Twist

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She was staring at the passing trees, one after another. Unlike the roads of her city, this was a pleasant path to drive. No frequent brakes, no honking, no shifting of gears on every signal. Although she wanted to, but she wasn’t driving. She was at the back seat of a hired sedan on her way to Nandi Hills from Bangalore. She was strictly instructed neither to drive her own car for this visit nor carry her smartphone for the journey.

Mishika had never witnessed this feeling. It was a mixture, she was nervous but also very excited about it. She wasn’t joyous but wasn’t sad either. She had been to Nandi hills before. But not like this – alone without any phone, without telling her daughters, without her husband’s knowledge. Her husband, every time she thinks about him, her eyes welled up. Atul and she had been married for the past seventeen years now, have a beautiful home with two beautiful daughters. Yet, she’s on her way to hills to meet another man without anyone’s knowledge. A man, whom she had been secretly texting since the last few days from her washroom and beneath the sheets. A man she barely knows.

What can be more sinister than that? What kind of wife am I? Tears rolled on her cheeks again while thinking about Atul again. But it isn’t about Atul anymore! It’s about her life. She was driving towards a new life. A life without Atul. She wiped her tears with her sleeves and asked the driver to drive faster.

She had no idea where the past two hours passed when wheels of her cab reached the parking of a hotel. She recollected her last conversation with this man from last night while paying the cabbie.

“I’m tall and pretty well built, will be a wearing tracksuit with a sports cap and I have a stubble beard” “Oh well,” She replied nervously “I’m five-five, long hair, and I’ll be wearing...

A pink kurti with white salwar.” She was thinking about those words now, thinking how that simple exchange typified.

She entered the hotel but didn’t go to the reception as told. Instead, she walked in the restaurant adjacent to it. And sat on chair waiting for Dev. He already texted her that he’ll be 10 minutes late. She looked around, her table had the perfect view of the outside lake and other three hotels. Every time she looks at the lake she felt like jumping in it. She brushed her thoughts aside and signalled a waiter for menu. He handed over two but she skipped the food one and took the one with drinks only. She ordered herself a glass of wine. She went to the restroom and checked herself again. Everything was in her place except her face. So she applied some lipstick again and wiped her teary-smudged kajal neatly with a tissue.

Her wine glass was already waiting on her table when she came back. She sat down and sipped it while looking outside.

She was just killing time, trying not to look nervous when she spotted a couple in a hotel balcony opposite to her. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t. They were looking very much in love, The man was hugging her from behind and kissing her nape. The girl was faintly smiling. She looked very young to the man. But as they say – love has no age. Their cuddles instigated and the man picked her up in his arms and took her inside closing the blinds of the balcony.

Mishika stretched a smile recalling her holidays with Atul, which seems like lifetime ago now. Another tear got its freedom from her eyes and she signalled the waiter for a refill. Her wine glass and Dev lands in front of her together.

“You shouldn’t drink much” He said in his hazy voice as he pulled a chair to sit.

“I know” She smiled, His beard was denser than she imagined, without it, he would’ve surely looked like a complete different person.

“So”

“So” She raised an eyebrow.

“Do you want me apologize for being late or we can talk straight business?” He asked

“First, I want you to have a drink with me Dev” She chuckled in a tipsy manner.

“Mishika” He placed his hand on hers and whispered “Stop. I’m not getting drunk and neither are you”

He picked the bottle and placed it on his side. Mishika couldn’t resist those strong arms.

“I’ll have this tonight” He grinned as she twitched her lip.

He fixed her with his eyes and said, “How about we go outside?”

Mishika hesitated. Okay, this is it, she thought to herself. You can leave or can go out there with him. There’s no turning back now. She thought of her resolution, she thought of Atul. She said “Yeah. Lets go”

They came out and walked side by side back to the deserted park. They came to a bench and she nodded at it and they sat down, Dev closed beside her. She felt his presence – the nearness of a strong man, which she hadn’t felt for some time now.

His arms went along the back of the bench, touching her shoulders, she felt his muscles and how strong he was. It was then that she glanced down and saw a twisted rope.

“Tool of the trade.” Dev smiled at her frowning face.

“That’s it?” She asked.

“I’ve 9mm Beretta clinging on my waist too. But as you said – It should and it will look like an accident.”

She exhaled and nodded in approval.

“So that’s him in there, the handsome guy with the college girl?” He asked

“Yes” Mishika said “That’s my Husband Atul” She shivered again.

All the cold and disgust she saw while kissing them while drinking the wine started coming back.

She knew by now Dev meant business and like most professional killers, would prefer to speak in indirect expressions. She asked simply.

“When it’s going to happen?”

“Depends on that girl in there with him. Soon after she leaves” He replied.

“She’s spending the night?” she asked.

“No. I’ve been spying on him for months. He’ll kick her out before evening as that girl has to report at her college hostel by night. There’ll be another hooker tomorrow but not before noon. So tonight is my window. You just be at home tonight with your daughters and have an alibi for this morning.” Dev explained.

He continued “I’ll handle it like I was telling you – after he’s asleep I’ll get on board, tie him up and take the boat out a few miles. Then I’ll make it look like he got tangled in the anchor line, He always fixes himself with whiskey before sleeping anyway”

“You always make it look like an accident?” Mishika asked wondering was it even necessary.

“Depends.. on my customers.. It can look anything - accidents, fire, gas leak, rape or robbery went wrong.” He replied calmly.

“Dev can’t be your real name,” She said and he smiled looking away.

“Aren’t you worried I’m reporter or cop? Trying to set you up, I mean I got your number from old yellow pages!” She asked.

“You do this long enough, you get a feel for who are real customers and who aren’t. anyway, I spent the last week checking you out. You’re legitimate.”

Legitimate!? She mocked herself while putting hands inside her purse giving him an envelope.

“Rest of..” He interrupted “I know it’s weird. Not a problem”

“So no pain? Right Dev?” She rose from the bench

“Not a thing. Even if he were conscious that waters so cold he’ll probably pass.” He shook her hand

“You’re sure about this Mishika?” Dev called from behind as she was walking towards the parked cab.

“Am I sure Dev? Mmmm.. let me think about it.. wanting Atul dead? You mean the husband who said I’m in Mumbai but in truth takes his whores on these hotels? Who spends our savings on these trysts!!, who nagged me into quitting a job I loved, Who complains whenever I wear short clothes in public but have no complaints in undressing girls of his daughter’s age, who gets violent whenever I bring up divorce!? ” She breathed “Yes I’m positive Dev”

“I’ll take care of things from here. Go home” Dev said and Mishika walked away thinking about her future, about her life without Atul.

//