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  Both Anil and Umar opened their eyes and looked around. Anil was on the grass near the pool and Umar was on the sands of the beach. Both had been miraculously saved by the lifeguards, who later confessed that they had not seen Anil and Umar drowning, but had heard an ‘inner voice’ which forced them towards the location where Anil and Umar were battling for their lives.

  “It’s a miracle indeed! You are out of danger now,” the doctors in Bangalore and Delhi exclaimed almost around the same time. Maru and Lina were much better suddenly, and Rajni was almost ready to jump into her car again. The next morning, Maru read in the papers and smiled, “Ramaan Khanna fights back the deadly fangs of chikungunya and is back on the sets for shooting.”

  14

  The rich and famous had been quick to dismiss him and the commoners were quick to accept him. Niraj was soon recognised as the new hope of the hapless and vulnerable middle class and common people. Niraj had a team of almost 100 staff now, many of whom had joined him straight from college or from NGOs. They all had a vision to protect the common people from the unscrupulous ones. In the first year of business itself, Niraj’s team had acquired a wide range of specialist services experience. From protecting a society from local ruffians and solving the parking problem of a young couple to teaching a lesson to the employers who physically assaulted their support staff and escorting girls to their college, Niraj and his team had done it all.

  Niraj enjoyed the diversity of his services, but he sometimes generated a lot of animosity due to his work. The real estate developers in Bangalore held a strong grudge against Niraj. Niraj had stopped a lot of their illegal work. Developers working without permissions or working on encroached land or late at night, disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood, were dealt with severely. So it was no surprise when Nikhil bhai approached Niraj on a Sunday morning.

  “Niraj bhai, I am so sorry to invite myself to a cup of tea so early this morning. Kya hai na, we start work very early in the morning and do not like to spend our own money on expenses like tea. Hahaha,” laughed Nikhil bhai, a man in his early fifties, with a wheatish complexion, an average height and build, and no beard or moustache. He was an average man one could find anywhere in India. But his appearance was deceptive, as was his visit to Niraj early that morning. Nikhil bhai was an illegal liquor baron in Ahmedabad. He had hundreds of bootleggers working for him, ferrying gallons of illegal alcohol every month from the neighbouring territory of Diu. His business thrived with the connivance of the police and politicians. Nikhil bhai had all the resources to build a successful real estate business: the association of police and politicians, the might of musclemen, cash to launder, scarce moral values and absence of a conscience.

  Nikhil bhai built one of the largest real estate businesses in the state of Gujarat. The liquor prohibition in Gujarat helped him build his first business as he ‘imported’ liquor from Diu. With people having plenty of money to spend on alcohol to drown their sorrow or lift their spirits, Nikhil bhai expanded his second business as he ‘exported’ cash from Gujarat. His business card showed three lines of business: hospitality, real estate and import-export.

  Nikhil bhai managed all his ‘resources’ in Bangalore, but for the musclemen. He knew that musclemen had to be local; it was even better if they enjoyed clout and respect in society. He felt Niraj would be the ideal resource for local henchmen.

  “Oh, hi Nikhil bhai. Quite a surprise. Or maybe not!” said Niraj, as he welcomed Nikhil bhai to his modest office.

  Nikhil bhai offered Niraj a very attractive package to help him in the development of his new project bordering a residential society. It was the same society that Niraj was working with. The society that had given him so much love. The society that had taken him on a picnic, where he had saved the life of a grateful mother’s son. Maybe the mother had saved Niraj’s life too.

  Niraj knew the land on which Nikhil bhai wanted to build his project had been earlier allotted for a park by the authorities. The residents of the society were enraged by the collusion between the authorities and Nikhil bhai in hatching a sinister plot. They were not ready to give up their park for a real estate project. A young lawyer, living in the society, had filed a stay petition against Nikhil bhai. Nikhil bhai’s legal work was stopped due to this, but his illegal efforts started.

