Adhu pona maasam…

“How about tomorrow evening?” Badri asked, sipping his coffee.

“No machi…I have an appointment with my dentist”, Deva croaked.

“Thavala vaayaa, dhayavu senju….”, Badri retorted with a contorted face.

Balaji laughed out loud. Ezhil continued to stare out of the window.

It was another weary day, and the four of them had decided to take a break at a tea shop in Chromepet. It was a calm afternoon with some shoppers scattered here and there on the promenade. The gentle breeze ruffled the leaves that were strewn around.

But little were they prepared for the single shot that would shatter this halcyon setting to smithereens. The windows of the tea shop they were sitting in, the fiber glass panel, in spite of its durability, exploded into a million pieces, manifesting the power of the weapon that fired that shot.

“Dai Deva, idhu fiberglass’nu evandaa unta alandhu vittadhu”, Balaji asked looking at the shattered window pane.

“Aama machan, nee kudukara rendu roobaiku onaku tea kooda fiberglass’la dhan tharuvaan.. Mooditu tea’ya kudi naaye”, was the response.

They knew it will come any day, but they didn’t expect it today.

Another shot rang out and all of them ducked under their table. Being a weekday, there were very few customers in the shop. And all of them screamed out in unison.

“Torture”, Badri muttered under his breath.

Balaji looked at the others. They nodded, which left Balaji confused. “Enna purinjidhunnu ippa ellaarum mandaya aatneenga?”, Balaji asked them, which the others promptly ignored. The four of them whipped out their equipments in one fluid motion.  Balaji and Deva took out  the advanced Glocks while Ezhil settled for a Walther. Badri, who was staring at all the proceedings, simply asked “Aen maapla ivlo jerk udra” and pulled out his wallet to pay the tea bill. They consolidated their postions behind the upturned tables and walls of the shop. The assault will begin anytime. And when that happens, only agents Deva, Ezhil and Balaji will be ready.