Adi stopped for breath behind a large banyan tree. He took in long gasps of air and peered behind him. There was no movement, no sound of twigs breaking under the men's feet, no sound of crushing dry leaves. He sank on the ground, his legs aching from running so fast. Sweat dripped down from every part of his body, and his face felt as if it was on fire.
He sat under the tree for some more time, to make sure that he had lost his pursuers. He listened intently. All he could hear were the birds chirping as they flew back towards their nest and the buzzing of insects. It was only now that he realized that he had been bitten on his arms, and there were large red swollen spots in a few places. He scrutinized them.
“Not to worry,” he thought to himself. These were simple insect bites. He looked around for the antidote, the plant his father had told him about during their visits to this forest innumerable times. He plucked the leaves, crushed them in his palms, and applied the juice on the swollen red areas.
The evening was coming upon him. Adi knew he could not go back to the house, and he could not remain out in the open. There were no tigers or lions in the forest, but there were packs of wolves and hyenas, and some people had sighted a few leopards as well. He gradually rose and started walking forward. He knew there was a tiny cave-like structure some way ahead. He had seen it some months back when he came here on the last visit with his father. He hoped that over the previous few months, the cave had not been occupied by any animal.
He approached the area, with slow and steady steps, keeping his eyes and ears open. He stopped right outside the cave and threw a stone inside. No sound and no movement. He threw another one. Nothing. Finally, he threw his backpack and went in.
It was not much of a cave, but it would do for the night. Large trees surrounded it and formed a virescent canopy over it. He sat down with his back against the rock and extended his tired legs.
His father had been a scientist. They lived in a large bungalow in this small town amid nature. The backyard of their house was right on the edge of the forest.Adi and his father frequently went on long walks into the woods. The entire basement of their home had been transformed into a high-end laboratory. His father regularly traveled to the metropolis and sometimes other countries for his research work.
Earlier that month, his father had died in a car accident, and seventeen-year-old Adi was left alone in the world. His mother had died when he was an infant. There were some relatives, but he didn’t know them well. His father had been a recluse. There were only two things important to him – Adi and his research. Nothing and no one took his attention away from these two essential things in his life.
After his father's death, some relatives did call upon Adi and offered, half-heartedly, to take him under their care. Adi had politely refused saying that he did not want to leave the house. He felt he was old enough to manage on his own. He was almost an adult, and he also had his best friend, Jacky, his golden retriever, and their housekeeper, Jay, to take care of him and help him.
The past month had been difficult. Adi was still coming to terms with the reality that his father was no more. He imagined, very often, that he would hear him come up from the basement, and ask him a complex science question. That was the game they both loved to play.
Jay's wife and child had gone to their village a few days before the accident. Jay had now gone to bring them back. He had waited for a month to go till he was sure that Adi would be able to manage alone for a few days.
Adi was studying that afternoon while Jacky was lying down in the backyard after a heavy meal when the bell rang. Jacky barked from the garden. There was a courier, a box for Adi. Who would send him the box?
He signed for it and looked at the sender. There was his father’s name.
Before he could understand and think about how it could be, two big men came in and shoved him inside. Adi lost his balance and fell down, still clutching the box.
“Give me the box,” shouted one of them, while the other came towards Adi, his hands extended to snatch the box.
"Jacky, attack," commanded Adi.
Out of nowhere, Jacky ran in and bit the man’s hand. As he held his bleeding hand, crying in pain, Jacky fell on the other one, his full weight made the burly man stumble and lose his balance.
That was enough time for Adi to get back on his feet. As he ran out towards the backyard, which led to the forest, he snatched a backpack, hurriedly put the box inside and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.
It was evening now, with only a few minutes of daylight left. Adi looked at the box in his backpack. What was in there? Who were those two men, and why did they want it?
He opened the box cautiously. There were some vials of chemicals, thin cloth, and a note in his father's handwriting. He wiped his sweat with the fabric,put it in his pocket and started reading the letter.
"Adi, if you are receiving this, it means I have died. I was warned that this might happen. This box and its contents are my last gift to you. Take care of yourself and remember, I love you, now and always. – Dad."
“I love you too, Dad,” whispered Adi, as a lone tear flowed down his cheek.
He examined the chemicals. There was nothing that he could understand by a visual inspection. They were probably important if those goons could attack him to get hold of them. It was getting dark. He decided to examine the chemicals in the morning. If only he could get to the lab. He was determined not to part from his father’s last gift.
