A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

37: The Dilemma in general

The vehicle serenaded the crowds with the buzz of excitement in the air. Flower petals flew over Vijaywada as he closed his palms and smiled at the people hailing him. Torn pieces of marigold and loose flyers covered the car windshield; posters and cardboard cutouts welcomed him into the streets. Flags and emblem motifs flew behind his towering charisma, rows of garlands adorned his brute neck.

In the midst of all praises shot past a man. Dressed in full blue grey uniform with a golden pen in his pocket, he hurled back the rows of shoulders guarding his view. Climbing up the vehicle, he whispered something into his ear, holding a phone in hand. The camera zoomed in, trying to catch the perfect glimpse. 

After he shifted back, Vijaywada's smile turned into a sly smirk.

Ganesh stared at the T.V. His fingers curled around the remote tight.

Something fell on the floor, Turning around, he noticed Gyan on the sofa, the diary in his grip and he sank in thought.

The phone rang for the third time, it belonged to one of the goons they have captured. Mukesh took it, his other hand typing the mysterious number in his phone's Truecaller.

 The ringing stopped and vanished from the screen.

Gyan looked at him.

He flipped his phone towards him, showing the red box saying, 'spam alert'.

"Spam?" chuckled Ramesh while he sat beside Gyan, "I've never seen a clingier tele guy till now"

"This number doesn't look real to me" said Mukesh, flipping his phone jerkily, "It could be spoof"

Sneaking from the broken door, Sabina caught a glimpse of a few neighbours near the staircase. They were busy complaining about the incident to a civic policeman, who had entered inside when he heard the woman scream. Though the police did not arrive yet, he instructed them to stay calm go home when his eyes darted at her.

She returned inside, feeling uneasy.

Fumes evaporated into the still ceiling. Tapping the cigarette inside the empty, now cracked coffee mug, Ramesh kept the gun on the leftover piece of the table.

"You must return that to the police when they come" Gyan grew tensed.

"That would be a waste" he picked it up again, analyzing it like a historical artifact.

"Waste?" He adjusted his glasses and turned to him, "You left your fingerprints on it, the police can get suspicious if-"

"Police?" He chuckled and put it down, "They won't come before their biryani and post lunch nap anyway"

"How did you three find out we were attacked?" asked Sabina as she looked at them, "You hardly come around"

"In the era of 5G" Ramesh patted Gyan's back, "He's still stuck on SMS"

I was busy" he raised his head, "In the bank..."

"Since he didn't pick up my calls, we decided to crash in" Mukesh said while sitting on the sofa armrest.

"And when we arrived, we saw the broken main door" continued Ganesh, "And these two assholes groping a woman" he sent a sharp stare towards the goons, making the shorter one flinch, "Haramzade"

"You guys were online in the group last night" Sabina cleaned her lenses before putting them back, "After Badrinath shared that video and went offline"

"We tried to reach Badrinath when he shared that video" Ganesh sat on the floor, legs sticking towards the cabinets. "But his phone's out of reach, he didn't pick up. What happened to that guy?"