The Jugni Page 3

  Rosy looked impressed. All of a sudden she said, “I want to learn!” Simar looked at her but did not say anything.

  “Please, I really want to learn.”

  Simar said, “If you really want to learn; first of all, you have to change your mindset. Learn to help yourself, don’t expect it from someone else but yourself.”

  “Understood,” Rosy replied. Simar turned her jeep around. After a few minutes’ drive, they reached an old building. It was similar to an old garage. It looked creepy to Rosy at first because of the rusted walls and almost no traffic. She moved closer to Simar but did not say anything.

  Although old, it was a big place. There were many vehicles parked outside. Cycles, motorcycles, scooters, and a few cars could be seen as well. Noises of people practicing martial arts could be heard from outside as they approached nearer. Simar and Rosy proceeded towards the door.

  As soon as Simar opened the door, the inside view revealed. It was a huge place. On one side there was a boxing ring where two boys were practicing. On the other side, people were learning to fight with weapons and just next to the entrance, some folks were learning to fight without weapons or something similar to karate. Nobody wore any uniform as martial arts people do. There were people from all age groups.

  As soon as she opened the door it drew the attention of everybody inside, maybe because of the noise of the rusted iron door opening. Everybody in the hall stopped and started looking at her. All of them greeted her in martial arts professionalism, bow from the upper body with legs straight and still. In return, she did the same. Everything resumed soon after. Rosy was very fascinated by this. Simar asked her to come with her. Both walked to the other side of the place. Simar introduced Rosy to the senior trainer, a fit fellow maybe in his forties with a little beard; he wore a blue and white tracksuit.

  “Hello Sir, this is Rosy. She will start here soon.”

  “Sure, Simar. Hi, Rosy, I am Vijay and I am the senior trainer here.” He noticed the bandages on Rosy but did not say anything or gave any attention to it.

  Rosy greeted him.

  “Simar, did you tell her the fee?”

  “No Sir, why don’t you tell her?”

  Rosy gave a disheartened look to Simar as she realized how difficult it was for her parents to manage to pay the fee even for her school and this additional fee might not be possible.

  Vijay sensed that and said, “Nothing to worry about, it’s not the money we are after. The fee is… when you become perfect in self-defense, just teach this to five other people for free. This is how it works. Everybody you see here is doing the same. Nobody has ever spent even a single penny.”

  Rosy exclaimed with joy. She said, “For sure, sir! I will do the same.” Simar smiled as well. Then they excused themselves from the trainer and left for Rosy’s house.

  “Who’s training center is this?”

  “I started it,” Simar replied.

  “Wow, you are doing a great job. You must be very rich as well to arrange all that.”

  Simar smiled and said, “No, I am not, but I don’t need money for all this. The place is provided by local authorities and all trainers do this voluntarily. My brother Jaspal and I started this. We have a similar set up in Amritsar next to our home.

  “When I came back from England, I wanted to share my knowledge of self-defense with the people who cannot afford to pay. Starting was difficult; we did not have a place and resources. But as this mission gained strength, the local authorities came forward to help. The local people helped a lot as well. I used to teach martial arts and Jaspal veerji taught boxing. The fee is the same, to teach further five people without a fee.”

  As the conversation finished, they reached Rosy’s house. It was kind of a slum but a little better. One thing was sure, people living there were moderate. As Simar wasn’t wearing a uniform, it did not attract the attention of anybody.

  Simar knocked on the door and mother of Rosy, a rusted and poor lady opened it. She gave a strange look. Simar asked permission to come in. She explained everything to Rosy’s mother, who started to cry.

  Rosy and Simar comforted her.

  “Thank you for saving my little girl.” Her sobbing mother said.

  “Don’t thank me. I am on the mission to make people able to defend themselves so that such situations do not happen again. From tomorrow, Rosy is coming to our self-defense center. Please do not stop her. If you do, I will come by myself to pick her up.”

  “No, I won’t stop her. I want her to be strong. You saved her today but you cannot be there for her always.”

  Simar felt satisfied with her answer. She bid farewell to them and left.

  ***

  Somewhere far away

  Four men were having drinks in a luxurious room of a hotel.

  “Hey Junaid, how is your progress? Have you got all the maps and layouts of the buildings?” Asked a thirty’ish aged man, with an average-built body but good height, clean-shaven, straight black hair and dressed like a mafia. He looked through his spectacles towards Junaid for an answer.

  “Almost done; I am only waiting for the map of the drainage system of the city, which I will have later this week.” A man, in his late thirties with a bald head, short height but strong musculature replied while having his whiskey.

  “Junaid looks organized. How about you Rohit? How much more time do you need?” The third man with a slim body, little beard, and a fair complexion asked the first one.

  “Work is progressing as expected. Our agents are in contact with the officials and whoever is required. Money is being given very generously. The refusal rate is low. But no one knows the plan yet,” Rohit replied as he finished his bottle of Corona.

