The Red Dragon's Lair

She ran as fast as her feet could carry. On the docks. Her red, ornately embellished wedding dress, slowing her down. Her red dupatta (stole paired on an Indian dress) sweeping the ground, wet and heavy with the slick and rust. With a handgun, her service Glock 17, in her sweaty hands, she was quite a sight to look at.

She looked around for a sign. Her trained eyes scanned every nook and corner. She saw a scrap metal plate lying broken and bent by the side. With swift strides she walked up to it and used it to cut the lower half of her dress unevenly. The hem now hung just above her knees. She was relieved with the freedom of movement it now gave her. Thank God, she had chosen Bellies. At least her feet weren't protesting. Ditching her stole, she walked towards the shadows.

She knew that they had to be here. This was where everything had led her. She was sure her calculations were correct. She couldn't go wrong. Not now, when lives were at stake. Especially of people who she loved. She knew the kidnappers. They were dangerous assholes.

She thought about all the conflicts that she had faced with the love of her life. Many a times breaking up and coming together again, until she couldn't take the agony of separation anymore. Finally when they were about to get married, he got kidnapped. Along with their friends! This couldn't be happening. She couldn't lose them. Her entire life flashed in front of her eyes.

The shadows were getting darker. The sun was setting out over the ocean and she had to be quick.

As she went around the corner of a shipping container, a sudden forceful punch landed on her belly knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for breath. Before she could take any action, within the next instant, another blow landed on her jaw. She slumped with the impact. She was losing consciousness as the gun was being pulled out of her hands.

Someone snorted. "We hit a jackpot. The bitch is here in a sexy avatar. Let's show her where she belongs."

Men guffawed.

No... no... no... this can't be! Please don't let me faint God! Not now, please... she fell into darkness and oblivion.

*****

A/N

Thank you everyone who has decided to read this book.

Happy reading. XX

KK

Anya Mithra

"Anya! Anya! Your brother is calling you. On the little hill outside the basti (slums)."

12 year old Anya was washing utensils outside her tiny shanty in one of the biggest slums of Mumbai. Dharavi. The one roomed tin shed with an asbestos sheet as a roof was their only possession left behind by their parents. Her brother, Dada, as she called him, was 8 years older and she loved him to the moon and back.

She didn't remember much about their parents. They had died in a fire at the mills compound where they worked. Anya was only 6 then. Her dada had brought her up. He had managed to do odd jobs and bring in money to keep their shanty and to bring in food at least once a day. There were some days when they would go without food. Those were few and even at that time her brother managed to get something for her to eat and sleep. She did not have to sleep on an empty stomach.

Life was hard but he had insisted that she should continue her education. Her public school provided free education and she even managed to get donated books, shoes and clothes. The clothes were sometimes too big for her but would help cover her tiny frame.

She loved her books. They helped her forget the difficulties of life.

He never called her when he was out for work and he never took a break from his work. That's why he consistently found work . Then why was he calling her in the middle of the day?

"What Sana," she shouted back at her friend. "What's he calling me for?"

"Don't know. Tatya (names of one of the boys) said dada had a surprise for you", the girl shouted at the top of her voice, "I need to go now, or else Dad will kill me. Bye." She pranced off.

Many people in the vicinity heard her. No one said a word. It was very common for men in their community to beat their women up. And kids were only collateral damage.

Anya left the utensils, wiped her hands to her frock and strutted towards the hill in her worn out flip flops. She was excited. What was the surprise that couldn't wait until evening?

*****

Palash Mithra (Dada)

He was a hard working boy. At 20 he had already managed to find a job as a car mechanic. It gave him a meagre but steady income. When he had lost his parents 6 years back, he was heartbroken.

He did not allow himself to grieve. He had a lovely little sister who had to be taken care of. He came from a family where women were respected and treated as equal. The family where women were worshipped as Durga (female goddess), the eternal power.

He had seen better days in his childhood but a family misfortune had landed them in this hell hole called Dharavi. At that age he didn't understand the dealings of the grown ups, but he had heard his mum and dad speak about getting cheated by their business partner. He had no idea of their business and no inkling of what the matter was and he didn't care. Thinking about it would neither bring food nor money to him, so it was a mere waste of time.

He wanted to work hard and take his sister out of this shitty place. He knew about the sickly web of crime around him. He kept to himself and stayed away from it. He knew there was money in there but he wanted a clean and decent life for him and his sister.

"Dada? What are you doing here?" Anya's friend Sana pulled him out of his reverie.

