Chapter 2 - Part 4

“But why now?” Rohan asked mystified.

“Because we don’t know when else...” CEO sighed with his eyes still transfixed on the creek.

“What?” Rohan couldn’t decipher him.

“Because it’s all a sham!” CEO said taking a sip from his glass, “This theory of Physics and all...”

Neither Subodh nor Rohan could untangle the denotation in CEO’s line.

“Theory of Physics?” Rohan asked quizzed.

“Yeah... This electron, proton bullshit...” CEO continued.

Perplexity gathered around the three like thickening mist.

“It’s just a cover.” CEO seemed lost in his story, “They will be testing a high power nuclear explosion there. I have my sources. They say it will be done in controlled environment. But they can’t guarantee anything. You know what can happen if the control equipment fails?...”

There was no answer from Subodh or Rohan.

CEO waited for an answer from them, and then made the revelation himself. “Nothing might survive...”

“Then why are they doing it?” there was an edge of agitation in Rohan’s voice when this question unknowing escaped from his mouth.

“Money my boy... money. If it succeeds, you know what will happen?” CEO said looking at him with a cunning smile.

“What?! More destruction?” Rohan was holding on to the seat tightly as he spoke, his nails dug into it hard.

“No... more money... this research lab run by the European nations will sell this technology to every other nation at an exorbitant price because they will be the only one with it... And once a nation has it... its neighbours and adversaries will need it too... fear psychosis... and finally, every nation will end up possessing it...” CEO was speaking in a distressed tone.

“In spite of the treaty?” Rohan raised a doubt.

“Yes... ” CEO said firmly.

“How?” Rohan was finding it hard to believe.

“Under the cover of nuclear energy... they will set up nuclear power plants in these countries... and an atomic reactor will be built at these placed which will enable them to make nuclear war-heads...”

“Damn!” Rohan squeaked.

“And where do we come into the picture?” The cigarette held between Subodh’s lips made him sound brusque.

“We are funding this whole thing. It’s a biggest risk a bank could ever take. If it does well, we’ll have a major share in all the sales that occur...” CEO explained with a faint streak of exhilaration.

“And if it doesn’t....?”The question was rhetoric. Subodh knew the answer. It was easy to derive, but hard to declare.

“World economy will undergo extreme strain...” The zest in CEO’s earlier line was lost here.

“Depression?” Rohan took a guess.

“Recession” Subodh flung the cigarette butt off the Machan’s edge.

“Whatever it is, would we live to see it?” CEO eyes pointed sharply at Rohan and Subodh.

The conversation paused there, dissolving into a brief span of silence. Three dark silhouettes sat there in silence dabbing their fears with what was left in their glasses.

“I want to play flute...” Rohan sent a wish floating in the silent vacuum that remained stifled amongst the three.

“Play... do it before you can never play again.” CEO said painfully.

Rohan turned and picked up his bag. He put it on his lap and opened it.

“You have it with you now?” Subodh asked in pure surprise.

“Yup. I carry it along every day...” Rohan put his hand into his bag and pulled out a cylindrical case.

CEO smiled looking at it. “Men always carry the pieces of their broken dreams with them...” his smiled morphed into words.

Rohan opened the case, and picked up his flute. He put it to his lips and a sharp note raised to the sky. Gloom of every heart had gathered into it. It touched the clouds, crossed them and went beyond, filling the vast darkness above with it murk. Earth’s ceiling turned darker. It seeped into Subodh's body and swelled inside his heart. He reached for his wallet and took out a broken ear-ring from its inner section. His fingers curled slowly around it. Like a totem he held it in his hands. Tighth. Never to lose it. There was a sudden power cut at the Dhaba as he held it, like an ill-omen that the broken ear-ring had brought. People shouted as the lights went off. The entire ambiance of glitter suddenly disappeared into darkness. Only thing that remained was the sound of Rohan’s flute. It now spread into every bit of darkness that breathed around them. Everything was still. An uncomfortable calm covered the restlessness within everything. Rohan’s flute played like a siren of the obliteration that was getting closer.

* * *


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