Enemy Within

Prologue

The wind bellowed across the terrace even as lightning struck some distance away. He stared across at a distance, unaffected by the brewing storm. Dressed in a business suit, his hands deep in his pockets, eyes sharp, his mind focused on his next steps.

"Sir, it is done" his assistant said, breaking his flow of thoughts. Not getting any reaction, the assistant added "We have what we need"

"If we only have what we need, we are not done yet" He replied in a deep calm voice that always demanded attention.

"Do you really feel we need the backup?" the assistant asked his boss

All he got in reply was a slight tilt of his boss's head, but that was enough for him to understand what he needed to do. His boss was a man of few words and not someone prone to discussions around something he had asked.

The assistant left, but not before adding "Sir, it is about to rain, perhaps you would want to get inside"

But the man remained unmoved. The assistant made a hasty exit before he brought forward the wrath of his boss.

Soon lightning struck with greater frequency, thunder cracked through the sky, disturbing what had earlier promised to be a quiet night. The winds become more violent and rain started pouring down from the skies with a force aimed at damaging everything in its wake.

The man however remained undeterred. He stood there, drenched from head to toe by now, his focus on his aim sharper despite the forces of nature fighting against him.

Some distance away, a women looked outside the window, growing unsettled by the thunderstorm that played havoc outside her room. She looked at her husband who was busy with some files

"It is an unlikely time to have this storm" she added quietly, trying not to make her concern too obvious

Her husband lifted his head to look at her, discerning her worry, he asked "You are worried by a thunderstorm? This is not the first time we have had them in Kolkata?"

"I fear there is something strange about its untimeliness. I worry about this implying something untoward"

"You worry too much. This is nothing but an out of time thunderstorm. There are no bad omens implied by it"

"I worry about our family. I worry about you after everything that has happened in the past" she said, trying to share what was really bothering her

"I am not one to be frightened by a mere thunderstorm. There hasn't been one yet that has managed to scare me or change my direction. Have some faith in your husband and his strength. There is nothing and no one who has the power to stand against me" He added with great confidence, allaying some though not all his wife's fears

"I pray that what you say continues to be true" she said to herself even as she prayed to her gods for it to be true.

If you do like this story or any of its chapters, please do remember to vote. Thanks.