**Bhagavan 2**
Ekambaram was trembling.
“Please, I’ll give you as much money as you want. Just let me go, please!”
Vela completely ignored him. He picked up an iron rod lying nearby.
“N… no… don’t…”
Screaming in horror, Ekambaram tried to run, but Vela swung the rod aimed right at his head. Loyal to its master, it struck the back of Ekambaram’s head with force. As Ekambaram collapsed to the ground, two men rushed to his side.
Vela gestured to them with his eyes. One of the men grabbed Ekambaram, dragged him across the ground, and hauled him into an Omni van.
“Do you remember what I told you?” Vela asked.
The man nodded.
“It needs to look like he was put on the tracks and hit by a train. Got it?”
“Yeah.”
—
**Raj Medical College and Hospital**
The hospital campus was massive, sprawling across several acres.
Deshpande, the Principal, looked at Dharma standing before him with visible fear.
“What are you saying?”
“We want her.”
“How can you say that so casually? Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause?”
“What do you expect me to do about it?”
“I’m terrified, Dharma,” the Principal confessed.
Dharma gave him a crooked smile. “My men and I will be coming here tonight. Do whatever it takes to keep her here.”
“That’s not in my hands.”
“Put her on night duty.”
“Well, you see…”
“Just do it.”
As Dharma walked out, Deshpande wiped the sweat from his forehead. He dialed the Dean.
“Arokiyaraj?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which doctors are assigned to Palliative Care night duty tonight?”
“Dr. Santhosh and Dr. Ramanan.”
“Cancel both of them.”
“Sir?”
“Assign it to Dr. Neethu.”
“And the second doctor, sir?”
“No, just one is enough for tonight.”
“Okay, sir.”
—
When Dr. Neethu finished seeing her patients and returned to her desk, it was 10:00 PM.
Her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her face lit up.
It was Santhosh.
“Neethu.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what happened, but they assigned me to duty first, canceled it, and gave it to you.”
“It’s okay, Santhosh. No problem.”
“Ever since you went to the Dean to file that complaint the other day…”
“Yeah?”
“…I haven’t felt right. Every now and then, my heart just starts pounding.”
“You worry too much.”
“It’s true.”
“Why?”
“When you care deeply about someone, fear just comes automatically.”
“You’re like this already? I wonder what’s going to happen to me after we get married once I’m stuck with you!” Neethu teased with a laugh.
Santhosh replied anxiously, “Please stay safe.”
“Mmm.”
She hung up and put her phone on the table. Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor.
—
Dr. Michael poured himself a cup of tea and sat down in his chair when his phone rang.
“Hello.”
The voice on the other end brought a smile to his face.
“The target must not be missed under any circumstances.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Six.”
“There’s a conference room on the first floor. Leave the AC running. It’s acoustically designed, so no matter how much noise is made inside, nothing will be heard outside.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Get the job done properly. Don’t call me—the Principal will inform me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And one more thing…”
“Tell me, sir.”
“She shouldn’t die too easily.”
“Understood, sir.”
Ending the call, Dr. Michael began savoring his tea.
—
As Dr. Neethu stood up to see who was outside, six men pushed through the glass door and barged in. Dharma stepped forward, holding a razor-sharp knife in his hand.
Neethu gasped in shock. Dharma approached her.
“Who are you people?”
Ignoring her, he stepped closer and slapped duct tape over her mouth. As Neethu struggled, he grabbed her hands and dragged her along.
“Varadha!”
“Tell me, Dharma.”
“Go check the corridor.”
“Yeah.”
Varadha checked and signaled that the coast was clear. Dharma dragged Neethu toward the conference room, pushed the door open, and they all filed inside one after another.
Neethu looked at all of them in terror.
“Why are you looking at us like that, Doctor? Today, we’re going to celebrate your first night,” Dharma taunted.
Neethu tried to speak, but couldn’t.
Laughing, Dharma ripped the tape off her mouth.
“Please, let me go! I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Really? But you’ve been playing detective quite a bit in this hospital, haven’t you?” Dharma asked, making her face turn pale.
“You…”
“Alright, let’s get down to business. No point wasting time talking to you,” Dharma said, stepping closer.
Neethu looked around frantically. *If I scream here, no one will hear me. If I can somehow open the door and run out, I might find help.*
As she was thinking, Dharma grabbed her by the chin and forced her face up.