Holding the letter close to his heart, he lay down on the hard floor of the cave. He fell asleep thinking about his father and then of Jacky, wondering if the men had hurt him.
He woke up to the sound of footsteps. The sun was already up. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the brightness and saw a barrel of a gun pointed at his head. The rest happened all too fast. Someone picked up the bag, hit him on his head, put him in the boot of a vehicle and drove off.
Adi’s head was bleeding. He bumped on the sides of the vehicle as it drove over the rough, uneven forest area. Adi knew it would be a few minutes before they reached the metalled road of the town. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar bark. Could it be Jacky? What was he doing here?
“It’s the infernal dog again,” said a man. “I will kill him this time. I think yesterday’s blow to the head was not enough to teach him a lesson. He will pay with his life for biting me in the house.”
Adi heard a gunshot, followed by the yelping of a dog.
“Good. He will bleed to death.”
Adi could not believe what was happening. He pinched himself, hoping it was all a dream, a nightmare from which he would wake up soon. Jacky had been like a brother to him, a friend. Adi loved Jacky second only to his father, and now within a month, he seemed to have lost them both.
He lay there in the boot, devoid of all hope and any desire to carry on.
The vehicle finally came to a stop. The men opened the boot and dragged Adi out. He saw they were outside a ruined building just outside the village. He had seen it many times while going to and from the town. The men took Adi and the bag to their Boss.
“Good work, boys. Show me the bag.”
The Boss rummaged through it. “This is all, is it?” he said. “Was there anything else?”
"No, Boss."
“Something doesn’t feel right. The Doc was talking about a product. These are just some chemicals. His father was also talking about some invention, ready to be used, before we killed him.”
Adi couldn’t believe it. Did these people kill his father? Was it no accident? His blood boiled with a desire for vengeance. He tried to free himself.
The Boss laughed menacingly. "Yes, boy. I killed him, and I will kill you too." He looked at his men. "Take him inside. I'll call the Doc. He will have to tell us what we are looking for, or I will tell him we are out.”
The men pushed Adi inside a decrepit room, with rotten cardboard boxes strewn around and locked the door. Adi was in shock. What did all this mean?
His head was still bleeding. He remembered the cloth he had put in his pocket and took it out to wipe off the blood.
He was stunned. Was he so tired that his mind was playing tricks on him? He rubbed his eyes and looked again. He couldn't see his hand under the cloth. He put it on his leg and was amazed to see that his leg was now invisible.
So, this was it! This was the invention his father was talking about! Adi knew he had to get out before these people figured it out.
He opened the cloth to its full length. It was expandable material designed to fit even in a small pocket, but when extended, Adi realized it was quite large.
Adi wrapped himself in the cloth and banged on the door. Adi heard footsteps approaching. He beat the door once more and stood, covered in his father’s invisible gift, close to the door. As soon as the man came in to check, Adi slipped out of the room.
“I can’t see the boy. I think he has escaped!” the man shouted as he ran outside.
Two other men came running up the stairs towards the room, their pistols drawn.
“He’s gone.”
“What?” said the Boss. “How did he escape, you idiots? Look outside the window. Find him. Can’t hold onto one small boy?”
Just then, the phone rang. Adi was near enough to hear the Boss speak.
"Doc," said the Boss, “We have the bag, but all I can see are a few bottles with some liquid. Is that what you wanted?”
“A cloth? No, there was no cloth. I checked myself.”
“Invisibility cloth? Interesting. I think I might know where it is. One more thing Doc, is there a way to make it visible?”
"Uh, huh, great. Thank you, Doc. I will see you in the evening with the cloth. Make sure you keep your end of the bargain.”
He put his phone down and called out loudly.
"I know you are somewhere here, boy. I know how to find you."
He looked at his men. “Morty, get some wood. Burn it in a corner and get the ash. Quick. The ash powder, mixed with this liquid here, will reveal the boy,” he said as he rummaged through the bag and took out a yellow liquid. “You - close all the doors and keep an eye for any door or window opening. And you, Gabby, pour water outside and inside so that we can see his footsteps if he moves.”
Adi didn't know what to do. There was not much time. He couldn't go outside, and he couldn't remain here. He could not shout for help since no one paid attention to this ruin outside the village. Only the village policeman came this way on his rounds.
The village policeman. Yes, that was it. If only there was a way to make him come inside. What would attract his attention?
