Mainak Dhar - Vimana

'Do it.'

'One room for the both of you, sir?'

The question seemed an innocuous one, but the tone in which the receptionist asked it was pointed enough.

'Yes, please,' Narada replied nonchalantly.

As the receptionist got around to processing the paperwork, Aaditya pulled Narada aside. 'Is it really necessary for the two of us to share a room? I mean, she thinks we're a couple.'

Narada kept looking in the distance, scanning for any sign of trouble.

'Aadi, I don't care if she thinks we're going to have a bloody orgy in there. I cannot let you out of my sight before the Asuras make contact.'

Aaditya sighed as Narada fished out his credit card to complete the formalities. That was one of the elements of the plan Narada had hatched. He was sure that the Asuras monitored calls and financial transactions just as the Devas did, and Aaditya was most certainly on their watch list after his role in the battles. A hotel reservation made in his name was sure to attract the attention of the Asuras.

Aaditya and Narada took the elevator up to their suite in the ITC Maratha Hotel in Mumbai.

'I like the buffet breakfast here,' had been Narada's reply when Aaditya had asked him why he had chosen this particular hotel.

As they entered the room, Aaditya took stock of the accommodations and then told Narada that he was going to take the couch in the living area.

'No offence, but I really don't fancy us cuddling together at night.'

'I am heartbroken,' Narada replied in mock despair.

The rest of the morning was spent rehearsing their plan, and by lunch, they were ready to give it a go. Narada left first, booking a hotel car to take him for a supposed business meeting. Aaditya left ten minutes later, taking a car to the In Orbit Mall, which he'd read was the largest mall in Southeast Asia. Narada could not be sure, but he had bet on the fact that if the Asuras had been alerted, they would prefer to tail Aaditya, thinking him a softer target. He was the first human the Devas had let so deep in their ranks, and for him to be out and about so openly would mean that he had the Devas' full confidence.

The driver must have thought Aaditya was a tourist who had come to Mumbai for the first time in his life, the way he gawked at the crowds and traffic around him. Being around so many people after almost a year made him feel like an alien. He was sure things could not have changed so much in a year for them to seem so strange to him-or had he himself changed so much?

Fifteen minutes into the ride, Aaditya's earpiece buzzed with Narada's voice. 'They are right behind you. Two ugly daityas in black suits and sunglasses riding a silver Honda City.'

Aaditya looked behind cautiously, and sure enough, they were there.

'Narada, where the hell are you?'

Aaditya could hear the Deva chuckle.

'In a taxi right behind them .'

As Aaditya's car came to a stop at the entrance to the mall, he felt his first real stab of fear. What had he got himself into? Now it was too late to back out. He would just have to carry through with the plan. The Honda was standing nearby, its engine idling. A security guard came over to tell the driver that he could not park there, but a glare from the giants inside the car sent the guard scurrying back. Aaditya just stood there, watching the daityas inside the car. It was a farce-they knew he was on to them, and obviously he knew who they were.

'Narada, what now?'

'If you go into the mall, they won't follow you in. In broad daylight, those freaks would attract way too much attention. So make your move here, and don't worry, we have your back.'

Narada was nowhere to be seen, but Aaditya didn't doubt that he was close. For that matter, for all his requests to go alone, he did not doubt that Shiva and the others were also near, ready to step in if things got ugly. Reassured by that thought, he walked over to the Honda. The two daityas looked at each other, and Aaditya thought he could hear them talking frantically. He smiled to himself. They would never have expected him to make the first move. He casually walked up to the driver's side and tapped on the window.

The daitya rolled down the window as Aaditya leaned against the door.

'I assume you are not following me because you want my autograph. Look, I don't have time to play games. Narada is expecting to meet me for lunch, and he'll be here in an hour or so. If that snake-eyed bastard is nearby, call him. I need to talk to him.'

The slightly stunned daitya whispered something into an earpiece and then asked Aaditya to get into the back seat.

'What kind of an idiot do you think I am? Get him to come here. We do this my way.'

The daitya took off his sunglasses, his red eyes blazing in anger, but he soon composed himself and asked Aaditya to wait.

'Someone is pushing their luck today. For a slave of the Devas, you seem to have a big mouth.'

Now it was Aaditya's turn to be surprised. He turned around to see Maya standing just a couple of feet behind him. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and he wore a black suit like the daityas.

'Come with me. Let's take a little walk together.'

Aaditya and Maya walked inside the mall and sat at a coffee shop. As the two sat facing each other, going through the motions of sipping the lattes in front of them, Aaditya was torn by conflicting emotions. Here he was with the creature who had killed Kartik in front of his eyes, and who was responsible for the abduction, if not the death, of his father. Every bone in his body told him to lash out now and kill Maya, but he held himself back. Even if he did manage to kill Maya, it would mean that both the larger purposes of his mission would amount to nothing-stopping Kalki for the Devas and finding out the truth about his father.

'So, my crippled friend, what assistance may I provide you?'

Aaditya bristled at Maya's insult, but reminded himself why he was here.

'I have a business proposal for your master.'

'Tell me what you want and why I should not kill you here and now. You've caused enough trouble for us.'

Aaditya leaned forward, murder in his eyes. 'Because, you ugly son of a bitch, if you insult me once more, I'll vaporize you where you sit.'

He nudged Maya under the table on his thigh with the handheld vajra he was carrying. He felt Maya tense up, as if he had never expected Aaditya to be such a hard nut. That glimpse of vulnerability made Aaditya push his luck even more.

'And I will only talk to Kalki. I don't discuss business with servants.'

Maya took off his sunglasses to glare at Aaditya with his snake eyes, as if warning him, and then put them back on.

'Very well, here he is.'

Aaditya inserted the earpiece that Maya had handed him, and found himself talking to the one person who he both loathed and desperately wanted to meet.

Kalki.

***

Aaditya was now standing outside a bookshop. Kalki had proved to be as suspicious as all the Devas had predicted he would be. His very first question was why he should trust Aaditya.

'Because you don't have a choice.'

Aaditya heard a deep, throaty chuckle at the other end.

'That's priceless. Here is a puny mortal telling me I have no choice but to listen to his whims and commands. So, tell me, Aaditya, what makes you so invaluable to me that I should even waste a moment entertaining your proposals?'

Aaditya held his breath, with what he said next, the dice would well and truly be rolled.

'Because you may be plotting something, causing earthquakes by the dozen, but as long as you cannot wipe out the Devas, you cannot really achieve anything.'

'I can smash the Devas to bits.'

'Oh yes, I heard how your previous plans for attacking their base went.'