The Fatal Turn by PVV Satyanarayana (red queen free ebook .txt) 📕

since filed suits against him in the court of law for specific performance, etc…’

As I read the report, a crooked smile emerged from my lips. These were only small traces of my super intelligence. They were nothing, as the real major breakthrough was yet to come and soon.

How the poor Wimbledon Champion was going to solve this peculiar problem, I must wait and see. It was not as easy as tackling the tennis ball in the court, I should say. It was not like idling away the time playing tennis daily, either… It was working with the brains! It was a game of wits!!

Poor world, how could it ever realize that there was Vijay, the look-alike of Vinay?! People must be thinking that either Vinay was insane or a cheat. With this the Wimbledon Champion was sure to stumble in life, even if he did not in the tennis court.

It was impossible for any one to suspect me as I always took enough precautions. As I had already stated, my I.Q. was super. My shrewdness was superb. My operations were par excellent. Even the international crook Charles Shobraj could not help surrendering to my wits and intelligence.

I was going to Bangalore in a couple of days on a business tour. Possibly I should trap one or two parties there also and make them my victims. However, the future operations might not be so easy as in the past in view of the sort of reports that were appearing in the press against Vinay these days. Yet I would not say it was impossible. I should be extra cautious in my operations. That’s all.

It didn’t matter. I possessed a superb brain! I was an expert at reading the minds of people and chalking out my plans accordingly. None could compete with me on this. As I thought like this, my self-confidence had soured to new heights.

IT WAS TWO days since I landed in Bangalore. I lodged in a star hotel in the heart of the city. Ever since I moved into the hotel, I made enough hints to make people believe that I was the famed Wimbledon Champion with the result the hotel staff had been bestowing special attention on me. But I had been disappointed. For, even after two days, my net was empty. There was not even a single prey to fall in it. I was to return to Headquarters in the next couple of days, and I didn’t want to leave the city empty-handed.
On the third day, I was very busy the whole day with my official work and returned to my suite in the night damn tired. As I was undressing to retire to bed, the receptionist was on the intercom. She informed me that there were two gentlemen at the reception wanting to see me – the Wimbledon Champion, Vinay, to be exact. She said they were from the Karnataka Tennis Association.

Telling her to show them up, I had quickly dressed up again. My joy knew no bounds as I sensed that some new fish was trying to get into my net, though belated.

I opened the door on hearing the knock. I eyed carefully the two men standing at the doorway.
They were tall and sturdy. Their faces looked hard and their looks harsh. Strangely, for the first time, I felt uneasy for no conceivable reason.

“Good evening, Mr. Vinay.” Both wished at a time. It was a perfect sync.
I wished back and stepped aside, allowing them the way.

They had closed the door behind as they entered the room. I shook hands with them and seated them in the sofa.
“We are extremely happy to meet the famous Wimbledon Champion,” said one of them.
I had smiled, adjusting my shirt collar.

“Mr. Vinay, have you ever heard of the notorious kidnapper Kanakaraju?” the same man enquired of me coolly.

“Yes, of course” I replied, wondering why he was sidetracking the business for which they had come. “Who would not have heard of Kanakaraju? He was known for kidnapping rich people and demanding crores of rupees as ransom. He would not hesitate to kill his victims very cruelly if the ransom is not paid. This is what I had read of him, sometime back.”

“You are quite right,” agreed he. “Did you see him anytime?”
“No”.
“Then you must see him now, “ saying that he had pointed to the man sitting beside him. “He is that notorious kidnapper Kanakaraju,” he said icily.

I was startled as if a bomb had exploded by my side.

I looked at Kanakaraju.

There was an automatic in his hand now. And that was staring at me.

I froze with fear. “W…what do you…mean?” I tried to get up.

“Don’t move, Mr. Vinay,” he had warned me, his voice chill and looks cruel.

“What’s the game?” Mustering courage and looking angrily, I asked him curtly.

“I will tell you … We are going to kidnap you now. The world would never hesitate to pay any amount of ransom to save the life of the famed Wimbledon Champion. So we would release you as soon as we get five crore ransom,” he explained.

I almost fainted on hearing his words. “I…I…I’m not Vinay…” I could not hear my own voice as if it emerged from a deep well.

They had burst into laughter. “Don’t be kidding, mister. Unless confirmed from all aspects, we don’t start the operation. Once we start we don’t beat a retreat. Cash or corpse should always exchange!”

“You…you don’t mean it! Do you…?” My voice was sinking.

“Listen carefully. You can get out alive only when we received five crores. Otherwise, only your corpse would reach your people. You can rest assured of it…”

The rest of his words were not getting into my mind. For, I became non-plussed as I realized the dangerous situation in which I was placed. I could guess what was going to happen now…

After captivating me, these people would demand a ransom of five crores for releasing alive the Wimbledon Champion, Vinay. Since the real Vinay was already safe outside and the one in the hands of the kidnappers was a fake, nobody would bother about the threat. As a result Kanakaraju would kill me mercilessly with all the cruelty as soon as the deadline was over… The thought itself was scaring me out of my life.

‘The vulture that ate a hundred cattle needs only one shot to die. Don’t be so foolish as to think that you are the only cleverest guy in the world. When you fall in the ditch dug by your own self, your over-confidence and arrogance would not come to your rescue…’ I had suddenly remembered the words of one of my friends.

Yes, it was my own doing! It was my greed, over-confidence and arrogance that had brought me to this state. I had dug my own grave. Even the Gods would not be able to save me now!

Being a look-alike of the great Wimbledon Champion, everything had worked out so far as I had planned and expected. But, this was a turn I had never expected!…a fatal turn…!!

“See, Mr. Vinay. You will now….”

Kanakaraju was telling me something. But nothing of it was entering my head. For, I was already fainting…"

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Publication Date: 08-08-2010

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