Archive for January 2, 2011

Delhi was awash with vibrant colour and a mood of triumphalism.  It was the eve of the Commonwealth Games finale and the euphoric nature of the celebrations on this humid evening was proof that these Games has exceeded all expectations and despite genuine concerns that Delhi could not deliver, the world had been convinced that India could indeed host a major global sporting event and successfully.

A deeply pungent odour hung in the air, strangely comforting.  A heady mix of petrol fumes, deep fried samosas, and burning cow pats.  Maya felt very much at home, even though she had only visited this place a few times.

This was the smell of her childhood that had been so blissful and carefree.  There had been regular holidays back to her motherland accompanying her twin sister, Priya, and their parents.  Her memories of India filled her with deep sadness though.   Recognition and regret that she had spent some of the best times she could remember here when life held few burdens but so much had changed since then.

Maya and Priya were very close as children.  A sixth sense, so common between twin siblings, defined their childhood. They shared the same tastes, the same bullish attitude and the same mannerisms.  They doted on each other, starved of attention from parents who would grow apart.  Maya’s thoughts turned to that fateful day almost twelve years ago when she and Priya returned home from school to their parents locked in a frightening exchange.  Wide-eyed, furious they both were, like wild animals.  As they entered this unfamiliar and unwelcome setting, and before they could take in their bearings, her father had swooped in one movement and snatched hold of Priya.  Leaving behind a trail of hysterics, histrionics and disbelief, both had disappeared from her life.  Just like that.  That was the last time she had seen both of them.  She suspected they were in India but she had heard nothing. For twelve years.  Nothing.

In the absence of a father during her teen years, Maya had grown up intent on looking after herself and had joined the metropolitan police force.  She had a steely determination in everything she did.  Excelling at the academy, she was now a member of the UK anti-terrorist squad and tonight her overriding emotion was one of relief.  Her mission was to keep the Games safe and despite a number of intelligence reports suggesting the team needed to be on their guard, she’d had precious little to do in the past 2 weeks.  Maya had been specifically chosen to assist the local squad because of her heritage.  Delhi was the city of her origin, she felt drawn here and despite her preparation and her training, all she wished was for these Games to finish without notable incident.   And so far they had.

On the other side of town, Priya sat silently on the roof of her Delhi home, fixated on the crescent-shaped moon which provided the only light in an otherwise bleak landscape.  As she emerged from her trance she realised she was shaking uncontrollably.  It wasn’t cold but she had troubled thoughts.  Priya wrestled with her conscience.  “For what I am about to do, may Lord Shiva have mercy on me”.  She was a tortured soul, full of anger and bitterness.  One year ago, her father had been brutally attacked and left to die.  His business partner was implicated but nothing was proved and from that moment on Priya had sought one thing – vengeance.  Priya had never understood her father’s business or his shady dealings which had surely led to them absconding to Delhi twelve years ago. Yet without her mother during the key stage of becoming a woman she had placed all her faith and trust in him.  She loved him more than she ought and without him her life was meaningless.  True, her mother and sister were in England, memories of them both still vivid.  England was a world away.  Her life was in India, with her father.  Now he was gone, she lacked purpose.

 Recently she had discovered a way to channel her grief.  She had met a man and he had taken advantage of her vulnerability and offered her an escape route from her depressive state.  For the first time in a long time, she rediscovered a sense of belonging.  Now she was just hours away from causing untold carnage in her home city.  She would be remembered forever, a martyr in her mind.  She prayed one last time for forgiveness, then went back inside and to sleep.  Tomorrow would be far from just another day.

Maya was tense in the control room.  What appeared to be credible intelligence had reached the team that a rogue cell was operating in the city and had targeted the final day of the Games to strike.  Worst of all, rumour was growing that the mode to be used was the hardest to defend against – the suicide bomber.  Maya had been trained to deal with such a scenario but never experienced it in practice.  It wasn’t common in the UK but things were very different in India.

