The Game Of Wits by PVV Satyanarayana (brene brown rising strong .TXT) 📕

her preying eyes fell on Venkatesh. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she observed him. After a few minutes, when Venkatesh walked out of the shop, Jalaja followed him.

Crossing the road to the other side suddenly, Venkatesh started walking briskly towards the bus stop. Jalaja followed suit. Walking faster than him, she tried to overtake him, and in the process, she appeared to have lost balance and dashed against him. Both said, ‘sorry’ to each other. Venkatesh, then, tried to hurry away towards the bus stop.

Jalaja had suddenly raised an alarm, shouting, “thief…thief…”, holding her neck with both hands.

As people approached her, she cried aloud pointing towards Venkatesh, “He has snatched my gold chain. He is running away. Catch him”.

Venkatesh was shell-shocked…at the sudden development. Recovering fast, he tried to run away. But the people would not allow him the privilege. They chased and caught him not far away, and brought him to Jalaja, despite his vehement protests. By now a big crowd had gathered around her.

“As I was walking along, he gave me a dash and snatched my gold chain,” Jalaja had alleged.

“No, no… It’s a lie! I haven’t snatched her gold chain,” Venkatesh tried hard to convince the mob. “I’m not a thief”.

But the crowds would not listen to him. They searched him and pulled out a gold chain from his secret pocket.

“There it is!” cried Jalaja excitedly on seeing it. “Oh, my lovely chain!” she had grabbed and kissed it and put it on her neck.

Venkatesh was dumbfounded. He wanted to shout at the top of his voice that the ornament did not belong to her. But, then, he had no guts to do so. For, how could he explain how it came into his possession!

The fury of the crowd knowing no bounds, he was beaten black and blue. Someone had called the police and he was handed over to them in a bad shape.

In the melee that ensued, the clever Jalaja had quietly slipped away from the place – along with the ornament, of course!

And that was her modus operandi…!

Unfortunately for Venkatesh, when the police searched the room where he lived, some of the items stolen by him earlier were found there. So, the case had strengthened against him prompting the police to make the F.I.R. against him even though Jalaja was not to be found for filing a formal complaint.

Later Venkatesh was produced before the court, which had sentenced him to six months S.I. Thus he had got into the police records for the first time, thanks to Jalaja.

While emerging out of the court, Venkatesh had vowed to take revenge against the woman who had not only deprived and robbed him of his loot unjustly, but also caused his imprisonment for the first time in his life. He had resolved then and there that he would kill her, when he got back.

As Jalaja later read in the newspapers the details of the case, she had a hearty laugh. Duping thieves was her hobby and profession too. If the thieves robbed people sneakily, she robbed the thieves themselves – publicly!

‘It was after all a game of wits!’ – she would tell herself giggling.

***

AS the flashback came to her mind, Jalaja wondered as to how fast the time was moving. For, Venkatesh had already completed the sentence and was back.

‘So, the fellow is after my blood!’ surmised she. Luckily, presently she was all alone at home as her mother was out of station. That was some solace for her.

“You are still standing, man!” said Jalaja. “Why not you make yourself comfortable?”

He growled and looked at her menacingly. “I’ve come to kill you!” he said curtly, watching her face for reaction.

She giggled. “Even if you are ready to kill me … I am not prepared to die, so soon!” said she tauntingly.

That had sent him to tatters. Her captivating looks, disarming smile and stunning coolness seemed to cast a spell on him, for a moment. He jerked himself of the feeling.

He took a step forward and said angrily, “You bloody cheat! I’ve been waiting for this moment for six months. And you can’t escape my knife”.

“Okay. If you are bent on killing me, who can stop?” she said, smiling. “But, I have a right to know the reason, before dying”.

Her smile was quite disturbing. Had she got frightened of him and pleaded with him for sparing her life, he would have felt immensely happy. But, contrary to it, she looked as though she was taking him light! And this had made him furious.

“You do not seem to have guts even to sit down. How then can you kill me?” she said again, in the same taunting manner.

This sent him into a rage, but he tried to control himself by gritting his teeth. He sat down instantly.

She had again flashed a sweet smile and asked him: “You look tired and worn out. Let me get you a refreshing cup of coffee”.

“You want to get rid of me by mixing poison in the coffee, eh?” he growled.

She laughed. “I did not know that you were such a timid fellow!” she remarked.

“Shut up!” he was enraged.

“Okay. Tell me this at least…” She asked him gently. “Why on earth do you want to kill me? And pray what do you gain by that?”

