Friday, July 19

Fatal Memories

“So, you choose any three digits as the secret code… and if you want to activate the explosive then you need to utter the secret code thrice in quick succession… and then you get away from there faster than the speed of light.”


“Good job, Agent G. I will personally recommend that you get your coveted promotion this year.”


“Thank you so much, Madam. I will be eternally thankful…” and Agent G collapsed on the floor with his mouth open midway in speech, his brains splattered in a crimson mess on the damp, brown soil.


Madam N put the gun back in her holster with an expert flick of her wrist.


Her instructions were to collect the exploding device created by a top level secret foreign organization and transport it to the government security desk that permitted killing its own agents in order to retain a secret. Of course, she had been promised that her life would be spared if she was able to complete this task successfully.

Not that she had a choice, anyway. If she wanted her promotion, she had to do whatever her boss asked her. Hell, he could fire her even if she refused to bring him his cup of coffee “just about hot”, but not so much that it scalded his old wagging tongue.


Madam N collected the packet that held the device and walked towards her scooter parked some distance away. She thought about the secret code as her leg sunk into a puddle. She cursed and spat her fury. On reaching her scooter, she tucked the packet in her jacket front pocket. Just as she was about to start her scooter, she thought about her ex-boyfriend, also an agent in the same department. They had a happy relationship until about 3 months ago. But then...

That was not important right now. She wistfully recalled how her boyfriend used to murmur “1-4-3” to her on the phone when he was at work and could not say “I love you” directly. It was a traditional community and open expressions of love were not appreciated or allowed.


Madam N carefully removed the packet from her pocket and took the explosive out. It was a small circular gadget, which could easily be mistaken for the central locking device used in cars.


She pressed the “record code” button and whispered “1-4-3”. A flickering green button confirmed that her code had been recorded. Pleased with herself, Madam N put the device back in her pocket.


Agent G had, after all, not mentioned anything about de-activating the device or switching it off.


Madam N started her scooter and headed off to the Café Coffee Day close by. She loved their Devil’s Own with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. She felt that she deserved the treat today. Securing that gadget was a big thing on her agenda and she believed in rewards and recognition – be it personal or professional achievements.

As she snuggled into a comfortable armchair with her tall Devil’s Own glass, she saw a bunch of college kids chilling out on the nearby table. She paid no attention to them and concentrated on transferring the whipped cream from the glass into her mouth with a spoon. It tasted heavenly. Especially as the sound of raindrops smashing on the window kept her company.

She saw the CCD mag lying on the table and peered at it. A few random articles and pictures did not interest her.


She turned around to the window to look at the raindrops sliding down the glass pane. The kids behind her were sharing phone numbers since they had all recently acquired new cell phones.


“9822567340”


“And mine is 8875635204”


“Hey what’s yours?”

“9890654143”


“9890-what?”

“654-143”


“654…?”

“Oh shit,” thought Madam N as she scrambled out of the armchair and dashed to the door.



“143 ... !!!”


….



Ka-boooooooom.





Cheerio!
Princess

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written story with a tinge of fancy and thrill. I love how u have beautifully adapted it to the contemporary set up. BTW, happy promotion once again, Anuja

Shadow

He looked at her like she was the air he breathed, Without, he would collapse.  He lived to see her smile, Her dimples, his prized possessio...