THE GAME OF WITS

VENKATESH came out of jail three days ago.

And he had been searching for ‘her’ ever since. He had searched all the probable places that she might be frequenting. With the flames of revenge burning his heart, he had been frantically searching for her.

Venkatesh had undergone a six-month simple imprisonment, and the first thing he did on emerging out of the jail was to buy a six-inch long knife. The blade of the knife was as sharp as his kindling yen for revenge. He should use the knife if he were to avenge his humiliation, he told himself bitterly.

He had scanned the whole city of Chennai for the woman. The crowded areas such as Paris,China bazaar,Burma bazaar,Luz,Santhome,Marina,Elliots beach,Panagal park,Snake park and what not! With no luck. He was yet to seek her out. He was becoming restless. He became so restless that he wanted to put the knife through someone, should he fail to trace her, in a couple of days.

The fire of revenge had been burning him inside for the past six months. It refused to die down with the time. It only grew stronger. He was thirsting for her blood.

Venkatesh was just a petty thief … till then. Now, he was going to become a murderer too.

Who was responsible for this transformation…?

She…!

The woman, who had robbed him of his hard labour with impunity and landed him in jail!

His ego had taken a severe beating as the hard fact that he was out-smarted by a woman, stared at him.

He was hailed as a hero in his own circle. But there was this woman who had taken out all that pride, like deflating a balloon. She had not only stood in his way, but also sent him to jail – which he was unable to digest, even today.

He had committed many a petty theft including chain-snatchings in his thirty year-old life. But his ten years’ experience in the profession proved to be of no consequence before the crafty lady. He had gone to jail for the first time in his professional career, due to her wily tricks! … The very thought had sent him into a rage.

‘Find her, he should…at any cost’ – he had asserted to himself. ‘And put the sharp blade into her soft breasts. That should send a message to the other women like her…not to play dirty tricks on him’.

Venkatesh took out the knife and kissed its sharp, shining blade – his eyes glowing with the fire of revenge. He returned the knife to his pocket.

At that moment, the city bus had pulled up in front of him. He got into it aimlessly. The bus took him to the Elliots beach, where he alighted at the terminus.

The aged sun had just started limping back home even as the waves in the sea teased him with a roaring laughter. The people thronged the beach. There were long queues of devotees at the Mahalakshmi temple situated on the beach and the temple bells were heard off and on.

Watching people carefully trying to find the face that he was on the look out for, Venkatesh walked slowly on the beach. After a while he squatted on the golden sands near the temple, training his watchful eyes at the crowds of devotees. The number swelled with darkness. The women in their colourful attires and the choicest jewellery outnumbered men.

With the lights coming up on the beach and at the temple, the sun had disappeared quietly into the horizon.

As the scenario was quite tempting, Venkatesh sprang up to his feet and walked towards the temple. Mingling with the devotees, he moved swiftly among them.

His hands working with precision, soon a five-tola gold necklace had shifted places – from the neck of a woman into his secret pocket.

Thereafter, he walked quietly out of the crowds and moved away from the temple.
After walking steadily for a few yards, he had increased his pace taking long strides towards the bus stop.

It was his first attempt after his release from jail. Preoccupied with his mission of tracing out the woman, he had completely ignored his profession.

After a distance, he stopped and looked back at the temple complex to see if there was any commotion. There appeared to be none. Apparently, the woman who lost her necklace was yet to realize it, he thought. With a faint smile on his lips, he had proceeded further.

There were people already waiting for the city bus. He stood aloof from the others.
It was then that the woman came there and stood near him.

A casual look at her, and Venkatesh was startled.

S…h…e…!

The woman he had been seeking out all these days!

She too was waiting for the city bus.

His revenge surfaced instantly and hissed like a cobra. ‘You cunning bitch!’ he swore bitterly under his breath.

Casting side looks, he eyed her carefully … She was around twenty five, slim and tall. Endowed with a fair complexion and an attractive anatomy, she looked quite beautiful. She was wearing a violet-coloured voil sari, and her long, thick plait dangled on her round hips. She wore a pearl necklace and ear-studs. The jasmines that adorned her plait were spreading an alluring aroma.

Now, he stared into her face – to make double sure that she indeed was the target he had been looking for.

The dark, lotus eyes…the tinges of naughtiness in them…the ever-smiling, enticing lips…the rosy, dimpled cheeks – it was she, all right! He could never forget her face, he told himself reassuringly.

