A bloody evening
The clock struck five and almost simultaneously,the entire building seemed to come alive. It seemed that a movie show had just finished.
One glance at the impressive facade and you would observe that this was the headquarters of the National Bank of India.Movie aficionados might get delayed while coming out of the cinema hall but not the officials working in NBI. This was one of the unwritten perks of a government job; you never work overtime.
On the fifth floor,outside the lift, stood a man named Gangaram. He had packed his bags fifteen minutes in advance and had been aimlessly staring at the wall clock since then. For the past decade he had been following this routine quite diligently.He was about 5'9" tall,with a slender build and a large balding patch in the center of his head. Apart from the toothbrush mustache, which made him the butt of jokes from some of his colleagues, there was nothing remarkable about him. He rarely smiled or talked to anyone.
His stoic facial expression hardly gave any indication of the adrenaline rush his body was experiencing. Tonight was going to be a good night. For starters, he was not going home to his nagging wife. The event’s leading up to this day had been quite extraordinary.
A few months back, he had received a call, late one night from a man claiming to be working for a local drug lord, Musa.
He had told the man to fuck off, buttering his statement with some rather graphic expletives.
The voice on the other end suddenly turned serious.”The red dress your wife wore to work today fitted her quite well. Would you like her to be sent home without it.”
Gangaram almost slipped out of his chair. He glanced in the kitchen to confirm that his wife was still there. He was instantly alert and could clearly feel the beads of perspiration forming on his forehead. He nervously wiped his brow with the palm of his hand.
The voice on the other end continued,”The lord has a large amount of money that he wants to be transferred to various accounts that will be opened in your bank.The transfer has to be made as discreetly as possible. You will act as the liaison between the lord and the bank.The briefcase containing cash is present outside your front door.If anyone gets wind of this conversation then be rest assured that your wife will be devoured by our men.”
Then, the line on the other end went blank.
As promised, the briefcase was lying outside his front door. He picked it up and locked himself in the bathroom with it. A careful counting revealed that the money totaled about 2 crores.
The next one month had been the most exhilarating period of his life. Opening the bank accounts was the challenging part. The bank relationship manager was an old pal. He was one of the most corrupt guys he had ever met.
Gangaram decided to team up with him in exchange for a few lakh rupees. To his surprise, the relationship manager had dabbled in opening fake accounts before. Meticulously, they began the process of procuring fake IDs. Their job was made easier by Musa’s men who were swift and efficient in providing all the necessary fake documents.
Whenever Gangaram faced any uncomfortable questions he was quick to grease palms.
Soon, they had managed to open six bank accounts in different branches across the country. Each time a cash transfer was to be made, Gangaram was given a call. To avoid suspicion, the money transferred at a time never exceeded 70-80 thousand rupees.
Gangaram’s efficient handling of the cash transfers was well appreciated by Musa,who even sent him a generous token of appreciation.
The bank fraud had been like a cake-walk and it had whet Gangaram’s appetite. He was now craving for something more challenging. He wanted to move right into Musa’s inner circle.
Gangsters and thugs always fascinated him and now he could visualise himself as one.
After much persuasion, Musa had agreed had to let him in, but on one condition. Gangaram had to pass a simple test. He was given a date, time and location, but nothing else was mentioned.
With these thoughts running through his mind, Gangaram stepped out of the lift.
As he walked towards the bus stop, strange thoughts began forming in his mind. His name was the fusion of two of the most holy things in India — River Ganga, where just by taking one dip you could wash off all your sins and Lord Rama, who by killing Ravana, had destroyed evil and established law and order in the world. But here was Ganagaram, on the threshold of sinking further into the abyss of crime. He smiled to himself. God could make do with one alter ego.
The meeting place was about ten kilometers from his office. He hired an auto to reach the designated place. When Gangaram reached, he still had fifteen minutes to kill.He flipped out his mobile and began playing solitaire. Long hours at the office and no real work meant that most NBI employee’s were addicted to this game.
Suddenly, a small dark skinned man materialized out of thin air. He handed him a briefcase and gave him an address where that was to be delivered. Before Gangaram could ask any further questions the man ran off in the opposite direction.
So, this was the test. Gangaram almost chuckled. Musa must be in serious shortage of employees. He was naive enough to think that Gangaram would act as a delivery boy for him. Gangaram always thought that being a gangster meant having easy access to women, wealth and weapons. He wouldn't settle for anything less.
But he needed to complete this small assignment first.He read the address of the place. It couldn't have been more dramatic.The rendezvous was to take place near the Mahakali temple in Chandimandir.
It was going to be a long journey.He boarded a bus that dropped him off at the Chandimandir bus stand.He decided to walk for the remainder of the journey.
On one side of the road was a thick forest while on the other side a military cantonment had been set up. There was a general scarcity of street lights on the road. The darkness and the strange noises coming from the forest created an eerie atmosphere. Suddenly, there was a howl in the distance. Gangaram felt a shiver run down his spine.
