DON – ALL FOR A SAPPHIRE, A SAPPHIRE FOR ALL…

“Ah!” exclaimed Don. “Be careful, careful… I am the most wanted man in the world! Don’t you know DOCTOR??”

“Yes Don, I’m doing my best. Don’t worry, these are minor bruises. It’ll take some time to heal though. Some weeks maybe.”

“We do need to hurry up doctor. We have very important business deals coming up! Time and tide wait for no man!”

“DON SAMAY KA INTEZAAR NAHI KARTA… SAMAY DON KA INTEZAAR KARTA HAI.”

(Don doesn’t wait for time… but time waits for the Don)

Saying this in his trademark nonchalant style, the Don got up.

“Don’t worry Narang; I will be present at the deals. The doctor doesn’t realise that – he’s just filled a few cuts in the DON – not his everyday patient.”

“You’re right there” said the doctor. “Not many pay me a fee of…”

“S-s-s-s-h-h-h-h doctor… don’t tell it too loud… I-T is just around the corner!”

“Huh… oh yes, yes… may I leave now?”

“Of course! Please do! Be my guest!”

As the doctor was about to leave, the Don called him back.

“Hey just turn around will you doctor? I need to tell you something!”

The doctor broke into a sweat, “Y-y-y-yes?”

“The next time… wherever you are… whenever you visit the Don… make sure you have ONLY your medical equipment with you, please?”

“H-h-u-h?”

And before he knew it, there was a bullet hole right through his head.

Narang was shocked. “DON, WHAT THE HELL…?”

“Mac, just check the side of his suitcase please…”

Sure enough, there was the tiniest of hidden cameras.

“DON KE SAATH BE-IMAANI KARNA MATLAB MAUT KE SAATH WAFADARI NIBHANA.”

(To betray the Don is as good as being loyal to death.)

The Don walked up to Narang, “Next time you hire a doctor, make sure he’s dishonest enough! At least for your sake Narang! And yes… the next time you make this mistake, I will shoot YOU, and not the doctor” said Don, smiling as he walked away.

“HE JUST SLIPS THROUGH OUR FINGERS EVERYTIME!” roared the CBI chief.

“We must admit he is smart…” was the reply of a not-so-smart officer.

“Ok, so why have you joined the CBI then, if you’re such a BLOCKHEAD!” roared Malik again.

“Now is not the time to fight… it is time to act… we need a solid plan AND a backup this time!” said Roma.

“I believe he is going to make a good deal with that sapphire…”

“…and we need to bring that back!” completed Roma. “We need to gatecrash the meeting Don is going to have with the drug lords…”

“…for that we need to know the location!” a miffed Malik quirked.

“Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I already know the place.”

Everyone was shocked. They all looked at Roma.

“Don’t stare… has it ever occurred to you that I might have a LITTLE intelligence?”

“Malaysia… but then how…”

“No Malik sir… we need to speak ALONE… the both of us only…”

“As you wish,” said Malik as they walked through to the sound-proof room.

“Sir, one of our officers is an informer for Don.”

“WHAT? How ridiculous…”

“NO! I am not being ridiculous sir… hasn’t it ever occurred to you how the Don is ALWAYS one step ahead of us, how he ALWAYS knows what our plans are?”

“Well now that you mention it…”

“Sir I need YOU… to pick just 2 more officers for this mission. 2 that YOU trust the most… because I trust YOU sir, and no one else,” Roma said with a sparkle in her eyes.

“Well, I suggest you pick officer Roshan and officer… well Seema. But they are not going to be enough for this mission! We need at least 10 or 15 more!”

“I already have full support from DCP De Silva. He will bring his troops along as well!”

“DCP De Silva? Oh Special Crime Branch of Police? Do you think he is efficient enough?”

“Sir… 15 years of dealing with gangsters… I think is testimony enough…”

“Ok Roma, I trust you. But remember one thing – I am putting the entire responsibility of this mission on you. If you fail, we both lose our heads. I hope you understand?”

“Don’t worry sir. I won’t let him off the hook this time… at ANY cost.”

“But wait… you’ve already mentioned the location…”

“I was bluffing sir… it’s not Kuala Lumpur… in fact… it is in Mumbai only! But I need complete secrecy… I need people to believe we’re looking for the Don in Kuala Lumpur.”

“Consider it done. Come out and announce your two officers, and your plans!”

“Yes sir, and one more thing…”

“…I will not take anything less for this sapphire… as you know… DON KE SAATH TOL-MOL KARNA – TUMHARE ZINDAGI KA TOL-MOL KARNE KE BARABAR HAI”

(To bargain with the Don is to bargain with your life)

“Narang please talk to this silly man – I have no time for cheap talk!”

As Narang talks with the proposed buyer, the Don was dialling another number.

The receiver was picked up by Malik.

“Who’s this?”

“DON…”

Malik made frenetic gestures for them to tap the phone call.

“Malik SAAB, it’s no use trying to tap this call; it will be of no use to you!”

