Xossip Ultimate Story Contest 2014

[Expert]

Distraction is the Key

lordhornasstr

Ravi Bhaskar stood without fear as the door splintered inwards, and Michael Pereira entered, shotgun in hand, murder written large in his eyes--his face a mask of fury.
“You try to move an inch, you motherfucking thief, and I’ll blast you,” Michael said. “Get down on the floor and don’t move an inch. I’m turning you over to the authorities.”
Ravi smiled.

“I doubt it, Michael,” Ravi answered confidently, ‘or, shall I say Kuru Kal?”
Michael’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and his shotgun froze in his hand, “What?” he said incredulously, his anger visibly dissipating.
“You’re good, Kuru. But to a man with tenacity and willpower, nothing is impossible,” Ravi said. “And I’d wager it’s been really long since someone called you Kuru Kal, right?”

“Who are you?” Michael asked, softly now, slowly lowering his voice and the shotgun, but still eyeing Ravi suspiciously.
“A thief. A master thief,” Ravi said.
“And… you’ve come to rob me?” Michael asked.
“No,” Ravi said, “to learn. Like I said, I am a master thief. But you sir, are a legend. Kuru Kal. The thief of thieves. The legendary invisible thief!”
Michael paused a beat.
“Are you the security officer? Intelligence?” Michael asked, ears cocked, eyes mere slits with suspicion.

Ravi sighed. “For a legendary thief, you don’t seem to hear or think very well,” Ravi said, “Listen, Kuru Kal, I’m here to learn. From you. Do I look like a servant of authority?”
Michael’s shoulders slumped. Eyes misted over. “It’s…It’s too late. I’m too old now. There’s nothing you can learn from me.” He said.
Ravi stared at Michael wordlessly. This…was not what he had expected when being confronted by the legendary thief, when Michael spoke again.
“And if I could have taught you something, if I was still as good as I once was, I would have caught you before you entered my house. But you entered my house without my knowledge, locked yourself in my bedroom--all without me even hearing a pin drop,” Michael said, then lowering his gaze, added, “there is really nothing I can teach you. You don’t need any further education.”

Both stared at each other for a long time.
Unspoken silence. Just the two in the room. The sound of their chests rising and falling and their breaths. Then, Ravi broke the gaze. He clucked softly.
“Looks like you’re no use to me, old man. I guess really there’s nothing you can teach me, I was mistaken,” Ravi said.
Then with the grace of a ballet dancer, jumped in reverse from the open window without any of his body part touching the sills!

Ravi scaled down the sheer wall using tactics he had learnt long ago from forgotten masters. Shimming up a pipe now, sliding over a roof there, Ravi moved silently, quickly and unseen from human eyes. He paused for a good five seconds when he heard a strange whistling call. A bird, perhaps? He couldn’t quite place it. It was unlike anything he had heard before. So he stopped to see if it would sound off again.

Probably nothing. Ravi carried on jumping obstacles.
Finally, he jumped over the gate and stood on the main road. Catching his breath, he walked slowly towards where his car was parked – a good hour’s walk from Michael’s house. He was about to open the door when he heard it again. That whistling call. Again.
Slowly, Ravi backed off and lit a cigarette. Casual to the untrained eyes, he scouted a small perimeter around the car to see what it was. Satisfied that it was probably nothing, he opened the door at the driver’s seat and sat in darkness, thinking about his recent encounter with Kuru Kal. Or Michael. Or whatever it was that he called himself these days.


It had been a waste of time. The old man could barely think and hear. Perhaps he, Ravi, was wrong to ask Kuru Kal to teach him. Perhaps the old man really did have nothing new to teach Ravi.
Kuru Kal may have been great decades ago, a legend back then. But now… he was nothing. Ravi was sure that the old thief was finished. Maybe, maybe he, Ravi, really was the best of this generation now. Ravi smiled at that thought as he flicked the light in his car.
And jerked back in surprise, a scream stifled in his throat.

For sitting there, smiling sagely, was Kuru Kal.
“Im… Impossible!” Ravi managed to blurt out. His mind still recovering from the shock.
“Oh, but you do have much to learn,” Kuru was looking at him directly in the eyes now, “so much.”
“How did you…?” Ravi began, before Kuru cut him off.
“Distraction,” Kuru spoke, “the best tool of a master thief. You remember the strange whistle when you shimmied down the pipe?”
Recognition flooded Ravi’s mind.
“That was…” Ravi started.

“Me.” Kuru completed. “And near the car too. I apologize for the grand entrance, however. See, the time taken for you to pause, think, seek it out, and then ignore it, gave me enough time to follow you. Also, that forlorn, broken man in the house? Another distraction! It made you overconfident and arrogant.” Kuru added, “Deadly mistakes of a thief, overconfidence and arrogance, I tell you.”


