Grandfather

"We have completely taken over Girgaon village" a gangster said

Bhiku Mahtre played with his goatee for while before nodding he said

"Bring the Village head to me"

The gangster nodded and shouted to his subordinates

"Get that old man here the boss wants to chat with him!"

"Yes sir!"

A groups gangsters came dragging an old man in front of Bhiku Mahtre.

That old man smelled of fish and wore a simple banyan and blue stripped dhoti

Bhiku lit a cigarette and sucked it before

bending down to face the old man eye to eye. He blew a puff of grey smoke into face of the old man

The old man began coughing fiercely and his eyes began to water

"Ahaana! Ahaha!"

Bhiku smiled and said

"Mr Hakum Dahbi it seems you have grown quite old, just a puff of smoke can make you become such a pathetic mess"

The old man immediately kneeled and and put his hands together and begged

"Sir please let me and my village go sir! We have done nothing wrong! We don't wish to offend the Shenshah in any way!"

Bhiku smiled and patted the old man's head

"Yes yes everyone says the same thing however-"

He grabbed the old man's white hair and pulled his head back and said viciously

"I'll spare you make yourself useful to me. Otherwise I can only kill your family one by one in front and torture you"

The old man grabbed Bhiku's legs

"No sir! Please spare my family sir! Show us mercy. I 'll completely corporate with you sir!"

Bhiku looked at the eyes of the old man and could sense his sincerity.

He said

"I know you villagers harbour safe havens for police sympathisers. Take me to every police informer you know of in the village maybe then I will show you mercy"

The old man's eyes were shaking in fear while looking at Bhiku. And he unwillingly nodded his head

"Okay sir"

Bhiku smiled

"Now that there is a good boy hahahah"

There were dark clouds looming over the village of Girgaon

*****

Girgaon was village established within Fort area. It was said to be built on the remains of an ancient volcano.

It was an old settlement with many people from diverse background such as kolis, Bhandaris, East Indian Christians, Parsis etc

The gulleys of Girgaon were narrow like that of maze in the shape of a spider web.

Many of the house in Girgaon was designed in a Portuguese architecture.

With small balconies and wooden houses. Small wooden staircase were also built into the houses. The walls of these houses were painted with bright colours of red, orange, blue etc.

Straight wooden walls and narrowly gulleys mixed with the bright colours and quaint look of the houses to create an amalgamation of sorts.

However in the dark of the night this village seemed like an apt place for spirits of unfortunate souls to wander. With its errie orange lights, dark corners and seemingly empty houses.

In ones of these gulleys Aryan was walking while turning his head looking at behind him oaccasionly. He carried on pistol with both his hands while its reload cartridge lay in his pocket. He had only one besides the cartridge inside his pistol.

He thought

'I should have found a way to collect more ammunition before coming here!'

However even for Osho while all gangsters had a gun it was still difficult to find a quick way to acquire arms in the city.

Aryan thought

'I hope they are ready for enacting the plan?'

Aryan has left Osho and Dakshita back in the kali peli and entered the village. He told them he would try to find a way to find Jigar and bring him out. So that they could take him away using the Taxi

He signed

'It's easier said that done'

Dakshita and Osho wanted to come as well but he had forbidden them saying it was better for her to remain hidden as everyone was searching for her currently. And Osho should stay in case they needed to escape.

Aryan thought

'However all I know is that they dissappeared deep within the village'

Aryan was currently facing the prospect of finding a needle in a haystack.

Suddenly his walkie talkie sounded

"We found one of the informers responsible for All employees are asked to gather…"

Aryan eyes shook and he thought

'They found him!'

****

Bhiku Mahtr sat on a plastic chair with his feet crossed

In front of him on his knees with several red wounds and bruises lay Tanaji Khabirpanth. The police informer who had earlier helped Inspector Fadnavis.

He said

"Mr Tanaji you confessed to helping the police but refuse to tell the whereabouts of Mr Jigar?"

Tanaji refused to say anything

Bhiku said

"If you tell us we'll reward handsomely you know? Your giving up a good chance at making some money"

He looked at Tanaji straight in the eyes

However the moment their eyes meet Tanaji spat at Bhiku face

"Pohhh! You damn gangsters were responsible for misleading my son!Especially that ******* Shehenshah!. He cause my son's death. I'll never trust you people again"

Bhiku didn't react and simply took out his handkerchief to wipe the spit of his face

Tanaji laughed

"Hahahahaha—ekkk!"

There was pistol aimed right at the centre of his forehead

Bhiku smiled and said

"Seems like you want to die? I'll help you out"

Hep pressed the trigger

"Bang!"

A bullet was released purging a gaping dead hole through Tanaji's head. He feel on his back with eyes open in shook and blood and brain matter flowed out the of back of his head and sullied the floor.

Using the same handkerchief Bhiku wiped the blood on pistol and throw the blood stained kerchief on the dead body of Tanaji.

He turned around and announced

"Everyone search this bastards house! Leave no stone unturned!"

"Yes sir!"

The gangsters all feverently began searching the house

One of his subordinates asked him

"Sir why did you kill him so rashly?"

