I realized with a start that I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill her because I had fallen in love with her.
One million rupees, all for one kill - one easy kill. It had almost seemed unbelievable. Today, the very thought of causing an ounce of pain to her for all the money in the world seemed revolting.
The memory of the day her husband had hired me to ‘do away’ with her was still fresh in my mind.
“I want you to get rid of Anne before I’m back from Mumbai,” he said in a nonchalant manner.
We were sitting in a coffee shop which was a kilometer away from his high profile office building.
“Consider it done,” I said with my usual aura of confidence.
“She says she’ll file the divorce once I’m back,” he gave out a dry laugh, and continued, “Only that’s not going to happen, is it?”
When I didn't say anything and continued sipping my cold coffee, he added in a firm tone, “You have two days.”
I nodded, knowing how important a deal this was for me. It could make or break my life. His reputation was on the line, and no one messed with that. Not even his wife - who he had been cheating on, as the word goes. Confronting him about it had been the biggest mistake of her life. And not doing the task I had been assigned to do, would be mine.
Seeing her now, sitting on the stone bench –sketching – it broke my heart. It broke my heart to look at the beautiful face that had been unfortunate enough to get married to a man whose sole purpose in life was to make money. Nothing mattered to him more than that, and anything that came in the way of his path to glory was to be removed. The fact that the ‘obstacle’ this time around happened to be his pretty twenty two year old wife made no difference to him.
He was a man of business.
I used to be, too. Until I met her.
Had you said I’d hesitate before making a kill - for one million rupees - a day and a half ago, I would've said you were more than a little cuckoo in the head. I mean, over a hundred kills had come my way, and I had never thought twice before pulling the trigger. So why would this one be any different?
I hadn't known at that time that a person could change so fast. I hadn't known that a rock could melt in a matter of two days.
The very first day I had laid eyes on her, something inside me came to life.
She was wearing a light blue dress, and had no make-up on. The bags under her eyes made it pretty obvious that she had been crying the whole night.
“Enough is enough. He has crossed the line now, and there’s just no going back,” said her sister from across the table in a voice dripping with anger.
Anne looked down at her clenched hands that lay forgotten in her lap, and didn't say anything.
“It’s been two years, Anne. You've been married for two years, and the bastard hasn't treated you with the kind of respect and love you rightly deserve even once!” she said, dropping the folk and knife in her plate with a loud noise.
Anne looked like she was going to cry again. But she didn't.
I adjusted my position on the table behind theirs, as a waiter planted himself before me, obstructing my view.
“Come on, I’ll drop you home. It’s getting really late,” her sister said.
“It’s okay. The driver will drop me,” she said in a low tone before hugging her beloved sister and leaving.
Anne held the pack of chocolates her sister had gifted her in her arms and walked to her car outside.
I followed her out after a minute, just in time to see her handing the box of expensive imported chocolates to a little boy begging at the signal.
When I looked at her now, I saw a woman who had been torn to pieces one could not stick back together. She was lonely and heartbroken.
It was funny how the same guy who had ruined her life was ready to take mine to a whole new level.
Only I didn't want it anymore.
I wanted her. I loved her.
My hands were shaking wildly, and the gun in my lap was screaming for attention. This was the right time. She was in the most secluded area, and I could silently kill her without anyone’s slightest bit of attention.
But the question was – Did love mean more to me than a comfortable life and a never ending supply of money? Did love mean more to me than what I had done my entire life?
Did love mean more to me than my identity?
