The Professionals

By Niranjan Mudholkar

“Make sure he is dead,” said Dr. Jagannath sternly to the man standing in front of him. The man responded with a simple nod of his head. Although he looked quite ordinary, there was something menacingly sinister about his eyes. Simply known as Antya, he was the most dreadful contract killer in the city. He gently pocketed the target’s photograph and the piece of paper with his address. But he was not going to charge Dr. Jagannath anything for this kill. Actually, he was returning a favour. A big favour!

About three years back, Antya had been accidently shot in his lower back. He was caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs at a resort on the outskirts of the city. Antya had gone there to meet one of the gang leaders who wanted to give him a contract. But someone at the resort had tipped the police about the heavy presence of gangsters and that’s how a large police team had attacked the place. Although Antya had managed to escape from the resort, he was seriously wounded and had lost a lot of blood. Fortunately for him, he had bumped into the car of Dr. Jagannath. Dr. Jagannath, the topmost surgeon of the city, had not only saved Antya’s life but had also given him refuge at his hospital till the time he fully recovered. Dr. Jagannath’s thorough professional skills had given Antya a new life. Now, it was Antya’s time to payback with his professional skills.

Of course, it had not been an easy decision for Dr. Jagannath. But this was the only way he could get Mohit out of the way and ensure his son’s selection on the Indian Fencing Squad going to the Paris Summer Olympics. There was only berth on the team but there were two strong contenders! One was Mohit and the other was Rahul, Dr. Jagannath’s only child! Both were equally talented and equally deserving! However, many thought that Mohit had a slight edge over Rahul due to his recent medal winning performance at the Sydney Commonwealth Games. Of course, Rahul too had done exceedingly well at the National Games. But most leading sports journalist had predicted that Mohit would be preferred over Rahul. And there was no way Dr. Jagannath could influence the selection committee headed by Dr. Nadkarni. Although Dr. Nadkarni was a close friend of Dr. Jagannath, he was a righteous person who believed in meritocracy.

And Dr. Jagannath had to betray his own conscience while asking Antya to kill Mohit. After all, Mohit was Rahul’s best buddy since their school days. In fact, Dr. Jagannath himself liked Mohit. But the father in him could not let his conscience ruin his son’s shot at Olympics glory.

As soon as Antya left for the assignment, Dr. Jagannath retired to his study. He poured himself a double peg of whiskey and switched on the music system. He needed to calm down while Antya accomplished the necessary evil. Dr. Jagannath knew that Antya never failed. That’s why he was the topmost assassin in the city. Dr. Jagannath also knew that people paid him whatever Antya demanded because they knew he would do the job no matter what. And he realised that he wasn’t paying Antya even a single paisa! He sarcastically smiled to himself and said: “And I am getting this job done without paying any price. But what I am getting in return is priceless. My son will be on that flight to Paris.” Then he gulped down whatever little alcohol was remaining in the glass.

Meanwhile, Antya was happy with himself. Although he had lost the count of the people he had assassinated so far, he would always remember this one. Since his childhood, he had hated the idea of being indebted to anyone. By killing Mohit, he would undo the burden of Dr. Jagannath’s debt forever! With a smile on his face, Antya sneaked into Mohit’s house at 8.30 pm. He knew that Mohit lived alone and he was expected at 9 pm. Then, Antya quietly sat down on a chair facing the main door of the house. It was dark and he loved darkness. He was ready and so was his weapon of choice, the Austrian made Glock 17 handgun. Uncomplicated, dependable and lethal! Now all Antya had to do was to wait.

At 9.25 pm, Dr. Jagannath’s phone rang. Despite another peg of whiskey, his voice was steady and the tone was calm. But he was surprised to hear Dr. Nadkarni’s voice on the other side.

“Heartiest congratulations, my friend. I am calling with some great news. Our selection committee has unanimously voted for Rahul. And Rahul’s selection is based on his performance at the National Games. Although Mohit has a medal at the Commonwealth Games, we could not overlook the fact that it came against very weak competition whereas Rahul competed with the best in our country. So yes, Rahul will be on that flight to Paris. And this calls for celebration.”

Dr. Jagannath shuddered. But he gathered himself and replied back. “Yes my friend, this calls for celebration. Let me once speak with Rahul and I will call you back.” He had to hurry up. There was no need to kill Mohit now. He immediately dialled Antya’s number. And Antya answered at the first ring. Dr. Jagannath could somehow sense that Antya was smiling. He feared the worst but still asked. “Have you…?

“Of course, Dr. Jagannath, I have killed Mohit.” There was a certain satisfaction in Antya’s voice.

“Oh…” Dr. Jagannath’s hands were now shivering.

“Well, now we are even. I have repaid your debt. And just like you, I am a thorough professional. Although there was a bit of a problem, I have still accomplished my assignment successfully.”

“What… was the problem?” Dr. Jagannath asked. Now his voice too was shivering.

“Actually, Mohit was not alone. He had a couple of friends with him but luckily they were all drunk. I overheard them talking to each other as Mohit struggled to open the door with his shaking hands.”

“Mohit’s friends?” Dr. Jagannath somehow managed to hold on to the phone.

“Yes, one of them was named Sunil. And the other one was…ah yes, his name was Rahul. But don’t worry, Dr. Jagannath. They too are dead.”

Dr. Jagannath dropped the phone from his hand as he realised that he had paid a huge price for getting the job done!

The End

By Niranjan Mudholkar