by Deva, Mukul
‘I’m glad. Jasmine was telling me that you enjoy different types of cuisine. So I was thinking, why don’t I take you for lunch to this really nice place where they serve north-western frontier cuisine? It has been a while since I ate there, but it is supposed to be very good.’
‘I would like that. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome, princess.’ Now that once-precious word did nothing for her. ‘Tomorrow is bad because…’ he broke off, not wanting to talk about his work. ‘No, actually it would be perfect since I have to go to the same hotel for work in the morning. I will finish by one. Is that okay with you?’
‘That would be nice.’
‘Great. So be ready by noon. I’ll send the driver back to get you to the Ashoka hotel. They have this lovely restaurant called Frontier. Okay?’
Ashoka hotel! Ruby was thrilled. Now she would get in there again; she knew Ravinder would be going to check on the security arrangements.
‘Don’t worry about sending the car. I’ll get to the hotel on my own.’
‘If that works better for you.’ He hesitated, then decided to speak. ‘We never got a chance to talk properly… there is so much we have to catch up on.’ He paused. ‘What did happen to Rehana? When and how…’
‘It’s a long story, father.’
‘It feels strange… you calling me father. You always called me daddy. Don’t you remember?’
‘Sorry. I will try to remember that.’
‘No worries.’ He gave a tiny smile. ‘I understand. It’s been a long time.’
‘Yes, fath—daddy. It has. I was hardly four when you left.’ Ruby’s tone was brittle.
‘You still don’t believe that it was not I who left, do you?’
‘I don’t know,’ Ruby replied bluntly. ‘You told me your story. Mom told me something else. I am not sure whom to believe.’
‘I understand.’
‘Do you?’ Ruby asked bitterly. ‘And does it matter whether you left or she did? You did not come looking for me, not once in all these years.’
‘I did, Ruby.’ Ravinder struggled with the reply. ‘In the beginning I really did, but then I thought… maybe Rehana wanted me to leave you two alone…’
‘You’re a cop, how difficult could it have been for you to find us?’
‘Not very,’ Ravinder replied softly. ‘But I didn’t want to intrude. Rehana’s lawyer made it very clear that she wanted no further communication. And then, as time passed, I thought maybe you guys had started a new life… I didn’t think it right to…’
‘Because you certainly had started a new one,’ Ruby cut him off.
The ensuing pause was growing unbearable. Ravinder felt compelled to fill it. ‘So what happened to Rehana?’ he asked.
‘Like I was saying, dad, it is a long story and it has been a long day. Some other time?’ There was no way she would tell him where and how Rehana had died. It would only make him suspicious about the timing of her arrival… especially now that they are looking for a female mercenary from England.
‘You are right. I didn’t realize… seeing you has brought back so many memories, so many questions. For you too, I’m sure. Sleep well then, princess.’
The words sounded hollow to Ruby.
He gave her a hug as they parted ways at her bedroom door. It was a tentative one. And she was in a hurry to get away.
As she returned to bed, something kept nagging at her. It was something to do with the second mail she had just opened when Ravinder came down. She thought hard, but could not figure it out.
Day Six
Ravinder woke early the next morning, raring to leave for the office. Ruby’s arrival had energized him and the guilt he felt towards Simran pushed him to leave the house sooner.
When he entered his study to pick up his laptop, he noticed a round water mark on the table. It irritated him. And then he remembered Ruby holding a jug of water the night before. Could Ruby have been in my study last night?
He was looking at it, perplexed, when he heard the gate grate open. He saw Ruby come jogging down the drive, her maroon tracksuit soaked in sweat. He smiled. Rehana, too, would go jogging every morning. How clearly he could still see Rehana come running down the road just like Ruby, her ponytail flailing in the wind. Like mother, like daughter.
Ravinder was going out to talk to her when his phone rang. It was some anal-retentive type from the PMO asking for clarifications about the Summit security plan.
