The art of living- Part II

                   Vicissitudes of fortune

"Did Baby send you???' her voice sounded so calm.

"Baby??? I just .. "

"Then why did you follow me ? who are you?? hissed Swarna.

"You have a swollen lip, did someone hurt you??

She folded her arms and began to stare at me. "I don't mind who the hell you are. 300 rupees for 1 hour and I want the money upfront. good deal isn't it???" and she smiled at me.

"hahaha.. I'm not here to fuck with you. I liked you and I thought you liked me too".

She burst out in laughter, sounding like a beautiful demon. "So you thought I was attractive and followed me all the way to my den. Hmmm... The best that I can offer is 275, not less than that". She began to undress, leaving her sari in a neat pile at the corner.

"Do you think a guy would be chit chatting, if he had come to fuck??? I told you, I liked you so I was behind you"

I made my mind, not to meet her again, but that was one promise I never kept. Our meetings grew more often, sometimes, a regular chat over a pani puri and on most occasions to quench our physical pleasures. Her cool skin and fierce love making memories were marauding my mind. 

She has the ability to look into your eyes and touch your inner most feelings. 

A touch that can make you succumb all your prowess to her. 

The warmth and longevity of her kiss is all you need for a ferocious battle with her on bed. 

Her whisper, her moan, her cry ......

The voice of my target brought back the reality and the danger that lay ahead of me. He was making an animated conversation over the phone, 

"Dai.. has the load reached the warehouse??"

(talking from the other end....)

"Muruga!! Ask the driver to bring the load to Vincent Colony, I'm waiting close to Khader's watch shop"

(talking from the other end....)

"Fuck !!  a new driver???? Son of a bitch!!! How can you trust a street fucker with a truck full of granite??

(talking from the other end....)

"Trust me, If I lose a single block of granite, I'll make you taste your own balls. Send me the driver's phone number".

              Viswanathan began to punch his cell phone key pad, without realizing that his death is not far behind. A kick from Kumar landed on Viswanathan's shoulder, shoving him down, with his cell phone's parts strewn all over the road. The sharp vicissitude of fortunes surprised him. Kumar left no time for him to recover, he was onto him in a flash. He removed Viswanathan's doti and got his wrists tied down. Viswanathan's legs began to move in a random fashion, owing to the growing fear.

"who are you?? what do you...." the muffler was stuffed inside his mouth, followed by a bang on his head. Kumar was squatting in front of him, with the knife glittering in his hand. With the rusty ferric oxide eating the metal, Kumar's eyes were filled with wonder for the little peril. His amusement was short lived, as he felt a cold metal pressing behind his head.

Pinky Promise

                Mathew's hands were trembling, with his finger behind the trigger and the nozzle of the revolver pressed against Kumar's head. Never ever his revolver had fired a live target, a human being. The moment he had dreaded so far, was just in front of him.

"Don't do anything stupid to have your brains splashed out. Give me the knife and lie down on the road" said Mathew. A slight tremor ran through him, he had both his hands firmly on the revolver, from shaking.

"Do you think you can press the trigger?? do you the have the balls for that?? I don't think so. I could feel your butter fingers on the little piece of thing, that presses on me" laughed Kumar.

Mathew banged on his head with the butt of the revolver, " Shut the fuck up and do what I say. Now, give me the knife"

Kumar lifted his left hand with the knife on it. Mathew tried to snatch it from him. In the meantime, Kumar's right hand punched Mathew's face, leaving him with a sharp pain. Kumar's swift movement caught him by surprise and his nose was bleeding, with the pain digging deep into his brains. Two more punches landed on Mathew and he was down moaning. Kumar moved like a cunning fox searching for its prey. The knife was back in his hand and Viswanathan lay on the road unconscious. The knife came down at a rapid force, like the shoe of a ballet dancer, performing a cut through the thin air, splashing Viswanathan's gut out. The tar road quenched the trickling blood in a vicious manner. Kumar wiped his knife on Viswanathan's underwear and made his walk towards Mathew, who was searching for the revolver.