  “Niraj bhai. Join hands with us. You will benefit, and the city will also benefit. You breathe, I breathe.”

  “The city has already benefitted from many developers like you. And it’s time to let the residents breathe. You cannot take the plot away from them. Even you have children and grandchildren. Will they not want to play in such parks?” said Niraj, using his brain first.

  “I have no grandchildren. And I have only one daughter who does not want to get married. Why should I bother about these things?” said Nikhil bhai, a hardened soul.

  “Nikhil bhai, you know in Hindu mythology we say that if a man does not have grandchildren, he can never go to heaven. And maybe a good deed by you now will help you have grandchildren later. Think of it is as positive karma,” Niraj was persisting with his brain strategy, even though he personally did not believe in any of these Hindu beliefs.

  “Niraj bhai. Enough! Daru is great for the first three to four pegs. Then it becomes a headache. Your arguments are now a headache for me. You want to stop me, then try doing it. I challenge you here and now. Whether I reach heaven or not, I can guarantee you that tomorrow your lawyer will not reach the court,” Nikhil bhai challenged Niraj’s body now.

  Before Niraj could direct the response from his body back to his brain, Nikhil bhai walked out of the office, followed by a few henchmen.

  “I am not afraid of Nikhil bhai or any other bhai,” the young lawyer said. He was obstinate about going to the court, in spite of Niraj’s warning. Niraj was proud of the young lawyer, but he was also very concerned about Nikhil bhai’s threat. He decided to follow the lawyer’s car in his own SUV.

  As they stopped at the red light at a thinly populated traffic junction, Niraj saw a mid-sized car jump the signal from the opposite side. It came to a halt with a screeching sound and stood parallel to the lawyer’s car. Within seconds, two strong men jumped out, pulled the stunned lawyer out of his car, dumped him in their mid-sized car and raced ahead in full speed. Niraj’s first reaction was to yell at the top of his voice, but everyone else at the traffic junction was doing the same. Shouting and yelling and hoping someone would put his or her life at risk and save the poor man who was being dragged out of his car. Niraj quickly regained his balance and honked loudly, as he tried to reverse his car. He lost a few precious seconds doing this. Obviously, Nikhil bhai had meticulously prepared his strategy. The challenge was on.

  Niraj had seen in his rear view mirror the kidnappers’ car turning towards the right. It was a long stretch of the main road, leading to the national highway. Niraj was soon driving on the main road. At a distance, he could see the mid-sized car waiting at another traffic signal. The traffic police jeeps too were waiting at the signal. The traffic signal that had helped the kidnappers earlier had now come to Niraj’s aid.

  There was another supernatural signal at play at that very moment, unbeknownst to Niraj. Niraj suddenly felt himself pressing the accelerator to the maximum. His two hands became the hands of a racing driver. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the manual gear, Niraj raced through the traffic at full speed, taking several turns and twists as he changed lanes—something he had never imagined he was capable of doing. Within seconds, he had more than made up for all the seconds lost earlier. Soon he reached the traffic signal. He did not stop at the signal. Niraj drove ahead at full speed. And then in a near dazed state, he applied the brakes with all his might. The SUV made a perfect 180-degree turn and stood right in front of the mid-sized car. The traffic policemen standing near their jeeps rushed immediately towards Niraj’s SUV and physically blocked all cars around it. Niraj jumped from the other side of the SUV and ran towards the kidnappe
rs. The kidnappers knew their game was up and chose to flee from the scene. The young lawyer smiled at Niraj as he opened the car’s door.

  “Niraj, I did not know you were such an expert driver,” the lawyer exclaimed.

  “I did not know that myself. It was almost like somebody else was driving for me. Some expert cab driver,” said Niraj.

  Nikhil bhai had lost the challenge. And within a week, he lost the project too with the court deciding to terminate his development contract.

  The mid-sized car had been stolen from the society where the lawyer lived. But the society residents and the lawyer decided to not file an FIR for stealing the car and kidnapping the lawyer. They didn’t want to antagonise Nihil bhai further.

