Have you ever greatly, dearly, desperately wished to be somewhere else rather than where you are ? Well now was one of those moments for Sanyukta. Anywhere was better than in front of a... she slightly inclined her head to get a better look at the model of the pistol pointed at her... seemed like a foreign firearm, may be american or russian... or perhaps local...Ah ! who was she kidding, she had absolutely no idea what kind of weapon was facing her, all she knew was that the deadly thing held the power to end her life within half a second... make it a quarter of second if these scums had invested in a good quality.
So...what now...wondered Sanyukta for the third time. Was anyone going to budge anytime soon or were they going to play red light, green light all day long ?
They might be able to stand still all day long, but she for one, was soon going to be subjected to pins and needles in her legs. You know that awful pricking, burning, tingling kind of sensation in your foot or legs that make you want to walk and not walk at the same time... and knowing herself it was just a matter of minutes now.
Think Sanyukta, think.
"Who are you ? And what do you want ?" Raghav broke the silence. He remembered them from the couple who came the day before to buy children, seeing them here in this situation was at the very least unsettling.
When he got no reply he proceeded. "Randhir Shekhawat, a well established name, one of the most feared gangster of the area... Yesterday you came to buy a couple of children, and here your are, today pointing a gun at me... pardon me but I am kind of confused here... care to explain ?" he said without an once of fear, almost as if he was trying to comprehend a meaningless chess game.
"Who we are ?" repeated Randhir darkly. "Old acquaintances" he replied his own question, chuckling cynically.
"What do we want ?" Randhir repeated the second question. "To kill you" he said putting all his hate in his words. "That is all you have to know"
Raghav laughed at his words. "Lots of worms have tried before you... they are all buried six feet down" he told him.
"And you will be soon joining them" Randhir retorted, to what Raghav wholeheartedly laughed.
"Ah... young blood, always full of hopes and sh*t... Jokes apart, what I would really like to know is, what a figure such as yourself wants from me ?" he asked.
"Revenge" spat Randhir.
"Ahan...is that so..." was Raghav only words, still trying to comprehend the situation.
Meanwhile, Raghav's bodyguards, Sanyu and Vidushi were silently listening to the exchanges of their respective leaders, while still assuming their roles of dominos. Saying that the atmosphear was tense was a huge understatement.
"Renuka and Harshvardan shekhawat, does it ring a bell ?" Randhir enquired.
"Let me think..." Raghav paused thinking. "Nope, does not ring any bell" he said.
"Of course" scoffed Randhir. "You have so much blood on your hands, that you lost count long ago"
"Let me refresh your memory... Twenty years ago you raided Vadodara, you forced parents to sell their children, and when some parent resisted, you killed them and took the children" he explained. "I, just like my comrades, were one of your victims... but unfortunately for you, we escaped" he said.
For a second Sanyukta wanted to add her own input, she wanted to say that she was not here for the same reasons. She was here because she was strongly allergic to corrupt politicians and she had taken it upon herself to clean up the society from scums like him... besides the fact that she didn't like his cockroaches like face, that is. But she decided to remain silent... as far as the end result was his death, she was fine with it.
"Well, that is one sad story indeed" Raghav moked Randhir. "Although it still does not ring any bell... "
"Must not have been important... worms like them have nothing to do on earth, they pollute the air with their poverty and so called morals... waste of space and resources I say" Raghav mettered as if talking to himself.
Sanyukta saw Randhir clench his fist...the one that was holding the gun. Bad idea, bad idea. Knowing the hot headed devil, it wouldn't be long before his looses control and do something harsh. Sanyukta had to act now.
Randhir's eyes met Sanyukta's for a brief second before returning to his target. She saw in his eyes that he was thinking... the problem was, she didn't know what he was thinking. He wanted her to do something... obviously, but what ? Not knowing what he wanted her to do, she settled for just being her crazy self and do the one thing she was best at : drama... hoping her plan will work.
She threw her gun in front of her, near Randhir's feet and started laughing, startling everyone. Ah ! Bet no one was expecting it ! The bodyguards eyed her suspiciously, while the others juggled between confusion and curiosity.
