a father, uncles and cousins. You cannot lead her this way. You must ask her how and where she wants to get married. You must pay respects to her family. She is not a business deal but a person.”
He asked, “Vinita, when, where and how you want to get married.”
“I want to get married in Uttarkashi in the same temple we got engaged. I want my father to join the occasion. If he joins only then I may invite my uncles and cousins otherwise only Rishi and Gangagiri are from my side.”
“Fine with me, I will call my CEO and you work with him, he will undertake the responsibility to trace your father,”
Vinita nodded in agreement. Roger rushed out and went to his Mumbai HQ with media and police following him.

8

Freddie was in the bathroom and Eddie was drinking coffee and watching television.
Eddie knocked on the bathroom door.
Freddie yelled, “What!”
“Hey Freddie, Boss was on the Telephone.”
Freddie kept on bathing and Eddie was desperate.
“You dumb idiot, Hurry up?”
Finally Freddie emerged from the bathroom, all dressed up and shaved up, “You said boss was on the television.”
“You dumb idiot, I said Boss was on the telephone not the television. Hurry up we got to pick up a passenger from Delhi, on the Auto-Rickshaw” Eddie said.

9

Danny waited and waited but Mulchand’s next call and Don in Dubai was waiting for Danny’s call. Next stage of the plan was to begin after Police discovers two bodies and links two murders. Mulchand said that he would make sure that everything goes well.

Dan was also nervous in Dubai. He took double dose of anti anxiety drugs; his blood pressure was out of control and medicine was not working on him. To control his blood pressure in emergency he had to take diuretics to drain liquids from his body. He was going to bathroom to urinate after each ten minutes. This Rishi drama turned out to be an expansive proposition and it was taking toll on his health.

10

Sonny’s cell phone was on charger. His mother woke him up at seven, because she heard his phone ringing. She left without saying a word. Shiva called him and he missed.
He autodialed the number and Shiva gave him the news that Rishi and Hermit are gone for a walk. Boat was still there and driver was having breakfast.
Phone rang again.
“So-nn-ee. Man, where are you.”
“Hey Poppy you changed your number again? Last night, I called and called.”
“Come outside, I must talk to you.”
“I must talk to you too.”
They laughed. Sonny changed clothes and walked out. Poppy drove to him, he was in another new car. They drove away.
Poppy said, “Congratulations! The job is done. Rishi is dead.”
Sonny laughed, “If he is dead what was he doing in my home last night.”
“What! What did you say?”
“Yesterday Rishi arrived here on my uncle’s jet, right now he is in Alipore.”
Poppy had the biggest shock in his life.
“You stay in the car, I must make some calls.”

Poppy left the car to call Danny in privacy.
“Rishi is still alive. Yesterday he arrived in Mumbai on Roger’s jet.”
“What!”
“Yes Mulchand double crossed us.”
“No he triple crossed us. We sent two men to finish his whole family.”
“What do I do with Sonny’s cell phone?”
“Destroy the whole phone set immediately, we don’t know what is he up to, may be he has ganged up with Omar and they may have switched the sides.”

Poppy returned in the car.
“Man, I need your cell phone; my girl friend has changed her mind.”
They laughed.
“Hey Poppy, I will like to do Rishi with my own hands. Can you give me some cell phone triggered device etc.”

11

Don was in the state of trauma in his Dubai villa. His was feeling that his heart was not functioning properly. He called his doctor who asked him few questions.
Finally Don asked him, “Is it a heart attack?”
“I don’t think so but your blood pressure is way high.”
“Recently I am under high stress.”
“Well, you must change your life style.”
“Exactly that is what I am working for.”
So Mulchand double-crossed us he robbed our money. Well we will add it in Roger’s bill but Mulchand slapped on our face. Now his family must die.
Cell phone on the table rang again.
Abdul answered the call.
“Sir Danny wants to talk to you. He says it is an emergency.”
Don pressed the phone to his ears. “Yes Danny.”
“Rishi did not die.”
“What!”
“Mulchand triple crossed us,” Danny said, “So far it appears that he has liquidated Omar.”
Don felt his heart will jump out of his chest.
“But I have a good news too,” added Danny
“Sonny wants a remote bomb to kill this Rishi guy.”
“Danny, let me think. Call me in ten minutes.” He disconnected the phone.
After all we may win the lost game. This time cat has came to the dogs.
His heart was suddenly normal.