  “Of course, nobody knows the plan. Rana hasn’t finalized it yet. Even we don’t know,” Junaid said and gave a light laugh.

  The fourth, a geek-looking man almost spilled his coke when he heard his name; this brought him back to reality from his phone. His belly was a little bit protruding, stretching his brisk blue shirt.

  “I am onto it. Just finalizing the escape plan. And selecting the country where we could live happily ever after. I am right on track, I guess if we are behind schedule, the reason is weapons. At the moment we have only half of the required supply. Please don’t mind, but I think Sam is a bit lazy?”

  “Doctor, I am not lazy. I have got the most difficult task. I am dealing internationally. Small guns and bombs we got more than enough, that’s not an issue. Presently, I am importing illegally, the big weapons from three countries. It won’t come straight A’s, the things are big we have to bring them in piece-by-piece. And need experts here to assemble them.” His tone got a bit elevated.

  Rohit interrupted, “Calm down, Sam.”

  “Oh yes, for sure I know you got the most important work to do.”

  “Let’s raise a toast,” Junaid said, “To our plan!”

  “To our plan!” Everyone cheered with a smile.

  “I still remember those days, I was the poorest among you guys. After Higher Secondary, we could not get admission in any engineering college because we could not afford fees,” Sam said in a very low tone.

  Rohit added, “It was not our fault brother, it was the system. Only rich and powerful people can be successful in this society.”

  “You guys remember the day we met Rana?” Junaid entered the conversation with some excitement. “We three were sitting on the edge of a bridge over the river and…”

  “Yes, I was going to commit suicide that day,” Rana cut Junaid’s sentence.

  “Like you engineers, it is difficult to become a doctor as well. Only rich can pay a private fee of medical colleges. And there is cut-throat competition for government colleges. In addition to that, huge expectations of parents make the situation of students even worse. I wasn’t able to cope with that.”

  �
��We saved you, asshole.” It all started with joining that local gang and then becoming its leader. From there to becoming the biggest supplier of drugs and weapons just seems like a dream to me. We all must keep this always in our minds that what is our power? It’s our strong friendship and trust in each other. As long as we four are together, nothing can stand in our way. Now we got everything, it’s time to change the system.” Sam asked everyone, “Do you guys still have the same fire in your hearts as we had before?”

  “Yes, of course,” all said at the same time.

  “Let’s change the system.”

  All finished their drinks.

  ***

  Back in New Delhi

  In her office, the Police station, Simar was reading some file when the phone rang. She wore black pants, a white shirt with a fine check and a vertical shoulder holster without a gun.

  “Hello, Simar speaking.”

  “Hello, madam; Parkash here. SP sir is on the line he wants to speak with you.” A middle-aged clerk and receptionist of that police station told Simar.

  “Yes, Parkash Ji, put him on.”

  “Okay, madam.” He pressed some button and redirected the call to Simar.

  “Hello, Simar Kaur speaking.”

  “Hello Simar, SP Vikas Sharma this side.”

  “Good morning, Sir.”

  “Good morning, Simar. How is everything going?”

  “Very well, sir. Initially, it was a bit difficult, but it is easy now.”

  “As an Assistant Superintendent of Police, you have done an impressive job. Maybe it’s the changes in police system or whatever you have done, it is working. The graph of crime in your area has fallen drastically. Such impressive changes just within six months of joining; you are going in the right direction.”

  “Thank you, Sir. That is my mission in life, to make this world a better place. I am doing my part in my area.”

  “Well, Simar, perhaps the time has come to expand that mission a bit wider now. You work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The DGP of Delhi police Mr. Sinha is very impressed with your work and wants to implement those changes in other areas and other departments of police as well.”

  “Wow, Sir! That is amazing.”

  “That was the purpose for my call. DGP sir wants to see us and discuss the framework of it. Have you got anything to do this afternoon?”

  “No, Sir; nothing much, I was just going through some pending cases. I will be free by afternoon.”

  “Okay then, come to my office around one PM and we will go to the police headquarters together.”

  “Sure sir, see you at one.”

  She hung up the phone and started to read again.

  It was 12.15 when she checked the wall clock.

  “I better go, the traffic is terrible sometimes,” she said to herself.

  She pulled the drawer out from the desk and took her M9. She put it in the holster. She was wearing her blazer when her mobile rang. It was her mother.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you?”

  “I am good, you tell?”

  “I am doing great here. DGP of Delhi is very impressed with my work. He wants to implement my ways in all the areas.”

  “Well done! I am very proud of you.”

  “Thank you, mom,” Simar said as she walked to her jeep.

  “Hey, listen, when are you coming to Amritsar next?”

  “I don’t know yet mom, what happened?”

  “Need to finalize a girl for Jaspal. I have got a few families interested in him.”

  “Ask him mom, who he likes. He is the one going to spend his life with the girl, not me.”

  “Yes, but he is very shy. He said whatever you and I decide, he will be happy.”

  “Do one thing, send me the photos of girls. I will see.”