He looked at her wickedly. He took out the knife from the pocket and kissed it.

Before he could do anything, the bus had arrived. The woman got into it from the front side and comforted herself in a ladies’ seat.

Gritting his teeth, Venkatesh too boarded the bus from the rear side. He had occupied a seat in the gents’ row, overlooking her seat. He bought a ticket up to the terminus, as he did not know where she would get down.

The bus had started. It stopped and resumed its journey at several places since. people were in and out of it at every stop. Venkatesh had been carefully watching, fixing his eyes on her, lest she might slip off his sight.

At last, she had alighted at Saidapet. He followed suit.

She had started walking down and he followed her at a safe distance.

As he watched her attractive hips moving enticingly as she walked, his heart missed a few beats. But then he tried hard to control his mind. At another time, he would have fallen flat for her beauty, which was capable of driving the men crazy. But it was different now. He was not in a mood to admire her beauty. He was seething with revenge.

She had stopped at a hotel. And entered the phone booth situated by the side of it.

He waited on the pavement opposite, impatiently. He could clearly see her through the glass door, making a phone call.

After a few minutes, she had emerged out of the booth and walked leisurely towards the local railway station.

He followed her, taking care not to lose track of her in the milling crowds.

On the way, she had stopped at the showcases every now and then, looking at the exhibits.

This had made Venkatesh more impatient. He became so furious that he wanted to put the knife through her – then and there!

But, he checked himself. For, it would not serve his purpose. His vengeance would not be complete, if he killed her at one go and without revealing himself.

His idea was to confront her…tell her who he was… and what he was going to do to her. When the fear of life would grip her and she would start begging for her life…he would be immensely happy. He would wash off with her fearful tears, the humiliation and insult he had suffered at her hands. Thereafter, he would put the knife deep into her beautiful breasts. He would want to see her writhing in pain. He would take his revenge…

The woman had abruptly turned into the lane opposite the railway station. After walking for a few meters, she stopped at a small, old house.

The house was locked outside. She opened her handbag and fished out the key. With that she had unlocked the door and entered the house. She did not care to bolt the doors, but shut them close.

Venkatesh looked around. Though people moved in the lane, no one seemed to notice him. After a few minutes, he slipped quietly into the house and bolted the doors inside.

Even as he surveyed the house with his eyes, the woman had emerged out of the bathroom after having a wash. She was startled to see the stranger…there!

Her eyes fell on the knife that was staring at her from his hand.

She could clearly see the flame of vengeance laced with cruelty in his eyes. His disheveled appearance seemed to surprise her.

Her pale face had recovered its colour quickly even as she had greeted him with a smile, “Hello…!”

Venkatesh clenched his fist and ground his teeth, as he saw the smile on her lips, instead of fright.

“You bloody cheat, do you remember me?” he blurted out.

Her smile did not fade out. Nor did she appear to be shaken by his menacing looks.

“How can I forget you, my friend?” said she quietly. “Sit down,” she showed him the chair, pulling herself a wooden stool.

Her nonchalant attitude annoying even more, he surveyed the room quickly.

She stared at him when her mind started retrieving the past slowly…..

***

HAILING from a poor family, Jalaja had nobody excepting her old mother. She had to stop her studies with tenth class due to financial problems. She had learnt typewriting and started hunting for jobs, without much success. Her own beauty had become her enemy everywhere.

It was then that she had been compelled to opt for other means to keep her mother and herself alive. This was not to mean that she became a prostitute, or a thief. She had adopted a novel method, altogether. Her intelligence, mental alertness, wits and guts became her capital. Her targets were none other than the pickpockets, the small time thieves and the chain-snatchers. Her places of ‘business’ were the shops full of customers and the crowded places. Her preying eyes would look for the pickpockets and the thieves. Most of the times, they would not escape her attention.

It was on one of those occasions a few months ago that Venkatesh came in contact with Jalaja. They were the festival days and people thronged the shops in the city for purchases. Jalaja went to a shop in Luz Corner to buy saris for her mother and herself. It was then that her preying eyes fell on Venkatesh. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she observed him. After a few minutes, when Venkatesh walked out of the shop, Jalaja followed him.