Danny’s phone rang after ten minutes, exactly.
Danny said, “Yes big brother.”
“Give him a cell phone device with double cell phone trigger, we must have a trigger in our own hands, because this Sonny seems to be a stupid boy,” Don said.
“Yes he is stupid, Rishi was sitting in his home and we lost a small fortune and a good man.”
“No actually damage is bigger because Omar is a loose cannon, he knows about our diamond deals. It could be Déjà vu for us.”
“Yes big brother, he could be a time bomb. He has sold his loyalty. In three days we are packing up our operation and moving out, hope all goes well.”
“Make sure Sonny gets some sort of RDX device, bigger the mess he makes better for us.”
“OK.”
Let’s finish this Rishi drama. Since this Ghat washer Rishi has came in our life, I feel, Dubai sand is has found a way in my food.”
“Sonny will miss Rishi we will get him; he is a bad luck omen to us.”

12

Hermit saw a dense coconut grove. There was a fishermen’s colony at some distance away behind the grove.
He said, “This is the place to find the cobras. Fishermen unload and sort their catch here. This is the place where rats come to scavenge. Snakes love the smell of rat and fish.”
They walked in the forest hermit pointed his finger to some round objects, “This is cobra dropping.”
They looked around and Hermit found cobra’s hole, he poked his hand in it.
Rishi whispered in horror, “you will get bitten.”
Hermit pulled his hand and dragged out a huge struggling and hissing cobra, it was in a rage. Rishi never saw such a huge, black, angry and shining snake like that.
“It is fat, it ate lots of rats. You won’t find such a healthy snake in the city.”
Snake was hissing in anger with its head spread out. It was making all efforts to bite them. Hermit held its tail high and well away from his body.
“Jai-Ganga-Mai. Jai-Bhole-Nath. Hur-Hur-Gangae. Baby you are going to see Mumbai and take it easy. You will be back here tomorrow. I will feed you eggs. You will party.”
“Rishi sahibs please open the sack.”
Hermit inserted the snake’s head into it and then whole snake went into the bag. They heard hissing for some time then snake went calm, they tied up the bag with a rope.
Rishi said, “Gangagiri that was easy.”

A little before noon, they turned back to the property, they had a long walk ahead.
“Rishi sahib, do you know what happens when a cobra bites?”
“The only thing I know is that it is mortal.”
“It is a painful death. Intense burning pain at the bitten spot is the first symptom. Then feeling of intoxication and then followed by the loss of power in the limbs. The patient is bereft of speech, swallowing and the moment of the lips and jaws. The saliva is ejected in large quantity, respiration becomes slower and slower gradually, and patient is grasping at throat with sense of chocking. Patient is conscious at all the time. Its action surrounds the heart”
Rishi said, “I didn’t know that, but how it can help Bishambar?”
“I will give his body a shock with the poison. I will inject a very dilute quantity in his veins and pain may wake him up. We would know the effect in one hour if it fails then it fails. Additional shocks are mortal. We have only one chance. Bishambar’s case is more difficult because he was smoking a lot. Cigarette chemicals might react with the cobra poison. We have to give him a bigger shock and he may die in one hour.”
“Will of the Ganga Mai will prevail,” Rishi said.
Hermit said, “In ancient times most of the public were peasants and poor, only Kings or his associates were rich, well fed and lazy. They used to have heart attacks and strokes. There were Nag-Kanyas in those times.”
Rishi interrupted, “Gangagiri Nag means cobra and Kanya means a virgin-girl.”
“Yes exactly, those little girls were injected extreme dilute cobra poison, in the beginning and the strength of the poison was gradually increased. When those girls grew up they were as poisonous as a cobra. Kings used those girls to seduce and kill their enemies. It was a common understanding that just one kiss of the Nag-Kanya was enough to wake a man from a coma.”
“That is exactly what we are going to do,” Rishi declared.

They arrived at the intersection of the main road and the road to the property; they bought a dozen eggs for the cobra. As they were near property, Hermit opened the bag and threw an egg in it. Snake moved gently in the bag and the egg was gone in no time, they fed two more eggs to it.
They arrived at the resort; hermit placed the cobra sack in his room. Shiva served them lunch.

