The last meeting of the four resulted in heavy brain storming. The aftermath of Rilsy’s attack had resulted in silencing him but, they had run up a huge expense bill. More over, the whole entourage of the attackers had to be escorted to a place where they can be ensconced for a while. Ghaziabad is not a safe area. From there the gang’s onward journey to Nepal is not a cake walk. Also, the task seems unfinished. The brain behind all this is some one bigger than Rilsy.
Yashwant obtained information from various sources from Mangalore, Mumbai, Kasargod and Kundapur etc. There seems to be a group of people, a gang with ulterior motives who wants to eliminate these four guys. Kudwa and Lawyer Parekh, Xavier also made many phone calls and tried to trace the information leading towards the culprits. Who are they? Why Rilsy is silent? Marshal had returned and was providing info to Xavier. Venu also with his guys, was keeping a watch on the visitors who thronged Rilsy’s house after the couples’ discharge from hospital. But, the survey result was nil. The outcome did not satisfy either of them. Now, How to find the person? How to solve this problem? It is a great threat for all the four. Any one could be bumped off or may get arrested in some fake case. All are losing business in their real estate deals, hotel and industry businesses! The solution was provided by Yashwant.
Yashwant comes from Mulki. He is an alumnus of Vijaya College. In his college days he was famous for winning elections for Student’s Unions in his college. Either he will become President or see to it that the office bearers elected are his own chums! A King maker sort of person. The same time Kudwa was studying in Karnataka Polytechnic and they were introduced at a students rally at Town hall in their first year of college. Kudwa was studying ‘Diploma in Chemical Engineering and went onto obtain a BE in the same discipline later through Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal. Their friendship grew into a rock solid one day by day and culminated in business relationship, becoming partners in their various ventures. Well, Yashwant comes from a well to do family of Hoteliers. His ancestors are from Yermal. ‘Yermaalguthu’ was a very famous family name. He had Maternal relatives from Palemar nearby. In Mumbai, his Grand Uncles and Maternal Uncles were ruling the roost. They were kind of people who were respected for their sheer guts of running hotel businesses in troublesome places and who made millions by working day and night and taking on all street fight champions all the time of any caste and creed. They were all heftily built and were very strong and always made pumpkins out of the local thugs and their cronies. So the Bunts in Mumbai were in awe of Raikulus of Yermal and the Alvas from Palemar.
Yashwant was a weight lifter and also a body building champion. He won many a medals in competitions. But, he had this habit in him to go seek opinions from soothsayers before starting any endeavors. Be it training for his Championships, Election Campaigns later on business interests like opening a Restaurant or buying property and Flats etc etc. This habit he had discontinued for a while on account of constant ribbing from Abraham who was an atheist. He believed in God just for the sake of believing him. He used to go to Church to satisfy others like his Wife and Children and neighbors than himself.
So, Xavier who was a master at this and Kudwa, a PHD in checking out with Sadhu and Sants were discreet in their discussions. In front of Abraham, they used to hide these discussions. But, yesterday surprisingly, Abraham was also interested in knowing as to what holds good for their future. He was totally dumbstruck with the turn of events and the incessant losses they had to incur in the last couple of months. Their clout in business circles was slowly diminishing. And the only solution was to find out why? So when Kudwa and Yashwant suggested and Xavier endorsed very strongly in his harsh voice and inimitable accent, he also nodded in the affirmative. So they set out the next morning to Manglore.
***
11.35 AM. All the four friends came out from Bajpe Airport. The pitch Black Scorpio with Venu and Gopu was waiting for them. The newly done up Airport took Xavier’s breath away. He felt grateful and met personally and thanked the Airport Station Director and had very good words for the NRI’s of Dubai and other countries and the now infamous Mangalorean politicians for working towards making the dream come true of all Mangaloreans by turning their tiny airport into an International one!! That too, in record time!! Abraham was gaping with his mouth wide open. They had witnessed the repair work in their earlier trips. They know work was going on since long, but the result was simply astonishing! Well, Kudwa and Yashwant were also all praises! They hopped on their Scorpio towards the destination. To ‘Paladka Subraya Bhat.’ Yes, they had obtained urgent permission to come and visit him at once to know the reason of their recurring problems. They had decided to stay at the ‘Manjarun Hotel’ and visit the famous Bhat in the afternoon.
Subraya Bhat is from Paladka, but he had built a huge mansion at Moodubidri adjoining the road towards Mangalore from Karkal. His office also was adjacent to it.
Till noon, as a normal custom, Subraya Bhat will meet visitors from all over Dakshina Kannada and after his lunch and customary one and a half hours of nap, he will be out on his trips to meet people with prior appointment or wait for people who have obtained permission and visit him at his premises. Mostly, Hoteliers from Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum or Bangalore were rushing to him every day. He used to visit them also in Mumbai or any other places. Politicians, businessmen, Government Servants, Christians, Hindus, Muslims all were his customers. He had a new accessory nowadays, a mobile phone, so his bhakts, the fortune seekers were happy to get appointments with him instantly and on a regular basis. It was 2:45 in the afternoon. The all four set out to Moodbidri in the Scorpio with Venu in tow.
(To be continued..)
Author: Donald DSilva- Mumbai