Maya searched methodically through CCTV footage for any sign of suspicious behaviour, however small or inconsequential.  She had a good eye.  She always noticed things that others would gloss over.  However, frustration was growing.  For the last eight hours she had been patiently reviewing footage and nothing stood out as different, odd or unexpected.  She must be missing something.

At one of the Games entrances, Priya was dressed in a traditional Burkha and was queuing patiently.  She knew that her accomplice had passed rigorous examination to gain a staff pass at the Games and she knew where he had hidden the belt.  The belt laden with explosives.  She paused, momentarily unable to breathe, and cautiously looked first behind and then ahead of her.  At this precise moment, Maya was studying the camera in her general vicinity.  She couldn’t be sure what it was, but instinct told Maya that she had spotted something.  A flicker of indecision.  It was nothing really but Maya still noticed it.  This was enough for her to act.

Maya didn’t share this hunch with anyone.  She silently moved away from her desk, from the control room and in pursuit of the mysterious woman, the woman who had unexpectedly piqued her interest.

Priya moved calmly through the crowd, not wanting to draw attention, not realising that she already had.  Maya had moved swiftly enough to keep this woman within range but held herself back, ensuring she would not be noticed.  Maya’s heart raced faster.  Her senses came alive.  Whilst not completely uncommon for a woman to offer themselves for the cause, it was nevertheless usually men who had the nerve and the indoctrination to be willing to sacrifice their life for what they believed to be a higher purpose. 

Priya headed for a storeroom she knew would have been left unlocked by her accomplice.  She reached for the handle and paused again, inhaling deeply.  Maya’s pulse was racing as her hunch was becoming reality and this time she called for backup.

She knew, however, that she would need to tackle the assailant on her own, before others would arrive yet strangely the thought filled her not with fear but with great fortitude. “Remember your training, Maya” she told herself and with that she moved stealthily but like lightning towards the storeroom door.

Inside Priya had found the belt exactly where she had expected to and was holding it out in front of her, studying it intensely.  The plan was working.  She couldn’t believe it could be this easy.  As she turned to secure the belt under her loose costume, she glimpsed a shadow near the door.  Panic rose in Priya.  How could she have been discovered, she must not fail in her task.  Not now.  She must have vengeance.

Before she could react, Maya leapt out of the darkness, pointing her gun directly at Priya’s head.  “Freeze”, she shouted, “or trust me I will shoot.”

Priya’s reaction caught Maya completely by surprise.  Her expression was pale and ghostly as she screamed out her sister’s name in disbelief.  Maya could not see Priya’s face directly as she was wearing a Burkha but she instantly understood the significance of this moment.  For a fleeting moment both girls stared in horror at each other, unable to fathom the desperate reality laid out in front of them. 

Maya’s training kicked in more quickly.  Despite the undeniable distress of this revelation, she knew one thing and one thing only would suffice.  A suicide bomber was a clear and present danger and had to be taken down with no quarter given whilst there was a realistic chance to detonate.  Instinctively Maya pulled hard on the trigger and a shot rang out piercing the silence.

Priya collapsed to the deck, the bullet striking her hard and true right between the eyes, killing her instantly.

Back up arrived as the shot was fired and in the commotion, Maya fell to the ground distraught with tears streaming down her cheeks.  She would never know what happened to her twin sister.  What had led her to this place to carry out this deed.  She did not know, even, that her father was dead and this had been the trigger to turn her sister into a prospective killer.  For now, however, she was the killer.  It mattered little to her right at this moment that she had helped to save many lives.  For now she was filled with deep remorse and regret.

Conflicted and distraught, Maya did not see that one of her colleagues had picked up the suicide belt and strapped it to himself.  He was Priya’s accomplice.  He screamed out after Maya, hate in his voice.  She spun round just in time to see him reach down to detonate the bomb and in an instant their worlds collided and then there was darkness.