  “Okay, I will do. And once it is done, will need to find a match for you as well.”

  “Mom, don’t worry about me. I will find one by myself. But before that, I have so many things to do,” Simar said and sat on the seat of her jeep.

  “Everything has its time, child.”

  “I know mom, don’t worry. Okay, I am getting late now, I have to go. Bye.”

  “Okay, bye, take care.”

  She hung up and started her jeep.

  Mr. Sharma was already waiting for her outside the building of his office. He was well presented, a late 40’s man. A couple of policemen stood beside him and were talking when Simar entered the premises.

  Simar parked her jeep and went straight to him.

  “Sorry Sir, apologies for the delay.”

  “That’s all right, it is only five minutes.”

  “Still, sir, five minutes is a lot.”

  “Don’t worry. Come, sit in the car.” He pointed towards a white ambassador, ready to go with a driver in it.’

  After half an hour’s drive, they reached the police headquarters. All policemen Simar and Sharma came across on their way to the DGP office, saluted them.

  As they both entered the DGP’s office, he stood up from his chair to shake hands.

  “Welcome.” Sinha was a man in early fifties. Although his tummy was a little bugling out of his police uniform, he was quite fit and active for his age. He would have been a strong man in his youth, all of the muscle tissues had not faded away from chest and arms. His clean-shaven face showed some wrinkles.

  He asked them to have seats.

  “How is everything going, Mr. Sharma?”

  “Everything is going well. Especially when we have a new breed of police officers coming in, it makes a big difference. Their new ideas and energy and the experience of old policemen work very well.” He looked at Simar as he finished. Simar smiled in return.

  “That is true Mr. Sharma. Miss Simar, I must say we need more police officers like you in the department. Everybody in the department is impressed by your work. Moreover, its only six months since you started, it is incredible.”

  “Thank you very much, sir. Those words keep motivating me. I am just doing what I feel the right thing to do.”

  “And it is working. Crime in your area has dropped, people’s faith in the police has recovered. I am very impressed. But I don’t want this to be confined to your area. I want to give you an extra responsibility. Will you be alright with that?”

  “I will try my best to meet the expectations.”

  “You did not even ask what that was. Anyway, I’ll tell you. You will spend some time in all police zones one by one across the city. You will implement all changes as you did in your area.”

  “I like that idea, sir. It will be fun.”

  “See Mr. Sharma; give the new task to the youngsters, they find fun in it.”

  “I think that is why the outcome is so good. Once you love what you do, there is nothing like it,” Sharma replied.

  “That’s right. And Mr. Sharma, appoint someone at Simar’s place for the time she will be on Delhi’s long tour.”

  “Yes, sure sir. Where will she be going first?”

  “I was thinking of the western zone.”

  “Western? Are you sure sir?” Sharma asked as if Sinha might have said something wrong.

  Simar looked at Sharma and saw his expression of concern. “Is there any problem with the west side?”

  Sharma looked at Sinha to answer Simar’s question.

  “There is no problem in the west. Rather, we have a solution for all problems. But our concern is… there is only one solution for all problems.”

  “I don’t understand, sir.”

  “Mr. Zahid Khan. He looks after the west side. He is just one year senior IPS officer to you.”

  “What’s wrong with him? Is he not an honest officer? Does he do anything he is not supposed to?”

  “No, no, Simar, he is very honest. Rather he is the best jun
ior officer in the department if you ask me, you being the second best. He also wants to serve the society and eliminate crime. The way he approaches the things is quite different though. He thinks the force is the answer to all problems. He fights first and talks later. As police officers, we must be diplomatic sometimes, which he finds difficult. He is very energetic; he reminds me of my youth, but I was not as ruthless as he is. I have got so many complaints against him. He thinks people should be afraid of the police which will keep them away from doing wrong things.”

  “Oh. Let’s see he changes his ways or I change mine?”

  “Please, Simar, you don’t change. We are sending you to change the rest of them.”

  “I was joking sir, nothing can change me. I will do my best and try to fulfill the expectations.”

  “That’s good. I will organize everything and inform you. I will not hold you both any longer, you guys can go now. Thanks for coming.”

  After handshakes, we both left.

  ***

  After two days

  Exactly at 9 AM, Simar reached the western main police station. In her off-white shirt, navy blue pants and blazer she looked more like a businesswoman than a police officer. The noise of her stilettoes brought attention. Many of them kept looking at her, mesmerized by her beauty. She walked past a few; they kept on looking at her even when she was long gone and all that was visible of her was a swinging ponytail or her well-sculptured figure.

  Simar was aware of this but it wasn’t a new thing for her. Nobody knew her in this area, so nobody saluted her. She walked to the clerk sitting on the chair in one corner, who was already looking at her just like the others.

  “Hi, I want to see Mr. Zahid Khan.”

  “He is not here. Who are you? Is there anything I can help you with?” His tone was less helpful and more sarcastic.

  “I came from the police headquarters. I have some work with him; can you tell me where he is or what time he will be coming.”