Week 4: The Name Card
1308 Words
K was lounging on a sofa with a non-tobacco smoking pipe with his eyes fixed on Serene. Serene was holding her purse, A la-di-da brand.
“Not a Nepali, an Indian, I suppose.”
“Yes, how come you know about bags?”
“I know the fiber, Serene. And it costs merely 20 euros. But the ruby embedded in the outer pocket is worth some 2000 euros.”
“Ahh. See I know I was a famous model.”
“Yes, but why would they give it to you?”
“It could be a gift or a token of honor like an ambassador.”
“I suppose so. So why would they have to embed it rather than give you a ruby?”
“Because I am here for a handbag advertisement silly!” laughs Serene as she throws one of her socks onto the sofa.
“I do see a threat here Serene.”
“Are you always suspicious?”
“I have been grounded here. What do you expect?”
“Yes and this Tejendra is in his court date today. How come you knew that Mahon would be brought back in 2 days?” I know people when I see them and how they break Serene.” Serene, puzzled, opened the handbag and lost herself in the process.
“Is it a card?”
“Yes. But how come you know everything?”
“The size of the handbag itself is made to hold small purses and debit/credit cards.”
“Well, it’s a name card actually” shrimps Serene as she pulls a purple card.
“See I am wrong sometimes.”
“No you knew that was a name card, didn’t you?”
“Maybe. Yet you should be checking the name of the cardholder.”
“Mr. John Parson. We send you our regards.” Serene is horrified to read the card message.
“Don’t be worried. We have an hour till death.”
“An hour?”
“Yes, precisely that ruby is embedded for a reason. There is a small sticky bomb implanted, but here is the exciting part.”
“You think this is exciting, K. I am terrified here.”
“The detonator is missing.”
“OK, so shouldn’t we leave then? Or throw the bag somewhere else. You said we had an hour.”
“Yes, but shouldn’t we be terrified that someone could blow us up using the detonator? Serene?”
“Can I call the police?”
“Yes, I did 10 minutes ago by a text to DSP Bikash Thapa. The senior here at the Nepalgunj Police Department.”
“You want me to wait until we die.”
“We won’t.”
“How come you are sure?”
“You will see.”
(20 minutes later)
“OK. Miss Serene, can we call you that?”
“Yes, Officer.”
“I am Bikas Thapa, the Deputy Superintendent of the Nepalgunj Police Branch. As your assistant, Mr. K told us about the suspicious bomb threat. We arrived there as soon as we could. We have a bomb squad outside. We do want both of you to get out of the house just in case.”
“On the contrary, I would want to see the inspection, sir.”
“Mr.K, it is not a request but an order from the seniors here. We can’t risk a civilian.”
“You won’t need any inspection but I assure you that the culprit is dumbfounded at the moment.”
“He is? How come you know about this Sir? I do have suspicion against you now.”
“Do, as your duty Officer, but please check this name card which Miss Serene found in the bag.”
“John Parson. Of course, who else then? We talked with Scotland Yard a day ago. But where is the detonator?”
“You want to see the bomb first, Sir. Please bring your team in and start your job.”
“Alright, then, but I would want to ask Miss Serene to go inside another room just in case.”
“No, I believe K. You can start here.”
The Bomb team enters. One of them pulls the Ruby out and sees the circuit inside. “It’s an inside-out circuit. Hait ram.”
“Yes, you are right. Putting the ruby inside will detonate the bomb. I suggest not doing that.” Laughs K.
“That ruby is the detonator.”
“Yes, Serene. Now, officer, you must have listened to the sound of the inside-out circuit when the timer started.”
“Yes Sir, it is true. The Ruby is the detonator but there is no way we could break this circuit and an inside-out circuit has a default timer of an hour with or without a detonator.”
“You forgot one thing, Officer. There is one more thing to the inside-out bomb circuit and that is the pacifier element.”
“Yes, of course, an anti-remote or a discharger.”
“Yes, that name card itself is the key.”
“The name card?”
“ Why? Of course Mr. K. This card is a plastic material and a plastic material can be used as a discharger.”
“Yes, yet there is something else more, officer.”
“Something else more?”
“Yes, Mr. Thapa. The name Parson is the code for the circuit.”
“The name. How come?”
“You see there is a switch on this card. Believe it or not, pressing the "Parson" text deactivates the bomb. Now listen.”
“Yes, that’s the sound of the bomb deactivating. How come you know that?”
“I read about these bombs and I was certain as to whether Mahon or Tejendra were involved. I read about Tejendra and read a Nepali Newspaper dated some 15 years ago. Luckily, I found it when I ordered a donut from the shop nearby.”
“Must be someone trying to inform you about the plan.”
“Yes, a Mr. Gagan and right now he has been abducted for doing that.”
“Gagan, the Assistant Branch Manager at the local bank?”
“Yes, Nisha’s brother. But don’t worry, they won’t kill him. They know Tejendra could be in for a long time for doing that. They must have done that to threaten me and Nisha. But, why?”
“Well, there is something you don’t know, Mr.K”
“I know they have taken him to one of the slums here and not just the slum place, the motor wrecking sewage place. You can find him there although he must be unconscious. So please, Officer, don’t waste your time, and please free him.” The Officers, puzzled, are forced to do as K told them.
“See they are gone now. Now can you tell me what is happening?”
“Well, I hope the card is still here. Yes, thanks to god. This card is the key to the problem that is Mahon.”
“Mahon. What about this Tejendra?”
“He will rot in jail for some years now. Although neither the bomb nor the abduction was his intention. The tight security around the city made me certain that they must have taken Gagan to the slums, but why would they risk Tejendra at this time? And why did Gagan try to inform me? Maybe he was pointing to someone more dangerous such that he even risked his life for me.”
“Whose then? Parson”
“Must be him. Yet he is in jail too.” Serene could see K puzzled for the first time in those days, yet she could see he would end this tragedy someday.
- Writer
