5. AN EYRIE’S VIEW
Read from First Chapter here.
Read Previous Chapter here.
Previously on The Bike Babaji: Mike had come near the tea stall and wanted to enquire something with James.
4th Monday November, 11:54 a.m.
“Do you know where’s ATM around here?”, asked Mike, coming near to James.
Sturdy voice, firm masculine, well-built muscular body but most of all, he is new to the area. Deductions were concluded in James mind.
“Uh... it is over there... ah, you see that temple, right next to it” replied James.
“Thank you” said Mike and walked towards the ATM. Quickly, James left the tea stall and started walking in opposite direction.
Billboards are profitable marketing for any company. Most of the billboards are placed in prime location, be it commercial or residential area. The advertising agencies would have done thorough research before placing any billboards. Especially the larger billboards, placed at the tallest buildings in the area, would offer the best visibility without any significant visible interferences. This makes billboards an instrumental hub to examine and survey an area. James always chose billboards as his workspace when he wanted to learn the daily patterns of his prey. And it was where, he was hurriedly walking towards. He reached the building, a boy’s paying guest provider, where he had rented a room for a month, one week before and had moved in yesterday night. He went straight to the terrace and walked towards the hind corner where the gigantic billboard lay. ‘Please do not eat the billboard’, read the billboard, written next to a huge cheesy burger image. With thick red background the billboard promoted McDonalds, with it's logo and ‘I’m lovin’ it’ slogan written towards the bottom corner. James climbed the iron vertical stairs which led to the billboard top, and lied down next to the logo recumbently with his right hand supporting his head. He could see Mike’s home and the tea stall clearly from an eagle eye’s view. His eyes moved further to locate the ATM, next to the temple. And he saw Mike coming back to the tea stall.
James was disturbed now. He took his Black cigarette casket from his pants pocket and picked one cigarette, lighted and smoked his thoughts in and out. My face is out I can’t involve directly, he inhaled the cigar. Need to find someone to do the job, he exhaled smoke. Where do I find a guy whom I can trust all of a sudden? he inhaled the cigar again. I do not have time I need to act soon, he exhaled smoke, looking at the skies. Suddenly there was a scream.
“Babaji!”, a guttural voice broke the silence in the terrace. James was shaken up by the loud cry. He couldn’t help drop his cigar while turning aside to discern who had disturbed his rumination. And there stood Vinod, his belly protruded in all directions like an overblown tire.
“Babaji! It’s you. What a miracle? Praise the heavens, I never thought I’ll find you so soon. Om Namo Narayana!” exclaimed Vinod, astonished to have seen his Babaji atop the billboard, like Lord Vishnu reclining on his serpent couch.
[To be continued]