When the alarm rang, Mahavir woke up instantly. It was as if he hadn’t slept at all. His throat felt dry and his ears and nose were burning. He pressed the alarm, lifted his blanket gently, and put his feet on the floor, and went to the bathroom. 

He glanced at his face in the mirror and realized that there was blood all over it. He could see a dark red spot of dry blood below his nose, and all over his left ear. He moistened his ears, extracted the cotton from the first aid box and then began rubbing his nose and left ear with it. In less than two minutes, blood had disappeared. He then stepped into the shower and scrubbed himself until he was thoroughly clean, took off his clothes, and lay back in the steaming water. 
He stepped out of his shower and checked himself in the mirror. His face, which looked battered a moment ago, looked Ok. If someone looked carefully, they could still see the marks that the beating had left. But no one could possibly notice it from a safe distance. 

He came to his room, glanced all the clothes that were strewn about, picked his grey jeans and blue tee shirt and held them over his head. He had changed in less than three minutes. He glanced at his watch again. Nishant had promised to call at three, he said that he had found him a job. Very few people were precise about their timing and Nishant was one of them.  

Suddenly the phone rang and Mahavir grabbed it. There was a silence for a while and then the voice spoke. He listened to it will full attention. He was about to ask a question when, CLICK. The phone went dead. He replaced the receiver and stood there, thinking, his cheeks were raised and he pressed his lips together. Hmm curious he muttered to himself.  When he walked out of his room it was 3:05. He saw his dad on the sofa watching television and with his back turned toward him Mahavir could see the little black hair at the back of his bald head.

Slowly, very slowly, without making the slightest sound he crept through the slightly open main door. As he walked out of his home he glanced at his watch. The time was 03:07.

Mahavir knew what he was about to do. He wasn’t so sure about what he was doing ever in his life. He went straight to his friend Nishant’s house. Nishant, a 18 year old high school dropout, was as every bit as cunning and careful as a 40 year old with a degree. He would be a very important ally in Mahavir’s plan. Mahavir walked through the gate of Nishant’s exquisite house, past the line of trees situated at the either side of the passage. 

He walked up to the house and pressed the doorbell. There was no answer. He waited for a minute and pressed again. He glanced at his watch (maybe I’m at the wrong address). He turned his back to the house and had just started to leave. Suddenly, the door opened, a man stood in the doorway.

Mahavir watched as a guy with lean, athletic figure and a dark complexion appeared before him.
“Yes, what can I do for you?” said a deep, rich voice. “It’s me, Mahavir,” said Mahavir in a puzzled voice.

“Oh god, yes it is you! How did you put the disguise?”
Mahavir was momentarily taken aback. He quickened his pace and went to the nearest mirror. He looked at the face in the mirror and saw a queer guy with a swarthy complexion looking in at him, he stood frozen for a while and then realized that he was looking at his own reflection.

He felt a gush of excitement go through him. His face had completely changed. The beating that he took from his father had changed his face considerably. His face looked contorted. In addition to that strolling on the muddy streets of Kathmandu had darkened his skin and rendered him unrecognizable. Suddenly Mahavir’s face lit up, a plan so simple and yet so ingenious struck his head.

“Nishant, you told me that you have taken a flat at lease just to celebrate with your friends, did you not?”

“Yes, Mahavir, I’ve told you so a dozen times”
“The landlord doesn’t know your real name, does he?”
“No, of course not, I took the flat by the name of Sudip Nakarmi. I do a lot of things that are probably not legal there. You think I’m stupid to give my real name to that monster?”
Mahavir dismissed him with an extravagant hand gesture. 
“You also told us that the landlord was an utter miser.”
“Oh yes, the guy agreed to give me a flat for Rs 50,000 a month. You understand how ludicrous that is?”

“I perfectly do, my friend. Now tell me. Do you have any pictures of yours in that house?”
“What do you think I am, an imbecile? Hell no.” There was a slight irritation in his tone
Mahavir took no notice of that and continued the conversation.

“Perfect,just perfect. I congratulate you my friend. What an ingenious creature you are!..and you also told me that he was an unscrupulous creature who profited from destroying helpless vulnerable people” 
Nishant looked at Mahavir in annoyance.
“We don’t have time for this. I brought you here to do a job.”
“Oh yes we will do a job. Just a different and better one.”
“What are you talking about?”

“Pray, have a seat Nishant, have patience. I will explain everything to you in detail”
Nishant looked irritated but he did as he was told. Mahavir took a deep breath and then started his narrative. In a riveting speech he laid out his plans before him. His voice was rich and deep. He spoke for two hours straight.

Nishant listened captivated and impressed by the intellect of the man before him. The speech was hypnotic. He did not realize how quickly the time had passed as he was enthralled.

When the speech was over Mahavir held out his hands and said, “So when do we begin?”
There was a long pause as Nishant sat in his chair hand holding his chin and eyes looking meditatively at the ceiling. “Now,” came the answer.

Pratik is a high school graduate from Trinity Int’l College, Dillibazar.