‘I will need to get to the office and send them to you,’ Ravinder told him.
‘All right, Mr Gill, but we need them urgently.’
He hurriedly pushed the laptop into the bag and headed for the car, the water mark and Ruby now forgotten. His mind was whirling with so many conflicting thoughts and worries that, for the first time in years, he did not return the salute of the men standing guard at his bungalow gates.
By the time Ruby came down, Jasmine had left for college. Simran was sitting alone at the dining table.
Ruby nodded hesitantly to greet her good morning. Simran nodded back as she rose, but it was a cold look. ‘Ravinder left early,’ Simran said in a monotone. A weather forecaster would have shown more emotion. Before Ruby could think of anything to say, Simran added, ‘Please sit down. I will tell the servant to serve you breakfast.’
Ruby felt a compelling need to gain her approval. ‘I am sorry,’ desperate to break the ice, Ruby called out when Simran was at the door. Simran halted and turned to look at her, her face expressionless. ‘I know I have disrupted your lives by coming here like this, but…’
‘You have.’
‘I just wanted to meet my father,’ Ruby continued. ‘I just wanted to know what he is like. That is all.’ Simran did not respond. ‘He is a good man, Mrs Gill.’
‘I know.’
A distasteful silence stood between them. ‘I am glad I came and met him… and all of you.’
There was no response from Simran. Not even an angry look. Even that might have mitigated the wanting churning inside Ruby. She wanted her to say something, anything to break this silence.
‘I know how you feel.’
Simran’s left eyebrow lifted slightly as though to say, you do?
‘I promise I will not disrupt your lives much longer.’ Silence. ‘I will go away. Soon,’ she said finally, her voice breaking.
‘Good.’ Simran was out of the door.
That parting word echoed painfully in Ruby’s head. Her resentment escalated. Soon the Palestinian avenger was back in control. She felt numb, emotionless. Almost.
Though no longer hungry, Ruby knew she needed energy and ploughed through breakfast before returning to her room. There was work to be done. She started dialling the number of the second financier Pasha had given her.
‘Ahmed Siddiqui, please.’
‘This is Ahmed.’ Though with a distinctly Indian accent, the voice was cultured.
‘A mutual friend gave me your number. He asked me to tell you that Sahiba’s wedding is on Friday and the arrangements need to be made.’
‘Ah!’ Ahmed replied, perking up. ‘I have been expecting your call for a couple of days now.’
‘I was busy.’
‘I understand. When would you like to collect the items?’
‘Two hours from now. Is that okay?’
‘Of course. I have it ready.’
‘How big is the package?’
‘A small briefcase.’ Sensing her concern, he said, ‘Barring some for local use, I have kept most of the items in their original form so that…’
‘That’s perfect.’ Ruby felt relieved. Handling large denominations would be so much easier – and also more convenient for her team.
‘My man will come to collect it. He will use the same contact procedure.’
‘I was told you would come yourself.’
‘I would have, but your security sucks.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ahmed was clearly irritated. ‘Do you know Rizwan Khan?’
&nbs
p; ‘Of course, I do. Why?’
‘Well, so do the police.’
Ruby heard a sharp intake of breath. ‘What are you saying? Are you sure? How do you know?’
‘Go visit him if you want to check – if you want the police knocking down your door before the sun sets.’ Ruby was reluctant to continue even though she knew chances of the ATTF chief ’s home phone being bugged were negligible.
After confirming the place and time, she called Mark. Though concerned that exposing him to so much cash was not a good idea, in light of the e-mail she had seen last night, she chose that over the risk of exposing herself.
Her final call was to her driver Kishore to tell him to bring the car. Tomorrow she would change cars, she reminded herself.
Thirty minutes later, Kishore arrived. Ruby knew she’d have to move fast if she did not want to be late for lunch with Ravinder, since she had to collect the cash first. There was no way she would pass up an opportunity to case the target venue.
