Friday 6 June 2008

The Card

He seemed to be a nice guy. Tall, well-dressed and against the fad, clean-shaven and close cropped. We were on a train from Bangalore to New Delhi, 1st class. I because it had been a long dream to travel in 'that' coach and he because he claimed to be inching towards depression, thanks to his hectic life and wanted some time off.

During the course of conversation, we realised that we are involved in the same industry and that it would be a good idea to engage in some business. Over the next two days, we explored options and possibilities for some sort of an alliance. He seemed pretty excited but I was circumspect about working with a rookie with no recognised track record.

Anyhow, we exchanged cards before heading our separate ways. Once done with what I had come to do, I decided to call upon him, at his place, which was in the vicinity of the place where I was stationed. I located his apartment easily and rang the bell. Five minutes passed and I rang the bell again. He opened the door and showed me in. Once inside, he apologised for the delay and reasoned that he didn't expect me to show up so early and was just finishing terminating the actual inhabitants of the apartment, the same fate, he conceded, I was headed for. Murky sense of humor, I remarked. " I never joke", he quipped and revealed a pistol which was, till now, hidden in his pocket.

While stuffing my mouth up, he told me how he always stole visiting cards along with other belongings and used the ones from his last catch to trick his subsequent victims and that he was now headed to Bangalore to shoot my family down because he was expecting a visitor there soon.