Trixy and The Crescent Of Rana

CHAPTER 10 : HANDCUFFS

Maahir imagined he must had been looking like dragging a corpse on his shoulders, to Ezhil it looked like a wasted drunkard towing a fellow species tirelessly and to Quiroshi it looked like two men smooching over publicly without a tad bit of shame.

"That was the first time I hit someone like that, you know," said Ezhil, looking up searching for his expression.

"It didn't look like the first for me though," said he, smirking.

"I'm a fast learner then," said she, smirking back.

Quiroshi barked from upfront without glancing back, ordering them to stop dallying and hurry up. He was leading the way back since no one else remembered the route to the house. The man they had proudly caught just might but they had decided it was safer to regard him an unknown quantity rather than to underestimate him. The fight, if they considered it one, concluded much briefer than they expected it to. Ironically, they spent more time fastening him up with ropes than actually fighting him and they spent more time fetching for the ropes than actually tying him up.

She scrutinized his face not for the first time and it still carried the same strange disturbance. "I wasn't expecting someone like him to be the killer," she commented, "He looks somehow timid, and scared maybe, not at all like a murderer."

"Who were you expecting then?"

"Someone who was burly and surly, heavily intimidating and glaring and blaring at us. Mmm... like Faddy?"

He chuckled. "Faddy? You will not say that if you meet him once again. Believe me, he is the man-baby of our squad. Looks can be deceptive, you know."

"Like you?" said she, and grinned.

He stared amused, "What does that mean? Oi, wait!"

Which she obviously didn't. She strode off promptly without a reply, smiling at herself. She knew he could not catch up with her, not while towing a wasted smooching man-corpse with him.

He wasn't least surprised to see a red coloured, robust Shanto parked in front of the house, when they finally reached it. The offer of the man-corpse was made to Ezhil, which was accepted reluctantly before he knocked the grey tinted window to the car. The window slid down glibly exposing a man in the driver's seat, donning a black cooling glass, fidgeting the stereo wheel and chilling off in a beach T-shirt and tracks. The second most hysterical aspect of his outfit was the leather scabbard fitted with a sword hanging down over his back, like a quiver, whose brown belt was strapped around his trunk. And the foremost was that it was Dan.

"Yo, douchebag," said he, his jaws moving mechanically in harmony with the chewing gum inside.

"Yo, jackass," replied Maahir with the same nonchalance, "Where is Aravind?"

"Inside."

Maahir peeked his head into the car and rolled his eyes imitating a serious examination.

"I can't see him though," said he coming out.

"Hahaha. Grow up, kid," said he, ruffling Maahir's rumpled hair.

Maahir shrugged off his hands and marched into the house. Ezhil stared between them for a few seconds before following him into the house. She heard a quick click, a short bleep and then Dan was strolling with her.

"Hello, rookie," said he, catching up to her.

"Hi," said she, spreading her lips into what she believed to be a genuine smile.

But they entered the living room before there could be any further conversation. Aravind was seated on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees and gazed up ardently. He glanced the man resting on her shoulders and smiled approvingly at Maahir. Naga was gaping aghast at the man.