Paramesh and I watched as Gulzar's wife, a young girl probably as old as Sanjana or Payal, came forward to give him water and his medicine. He was almost fifty, though. And I assumed she was his second or third wife.

"Doctor ne bola ki ise acidity kehte hai, suna hai?" he turned to us while swallowing water.

(The doctor told me that this is called acidity. Have you heard of it before?)

Paramesh glanced at me once before watching the young girl return inside. We were seated on the courtyard benches of his lavish mansion. It was almost midnight, and guards (armed with guns) were stationed at every corner of his establishment.

"Maine socha aap aayenge toh aapke Bhai ke saath..." He smiled at me and leaned back on his armchair.

(I thought you'd be coming with your brother...)

"Mera vakeel hai, England se laut aaya hai."

(This is my lawyer. He just returned from England.)

Sultan suddenly had fascination in his eyes as he joined his hands, "Namste Barrister saab!"

"Paramesh Jitendar kaafi hai," my lawyer returned a forced smile.

(Paramesh Jitendar is more than enough.)

"Sultan Ji, hum yaha kaam ki baat karne aaye hai..." I cleared my throat, "Aapka aadmi Baldev ne humari biwi aur devrani ke saath badtameezi ki hai. Biwi ne haath uthaya, aur aapne meri anaj kotha jala di."

(Sultan Ji, we came here to discuss business... Your men insulted my wife and sister-in-law... My wife slapped him, and you burnt down my granary.)

He chuckled, "Utna sab kuch hua? Mujhe pata bhi nahi tha!"

(All that happened? I had no clue!)

I wasn't fazed. He would try such tactics, of course, to agitate me. But I wasn't Bhargav.

"Ji... Jo ho chuka hai, so ho chuka. Main na badla loonga, na hi us baat ko dil mein rakhoonga. Lekin agar aapki taraf se baat dobara badhi... toh mujhe bhi kadam uthana padega."

(Yes... But what's done is done. I'm not here to take revenge, nor will I be sour about it. But if you initiate anything more from your side... I'll be forced to make a move as well.)

He laughed. Even the henchmen surrounding him chuckled.

"Thakur Ji, aap bura maan gaye! Masla sirf itna hai ki aap apni aurat ko sambhaal nahi paye. Aise hi chalta raha toh woh aapke haath se phisal jaayegi... aur aapko ungliyo par nachaegi. Humne toh bas aapko seekh dene ke liye yeh sab kiya," he grinned.

(Thakur Ji, you've misunderstood us! The only issue here is that you weren't able to keep your woman under control. If this goes on, she'll get out of hand and cause you great trouble. We only did all this to teach you a friendly lesson.)

I smiled back at the man, "Sultan ji, aapki fikr ka shukriya. Aapko toh auraton ka kaafi tajurba ho gaya hoga... do-teen patniyon ke saath. Aapki salah zaroor yaad rakhunga."

(Sultan Ji, thank you for your concern. You must be quite experienced with women now... After all, you have two or three wives. I'll definitely take your advice.)

Gulzar Sultan's lips twitched.

Paramesh laughed, but he masked it with a cough. One of Sultan's men raised his rifle the next instant, "Sarkar ki mazaak udatha hai?!"

(You dare to mock the boss?!)

"Neeche kar banduk," Sultan glared at the man.

(Lower your gun.)

"Magar huzoor, yeh-"

(But boss, he-)

"Neeche rakh Banduk!" Sultan yelled. 

(Lower your damn gun!)

The poor fellow lowered his rifle and took a step back. I cleared my throat, "Jaise main keh raha tha... main is haveli se dushmani lekar nahi, rishta lekar jaana chahta hoon. Mere anaj ghar ke saath jo hua, us baat ko main dil par nahi loonga... Main itna tuchh nahi hoon. Lekin badle mein, apne aadmiyon ko hamare auraton se door rakhiye."

(As I was saying... I don't want to leave from here as an enemy, only an ally. I won't hold grudges for what you did to my granary... I'm not that petty. But in return, keep your men away from our women.)

Sultan was quiet for a while as he ran a hand over his clean-shaven face, "Mere aadmi aazaad hai. Sabki apni soch vichar hoti hai. Unhe mai kaise kaboo mei rakh sakta hu? Woh chodo... Tum kuch keh rahe the, Bhairav... Kya kadam uthaoge?"