By the time she met Mark and they arrived at Khan Market, they were already running a couple of minutes late. They lost another fifteen due to the traffic and then while finding the obscure bookstore Ahmed had told them to come to.
Ahmed was waiting outside the shop, holding a big black umbrella to save him from the rain, which was now a drizzle. Ruby saw him from across the parking lot and indicated him to Mark.
‘I just go up to him and collect the briefcase?’
‘No, you repeat the contact procedure, then take the case and walk away.’
‘That’s it?’
‘Yes.’
‘What’s in the case?’
‘Nothing that explodes,’ Ruby chuckled, trying to dissipate the tension. Then she handed him the zippered cloth bag and briefed him.
‘Right.’ He nodded.
Ruby felt nervous as she watched him walk away. Mark paused near the car he had arrived in and dumped the bag in the rear seat, then continued towards the bookshop.
Ahmed appeared to be behaving strangely, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, constantly peering at something inside the bookstore. Perhaps Ruby’s news that Rizwan’s cover had been blown had spooked him. Or perhaps he too had been turned… or blown.
Ruby felt her breathing even out, as though she was going into combat. Her hand instinctively reached for her waist but there was no gun there. Only a horrid, naked feeling. Her fingers clenched in frustration.
Mark stopped near Ahmed. Ruby saw them exchange words. Her tension ratcheted up. If the cops were onto Ahmed, this was when they would make their play.
Apparently they were not.
Ruby felt her adrenaline recede as she saw Mark collect the briefcase and walk away. He was not walking towards her; instead, he angled across the car park. Ruby scanned the area for anyone suspicious. Her eyes swept the area methodically, one sector at a time.
A beggar standing by the dustbin outside a tea stall caught her eye; he seemed to be watching Mark. Then his attention wandered back to the dustbin and he began rooting inside it. False alarm.
Her eyes kept sweeping ahead and then looping back, stopping whenever they spotted anything out of sync. She re-checked the beggar. Nothing. She tried to spot people following Mark. Again, nothing. So far, so good.
Mark returned to his car and ducked inside. She could not see him, but she knew he would be transferring the contents of the briefcase into the cloth bag. A minute later, he came out of the car, the bag on his shoulder and the empty briefcase in his hand. He walked to a dustbin and dropped the case into it nonchalantly. If a tracking device had been placed in it, it would lead the trackers to that dustbin, or to a rag picker.
Ruby watched as Mark walked to the end of the parking lot and hailed a passing auto-rickshaw. Fifty metres behind him, Ruby followed, keeping a sharp lookout. She stayed behind him as he left the market, went towards India Gate and then skirted around it before returning to Khan Market.
By the time they got back, Ruby was sure there was no tail on him.
‘That’s a lot of money,’ Mark said softly as she walked up to him.
‘Yeah.’ She scrutinized him, knowing that if greed overcame him he could be dangerous. Ruby wished she was carrying a weapon, but she maintained a calm exterior. ‘You said the guys wanted to be paid.’
‘That they did.’
‘So pay them now.’
He gave her a long, level look. ‘I do that?’
‘Sure, Mark. You hired them. Besides,’ she added casually, ‘I trust you. I can, can’t I?’
He gazed at her. ‘Of course you can.’ He laughed softly. ‘I know better than to piss off the golden goose.’
‘Good.’ Ruby smiled back, but her eyes were hard.
When she extended her hand, he held out the bag. Using the cars on either side as cover, Ruby transferred some of the money to her handbag and handed the rest back to him. ‘That will take care of the Glocks, the stuff from Chennai and the team. The rest we pay to them only when we finish the job.’
‘Got it.’ Mark slung the bag back on his shoulder. ‘What next?’
‘The Glocks.’
‘I’ve chosen the place for our meeting with Nanda. Scouted it out last evening. Want me to show you?’
‘Yeah, good idea. We have the time, if we move fast.’
‘Let’s go.’
When Ahmed reached his office, he headed for the phone and called a New York number.