13

Poppy called Tony and gave him the detailed specifications of the cell phone bomb. Tony estimated that bomb would be ready in about 3 hours.
Sonny asked, “How big would be the device.”
“Let’s say, a little bigger than a shoe box?”
Poppy drove around with Sonny aimlessly to kill time. They had lunch in a posh restaurant and Poppy paid the bill. Tony called Poppy; he said the bomb was ready. Poppy drove car to the slum, he left the car by a cell-phone tower situated near the lake of stagnant water that also served sever and cesspit to the slums. They walked to the same place where Sonny dropped the money just a day ago. Two new motorcycles were parked there. A hen was cocking and walking around with its one foot tied to a brick with a long string.
Sonny muttered, “Stolen”. He repeated the words his father used to repeat very often, “Honor among thieves”
Poppy knocked at the door and Tony opened it, he was peeling boiled eggs and his nose was still running. Poppy went to a little kitchen in the corner and lit up a gas stove started making tea.
Tony said to Sonny, “You are most welcome in our poor house.”
Sonny’s nose started burning with stench.
Poppy made tea and Sonny had no choice, he took the cup and pretended like he is drinking.
Poppy’s cell phone rang and he took it to his ears, Tony was staring at Poppy with his mouth open and nose running. Sonny saw the opportunity to spill the tea in the corner and he placed the cup back on the table.
Poppy was done with the call.
Tony looked at his face. “What?” Poppy nodded with his finger still in his nose.
Tony smiled and wiped his nose.
Then Tony saw Sonny’s cup empty he filled it up again.
Tony said, “Poppy makes the best tea in the world.”
This time Sonny had no chance to spill the tea, he asked for another glass to cool it.
Sonny started blowing in the cup to cool it; he closed his eyes and finished it in a single second.
“Tastiest tea I ever had,” he lied.
“Have some more.” Before he could say no, Tony filled his cup again.
As Sonny finished his third cup, Tony was finished with eggs. He cut a boiled egg in half, took a pinch of salt mixed with spices from a dirty small round metal box and spread it over it. He wiped his nose with the same hand and felt the spices were not spread evenly and with his fingers he spread the spices evenly.
Tony ordered Sonny, “Open your mouth and eat this egg. Poppy made the spices himself.”
Sonny ate three eggs, each time he said, “Excellent! Excellent!”
Poppy was now making another batch of tea because he gave his share to Sonny.
Tony said, “Huh! You liked the egg; its mamma is walking outside. If the egg is so tasty imagine the taste of its mamma. Poppy is an excellent cook, we are doing mama in few minutes.”
Sonny looked at his watch and said, “I am getting very late. Please give me the thing so I can go.”
Poppy said to Tony, “See if his thing is ready.”
Tony went out in the direction of the slums, returned after five minutes with a cardboard box in his hand. He placed the box in front of Poppy who was drinking the tea.
Poppy opened the box, Sonny looked into it. It had only two things; one large sealed polythene bag and a cell phone. Two wires were connecting both things.
Poppy said, “This cell phone will trigger the bomb.”
Poppy pointed to a small red switch. “This is the master switch. If you turn on this master switch and dial this number. Boom!”
Poppy did not mention that there was another cell phone hidden in the box. He packed the box in a fancy polythene shopping bag.
“OK. Please give me a ride to my home. I got to go.”
Tony said, “You are always in a hurry. Rich people are always in a hurry. Haste makes waste. Have a cup of tea then I will drive you to the road.”
Poppy said, “Don’t forget to turn on the cell phone.”
“I am not stupid, I am an educated person,” Sonny replied.
Poppy said, “Second thing, Give us the good news without delay. Now this Rishi guy has become a challenge.”
They laughed.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about money.”
“I just want to know.”
“You owe us just two boxes; we are charging you just the cost.”
Sonny was relieved.
“Let’s go.” Poppy said, “I will buy you a new SIM card for this device. And then where do you want to go?”
“I am going straight to do this job; I will take a boat from Gateway of India.”
Sonny asked Poppy, “Can you lend me some money.”
“Sure! Sure! What are the friends for? Is ten thousand rupee enough?”
Poppy looked at Tony, “Give him the money and lock the door; I will be back in three hours.”
They walked to the car.

Poppy bought him a new cell phone and a two prepaid SIM cards from his friend’s shop. Sonny was to use one SIM card to trigger the device and other was the number for his personal use. In the car they inserted new SIM in the phone connected to the device. Poppy dropped him off at the ferry terminal at Gateway of India. He took the public boat to the Alipore that dropped him at the ferry terminal. During his whole ride on the boat he kept his eye on his cell phone signal, because the cell phone in the bomb had the same company’s SIM card. Signal was stronger only around the shores. He walked on the narrow road with a shoulder bag. Just before the property he took a trail to the private marina of the property. A boat was stuck in the mud in the low tide a wood platform led to it. He checked around but nobody was watching him. He jumped in the boat. His hand in the sling jerked and he felt pain. He opened the box and turned on the master switch. Near the fuel tank he found a groove in the metal and luckily the box fitted well there. He climbed out with one hand and escaped without being noticed. It was a difficult job because his one hand was in the sling and he was having intense pain but he had done it. Now was the time to wait for the revenge. He was wet with sweat with the late noon humidity.

