Ch 25. Everything's in the name

It took more than a week for the local landlord to return back from the imperial meetings & matters. The next day at evening when the landlord was relaxing wih his family; his trusty nayeb intervened...

"Come in Mr. Prabin, how's everything here in my domain. Any new news?"

"Ohh, one more thing... Call that man tomorrow to meet me, he's waiting to meet me for such a long time. It isn't the right thing to do..."

Prabin Chandra replied to his landlord in a hesitant tone,

"Sir, before welcoming him. I have some news about that man, which you may not be aware off."

"After you listen to them then you can decide on the matter about calling him or..."

Landlord's eyebrows twitched a bit to his deputy's thought.

"Is it that bad!"

"Sir, my previous deduction about him was totally wrong. Now, after the new info's, I think he's a volatile person. Still my lord you yourself can make the final decision after listening to it."

"This is so idiotic of him, without knowing anything he forced me to bring that man to our door steps & now he's changing his mind again. Without confirming anything he was singing praises of that much. Huh, so childish of Prabin.", the landlord thought in his mind.

Both of them were right on their point, basically no one knew how dangerous Rahul was going to be. Mr. Prabin had some hunch on Rahul's caliber but he was not expecting this range of lethality. If Rahul, by any chance brought out an armored tank in battlefield. These old fellows would surely have a cardiac arrest for sure...

In the meantime both of them wen't to the office room to discuss this important matter.

"Now, tell me."

"Let's start from the beginning, sir when he came to know you are not present here, he wen't to stay at 'Pyaasa'..."

"Yeah, my wife told me after I returned, that the guest didn't wanted to stay here. But, why 'Pyaasa', that shithole of a place? Didn't you opened up a guestroom room or invite him properly!"

"You stay assured my old, your trusty old nayeb made no deduction in hospitality. But, he himself was not interested in staying here. Before leaving he said, he have some places to be. So, I couldn't force him milord."

"Ok, ok I understand continue." the landlord casually replied.

"Then from 'Pyaasa's' task board he took the most hardest task to kill two crocodiles & he killed them with bare hands. The report comes as: the corpses were totally intact, undamaged. It was almost night & not only crocodiles he also has killed more ferocious animals one at a time in Koushali river bank. Untill he was satisfied with his blood lust."

Killing predators with bare hands were made up portion in the story, people spiced it up so much at one point, that the poison part was omitted. And without knowing Rahul became a monster among monsters (human kind).

"Secondly, he killed 50+ soldiers in T1 battle arena, single handedly without even taking a scratch on his body. Plus, winning million of gold coins."

"Then the arena owner couldn't accept this face loss and he set a death contract on his name. A group of 10 royal swordsman wen't to eliminate him. He finished them off, too!"

"It was payback time, so he went back to the arena and again killed around 50-60 men; including bodyguards, royal army officer, local police chief, royal footsoldiers and local police forces."

"Then, he ransacked the whole place, on not finding the owner he locked the whole bloody place down while setting it ablaze. Hundreds of people died, a lot of them got severely injured. Only a handful of people came out uninjured, alive & safe."

"Lastly, he took a contract from Dilruba Jahan's servant and eliminated another 50 or so bandits in a day."

The old nayeb was panting after speaking so much, for so long, a glassful of water eased his throat.

Only one word came out from the local landlord's mouth.

"Monster..."

"Yes, my lord we can say that."

It took a long time for the local landlord to digest this whole thing, then he continued...

"How does he look, I'm as a person? As you have met him face to face..."

"My lord, he looks average. But..."

"But, what?"

Now, after listening to all these incidents, the local landlord was pretty perplexed in his mind. He couldn't hide his thoughts...

"But, he is inclined towards those foreign invaders, the 'Portuguese'."

"Not, emotionally or anything as such. He's from our origin only. But, the way he dresses, the muskets he uses are very much advanced still they function like the one's used by the colonists."

"So, you are saying his way of dressing & weapons are relatable to those foreigners. But, he is born of our origin."

"Yes, exactly my lord those are the perfect words to describe him."

Again, both of them wen't into trance. To understand this man's mind or his motives. But, he was unfathomable.

Once, Shakespeare said what's in the name. But, now a name was echoing through the minds of two old timers, through the minds of those citizens who have seen Rahul's devastating power. Through the minds of sly foxes like, Kalidas, even through the mind of a widow who thought love was like an untouchable fantasy.

It was different here, without Rahul's knowing he was becoming a name to be remembered, to be reckoned with respect.

In a dog eat dog world like this strength & power is respected, in times where Rahul was another nobody; the rules were always the same.

But, now Rahul has changed the game. He himself became the game.

Before departing for the night, local landlord asked his trusty deputy to complete some tasks.

"Mr. Prabin don't just call him tomorrow. Set up a fine dining space like the Portuguese prefers, then set up guest room like those colonists have. Food can't be adjusted, in such a short term notice. Atleast we should do what we can in our own capacity."

"After, completing theses tasks, bring that man to meet me."

Old nayeb, just nodded in response.

"Ohh, by the way, what is his name? I forgot to ask that..."

"Sir, his name is Rahul."

The landlord repeated the name in his mind, "Rahul..."

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[Happy reading guys]

[End of Volume 1/ Arc 1]