“No it is – you are in Kuala Lumpur!”

“Yes very clever Malik! I want to speak to Roma… give her the phone!”

“ROMA?”

“Malik! Please do not waste time! I am also making a business deal here you know! Please give the phone to Roma!”

“What if I…” before Malik could complete, Roma took the phone from him.

She gestured to Malik to keep quiet. “Yes, Don?”

“AH… MERI JUNGLI BILLI… how are you?”

“Cut the crap Don, if you have anything important to tell me, like WHERE you are going to get the deal done, please let me know!”

“Oh yes! In fact I am going to get it done in Mumbai! You must be wondering why a madman like me is haggling for a deal in Mumbai in KUALA LUMPUR! Well, I am a bit mad, and you know that! And the location is at a premier hotel in Churchgate. NOW – I want you to stop me, if you can!”

“Don’t worry Don, we’ll be ready for you!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes Roma… but hey… if you want to gatecrash my party, I don’t want your namby-pamby police whatever on my back! You come alone! Or else…”

“OR ELSE WHAT HA DON?? WHAT??”

“Roma aunty please help me, save me please!”

“DEEPU…!!!”

“Yes Roma… oh did I forget? I met Deepu on the way to Malaysia… thought I’d take him for a ride!”

“DON YOU…”

“DON KE DUSHMAN KI SABSE BADI GALTI YEH HAI… KI WHO DON KE DUSHMAN HAI… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

(The biggest mistake of Don’s enemies… is that they’re Don’s enemies)

“So in case you don’t want me to make a mistake with Deepu… you better don’t make a mistake with the cops ah!”

The phone was disconnected… then there was a long silence…

“Don – this time… I’ll make sure… I will KILL you!”

The chase continues!

DON – THE CHASE CONTINUES… AGAIN…

“We missed him last time… we can’t afford to do that again!”

Roma was sitting quietly, taking all this in. She almost had him in her grasp, after one year of hard work. But she knew one thing – no matter how hard the CBI worked, Don was working that much SMARTER.

“Sir, I have a plan…”

“Roma if you think we’re going to go straight to his lair and shoot him on the forehead, I really don’t think…”

“SIR! Listen to me for once… your ‘wonderful’ plan blew up in our faces last time. LET THE LADY DO THE TALKING FOR ONCE! If you don’t mind…”

One lady against 15 other male officers, including the boss. Egos were flaring, but everyone knew that she was right.

“Ok, so here goes the plan. We take him from the side…”

“…and I didn’t even have to budge an inch! Luckily I called in a replacement for that last day!” Don was laughing evilly.

“Don, you seemed so impressed with that girl! What was it in her that impressed you?”

“I… I don’t know… for the first time in my life… I was almost stumped… by a girl! But as you know… GALTI EK BAAR KARNE SE GALTI KEHELAYA JAATA HAI… USSE WAPAS DOHARANA… BEWAKOOFI KEHELAYA JAATA HAI… (If you make a mistake once, it is a mistake, if you repeat it, its foolishness)”

“Well said Don, but… now what do we do?”

“Wait… till they commit their next blunder… DON KO LADKADATE DUSHMAN PASAND HAI (The Don likes enemies who fumble)”

“You mean, we wait and do NOTHING??”

“Not exactly. Here’s what we can do. We know they’re going to come hard at us. So…”

“…we get him on the dead end, and from there he’s got NOWHERE to go. I don’t know how he’s going to get out of this one!” completed Roma.

“Good… well done Roma. I think we can call it a day officers! We’ve got a big day tomorrow! See you all at the inauguration, and remember…”

“…we have to be the first at it!” signed off Don.

Inauguration – of the largest mall in the continent, it seemed. Asia’s largest, and all and sundry from the crème de la crème of the industry would be there. Quite the best time to pull off a heist… because the main attraction at the mall, was the world’s largest SAPPHIRE… placed at the entrance of the mall. Police security would have to be top class. And so would the heist have to be.

12:00 p.m. An unusually blustery afternoon at Mumbai Central. It seemed as if the entire world was present to witness the extravaganza. This was no ordinary mall – its best security was the jewel itself. The sapphire had a peculiarity about it – it was not blue, but crystal white in colour! It had the ability to absorb the rays of the sun – no matter how diffused or how little – and send out rays of light across the entire mall. Anyone overstepping those lines would eventually go deaf as the connection was made to an entire array of alarms. Add to that an electric cage falling over your head, and you’ve got nowhere to run. Boy, this was one heck of a jewel.

“…but I am one heck of a JEWEL THIEF… what say Mac?” smirked Don.

“Yes Don…”

“Now starts our plan… you and the others stick around… while I make… what can you say… arrangements?”

“Yes…”

Mac was looking tense. There was more security than he anticipated.

“Don, how are you going to get out of here? There’s…”

He had gone.

“How the HECK does he do that Narang?”

“If he couldn’t then he wouldn’t be where he was… and you wouldn’t be where you are… right Mac?” an obsequious Narang quirked. “Now keep your mouth shut and keep your mind and eyes open… the inauguration ceremony is about to begin.”

