All For The Brown Leather Messenger Bag...

“The place is dim and looks like a kind of a warehouse. They can hear few men talking. A light can be seen at the extreme corner, but nothing is visible as the view is blocked by some empty crates, barrels and boxes piled up together. Humzaad gestures Elham to stay close to him.”

Elham’s MG Hector is moving slowly. Though Humzaad is sitting next to him, Elham is still unable to digest the recent happenings.

While driving, he passes the spot where he had met the mystic the previous night, but there are no signs of him anywhere around. Neither there’s that makeshift tent nor the old vintage model of Matador. Elham then stares at Humzaad with a mysterious look.

“Don’t look at me like that… I have no idea where that mystic is… or who that mystic was”

Elham is surprised as Humzaad replied to the question which he just thought of asking him.

“How do you know that… I was about to ask you exactly this… but you answered before I can ask…?

Humzaad looks at Elham, sports a wicked smile and says,

“I know everything what you think… much before than you actually think…”

Elham gives a confused look, as if trying to understand if there’s any other meaning too of what Humzaad is saying.

“Now stop thinking and concentrate on driving… else you’ll blame me if your car gets rammed with one of the streetlights”

Suddenly Elham stops his car and stares at Humzaad with a serious look…

“Don’t test me… I know we’ve reached the spot… c’mon get down…”

“Why should I get down… you go and get that bag if you think you are that smart…”

“It is not about being smart… just get down and stay behind me…”

Humzaad gets down from the car, Elham follows him. Soon, they find the shoddy hideout of the hooligans. Humzaad enters the place, followed by Elham.

Though Elham is accompanied by Humzaad, he is scared as somewhere he feels that Humzaad is just an illusion. He has no idea how he’s going to deal with those hooligans, specially that tall and hefty guy Babbi.

The place is dim and looks like a kind of a warehouse. They can hear few men talking. A light can be seen at the extreme corner, but nothing is visible as the view is blocked by some empty crates, barrels and boxes piled up together. Humzaad gestures Elham to stay close to him.

After taking a few more steps, Elham gets a clearer view of those men. Though he is not sure if they are the same bunch of guys he had encountered the other night, he is convinced that they are at the right place as he finds his bag placed on one of the barrels. The guys are sitting on a big couch, watching movie on a television set. Action sequence is going on and the guys are enjoying every bit of it.

Elham gestures Humzaad that they can just slyly pick the bag and leave, but Humzaad is up to something else… something wicked… something naughty…

“Trust me!”

Saying this, Humzaad winks at Elham and pushes him towards the pile of barrels and crates. All the barrels and crates from the pile come crashing down, making a huge noise.

But obvious, it grabs the attention of those hooligans… one of them switches on the lights… they are surprised to see Elham there.

Elham finds himself in a soup. He curses Humzaad and looks towards him as if he’s going to kill him.

“Ah… look who’s come to say hello to papa… our old friend…”

Elham looks behind and finds Babbi. He is soon surrounded by all the hooligans, armed with baseball bats, chains, rods and what naught…

“Be careful guys… He’s MMA gold-medalist…”

“… and fourth dan black-belt too…”

“HAHAHAHAHA…”

All the hooligans laugh at Elham…

Elham looks at Humzaad, who is standing right beside him. Humzaad smiles at him and whispers in his ears…

“Listen buddy… keep your cool and relax… You can handle them all… Trust me!”

Elham clears his throat and musters courage to speak,

“All I want is my bag… I don’t want to fight… let us all stay in peace…”

“… but we want to fight… last time you proved that you are indeed a marathon runner… now prove your mixed-martial arts skills…”

Elham looks at Babbi, and at once understands that he means business.

“Last time I was alone… this time I have my partner… be warned…”

“Who’s there with you… Huh?”

Babbi gestures one of his men to go out and check if someone’s out there.

“Why isn’t he in here with you…?”

Elham is surprised as Humzaad is standing right beside him, but none of them can see him… Elham looks at Humzaad, who is sporting his trademark smile. Humzaad then comes closer to Elham and pushes him towards Babbi. Babbi is surprised to see Elham pouncing at him. All his men take charge, but before they can attack Elham Babbi stops them.