Between two giggles, she discreetly looked at Randhir, she distinguished the slight arc of his left eye brow. The little sign was loud and clear to Sanyukta : What the f***ing hell are you doing crazy woman ?. Okey... Apparently that was not the kind of reaction he was expecting... oh well, she wasn't a medium was she ? They will have to do with it.
She calmed herself, and lifted her hands, showing her surrender. "This is the time in the movie where one of the guy - a woman in this case- turns out a double agent" she smirked looking at Raghav.
Gun still on the floor, and hand lifted, she took a tentative step toward Raghav. "May I ?" she asked for his permission to advance.
"Don't !" ordered Raghav.
"Look I have no intention of dying with those bas***ds..." she gestured dismissingly behind her. "I'd like to be on the winning side... if you will have me that is" she said winking at him.
"Is that so ?... and why should I trust you, for all I know you could be playing me" countered Raghav.
"Well, for one, you guys are now three guns against two... and if you take me, that will make 4 against 2, they stand no more chance" she explained. And before her words gave him ideas, like pulling the trigger while he was indeed at advantage, she continued her monologue. "One has to know which battles to choose and which not to choose you see" she said, her tone full of wisdom."I believe collaborations are meant to end at one point or another, I personally end them when they are no more profitable to me..." she added, meticulously choosing her arguments. "...and then I make new profitable ones" she said pointing at herself and Raghav.
"You are playing a dangerous game darling..." said Raghav, assessing her.
"Well it was either that or I die here, and I would like to live a little longer thank you very much" she threw in.
Raghav gestured at the bodyguards, who immediately held her on each side, preventing her to escape. While he was pondering if he could believe her or not, he was not going to pass the occasion on using the situation to its advantage. Seizing her will at the very least tilt the balance in his favor.
Perfect, thought Sanyu as the bodyguards held her. What those dumbos had failed to understand was that while they thought they were neutralizing her, she was also maintaining them. They failed to noticed that with their hands locked on Sanyukta sides, they were as much trapped with her as she was with them. The big difference was : they were two to be trapped and she was only one, giving her team the advantage.
"What a twist in the story" Raghav snorted. "Okey then miss, prove us your loyality and kill them..." he turned toward Sanyukta. Typical dialogue... so predictable, she rolled her eyes in her mind. Well, when worse comes to worse...
"No thanks, I'll pass. I'm a mere arm candy you see, my work is to look hot, pose and sleep with my client, nothing more nothing less, killing is not part of my contract, I've never killed anyone in my life and I'd like to keep it that way..." she said. "Not to mention that its awfully disgusting, it bleeds a lot and it stains and just yeeeurk, ewww" she said showing disgust on her face playing the high maintenance s**t card. And before he had time to react on her blatant refusal she spoke again "Instead we can have some fun with them, I'd love to see this one on his knees she said pointing at Randhir" She said. And although having Randhir on his knees was part of her wild fantasies, right now it was pure business.
Randhir looked at Sanyukta trying to comprehend what she was doing, frustration evident on his face. He was annoyed and angry at her that much she could tell from the look on his eyes, but what stunned her the most was the fact that not once he had shown hostility or rancor toward her... not once had he believed her betrayal to be true. For all he knew she could have been an opportunist and abandon them all to save her own skin. But no, he didn't question her, instead he got angry believing it was another on of her twisted idea. The thought made her smile. Ah ! Her man knew her so well. She giggled internally.
Her eyes left his and discreetly landed on her gun that was lying near his feet, long forgotten. Her plan was simple, Randhir will dramatically drop on his knees and oh-so-accidently land near her gun. From there Sanyukta hoped he could take care of it because her plan stopped there. While she was good at creating favorable situations, she was no war tactician... She could only do one more thing after that, she could drop down and bring down the two bodyguards with her on her fall, momentarily leaving them out of the loop. After that, Randhir and Vidushi were on their own, they better take control of the situation, otherwise they were all highly screwed !
"Heard the lady ? On your knees" laughed Raghav, obviously enjoying the turn of events.
Randhir clenched his theeth but didn't move. Though he had caught on her plan, he shot daggers at Sanyukta through his eyes, telling her that he really really didn't like her idea. And something told her that once this was over and if they all got out of here alive, Randhir will make her pay that... Shudders ran on her spine thinking about what he would do... alone in a room, she on her knees, Randhir maliciously smirking in front of her... Omg... what had she done ? horror crept in her mind at this perspective.