14

Sonny saw Rishi and Hermit carrying a sack, walking in the direction of Alipore shore property at three PM; luckily he was sitting and drinking a cup of tea in at the roadside teashop. In twenty minutes Shiva called him to confirm that they have arrived with something in a sack. At 2pm he told him that they are packing up to leave. At 2.30pm he informed Sonny that their boat is struggling in the mud to get out. At four he said they are preparing to leave for Mumbai.
At 4.30pm he said, “They just left. I had to go to help them push the boat out of the mud. Guess what! They have a snake in the bag. I was curious so I opened up the bag and it was a big cobra. I got lucky because it was about to bite me. It jumped away and hid in the boat. Now they have a loose cobra on that boat.”
“Thanks for the news.” Sonny disconnected the phone.
He sang, “If bomb won’t get you cobra will get you.
Your son’s resignation is my offering to Mother Ganges.
Your body is my offering to the Ocean.”

Sonny saw the boat; it was just few hundred yards away. He dialed the SIM card number to trigger the bomb and placed the phone to his ear. He heard a ring and then call was broken.
He looked at the boat in frozen astonishment. Nothing happened.
He called Poppy who was already waiting for his phone call.
“Yes Sonny! What is the news?”
“Nothing happened, you gave me a defective bomb.”
“No way.”
“Yes it was a defective bomb. They are not even half mile away from shore.”
“Hold on.”

Poppy picked up a different cell phone and autodialed a number from the memory, he heard the ring for a moment and then phone was off the line.
“Are you watching them?”
“Yes, I am watching them. Boat is still moving like nothing has happened.”
“You sure that there was no explosion, it was suppose to be the biggest bang you ever seen and heard.”
“I am not blind. I can still see the boat.”
“Is it the same boat?”
“Yes, it is the same boat. Damnit!”
“May be there is no signal. Keep trying and don’t give up. Bomb was not defective.”
“OK.”
Poppy repeated dialed the number for two hours. He used three different phones but the trigger phone was off the line. Sonny too repeatedly dialed the number till his cell phone’s battery died.
He turned on a FM radio and waited for the news.

Sonny took public boat back to the Gateway of India. On his entire journey he was on a look for the debris or any symptoms of an explosion and was disappointed. He was too occupied in his thoughts that he failed to notice the boat that he was suppose to blow was moored at the Gateway of India.

Poppy listened to radio and went to a bar and watched the news on the TV but no explosion happened anywhere in the world.
This is the most unusual event in my life; I heard the trigger bell for a moment. May be Rishi died in the ocean and nobody saw the explosion. Sunny is stupid. But bay is busy, no big explosion can go un-noticed.
Danny called him and he too was disappointed on him.
He suggested, “May be Sonny threw away the bomb in the water.”
“But I heard the bell for a moment.”
“Whatever find Sonny and recover the bomb, something has malfunctioned.”

Sonny took a taxi to the hospital and went in to see his father. His father was on the life supports with tubes and wires everywhere on his body and saliva was flowing out of his mouth. He met the Doctor and who also confirmed that his father may never wake up.
It is very unpleasing to have a father in a vegetable state. His bed would be his toilet.
He just came to hospital to access the situation and his job was done. He took a taxi, asked driver to stop at liquor shop and bought two bottles. When he arrived at home, servant informed him that everybody left for hospital just half hour ago. He drank half the bottle of whisky and a smoked several cigarettes. Servants served him dinner in his room but he fell to sleep before he could eat it.

