Love and Revenge -- Part 2

Party at Ruby’s Tuesday

Half-heartedly, Padhi had to throw a treat to his friends in Ruby’s Tuesday. He had managed to suppress the secret of what had transpired in the flying Saucer by extreme application of will-power on his usual chirpy tongue. He didn’t know why he was hiding it from his friends, but he wanted to keep it that way currently.

Dark had already set in and rain was pattering on the roof and plastic canvas outside. Activities of the market were in full view from the seats close to the glass windows where they sat. An old 70s western classic song suffused an element of romance on an already wonderful ambience where vibrations of romance and youthful exuberance floated in abundance.

But Padhi looked downcast…

Not able to comprehend the reason behind Padhi’s dull mood— which was actually due to the unexpected loss of the three-eyed damsel and the dollar filled suitcase— Sandipan, Maneesh and KC sat clueless, sipping cold Beer and transporting, after every few seconds, a spoonful of Pasta to their mouths. How could they have understood the plight of Padhi? A loss of this nature, which they didn’t have slightest idea of, could bring even the liveliest of creatures to an abrupt state of depression. And Padhi certainly deserved a bravery award of the highest order for being inside the restaurant with the same people who actually were accountable, though unintentionally, for bringing that misfortune to him.

Sandipan, breaking the leg of a prawn from his right hand and adjusting his old-styled plastic-rimmed specs from his left, said in an intriguing tone, “What Padhi! You look not so happy today.” He had noticed Sandeep’s silence since his escape on the river bank. At the back of his mind, while asking this question, he suspected Padhi under the grip of some Atma that might have got inside Padhi during the Yamuna escapade. He remembered that Padhi had remained unconscious for a few minutes, and had gained consciousness only after the massage of Jhandu Baam.

Padhi just let out an artificial smile and said, “Nothing…it’s all fine, dude.” But a seed of suspicion had started germinating in Sandipan’s mind, and some remedies of the unknown problem, based on his suspicion, had already started to float in his mind. An immediate one was to get in touch with Tantrik Guddiyappa, revered like a god in Sarai Kale Khan. People claimed that they saw through their naked eyes many bhoots running for mercy just after they saw a glimpse of Guddiyappa. Such was his dread or atank.

Maneesh and KC were busy gulping down Beer bottles, giving least care to food lying over plates.

Maneesh said proudly, “My quota is over. Six bottles down under.”

To which KC responded, “Oh! only six. It’s Padhi’s dollar treat. Think about another six more.”

And they continued…

At 11:00 PM, all left the restaurant. Rain was still drenching the thirsty earth. Outside, Sandipan kept reading Padhi’s every movement, his downcast and lost expressions.

KC and Maneesh, who had started a conversation on Buddhist philosophy after having downed the seventh bottle in the restaurant itself, seemed to relish on the discussion even more in the rain—again quite oblivious to what Sandipan was up to and Sandeep’s unusual silence.

Soon all wished Good Night to each other and planned to meet again. Maneesh, after 5-6 unsuccessful attempts at his TVS Victor Bike when finally managed to awaken it, flew it like a Jet Aircraft on the rain drenched Delhi roads, giving KC many near-to-death experiences at every turn and signal. He said, “His concentration was at its best after gulping down a few bottles.” To which frightened KC didn’t respond and got down even before his stoppage came, lying to Maneesh that he had shifted his house to another location.


Love, a Sweet Poison




Love seemed more the reason than the loss of money behind Sandeep’s dismal demeanor. Flashes of those twinkles of appreciation and affection from those three eyes of the damsel erupted before him every now and then, jolting him from his sleep and giving sweet sensations. If she had been an earthly beauty, he at least would have the chance to search and find her. But a damsel of another planet and in a Saucer? Even if he managed to get hands on the fastest running plane, it would be difficult to locate her. The Universe was too big to find her.

His mood swings increased day by day. He also lost some pounds from his body. And whenever he ventured outside, he would apply a thick layer of Jhandu Baam on his forehead.

One day Sandipan, who by now was sure of some evil spirit behind Sandeep’s changed behavior, told KC and Maneesh about Tantrik Guddaippa. “A famous Tantrik…in a second our old Sandeep will be back to his original self,” he said popping in some groundnuts inside his mouth and grinding them.

So it was finally decided that Guddaippa should at any cost be called. Or some such arrangement be made that Sandeep could come before Guddaippa.


Wicked Plans of a Scorned Lover




“Hell has no wrath like a woman scorned,” said Shakespeare many years ago. The saying— which basically means if you hurt or make a woman mad, it will be worse than hell— has its applicability intact even in today’s world and will have till Universe remains.

