Realm of the abyss

Checkmate

"I can sense a strong storm, you know, devil.", Yudhisthir smiled. His smile seemed more creepy than crooked; as though the impending forebodings have already stirred winds of excitement in his heart.

The man sitting right across the amazingly crafted table couldn't help but stare at the epitome of contorted youth. Indeed there were different kinds of smile; and the man staring down at the city from his abstract humongous throne was the perfect manifestation of that little phrase. It was just amazing how his lips always played countless tricks, and the way his eyes danced to that rhythm.

"You know I was finally at peace.", David remarked. He wasn't quite sure what his face expressed; but his heart felt eternal despair nonetheless.

"Why, I know, Devil!", Yudhisthir was rather glad. "But you see... A devil can't really wish for peace now, can he? And after all the ruckus you made in my city, you really thought you could get off the hook so easily?"

"I didn't do nothing, Goddamnit!", he banged his fists on the table. He clearly wasn't sure if he was denying Yudhisthir or reassuring himself. He looked up at the youth. "You got evidence? Tell me! You got any freaking evidence!"

The smile on the young lad's face changed. His eyes narrowed; and glared at the middle-aged man with utmost brutality. That glare did more than just freaking him out. It pierced through his skin, into his heart; and left all of his vulnerability at the youth's full disposal.

Somehow David felt extremely exposed.

And Yudhisthir Mishra was smiling.

A twisted smile that actually made him tremble if so for a moment.

The youth picked up the black king from his decorative  chess-board; and savored all it's delicate artistry with greedy eyes.

"That look on your face is evidence enough."

David D'Souza said nothing. That was checkmate.

Can he deny it anyway? That devil that he had been trying to hide all this time?

"Now what bothers me is," Yudhisthir held the black king upside down and checked it's insides; "under what necessary circumstances does a simple software engineer turns into a devil."

Why exactly? David asked himself. Why exactly does he do what he does?

"You did kidnap Adeen Sharma right from her home, didn't you?", Yudhisthir looked at him. He couldn't miss this expression for anything.

David remained silent. Why does he do what he does?

"Who do you work for, David?" His smile had changed again. His eyes too. His eyes didn't glare; in fact they very well hid something very uncanny.

He wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary though. He knew exactly how pawns behaved.

"I don't know."

No surprise there.

He read the confusion on the man's face. Is it extraordinary? Is it smeared with a coat of guilt?

A moment it is. the next second it's not.

'Amazing.' He thought. 'Humans are indeed capable of amazing things. Be it a pawn or a doll. What is it really that drives them into such enduring checkmates? What exactly controls the never ending cycle of the variety of human nature? Whatever that might be, it defines the very existence of chaos. Yes, humans will create their own personal hell for no reason. Because they are driven into it, by forces unknown, forces complicated; yet very basic to human nature.'

His chain of thoughts were cut short by a panicked voice.

"Sir! Sir!", A bespectacled man ran into the room; almost smashing the expensive Chinese vase by the door in the process. "Sir,", he panted, "there's... there's an emergency!"

"What is it, Ibrahim?" He was rather annoyed. This particular human was too easy to figure out, and there cannot be a more annoying thing to him.

"The Adeen Sharma case files," he paused for a moment. There was another man in the room; and this was a sensitive issue, and he instantly regretted being so restless as his boss bluntly glared in his direction.

"What of that?", Yudhisthir suddenly turned serious. Yes, there's a storm coming after all. His senses tickled.

"They... they were stolen... ri- right from the office!" 

David looked at the young man and tried studying his features. His every move had a meaning. He would never unnecessarily move a muscle. He has known him long enough to realize that. People might call him anything; the young mayor who was a major source of pride for the city, the epitome of kindness, the chick magnet; though he has never seen him being particularly interested in any one woman, but his features were indeed sensual. Another section of people would refer to him as the wannabe, the lucky bastard, the over-privileged child or the 'only-good-for-a-giggle' over-privileged child.

But he knows better.

He was none of these things.

Yudhisthir Mishra is the manifestation of evil itself.

Pure, unadulterated, evil.

His face did not change in the slightest. He still held on to the black king as he walked over to Ibrahim. He patted his shoulder and asked him to 'calm the fuck down.'

"Listen, Ibrahim." He whispered as a benevolent smile adorned his face. "In a game of chess, you'll come across checkmates more often than not. The trick is always to calm the fuck down and destroy the chessboard."

Ibrahim nodded, adjusting his glasses. He didn't look much calmed down though, David thought.

Yudhisthir turned to David, bored. "Looks like our pretty reunion party has to end here, Devil. You see I now have to wipe out the shit you spread all over my kingdom."

His eyes were sharp, but smiling. David clearly had no idea whatever he thought about him right at that moment. As he started walking out the room, he glanced at the chessboard. The white king had been badly tampered with.

'It's not like you to be in the checkmate very often. Let's see how you handle this one, punk.' David smirked as he shut the door behind him.