The Investor!

"This is Colonel Jogendra Verma," Rajan said. 

The colonel grunted without even batting an eye as he gazed at the portrait of Netaji Shubhas on the wall behind the agent's desk. He was a tall man, bald and muscular. He looked like one of those prizefighters from American wrestling shows. His white shirt and black trousers gave him a look of a misfit salesman. His large, fierce eyes and no eyebrows gave him a look of constant amazement. 

"The colonel has some money he wants to invest and wants a quick return." Began Rajan as soon as the agent took his seat behind the desk. 

"Well, who doesn't !" Grinned the agent and tipping his cigarette on the small glass ashtray on his cluttered desk. "Nikhil Mahajan, financial agent at your service."

He served an unnoticed handshake to the colonel who just grunted, this time taking his eyes off the portrait. Nikhil's smile faltered.

"What do you want to invest in?" Asked Nikhil indignantly.

"I bought him here because he has a certain number that only you can help with," said Rajan.

At this, the colonel put his hands on the table and growled, " I have thirty crores to invest and I need a return of at least ten times." His peculiar low bass voice mingled with his demonic stare made Nikhil sweat. In thirty years of his financial services he had attended hundreds of gangsters, crime lords, cutthroats and underworld bosses, but never ever had he cowered from a man. He gulped and said, "There's only one man in Bombay who can get that kind of a deal."

 Nikhil set up a meeting for the colonel at the Underworld boss's home at Pali Hill road. After a curt discussion with the colonel, the boss had asked them to meet at his bungalow at Mumbai's most celebrated area. Inside of the bungalow was a fortress. Armed guards at every entry and exit, not a soul allowed within a kilometer. Constant vigilance was the key to his life. 

Colonel Jogendra's physical stature was such that even the Don stopped in his tracks for a second. 

Business commenced immediately without any chit chat and a complete financial sheet of services was drawn up explaining how the money would be used. 

"You see, you provide the manpower and armaments for our operations and I give you a ten percent return on every successful execution."

"What is your business?" Asked the colonel.

"My services  include extortion, killing missions, narcotics and government contracts. I assure you a monthly return of a hundred crore for a year. And then the men will be yours. I pay the financial agent and you take care of your dogs. All this if you can provide thirty crore cash and the ordinance factory tender"

"One year. Sixty crores and an arms contract. You give us a hundred crore for a year. Can you keep it up for five years?" Asked Rajan while noting it on a paper.

Nikhil looked at the colonel and asked, " What are you building colonel?"

The colonel barked, " None of your business." 

The face of the financial agent cringed and lips thinned. Instantly a poker face took over and not a trace of the insult lay there as he considered the colonel's words. 

"So, all is settled then. What should we name the firm?" he asked, clasping his hands together trying to diffuse the situation.

"Call it whatever you want. But I'm curious colonel, what is it you are building?" Aske the don. An eerie silence fell and all one could hear was the soft ticking of the ornate clock on the wall.

The colonel stood up and with clenched fists and a ruddy face, he began, "Vermin have taken over this land. Corrupt officials and criminals. Men like you. Men who are not fit to lick my boots. I'll rain down upon you, fire from the heavens and then rebuilt this country again from your ashes. I'll restore this land to its glorious past and eliminate criminals infesting my motherland." 

The financial agent stared open-mouthed at the colonel. The Don looked up silently. The assistant looked at the Colonel wide-eyed. A minute of silence gathered. The Don was the first to burst out laughing. A nervous titter of the men followed. 

"Good luck colonel," said the Don, "your intensions are not something I approve of. As long as I keep getting my money, I'll not ask. But change your name. Jogendra Sharma doesn't suit a madman persona." He grinned.

"I've a name in mind. I'll call myself MOGAMBO."