(My men have their own free will. How can I keep them under control? Forget that... You were saying something, Bhairav... What step will you take?)

Paramesh smiled to himself upon hearing this and adjusted his glasses, "Sultan ji, pichhle das saalon se aap gaon ke sarpanch bane hue hain. Kehne ko toh aapko chunaav ke zariye chuna gaya... par yeh bhi saaf dikhta hai ki jo do log hamesha aapke khilaaf khade hote hain, unhe mushkil se koi vote milta hai. Aur jo koi khada hone ki himmat karta hai, use bhi aap apni taraf kar lete hain... yeh kaun si loktantrik reet hui?"

(Sultan Ji, for the past ten years, you've been the Sarpanch of our village. Even though you've been chosen via an election... It's also quite clear that the opposition barely gets even a few votes against you. And whoever is brave enough to nominate themselves, you bring them onto your side as well... How is any of that democratic?)

Gulzar Sultan's demeanour changed entirely. I could see him clench his hands, "Kehne kya chahte ho tum log?"

(What are you trying to say?)

"Yaani... Agle saal ke chunav mein hamare Thakur Ji khade honge," Paramesh grinned.

(Meaning... For the next year's election, our Thakur Ji is going to be a candidate.)

It was a brief idea that Sanjana had put in my head. But Paramesh advised me that it was probably the best comeback I could offer, in case things got out of hand. I never wanted to involve myself in politics, but now it seemed like I had no choice. It was the easiest way to rid our village of a cancer that had been around long enough.

Sultan smiled, then chuckled, then broke into roars of laughter.

"Humein chunauti dene aaye ho? Theek hai... dekhte hain yeh khel kaise aage badhta hai. Chunauti qubool hai, Thakur Ji!"

(You came here to challenge me? Let's see how you proceed with this. I accept your challenge, Thakur Ji!)

Paramesh and I shared a glance. Sultan was far too confident. We should have predicted this. But now there was no backing away.

I stood up, "Na main yahan chunauti dene aaya hoon, Sultan ji... na hi bekaar ki dushmani chahta hoon. Lekin yaad rakhiye, jab tak baat seedhi rahegi, meri taraf se bhi sab theek rahega. Namaste."

(No, I didn't come here to challenge you, Sultan Ji... Neither am I here to be your foe. But please keep in mind that as long as nobody is provoked, I'll take no such step from my side.)

Paramesh and I got up to leave. Sultan didn't look very pleased. As we walked towards the car, my lawyer nudged me, "Zinda bach gaye." I glanced around us. Some men were already on the move. My prediction was right.

(We escaped alive.)

"Gao pahunchne thak kuch keh nahi sakte..." I mumbled, eyeing one of the men who watched us like a hawk from the terrace.

(We can't be sure till we reach the village...)

As Paramesh and I drove back home, I noticed a strange car following us. It was almost 1 am now. There weren't any vehicles on the road except ours and the strange black car.

"Tumne kuch jaldi hi bol diya..." I mumbled and took out the pistol from under the seat.

(You jinxed it...)

Paramesh changed gears while muttering a curse, "Tumhare liye apne jaan se khel raha hu!"

(I'm risking my life here for you!)

As we entered the less industrialized area, I noticed the shortcut through the forest. "Waha se mudo," I squeezed Paramesh's shoulder. He curses again.

(Turn through there.)

"Agar mai zinda nahi bacha toh tumhare parivar ko bhoot bankar peecha karunga!"

(If I don't escape alive, I'll become a ghost and haunt your family forever!)

"Haa zaroor," I muttered and loaded the gun.

(Sure, whatever.)

The forest wasn't very thick, but in the dark, barely anything could be seen. "Gaadi dheere chalao. Mai yaha se bahar kudunga aur tum kuch sau meter baad pura rok dena. Theek hai?"

(Drive slowly. I'm going to jump out here, and you have to stop after a hundred meters. Got it?)

"Kya?!" He snapped, "Aur woh log mujhe maar daale toh?!"

(What?! And if they shoot me dead?!)

"Chup ho jao, saale," I gritted my teeth and opened the door a little, "Hum dono ko bachaunga. Yahi rasta hai. Thoda bharosa rakho. Aur haa... Gaadi ki headlight jala kar rakhna."

(Shut up, you bastard. I'll save us both. This is the only way. Trust me a little... And keep the headlights on.)