So was the case with the three-eyed damsel. How could she forget the betrayal by a two-eyed Instructional Designer? Though her motive behind gulping Padhi inside the Saucer was pure business then, the communication happened through their eyes had done the damage that many mortals since the birth of this Universe have suffered. And that hope given to her romantic heart was taken away mercilessly by Sandeep’s betrayal and KC’s violent entry. They hadn’t yet any antidote against those bamboo sticks and Desi Tamancha. Otherwise, she would go immediately and teach both a lesson.

But soon came jumping a monster without even knocking on the damsel’s door, giving no time to the damsel to hide Padhi’s photograph that she had closely held.

“What uncouth behavior? Don’t you knock at the door before entering in a lady’s room?” she rebuked the monster.

“Oh! Beautiful Goddess of Zanzibar planet, the news is such that my feet lost control. Our underpaid scientists have finally developed a powerful response against those dreaded weapons.”

“Oh! Great news…let’s hurry up then and move our Saucer to the planet.”

And the Saucer zoomed toward the planet earth, cutting the thick veil of Zanzibar security layer to which no instrument sent by NASA scientists could penetrate.

Her plan was to finally kidnap Padhi and keep him as a permanent captive in an ice-cream parlor of Zanzibar where all varieties of ice-creams would be kept before Padhi, but his hands would remain tied. She was burning with revenge and she felt this punishment was the best. Even KC was going to face her fury as they had now solid response against Tamancha and bamboo sticks.


Talk with the Tantrik




Sandipan and Maneesh were already in Sarai Kale Khan talking to Tantrik Guddaippa. When the entire episode was narrated to him, he stroked his moustache, sharpening both sides like a pencil’s edges.

“Hmm!! It seems Pani Pret, found only around Yamuna, has possessed your friend.”

He added, “It’s nawt a naarmal Bhoot. Bhery-bhery straang (Guddaippa showed his command over English and told both that he was a graduate in Political Science at a time when it wasn’t such an easy thing.)”

He continued, “This bhoot drinks a lot of Yamuna water and the whole day eats different kinds of fishes, which makes him very powerful.”

After thinking a little, he said, “But there is one solution. You bring your friend to the same spot and I’ll throw Shamshan Ki Raakh on him and murmur Pisach mantra…enough for Pani Pret to go crazy and be back to Yamuna.”

Sandipan and Maneesh were really happy that there was a solution to the problem and said a few butter-laced phrases in praise of Guddaippa, at which the tantrik got very happy and uttered a loud laughter.

So it was communicated to KC that he would by some trick bring Padhi to Yamuna, and Maneesh and Sandipan would bring Guddaippa to the same spot to give Pani Pret a lesson of the lifetime.


Clash of the Titans




Crossing the Noida Bridge toll in his TVS Victor at 100 km/hr speed, with Guddaippa and Sandipan sitting on the back, and then taking a rough route amid thick bushes and thorns they finally landed down to the bank.

KC had already brought Padhi with him, by telling him a lie that a Dolphin had recently been spotted in Yamuna and there lay a possibility of catching a glimpse. Tantrik, Sandipan and Maneesh slowly crept toward Padhi whose feet were almost touching the water. This was a wonderful opportunity of attacking Pani Pret from the backside and bringing an immediate end to his kahani.

Guddaippa had almost reached near Padhi when a light flashed up above and from the Saucer jumped the damsel and other occupants, carrying some strange weapons. Guddaippa wasn’t prepared for this. In fact, he had never seen such ghosts in his lifetime. Before they could start their attack, Guddaippa started throwing ash toward the three-eyed monsters and loudly muttered pisach mantra. The effect was such that their strange weapons disappeared in the thin air and they were completely weaponless.

Capitalizing on the wonderful opportunity, KC took his Desi Tamancha and bamboo sticks and beat them once again mercilessly, forcing them to take a u-turn toward the Saucer.

But before the damsel turned back to the Saucer she looked deeply toward Padhi. Their eyes were set on each others for some time. KC stopped his fury and went astonished and so were others.

But Guddaippa thought the damsel was hypnotizing Padhi and he again started to throw ash and mutter pisach mantra, at which the damsel too ran for safety in her Saucer. And in no time, after a few up and down movements, the Saucer disappeared from the sight.

Padhi looked dejectedly toward the disappearing Saucer and applying a thick layer of Jhandu Baam on his forehead said very sadly, “They say love is blind. But how can it be blind when eyes have a big role in this.”