"Come on, on your knees NOW" ordered Raghav.
Randhir reluctantly dropped to his knees.
Two things happened.
Raghav and the bodyguards laughed.
Something dropped out of Randhir's pocket. And if the criminals had not been too busy laughing they would have heard the noise of the little object falling on the ground.
Sanyukta stared at it. It was a ring. A ring. A female ring. And unless Randhir had a penchant for girls jewelry, this was without a doubt her soon to be engagement ring ! Sanyukta stared at it in awe. It was beautiful, a simple ring with a small white diamond in the middle, simple and sober just the way she liked it. A slow smile crept on sanyukta's lips.
She immediately locked her eyes with Randhir's. Time stopped as they stared at each other... bathing in the exhilarating and heartwarming feeling they were both experiencing at the moment. Both pair of eyes were mirroring each other's feeling... they could have spent a whole day just drinking in each other's emotions... if it wasn't for the guns pointed at him, reluctantly remembered Sanyukta, breaking their bubble.
"Omg... Fate has a weird way to unfold things, eh ?" Started laughing along Raghav and the bodyguards. No matter what would be her punishment later for making fun of him, she could not help but laugh at the irony of the situation, thought Sanyukta as laughed.
Tears threatened to pour out from her eyes, the situation was just too good. This was not exactly what she had on mind when she said she wanted him to propose on his knees. But who was she to complain ? She had him on knees in front of her, with the ring at her feet.
"Omg... just hours ago I was wishing to see him on his knees... this is too good" sanyukta stated.
Hearing her break in fits of laughter Randhir understood exactly what was going on her mind... Her wish had been granted in its own twisted way... even he had to admit, fate had beaten him there. A ghost of smile appeared on his lips.
"Indeed, this is good" second Raghav, oblivious to what was transpiring between the two lovebirds.
And indeed for an outsider, it felt like she was taunting Randhir and seeing him this helpless was bringing her a great amount of satisfaction, but only he and she knew why she really wanted him on his knees.
As much as she wanted to enjoy the situation a little longer, Sanyukta knew they had to act soon. The more they spent time here, the more their escape window was getting narrow. The news of Raghav's wrong doings must have reached the police by now. With the info the gangsters ahd provided the media with, they had everything they need to arrested them., they even knew where to find them. They were most probably on their way here... They had to get out of here fast.
Determination on her mind, Sanyukta suddenly dropped on the floor, bringing down the bodyguards with her.
In the half second that followed, several things happened.
Vidushi, who was silently watching the scene in front of her, reacted instantly and shot Raghav's leg, making him stumble on the ground. And before the bodyguards had time to understand what happened, Ranhdir grabbed Sanyukta's gun and shot with both hands, the two bodyguards on the spot. Sanyukta creeched and instantly hurried away from the two now dead bodies still gripping her. Gross !
Seeing that Raghav still had his gun, and was aiming at Randhir, Vidushi threw herself on Raghav. Sanyukta immediately joined her kicking and punching Raghav wherever she could reach. Upon Vidushi and Sanyulkta's combined aggression, Raghav didn't last long and dropped his gun. Randhir didn't waste a second in taking the weapon in his hand. Three guns in two hands... that's Randhir for you.
Both girl backed away from Raghav, blooded and bruised body, and stood near Randhir. In a few seconds span, Sanyukta's ingenious plan and their efficient team work had completely turned the tables.
The trio looked down at the beaten man lying on the floor. Checkmate.
Raghav was defeated... In this moment, as they looked down at him, a sense of accomplishment engulfed them, they felt proud of their victory. Whoever said revenge didn't bring peace was only half right. While it didn't not bring what you had lost, it most certain brought the satisfaction of knowing that the one who had ruined their life had finally paid, and most importantly, that he won't be able to hurt anyone else ever.
Randhir closed his eyes and sighed. Vidushi provided her support by placing her hand on his should while Sanyukta gave her approval by interwining herself around his free arm.
Randhir opened his eyes.
"This is for all those who you have wronged" he said before pulling the trigger.
BOOM.