"I told you. You can't press the trigger." hissed Kumar and he was looking down at Mathew who was on his knees.

"Son of a bitch!!! You will feel sorry for this" mumbled Mathew.

Kumar made a short laugh, revealing his yellow teeth and Mathew's revolver. "Tell me how do you feel to have a gun sticking at your mouth"

"You can't walk away like this, you sick devil" said Mathew.

"Oh really!! I would love to meet your friends. I'll give you a minute for you to think about the best moment in your life. Perhaps, the last minute of your life. Go on". Kumar released the safety latch of the revolver. The nozzle sat between Mathew's lips.

Mathew closed his eyes, to cover for his embarrassment of failing. A million thoughts all pondering over him, like the vibrant waves rushing towards the shore. A failed marriage, cheap bribes and a daughter who can barely walk on her legs. Blessy's words began to thunder in his heart,

"appaaa, appaaaa!!" said Blessy with drool leaking from the corner of his mouth

"tell me sweetie!!" Mathew was busy cleaning her pads, after relieving herself.

"Wennn  vil youuu com tonittt ??" a stream of words came out sounding like a babble

"I've to hunt down the bad guys tonight. I promise you, I'll sleep beside you, giving your favorite cuddle" beamed Mathew

"Noooo... issstaaayyyyy hirrrr " cried Blessy

"Sweetieee.. Trust me! I'll be back soon. Together we can read the Disney Princess"

"Princiiissss!! meeee!!! princissss!! princisssss!!!!"

"of course you are my sweet little princess!!" said Mathew and he kissed her wet cheeks.

"Sweetie!! I need to leave now. I'll be back before you hit bed. It's a pinky promise"

"Yehhhh.. Pinkkkyyy pinnnkkkyyy promissss" 

Mathew never realized that would be his final peck to Blessy. Before, he could whisper the final words, the revolver fired its lonely bullet for the day.

Fate's dice 

           Kumar pulled the trigger and the thunderous sound reverberated the silent dawn that was approaching. Specks of blood were all over his face. He threw the revolver in the large trash bag. He made his walk towards the tap. Drops of water came down at regular intervals from the broken tap. He splashed water on his face to wash away the reminiscence of blood and crime. The cold water mollified his burgeoning wildness within himself. 

                  He couldn't believe himself that he has survived another day. The dawn was approaching, with the tiny streaks of orange shaft occupying the sky and bursts of clouds hanging in there. The orange sky reminded him of Swarna. Her calm face and rapacious hunger for his body made him smile. He had been waiting for such a happy demeanor all his life. 

                     Sometimes in life, we dream that the best is yet to be born, but in all seriousness, it isn't so. This story has a world, that you see right out of your window. A world that is totally under my reign. It's a Fate's world. The final dice is yet to be rolled, to swamp the sins and sinister. Here I'm, Mr.Fate, ready to roll my dice, for one more time in this long night.

                      Kumar jumped on to his bicycle to begin his final leg of the journey to meet Swarna. The cycle wheels made circular motion, through the gravel stones in the pits. His heart felt so light. No more killings. A life with his loved one. Images of Swarna and her sensuous body flooded him. The cycle made a left turn, entering Dr.Radhakrishnan road. Early morning joggers were occupying the street, along with the homeless sleeping on the platform. Kumar envisioned Swarna more than the dawn of Chennai streets and he failed to watch out for the incoming lorry. The lorry made a blind turn to collide with Kumar. The driver jumped out of the lorry, to look at the victim. All he could see was a pool of blood close to the tires and a crushed cycle. Sensing apprehension, he fled the scene, leaving the lorry. A group of people came running towards the lorry. The name board "VISWANATHAN TRANSPORTS" at the front of lorry stood majestically amid all the chaos that was happening.

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