“Don’t pretend as if you’re a novice!” he said sharply. “How could you forget the high-voltage drama that you had enacted to rob me in full public glare? It’s because of you I had to go to jail…for the first time in my life”. His voice was serious and intense as he accused her.

Yet, Jalaja did not seem to be perturbed. “I am really amused at what you are saying, man,” she had said evenly. “We are birds of the same feather. Only difference, of course, is that…while you rob people sneakily, I target the likes of you publicly – in a dignified way! That is exactly what had happened with you that day … And why do you clamour about going to jail? Is it not just like our in-laws’ place? We are in and out - any time, any number of times! After all you should be prepared for the consequences when you choose a wrong path … So I still do not see any reason to get so much excited about it as to kill me”.

Venkatesh was flabbergasted. He looked at her in wonder. Not only her beauty, even her I.Q. and courage were enticing. Her reasoning seemed to be unflappable. Quite amazing and admiring. He felt as though he were falling for her bewitching beauty and astounding guts … He checked himself with difficulty, though.

“Nonsense! I’m not here to hear hour sermons. I’m going to kill you,” He had asserted tersely.

She laughed and remarked, “Oh, what kind of a man you are! Is it the way to talk to a beautiful girl like me?”

The clever bitch was trying to lay a trap for him with her charming beauty, he thought. He tried to say something angrily, but was interrupted by the knock on the door. Startled, he stared into her eyes, suspiciously.

“It must be the milkman,” said she, trying to get up.

“Don’t move!” He commanded her. “Are you sure that it’s the milkman?”

She looked at her watch. It was eight in the night. “He comes around this time, normally” she replied.

He did not know whether to believe her words. He was thinking fast.

She was eyeing him curiously.

It was then that the voice from outside came to be heard loudly, “Madam, milk…”

Venkatesh was relieved. “All right. Open the door a little and get the milk,” He had ordered her. “I would be standing right behind you. If you try to be over-smart, I’ll put the knife straight into your back. Remember that!” he had warned.

She looked at him in an apparent awe. “Do you mean to say that you have the guts to murder me in public gaze?” she quipped.

He did not respond. He glared at her, motioning her to move.

Jalaja got up and went to the kitchen. Fetching a vessel, she walked to the door.

Taking cover of the door, Venkatesh stood behind her silently, with the blade of the knife pressing her side.

She had opened the door a little and got the milk silently.

Venkatesh watched with bated breath. He heaved a sigh of relief as Jalaja closed the door after the milkman and bolted it.

Jalaja bent down to wipe off the milk drops that fell on the floor, when her sari got displaced and slid from her shoulder, exposing her attractive, inviting breasts.

While trying to adjust the sari, she looked at him through the corners of her eyes.

He was staring at he exposed breasts, gulping.

Jalaja got up and smiled at him. “You seem to be under great stress. Don’t you feel like sipping strong, hot coffee with fresh milk, man?” she had suggested.

He turned his eyes away from her. Her beauty…her looks…her words…were all driving him mad. His resolution had started weaning away, unknowingly. He eyed her all over with fondling looks. “I want to have…something better than coffee…” he said with a crooked smile.

She looked at him in wonder. “Oh, you too can smile!” She exclaimed, teasingly.

“I want to taste the wetness of your rosy lips. I mean, I want to kiss you…” he declared. He paused for a moment and added, “…before killing you”.

She chuckled. “So, the man in you is rousing … at last!”

“Come on,” He took a step forward.

She stepped back. “Don’t be silly. You cannot touch me”. Her voice was stern now.

“If you try to resist, I can hold you forcibly. I may even lay you down,” he had threatened haughtily.

She smiled. “Which woman would want to sleep with the man who is out to kill her?”

“I’ll rape you…” he was arrogant.

“Only the weak and the mentally deranged would resort to such a heinous act,” her smile remained un-erased.

He growled and stamped on the floor in an apparent disgust. He tried to say something angrily.

But then the sudden knock on the door had stopped him. Quite startled, he looked at her enquiringly.

“Who’s that again?” he yelled impatiently at her.

Jalaja giggled, seeing his discomfiture. She had simply shrugged.

Meanwhile, there was a pounding on the door.

Venkatesh walked to her and pressed the knife under her chin. “Don’t try to be smart. Tell me, who could it be now?” He asked her rudely.

Jalaja’s smile had faded by his rude behaviour. “It must be the waterman,” she said with a wry face.

“Are you kidding with me?” He turned away and kicked the chair angrily. “Earlier it was the milkman. And now…the waterman, you say!”

“I am not kidding.” Said she sharply. “Perhaps you do not know about the water scarcity in the city. All