"Working. Why?" He scowled. He hated anyone disturbing him in his work. It meant lesser money.

"Didn't you call Anya at the hill?"

"Why would I? Who will do my work then?"

"But Tatya said that you had planned a surprise for her?"

He swore.

Tatya was one of the guys he hung out with. Palash didn't have any friends. Most boys in the slums were either junkies or addicted to rough sex. Tatya could have fucked everyone if he got a chance. Palash dropped his work and ran as fast as he could go. Anxious and scared for his sister's life. She was his baby sister. He could not afford to lose her.

*****

Anya

Carefree Anya reached the hill. She couldn't see or hear anyone. There was only silence. "Dada! Dada! Where are you?"

She walked carefully through the overgrown bushes around her. Anya knew no fear. She had heard of snakes and scorpions here but she had already seen and slept with bugs of various sizes in her tiny shanty. She walked towards the top of the hill. It had the dilapidated remains of an old stone house from a bygone era. It was said that a very rich family once lived there, but hundreds of years back they had moved to a different part of the town. The land was now owned by some Trust.

She continued walking, calling out for her brother from time to time. Her tiny feet were cramping up now and she desperately needed water. She had reached the ruins at the top of the hill and was moving from one run down wall to the other when she heard laughter. It seemed like boys. More than one. She called out, "Dada?"

Anya looked around the crumbling wall.

4 young boys sat in a circle with cheap snacks and alcohol with them. She did not know anyone personally but she had seen her brother hang out with them sometimes.

She saw Tatya. "Did you see dada? Sana told me that he was here."

Tatya laughed. "He isn't here but he asked us to take care of you. He wanted you to have some fun."

Anya did not like the malice in his tone. She had heard about bad things happening to young girls. She and Sana had spoken about it many times. When her periods had started her brother had explained important things about her body. She took a step back. "I am not interested. I have work to do." She turned around and tried to leave.

Tatya was by her side in seconds. He lifted her and put her on his shoulder. He was a grown up in his early twenties while she was just a child. It was easy. She kicked her dangling legs against him trying to free herself. Luckily for her, one of the legs met a spot that made him drop her and cover his crotch.

She got up and shot off, away from the place. The other 3 boys started following her, shouting, "get hold of her, quick. Don't let the bitch escape."

She ran through the stones and the overgrown shrubs. The grown up boys fast catching up while her tiny legs were trying to get her as far away from that dreaded place, as possible. She tripped. Fell down and felt the pain as her knees rubbed against the stones. The boys had reached. They laughed. "Caught you!" one said.

The other one held her arm and pulled her up, "Thought you could outrun us? How dare you hit Tatya. You will be punished for it," he spat menacingly on the ground. He was reeking of alcohol. Anya stood shivering, trying to think about what she could do to save herself.

The third one said, "don't worry bitch. You will have as much fun as us. In fact we will make sure that you come back for more." His cruel laughter showed his teeth stained by tobacco chewing.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" She heard her brother's shout and felt relieved. He was here, her dada was here now. She would be safe.

"Palash! You will need to fight us to free her!" the one holding her hand said. Alcohol giving him a false sense of power.

Palash closed the distance between them and punched the SOB. They were drunk and sluggish. It was effortless. He pushed the other 2 down and holding Anya's arm started walking away. Anya was still shivering. She felt her brother jerk. He let out an ear splitting scream and left her arm. Both his hands went to the back of his head.

There was blood, lots of blood oozing out of his head. He fell down. Anya was screaming and crying. Hugging her brother, trying to wake his lifeless body up. Tatya stood with an iron rod in his hands looking stunned at the amount of blood.

Through the haze of tears in her eyes she saw Sana arrive with her dad and some cops. Tatya was arrested.

*****

Anya

12 year old Anya ran, dreading for her life. The overgrown shrubs must have grown bigger. They were reaching her waist. Her worn-out flip flops were broken, so she left them behind and ran bare feet. Thorns pricking the soft soles of her feet. Pain shooting through her legs and her stomach cramping up with hunger. She couldn't remember when she had eaten last. She fell down and tried to get up but Tatya was at her side. She sat terrified. He poured a bucket full of warm blood on her. The warm blood soaking her clothes, turning her little hands red, reeking of death. No, No, No, stop....

"Stop!!!" Shouting, Anya woke up with a start. Hyperventilating and disoriented. She looked around her, anxiously. She was in her one bedroom apartment. Heaving a sigh of relief she checked the time. Her mobile phone on the bedside table said 3.00 am. Frustrated, she got off the bed.