“What, trying to figure out how to escape? Your story ends today. Not even God can save you now.”
Just as Dharma spoke, the lights suddenly went out. Caught off guard, Dharma froze.
In the darkness, someone opened the door and walked in. Another person with him blew a whistle, and the power flickered back on.
Dharma and his men glared angrily at the two intruders.
“Who the hell are you guys?” one of the men demanded.
The man beside the stranger delivered a ringing slap to his face. The guy spun out of control and collapsed to the floor.
“Good shot, Guna,” said the tall stranger as he stepped up to Dharma.
“Who are you?” Dharma asked him, trembling slightly.
Guna smiled and replied, “You said something just now, didn’t you? That not even God could come to save the doctor? Well, God might not show up, but *he* will. Want to know who he is? He’s Bhagavan, man!”
As Guna spoke, Dharma stared in fear.
Bhagavan straightened up.
“Six men to murder one female doctor?” He chuckled softly.
“What’s your name, ma’am?”
“Neethu… brother.”
“You head home now,” Bhagavan said.
She folded her hands in gratitude and quickly left.
“Guna.”
“Yeah?”
“What should we do with these guys?”
“Knife or pistol?”
“Pistol,” Bhagavan replied.
Dharma and his men panicked and screamed in terror.
“No! Please, we’ll leave!”
One of them bolted for the door, but a bullet from Guna’s pistol pierced his head. He crumpled to the ground with a muffled cry.
“Will the sound carry outside, Guna?”
“This is the conference hall; it won’t be heard.”
Bhagavan smiled at the remaining men. “I can’t ask what your last wishes are—there’s no time for that.”
“Please don’t kill us, sir! Please!” Dharma begged.
Bhagavan snorted. “I show no mercy to those who show no mercy to others.” Turning to Guna, he said, “Finish it.”
Within the next ten minutes, all five lay dead.
Guna and Bhagavan walked out, navigated down the corridor, and headed downstairs. Spotting a security guard walking toward them, they asked:
“Where’s the Principal’s room?”
—
Principal Deshpande stared at Bhagavan and Guna in sheer shock.
“What are you saying?!”
“There are six dead bodies lying in the Cancer Block conference room.”
“My God! How?!”
Bhagavan looked him dead in the eye and said, “I killed them.”
“Who… who are you?”
“Have you heard of *People Welfare*?” Bhagavan asked.
The Principal’s expression completely changed. He asked nervously, “You are…?”
“Bhagavan.”
“I’m sorry!” the Principal stammered, standing up immediately.
“Sit down. Those six men came to murder a female doctor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act. You know everything, and I know that you know,” Bhagavan said coldly.
The Principal lowered his head in shame.
“You need to do something for me.”
“What… what should I do?”
“What complaint did that doctor bring to you?”
“Well… you see…”
“I don’t ask any question a second time.”
“That a group of doctors here is involved in supplying drugs to the students.”
“And what action did you take on that?”
“Well…”
“You aided the people who arranged to have that doctor killed. Am I right?”
“Well…”
“Yes or no?”
“…Yes.”
“The police will arrive tomorrow morning. You are going to tell them that *you* shot and killed those six men.”
“Me?!”
“Yes. Tell them you were on rounds, caught those six men attempting to murder the doctor, and shot them all in self-defense. Guna, give the pistol to the Principal.”
As Bhagavan spoke, Guna wiped the pistol thoroughly with his handkerchief and handed it over. Deshpande took it with trembling hands.
“Alright, Principal sir, we’ll take our leave. If you try to do anything different from what I said, I’ll have to come back to this college—and that time, it’ll be for you.”
“No! I’ll do exactly as you say. Please don’t come back!” the Principal begged in terror.
Bhagavan laughed. “You don’t want me back? Fine. Ah, one more thing…”
“Tell me…”
“This is a leading college in the city. You must be collecting a lot in donations.”
“Well…”
“Yes or no?”
“Yes.”
“Your college needs to make a donation to our organization.”
“I’ll do it!”
“Very good.”
“Thank you.”
“Alright, we’re leaving. One last crucial thing.”
“Yes?”
“You must never tell anyone that you saw me. Understand?”
The Principal nodded fearfully.
“Mmm.”
*(To be continued…)*
