The man sat at a table under the canopy outside a restaurant on the road to a Nandi Hills, a favourite getaway for Bangaloreans. It is about fifty kilometres from the city. The road up the hill was a moderately tough climb for both cyclists and trekkers. The last couple of kilometres of the road had a dozen hairpin bends which were a challenge for the cyclists who had to cope with the gradient and other vehicles as well. When they reached the top, they usually turned back to coast downhill using up all their potential energy. They did not climb the hill to take in the visual treat that the heights offered and hence did not spend time at the top. It was exhilarating to reach speeds of over seventy kilometers an hour when rushing downhill. The adrenaline rush that ride gave was fantastic. The wind cooled their bodies overworked by the uphill ride and blew off whatever sweat that still remained on them. It did get a bit scary when one reached speeds where a brake failure could mean that one would take up flying without even a trainee licence.
The inside of the restaurant was nearly full and people returning from treks and bike rides. The bikers preferred to sit under the canopy while they sipped a lime juice or two. They could keep an eye on their bicycles propped up against the canopy's supports. The trekker was wearing garments suitable for his sport – light, but heavy duty, to save his arms and legs from getting scratched by the shrubbery – and rubber-soled ankle boots. His alpenstock rested against the table, while his backpack sat on the adjacent chair. He had driven on these roads many times and walked on many paths well enough to know each turn and slope.
He had just driven down from the top and his vehicle was parked near the restaurant. He had crossed two cyclists a couple of kilometers earlier on his way down. They now arrived at the restaurant and parked their bikes. They occupied the table next to him and ordered their drink and breakfast. One biker was pretty short and other was moderately tall. Both were trim and wore skin tight tops and shorts.
As they waited for the order to be delivered, they started talking. The shorter one said, "I know you are in a bad mood because of your break-up yesterday. Shrug it off and enjoy the ride."
The inside of the restaurant was nearly full and people returning from treks and bike rides. The bikers preferred to sit under the canopy while they sipped a lime juice or two. They could keep an eye on their bicycles propped up against the canopy's supports. The trekker was wearing garments suitable for his sport – light, but heavy duty, to save his arms and legs from getting scratched by the shrubbery – and rubber-soled ankle boots. His alpenstock rested against the table, while his backpack sat on the adjacent chair. He had driven on these roads many times and walked on many paths well enough to know each turn and slope.
He had just driven down from the top and his vehicle was parked near the restaurant. He had crossed two cyclists a couple of kilometers earlier on his way down. They now arrived at the restaurant and parked their bikes. They occupied the table next to him and ordered their drink and breakfast. One biker was pretty short and other was moderately tall. Both were trim and wore skin tight tops and shorts.
As they waited for the order to be delivered, they started talking. The shorter one said, "I know you are in a bad mood because of your break-up yesterday. Shrug it off and enjoy the ride."
"Shall we go up again?" he asked.
The taller one grinned and replied, "Who told you I am in a bad mood? I am rather glad that we broke up yesterday. In fact, I have already fixed my date for tonight."
The trekker broke in saying, "I had cycled all the way from Bangalore to the top of this hill in 1977. We had to push the bike up some slopes. All we had were roadsters which did not give us the benefit of gears."
Shorty was amazed and with widened eyes, exclaimed, "Wow, Uncle! That must have been quite an adventure. We drove down by car and cycled from here to top and back."
Tallboy's phone rang and he made a grimace. Shorty asked him, "Is that call from your ex?"
Tallboy replied, "Yes, she has been calling me all morning and I have not taken her calls. I am done with her. Who wants a pregnant girlfriend?"
He cut the call and placed the phone on the table. A little later, it rang again. This time, he looked at the name on the screen and brightened up. He took the call enthusiastically and walked away from the table.
The trekker asked Shorty, "What do you guys do? Are you working or studying?"
Shorty replied that they were students at a college in the city.
"How many trips do you do?" asked the trekker.
Shorty replied, "At present four round trips, but we want to increase it. At least two more trips today."
After some conversation, Tallboy ended the call and came and sat down again.
Shorty asked him, "Looks like someone else this time. Your date for tonight?"
Tallboy gave a big smile, saying, "No. Different girl. She said she found me very cute. Fixed up a date for today evening.Will get away well in time for the night date."
Shorty laughed and commented, "You seem to have got over your breakup pretty well. Already two in the pipeline?"
Tallboy bragged, "Actually five in the pipeline." He added, "They all seem to be attracted to me. Getting into a relationship with Maya was the biggest mistake in my life. I would have missed out on so many girls. In fact, yesterday she threatened to create trouble for me, when I asked her to abort. Worse, a couple of these girls called me when I was with her and she found out I was playing the field. I told her point-blank that I was not interested in her any longer. She was infuriated and told me that she would tell her dad about us and he would know what to do with me. He is a police officer and can create trouble. When we were riding down, a police jeep crossed us. I was worried that they were looking out for me."
The taller one grinned and replied, "Who told you I am in a bad mood? I am rather glad that we broke up yesterday. In fact, I have already fixed my date for tonight."
The trekker broke in saying, "I had cycled all the way from Bangalore to the top of this hill in 1977. We had to push the bike up some slopes. All we had were roadsters which did not give us the benefit of gears."
Shorty was amazed and with widened eyes, exclaimed, "Wow, Uncle! That must have been quite an adventure. We drove down by car and cycled from here to top and back."
Tallboy's phone rang and he made a grimace. Shorty asked him, "Is that call from your ex?"
Tallboy replied, "Yes, she has been calling me all morning and I have not taken her calls. I am done with her. Who wants a pregnant girlfriend?"
