Read Online Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior by Shobha Nihalani - Free Book Online

women—strong, vibrant and smokin’ hot. He waited as the frothy brew filled his mug. Picking up the mug, he sat down in his leather armchair, leaned back, put his feet up on the table, and took a sip. His phone beeped. He ignored it, savouring the aromatic beverage before he got his brain in gear. Running pubs and working as a DJ in an exclusive club was no mean feat. It taxed him mentally and physically. If he could, he would take the first flight out to India. He missed the exotic, vibrant, crowded uniqueness of the land. But most of all, he missed his friends.
    Akash picked up his phone, hoping it was Tara or Zubin. The first message was from Raakin to warn him that there were people keeping tabs on him. Yeah, yeah, the usual nagging . However, the second message made him sit up. Tara had received a warning from the spirit world that the big bad warrior was all set to attack. Jeez, what the fuck! All this stress and he hadn’t even finished his cuppa! He sent Tara a message telling her to take care of herself.
    Reflecting on Tara, he chuckled—she was one strange gal. A real softie on the inside and on the outside, always taking life too seriously. She hated to admit she was scared. It was a man’s world, she claimed. So she had to prove to herself that she was as strong as the guys. She didn’t realize that guys were as soft or sometimes even softer than the average woman. Akash enjoyed teasing Tara and getting her worked up, and found it amusing to watch her expressive face as she narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips and looked at him as if she would punch him. She replied. He responded with a short message.
    Cathy knocked. ‘Come in, darling!’ Akash called out. His assistant looked agitated. ‘Okay, give it to me,’ he sighed, aware that he could not procrastinate any further, especially under her stern gaze. She gave him a list of business matters that required his personal attention and placed some files in front of him. Akash thanked her and glanced at the reply Tara had sent. He grinned, responded, then got down to work.
    An hour later, the wail of a distant siren caught his attention. The sound of the approaching fire engine grew louder. Akash felt his adrenalin surge. His feet tingled as if in response to the emergency. There was trouble brewing in the vicinity. He had to go and help. The implant in his ear was warm.
    Akash left his desk. Cathy sensed his eyes on her. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked.
    He gave her a sheaf of papers. ‘Please take care of these for me, I will be back soon,’ he said, heading out before she could protest.

    Akash took to the back streets, where hardly anyone loitered. He skimmed the ground as he moved in giant strides. Careful that no one saw him, he leaped to the roof of the office block. From there he had a bird’s-eye view of the area. In the distance, he could see plumes of black smoke. He moved swiftly from roof to roof. As he came closer to the inferno, he realized that the building which was burning wildly was actually a school. Shit! Orange spirals of fire rose into the air. Police pushed people further back. The heat was intense. More screaming sirens from fire engines and police vehicles. Firemen unrolled lengths of hoses, while others aimed the bursts of water at the blaze. The water hit its target but didn’t seem to curb the spreading fire. There were people standing around, watching the scene unfold.
    The adjacent building was a recreational centre. A few women standing outside it were crying that there were children still trapped within. The fire was spreading swiftly to the centre. Akash still had a chance to go inside and save the kids. The firefighters were breaking down the front door. Before his eyes, the ground floor suddenly burst into flames. Immediately, he decided to get inside the building through the roof. He moved sideways, sneaked into a side street and swiftly got in through the back entrance of the recreational centre. The