‘I have handed over the items for Sahiba’s wedding,’ he confirmed.
‘Good.’ The man on the other end was about to hang up when Ahmed spoke again.
‘There is something else. The other party told me that Rizwan bhai is sick… very sick. He could go any time.’
There was silence at the other end. ‘I will take care of it,’ he said brusquely and cut the call. Two minutes later he was on Skype passing on the message to Pasha in Muridke, Pakistan.
Pasha made another Skype call, this one to Aligarh. The man at the other end heard Pasha out carefully. Ten minutes later, he was on his way to Delhi.
It was pushing noon by the time Ruby and Mark checked out the venue for the meeting.
Mark then proceeded to the warehouse to check on the items sent by Chanderan, and Ruby decided to keep the money in her suitcase at the Gill house.
Nobody was home when she reached, except for the security guards who were alert even in the sweltering humidity. She went straight to her room and carefully locked her bag after packing the money inside. She couldn’t risk the suspicion that would be raised if anybody found so much money on her.
She was putting away the suitcase when she noticed the maid at the door. The maid seemed to be looking at her strangely. Or perhaps that was only Ruby’s guilty conscience. Momentarily she pondered what she should do, and realized there was nothing she could. Giving the maid a vague smile, she left the house in a hurry. She had an important lunch date to keep.
When the man from Aligarh reached the outskirts of Delhi, there was a long line of cars at the security checkpoint. Security had been ramped up for the Commonwealth Games. When his turn came, the man held out a voter’s identity card.
The cop took the card. ‘What are you going to Delhi for?’
‘Going back home, sahib. What else?’
‘Where do you live?’
The troubleshooter pointed at the card in the cop’s hand. It had a Delhi address. The card was not a forgery so the man was not worried. It would take more than a cursory check to ascertain that the man it had once belonged to was now dead. And it was no coincidence that the dead man resembled the man now using the card.
It had been a fourteen-hour stint for the cop on duty, which was the norm, especially during special events. After all, there were only so many men available for duty. The rain, which seemed to have made Delhi’s annual quota of water in a week, was not helping. He handed the card back with a nod. The man from Aligarh waited till the other two cops had checked his car’s engine compartment and boot
and then drove off. His heartbeat returned to normal as the checkpoint vanished in the rear view. Hardened though he was, such encounters always took a toll.
He now headed for Saket, a residential colony in south Delhi.
Ruby sat back as Kishore navigated through the traffic. The road was covered in large puddles.
Aware that rest was imperative, she used this time to unwind. She was now feeling a bit more relaxed. Things seemed under control and the agent in her had pushed the weak woman with emotional baggage into the background.
Ruby reviewed the situation, ticking off the action points on her checklist. The money had been collected. The strike team would be in Delhi in a few hours. The munitions from Sri Lanka had reached the warehouse. In fact – she checked her watch – Mark should have picked them up by now. He would divide them up between the two Maruti vans they had hired, which the teams would be using, and park them safely. The venue Mark had selected for the Glock pick-up was nice and public – as safe as it could get.
The icy look on Simran’s face that morning returned to haunt her. And her anger returned with it. By the time the car pulled up outside the Ashoka hotel, it was simmering inside her, waiting to explode.
The troubleshooter pulled over by the side of a lonely road, retrieved his weapons from the hidden compartment in the back seat and checked them. Both pistols were loaded. He probably wouldn’t need them, but out of habit he checked the spare magazines to make sure they were ready.
Parking his car at the entrance of Saket residential complex, he made his way down the road on foot. Due to the rain there were not many people about. He pulled the umbrella low over his face and maintained a steady pace, staying on the side facing Rizwan’s house. It took him just one pass to spot the first police vehicle. Parked across the small colony park, opposite the target’s house, it was an off-white Tata Safari SUV. He saw three men inside, two in front and one in the back. The one in the back had a headset on and two directional mikes pointing out, facing the house. The mikes were well placed, and would not be visible to a casual observer.