Against his wishes, he began reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When he was a kid, his mother had said, “If you are afraid, repeat this mantra. All your fears will automatically vanish.”
He had felt the need to recite the mantra after a very very long time.
After walking for fifteen minutes, he noticed to a small clearing in the forest. The clearing merged with a cobbled path, that was gently sloping upwards. In the distance he could see a flag and a light. The outline of the structure resembled a temple. He knew he was close to his destination.He quickened his pace.
He had been here before.The last time he had come here, he had fervently wished for a job promotion. It had been sanctioned the next week. This time again,he would be wishing for a promotion, albeit of a different kind.
He was out of breath by the time he reached the top. He had failed to notice that during his ascent he was being followed by someone. He began the scanning the area trying to get an idea of where possibly could he deliver the briefcase when somebody nudged him from behind.
Even before he had turned around, a chloroform laced handkerchief was pushed into his nose.He tried to shout but no voice came out.The last thing he remembered was the blackness that seemed to engulf him from all directions.
He could hear urgent whispers all around. The floor felt hard and cold. He tried to recollect what had happened. The memories came rushing back. He was filled with fear.Suddenly, he heard temple bells echoing all around him. That meant, he was being held prisoner in some room inside the temple. Good Lord. These people had even defiled God’s house.
One of the men saw Gangaram’s eyes open. He immediately summoned his boss.A tall, muscular man in a black kurta arrived at the scene with two giants accompanying him. Probably the muscular man’s bodyguards.
Ganagram thought to himself. This had to be Musa. He matched all the adjectives that were frequently used to describe him. Ruthless,charismatic, handsome and fearless.
Musa smiled on seeing Gangaram.Gangaram smiled back.
Musa came close to him and gave him a tight slap across the face.”You don’t open your mouth before I tell you to.”
Ganagram protested that he hadn’t. Another whack across the face.
Musa said “Showing an emotion on your face is worse than talking.When you do that you have already told police half the story.”
Gangaram gulped. Another adjective had to be added to Musa’s description. Skilled Orator.
Musa continued, “Do you know why I chose you, of all the people to handle my money laundering accounts?”
“I never wanted you in the first place.Still, asking you was an enticing option. That’s because a no from you would have meant that I could have your wife.
Musa laughed loudly, showing sparkling white teeth in the process.
“That’s because you perfectly fit the description of the boring Indian government servant. Nobody, in their wildest dreams would have thought that somebody as dull and monotonous as you could be working for me.Having you was a camouflage I could have never achieved by using one of my own men.”
“You must be wondering why the hell do I have problem with you now?”
Gangaram by now, was on the verge of tears. How could he be so foolish so as to trust this guy?
“That’s because you are too nosy. You should have stuck to what I asked you to do. People who stick out their nose too much go down too soon. And then, they take down the entire organization with them.”
“We have no option but to kill you. But don’t worry. Your wife will be taken good care of”, said Musa, with a wink.
Gangaram was thinking fast. He was not going to go down without a fight. Suddenly, an idea came to his head. He knew he had hit the jackpot.
He looked Musa in the eye, “You bloody prick. You are not as smart as you think. I was not alone in your money laundering activities. I had one more accomplice at NBI. Once he reads about my death, he will go straight to the police with all the information he has.”
Musa looked towards one of his bodyguards and nodded. The bodyguard brought a big, dark coloured plastic bag. He quickly unzipped it.
Gangaram’s heart sank on seeing the contents of the bag. His relationship manager’s bullet ridden body was cramped into it.
He could scarcely believe the mess he had landed himself in.
Musa interrupted his train of thoughts,”We will not shoot you. Instead we will behead you. Your head will be my offering to Goddess Kali.”
Saying this, Musa’s two bodyguards grabbed him by the either side and made him kneel in front of a low height table. They forced his head down on the table.
Gangaram’s body was shaking all over.He was howling and shouting for God’s help. But the ongoing prayers in the temple completely drowned out his voice. How ironic.
He continued begging Musa for mercy.
Musa went behind Gangaram. The thrill of murdering someone had always made him mad with excitement.The thought of beheading Gangaram was just orgasmic. He rolled up his sleeves and raised his sword over his head.
He took a really deep breath.And he brought down the sword with a savage force, continuing to chant “Jai Maa Kali” all the while. Gangaram’s neck instantaneously snapped. Blood was splattered all over the table. Musa stood there, giving his men a triumphant look. Those who saw him, swore they saw blood in his eyes.
Gangaram opened his eyes.Had he reached heaven? No, he reminded himself. He was more fit to be in hell. Somebody was mildly hitting him on the neck.
He was confused. Hadn't it snapped into two?
He looked around.In front of him was the same table that was used to behead him. He raised his head and looked around, completely bewildered.
There he was in his office. The watchman was giving him a concerned look.
“What happened Sahib?You are not going home today. Its already 6 o’ clock.”
Gangaram looked at him and smiled.He silently thought to himself. A few more napping sessions like this and he would have the next bestseller fully formed in his mind.
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