BLOWBACK Read Online Free

BLOWBACK
Book: BLOWBACK Read Online Free
Author: Mukul Deva
Tags: Fiction
Pages:
Go to
achieve our goals.’ He paused for thought, his goatee tilted upward. ‘If we want to achieve something, we must be more aggressive and take action... instead of farting around with our mouths like those morons.’ This last was thrown back contemptuously at the others who were still at the YPS meeting.
    ‘If you say so, bhaijaan,’ Asif replied. Salafi’s words always stirred something deep inside him. ‘I am with you.’
    ‘I know you are, Asif!’ Salafi bestowed a keen, approving look on him. ‘You are the kind of person we need if YPS has to make a mark.’
    They met Mujib late that night, when even the confirmed insomniacs of the college had finally gone to sleep. He was waiting for them in a dirty, beaten up SUV outside the campus gates.
    ‘Salaam waleikum, Mujib bhai,’ Salafi greeted him in what struck Asif as a strangely deferential tone as they got into the rear seat of the SUV. ‘This is Asif... Asif, Mujib bhai.’
    The two men shook hands cautiously, each assessing the other in the murky darkness of the car. The cigarette smoke made Asif want to cough. He wound down the window a little.
    ‘Can we talk in front of him?’ Mujib asked Salafi, throwing an almost spent cigarette stub out of his window before rolling it up again.
    ‘Of course, bhai!’ Salafi was emphatic. ‘Would I have brought him along otherwise? He is trustworthy... one of us for sure.’
    ‘Uh huh.’ Mujib stared at Asif. ‘Where are you from?’
    ‘Azampur.’
    ‘How long have you known him?’ Mujib gestured at Salafi.
    ‘For many years now, bhaijaan. We are neighbours… In fact, our parents have known each other a long time.’
    ‘What are you doing here in Aligarh?’
    ‘I’m in the final year. Eco Honours.’
    ‘You understand what loyalty and secrecy mean?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘And you understand that we will not take it lightly if you betray us in any way?’ There was a sudden edge in his voice as he turned and looked at Asif.
    Asif met his gaze and nodded. Mujib finally looked away, seemingly satisfied, at least for the moment. ‘Good.’ He started the vehicle and they began to crawl through the dark, narrow streets of Aligarh. ‘So what have you decided, Salafi?’
    ‘I’m beginning to believe you are right, Mujib bhai. The others are just wasting our time with all their talk, petitions and shit like that.’ Salafi thumped the seat with his fist. ‘We need to take action! We need to make those bastards sit up and take notice of us... and treat us with respect.’
    ‘How exactly are you are going to do that? And more importantly, who is going to stand by you in this battle?’
    ‘I know who is with me. Asif is, for one. Aren’t you?’ He looked at Asif.
    ‘Why else am I here, bhaijaan?’
    ‘I am pretty sure that some of the other key members are also with me… Irfan, Zaheer, Nissar and...’ He reeled off a few more names before his voice trailed away.
    After a moment, Mujib asked softly, ‘And who is against us, miyan? Knowing your friends is good, but it’s far more important to know your enemies.’
    Asif was not sure why, but he intuitively knew that something important was about to go down. Salafi’s voice was low when he replied.
    ‘I know for a fact that Omar and Shafique are going to oppose anything we try to do. Those damn do-gooders are definitely going to fight us tooth and nail. As for the others…’ He thought for a moment. ‘They are fence sitters. Bloody sheep! They’ll just flow with the tide. But Omar and Shafique – they certainly are the enemy.’
    ‘So be it!’ Mujib’s voice was cold and sent a shiver down Asif’s spine. ‘What are we going to do about them?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Salafi replied, almost petulantly.
    ‘What do you think we should do, Salafi?’ Mujib continued, his voice still chillingly low. ‘What does one do with the enemy?’
    Silence shrouded the occupants of the car. The game had changed, and each of them was acutely aware of it. They
Go to

Readers choose