15

Don of the Mumbai Mafia was pacing happily in his sea-facing verandah in Dubai. Warm dry wind was blowing from the desert. He was watching an oil tanker with Canadian flag spluttering on its hull. Abdul was waiting with blood pressure checking machine in his hand, boss never liked interruptions in his joy, which was already in short supply.
Don joyfully muttered, “So Sonny got a bomb. He just bought us a railway ticket to his dear Uncle Roger’s bottomless pockets.”
He laughed. “Let Sonny kill a couple of people, we gave him RDX device for free. Bigger the mess he makes better for us. I will call Roger myself. Tsunami will hit their home,” he said to himself, “This time I will ask for Canadian Dollars. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha. I will buy the whole railroad company to carry my paper pulp from my factories in British Columbia.”
He again looked at the oil tanker.
In next installment I will buy my own oil liner. Red Maple flag would be fluttering on my tanker. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha.
Good, good, good.
Bonito, bonito, bonito. I am happy, Yo contento. I want lots of Canadian Dollars. Yo Quiero mucho Canadiano dolarae. My ship. Yo transportar, yo enviar.
He said to Abdul, “Actually I should learn French too because a third of Canada speaks French. I am good at learning languages. A business man must learn many languages.”
“Yes Sir, you have excellent communications and language skills. May I check your blood pressure?”
“Abdul, one day Senyor Roger’s helicopter will land on my oil liner. He will bring me more Canadian dollars. Ha, ha, ha, ha,” Don continued, “may be he will leave his helicopter to me.” Don laughed and Abdul jumped with joy and clapped his hands.
“Wonderful! Maravilla! Spectaclar! Espectacular! Mucho, mucho Canadiense Dolares,” Don said, “Hola! Buenos dias, Amigo Senyor Rishi.”

16

They had to push the boat out of mud, Mahadev drove the boat in the direction of Mumbai. Hermit sat in the boat driver’s cabin. Rishi was standing out on the deck he felt something at his shoe. It was cobra, Rishi tried to move away in fear but it bit him on the shoe and then disappeared.
Rishi pressed on the Hermit’s shoulder and whispered in ears, “Gangagiri cobra ran away. It bit me on the shoe.” Rishi pointed to his shoe.
Gangagiri thought Rishi was joking so he laughed but when he saw yellowish colored spot on Rishi’s shoe smile disappeared from his face.
Rishi asked Mahadev to stop the engine, Mahadev was confused but he turned off the engine and noise stopped. Boat started dragging in the water.
Now Gangagiri realized that indeed cobra ran away.
“You both stand on the chairs. Snake would be angry and upset with the vibrations and noise of this motorboat. It will bite instantly.”
“Snake! Where is the snake?” Mahadev was scared.
“We had a snake and it ran away, now take off your feet from the floor and stand on the chair.” Gangagiri shouted and walked out of cabin.
He shouted from outside, “Rishi, don’t touch your shoes.”
They heard Gangagiri making strange sounds from his mouth; he was looking in all corners. Finally he saw snake’s tail and he caught it and put it back in the sack. He entered in the cabin with an open box in his hand.
“Rishi sahib we were lucky, I think Shiva opened the sack. Look what I have found in the boat. There is a phone in it.”
He placed the box on the counter.
Rishi looked into it and abruptly Mahadev jumped from his chair, in split second he pulled off a wire from the cell phone. At the same moment cell phone rang and driver instantly cut off the call and turned off the phone.
“Some body wanted to kill us, but we are saved by the hair.” Mahadev said.
Rishi laughed. “So Gangagiri it was the good omen. Shiva opened the bag and let the snake run away and we found the bomb, and Mahadev disconnected the bomb.”
“Jai-Ganga-Mai. Hur-Hur-Gangae. Jai-Shiva. Jai-Mahadev. Jai-Ho. Jai-Ho. Jai-Ho.”
“Who wanted to kill us?” asked Hermit.
Rishi tapped on the cell phone. “Whoever wanted to kill us left his phone number here.”

Hermit took off Rishi’s both shoes and threw them in the bay.
Mahadev asked, “What are we going to do with this bomb, we should take it to police.”
Hermit took the bomb and tossed it in the water and suddenly they saw a huge spray of water and fire around them and boat shook violently. Mahadev was thrown off the boat; Hermit hit his head on the roof. Rishi was lucky because he was holding a bar. Mahadev swam to still shaking boat, Hermit only had a bump on his head.
Rishi laughed again. “Gangagiri, this time you saved our life.”
“Jai-Ganga-Mai. Hur-Hur-Gangae. Jai-Shiva. Jai-Mahadev. Jai-Ho. Jai-Ho. Jai-Ho.”
Mahadev touched Hermit’s feet, “Maharaj! God sent you to save us.”
Hermit laughed.

