Between The Pages

Chapter 05

It was almost a perfect heist.

Break in. Check.
Rig the alarms. Check.
Take out the cameras. Check.
Torch the vault. Check.
Escape. Check.

Yes, it was almost a perfect heist. Not only was ten crore rupees in their pocket, they would've easily merged in the shadows and no one would've known it was their work.

"If only that reporter wouldn't have been at the wrong place at right time."

Their boss knocked the winds out of that table. A hint of red flared in the eyes of that calm and composed man. Among the many other reasons, a steady head on their boss' shoulder was the main reason why Raghav had joined the gang. Such intricate was the planning of their boss, that Raghav knew no matter what, they were never to cross their paths with the law. In his short tenure with the folks, this was probably the first time he was witnessing boss' anger. Because this time, water had gone way above their heads.

"Dev has come too far ahead in this," Boss said turning to the men, "It has to end. Once and for all."

They had always known that Dev was on their tail. His frequent visits to the phone booth had confirmed their suspicion. And yet, they chose to ignore it. They underestimated a reporter of his class. And that was the only step where they faltered.

Even that would've rubbed off had it been anyone else than him. But Dev, he was ready to pounce on their tiniest of errors. Because he was waiting. Waiting right outside the bank to watch it all happen.

They got out the exact same way they got in. No trace left behind. Just when they were about to get in the van, their puppet had a moment of brain fade. Ignoring all the threats to her life, she got her hands on Raghav's gun. After cooperating with them for four days, she suddenly wanted to play a hero, save the bank.

The sudden change of moment left the three of them staring at her. But the boss was quick. That was another ability of the man which Raghav looked up to. His speed. His agility. His wits. They had all come to play at that very moment. Boss lunged at the trembling lady and pinned her to the van. Her gun fell down the instant boss hit her on the wrist. Just when they thought the drama was over, a stone wheezed past the boss' ear shattering a window of their van.

Before anyone could realize what was happening, a bike stormed into the scene. Everyone thought him as just another player on the scene. After all, such cases weren't unusual in their line of work. Every now and then a lone robber like this would try and loot the thieves. Try and claim the riches of their hard earned heist. And so, instincts made them cover for the money lying in the van. But this time, the biker had other plans. He didn't even glance at the money. He just pulled the lady on the back of his bike and raced past.

Dev had flown away with their puppet. The only one who had seen them all. The only one who could get them behind the bars.

"Call Mahek," the boss ordered.

Raghav knew what this meant. Mahek was their gang's part-time killer. A lawyer by profession, she had earned a reputation in the world of contract killers as well. Yes, she wasn't the best one around. But her contract came with the complete package. If any acquisition would be raised about the killing in future, she would fight their case too. And if the boss had called for her, then there must be that hint of doubt in his mind. He must be afraid for the smoke of today's fire to choke them tomorrow too. So this time, he wasn't taking any chance.

One of the members handed a mobile phone to the boss.

"You have a new target Miss. A crime reporter this time. Dev."

"What about his girlfriend boss," Raghav blurted, "He's been meeting her every day. There's a chance he must have..."

Boss raised a hand, silencing him.

"Take out his girlfriend too," he ordered over the phone, "And, that lowlife has a parcel of mine. A lady in her mid-thirties. Make sure she's delivered back to me when the job's finished."

Hunters were out on the kill as the prey took their final breaths.

Because no one had the right to pull boss' strings. No one.

With a look of amazement in her eyes, Natasha kept the phone down. Not only MrAdventure was updated her favorite story, he had really packed a punch with it. Never in her wildest imagination had she thought of such a twist. But then, he was soon becoming her favorite writer for a reason. Just a favorite writer?

"I really love this guy," she let the words loose.

Across the room, Riya swiveled her chair to give a curious look to her friend. She couldn't believe this was the same girl who liked to spend hours in that dusty library. The same girl who ran away from the same of social sites. And now, was her best friend falling for a stranger on one of those sites?

"What I mean is, I really like the writer in him," Natasha corrected herself, "Not only does he pull me into his story, he literally plays with my emotions. Just as if I'm his puppet."

Riya couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Reader - A writer's puppet. She had never understood the dynamics of this reader-writer relationship. But somehow, this thought amazed her.

"I see someone's really lost in the adventure."

Natasha made a perfect poker face as she pretended to sleep. But inside her head, Riya's words played over and over again. Lost in the adventure. Lost in an adventure. Was she really? That questions kept nagging her the whole night. Finally, she decided to find her answer. And what better way than to ask your favorite writer.

Just before her eyes dropped, she left MrAdventure a message.

'They say when you're really into something, there's a chance you can get lost in it.'

***

27th May 2017

"Being a reader ain't easy. Coz then, a writer has every right to play with your emotions."

What do you think, is a reader really some writer's puppet?

Is Natasha turning into one?

And what about Dev?
How many more hours does he have?

I hope we'll find out soon...