The Tussle

 The Tussle

By

Sanjay Sonawani

Genre-  Humor, suspense-thriller, manhunt.

 

Brief

The story, loaded with humor, mystery, brilliant manhunt, and ruthless violence shapes up in Mumbai and the Jharkhand.

Rakesh and Kishan, having distinct backgrounds meet each other as co-professionals and sworn rivals in an uncanny business of assassins, run by a shady personality, Kalinath. They have to live a dual life. When on assignment, they are thoroughly professional, cold-blooded, and ruthless. Rivalry brews between them as both always are in an attempt to prove the best of the other.

When Kishan, on an assignment, gets hold of strange information about hidden treasure, he breaches first time his professional code and to punish him an assignment is shouldered on Rakesh to find and eliminate Kishan and bring back the box he has stolen. Rakesh happily sets out to accomplish this task.

 A wild chase begins and mysteries start unfolding.

What was that which forced Kishan to breach the professional code?  

Did Rakesh succeed in locating and killing him? What was this all about? What did the box contain?

  

Synopsis

 

A notorious organization of assassins operating at the national level in Mumbai, mainly accepts the contracts to eliminate super rich or politicians. Killing indiscriminately and leaving no evidence is the hallmark of this organization's expert assassins, making them in demand. However, the chief of this organization Kalinath Chowdhury is characterized by taking only selective contracts that are challenging. Though sometimes under the shadow of doubt, escapes freely from the clutches of the authorities. So far, the police have never been able to pin him or his killers. Since his apparent occupation is decent, he walks undauntedly in society with a bright head. Rather he is famous for his philanthropic activities, especially in sports.

 Rakesh Jadhav and Kishan Sharma are the most cold-blooded assassins in his organization who always plan a murder with meticulous planning and execute it recklessly. Both were reputed to have never failed. That's why there was competition between these two and they always struggled to prove that they are the best killers. Kalinath used to take advantage of this competition.

 Rakesh Jadhav is an ordinary-looking young man who grew up in a slum in Mumbai. Joined a criminal gang at a very young age and became an assassin. Cold-blooded professional while executing assignments, in his public life acts as a bohemian businessman, running an office of no real business. Has a frequent argument with his idle secretary for giving her worthless tasks. When no assignment, he keep on meeting his old friends from slum days and passes the time in comic activities. While drunk, he narrates the incidents of his real thrilling assassinations in such a style that it seems as if he is bragging, hence no one believes he is narrating a true event. Rakesh is also in love with a young woman, Bina. He tries to impress her even in a Romeo style, but Bina continues to avoid him with funny excuses. He is desperate for her and uses many ideas to grab her attention but in vain. His mother is happy that her son has left the bad profession and taken a decent path.

 

Kishan Sharma is a young ruthless man from Uttar Pradesh who had landed in Mumbai after cold-bloodedly killing his cousins in a land dispute. After joining the organization, because of his skills, he quickly became Rakesh's main rival. As a front, in civilized life, he deals in scrap, so Rakesh always teases him relating his business to his scrap nature. He is in love with a girl named Rekha, but under this or that pretext is avoiding marriage to the ire of Rekha. Unruly in his social life, he is a changed man while carrying out professional duties, without leaving any evidence; he coldly plans and ruthlessly executes his victims and disappears.

Rakesh and Kishan have their unique styles of committing assassinations!

​However, when an assignment in the past was given to both of them together, the jealousy between them erupted. They tried to outwit each other, to the length that the assignment would have failed. However, they accomplished their task successfully but in the end, fought viciously as to who should get credit. Since then, the hostility between the two has increased.

 Presently, Rakesh is narrating to his friends a true incident in his style. Although the visuals of the thrill are spine-tingling, his telling style is making his friends laugh. “You are boasting! This cannot be true…” exclaims his friends as usual while drinking. Just then he gets a call from Kalinath and summons him urgently. “It's a business meeting.” Saying this, Rakesh leaves immediately.