When they arrived at the Gateway of India, sun was setting in the ocean; they thanked Mahadev again and left the boat. Rishi walked bare feet. They found a public phone shack and Rishi turned on the phone that was in the bomb and noted the last incoming call.
Rishi dialed that number.
A voice said, “Hello.”
“Am I talking to Sonny?”
“Yes, and who are you?”
“Didn’t you recognize me?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I will see you soon. By the way how is your father?”
“He is still alive.”
“Bye now and see you real soon.”
“Who gave you this number?”
Rishi disconnected the phone and they hired a taxi. Hermit placed the sack in the trunk. They were to go to the hospital where Bishambar was in the coma. On the way Hermit bought some medical supplies from a medical store and Rishi bought a cheap pair of slippers from a street vendor. It was night.

17

Roger was busy conferencing with brokerage houses, attorneys, accountants and underwriters. He was finalizing his plans to float a new company that would build a chemicals manufacturing facility in Madras. He was also going to buy some ancillaries to merge them to his new public limited company. At night his CEO’s and Directors of his Singapore operations were to arrive. His Jet had brought Kuldeep from New Delhi; he was handed over all shorthand notes, it was his responsibility to implement and take action on each and every note.

18

Rishi went first time to see Bishambar in the hospital, but Hermit was now a well-known person there, because he accompanied American Billionaire Roger. Rumors were already spread that he is a tantric, helping Roger to gain more success. Security personals recognized him they let him and Rishi enter in the private rooms section. Nobody asked any question about the sack.

In the room they found Vinita, Roger’s mother and Sonali. Tubes and wires hung all over Bishambar’s body. No greeting took place and nobody said a word. Hermit and Rishi entered in the bathroom and locked the door. Hermit opened the bag and tapped on the cobra’s body. Cobra’s flattened head came out of the bag and Hermit caught it in an electric moment. Six-foot snake was in a rage. He coiled rest of its body around Hermit’s arm and started squeezing it. Rishi struggled to unwind the snake but it was offering a stiff resistance but finally Rishi succeeded to uncoil it. Hermit had a hard sponge in his hand he pressed it hard at cobra’s mouth. A drop of yellow florescent liquid appeared on the sponge and Hermit put the snake back in the bag and they secured it again with the rope. With medical supplies bought from the market, Hermit prepared a solution in a bottle and pushed that sponge in it, he shook it and with a syringe he sucked some liquid.
“We are ready, we can’t wait or the poison will oxidize.”
Rishi opened the bathroom a little but a nurse was wiping Bishambar’s mouth, they waited in the bathroom till she was gone.
Rishi closed the door of the private room but it had no lock so he pressed his back and stood there in a guard. Hermit emptied the syringe into the IV drip line and opened the valve; liquid rushed into Bishambar’s veins.
Rishi whispered to them, “You all go home and let doctors give you the news.”
Sonali asked, “Rishi are not you coming with us?”
“We will be staying in a hotel because it is not safe to have a cobra in the home.”
Vinita said, “Rishi you look like a mess, your clothes are soiled, when did you shave last time and where are you shoes?”
“Vinita,” Rishi replied, “Don’t worry about me.”
Rishi readjusted Bishambar’s IV valve. Hermit went to bathroom and packed everything and they left.

A nurse came to room to check Bishambar.
Vinita said to her, “We are going home.”
“Yes, you better go home.” Nurse replied.
Vinita and Sonali helped Roger’s mother to the stairs; they woke up their driver who was sleeping in the Mercedes.

19

Eddie screamed, “Freddie! Freddie, wake up. Boss is running a tight ship.”
Freddie woke up from a deep sleep and TV was on as well all lights were on. Freddie tightly shut his right eye and half opened his left eye to protect them from the sudden exposure to the light. It took him a while to see that Eddie was very nervous and pacing in the room like a coot.
“What! I didn’t know that Boss has a ship too?”
“I said boss is running a tight ship. He is losing his shirt. His stocks are falling in India.”
“You dumb ass a total idiot. Boss makes money no matter stocks rise or fall.”
“No way!”
“Fool! Boss is selling his own stocks to buy them cheap later on. That is called short selling.”
“Oh! I didn’t know that. Nobody tells me anything.”
“Don’t you know my Uncle made a fortune in selling short?”
“Your which uncle?”
“The one whom we visited in Ohio when we hauled boss there.”
“But he is very poor. He smoked up my all cigarettes.”
“Yeah at one time he made a fortune in short selling and then lost it all in short selling.”
“Your family is smart Fredrick. It is educational to be with you.”

