Misc. Erotica Swati's Downfall (Original Story)

[S Darko]

Ramesh sees the big man standing at the foot of the stairs, pacing about as though unsure of what he wants to do. 

Ramesh had called Rashid when he entered the lane and learned that the big man was waiting downstairs, but he did not know who he was. The man had, however, killed one of the white man’s people, so perhaps he was on their side. 


Ramesh, of course, does not know, but the idea of the enemy of an enemy appeals to him. 

He thinks perhaps this is an opportunity to use Chanakya neeti, as Guruji often tells him. 

“Hello,” he says, “What’s going on?” 

His tone is neutral, even friendly. 

He notices this guy is almost six, perhaps seven inches taller than himself, and very well built. Gym muscles, he guesses. 

Not a fighter, but you never knew these days. 

Ramesh fumbles in his pocket and notices the man tense, and then relax as he brings out a bundle of beedies. 

He offers one, and the man hesitates, then accepts. 

He lights both their smokes with one match, and they puff away for a few seconds. 

Until the big man coughs uncontrollably. 

“You don’t smoke?”

The big man shakes his head.

“Then why?”

The man continues to shake his head and cough. When he can finally speak, he says, “This is the second time today someone offered me a smoke. First time it didn’t go so well for the guy.”

Ramesh considers. 

He eyes the dark SUV that stands a few feet away. He nods at the big boat of a car. “Are you with them?”

The big man cuts his eyes at the car and seems to consider the question. Then he shakes his head. “No, not really. I’m Sammy, by the way.” 

He doesn’t offer his hand to shake or anything, and Ramesh merely tilts his head in acknowledgment. 

“You killed one of their men,” Ramesh says. 

He narrows his eyes and watches Sammy. The latter says nothing for a long moment.

“They’re bad people,” he finally says. “And it’s two of their men, not one.” 

Sammy tries another drag off the beedi, coughs again, and throws the smoke into the gutter. “I’d be game to save the woman if possible.”

“Swati madam. She’s up there, right?”

Sammy’s face droops. “Swati, huh? I think they’ve drugged her. I know Nikolai, the Russian guy is going to take her away, sell her… that’s what he does.” 

Sammy brings up a huge hand, large as a wicketkeeper’s glove, and wipes his face, rubbing especially hard at his eyes. 

“What’s your interest in the madam?”

Sammy considers the question. He raises his hand to his lips as though to take another puff, but realizes there is no beedi in his hand. He grimaces. “I was with them, yes, but not really involved in their operations if you understand what I mean. As for the madam, well… I have no personal interest. I'd just like to save her. She seems like a good woman." He takes a breath, hesitates as though before imparting some great secret. "I play for the other team, you know.” He raises his eyebrows and looks meaningfully at Ramesh. 

Ramesh’s eyes narrow further and his mind races. There might not be a lot of time, but this guy could be an ally. “You have a gun?”

“Three,” says Sammy. 

“And how many people up there?”

Sammy thinks about it and then says, “There’s Nikolai, the foreign woman, and two other men. One of them probably lives there. The other has a camera. There used to be a third, but he went out, to get food.”

So Prakash and Mahender were there. And Nawaz has probably gone out. This was probably not the best time to tell Sammy that he too lived in that room. 
“No other women?” 

He hopes Paro isn’t there. It will only complicate matters.

Sammy shakes his head.

“I assume the white man has a gun?” 

“Oh yes, I saw it there, by his side. It’s a big one,” Sammy says.

“Okay, let's go,” Ramesh says, making up his mind. This is a do-or-die situation. 

For him. 

For the madam. 

He starts toward the stairs and steps on the first rung. 

“Wait,” Sammy says. “There’s the dog. He’s huge, and he belongs to Nikolai. I’m not sure…”

Ramesh looks back at him. “Dogs, I can manage,” he says. 

Yes indeed, he can manage dogs. All kinds of dogs. 

It is, in fact, a superpower that he has.