will be avenged.' Aalamzeb now took some plaster tape in his hand and began taping Rabia's mouth. 'But you can't actually tell the police that, can you? Because you are a bomb yourself, and bombs don't talk, they simply blow up.' Aalamzeb laughed a dry laugh that chilled Tanvir to the bone. Then he turned Rabia away from the camera, so that the camera now faced a wooden door.
After staring for a while at the image of the wooden door, Tanvir shot a glance towards the Sikhs. He saw that one of the younger brothers had fainted. Sarabjit sat, dumbstruck, all his jocularity was gone. Tanvir extracted the chip from the iPad, put it in his pocket and prepared to leave. Behind him, Sarabjit croaked, Are we all going to die?'
'Not if I can help it,' Tanvir replied.
◉
A hopping-mad ACP Hani, along with two of his men, helped Rabia into a taxi outside Dr Chitrekar's Lie-in Clinic. Standing next to them, Tanvir watched as Rabia settled down on the backseat.
On his way to the clinic, Tanvir had called the ACP and asked him to release Rabia in exchange for the camera. When ACP Hani had threatened him with dire consequences for his actions, he had laughed and reminded the ACP about the dire consequences of the ACP's actions. Tanvir had been clear that if he did not release Rabia, Tanvir would throw the camera chip into the sea. ACP Hani had reluctantly agreed, but only on the condition that Tanvir would not leave the city and would make himself available in case he was ever required again. Tanvir had given his word.
The taxi driver now started up the engine. Tanvir turned to ACP Hani and handed him the chip. 'It is the Stock Exchange Building,' Tanvir informed the stunned ACP as he slipped into the taxi next to Rabia.
The ACP and his team were already running to their vehicles as Tanvir's taxi drove away down the road.
◉
Chikal Wadi in Mumbai's Tardeo area is a small, predominantly middle-class Maharashtrian neighbourhood. Many a Chikal Wadi boy has dreamed of emulating its most famous son, cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Throughout the day, one finds kids playing gully cricket in its many nooks and corners. In one such nook lay Tanvir Khanzada's small two-room tenement. He had acquired this home as a payment in kind from a cash-strapped builder whom he had helped by clearing an old suburban building off its reluctant-to-leave residents.
Tanvir used this place as a sanctuary. And that is exactly what he wanted for Rabia—a place where she could rest, safe and secure. Rabia was still in a semi-stupor and had been quite uncommunicative during the short taxi ride. Thankfully for Tanvir, she followed him up the wooden stairs of the century-old building without saying as much as a word. Tanvir opened the door of his tenement and led her in. The musty smell of a place lying unused and unopened for a long period of time almost made Rabia faint again. She clung to Tanvir as he led her to the single bed lying in one corner of the inner room. He propped up the pillows and helped her lie down. Then he busied himself in opening the windows to let some fresh air in. Satisfied with his ministrations, he sat down beside Rabia, only to discover that she had fallen into a deep slumber. Tanvir tucked her in as best he could. As he rose from the side of the bed, he heard Rabia mumbling incoherently in her sleep. 'Zohra...Aalamzeb...friend' was all he could make out clearly, before Rabia went back into a steady and silent sleep. Tanvir got up and exited the tenement, making sure that he locked it behind him.
◉
At that early pre-dawn hour, the taxi ride from Tardeo to Khetwadi Lane No. 10 didn't take more than ten minutes. It took another minute for Tanvir to run up the three floors of Friendship Lodge. He could have shaved off a few seconds, had it not been for the sleeping gentry on each floor landing. He had to literally hop, skip and jump over the huddled figures still stretched out on the floor, trying to catch the only bit of undisturbed sleep
After staring for a while at the image of the wooden door, Tanvir shot a glance towards the Sikhs. He saw that one of the younger brothers had fainted. Sarabjit sat, dumbstruck, all his jocularity was gone. Tanvir extracted the chip from the iPad, put it in his pocket and prepared to leave. Behind him, Sarabjit croaked, Are we all going to die?'
'Not if I can help it,' Tanvir replied.
◉
A hopping-mad ACP Hani, along with two of his men, helped Rabia into a taxi outside Dr Chitrekar's Lie-in Clinic. Standing next to them, Tanvir watched as Rabia settled down on the backseat.
On his way to the clinic, Tanvir had called the ACP and asked him to release Rabia in exchange for the camera. When ACP Hani had threatened him with dire consequences for his actions, he had laughed and reminded the ACP about the dire consequences of the ACP's actions. Tanvir had been clear that if he did not release Rabia, Tanvir would throw the camera chip into the sea. ACP Hani had reluctantly agreed, but only on the condition that Tanvir would not leave the city and would make himself available in case he was ever required again. Tanvir had given his word.
The taxi driver now started up the engine. Tanvir turned to ACP Hani and handed him the chip. 'It is the Stock Exchange Building,' Tanvir informed the stunned ACP as he slipped into the taxi next to Rabia.
The ACP and his team were already running to their vehicles as Tanvir's taxi drove away down the road.
◉
Chikal Wadi in Mumbai's Tardeo area is a small, predominantly middle-class Maharashtrian neighbourhood. Many a Chikal Wadi boy has dreamed of emulating its most famous son, cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Throughout the day, one finds kids playing gully cricket in its many nooks and corners. In one such nook lay Tanvir Khanzada's small two-room tenement. He had acquired this home as a payment in kind from a cash-strapped builder whom he had helped by clearing an old suburban building off its reluctant-to-leave residents.
Tanvir used this place as a sanctuary. And that is exactly what he wanted for Rabia—a place where she could rest, safe and secure. Rabia was still in a semi-stupor and had been quite uncommunicative during the short taxi ride. Thankfully for Tanvir, she followed him up the wooden stairs of the century-old building without saying as much as a word. Tanvir opened the door of his tenement and led her in. The musty smell of a place lying unused and unopened for a long period of time almost made Rabia faint again. She clung to Tanvir as he led her to the single bed lying in one corner of the inner room. He propped up the pillows and helped her lie down. Then he busied himself in opening the windows to let some fresh air in. Satisfied with his ministrations, he sat down beside Rabia, only to discover that she had fallen into a deep slumber. Tanvir tucked her in as best he could. As he rose from the side of the bed, he heard Rabia mumbling incoherently in her sleep. 'Zohra...Aalamzeb...friend' was all he could make out clearly, before Rabia went back into a steady and silent sleep. Tanvir got up and exited the tenement, making sure that he locked it behind him.
◉
At that early pre-dawn hour, the taxi ride from Tardeo to Khetwadi Lane No. 10 didn't take more than ten minutes. It took another minute for Tanvir to run up the three floors of Friendship Lodge. He could have shaved off a few seconds, had it not been for the sleeping gentry on each floor landing. He had to literally hop, skip and jump over the huddled figures still stretched out on the floor, trying to catch the only bit of undisturbed sleep
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