  Nikhil bhai’s last phone call as he left Bangalore was to Niraj.

  “Niraj bhai. Congratulations on winning the royal challenge. I will never come back to Bangalore again, but you make sure you do not come near Ahmedabad ever. I am a vegetarian, but my dogs are not and they will not mind having minced keema made from the hundred parts of your body that I will cut!”

  “Nikhil bhai. Your dogs may obey your command, but fate obeys only God’s command. And if fate wants us to meet again, neither you nor I can stop that. Goodbye and good luck my friend! Avjo and sara nasiba!”

  15

  Umar and his main pilot were cruising smoothly at a height of thirty-five thousand feet on a new Boeing aircraft. They were flying to Bangalore. Umar felt good flying. The open blue sky, the pure golden rays of the sun, the intermittent grey clouds and the silence of the cockpit made it a meditative zone for him. He felt pride in ensuring the safety of hundreds of passengers every day. He sometimes wondered whether providing entertainment to a few millions as a movie star would have been more satisfying than providing safety to a few thousands every week.

  On long flights, Umar would sometimes step out of the cockpit and mingle with the passengers. The business class section was just behind the cockpit. It was more convenient and safe for Umar, should he be required by the main pilot in case of an emergency. As a co-pilot with the airline, Umar had the privilege of flying business class when he was not piloting and was on a personal trip.

  Umar was always amused by the emotional and psychological traits of passengers during boarding. The business class passengers were generally allowed to occupy their more comfortable and spacious seats first. They were the privileged ones. The politicians and the movie stars wanted to stay away from the gaze of the hoi polloi, even those flying business class. Ironically, these are the people responsible for their popularity, power and wealth. But the celebrities were keen to stay away from these very people. Maybe it was an admission of guilt that they did not deserve such adulation.

  But the more interesting observation was the invisible line dividing the business class passengers and the economy class passengers. The business class passengers often pretended to be busy on their laptops or mobile phones. They tried to prove that they worked really hard and deserved the privileged seat they were occupying. They avoided looking straight into the eyes of the economy class passengers passing by them, not because of any feeling of superiority, but because of their feelings of inequality. Inequality in salaries and status between the privileged class and the cattle class. Ironically, the new entrants to the business class were till recently the members of the economy class.

  The economy class passengers often crossed the wider aisles of the business class with a tinge of envy and hope. The hope that one day they would be sitting there. Many young girls and even young boys hoped that they would be able to marry someone flying business class. The smile on their faces as they tried to look directly into the eyes of the evasive business class passengers carried the emotions of envy, hope, opportunism and sometimes seduction and flattery.

  Umar had no such feelings as he quietly sat on the vacant seat on the second row of the business class. He smiled at the passenger seated next to him and extended his hands for a shake.

  “Hi, my name is Umar. I am the co-pilot.”

  “Oh hi! Glad to meet you. I am Maru.”

  “Maru? What an interesting name! I have never heard this name before. What is more interesting is the Ramaan Khanna goggles on your wrist. Where did you get that?” Umar was quick to notice the unique glasses on Maru’s wrists.

  “Oh, it was a gift from the great man himself.”

  “You know him? Wow! I am a really big fan of Ramaan.”

  “Not bigger than me, Umar.”

  They both laughed together.

  “Can I try these goggles? Always wanted to…” Umar asked Maru.

  “Sure. Why not?” Maru said as he handed over the goggles to Umar.

  Umar looked at the goggles as they fit smugly on his wrists. He had a childlike expression on his face. He looked like a child who had just been gifted the most precious toy that he had been dreaming for years. With one swift, continuous motion, he emulated the style of Ramaan. The two pieces of goggles joined perfectly through the golden magnetic bands and covered his eyes. Eyes that were filled with tears of joy.

  “Amazing! I don’t think even Ramaan would have been able to do that so smoothly. Not many people I know can even try that,” Maru complimented Umar.