Crossing the road to the other side suddenly, Venkatesh started walking briskly towards the bus stop. Jalaja followed suit. Walking faster than him, she tried to overtake him, and in the process, she appeared to have lost balance and dashed against him. Both said, ‘sorry’ to each other. Venkatesh, then, tried to hurry away towards the bus stop.

Jalaja had suddenly raised an alarm, shouting, “thief…thief…”, holding her neck with both hands.

As people approached her, she cried aloud pointing towards Venkatesh, “He has snatched my gold chain. He is running away. Catch him”.

Venkatesh was shell-shocked…at the sudden development. Recovering fast, he tried to run away. But the people would not allow him the privilege. They chased and caught him not far away, and brought him to Jalaja, despite his vehement protests. By now a big crowd had gathered around her.

“As I was walking along, he gave me a dash and snatched my gold chain,” Jalaja had alleged.

“No, no… It’s a lie! I haven’t snatched her gold chain,” Venkatesh tried hard to convince the mob. “I’m not a thief”.

But the crowds would not listen to him. They searched him and pulled out a gold chain from his secret pocket.

“There it is!” cried Jalaja excitedly on seeing it. “Oh, my lovely chain!” she had grabbed and kissed it and put it on her neck.

Venkatesh was dumbfounded. He wanted to shout at the top of his voice that the ornament did not belong to her. But, then, he had no guts to do so. For, how could he explain how it came into his possession!

The fury of the crowd knowing no bounds, he was beaten black and blue. Someone had called the police and he was handed over to them in a bad shape.

In the melee that ensued, the clever Jalaja had quietly slipped away from the place – along with the ornament, of course!

And that was her modus operandi…!

Unfortunately for Venkatesh, when the police searched the room where he lived, some of the items stolen by him earlier were found there. So, the case had strengthened against him prompting the police to make the F.I.R. against him even though Jalaja was not to be found for filing a formal complaint.

Later Venkatesh was produced before the court, which had sentenced him to six months S.I. Thus he had got into the police records for the first time, thanks to Jalaja.

While emerging out of the court, Venkatesh had vowed to take revenge against the woman who had not only deprived and robbed him of his loot unjustly, but also caused his imprisonment for the first time in his life. He had resolved then and there that he would kill her, when he got back.

As Jalaja later read in the newspapers the details of the case, she had a hearty laugh. Duping thieves was her hobby and profession too. If the thieves robbed people sneakily, she robbed the thieves themselves – publicly!

‘It was after all a game of wits!’ – she would tell herself giggling.

***

AS the flashback came to her mind, Jalaja wondered as to how fast the time was moving. For, Venkatesh had already completed the sentence and was back.

‘So, the fellow is after my blood!’ surmised she. Luckily, presently she was all alone at home as her mother was out of station. That was some solace for her.

“You are still standing, man!” said Jalaja. “Why not you make yourself comfortable?”

He growled and looked at her menacingly. “I’ve come to kill you!” he said curtly, watching her face for reaction.

She giggled. “Even if you are ready to kill me … I am not prepared to die, so soon!” said she tauntingly.

That had sent him to tatters. Her captivating looks, disarming smile and stunning coolness seemed to cast a spell on him, for a moment. He jerked himself of the feeling.

He took a step forward and said angrily, “You bloody cheat! I’ve been waiting for this moment for six months. And you can’t escape my knife”.

“Okay. If you are bent on killing me, who can stop?” she said, smiling. “But, I have a right to know the reason, before dying”.

Her smile was quite disturbing. Had she got frightened of him and pleaded with him for sparing her life, he would have felt immensely happy. But, contrary to it, she looked as though she was taking him light! And this had made him furious.

“You do not seem to have guts even to sit down. How then can you kill me?” she said again, in the same taunting manner.

This sent him into a rage, but he tried to control himself by gritting his teeth. He sat down instantly.

She had again flashed a sweet smile and asked him: “You look tired and worn out. Let me get you a refreshing cup of coffee”.

“You want to get rid of me by mixing poison in the coffee, eh?” he growled.

She laughed. “I did not know that you were such a timid fellow!” she remarked.

“Shut up!” he was enraged.

“Okay. Tell me this at least…” She asked him gently. “Why on earth do you want to kill me? And pray what do you gain by that?”

“Don’t pretend as if you’re a novice!” he said sharply. “How could you forget the high-voltage drama that you had enacted to rob me in full public glare? It’s because of you I had to go to jail…for the first time in my life”. His voice was serious and intense as he accused her.