Mr Bhiku replied

"He dared to curse and insult the Shehenshah he was asking to be killed"

The subordinate did not questing anymore. They knew that his loyalty to the Shehenshah was unquestionable. He would bite anyone who even bad mouthed him. Just like a dog being protective of its owner.

****

Aryan was among the gangsters who witness Tanaji get shot. He joined the group of gangsters who raided the house. While passing the body of Tanaji he prayed and small prayer in his mind.

In his life he has seen as an explorer he had seen quite a lot people dying however he still felt bad seeing it.

He went down the stairs and searched the house turning everything upside and soon there was commotion. A group of gangsters seemed to surrounding a group of three people.

"We found Mr Jigar! Come all of you-"

"Bang! Bang!"

The gangster who shouted had a hole blown into his head.

When he the gangster feel on his back. Aryan tried to get a closer look at the assailants who were dressed in black.

He got a glimpse of his face and was not suprised

'It's inspector Fadnavis'

****

Inspector Fadnavis has heard the gun shot outside and new that Tanaji was most likely shot.

He has intially insisted on Tanaji hiding with them however he was stubborn and went to confront the gangsters.

He felt a pang of guilt.

'He is dead because of me'

He remembered his old partner Valentino's father who also died in action alongside him.

'Everybody who trusted me dies'

Mr Fadnavis who was being haunted by negative thought shook his head

'Now is not the time to think about this'

Valentino and Fadnavis protectively placed Jigar behind them and soon they were found by gangsters.

Fadnavis had raised his pistol and fired at one the gangsters making a commotion firing hole in his head.

When gangster had fallen to the crowd Fadnavis gazed into the crowd and could make out a familiar figure

'Chaitanya Deshpande!'

It was the name of Aryan's body original owner's name.

He wanted to say something however there was another commotion

"Give way Sir Bhiku is coming down"

Fadnavis was shocked and sure enough a thin man with a a long beard appeared. He smiled at Fadnavis when they made eye contact.

Fadnavis thought

'Shit!'

However "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Ahha my legs!"

"My hands are injured!"

"My shoulder is bleeding!"

Aryan had non fatally shot several gangsters

And ran upto Fadnavis and grabbing him

"Come with me!"

Valentino recognised Aryan and nodded his head and followed behind while bringing Jigar.

"Don't let them get away!"

The other gangsters began chasing after them.

Aryan knew he was in a pinch for time so he quickly said in voice low enough that only Fadnavis could hear

"There is Kali peli waiting for you just outside the slums. Follow the path north down the hill…."

He quickly explained the location of the Kali peli to Fadnavis who nodded his head.

They soon ran out of the house while firing at the chasing gangsters who returned fire.

"Bang! Bang!"

"Bang! Bang!"

They soon reached a gulley which split two roads

Aryan shouted

"Inspector take Jigar and escape! I'll hold them back!"

Fadnavis was shocked he had not expected him to make such a decision

"But! We can't leave you behind!"

Aryan replied

"Don't be concerned about me just escape quickly"

The situating was escalating so Fadnavis simply looked at Aryan's face and muttered a thanks before running ahead with Valentino and Jigar. Valentino simple gave him a nod which Aryan returned with a nod of his own.

While they ran Aryan kept firing at the gangsters to keep them back.

Sevens rounds of cartridges were fired from the other side while Aryan had only two. Soon both were used up leaving only a single bullet in his pistol.

Aryan stared at his gun

"What the heck do I do now?!"

However someone had already sneaked behind him.

Aryan turned around reflexively and fired his bullet

"Bang!"

However that did'nt stop the assailant who punched his solar plex before walking him in the back of his neck knocking him out.

Aryan' vision blacked out as he feel unconscious.

The assailant was no other than Bhiku Mahtre who standing while clutching his bleeding shoulder. The last bullet Aryan had fired had pierced his shoulder. Just missing heart.

Bhiku cursed while looking at Aryan slumped on the ground

"This******* is hard ********* to kill huh!"

*****

A splash of ice cold water was poured roughly onto Aryan's face and he walk with a start.

He looked around and all he could see was darkness. However he could make out what seemed to be a series lights outside a window which seemed similar to the Mumbai's necklace.

He tried to move however boy he his legs and feet were bound.

He struggles for a bit before he heard a voice

"I like seeing you struggle it's so fun"

Aryan froze and looked at the source of the voice.

He only now noticed a silhouette of a person in the darkness

They said

"I usually wouldn't appear in front of lower level employees like you. However since your gonna die anyway It makes now difference"

He seemed puff out a smoke from his mouth before speaking again

"I was curious about the person who managed to thwart one of my best employees plans successfully. And I was also curious about another thing

Why did you betray me?"

The person leaned forward and the dim lights in the room and lights from outside the window fell on the silhouetted face.

When Aryan's saw the person's face he stopped breathing. His pupils were shaking and his body slightly trembled.

That face he could recognise anywhere and it was also the face of the person he had seen the most in his life. And someone he knew should no longer be in this world

He thought

'Grandfather!?'