“You’re not a killer. You won’t be able to do that – go ahead, check the bullets.”
Unwittingly, he checked his revolver – it was empty – no bullets… A thin film of sweat appeared again on his forehead. ‘What the hell – how does this guy know that there are no bullets in my gun – further – where the hell did I keep those bloody bullets?’
“You don’t have to sweat like this in this cold weather – I will repeat, I mean no harm to you and if you are going to feel comfortable with those bullets – they are in the glove box of your car.”
“You are smart.” he said trying to put on a look of a cool headed person, “I keep this revolver only to scare people away – I don’t intend to use it any day.”
The guy started to laugh a dangerous laugh…
Amid his dangerous laughter, he said, “Believe me, right now you are spooked enough to pull that trigger if the gun was loaded.” He looked at his wrist watch to check the time and … added, “Anyways – to make you feel comfortable, let’s go out in to the garage and get those bullets to make you feel comfortable.”
“Are you insane? No way, I’m going out in that storm.”
“Well – I had to try.”
“Try what?”
“To get you out of this place into the garage so that you get those bullets and feel comfortable. And believe me, Nisha is the right girl for you and if you take my hints, you may even get to marry her.”
“It’s my life – My choice. Who are you to decide, who is the right girl for me to marry? You are nobody to suggest me anything – now that we have had our coffee – let’s go back and sit near the fireplace.” saying this he got out of his chair.
The guy, to his astonishment, agreed without a word and started to limp toward the fireplace.
“I’m curious – how do you know all these details of my life? It’s, as if, you have been spying on me every moment of my life…”
“I don’t have to spy on you. I just got to remember what happened to me in my life. I have said it and will say again – if written, yours and my life – would match exact – word to word…”
“Obviously – you look much older to me.”
“25 years – to be precise.”
“As you said our lives are an exact match, you can enlighten me as to what my future holds for me – in case – if I do manage to avoid the accident you have been highlighting since the moment you walked in.”
“In case, you do avoid the accident – I won’t know how beautiful the future would be – and if you are unable to avoid the accident – you will have a disfigured face like mine and will be limping away all your life, faking your own death and living as an incognito…”
“That sounds interesting…”
“Interesting? My foot…”
“At least, tell me as to when, where and how did you meet up with this accident of yours…”
“I told you – it’s not allowed. I already have taken a risk of meeting you and I know it will go unnoticed. But, if I tell you everything about me in blunt words … It’s painful jail full of torture till I die. The rules are very strict.”
“Which rules? Who made them?”
“I can’t tell you that either.” he said looking at his wrist watch.
“Now you are getting on my nerves – I want to forget humanity and personally throw you out of the main gate into that fiery storm.”
The guy smiled. “I want you to do exactly that…”