Yet, Jalaja did not seem to be perturbed. “I am really amused at what you are saying, man,” she had said evenly. “We are birds of the same feather. Only difference, of course, is that…while you rob people sneakily, I target the likes of you publicly – in a dignified way! That is exactly what had happened with you that day … And why do you clamour about going to jail? Is it not just like our in-laws’ place? We are in and out - any time, any number of times! After all you should be prepared for the consequences when you choose a wrong path … So I still do not see any reason to get so much excited about it as to kill me”.

Venkatesh was flabbergasted. He looked at her in wonder. Not only her beauty, even her I.Q. and courage were enticing. Her reasoning seemed to be unflappable. Quite amazing and admiring. He felt as though he were falling for her bewitching beauty and astounding guts … He checked himself with difficulty, though.

“Nonsense! I’m not here to hear hour sermons. I’m going to kill you,” He had asserted tersely.

She laughed and remarked, “Oh, what kind of a man you are! Is it the way to talk to a beautiful girl like me?”

The clever bitch was trying to lay a trap for him with her charming beauty, he thought. He tried to say something angrily, but was interrupted by the knock on the door. Startled, he stared into her eyes, suspiciously.

“It must be the milkman,” said she, trying to get up.

“Don’t move!” He commanded her. “Are you sure that it’s the milkman?”

She looked at her watch. It was eight in the night. “He comes around this time, normally” she replied.

He did not know whether to believe her words. He was thinking fast.

She was eyeing him curiously.

It was then that the voice from outside came to be heard loudly, “Madam, milk…”

Venkatesh was relieved. “All right. Open the door a little and get the milk,” He had ordered her. “I would be standing right behind you. If you try to be over-smart, I’ll put the knife straight into your back. Remember that!” he had warned.

She looked at him in an apparent awe. “Do you mean to say that you have the guts to murder me in public gaze?” she quipped.

He did not respond. He glared at her, motioning her to move.

Jalaja got up and went to the kitchen. Fetching a vessel, she walked to the door.

Taking cover of the door, Venkatesh stood behind her silently, with the blade of the knife pressing her side.

She had opened the door a little and got the milk silently.

Venkatesh watched with bated breath. He heaved a sigh of relief as Jalaja closed the door after the milkman and bolted it.

Jalaja bent down to wipe off the milk drops that fell on the floor, when her sari got displaced and slid from her shoulder, exposing her attractive, inviting breasts.

While trying to adjust the sari, she looked at him through the corners of her eyes.

He was staring at he exposed breasts, gulping.

Jalaja got up and smiled at him. “You seem to be under great stress. Don’t you feel like sipping strong, hot coffee with fresh milk, man?” she had suggested.

He turned his eyes away from her. Her beauty…her looks…her words…were all driving him mad. His resolution had started weaning away, unknowingly. He eyed her all over with fondling looks. “I want to have…something better than coffee…” he said with a crooked smile.

She looked at him in wonder. “Oh, you too can smile!” She exclaimed, teasingly.

“I want to taste the wetness of your rosy lips. I mean, I want to kiss you…” he declared. He paused for a moment and added, “…before killing you”.

She chuckled. “So, the man in you is rousing … at last!”

“Come on,” He took a step forward.

She stepped back. “Don’t be silly. You cannot touch me”. Her voice was stern now.

“If you try to resist, I can hold you forcibly. I may even lay you down,” he had threatened haughtily.

She smiled. “Which woman would want to sleep with the man who is out to kill her?”

“I’ll rape you…” he was arrogant.

“Only the weak and the mentally deranged would resort to such a heinous act,” her smile remained un-erased.

He growled and stamped on the floor in an apparent disgust. He tried to say something angrily.

But then the sudden knock on the door had stopped him. Quite startled, he looked at her enquiringly.

“Who’s that again?” he yelled impatiently at her.

Jalaja giggled, seeing his discomfiture. She had simply shrugged.

Meanwhile, there was a pounding on the door.

Venkatesh walked to her and pressed the knife under her chin. “Don’t try to be smart. Tell me, who could it be now?” He asked her rudely.

Jalaja’s smile had faded by his rude behaviour. “It must be the waterman,” she said with a wry face.

“Are you kidding with me?” He turned away and kicked the chair angrily. “Earlier it was the milkman. And now…the waterman, you say!”