This was the reason why she had decided against a roommate. With a roommate, she could have stayed closer to her place of work which was in the Pune city, but thanks to her insomnia, she had ended up in this tiny apartment in a suburb.

Her apartment had a bedroom with a small balcony, a kitchen with no dining area and thankfully a largish living room. She had converted a part of the living room into a gym with some weights, her kickboxing practice material and a stationary cycle.

The other side of the living room had a desk. The adjoining wall was lined with her favourite books from literature and law. In the middle of the room, there was a couch which she hardly used. She didn't have any friends or visitors. Sana, her only friend was happily married and lived in Mumbai.

She walked over to her kitchen, opened the small fridge and pulled out the ice tray. She poured herself a whiskey on the rocks and drank it as a single shot, letting the bitterness cut the pain.

Then she wandered into her gym area and started working out with her kickboxing equipment. Channelising her anger and pain towards the innocent punching bag. The nightmares were always on similar lines. It had been 9 years since that fateful accident, yet she smelled and felt her brother's blood almost every day.

She had no idea when she was going to forget it or when her brain would accept it. She hadn't been around when Sana had met her brother. Countless times she had asked Sana to repeat her version of the story. She loved the emotions she felt whenever Sana spoke about her interaction with Palash. She cherished the feeling that she was loved by her brother to the extent that he gave up his life for her.

Thankfully, Sana had arrived in time with her dad and the cops. They had arrested the bastard but the others ran away. Her brother was gone forever. Leaving a void in her life and her heart which constantly reminded her of her loss. There wasn't a single day that she didn't regret her decision of going to that hill.

The memory made her punch the bag a few extra times.

Holding her brother's body, she had made up her mind. She was going to hunt down all the motherfuckers. Every step after that day had brought her here. At 21 she was already a Sub Inspector of Police (PSI) in the most liveable city of India.

*****

She reached her office before most people. Always early to arrive, she loved her work more than her apartment. Thanks to her designation, she had a tiny cabin of her own which was separated by a partition from her colleague's cabin. Her desk space was cluttered with some files stacked on a corner.

A small glass of steaming hot tea and a bun on a grubby looking steel plate was kept ready for her by chotu, the young boy who got tea for all the cops. She saw her brother's younger days in the young hardworking boy.

"Chotu, what's up?"

"Nothing tai (elder sister). Just routine. Serving chai (Indian tea latte with spices) and hanging out with friends."

"Be careful who you hang out with!"

"You always say that." He laughed and pranced away.

Her work was hectic and at times she wouldn't have time for lunch so she loved her morning tea with a bun. No one was supposed to disturb her when she had her tea.

"Anya," her colleague said.

"What?" She spat angrily. She hated anyone who disturbed her routine of bun and tea.

"Sorry. There is a case. No other female cop is around. You would need to take it. Or should I ask them to wait?"

She saw a young girl, crying, height around 5 feet- 4 inches, dusky skin, dark brown eyes, curly hair, torn clothes, bruises all over the body, bleeding lip. A boy was with her, supporting her. Similar age, around 6 feet tall, mesmerising black eyes (what was that?), wheatish but tanned skin, and an athletic build. Boyfriend? Didn't look like it. Then must be her brother or a friend.

It took her trained mind only a few seconds to take in all the information. The poor girl was in shock. She kept her half eaten bun aside. "Send them over."

She asked them to sit on the chairs in front of her. The girl had calmed down into sobs but the boy was still supporting the girl with his arms. He guided her towards the chair. The girl meekly sat down. The boy took the chair next to her and looked towards Anya. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Hi, I am Anand Gore and this is Mia Singh," said the boy. He tried to speak but Anya stopped him.

She spoke directly to the girl, "Don't worry. You are safe here. Tell me what happened."

The girl burst out into a fresh bout of crying. Anya got up. She asked the constable to get a glass of water and sat on the edge of her table facing the girl.

Resting her hand on the girl's hand she said, "I know it must be terrible, but if you want us to help, you will need to tell me what happened. Take your time and try to relax."

"I was attacked," said Mia, "by my boyfriend. He tried to force himself on me."

She was still sobbing.

Anya cursed, "motherfucker"

She shouted at the constable, "Can you get the water quickly? And get the First Information Report (FIR) register too."

She sat back on the chair. Picking up her pen with determination in her eyes, she said, "tell me all about it and I will personally put the bastard behind bars."

*****