Not-So-Easy-Decisions

Charan was not quite happy now, with the decision Anna made of coming with him. The thing was that he had no place to stay in Hawaii and keeping Anna in a low quality house would hurt his prestige. He was currently very low on money and feeding two mouths became costly to him. Charan never had much knowledge nor interest in math and therefore, has kept most of his money in Vivek's account. Vivek never told anything about his account number, pin number or the name of the bank. All he has ever told Charan was "Don't worry, brother. Your money is safe with me." Charan too never asked Vivek much about his money, as he hadn't even thought in his wildest thoughts that Vivek will die before him. Charan's now only hope was the manager of Vivek's old bank, who knows about Vivek's transactions and is the only person who knows about Vivek's secret bank account, but doesn't know its whereabouts. Charan looked at Anna slowly coming towards him. She sat near him and asked, "How do you want to cremate him?" Charan replied, "He is already burned and turned into ashes. So, I will just pour his ashes in the holy Ganga back in India." Anna said, "Okay, but I want to ask something." Charan smiled, "Yes. What is it?" Anna replied, " Both the Russian Mafia and police are after me as I'm the prime culprit in the murder of Mr and Mrs. General." Charan asked suprised, "But, why did you killed them?" Anna replied, "I don't know what had gotten into me that moment. Killing them seemed like a noble deed to me."

Charan said grimly, "So, you are a liability for me, right now." Anna said calmly, "I know that very well and have decided to go away from you. Be happy." Charan hold her hand and asked, "Go away. But where?" Anna replied sadly, "I don't know. A wanderer, a hippie or anything, I really know what future holds for me. But, one thing I know is that I'm not going to be a part of your future. Our future." Charan said grimly, "I don't know what to say. At this moment, I'm so helpless that I can't even make a decision." Anna hugged him and said, "You don't have to make a decision, dear. I have already decided." Charan reached for his pocket and gave her his wallet. He said, "I don't have much. But, this is all I can give you right now." Anna smiled, " It's more precious than anything in this world." She gave her one last long farewell kiss and ran away, tears rolling from her eyes.

The previous rich Charan would had trade anything or killed anyone to keep Anna close to him, but this poor Charan's hands are tied with the chains of promises and honor. He took a long breath and smiled sadly, "Maybe I'm not made to get love." He slowly walked towards the road and then went inside a pawn shop. He took out a small ring from his finger and gave it to the shop owner. The shop owner was shocked to see such a rare and pricey ring lying on his table. He assumed that the man selling it was either a moron or very much in need of money. The shop owner took out fifteen bundles of heavy cash and gave it to Charan. Charan took all the money and stuffed it in his pocket. As he was to leave, the shop owner said, "I don't know what misery are you suffering from right now. But, I will pray for you." Charan smiled and went outside the shop. He slowly walked towards the metro and boarded it. After few hours of journey, he stopped at a station. He looked around and saw some people were standing near a bench, puffing cigarettes and eve teasing the nearby passing girls.

They had a rowdy aura around them. One of them looked at Charan and whispered something in his friend's ear. Charan slowly but with a little pace walked towards the opening and then quickly disappeared in the crowd. The boys were following him and Charan quickly ran towards an alley. The boys ran towards the alley and searched for him everywhere. Charan looked around and after ensuring that he was not in sight of anyone, he slowly threw a note down. The note slowly came down and fell on the ground. All the boys looked at the note and then upstairs and saw Charan was sitting on the roof. They quickly ran upstairs but Charan had already jumped on another roof and then threw another note down. Some boys managed to jump on the roof, but one slipped and fell down, cracking his head open. Charan quickly ran on the roof and jumped on another roof, but this time he slipped on the roof and fell down, but to his luck, he fell inside a dumpster. He quickly got out and ran away. The boys finally accepting defeat, returned to the ground and picked up the note. There was a number written on the note and also a small note that reads, "Call me, if you want a thousand bundles of the note you are holding." The boys looked at their fallen comrade who was now dead. One of the boys said, "Let's inform boss about this." Another boy said, "Are you stupid, Jack? It's a golden opportunity to earn some good money." Jack shot a bullet in his chest and said, "I am the leader here. Do as I say." All the other boys nodded in fear.

The boys were the street goons of Samuel Walker and does small errands for him. Jack was their leader as he is the only guy with a connection in the palace, his uncle who works as a security guard in there. Samuel really didn't care about people like Jack and thus, meeting him was an impossible task. Jack went to the palace and said, "I want to convey a very important message to Samuel Walker." The security guard said, "Tell me. I will convey it to him." Jack said, "It is very important and cannot be said to anyone except him." The security guard said, "Okay. But, remember both our lives will be gone if you fail to entertain Samuel with your "important" message." After sometime, a man came outside and said, "You have only five minutes to tell him, whatever it is." Jack quickly went inside and stood in front of Samuel. Samuel looked at him and asked, "What do you have to say?" Jack replied, "Sir. Here it is." He gave the note to Samuel and Samuel looked at it. Samuel asked, "So, you want me to call him?" Jack replied, "He killed one of our guys." Samuel took Jack's phone and called on the number.

