Doomsday
I knew this day will come but I had not imagined that it will come this soon.
Fifteen years ago, I along with my two friends had come to this city to earn our livelihood. We were fresh graduates but had no skill. We started off with odd labor jobs which kept increasing our frustration day by day. At one occasion, the city was shut down on a political party’s call for consecutive three days and we literally had nothing to eat or pay for the night rent at a dera hotel. So we did what hungry and desperate persons would do - we snatched. We liked doing it as with very little effort and in just few seconds we earned eight hundred rupees. We spent rest of the night partying and then never looked back.
From small street crimes, we went into bank robberies. We were having a good time till at one occasion we got into an encounter with police. Both my friends were shot and I got away with the loot. I did not return to our usual hide out. I trashed my cell phone, abandoned the getaway car, took the three bags full of cash and went to a flat which I had already bought to cater for any such eventuality.
I learnt from the news that main branch of a bank was robbed and rupees four crore were stolen. We had planned the robbery carefully and selected the salary day. In those days, most companies got cash from the bank and distributed the same to employees. There were only two security guards outside the bank whom we overcame with a little effort. The rest was easy. We however got greedy and spent more than required time in the bank which allowed the police to react and intercept us. We threw the bags into the getaway car and got into gun fight. As both my friends were hiding behind the car and firing back at police, I got into driving seat and I drove away leaving them behind. In the rearview mirror I could see their stun faces while standing in the open and then falling down after getting shot.
I counted the money twice and it was just two crores, eighty five lacs and seventy one thousand only. I saluted the bank staff who had taken advantage of the robbery and had become part of it. Anyway, I spent next six months in that flat and only came out at nights for buying eatables. Then with my street smart skills, good contacts and useful market sense, I started establishing my own businesses. In next ten years, I became a big fish in the sea. I got married and started living a happy life.
Over the period of time, I kept a track of my friends who were shot and arrested by police. One of them later died but the other was still in jail serving his life sentence. I had already hired a hit man to eliminate him soon.
With the fast beating heart but in a confident voice, I told my secretary to send the man in. He was a smart guy. From his outlook, I could make out that he belonged to a law enforcement agency. We shook hands and got seated. He introduced himself and started talking about street crimes in this area and need for the business owners to implement good security mechanism. As he kept talking I got relaxed. My anxiety level decreased and my heart started to beat normal. We took light refreshments and had a decent discussion. Before leaving, he stressed on installing better security cameras with higher resolutions. He then showed me some old pictures from a cctv cam in which it was difficult to identify the criminals who were looting a bank.
After he departed, I realized that he left few pictures at the table. I picked those up and looked closely at them. As I read name of the bank which was clearly visible in one of the picture, my heart sank. I started feeling the goose bumps. I suddenly knew he will come back soon.
Written By: Nadeem Alam
Published in The Weekly Mag 20 Oct 2018
Other short stories by same author:
Click 👇
Twins
Cinderella
The Better You
The Devil
Help (Part 1)
Help (Part 2)
Help (The End)
Lost Girl
Shadow
My World
Price of Love
It was like another ordinary day. I came to office at 9 and had just concluded my morning meeting with the staff. My secretary informed me that there is some person from special branch of police who wants to see me. My heart jumped into my throat. I started feeling tremors in my body. Although I had prepared myself physically for this day but mentally I was always in a state of repression.
Fifteen years ago, I along with my two friends had come to this city to earn our livelihood. We were fresh graduates but had no skill. We started off with odd labor jobs which kept increasing our frustration day by day. At one occasion, the city was shut down on a political party’s call for consecutive three days and we literally had nothing to eat or pay for the night rent at a dera hotel. So we did what hungry and desperate persons would do - we snatched. We liked doing it as with very little effort and in just few seconds we earned eight hundred rupees. We spent rest of the night partying and then never looked back.
From small street crimes, we went into bank robberies. We were having a good time till at one occasion we got into an encounter with police. Both my friends were shot and I got away with the loot. I did not return to our usual hide out. I trashed my cell phone, abandoned the getaway car, took the three bags full of cash and went to a flat which I had already bought to cater for any such eventuality.
I learnt from the news that main branch of a bank was robbed and rupees four crore were stolen. We had planned the robbery carefully and selected the salary day. In those days, most companies got cash from the bank and distributed the same to employees. There were only two security guards outside the bank whom we overcame with a little effort. The rest was easy. We however got greedy and spent more than required time in the bank which allowed the police to react and intercept us. We threw the bags into the getaway car and got into gun fight. As both my friends were hiding behind the car and firing back at police, I got into driving seat and I drove away leaving them behind. In the rearview mirror I could see their stun faces while standing in the open and then falling down after getting shot.
I counted the money twice and it was just two crores, eighty five lacs and seventy one thousand only. I saluted the bank staff who had taken advantage of the robbery and had become part of it. Anyway, I spent next six months in that flat and only came out at nights for buying eatables. Then with my street smart skills, good contacts and useful market sense, I started establishing my own businesses. In next ten years, I became a big fish in the sea. I got married and started living a happy life.
Over the period of time, I kept a track of my friends who were shot and arrested by police. One of them later died but the other was still in jail serving his life sentence. I had already hired a hit man to eliminate him soon.
With the fast beating heart but in a confident voice, I told my secretary to send the man in. He was a smart guy. From his outlook, I could make out that he belonged to a law enforcement agency. We shook hands and got seated. He introduced himself and started talking about street crimes in this area and need for the business owners to implement good security mechanism. As he kept talking I got relaxed. My anxiety level decreased and my heart started to beat normal. We took light refreshments and had a decent discussion. Before leaving, he stressed on installing better security cameras with higher resolutions. He then showed me some old pictures from a cctv cam in which it was difficult to identify the criminals who were looting a bank.
After he departed, I realized that he left few pictures at the table. I picked those up and looked closely at them. As I read name of the bank which was clearly visible in one of the picture, my heart sank. I started feeling the goose bumps. I suddenly knew he will come back soon.
Written By: Nadeem Alam
Published in The Weekly Mag 20 Oct 2018
Other short stories by same author:
Click 👇
Twins
Cinderella
The Better You
The Devil
Help (Part 1)
Help (Part 2)
Help (The End)
Lost Girl
Shadow
My World
Price of Love
A Very nice story which covers the modern day evils
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ReplyDeleteVery nice Sir! Another good story to read written in a very fine manner. 👍🏼
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteThanks.
ReplyDelete