Mainak Dhar - Vimana

Aaditya could feel the anger in Kalki's voice as he spat out his reply. 'Enough! I had made contact hoping you could be of use to me like your father before you, but if all you want to do is to mock me, then don't waste my time.'

In one instant, Aaditya was reminded that it was not just he who held all the cards. Kalki must have sensed his hesitation and mercilessly pressed his advantage home.

'Oh yes, for all your bluster, I know who you really are. A lost boy, in search of answers, in search of the life and dreams he once had. I can give you all the answers you seek.'

'And I can tell you the secrets of how to defeat the Devas.'

Kalki laughed softly.

'After all they have done for you, you will betray them so easily?'

'The Devas have their agenda, and I have mine. I want the truth about what happened to my father, but that is not all. Soon you and the Devas will end your war one way or the other, but I will need to get on with my life.'

'Ah, yes. I had forgotten how much you humans covet the good things in life. What do you want? Money? A house?'

'Five million US dollars. I'll give the account details to Maya. I want the cash there tomorrow, then we can talk.'

'You do put a high price on your information. The money is nothing, but what guarantee do I have that you won't bolt?'

'I'll meet Maya here at the same time tomorrow. Narada will be coming soon, and I can't be seen with Maya. If I do go back with the Devas to their base, the money is of no use to me, and you know as well as I do that I cannot live long in the human world if I betray both you and the Devas. If anything, after all this over, I will depend on you honouring your side of the commitment more than you will need me.'

When he met Narada a few minutes later, and they sat down at a bar, Aaditya noticed that his hands were shaking. He tried to lay them flat on the table to still them, but they seemed to be moving of their own volition.

'Relax. You did great, from what you told me. Now just try and relax and unwind.'

Over the next few minutes, after Narada had made sure that there were no Asuras or daityas around, and got confirmation from Ganesha that their communications were secure, Aaditya was in a conference call with the Devas back at base. The first voice he heard back from the Deva base was Tanya's.

'Aadi, are you okay? God, I couldn't sleep all night wondering what you were getting yourself into.'

Aaditya reassured her that he was fine and then debriefed the Devas on what had happened. It was agreed that he would meet Maya the next day and see if indeed Kalki had taken the bait. He heard Shiva murmur, 'Aadi, either he'll take the bait or he'll decide the risk is not worth taking, in which case he'll probably just kill you out of spite. I will be there in my vimana like this morning, just overhead, watching for trouble and also will come by any time you need me.'

That night, alone in his hotel room, Aaditya found it impossible to sleep. More than anything else, there was the sheer nervous energy and anticipation about what was likely to happen the next day. The best case was that he would be taken to Kalki's base as a virtual prisoner. The worst case, well, didn't need much thinking about. Hearing Tanya's voice had also given him much to think about. Whatever the endgame was in the struggle between the Devas and Kalki, Aaditya now knew that he could no longer just think about himself. In all the uncertainty and chaos that lay ahead, Tanya was the only bright ray of clarity. He was in love with Tanya. That clarity was the only thing that gave him hope. No matter what lay ahead, he would do his best to get back to her.

The next morning, Aaditya got up early and ate sparingly at the breakfast buffet. Narada seemed cheerful to the point that it began to get on Aaditya's nerves.

'What's got you in such a great mood?'

Narada looked at Aaditya between bites of his croissant.

'At times like this, I always trust Shiva's advice. Believe me, he's been through more battles than most of the other Devas put together.'

'And what does he say?'

Narada wolfed down another bite and responded. 'He says that when you go into battle, go smiling thinking of all the people and things you love, and go with a full stomach having eaten all the things you love most and indulged in all the things you like.'

'Why's that?'

'So you go into battle reminding yourself of all those you are fighting for and want to return to, and in case you don't make it back, at least you won't regret not having indulged in the things you love one last time.'

Aaditya smiled as he understood the simplicity and wisdom behind the idea, and his mood lightened considerably. 'I know who I'll be thinking of, and as for any last minute indulgences, I think I know what I would like.'

So at ten in the morning, Aaditya logged in for one last sortie by IndianBader. He realized that even though he had logged in hundreds of hours of real flying and combat, he was very rusty when it came to the virtual version. Also, with his mind elsewhere, he really couldn't bring himself to concentrate. He returned to Narada and asked him if he could contact Tanya. Narada looked hesitant.

'Normally, before we establish any connections, we get Ganesha to sweep the area to ensure nobody's listening in.'

He looked at Aaditya again and then waved his hand.

'Go on.'

Aaditya had to wait no more than a second before he heard Tanya's voice over his earpiece.

'Hi, Aadi.'

She was trying to sound cheerful, but he knew what kind of strain she would be under. Part of him felt guilty for having put her through this.

'Tanya, just wanted to say that I love you and we will be together when this is all over.'

They talked for a few more seconds before he said goodbye. He turned to see that Narada had a serious look on his face.

'What's wrong?'

'Ganesha just sent a message. The satellites picked up twenty Asura vimanas taking off this morning and they are all hovering off the Mumbai coast. Kalki probably suspects a set-up and doesn't want to take any chances.'

Aaditya wasn't sure what that meant for their plan, so Narada spelt it out.

'That means Shiva or any of the other Devas cannot be seen flying near Mumbai, and I can't risk following you either, if we want to ensure that the plan is successful. Still want to go through with it?'

'Of course,' Aaditya said with much more conviction that he felt inside.

Back in their room, Narada asked Aaditya to hand over the earpiece and the handheld vajra.

'No point in them suspecting anything. Plus, they'll confiscate them anyway.'

Then, when Aaditya had turned for a second, Narada chopped him in the back of his neck, sending Aaditya slumping unconscious to the ground. He was awakened by Narada splashing a bottle of cold water on his face. He sprang up, his head throbbing with pain.

'What the hell was that all about?'

Narada held a cold towel to Aaditya's head.

'Sorry, I had to do that. I've implanted a beacon in your body. Listen to this carefully-you can use it only once, and we will know where you are and try to get you. But you can use it only once, so you must get out of Kalki's base somehow if we are to rescue you.'

Aaditya rubbed his head.

'You could have just told me.'

Narada grinned.

'You can't reveal to them what you don't know. It's voice controlled, and it's programmed with a very specific code.'

'What do I need to say to activate it?'

'You need to sing the opening lines of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" at the top of your voice.'

'You've got to be kidding me.'

Narada shrugged.

'Hey, I'm the messenger. Ganesha thought it up. Take it up with him when you get back. Now get going, and good luck.'

And so, at about eleven in the morning, Aaditya set out for the mall in a hotel car, leaving behind any remaining shred of security and certainty that had remained in his life.