After, three rings Charan picked up the phone and said, "I knew you will accept." Samuel said, "You should know whose people are you killing. They are Samuel Walker's men." Charan said, "And I'm Charan Khatri, you moron. So, watch your tone, bitch." Samuel smiled, "Charan, my friend. How are you?" Charan replied, "Ready to kill you." Samuel said, "Alphonso threatened me that if I don't help him, he will kill me. He also helped me in succeeding as the most powerful gangster of USA." Charan said angrily, "He only took the credit. I killed Ryan, I destroyed the Dortmund Empire, I finished L.O.A.A and I also paid huge money for your rise." Samuel said, "I know what you did. But, I was helpless. Anyway, how can I help you?" Charan replied, "Arrange a meeting of me with Antonio Fabrio Blanchet, help in bailing out Christopher Hendricks and give me ammunition and men to smash that pest, Alphonso." Samuel said, "Okay. Give me some time to arrange all these." Charan smiled, "Good. You have 24 hours." Charan disconnected the call.

Samuel looked at Jack and said, "Whatever you become in your life, but never become a puppet gangster like me." Jack bowed his head and went outside. Samuel looked at his phone and mumbled, "Charan has done much favors for me and not helping him would cost me my reputation. But, again Alphonso is very smart and ruthless, he will surely hunt me down if I betray him. I also can't remain on neutral grounds because then both of them will kill me. I'm really into a big dilemma and couldn't help, but make the ultimate decision of abandoning my seat." Samuel's mind was juggling with these thoughts, when his butler came inside and asked, "Would you like some tea, sir?" Samuel smiled, "Joseph, you are one fucking genius, man." Joseph smiled, "My gratitude, sir." Samuel took out his phone and dialed a number and after few rings, a voice answered, "So, you are inviting me to your palace for a tea party?"

Samuel smiled, "Not just a tea party, but a fortnight stay." Charan said, "No. I kindly decline your proposal. I have an important artifact to preserve from the greedy eyes advancing towards them." Samuel said, "Okay. Your wish." Charan smiled, "Meanwhile, I want my orders to be fulfilled or else your body will be under six feet inside the ground." Charan disconnected the call. Samuel looked at his phone and said, "I will be six feet under the ground? When the time is in my favor, I will give a more painful death than your brother." Samuel dialed a number and after few rings, a voice answered angrily, "Don't disturb me at odd times, Samuel. Unlike you, I don't sit idle." Samuel digesting the insult, said politely, "I just have an important message for you." Alphonso asked, "What is it?" Samuel replied, "I heard from my informants that Charan is currently going to London to collect his some family artifact." Alphonso smiled, "Thanks for nothing, Samuel. I already know about it." Alphonso disconnected the phone and Samuel looked at his watch and said, "Let them do whatever they want. I shall not die of tension and starvation." He rose and went towards his dinner room.

Samuel was eating his food with much pleasure, when his phone rang. He picked up the phone and asked, "Yes, who is it?" Charan replied, "Your daddy, bitch. Listen, I want some money urgently and I will not take 'no' as an answer." Samuel asked, "How much do you want?" Charan replied, "Atleast fifty thousand dollars. In an hour." He disconnected the call. Samuel looked at his butler and said, "Send Jack with the money. He knows Charan's face." The butler said, "Aren't you taking his talks too seriously. He is fucking nobody right now and so is asking for money from you." Samuel smiled, "You don't know him, Joseph. If he says that he will do it, then he will do it." Joseph said, "As you wish. But, your cowardice is still costing you fifty thousand dollars." Samuel smiled, "I am thinking of more than mere fifty thousand dollars. Now, move your old ass." The butler went away and Samuel called someone and said, "You remember Jack?" The voice replied, "Yes. That egoistic bitch."

Samuel smiled, "Good. In an hour, he will be delivering a bag full of cash to a pesky blackmaiker. I want both of them dead and the bag's money will be yours." The voice said, "Think it as already done."

Charan was standing near a lamp post, smoking a cigarette and was constantly looking at his watch. He mumbled angrily, "Americans don't value time. I have waiting here for the past twenty minutes and yet no one came." He finished his cigarette and carelessly threw it on the ground and took out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He blew out a huge puff of smoke and looked at a man silently coming near him. Charan was without any gun, but still kept his right hand in his jacket. The man finally came into the light and Charan said, "Samuel sent you to give me money? Interesting. I wouldn't have trusted a guy like you with such hefty amount of money." Jack replied nervously, "Where would gave I gone anyway? Samuel owns the whole town." Charan laughed, "Oh, really? Samuel is more like a gatekeeper than any owner. Alphonso owns this town and your "boss" is his lapdog." Jack asked, "Then, is he sending you the money?" Charan replied, "His master has changed." Jack was about to say something when a bullet pierced his chest and Charan quickly ran and hid behind wall.

The killer came towards Jack and put a bullet in his head. He then looked around and searched for Charan. The killer screamed, "I know you are hiding, coward. But, not for too long. Come out and I promise that I will give you an easy death." Charan threw a mediocre size stone on his head and then turned and kicked him in the stomach. Charan took the gun and shot him in the thigh. Charan laughed, "Easy deaths are not made for bravehearts like me." Charan kicked him in the stomach and then shot him in the head. Charan picked up the bag and looked inside. All the notes were fake and Charan threw the bag away. He searched both Jack and the killer's pockets and found a sum of 200 dollars. He thrusted the notes in his jacket and went away. That night, Samuel not only betrayed him, but proved his alliance with Alphonso or what Charan thought, has challenged his power. Charan slowly walked away in the darkness, slowly becoming invisible in it. It was utter silence till the sound of a phone ringing intervened. But, soon that too stopped as the caller got his message. Some stray dogs came near their bodies and smelled them. The dogs has got their dinner and started howling as the moon slowly moved in the dark night.....