He cut the call and placed the phone on the table. A little later, it rang again. This time, he looked at the name on the screen and brightened up. He took the call enthusiastically and walked away from the table.
The trekker asked Shorty, "What do you guys do? Are you working or studying?"
Shorty replied that they were students at a college in the city.
"How many trips do you do?" asked the trekker.
Shorty replied, "At present four round trips, but we want to increase it. At least two more trips today."
After some conversation, Tallboy ended the call and came and sat down again.
Shorty asked him, "Looks like someone else this time. Your date for tonight?"
Tallboy gave a big smile, saying, "No. Different girl. She said she found me very cute. Fixed up a date for today evening.Will get away well in time for the night date."
Shorty laughed and commented, "You seem to have got over your breakup pretty well. Already two in the pipeline?"
Tallboy bragged, "Actually five in the pipeline." He added, "They all seem to be attracted to me. Getting into a relationship with Maya was the biggest mistake in my life. I would have missed out on so many girls. In fact, yesterday she threatened to create trouble for me, when I asked her to abort. Worse, a couple of these girls called me when I was with her and she found out I was playing the field. I told her point-blank that I was not interested in her any longer. She was infuriated and told me that she would tell her dad about us and he would know what to do with me. He is a police officer and can create trouble. When we were riding down, a police jeep crossed us. I was worried that they were looking out for me."
He added an afterthought, "She doesn't know how powerful my dad is. I need to speak to him to get her father transferred somewhere far. "
He also added, "I need to take care of Maya too if she persists on carrying on with the pregnancy. I will probably pretend to make up with her and bring her here for a drive. Unfortunately for her, she will lose her step and take a tumble. Certainly one will die, two if I am lucky. I don't care for her any more."
The trekker was aghast to hear this. He did not display his horror and said, "Time for me to drive up. See you on top."
He walked away towards the parking lot. He went to the rest room and spent time washing his face and hands. Coming out, he spied the cyclists starting their next round. He waited around ten minutes and then drove up and parked in the parking lot at the summit. From there, he spotted them arriving and taking a U-turn to start their ride back.
He waited a few minutes and then started driving downwards slowly. A couple of minutes later he could see them on the road below him just beyond the next hairpin bend. He continued driving slowly till he reached a location from where he could see a deep curve he had in mind, As he approached the bikers, he gave one last look in his rear-view mirror. Seeing no one, he accelerated a little and drove dangerously close to the bikers. "That's for Maya," he shouted through the window as he overtook them and stopped such that they had no space to take the curve or stop their bikes in time. He had selected the location with care for he knew they would not survive the fall there. Unable to stop in time, their bikes hit the retaining wall and cartwheeled in unison, catapulting both down the cliff.
He got out of his vehicle and peered down the cliff and could see their bodies on the ground far below.
He went back to his jeep and picked up the handset of the police radio fixed near his dashboard and called up the control room, introducing himself and saying "I was driving down the hills and saw two bikers go off the road. Please send an ambulance. I think they might be seriously injured or worse."
He had no remorse. Tallboy had made his intention to dispose off his daughter and deserved to die, he felt. It was absolutely clear he would not do justice to his daughter. He recalled his conversation with his daughter the previous night. She had told him that Tallboy had even refused to meet her the next morning. She had quoted Tallboy saying that he was going cycling with Shorty and that cycling was more important to him than her. Shorty was just collateral damage that could not be helped – bad company had its consequences, he reasoned. Nandi Hills had a reputation of people being pushed off cliffs for several decades. There was nothing to tie him to the accident – neither he had touched them nor had his jeep brushed with their bicycles.
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He also added, "I need to take care of Maya too if she persists on carrying on with the pregnancy. I will probably pretend to make up with her and bring her here for a drive. Unfortunately for her, she will lose her step and take a tumble. Certainly one will die, two if I am lucky. I don't care for her any more."
The trekker was aghast to hear this. He did not display his horror and said, "Time for me to drive up. See you on top."
**
He walked away towards the parking lot. He went to the rest room and spent time washing his face and hands. Coming out, he spied the cyclists starting their next round. He waited around ten minutes and then drove up and parked in the parking lot at the summit. From there, he spotted them arriving and taking a U-turn to start their ride back.
He waited a few minutes and then started driving downwards slowly. A couple of minutes later he could see them on the road below him just beyond the next hairpin bend. He continued driving slowly till he reached a location from where he could see a deep curve he had in mind, As he approached the bikers, he gave one last look in his rear-view mirror. Seeing no one, he accelerated a little and drove dangerously close to the bikers. "That's for Maya," he shouted through the window as he overtook them and stopped such that they had no space to take the curve or stop their bikes in time. He had selected the location with care for he knew they would not survive the fall there. Unable to stop in time, their bikes hit the retaining wall and cartwheeled in unison, catapulting both down the cliff.
He got out of his vehicle and peered down the cliff and could see their bodies on the ground far below.
He went back to his jeep and picked up the handset of the police radio fixed near his dashboard and called up the control room, introducing himself and saying "I was driving down the hills and saw two bikers go off the road. Please send an ambulance. I think they might be seriously injured or worse."
He had no remorse. Tallboy had made his intention to dispose off his daughter and deserved to die, he felt. It was absolutely clear he would not do justice to his daughter. He recalled his conversation with his daughter the previous night. She had told him that Tallboy had even refused to meet her the next morning. She had quoted Tallboy saying that he was going cycling with Shorty and that cycling was more important to him than her. Shorty was just collateral damage that could not be helped – bad company had its consequences, he reasoned. Nandi Hills had a reputation of people being pushed off cliffs for several decades. There was nothing to tie him to the accident – neither he had touched them nor had his jeep brushed with their bicycles.
***
