Mainak Dhar - Vimana

Aaditya's apartment was on the ninth floor, and just one floor below the roof. He climbed out his bedroom window. Just as he heard his front door open, he began climbing up a pipe to reach the roof. He really did not have much by way of a plan, but getting as far away as possible from the intruders making their way into his apartment seemed like as good an idea as any. A few minutes later, he was on the roof, trying to hide in a corner near the large water tank. He had no idea what was going on in his apartment, and he really didn't care much for the cylinder, but he realized that in the chaos, he had forgotten his good luck charm. His hopes that the intruders would get what they wanted and then be on their way were shattered when a few minutes later, the door to the roof swung open.

Still concealed behind the water tank, he heard heavy footsteps echoing across the roof.

'We know you are here. Make it easier for yourself and come out now.'

Aaditya peered around the corner and realized that his efforts at concealment had been useless. There were three men standing no more than five feet away, and they seemed to know exactly where he was. How the hell had they managed that? The dull roar of something flying overhead told him how.

Realizing he was trapped, he stepped out, keeping his hands up, though he seriously doubted the men saw him as even a bit of a threat. As he walked closer to them, he got a better look. Two seemed to be identical twins of the men he had encountered at the fort, the same size, the same colour, and the same peculiar ridged forehead. But it was the third man who worried him the most. He was considerably smaller than the other two, perhaps equal to Aaditya in height, but was built like a tank. His eyes were covered by dark glasses even at this time of night. The swagger with which he walked, and the way the two larger men seemed to make way for him left no doubt who was in charge. He walked towards Aaditya, smiling, but with little humour in his expression.

'Please come with us to your apartment. I think we have some talking to do.'

Aaditya contemplated resisting, and as if reading his mind, the man took out a curved blade from a scabbard on his shin. It was similar to the blades Aaditya had seen the previous night, no more than six inches long and slightly curved at the end, but with its razor sharp edge glinting even in this faint light, it looked deadly enough. The man moved the shiny blade in a circular motion in front of his face and then suddenly extended his arm straight, stopping it when the blade was pointed straight at Aaditya's face.

'I am told you know how to fight. Believe me, I would love to indulge you and perhaps cut your eyes out and carry them back to feed my dogs.'

Aaditya involuntarily took a step back as the man continued. 'But I have been told to just have a chat and learn a bit more about an item we are interested in. So shall we?'

It was hardly a request as the man grabbed an arm in such a vice-like grip that Aaditya felt as if his entire right hand were on fire.

Five minutes later, he was back in his apartment, sitting on his sofa. The two larger men were standing behind him, ready in case he tried to make any trouble while their leader was sitting on the sofa next to Aaditya. He was leaning back, his legs crossed, as if he had come to catch up with an old friend.

'First, Aaditya Ghosh, please be so kind as to hand over the cylinder.'

Aaditya figured lying would serve little purpose so he reached behind his back and pulled the cylinder out of the elastic waistband of his shorts, handing it over. The man handled the cylinder almost reverentially, passing it between his fingers lightly, bringing it close so he could peer inside, though even now he had not taken off his glasses. He then handed it to one of his men. In the light of his apartment, Aaditya had got a closer look at his tormentors. The two larger men were not only as dark as he had remembered and had the distinctive ridge over their eyes, but parts of both their faces were covered in hair, looking strangely more like bears than men. As one of them took off a glove to handle the cylinder, Aaditya saw his hand was also covered by a thin lining of hair.

What the hell were they?

He had little time to observe further as the man seated next to him prodded his prosthetic leg with his knife.

'So now they have an army of cripples to fight us.'

As the two men behind him sniggered, Aaditya felt anger rising within him.

'You have your cylinder, now leave me alone.'

The man picked at his fingernails with his blade.

'It's not as simple as that. You were there when so many of my daityas were crippled or killed. I had to burn them myself lest they be discovered. What a waste, but I don't tolerate failure.'

Aaditya now remembered that the man with matted hair had also called the attackers by that term.

'So first of all, will you tell me how you are involved in this? Are you one of them inserted to live with men? Or are you a paid agent?'

Aaditya had no idea what the man was referring to, and when he said so, the reaction was as instantaneous as it was brutal. The left hand shot out at blinding speed, landing a stinging blow on Aaditya's face. His lip cut and bleeding, Aaditya recoiled in pain and surprise.

'We know who you spent your morning with. How do you know my old friend Narada?'

Narada??

A second's delay in answering and the man lashed out again, but this time Aaditya was ready. He blocked the man's blow and struck back, landing a solid punch to the temple. The man rocked back, and as his two men grabbed Aaditya's shoulders from behind, he bellowed in rage.

'I will cut your heart out and eat it myself! But first, I will extract every drop of information you possess, even if I have to bleed it out of you.'

Till that point, Aaditya had harboured hopes that they would take the cylinder and be gone, and he had cooperated with them. However, he had no intention of being slaughtered like a lamb. He rocked his head back, connecting with one of the men's jaws. As the man loosened his grip in surprise and pain, Aaditya slammed his fist into the other man's eyes. Free now, he vaulted over the sofa, and ignoring the pain in his right leg from the impact, ran into his bedroom, locking the door behind him. He picked up his mobile, wallet and good luck patch from his bedside and climbed up to the roof, hoping to escape down the fire ladder on the other side of the building. He never had the time. The three men were barely a few feet behind him, having battered down his bedroom door in seconds.

Aaditya saw them climb on to the roof, and suddenly remembered what Mr Muni had said. He looked in his wallet for the visiting card and dialed the number. Before he could say anything, the larger of the three slammed into him, sending him down to the ground. Their leader was now upon Aaditya, landing a series of hammering blows. Aaditya blocked one or two, but the man was too strong and too fast, and Aaditya fell back. He saw the man bring his blade up. Aaditya landed one last desperate blow, a kick that was perhaps more painful for him than for the man. He stepped back, pivoted on his left leg, and landed a roundhouse kick with his right leg. The man swerved out of the way, but the kick slapped him across the face, sending his dark glasses flying. The two other men had now pinioned Aaditya's arms and held him against the roof's railing. The smaller man stood over Aaditya, blade in hand, and without his glasses on, Aaditya got his first look at the man's eyes.

They were not the eyes of a human being, but slanted, green and scaly, the eyes of a serpent.

That was when Aaditya began screaming.

***

The blade was but inches from Aaditya's right eye when an explosion of light shattered the darkness. His attackers turned to see what was happening. A streak of light streamed through one of the big men holding him, turning him instantly into a pile of ash. The two remaining men rolled away from beams of light aimed at them, producing small handheld devices no larger than a mobile phone through which they fired back with streaks of light. Aaditya took advantage of the chaos to hide behind the water tank, as he watched the bizarre battle unfold on the rooftop.