One man had started pouring water outside the doors. Another one had collected some wood and was burning it in a closed container.
Adi picked up the matchbox and, in a quick movement, slipped it inside the cloth. He ran back to the room where he had been kept prisoner. As silent as a mouse, Adi collected all the rotten cardboards. He would need some more.
He went to the other room and picked up few boxes. He was dragging them out when one of the men peeped inside. Adi quickly bent down so that the cardboards touched the ground and went as still as a statue. The man sniffed a little and came towards Adi. Adi was sweating inside the cloth. Could the man smell him?
The man stopped just an inch from Adi. The boy stopped breathing. The man kicked the cardboard boxes towards the corner – "How many times have I told Gabby to throw these boxes in the corner, but no, I will still see them right at the center of the room," he muttered.
The man's foot swung back again, and this time was coming directly at Adi. Sweat dripped down Adi’s forehead. It tingled down his neck, to his spine, giving him a strong urge to scratch his back. He stayed still for a moment, and just as the foot was about to hit him, in a swift movement, he leaped towards one side. The man looked in Adi's direction. He strained his eyes and flapped his hands in Adi's direction. Had he sensed Adi's heavy breathing? His fingers came within an inch of Adi's nose. Adi stood still, not daring to breathe. The man looked again, then shrugged his shoulders and went away.
Adi waited a few moments before he let out a long sigh and breathed in a lungful of air. He peeped outside the door. All the men were now downstairs, busy doing what the Boss had instructed. Adi picked up some cardboard boxes and fit them inside the cloth. He would have to make two more trips if he wanted to carry them within the cloth.
In a few more minutes, enough boxes were piled in the room. Adi took out his father's letter from his pocket. "I won’t let your murderers get their hands on your invention, Dad," he whispered softly into the letter.
He took out the matchbox and set the cardboard on fire. The rotten half wet cardboards created a lot of smoke, which soon started pouring out of the doors and broken windows.
Adi slipped out of the room. He had to find a way to get out of here. He could not rely on the policeman seeing the smoke and coming in to inquire, and he had to do it before they were ready with the ash.
The men were busy following what the Boss had told them to do. It was a few minutes before one of them realized something was amiss, “What is going on in that room? Gabby, are you burning something in there? I am already getting the ash ready.”
"No, Morty, I was outside pouring water," said a bulky man.
"Oh God," he said as he shook his head, looking around, hoping the Boss had not seen it. “Don’t stand there. Run and see what is happening. Someone will see the smoke.”
While Gabby ran upstairs to the room to check on the smoke, Morty went to find his Boss.
"The ash is ready, Boss."
“Good. Now let us mix it with this liquid and spread it all around,” said the Boss, mixing the ash with liquid and coming back to the main room.
From the other corner of the room, Adi saw the men. His side of the main room only had stairs which led upstairs. Gabby was already in the room, trying to put out the smoke. Adi knew there was no escape route there. Two doors to other rooms in the ruined mansion were on the other side of this main room. The Boss had taken one of them for his own work and stood in its doorway, mixing the ash with the liquid. The other room was the one Adi targeted.
The mixture was ready, and the men started spreading it everywhere.
Adi zig-zagged towards the other room, trying to escape the powder that flew everywhere. He had been lucky so far, and he hoped Lady Luck would continue to bless him. But hope is a fickle thing, and some powder stuck to his back just as he entered the room.
“There he is. Catch the little pest.”
The men ran after him into the other room. The darkness in the room gave Adi a few precious moments.
“Bring a torch.”
Adi looked around. There was no window in the room. As his eyes got used to the darkness, he saw another door. First, he had to take care of the cloth. In a few quick seconds, he folded the cloth and pushed it inside a hole in the wall. Then he ran towards the door. As he opened it, the room filled with light. The other room had windows with broken panes.
"There he is. Catch him."
Two men ran towards him. Adi looked around, trying to find the means to escape. He ran towards the window. If only he could get out before the bulky men caught up. Adi was agile and managed to reach the window, but he had barely put his hand on the pane when he felt huge hands hold him by the scruff of his neck. He felt a sharp smack on his head and another on his cheek. Blood started dripping from his lips.
“You think you are too smart? The Boss will teach you to be smart now,” said the man they called Morty.
“Where is the cloth, boy?” said the Boss, bending down and bringing his face almost an inch from Adi’s. Adi could feel his warm breath as he spoke and smell the cigarette that he had been smoking earlier.
