A Dozen Ways To Kill

"Pomegranates": Part-2

"Well, guess what, I killed her."

The chilly night seemed to stand still for a second. The two figures in the car sat in silence. The only movement was a tiny drop of water rolling down the front windshield. Uday looked shocked.

Paul looked at him and smiled. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Man, you should have seen the look on your face."

Uday started laughing out loud. "Man, you had me there for a second. I was all creeped out for a second, like what kind of crazy ass guy am I sitting with here."

Paul laughed out loud as well. "Hehe, I can see that", he said as he pressed the scan button on the stereo as if he were trying to find a radio station. "Man, I shouldn't have stopped there. I should have said that I killed my entire family or something and then waited to see your reaction."

"Hehe" said Uday who was now starting to seem a bit drunk. "That would have been even creepier."

Paul smiled as he looked into the distance again. Sometimes, the best way to lie is to say the truth.

"So, that's enough about me" said Paul as he nodded at Uday. "Tell me more about you, did you actually bomb those markets like they say you did?"

"Of course, I did" said Uday. "Oh boy, and was it fun."

Paul didn't reply. He gazed at the dog that lay nearby. It seemed to be sleeping peacefully, enjoying the cold weather.

"It was amazing, man" said Uday. "Like, so satisfying, to kill so much people like that. Trust me man, you should join me sometime. With your humour sense and my grit, we would make one hell of a team."

"I will definitely think about that" said Paul smiling. "But why, Uday. Why exactly did you bomb them?"

"Because I wanted to" said Uday. "See man, I am obsessed with bombs. And well you know, I may or may not be related to an infamous terrorist group", Uday said as he winked. "I have my own reasons."

"Cool" said Paul as he drank the last sip of his whiskey. He looked at Uday for a second. He seemed to have mad eyes; Paul had noticed a gleam in his eyes when he had said about how satisfying it was to kill people. The eyes of Uday seemed to somehow signify that madness and that brutal character of his. But then again, who was Paul to say anything on that.

"Okay Uday, it's getting rather late. I probably should get going."

"Oh okay" said Uday as he drank the rest in his glass in one gulp. "But how are you gonna go?"

"That's my car" Paul said as he nodded to the Lancer up ahead. "You can take this Van, it's not mine, I stole it."

"Oh, nice work" said Uday as he grinned. "This is one heck of a steal."

Paul Mathews opened his door and got down from the driving seat. His gloved hands clutched onto his Lancer's keys.

A half-drunk Uday scooted over from the co-passenger's seat to the driver's seat and looked down at Paul outside.

"Thanks a lot man" said Uday as he warmly extended his right arm to Paul. "I honestly didn't expect to get out so soon."

Paul smiled. "Don't mention it", he said as he shook Uday's hands. "It's my pleasure."

Uday smiled. He took up the bottle of whiskey and held it up. "And thanks for this."

"Oh yeah" said Paul. "That was the real highlight of the night."

"Man, you are a pretty funny guy" said Uday as he laughed like a mad man. He was clearly a bit drunk now. "Man, it's funny. Some nights in jail, I literally would have no hope of seeing the outer world again. Like, I even considered suiciding once. To be hopeful is one thing, but blind hope is bullshit as well."