The Last Salute

Charan and Vivek were sitting near Arman and Liam's bodies, which were decorated with flowers and were lied in caskets. Vivek said nothing that day and was just sitting next to the casket the whole day. His eyes were red and dry and his face was emotionless and pale. Charan looked at Natalya holding Hamida in her arms and standing afar from the caskets. She too didn't cried and was watching Hamida the whole day. Charan, Vivek and Natalya's attention went to the sound of a helicopter landing in the lawn. Charan rose and went near the door and saw Farukh, Ali and some of the high clergymen coming out from the helicopter. Farukh looked at Charan and gave a small nod. Charan went near him and hugged him tightly and started crying. Farukh patted him back and said, "It's all God's will. We cannot do anything about it." Charan said, "But, he didn't deserved such death." Farukh said, "No one chooses his death, it is always pre destined." Charan smiled, "Ejaz's words." Farukh smiled, "Where is Vivek?" Charan replied, "Come inside."

All went inside and saw Arman and Liam, Vivek was still sitting like a statue and didn't even looked at Farukh and Ali. Ali sat near him and hugged him. He said, "No one wanted this happen. He was such a jolly man, the rightful heir to the throne and a good friend. The world would be quite lonely and boring without him." Vivek asked, "Why are you here?" Ali replied, "Duties, my brother. Family duties. We are here to take Arman's body to his homeland and bury him there. He deserves to sleep with his family and not in some foreign land." Vivek said, "No. He won't go anywhere. London is no foreign land to him, it is dearer to him than his homeland. He ate, drank, slept and loved in this country. He fought along us on this land and most importantly, he lived his life on this land and he deserves to sleep inside this land alongside the brother who fought with him in his last moments." Ali looked at Farukh and Farukh nodded in approval. Ali smiled, "Okay. If you want to keep my cousin here, fulfil your wish. But, what are we gonna say to the local folk? That their king is lying in a foreign country. They need someone to rely on and they cannot rely on somebody lying hundred miles away from them." Vivek said, "Relying on dead people will do no good. You and Farukh should gain their trust and take them to a better future. They need you, not Arman." Ali said, "We are not rightful heirs. They would never trust us."

Vivek patted his shoulder, "There is nothing like a rightful heir. The man who wants to lead, will lead anyway. The Sultan made his reign by himself, Rasoori was a disowned prince and Syman was a thief. All the great men paved their own way. Arman and Ejaz never wanted anything from the Sultanate as they considered it to be unethical. They never considered themselves worthy, but you two brothers have beautifully managed the Sultanate and deserve to do so in the future." Ali patted Vivek's shoulder and rose. He went near Arman's casket and saw his cousin's face. It has turned pale and cold and the always laughing smile has faded. He started crying like a baby and Farukh took him in his arms. Charan brought Hamida to them and said, "Even though, Arman never wanted to send his daughter to his home, but I think it will be best for her to stay away from her dirty uncles." Farukh asked, "Arman's daughter?" Charan replied, "Yes." Ali asked, "Who's the mother?" Charan replied, "Shayana."

Farukh and Ali looked at each other and smiled. Ali took Hamida in his arms and said, "No. She doesn't belong there. Arman knew that she would have no future there, just like her mother." Natalya came forward and said, "I will keep her. We will go to Netherlands start a new life there." Vivek said, "Okay, but promise me. You will never tell her about her family and raise her like your own child." Natalya nodded in approval. Charan looked at Arman and Liam and said, "Let's start the funeral rituals." Vivek, Charan, Ali and Farukh hold four of the hooks and the clergymen started chanting holy words. After putting Arman's casket in the car, they went and put Liam's casket in the car. They started the car and rode towards the graveyard.

They put the bodies inside the hole digged in the ground and slowly poured soil on their bodies and finally filled the hole with soil and stood near the grave and chanted holy words. Ali and Farukh left early as they have to address the local folk as soon as possible and also some conspiracies are also starting in some corners of Turkey. Ali and Farukh bid goodbye to Natalya and blessed Hamida and soon went inside the helicopter and flew away. Vivek was sitting near Arman's grave and Charan stood near him. Charan was not crying, but his pain was unbearable. He lost two of his best friends on the same day and was now quite alone in his quest to become the greatest man in the Underworld.

Charan looked at Liam's grave and went near it. He touched the soil and reminisced the words of Liam. He can feel Liam standing next to him, patting his head and saying, "Don't let my death go in vain. Become what you always wanted to be. I'm always standing next to you." Charan felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned and saw a man wearing black tuxedo. He hugged him and said, "You are late, brother." The man replied, "Yes. I have." Charan said, "Liam never you attend his funeral and yet you are here." The man smiled, "I never listened to him and I never will." Charan said, "Your brother was a good man. He didn't deserved to go like this." The man sighed, "I wish I was there. I would have taken the bullets for him." Charan said grimly, "No. You have a family now. I don't want you to die like your brother." He said, "I want that bastard, who killed my brother. I want to see him suffer when I will throw him in a pit of scorpions." Vivek came near him and said, "No, Christopher. He is my prey. I have many accounts to settle with him." Christopher said, "Okay. After you are finished with him, I'm gonna show him what a brother's fury looks like." Christopher, Vivek and Charan waved goodbye to their companions and said, "We are gonna meet you in the afterlife, brothers." They rode towards their house.

