Where In The World Are The Killers?

Meeting of Young Minds

 Sanjay adjusted the straps of the bags draped across Kesavan's back, "there, does that feel better, Kesavan?"

"Toot!" Kesavan replies, smiling.

"Great!" he grins happily, "now, we should try setting up shop at the Lotus Temple and we should find some stuff to sell to the patients there, they seem to like samosas..."

"Wow, you really do have an elephant!"

Sanjay suppressed the urge to jump at the sudden voice. How someone managed to sneak up on him he didn't know, he was supposed to be the one who snuck up on people! Sanjay turned around and saw another boy around his age standing a few feet away staring at Kesavan with a wide smile.

"That's so cool!" the teen continues, "when I was little, I wanted to own a cheetah! Or a panther, they're awesome too! What does he eat?"

"Ah... Mainly grass, leaves, barks, stems, and roots," Sanjay answers, slightly confused, "but Kesavan also loves bananas!"

"Cool," he repeats, "Scout likes insects, especially grasshoppers, I don't see the appeal but whatever floats his boat!"

Now he was even more confused, "Scout?"

The teen reaches backwards and unzips his backpack. A second later out pops the head of a fennec fox who rested his head on the teen's shoulder, its large ears twitching.

The teen scratched the fox's forehead, "this is Scout, we wanted to have a look around before leaving New Delhi."

"Ah, if it's the sights you want to see then I know just what you need!" Sanjay says, turning to reach into Kesavan's bag, "this selfie stick will let you take the most amazing pictures, people will think a professional photographer took them! Only one rupee!"

"Wow, that's a steal," the teen smirked, holding a brown leather wallet, "almost as much as this wallet was!"

"Hey, your wallet looks just like mine!" he remarked, patting his pocket, "wha- That's my wallet! How did you take it?!"

His smirk widened as he tossed it back, "a thief never reveals his secrets... You should invest in zipper pockets, makes it harder for people to steal from you!"

Sanjay fumbled to catch his wallet, "ah... Thanks? Who are you?!"

The teen sticks his hand out, "Ahmet Savage, at your service!"

"Sanjay Korrapati," he replied, shaking the offered hand, "but I feel like you already know who I am."

Ahmet smiled sheepishly, "guilty! Anne told me about a kid she met who had an elephant and I needed to see an elephant while I was in India!"

Sanjay frowns, "I don't know anyone named Anne?"

"Oh sorry, Anne means mother in Turkish," he explains, "my mom's Agent Adalet!"

"That makes sense," he replies, nodding, "so how about that selfie stick?"

The Turk chuckled, "nah, but from one street kid to another, nice try!"

"You grew up on the street?" Sanjay asks, surprised.

"Back in the US, I was homeless," Ahmet confirmed, "sometimes that's how life goes! And I almost forgot, word of advice, next time you pickpocket something, try not to sell it back to the people you stole it from. Have you ever tried to have Kesavan steal things using their trunk?"

"Ahh... No," he denies, glancing at his elephant, "do you think it would work?"

"For sure!" he grins, "especially if people get comfortable around him, they'll drop their guard more easily. No one will suspect an elephant is going to pickpocket them!"

"Thanks," he says sincerely, "but, should you be giving this kind of advice when your mom is a cop?"

"Probably not," Ahmet laughed, "but I know what it's like to live on the streets, I like giving back any way I can!"

Sanjay smirked, "even if it's illegal?"

"Well, I might not become Robin Hood but minor vigilantism isn't that bad," he shrugs, "besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"You get arrested?"

"They'd have to catch me first."

Sanjay laughed at the older boy's confidence. He went to ask for more advice but was interrupted by someone calling Ahmet's name.

"Ahmet! We have to go!" a deep Irish voice calls from the distance.

"That would be my dad," Ahmet announced, glancing in the direction the voice was coming from, "we're in a bit of a time crunch to get to Mumbai but I wanted to meet Kesavan before we left! I better go before he decides to drag me back!"

"Well if you ever find yourself here again, be sure to check out Sanjay & Kesavan's Elephant Rides!" Sanjay grins, petting Kesavan's head, "only costs five rupees! Bring your parents!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he promised, "oh, and keep the change!"

He frowns, "change?"

But by the time Sanjay had turned around to ask Ahmet what he meant, the older boy and his fox were gone.

"How does he do that?" Sanjay wondered.

Kesavan just cocks his head as if to say "no idea".

Sanjay shrugged off the concern and looked at his wallet. Opening it up he saw a 500 rupee note had been added to it. That hadn't been there the last time he checked and people usually didn't give him that much money at once so Ahmet had to have left it when he'd taken Sanjay's wallet.

"Well Kesavan, looks like we've come into some extra money," Sanjay says, putting his wallet away, "I think we deserve a treat for all our hard work!"

"Pffffteee!" Kesavan blew happily.

"And maybe we can practice your stealing technique," he continues, leading the elephant down the road, "after all, no one would suspect an elephant that's as cute as you to steal from them!"

A/N: A short little chapter of our two favourite kids' meeting. Ahmet's already giving Sanjay thieving tips!

Also, for those who are curious, 500 Indian rupees convert to 8.37 Canadian dollars. I don't know what it is for other countries, but that's what it was when I checked today (Oct. 13, 2022).