The Eye of the Storm Part 2

Daksh walked slowly down the ill-lit alley towards the nearest main road, as the rain pelted down ferociously upon him. It had been raining steadily for the past whole week, and pools of water had started to stagnate even on L2's finely metaled roads. A loud honk made him jump and rush hurriedly towards the pavement as an UTRA army truck rumbled past him, spraying water all around. "Idiot !!!" thought Daksh as he narrowly missed getting splashed by the bumbling leviathan. He pulled his mackintosh tighter around him, and hurried along. It was then that he noticed that there was only one person on the alley in front of him. It was too dark to make out any of the features, but wait - the bulging biceps, the carefully styled center-parted hair, the slow arm-swinging gorilla walk, the ultra-tight jeans - it could be no-one else but ... "Popeye !!! Hey ... Popeye !!!" Daksh shouted, as he broke pel-mel into a run, sloshing through the puddles and the mud.

Popeye surprised on hearing his name called, stopped and turned, as Daksh blundered into him and grabbed his hand - "Popeye !!! It is a surprise !!! It's good to see you dude !!! How are you ? Where are you staying ? And Mom and Dad with you ? And what about Ananya ? Is she with you ? Where is she ? How is she ?" Daksh was almost panting now, but the relief and happiness that flooded through him suddenly made him feel all alive. Popeye hesitated, almost petrified by the barrage of question hurled at him by this dark thin black-coated apparition. Popeye as a rule did not like dark thin men - they tended not to be able to power-lift heavy weights at the gym, and they tended also not to have much success with the girls (which was all very fine by him).

But this guy ... somehow looked familiar. He removed his rain-drenched glasses, peered at the stranger, and suddenly he too gave a start as recognition hit him "Dax !!! You're alive ? What are you doing here ? We thought we'd never see you again !!!" Daksh sighed. Ananya's loony brother was a good guy, a great guy with a big heart in fact - but he was the kind of great guy with a big heart who needed his Orpat calculator whenever the situation demanded that he count beyond single digits. "Questions would have to wait I guess. Let me buy you a couple of beers - I know a good pub nearby" he said, as he pulled Popeye towards it.

It was over the third pint that Daksh was finally able to extract the answers from Popeye. Yes, Mom and Dad were with him, and they were staying at Annexe Alpha - a couple of streets down the pub. But no, Ananya was not staying with them - she had been scheduled into another plane at the airport, whose destination, as expected was unknown, and Popeye had no idea where she was, and hadn't been able to speak to her since then. And L2 had seemed a great place at first - there were lots of places to hang out, the hot chicks around the place had fallen all over him, and there was plenty of booze, and everything had suited him all fine. Daksh sighed again. The sudden flare of hope that had lit up within him slowly fizzled into an ocean of disappointment. But anyways, it was a big relief to know that Popeye and Mom and Dad were safe - but somehow, somehow ... He forced himself to speak "And how's UTRA treating you man ? They found use for your rippling muscles yet ?" he forced a weak smile at the feeble joke as he looked up at Popeye to hide his sadness. To his dismay, and immense consternation, Popeye, who had till now been drinking steadily and staring at the liberally dressed waitress, suddenly looked at him, his eyes brimming with sadness, and burst out into a huge sob as big fat teardrops rolled down his immaculately shining cheeks. Daksh hurriedly ordered a couple more jugs of beer.

Popeye was still wiping his tears with the handkerchief that Daksh offered him when the waitress brought them their beer. Daksh poured him a glass, still stunned and unable to fathom the reason for Popeye's sudden outburst. Popeye gulped down the glass in one breath and blew his nose noisily into the handkerchief. Daksh flinched. But atleast Popeye looked better now, more in control. In slightly more composed voice now, and looking quickly around to see if anybody was watching them, Popeye whispered "UTRA is a monster - a beast ... At first I thought it was all fun and games - hang out with the girls, party all night, have good food and drinks ... but then, but then .. one day an agent came to me ... and said ... " Popeye's voice dropped even further as Daksh, concerned, leaned towards him "You know my worst fear Dax ?"

Daksh hunted around his cluttered memory for things Ananya had told him about Popeye. "You mean lizards ? Ananya said you jumped out of your clothes and ran from the room screaming when you saw one drop its tail ... ". Popeye involuntarily shivered, and said "No no .. this is worse .. far far worse ...". "Ummm .... you mean the cobra that you and Ananya saw in the zoo, and then you had to go change your trousers, and ..." Daksh ventured, as Popeye shivered again and gulped down another pint of beer. "No .. no .. Dax .. this is far, far worse ... UTRA is Satan, an abomination, it is unbearable, impossible ... they make me ... they make me ... they make me ... " said Popeye, his voice breaking again, "they make me learn Statistics !!! They say it will make me help run the simulations !!!"

Daksh stared. Popeye looked back at him, his eyes brimming again as he reached for Daksh's handkerchief. Daksh sighed. He seemed to have to sigh a lot when Popeye was around. He ordered one more jug of beer for Popeye, and ordered a glass of neat Vodka for himself. He needed a stiff drink.