 When he reaches Kalinath's office, Kishan Sharma is also present there. Both of them get engaged in a war of taunting words. Each of them wants to get hold of a new contract for months they are sitting idle with no new assignment. Kalinath calls both of them to his cabin. Briefly explain what the work is without giving details and questions about who will do the work. Both of them tell their plans of execution in their own style. Since Rakesh is drunk, Kalinath chooses Kishan Sharma. Rakesh gets upset and walks away looking at Kishan with disgust. Victorious Kishan gives him a challenging smile, which irritates Rakesh even more.

 Kishan is preparing to leave professionally. Takes his selected weapons and other equipment to accomplish the assignment. He calls Rekha and tells her that he is visiting his hometown, but actually leaves for Ranchi (Jharkhand). His target Saurabh Mitra, a billionaire, has a huge bungalow in the elite bungalow society of Ranchi. Rakesh secretively inspects the bungalow, surrounded by woods. With discreet inquiries find out how many people live in the bungalow. He finds out that only Saurabh Mitra and his only son Satyajit live in that bungalow with their dogs and a couple of maidservants and that the bungalow is under tight security.

 Brainstorming how to break in, he hatches a plan and one night manages to sneak into the bungalow, dodging CCTV, dogs, and guards. In the bungalow, he first kills the maidservants and moves forward in search of Saurabh Mitra and his drunkard son.  Saurabh Mitra or his son Satyajit are nowhere to be found though he takes rigorous search in the bungalow. Finally, he realizes the two are in the basement. As he descends into the basement, from the corner, he sees furious Saurabh shouting at his son as Satyajit is not attentive because he is drunk. But next what he listens to shocks him.

 Somehow Saurabh wants to finish that business that night only as he is afraid some calamity is going to befell him, and after making him ready to listen starts to tell him about the ancient practice of his family regarding their forefathers who had considered Lord Shiva as their partner centuries ago and had decided to share 25% of the profits every year. Since the day they formed this partnership they prospered ever since. That profit, since generations have been accumulated at one secret place and now when Satyajit is mature he should know the tradition.

He also narrates the condition laid down by his forefathers that this practice has to be carried out secretly. The place cannot be shown to the heir but the heir has to find it on his own with his wits aided by this wooden box, clandestine indicators marked on a map, and decoding the verses which are kept inside the box. He also went on to say hurriedly that if Satyajit was smart, he would see the wealth of his ancestors, if ever he is in trouble, he can take a loan from that wealth, and whatever profit he earns will diligently deposit that part annually to cherish the prosperity, else misfortunes would befell. He also tells his half-dizzy son that this information is given only to the eldest son of the family. "When I die, it is your responsibility to find this place and follow the terms."

 

 With this, he finishes speaking and notices that Satyajit has fallen dead asleep, which makes him enraged. He shouts at his son while slapping him. Kishan has heard all that awakens greed in him.  It dawns on him now why someone would have given this assignment to kill Saurabh with his son and that box is to be stolen. In an instant, he decides to grab this lifetime opportunity and steps inside.

 He first coldly shoots the shocked Saurabh and then Satyajit who is trying to get up limply to his feet after hearing the deafening shot and thud of the father's body.  Kishan gets hold of that box and once again dodges the guards and by now dead dogs, vanishes unceremoniously.

​Kalinath learns from the TV news that there have been four murders at Ranchi and that a police investigation is underway. He is happy that Kishan has successfully accomplished the mission and waits desperately for his call and delivery of the box. He doesn’t receive any calls despite a long wait. He gets upset at first, as his client, who happens to be Saurabh Mitra's debt-ridden cousin and who has an inkling of the family's traditional practices, irritably pressurizes Kalinath for the box. He threatens that if the box is not received, the contract will not be considered complete and the agreed payment will not be made. Kalinath feels this is an insult to his professional integrity. After waiting two more days and as yet Kishan neither calls nor appears, feeling cheated, he summons Rakesh and orders him to find and eliminate Kishan and return with the box that is in his possession.

