no man's land || kgf (slow updates)

two

1978

BOMBAY

"You're making a mistake." 

"I know what I'm doing." Andrews said into the phone. The smoke from his cigarette swirling outside the window. 

"No you don't. You're going to lose Bombay if you choose him to do your job." He dusted the ash off of the end of the cigarette and said, "that won't happen. the moment Garuda is killed I'll get someone to finish him off." 

"Listen to me Andrews. I'm saying it again, you're making a mistake. From what I've heard he's a relentless man who'll stop at nothing. Do you really think he'll just want to be a 'bombay shooter'? He wants what everyone wants. Power. And let me tell you what people like him would do if they come to power. One by one, he's going to take down everybody. He's going to slowly start taking matters into his own hands and soon he'll be the one ruling over you." 

Andrews scoffed, "He's not worth that much." 

"Don't underestimate people like him. He could go to any extent to get what he wants." Andrews didn't reply and a second later there was a click and he realized that the phone had been cut. 

He slammed the phone on the receiver and sat there pondering over her words. 

He's after all a boy from the slums of Bombay. What could he do? With that thought lingering in his mind, he smashed his cigarette on the ashtray and got into the car with Daya. 

The driver took off. The engine buzzed silently and the sound of the gravel crunching underneath the tires were the only sounds heard until, "you've thought about this?" Daya asked. 

Andrews didn't reply, because he hadn't thought about it and his mind was still occupied with the warning. 

Don't underestimate people like him. 

He didn't know much about Rocky. Only that he was an expert in taking down people and that he was exceptionally fearless. 

And the fact that he was fearless made Andrews wonder if he would ever rebel. But the thought that Rocky had been under Shetty for years and hadn't tried anything against him for taking control of Bombay assured him. 

Maybe he could just hand over the whole Bombay and Rocky would be satisfied. Bombay was after all the most powerful state and anyone who controls it would immediately be in the position of a king. 

All that mattered to Andrews was bringing Garuda down and then slowly taking down every single one of them until he was the sole king for the gold filled land. 

Just as the car was rolling to a stop in front of Shetty's house, the rain had started to pelt hard. 

He wondered if someone would receive him with an umbrella or if he would have to walk in the rain. 

Suddenly, his car door was pried open and Shetty stood there with an umbrella, bent as though paying respect and a hand stretched out to help him get out of the car. 

He grasped it tightly and got out. 

His eyes zeroing in on the tall man standing in the rain. 

His build, the confidence in his posture and the arrogance in his stare told him that this was the man he was looking for. 

The warning went off in his head again. 

Don't underestimate him. 

He ignored it. 

"Rocky" he said to Shetty for clarification. And just as he had assumed, Shetty threw the man a glance of contempt. 

Rocky stared back with no fear. Or if he was scared, it wasn't shown in his face.