Mandeep

I watched Tanya brush her long waist length hair humming to herself.You sound happy, hon. what's up?

"Why shouldn't I be - we are rich...fifty one lacs the papers say."Yeah, but to me it looked more like twenty odd lacs. There weren't enough bundles in the bagto make fifty lacs. Maybe the Manager helped himself to thirty odd lacs from the safe - who wouldknow any better?

"We'll have to count it to be sure."

I want to buy a car. I want wheels. I hate this going around in busses. And then too, the bloodybus comes once a day and we have to sit around at the bus stop for hours swatting flies."And you would rather buy a car and draw attention to yourself. Buy a bloody Rolls if youreally want to show the world you have ill-gotten wealth...a yellow Rolls Royce."Very funny! Perhaps you have worked out what our future plans are?"Sure. Buy a second hand scooty and keep a very low profile."

For how long?

For a long, long while; perhaps for many years. That's why they say crime doesn't pay. Thewait is too fucking long!"

There's got to be another way; we'll just have to find it.

"Well, one way would be to give ourselves up; make up a cock-and-bull story of how we in turngot robbed at gunpoint. They won't believe us, but a doubt will be seeded in their minds. They willthrow us in jail - don't doubt they won't. But when we get out - with good behavior, etc. - the moneywill be there waiting for us and we will be free to spend it. And they will know that. And they will notbe able to do a fucking thing about it - for we can't be punished for the same crime twice."I think that's the only way, I said to her. Let us now build up a full proof story. Something theycan't trip us on. We shall rehearse it over and over until it becomes a clear picture in our minds. Colourof clothes, time of day, whether cloudy or windy. Description of those that snatched the money fromus, their looks, ages, etc. Of course we can say it was night time and we didn't see much. Theymolested you and three of them gang-raped you and slapped you about...."Great... and you come out of this unscathed do you? Why shouldn't I kick you in the nuts andyou can carry the scar to show them? Kick you hard enough and you could become a sexless eunuchfor the rest of your life - that would convince them."

I gritted my teeth; the wench needed some serious head-slapping treatment - but what she saysdoes make some sense. Even if I agreed to get hoofed in my privates it would have to be a controlledboot. But I want that money with me; not stashed away some place which I don't have access to.Tanya was washing her hands at the sink when a knife whizzed past her right ear and burieditself in the wooden wall six inches from her head.

In Nano seconds shock, bafflement, fright, anger what the fuck chased through her mind. Shespun around...and the second knife thudded square on her chest, on her sternum causing a sudden deeppiercing pain. As she staggered back the knife fell to the floor - it was a dummy wooden knife. Frightfroze her as she stood mouth agape and eyes widening with fright.I strode towards her, hard and determined; I shoved my arm past her terror stricken face andyanked the knife out of the wall. Not a word was said, but my body language hopefully said 'don't fuckaround with me, bitch!'

Get the money. I said turning away.