This was unbelievable. Ravi had trained years ago in the Tibetan Art of Perception. There was no way--absolutely no way--Kuru Kal would have been able to be hidden from him. And yet… yet here he was!
“You have to teach me,” Ravi said, excitedly.
Then pausing, and bowing his head, added, “Master.” And turned his eyes downwards as a mark of respect.
Secretly, however, Ravi reminded himself that he had never called anyone master. And he had no intentions to let Kuru Kal be the master. Ravi’s prime purpose was simple. Learn whatever he could from Kuru Kal and become even better than he already was. Take over Kuru Kal as the best thief in the world.

Ravi also considered that this old man probably had notions of teacher and apprentice. Ravi bore no such romantic thoughts, but was determined to learn everything he could from Kuru Kal. Ravi was going to learn everything from Kuru Kal, then leave him as he had left the others. While he became better than the best.
Ravi grinned internally at that thought.
Kuru smiled back.
“When do we start, master?’ Ravi asked.
“You already began your first lesson. Distraction.” Kuru Kal paused. Then continued.


“ What makes a master thief a master thief is his ability to steal,” Kuru said, “but what makes a master thief a legend, is his ability to provide a distraction while he steals.”
“Then teach me. I wish to learn. Teach me, the art of distraction!” Ravi said, sudden false humility lacing his voice, even as he tried to control his heart beating palpably with excitement.
“I will. But remember, real skill comes in real life. Not in simulations. Therefore, to learn from me, you will have to partake in the riskiest operation that you could have never imagined.” Kuru said.


“Anything! To learn from you, I can take part in anything!” Ravi assured.
“Then listen very well. I am going to tell you who, how and what we are going to rob, and in the process provide your education.” Kuru said. “If you are ready to.” He added dryly. Ravi nodded in positive and Kuru Kal began outlining his target and plan to Ravi.
And Ravi, the master thief, sat slack-jawed, wide-eyed with his heart beating hard against his ribcage, when he heard what and whom the legendary Kuru Kal wanted to rob. It was impossible! No one had ever done it before!!

And after listening to Kuru Kal outline their target, Ravi thought that despite what he thought about Kuru Kal a few hours ago, his legendary status was well-deserved.

**********


“That is impossible,” the Prime Minister of India said in hushed tones to his Security Head, “just impossible. You are telling me that you have unearthed a plan of thieves bursting into the Raj Bhavan, stealing the Seal of Prime Minister with which they can cause any mischief they want, and make way with it?”
“Yes.. sir,” Gaurav Sharma spoke to the PM in hushed tones, “it’s a Hard Fix.”
“What’s a Hard Fix?” the PM queried.
“Hard Fix. When the information is cent per cent accurate. No chances of error whatsoever, sir,” Gaurav replied.
“Who are they?” the PM inquired.


“No ideas, sir,” Gaurav responded.
The PM went silent. He went to the window of his small room and peered out to the lawns below – something he always did when he wanted to think hard. Gaurav waited as the PM pondered his own thoughts, then turned back at Gaurav.
“Where do you think they’ll strike?” the PM asked.
“In this very room,” Gaurav said.


“How do you think they’ll get inside?”
“Your statue. You have ordered a statue of the ‘Hindustani Jawan’ in this room and I have information that the thieves will use that to get into this room.” Gaurav answered.
“How will they enter with the statue?” the PM asked.
“They are planning to enter as the labourers--gaining entry in this room with the statue delivery. No doubts about that. There is no other way to get in here.” Gaurav said. “In fact, they are already in the building and making their way here,” Gaurav said.


“Then why don’t we arrest them even before they get the statue inside, if we know this information to be sure?” asked a surprised PM.
“Because sir,” Gaurav replied, “there will be around 8-10 labourers. And while we know for sure one of them is a thief, we don’t know which one. To arrest all of them would bring down every Union and Opposition Party breathing fire down our necks.”

The PM reflected on that for a moment.
“Fine, then let’s put the Seal under lock. Else they can make away with it,” the PM said.
“I’d rather you not, sir. We need to catch them. If we don’t catch them now, they’re sure to make a move again. And God knows whether we will be able to catch them then, given the unknown conditions then,” Gaurav added.


The PM had to agree with Gaurav’s line of thought.
“And the statue?” PM queried.
Gaurav buzzed his walkie-talkie and spoke to someone. He turned back to the PM.
“Coming right now with nine people carrying it,” Gaurav said.
“And you think someone among the nine is a thief?”


“Absolutely, sir.” Gaurav said.
The PM sighed.
“Alright Gaurav, it’s your show. Tell me what I must do,” the PM asked.
“Nothing sir, just behave normally. I’ll take care of the rest,” Gaurav responded.
The knock on the door interrupted their conversation. It was Vikas with three additional commandos.
“All here?” Gaurav asked.


“Yes sir.” Vikas answered.
“Alright,” Gaurav said as the commandos filled the room, “get those guys carrying the statue in here. And don’t let anyone out, for whatever reason, until I tell you to,” he ordered.
All commandos nodded and Vikas leaned over to call the guys carrying the statue inside.


