Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 38 ] Dharavi ■

'Tell me the truth,' Murali sounds resolute. 'You didn't tell me anything properly.'

Amarnath stares at him. 'You know how we finally got this information about the liquor trade. He was your informer.'

'Not about that!' Murali groans. 'That day ... when your girl had come to your house ... what happened after I left?'

Amarnath expression changes. 'Behenchod. You can't think about anything else apart from that?'

'No.'

'Nothing happened,' Amarnath's ears turn red. 'We were just ... talking.'

'Talking?' Murali repeats.

'Yes,' Amar smiles lightly. 'Murali, it didn't seem like I was speaking to someone new. It was like I had known her for many years. Like we were best friends.'

'Best friend?' Murali splutters. 'She's your best friend now? What am I then?'

Amarnath clucks his tongue.

'I knew she was very dangerous. But not so much!' Murali sulks tragically. 'I should've been careful that day itself; when you said she's your friend.'

'You should join some drama company and play a harmonium. That's the perfect profession for you,' Amarnath points out dryly.

Murali ignores the jab.

'And she is my best friend,' Amarnath stresses confidently. 'Because others just talk big things but they'll get married without even telling me.'

'Arre sorry yaar. I told you how it happened!' Murali throws up his hands.

'At least be responsible now. Look after her well. She's left everything and come with you.'

'People who didn't even know how to talk to girls a few months back need not advise me. I know how to look after my wife. And don't change the topic,' Murali puts his arm around Amarnath's shoulder. 'Really? Did nothing happen that day? There should have been something ... '

'Mooh band kar!' Amarnath snaps, throwing his arm off. 'Have some manners, behenchod! Always keeps thinking about such things!'

'Half of your youth is gone saying discipline, manners, discipline, manners.'

Amarnath glowers.

'Aur kya?' Murali asks. 'We are not twenty years old. Thirty hogaya already. Think about such things at least now.'

'First, you see what is to be done now. Block all the gates in Dhar-'

'It's a week since I got married,' Murali sounds rueful, cutting Amarnath off. 'Forget spending some time, I've not even spoken to my wife for more than five minutes. That much you've made me work! How can you do this to me? Don't you have any humanity?'

Amarnath lets out some air and looks up at the ceiling. 'Shall we leave if all your drama company dialogues are over?'

'It's the truth. My wife is very soft, so she hasn't complained. If you do the same thing after marriage, your wife will put you in a frying pan and fry you like fish!'

Amarnath pauses for a moment.

'We're leaving now,' he says, clearing his throat as he recovers.

'Yes,' Murali growls. 'I can't live my married life peacefully until those bastards are caught ... '

●●●

Bombay is unofficially divided into zones handled by the two bhais of the city. The Dharavi slum area is one of the strongest areas of the older bhai of Bombay- Rajashekaran; a Tamil migrant who entered the city in the 60s, starting by selling black tickets. Illegally trading liquor exported from Qatar is his major business apart from the contract killings and extortions. Almost half of Dharavi is occupied by Tamil migrants- hence Rajashekaran has a devoted fan base here. It is difficult to even speak against him in the lanes of this slum, raids being a thing of a distant dream.