“Let me handle him…”

A horrified Elham looks at Humzaad and before he can say anything, Babbi holds him by his neck, lifts him a few inches above the ground, and looks straight in his eyes…

Elham is terrified like hell… he looks at Humzaad and furiously asks him,

“Will you stop staring and do something…? or this is all you can do…”

Babbi is surprised with the guts of Elham, as he feels that Elham is challenging him. Babbi then throws him on the ground and flexes his muscles.

“Since you’ve asked for it… see what I can do…”

Babbi pounces on Elham but falls flat on the ground as Humzaad pulls Elham aside. This infuriates Babbi even more and brings about a smile on Elham’s face. Elham is now convinced that no one can see Humzaad, and that he can count on him.

However, both Elham and Humzaad are taken by surprise when all the goons throw themselves over Elham and get hold of him so that Babbi can use him as a punching bag.

Babbi comes towards Elham, rubbing his fist on the palm of his left hand, which clearly indicates his intentions. Elham looks towards Humzaad, as if asking for help. Humzaad again winks at him, comes closer to him and whispers in his ears,

“Don’t you fear when I am near…”

To Elham’s utter surprise, Humzaad enters inside him in a whoosh… Elham feels a sort of tingling effect, and lo and behold, he senses the lion inside him.

In a fraction of second, he looks towards all the men holding him, then he sees Babbi’s strong fist coming charging towards his face. He dodges the punch merely by moving his face aside. In a split of second comes another punch, and the result is the same. He dodges once again. Elham is now enjoying, much to Babbi’s annoyance.

Babbi then decides to go for Elham’s belly, but this time it is Elham’s turn. With full force, Elham moves both his arms in front of him in such a manner that all the men holding Elham by his arms are banged into Babbi. Elham then takes all the goons left, right and center and makes it a point that Babbi is given a special treatment.

Soon, all the hooligans are scattered all around the place, begging for mercy. Elham walks towards Babbi, who respectfully hands him his bag. Before Elham can leave, Babbi asks him in a pale voice,

“When you easily thrashed my entire gang, why did you run away that day… I mean you could have easily overpowered us then too…”

“Well… I wanted to keep it a secret, but since you are asking, I won’t hide anything from you…”

Babbi looks at him curiously…

“I ran away last time because… I wanted to go to the loo urgently…”

Elham bursts out laughing and leaves, leaving Babbi more amused and irked all the same.

No one is more irked than Ira at the moment. It has been more than twenty minutes since the cab driver had called her, assuring that he will arrive in five minutes.

“How on the earth can one be at peace in a city where men have no respect of time…?”

Ira talks to herself looking at the big billboard of the Global Peace Summit.

Suddenly Ira feels that her phone is vibrating in her bag, she checks to find two missed calls and a message from the cab driver, stating that her booking has been cancelled as he couldn’t connect with her. She also finds Elham’s voice message. Ira ignores all other messages and clicks to listen Elham’s message –

“Hey Ira… sorry… I’m kinda busy… not at home… and maybe I’ll be late… you know where the keys are… make yourself home… see you soon…”

Ira thinks for a moment, looks at her mobile screen, which is showing 10:35 pm, then starts recording a voice message for Elham –

“Honoured to receive your message… now listen carefully… no matter how long you take, no matter how late you are… you have to come to pick me from the airport… I’m waiting for you.”

Elham, who is now happily driving home, listens to the message, and Humzaad laughs at him hearing the same.

“Don’t you laugh at me. This is all because of you…”

“Me…?”

“Yes…”

“Was it me who had asked you to go to that mystic… or was it me who had asked you to do that meditation…?”

Elham looks at Humzaad, tries to say something, but decides to keep mum.

“But now, it is me who is telling you to race towards the airport before Ira loses her cool. We can discuss about your meditation later…”

Elham nods at him, looks towards his brown leather messenger bag, and presses the accelerator of his MG Hector and races towards the airport.

Next Chapter...

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