**********

The nine men were crying. Some hiccupping, others prostrate on the floor.
“Tell me, or I put all nine of you in prison. I don’t care if you are innocent or not!” Gaurav said. “I want the thief and I want him now!”
And the men burst into tears again, but no one seemed to be forthcoming.
Vikas and the three commandos were guarding the entrance. There was no way anyone of them could escape.
Gaurav was grilling them hard. And the labourers were not coming up with anyone.


The commandos, Vikas, Gaurav, the PM’s attention was focused on the nine persons. No one seemed to be forthcoming with an answer. Yet Gaurav knew that the thief was one of them. With him questioning and the Commandos guarding the main door, there was no way the thief could escape.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the drama.
And so, no one noticed the statue move!
Imperceptibly, slowly and with a gait that would go unannounced and unobserved.

Ravi had to admit. It was a heck of a distraction. Nine grown men crying, Kuru Kal amongst them! No one was really paying any attention to the statue!!


Now slowly, ever so slowly, Ravi, as the statue, inched forward to the main table where the Seal was. Just beyond the table were the nine, laying prostrate on the floor, Gaurav, the Commandos, Vikas and the PM all eyeing them.
Kuru Kal was correct in his understanding of the human nature.
With the opportunity of the fame of catching thieves in the Prime Minister’s office itself, and the possible on-the-spot interrogation, none of the PM’s staff or the labourers would be interested in observing the statue. They would be too busy crying and pleading innocence, while the PM’ staff would be doing everything to eke out the information.


Leaving Ravi to do his job as the statue.
Time stretches when you want it to go by. So it did here, but Ravi was patient. He did not want this to fail. Imagine, a thief, robbing the very Prime Minister in his own office, making off with the seal! Ravi’s name would be carved in gold in the thieving world. People would lower their voices with respect when they spoke of Ravi. He would surpass even the legendary Kuru Kal!

Focusing on the job in front of him with the precision of a laser, Ravi inched closer almost millimetre by millimetre. Kuru Kal and he had a plan of exit. Which, Ravi, had no intention of following. Instead, he had already made his own plan to get the seal then leave Kuru Kal to the mercy of the security. He had no intentions of following their escape route. He would use his own escape route--through the window!
Kuru Kal had taught him all Ravi needed to know. There would be no one better than him in the entire realms. Ravi. The legendary thief!


Ravi now touched the table. And yet the commotion in the room made him invisible, even though he was there for all to see. Hiding in plain sight, he thought. Kuru Kal had spoken truly about distraction!
Stopping by the side, he reached his hand slowly to encompass the Seal. Slowly…
slowly his hand reached for the seal. His hand had just brushed the seal.
When someone screamed, “THIEF!”
Ravi felt a shock go through his spine. As everyone turned to look at him!
Things then happened too fast.


Everyone’s attention turned to the statue that had purportedly moved over three feet where it was originally kept towards the table! And it was touching the Seal. Gaurav, Vikas and the commandos abandoned the door and rushed over to the statue!
Seeing it was all over, Ravi turned back to see the glass window, he had planned to break over at night and run. It was his only chance now!
He turned around, all semblance and acting of the statue behind him now. He made it fifteen feet to the window. And he readied himself to jump. He heard them behind him. He turned to see a quick glance--they were almost on him! Past the door, past the PM, past the table where the Seal was, they were almost upon him. Ravi prepared to jump.


When the first bullet tore through his calf. He grunted in pain as the blood spurted on the floor. The second went into his waist, hitting his spine, instantly decapitating him from any further movement. He fell on the floor, spinning, so that he was on his back, facing the ceiling.
And before he could speak his body was broken by a seemingly tens of bullets coming from nowhere. He vaguely realised he was being fired upon by every commando in the room! At point blank range, as they surrounded him in a circle!!


Blood spurted from the wounds and he could feel his body jerk in a horrific dance of death as each bullet lodged itself, scalding white hot, into his body. His organs haemorrhaging, blood filling his throat and nose, Ravi began choking on his own blood and bile. And the world began spinning as he lay helpless and immobile on the floor, blood slowly being drained out like a bleeding chicken. His vision went red. And he knew this day and moment, he was going to die.
As he lay on the floor, his body broken, his mind in shock, he observed two things. The main door, which the commandos had abandoned to shoot him, was open. Second, the Seal was missing. But most important, Kuru Kal was also missing! He had escaped in this commotion!!


Now! Now, Ravi knew the truth. The real planning. The real human nature.
Despite the pain, despite the hurt, despite knowing that he would die in seconds now, Ravi started to laugh. For, only now, did Ravi realise why Kuru Kal was called the Thief of Thieves.
“Who are you?”
Through hazy eyes and life-stealing gasps, Ravi saw Gaurav standing over him, asking him the question again.


With the smile on frozen on his blood-filled mouth, Ravi answered in his last gasp.
“Oh, who am I? I was just the distraction.”


**********