Natalya took Hamida to the airport and booked the earliest flight possible to Netherlands. Charan and Vivek waved them goodbye and Vivek kissed Hamida's forehead and said, "I will miss you, my princess." Hamida smiled and Charan patted her head. Natalya and Hamida soon went inside and after half an hour, their plane took off. Charan looked at the plane and said, "I hope she understands our reasons when she grows up." Vivek said, "She will. She is the daughter of two crafty people." Charan hugged Vivek and smiled, "Looks like we are only two remaining now." Vivek smiled, "And we are enough to kill our enemies."

Charan and Vivek went to the parking lot and saw few men near the car. They quickly hid behind a car and peeped at what was happening there. Vivek looked and saw a familiar face among them. Vivek boiled in anger and said, "That motherfucker Alphonso is here. I am gonna kill this guy, today." Charan said, "Don't be mad, Vivek. It's not the time. He has people near him and we are alone." Vivek and Charan looked at them. Alphonso broke the window and put an envelope inside the car and soon went away with his men. After ensuring that Alphonso is gone, Charan and Vivek carefully went inside the car and Vivek opened the envelope and read the letter. It reads, "Dear enemies. I hope you are not angry with me. I just wanted to kidnap your foolish friend, but another foolish friend of yours started shooting at us and we had no option but to kill them both. I hope that one day, I can kill you two scums just like I killed your friend. Till that day, live motherfuckers."

Vivek crumpled the letter and threw it away. Charan picked the letter and read it. He said, "Time will say, who dies." Vivek said, "He has done a wrong thing in challenging us. He is going to face the consequences." Charan said, "No. This is what he wants. To make us reckless and force us to take wrong steps." Vivek asked, "Then what should we do?" Charan replied, "Something that he never saw coming." Vivek asked, "What?" Charan replied, "We are gonna kill his power source." Vivek asked, "Kill Syman?" Charan replied, "Yes. It's time that he sees what we Khatris are capable of doing." Vivek and Charan went inside the car and rode towards Christopher's house.

Christopher opened the door and saw his new friends waiting there. He said, "Come in." They went inside and sat on the sofa. Christopher poured drinks for them and said, "You did the right thing by coming here. Alphonso would surely go there and look for you." Charan said, "No. Alphonso is quite clever. He sent us this letter." Christopher read the letter and said, "Bastard. He is calling his own death." Vivek said, "We want to go to Malaysia. We think it's time to take the first step." Christopher asked, "What step?" Charan replied, "Alphonso is so confident because he has Syman at his back. We have to kill Syman to lessen his power. Then, we are gonna give the punishments we planned for him."

Christopher said, "Kill Syman Rocco? I know that he is a little weak right now, but he still has an army in front of him." Vivek said, "An army which doesn't like him. We just need to convince them that they need better leader than that man and we moreover we will talk about independence from any rule. A happy and prospering life." Christopher thought for a moment and said, "Okay. But, you will need people who you can trust. Do you have anyone in mind?" Charan replied, "I have a person in mind. He will surely help us and also listening about Liam's death will fuel him more to revolt against Syman." Vivek asked, "Who is he?" Charan replied, "We will meet him by the next Thursday. So, let's keep it a surprise." Vivek nodded and looked at Christopher, " I want a helicopter by tomorrow." Christopher replied, "Okay." Charan asked, "What are you gonna do with a helicopter?" Vivek replied, "I too have some friends, who can help us keep an eye on that bastard." Charan said sadly, "I am missing Arman and Liam. They would have been quite excited about the mission." Vivek said, "Alphonso is going to know what it feels to lose friends. I will surely make him feel that pain, till the day I put a bullet in him." Christopher said, "You two should leave by the day after tomorrow. Syman is celebrating his birthday on Friday and I think Alphonso will surely be there" Vivek and Charan nodded. Charan said, "Let's go to the bed. It's quite late." All went to their rooms and lied on their bed.

Vivek opened his phone gallery and looked at the photos of him and Arman together. He zoomed the photo and a tear rolled down his face. He scrolled further and saw Shirley, Liam, Ejaz, his two sisters, stepmothers and his father's photos. He put the phone on charging and closed his eyes. He looked at the ceiling and mumbled, "Why is it so hard to become successful? All the time I'm just losing and suffering. What's the point of remaining the top man if you are alone? I may kill Alphonso, give him the most painful death, but then what? Will my lost relations come back? Will my life be normal again? Will I find happiness again? Will I be the old me again?" These thoughts kept hammering his mind as his eyes slowly closed and he fell asleep.

Charan was standing at the balcony, smoking a cigar. The smoke entangled with his breath filled the whole balcony with smoke. He took out his phone and called Bhaskar. After several rings, the call remained unanswered. Charan mumbled, "Bloody early sleepers." He yawned and looked at a train speeding away in distance. The lights of the train seemed like small flys speeding away in line. Charan mumbled, "Arman and Liam, if you are hearing me from the heaven. I want to confess that sometimes I thought you two to be quite delusional. Lurking away from your duties and embracing false hopes. I always thought myself the superior one among you two and I sometimes wanted to control your decisions, but now that you two are gone, I miss you two. Arman's childish talks and Liam's wise advices, they will always be embedded in my heart. I promise that the day I become the most powerful man in the Underworld, I will build golden statues of you two and will make your names immortal. I promise you that Alphonso will beg for death the day I face him." Charan threw the cigar and came inside the room and fell asleep, as the night deepen...