  “Hours and hours of practice. That’s all.” Umar humbly accepted Maru’s compliment. “So what do you do for a living, Maru?”

  “I do the most basic thing needed for living. I cook and eat,” Maru said with a wide grin on his face, before adding, “Sorry, I meant I am in the foods business. I invest in restaurants and all.”

  “That’s so great. I had once wanted to get into business myself, but destiny had planned otherwise. It must be very satisfying to work for yourself, right?”

  “Yes, absolutely! No man or woman is ever happy with two things in life. Their increments and their spouses! So I decided to do away with both. I don’t have to worry about an increment every year and I don’t have to worry about my wife every day.”

  “So I assume you are not married, Maru.”

  “Do I not look like a happy man to you, Umar?”

  They both laughed together again.

  “You know, it’s quite strange but I met a passenger on this same seat a few weeks ago who was in a similar business as yours. If I remember, he was the CEO of some leading Mexican food chain and was looking to seal a deal with some entrepreneur here,” Umar shared his experience on the flight from Bangalore to Delhi. “The funny thing, which is why I remember him well, was he kept saying that I reminded him of someone.”

  Umar laughed lightly as he narrated his experience. This time Maru did not join him in the laugh. He was under a confidentiality agreement with the Mexican chain and he still had not developed enough confidence in his new friend.

  “By the way, are you going to the IPL (Indian Premier League) final in Bangalore tomorrow? I believe Ramaan Khanna is the chief guest,” Maru changed the topic cleverly.

  “Of course, why do I think I am flying today? I have got my booking done in VIP box number thirteen, which is just in front of the place where Ramaan would be performing.”

  “What a coincidence! I had earlier booked my ticket in VIP box number seven. And then I changed it at the last moment to box number thirteen, when I heard about Ramaan’s performance.”

  “Great minds think alike, Maru. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I have to take leave now before my pilot goes bonkers. Pleasure to have met you…” Umar shook hands with Maru again, as he stood up to leave for the cockpit.

  “Pleasure was all mine! It was like I was talking to myself in a mirror all this while.”

  They both laughed again as they parted ways.

  16

  Umar received a message from his administrative team as he landed in Bangalore.

  “Sir, the hotel transportation service was not available today. We have contacted the cab service you had recommended last time, and they will be waiting for you at the airport gate.”

  Umar remembered th
e cab he had used the last time when he was in Bangalore for a personal work. Though he did not like last-minute changes in his plans, he was happy with the alternative. The hotel transportation service, though a bit expensive, was no doubt very professional. But if the private cab service standard was just like last time, then Umar did not have any reason to complain.

  Umar came out of the airport and looked at all the faces that were looking anxiously for their loved ones, clients, superiors, colleagues and partners. The passengers coming out of the airport too looked anxiously at the placards hanging against the steel railings, behind which stood a long line of bobbling faces and heads. It was easier for the human brain to identify the name on the placard and then acknowledge the person behind. For people looking out for their loved ones, there was no need for placards. Shouts of joy were enough.

  While Umar searched for his name on the placards, he heard someone shout out his name.

  “Umar sir! Umar sir!”

  Umar turned in the direction of the shout. He saw a woman waving at him. Umar went up to the lady, a little hesitant, not knowing how to greet her.

  “Sir, I am Rajni. Your cab driver. I could easily identify you from the smart pilot outfit.”

  “Haha! But there could have been some other pilots too,” said Umar, instantly amazed and impressed by the bubbling energy of Rajni. She was wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue jeans. She could have easily passed for someone’s girlfriend or wife. The elation in her voice when she shouted out his name would have made people think that she was his girlfriend or wife. Or worse, sister!

  “Sir… I just knew. And took a chance,” said Rajni, with a slight giggle. She took Umar’s carry-on baggage and walked towards the parking area. Umar followed her with a grin on his face and naughtiness in his eyes. Umar’s eyes followed Rajni’s strong yet womanly gait and her shapely round posterior, which was partly covered by the T-shirt.