“What cloth?” said Adi, turning his face away.
The Boss slapped him hard. “Perhaps you remember now.”
Adi stared at him, not flinching for an instant.
“You won’t tell me? Don’t. I can find it myself after I kill you," and he pointed his pistol at Adi’s head.
"You are just like your old man. He also did not tell us where he had hidden his invention, and I had to kill him, just like I will kill you. Get ready to meet your father, boy." He laughed as he released the safety lock.
Adi counting the last seconds of his life, thought of his father and of Jacky. As he closed his eyes, it seemed to him as if he could hear Jacky bark. He smiled to himself, despite his precarious position. The bark sounded so clear.
Wait, it was too loud and growing in intensity. Adi opened his eyes. There was a lot of activity and noise outside. The Boss lowered his gun and motioned to his people to take positions close to the windows.
Before they could follow what was happening, the door fell down with a bang, and the village police team was in front of them, followed by a limping, yet prancing Jacky.
"Put your hands in the air. You are surrounded. It is best if you surrender."
The Boss raised his pistol to fire at the policeman but Jacky jumped on him and threw him to the ground. The bullet went off in another direction. Gabby, who was still upstairs, cried out loudly as the bullet hit him in the leg.
Jacky bit the Boss's hand, and in pain, he let go of the gun. Morty and another man tried to run in this confusion, but the policemen outside caught them.
Adi had never been happier to see Jacky and the uniformed men in his life. He embraced Jacky in a tight hug. The dog’s excitement knew no bounds. He licked Adi as if there was no tomorrow.
The Boss and his men were being handcuffed and taken outside. Adi quietly slipped into the room, took out the cloth from the hole in the wall, and put it in his pocket before he went outside with Jacky following on his heels.
“Thank you, officer,” said Adi. “You are a real hero. If not for you, I would have been dead by now.”
“Thank Jacky, young man. Your dog is a real gem. I would love to have him in the police force if you agree to hand him over.”
After being shot, Jacky had gone to the scientist's closest friend, the doctor. The doctor had bandaged him and called up Adi at his home. Not getting a response and seeing the bullet wound on Jacky, he informed the police. With help from Jacky to show the way, the police had come to the ruin. When they saw the smoke, they realized something was afoot.
Adi looked at Jacky. "He is my only family, Officer. I can't part with him for anything," he said as he stroked Jacky under the chin. Now that the excitement was over, Jacky closed his eyes, content with being reunited with Adi.
Adi went home after the police had taken his statement, wherein he did not mention anything about the cloth. “I am not sure why they did it, Officer. Perhaps those chemicals are something significant. I don't know."
The next morning, when he was studying, the bell rang. Jacky barked from the backyard. What was it now?
Adi opened the door. It was a courier – a letter for him, from his Dad.
“Dear Adi,
I hope you have received the box as well. It contains a few vials of some common chemicals, but it also includes a cloth. I wish I could tell you about the cloth and its design, but I fear you might be tempted not to follow what I am about to say to you.
Now do exactly as I say. Go to the lab. In drawer number five, there is a red liquid. Mix it with an equal quantity of concentrated Hydrochloric Acid. Put it inside the beaker and then add the transparent liquid from drawer seven. You will see bubbles rising. Put the cloth in the mixture while the bubbles are still growing.
All my files and research about this cloth are already in self-destruct mode if I do not log in for more than 24hours, so there is no worry for replication.
In the end, always remember that I love you and will always watch over you, wherever I am. You have been a great and wonderful son. I only hope I have been an adequate enough father for you. Take care, and always believe in yourself.
Love, Dad.
PS: Destroy the cloth as soon as you receive this. It can be a danger to you.”
Wiping the tears rolling down his face, Adi kissed the letter and put it in his pocket. He missed his father. Adi looked at Jacky, who was licking his feet and stroked his head.
"Come on, Jacky. We have work to do."
He went to the lab, took out the red liquid, mixed it with hydrochloric acid in a beaker, and added the transparent liquid to it. The bubbles started rising, just as his father had said. He took out the cloth from his pocket. His hands stiffened. Could he destroy his father's life's work? Would anyone ever be able to make such a thing again? But the letter said it must be destroyed. It could wreak havoc in the world in the wrong hands.
He sat down, not sure of what he should do. The intensity of the bubbles was slowly decreasing. He got up, determined. He did what his father would have done. His mind was at peace as he walked out while Jacky looked around, wondering where Adi had disappeared.