Rakesh happily accepts the assignment and gets ready to leave. As he has an idea of the affair between Kishan and Rekha, he discreetly inquires on her and as he learns Rekha is also missing since yesterday, he ponders. He leaves the next day and reaches Ranchi. Knowing Kishan's affluent habits, he first tracks down which hotel he has checked into. He gets the information and takes the next step.

Kishan has made his plans to find out the ancestral wealth of Saurabh Mitra, grab it, and disappear. But knowing that Kalinath will not leave him easily and will try to find and kill him. He understands that if he alone tries to find the location of the wealth he will be easily located, but if he is accompanied by a woman, he will be able to conduct a search without raising suspicion, he calls Rekha.

 But since Rakesh had guessed this earlier, he starts his search for both with a conviction that he will definitely beat Kishan this time. He desperately finds the trail and starts following it.

 Kishan tries to locate the places on the coded map in the box, based on a few verses having mysterious meanings. However, after efforts and brainstorms, they can locate some places and move fast. Kishan wants to throw away the box thinking it is useless but Rekha does not allow him to do so.

Rakesh manages to trace them by getting a lead, however, as if in a hide-and-seek game; they leave the place before Rakesh would reach. Though frustrated, Rakesh calmly continues the chase. Once they meet face to face in a remote village, but as the usual arguments erupt between the two, Kishan cunningly engages him in a wordy battle and by taking advantage of the situation succeeds in getting away with Rekha. 

 Deciphering the clues in the map and the text, Kishan and Rekha reach Tanginath, the famous pilgrimage center of Lord Shiva. As a faith, if Lord Shiva is a partner of the Mitra family, they think that there must be some kind of secret place to keep the treasure nearby, but there is no clue, so both are disappointed.

At the exact same time, as they see Rakesh also coming to Tanginath shrine, they get shocked, intrigued, and alarmed. Both of them sneak out into the forest. When they are in an attempt to find safe shelter, Rekha deciphers a verse in which a reference to a lake is made. Both assume that the secret place is located in a cave adjacent to some lake. The two search desperately but cannot find the lake described in the verse. Some tribals, however, tell them that centuries ago there was a large lake in the next valley but now it has become a rugged plain as the source river has dried up.

 Rakesh, who has by now realized what the box might contain and why Kishan has absconded with the box though he had completed his assignment of killing, decides, instead of shooting Kishan at sight, to follow them secretly to see what up to they are!

 Following them, Rakesh enters the forest. He accidentally comes across the tribals who had informed Kishan about the lake. In a casual inquiry, he gets information that both of them went to the next valley. He leaves quickly.

 From a distance, Rakesh sees them both entering a gap in a mountain beyond the plain. He starts walking hurriedly towards the mountain.

 Kishan and Rekha enter the narrow cavity and after a long walk through the tunnel come to a large empty cave. There is no place where the treasure could have been hidden in that cave. They get disillusioned thinking that they must have gone astray. But still, Kishan checks all the clues again as a last-ditch effort. After seeing the previously ignored statement “Iti Sandukasya” at the end of the verses, he thinks that there may be some mystical clue in this too. They start probing the uneven but solid hard rock walls of the cave. Rekha finds one square cavity, just enough for the box to fit inside. Kishan pushes the chest into the cavity and to their surprise, side rock suddenly slides away to reveal the treasure inside.

 At this moment, Rakesh enters the cave while the two are looking at the treasure dumbfounded. Deciding not to give Kishan any chance this time, in dim light, he shoots Kishan. The bullet hits the waist instead of the chest. Kishan falls down injured. Rekha tries to plunge at Rakesh, but Rakesh knocks her unconscious. Kishan is now alert and starts firing blindly in a rage. Now it is Rakesh who has to save himself. He jumps aside and takes position waiting for Kishan to take his.

Who wins in the end, Kishan or Rakesh? What happens to that treasure? What steps does Kalinath take? And what happened to the one who gave Saurabh Mitra's assignment?

 © Sanjay Sonwani

Mob- 7721870764

(Based on the pre-published novel “Parabhava” by Sanjay Sonawani)

​