12:30 p.m. The speeches were done, and now was THE moment. The cutting of the ribbon followed by a demonstration drill. This drill was the probably the most important event in the history of Asia. Most important since it involved a very unique species of jewel… and jewel thief, the Don would add. All an officer had to do was to dress like a thief, and make his one through ONE of the strategic points of the mall. The sapphire would do the rest.

Mac and Narang were tense. Drill time, and there was no Don. Had their eccentric boss finally gone over the hill?

There, at the other end of the mall, the officer was ready. All he had to do was cross one level.

This one though, was keen on showing off his skills, it seemed. He made an acrobatic entry, somersaulting through Level 1, almost flew like a bird through Level 2, did a swimmer’s impression of a perfect 10 dive through Level 3, and finally, he was at arms length from the sapphire, much to the chagrin of the authorities, and to the shock of the industry men.

“What do you think you are doing officer? This is meant to be a DRILL!! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET CAUGHT!”

“Aha… perhaps you haven’t heard… DON KO PAKADNA MUSHKIL HI NAHI… NAMUMKIN HAI (To catch the Don is merely not difficult, it is impossible)”

The entire crowd gasped. And as once it happened before Roma, time seemed to stop again.

The Don merely lifted the sapphire, and there was an explosion. Smoke was all around, and no one could see a thing. Roma was waiting for this moment.

“All officers, get your cars out!” At that very moment, she saw the Don’s car speeding towards the narrow by-lanes of the slums scattered across Mumbai Central.

“After him!” There was chaos and confusion at the mall, but Roma was smart enough to spot the Don. He had the sapphire, gleaming brightly even within the confines of his car.

Six cars to one. Anyone would’ve panicked in this situation. Not the Don. He merely looked back and smirked at the officers. Roma was hot on his trail.

He looked ahead, and there was a woman drying out her clothes. He had the smallest of spaces to squeeze through and not harm the woman. The car screeched around the corner.

Roma stopped there, and asked her officers to go around the slums in different directions.

The Don made it virtually impossible for the officers to catch him. However, as Roma had anticipated in her plan, he came to a dead end. There was no way forward.

He put the car in reverse, but a tad too late. Six police cars surrounded him in no time.

Roma was quick to get out of the car. “Not this time Don. I know it’s you. It can’t be anyone else. No one would have the audacity to pull off a stunt like that! Come on come out now, be a good boy!”

Don merely laughed and stepped out of the car. “DON KO JUNGLI BILLIYAN PASAND HAI (The Don likes wild cats)”

“Shut up Don; hand over the sapphire, right now!”

“Ah, ah… I wouldn’t do that if I were you… you see - I have the sapphire in my car. And I also have something else in the car… something very deadly.” He took out a remote control from his pocket.

“No, Don, you can’t…”

He pressed the button. What happened after that is anybody’s guess. Don’s car was up in flames. Roma and the officers had jumped away in time, but not in time to escape some scratches and bruises.

“The sapphire… what happened…” Roma was distraught. The Don had taken away the sapphire along with his life.

She suddenly noticed some movement in some bushes beyond the wall.

“Let’s get to that part officer’s! It’s the best chance we have!”

She didn’t know why she was doing this. The Don was dead. But her gut feeling didn’t say so.

They took the cars into a bit of greenery (it could better be described as a mini-forest), and then, Roma found the source for her movement.

It was no more than a COW.

“Roma, you’ll have to explain for this at the headquarters. There’s no Don, but there’s no sapphire either!”

Roma stuttered, “Sir, but…”

“NO! Meet us tomorrow!”

Roma then suddenly noticed something around the cow’s neck. It was a piece of paper. It was exactly what she had feared.

NIKLE DHUNDNE EK RATNA,
PAYA TUMNE NAVRATNA,
EK AISA NAVRATNA,
JISSE NA PAKDA JA SAKTA HAI,
AUR NA MAARA JA SAKTA HAI,
AUR USKA NAAM HAI… DON

(You came in search of a jewel,
What you found was a rare gem,
A gem,
That can neither be caught,
Nor be killed,
And that gem’s name is - DON)

I knew all about your silly little plan. But I still maintain my words – I love wild cats. Hope to meet you soon, again! Love – DON

Roma was livid. “I’ll catch you Don, I swear I will. I will do whatever it takes… even if it means walking into your lair to shoot you!”

The officers walked away.

Meanwhile, behind an enormous trunk of a banyan tree, a wounded and bruised man was trying to make a phone call.

“We have the sapphire. It’s at the den. Do not worry. Should we come to get you? You seem a little down.”

“DON NA MADAD LETA HAI NA DETA HAI. LETA HAI TOH SIRF EK CHEEZ –JAAN. AUR DETA HAI TOH SIRF EK CHEEZ – MAUT.”

(The Don neither takes nor gives help. He only takes one thing – life. And he only gives one thing - death)

And the phone was disconnected…