Paramesh gulped and slowed the car just a little. I fell out of the door and rolled behind some bushes. A few minutes after he had driven ahead, the black car followed the same route. I waited until they were gone completely before following the tracks in the dark. My eyesight was definitely getting terrible with age.

The voices of men talking could be heard in the distance. I snuck up behind a tree. Under the headlight of our car, I could see a few men of Gulzar searching around our Jeep. Paramesh was held at gunpoint. I could see his nervousness from around here.

"Woh Thakur kaha hai?!" A man punched my poor lawyer in the face. Paramesh's nose began bleeding.

(Where's that Thakur?!)

"M-Mai nahi jaanta! Woh Sultan Ji ke makaan se nikalte hi kahi chala gaya! Mai sach mei kuch nahi jaanta-!"

(I- I don't know! He went somewhere as soon as we left Sultan Ji's place! I really don't know anything-!)

"Agar yeh kuch jaanta nahi toh maar daalo," One of the men muttered, "Hum khud dhoond lenge."

(If he doesn't know anything, then kill him. We'll find the Thakur ourselves.)

Just as the man holding Paramesh at gunpoint kept his finger on the trigger, I fired. It struck his neck, to my horror. I had only aimed at shooting his arm. But it had been so long since I used a gun that my aim was becoming weak.

The man bled out on the forest ground while everyone grew startled.

"Waha! Waha pedo ke peeche!" Someone shouted. I stayed as quiet as possible as guns were raised in my direction.

(There! Behind the trees!)

"AHH!"

Paramesh screamed and pointed in the opposite direction, "Waha kuch hila! Mujhe bachao!" He grabbed someone's arm. Everyone grew agitated, and someone kicked Paramesh again, causing him to collapse on the floor. I hoped that he was okay, and used the chance to switch positions. Swiftly, I crept behind our Jeep.

(Something moved over there! Save me!)

There were three more men left, and only one of them was armed with a gun, while the other two had long daggers. I had to escape alive somehow.

I revealed myself from behind the Jeep to shoot this time. It missed.

The man immediately pointed the rifle at me and shot. I took cover just in time as the bullet hit the Jeep's body.

"Wahi hai! Pakado!"

(He's right there! Catch him!)

The men with daggers sprinted in my direction. I shot twice in their direction, and one of them fell to their knees as I shot his stomach. The other man flung his dagger at me.

I saw my life flash before my eyes as I gripped the blade and pushed back with all my might. My children's faces raced in my mind. Fuck, I couldn't let them grow up without a father.

Blood oozed down my arm as the man pressed down. From the corner of my eye, I saw the other man aim. I was wide open this time.

This was the end.

In the blink of an eye, Paramesh tripped the man holding the rifle. He missed and shot the man who had lunged at me instead. I was grateful to all gods as I knocked the dagger out of his grasp. My hands were severely bruised. And the man used the opportunity to strike my forehead with his fist.

I staggered backwards as blood trickled down my face. Sanjana wouldn't forgive me for soiling my shirt.

When the man lunged at me carelessly again, I grabbed him by his shirt and slammed his face down on the Jeep's door. He collapsed.

My vision was still blurry. And just as the man with the rifle kicked Paramesh and recovered enough to shoot me again, I pushed his arm away. The bullet was fired into the forest, and I landed a heavy blow on the asshole's face.

The gun fell out of his arms, and I punched him over and over again.

But that was until I felt a sharp pain in my waist. The man I had shot in the stomach had recovered halfway, and he struck me with one of the fallen rifles from behind. The pain was awful, and just as I tried turning to face him, he struck my face with the same gun.

I fell back into the forest floor. My head was pounding. There was barely anything I could see as the Jeep's headlights were blinding me.

A man was approaching. There was bloodlust in the air. My limbs wouldn't move anymore.

Around three gunshots broke the silence of the night, and the man collapsed over my lap. Paramesh had shot multiple times in panic. My lawyer was trembling as he dragged me backwards by the shoulders.

"Utho Bhairav...! Uth jao! Hame yaha se nikalna hoga! Jaldi!" He helped me stand up. I clutched my waist while staggering towards our Jeep. Both of us looked thoroughly beaten up, but at least we were alive.

(Get up, Bhairav...! Wake up! We need to get out of here as soon as possible!)

Paramesh ignited the engine, and in a flash, we were back on our way to the village.