20

A nurse saw, Bishambar was jerking his arms and legs. She rushed to fetch Dr. Shah.
When Dr. Shah arrived running Bishambar was saying, “Sonny, Sonny, Sonny where are you?”
“Bring nerve conductivity test kit.”
Dr. Shah did nerves conductivity tests and some of his reflexes were responding, he called at Bishambar’s home and servant picked up the phone.
He asked, “Who is Sonny.”
Servant replied, “Bishambar Sahib’s son.”
“Tell everybody in the home that Mr. Bishambar is showing up some improvement. Is Sonny here?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him to reach hospital immediately. It is very urgent to have him here.”
Servants woke Sonny and told him to go to hospital immediately. He was drunk and confused. One servant already called a taxi and sent him to the hospital.
He arrived in hospital. He watched his father was jerking his hands and calling him.
Dr. Shah yelled in the patient’s ear, “Sonny is here.”
A nurse came to fetch Dr. Shah. “Sir you are wanted in Emergency Room.”
He said to Sonny, “Talk with your father, try to wake him up, it is now or never.”
Sonny asked him, “So he would be fine.”
“I can’t say anything, but now we have a great hope. Coma patients are always unpredictable.” Dr. Shah left the room in a rush.
Sonny was thinking. If he comes out of coma it is good-bye to the money.
He repeated the words his father said to him often, “Wish you were born dead. You are mud on my name.”
Sonny closed the door and looked for the lock but there was not any so he wedged a chair under the doorknob and came to his father.
Good-bye Papa.
He pressed his father’s neck with both hands till body was lifeless.
He opened the door and started shouting, “Papa I am Sonny. Papa I am Sonny.”
Suddenly he was scared seeing the dead body of his father, he rose and left. He took a taxi to his home and luckily everybody was in the bedrooms. He started drinking again.

Poppy called him.
“Hey Sonny we want to know about the boat, we must discover the device otherwise you are in trouble. It may go off accidentally.”
Sonny was drunk, “It is a blue boat with the picture of Shiva on the hull, and you will find it at the Gateway of India. You cannot miss that.”
“Who owns the boat?”
“Driver’s name is Mahadev, you cannot miss that.”
“In the boat, where did you hid the bomb?”
“In the back, behind the fuel tank. If you look under the tank, you cannot miss that.”
“Any idea if the boat is still there?”
“If it is there, you cannot miss that.”
“Are you drunk?”
“You cannot miss that.”
“You know you are a stupid.”
Sonny said in anger, “That you missed. I am not a stupid but you are stupid. You gave me a junk bomb.”

21

Dr. Shah entered in the room and it took him little time to figure out that the son has murdered his father. He knew that coma patients do not die this easy. They cling to the life forever, till plug is pulled out.
He was about to call police to demanding an autopsy then he sat on the sofa and started thinking.

Dr. Shah was never an honest man. He was fifty years old, five foot tall and bald. He had twenty percent stake in the hospital. He ruthlessly over billed his patients who were mostly rich but they were getting poor patients too. A network of doctors referred patients to his hospital, and a cut on the total billed amount was sent to them regularly. It was easy to rip off poor patients who always paid off their bill silently without a question, than the rich patients who audited each and everything. Dr. Shah was making a big cut in the medicines too. Hospital prescribed generic medicines with printed price thrice above the market prices of the reputable brands. Rich patients were given discount but poor were handed upon the bills. They made another chunk of money in referrals and diagnostics tests. Patients were billed against bogus or unwanted and overpriced tests; and were given un-necessary treatments or hospital performed bogus surgeries. Hospital had its own cut in each deal and he had his own cut. He had a finger in each pie. Dr. Shah never skipped a chance to cheat his partners or hospital and he even made money in hospital maintenance, stationary and linen purchase and what not. Once his partners caught him taking a cut from the low ranking employee’s salaries. He made further money in arranging poor patients selling their kidneys or other organs to rich people. He arranged blood donation camps in schools and colleges and then sold that blood.

He made tons of money but there was a problem. He was dead broke. His son and brother were in United States. To launder his ill-gotten gains he was sending all the money to USA through money laundry agents. His brother was buying motels one after another with his money. Dr. Shah had a plan to retire in America. Two months ago suddenly his brother went bankrupt. Dr. Shah flew to USA to look into the whole matter; he met with his brother’s accountants and bankers, they anonymously declared that his brother lacked business skills and wisdom. But Dr. Shah had his own judgment, that his brother never earned that money so he played with it ruthlessly. He severed his ties with his brother and son. He himself made bad deals and was losing money in his industrial ventures. He too lacked business skill. But here also he had his own judgment that his partners robbed him off.

Today is my chance to recover all the losses in a single shot.
He lost five million dollars in United States. Roger would easily pay him ten million dollars to protect his family’s name. All proofs indicate that his nephew has killed his father.