“I am not kidding.” Said she sharply. “Perhaps you do not know about the water scarcity in the city. All of us in this lane have arranged a person for fetching us drinking water from a nearby source”.

He was not sure if he should believe her. He bent over her and stared deep into her eyes. “Are you sure you aren’t befooling me?” He asked her pointedly.

She smiled again. “If you can’t believe me, why not you yourself open the door and see?” she had suggested mischievously.

He hesitated for a moment, as the pounding on the door had increased by now.

“You are a real timid fellow!” she teased him. “You seem to be scared of your own shadows”.

He glared at her, as he resented her unsavoury comments. He walked to the door in a huff and opened it.

Even as he unbolted, the doors had flung open with a force, driving him backwards.

Venkatesh was startled as if a bomb had exploded in his pocket, at the sight of the police.

“Drop the knife!” Yelled the Inspector, with the revolver in his hand. “Hands up!”

Venkatesh dropped the knife instantly on seeing the weapon that was staring at him. He raised his hands in surrender, with fear writ large on his face. He was a petty thief, after all.

The Inspector picked up the knife with a kerchief and pocketed it.

The stunned man had no words, nor did he resist as the police handcuffed him.

Jalaja greeted the Inspector. “Thank you, Inspector. You are just in time”.

“There was a little delay in locating your house, madam,” the Inspector was a little apologetic. “This fellow appears to be an old criminal”.

“Yes, sir. You have guessed it right. He is an old hand. A few months ago he was caught red-handed while snatching my gold chain at the Luz Corner and went to jail. He is released recently. He wanted to take revenge by killing me, he has said,” she told the Inspector.

Inspector glared at Venkatesh and slapped him hard.

Tears welled up in the man’s eyes even as his jaw was shaken at the impact.

“Inspector! I went to visit the Mahalakshmi temple at the Elliots beach this evening. I found this man shadowing me right from there. Afraid, I stopped en route and rang up the police control room…” continued Jalaja. “He has gate-crashed into my house as soon as I entered it…”

She stopped for a brief second, eyeing Venktesh with a concealed triumph. “…The first thing he did on sneaking into the house was to snatch away my gold necklace…”

“No…!” Shouted Venkatesh in panic. “She’s lying!”

“…He even tried to molest me, and threatened to rape me before killing,” said she, painting a thick coat of innocence on her face. “Had you been a bit late to arrive, you would have found me raped and murdered by this loony”.

Venkatesh was dumbfounded. He listened to her story with awe and gaping.

The police had carried out a body search of the man and fished out the necklace from his person. It was the one stolen by him from a devotee at the temple.

“That’s the one!” said Jalaja coolly.

Even as Venkatesh’s face paled, the Inspector gave him another resounding slap.

He had then handed over the necklace to Jalaja who had thanked him profusely and wore it on her neck.

Obfuscated, the poor Venkatesh looked at her in utter disbelief. ‘Apparently, the bitch saw me snatching the chain at the temple,’ he told himself, gritting his teeth.

She had outsmarted him again – a second time! With ease!!

Not only she could escape a certain death, but robbed him of his labour too – in style! … He could not help admiring her wits and guts.

He stared into her eyes. They seemed to be laughing at him tauntingly.

Even before the man could recover from the shock, the cops pushed him out roughly…towards the waiting police jeep.

“Come in the morning to the Saidapet police station to give a statement, madam,” the Inspector told Jalaja while leaving.

“Okay, Inspector. I don’t know how to thank you. Had you not come in time, my honour and life would have gone. I am really indebted to you”. She thanked him with folded hands.

“It’s all right,” the Inspector touched her hand gently, reassuringly.

His vengeance doubling now, Venkatesh stopped for a moment and looked back.

Jalaja squinted at him and let out a faint, mischievous smile, which seemed to convey many things.

He boiled up inside but was too helpless to do anything. Swearing bitterly under his breath, he got into the jeep – well aware of the fact that her taunting smile would be haunting him for the rest of his life.

Jalaja heaved a sigh as she watched the police jeep turn the corner of the lane… Her mother was presently on the mission to finalize a marriage alliance for her. With her marriage in the air, Jalaja had resolved to bid adieu to her ‘profession’.

‘It is for the last time now, that I have laid my hands on the stolen necklace, thanks to the man. Enough is enough, and no more’ – she told herself resolutely.

*****

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 09.08.2010

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