It this fact becomes public it would be a headline news in India and a major news in International media.
Dr. Shah imagined a TV correspondent saying, “Indian Born American Billionaire Roger’s Nephew Has Murdered His Own Father Who Was Sick In The Hospital.”
Sure! Roger does not want to listen to this news, luckily he is here in Mumbai and I will strike a deal with him. Any bad publicity is damaging for Roger and ten million US dollars was just few rice grains for him. Not even one day’s profits from his worldwide operation.

Dr Shah started making calls to locate Roger.
Roger was in the middle of the meeting with the Directors of his Singapore operations; his Mumbai CEO interrupted the meeting.
“Hey Roger Dr. Shah, he says it is an emergency.”
Roger barked to CEO, tell Dr. Shah and ask him to come here.
CEO spoke with Dr. Shah for some time.
“He insists of seeing you in the hospital.” CEO said.
“Let’s go.” Roger rose.

Dr. Shaw was not in a situation to leave a dead body unattended. He had to guard a secret.
Roger arrived in the hospital a little before midnight; he was very annoyed for the visit, Dr. Shah in Bishambar’s room.
Dr. Shah wasted no time to shake hands.
“May I speak with you in private?”
CEO left the room.
“Yes!”
Dr. Shah said, “We have a situation here.”
“Yes and what is the situation here?”
“Your brother is dead.” Roger was shocked to hear this.
He said, “You could have informed us on the phone.”
“Your nephew killed your brother.”
“What?” Roger was again shocked.
“Your brother came out of Coma and was asking for Sonny, we called him here and apparently your dear nephew hated to see his father waking up.”
“Is that so?” Roger asked in confusion.
“I can demand an autopsy, I guarantee that cause of death is asphyxia, your nephew chocked him to death and your brother was on life supports. Coma patients do not die easy, it takes them years to die on life support.”
“So what do I owe you to clear this mess?”
Doctor Shah already had a piece of paper ready. He handed the paper to Roger.
Roger barked in anger, “And what are you offering for this much money?”
“A plain undisputed death certificate. I can release the body now and you can cremate it first thing in the morning.”

Roger looked at his dead brother. Ten million dollars was a little money for him but his ego was on the stake. He was not available to the blackmailers. Roger was good at business deals but had no experience in these matters. He was getting late because Directors from Singapore were still waiting for him. Situation was even more complicated for him. First problem was paying a blackmailer and second more serious problem was what to do with the nephew Sonny.
His CEO entered in the room in desperation.
He said to Roger, “Sir you are getting late.”
“Dr. Shah I appreciate your business with me. I am getting late. A person name Rishi will arrive here soon and I give him all rights to finalize the deal or whatever. Good night.”
Roger turned on his heels and rushed out with his CEO.
He said, “Where is Elvis, I think Vinita knows.”
“Sir who is Elvis?” CEO laughed.
“He is Mr. know-it-all, you must meet him.”
Roger dialed Vinita’s cell phone number and a male voice said, “Hello.”
Roger asked, “Who are you?”
“Your-in-laws.”
Roger had a hearty laughed and yelled, “Ree-s-heee.”
Roger had his first laugh that day. Roger’s diamond studded Rolex watch clicked to show a new date and the next day begin with another laugh. Roger’s Mumbai CEO was also amazed that Roger laughs too.

22

In was a cool night in the Dubai. Abdul had chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger. Now he was chopping green coriander, mint and rosemary. He had already steamed the baby goat meat in the herb seasonings in a pressure cooker. Don was happy and hungry too. Aroma of the herbs made don even happier and hungrier. They were sitting on the chairs in the verandah, facing the sea. Don had headphones on his ears, was listening to a Spanish music CD. He was shaking his head and had a spoon in his right hand and was shaking both hands like a like a Maestro of an orchestra directing a symphony.
Cell phone rang and Abdul answered the call and gave the news to Don.
“Sir, Danny said the device did not go off.”
Don was upset with the news.
He barked at Abdul, “Four pounds of RDX is gone waste. Damn stupid Sonny! Good for nothing! A perfect waste! Couldn’t even finish a useless Ghat-washer and an infidel hermit.”
“Sir when would you eat, I am ready to fry the steamed meat in these herbs?”
“I am not hungry. Bring me two caplets of zantac.” Bile came in Don’s throat and he spat it on a flowerpot.
What happened to bomb was still the mystery and this Rishi has refused to fade away from the earth or from his memories.

End of Chapter 9