05.3 Birds of Paradise

Moosa Manik saw her play tennis at the National Park with some royal ladies wearing sari. They don’t run. They tossed the ball over the net until it fell off someone’s racket.

Mariam Mala coped with every task and hurdle that came across her way. In few weeks Mala was totally elucidated of the mission and what she got to do. Nishan had no idea but he knew her training was of a covert nature and sworn to keep silence.

At the studio, Mosanic produced three black and white photographs of three women portraits. The Doctor said she had to perform with them in role play.

Mala frowned, “I don’t think I can do it. I never tried before. I don’t know them.”

“That’s the whole point of the exercise, you try with strangers,” he told her, “These girls are in business. Professionals. We are all in it, the SS…”

“What are their names?”

“Tahera, Gamar and Reena.”

“I think it’s dirty,” she reasoned.

“Nothing dirty about it. All you need is an open mind for a fling.”

“Is it necessary?” she never complained about anything before, “I think it’s immoral.”

“It is very necessary. They’re your backup team. If anything goes wrong, they step in. Besides, Don Raha will not be able to train you without this drill. Pick one!”

Mariam Mala took a deep glance at the photographs and sighed, “I don’t know. I have not seen them before.”

“Fine,” he said, “Friday afternoon there is a boat race. I will arrange them to be there. You take a look.”

“Do they know me?”

“Negative. I do not have to tell. When I call, they come. They are fully trained. And we don’t discuss business. Get it!”

And here she was standing in a crowd wearing a mint green sari. A lot of children among the spectators watching the boats sail towards Bandos and return to the capital. She smiled broadly as she saw Mosanic approach. He reached and uttered, “You look great. I see you’re nervous. Is that why you wore a sari?”

“Slightly,” she nodded never losing her smile.

“Come with me!” Mosanic steered her through the crowd.

Mala followed him towards a girl who stood on the water’s edge.

“Ga! Meet Deeni.”

“Deeni! How do you do?” she extended her arm. She wore a sheer white top with clear nipples and a pair of blue slacks. A petite girl with oval face, broad forehead, fair skin and smooth hair.

“Very well, thank you,” replied Mala.

“Do you travel often to Ceylon?”

“No, I am a teacher.”

“Where do you teach?”

“At Sanavi School.”

“Do you always wear sari?”

“Mostly.”

“Is that a bra?”

“A blouse.”

Gamar groped a hand to feel the fabric, “Cute!”

A moment later, they reached a woman seated on a chair beside a table by a wall and smoking a cigarette. A pink face and pinkier lips, wide smile and feathered hair. She wore a magenta sheath dress with puffed sleeves and a deep neck, very white legs crossed and slender.

“This is Ta,” Moosa Manik introduced, “Meet Deeni, she is a teacher.”

She smiled beautifully, “How are you?”

“Fine,” and there was no handshake.

Mosanic said, “Sit here, I will be back.”

Mala sat down on a vacant chair beside the table. This pinkish woman looked cute and charming and those eyes sparkling. “Are you married?” she asked softly.

“Single…divorced,” answered Mala.

She rolled her white eyes to glance at the crowd. Pulled on her cigarette and asked, “Do you have kids?”

“One.”

Tahera began to scrape her feet in the sand and mumbled meekly, “My slipper!” She looked under the table. Mala bent down looking for it and found a footwear.

“Here!” She had to lean below to reach for it. Her shoulder pleat fell to the ground. Mala tossed it under her feet.

“That’s not mine,” she cried in a meek voice, “Sha-roo-naa! You took away my slipper! Bring it back!”

A woman called back, “I’m with kids!”

Tahera slipped her toes into the flip-flop and got up to move. A tight dress slit in the rear curtly revealed a thin leg as she stepped away. She appeared of same height to Mala, clean and tidy.

Mosanic returned, “Where did she go?”

“Over there,” pointed Mala.

“Let’s go meet Re!”

Reena did not have a smile. She stared down with dark eyes at the lady wearing a sari – an alien dress.

“Meet Deeni,” introduced Mosanic.

Mariam Mala extended her hand, “How are you?”

“Vaka Hangandu!” she slurred. Reena continued to glare. She wore an orange tunic. “Does she belong here?”

“She is a teacher,” Mosanic retorted.

She looked at her and swore again. She was thin, flat-chested with a chocolate skin. Eventually, dropped a smile and shook hands, “Hi there!”

“Hi!” returned Mala.

“Did you screw this guy?”

Back in the studio he asked, “Who do you pick?”

Mala leaned back placing her palms on the forehead and groused, “Do I have to do this?”

“Come on! Let’s do it!”

“Okay,” she responded, “Tahera.”

“Ta!” he asked, “Why not Re?”

“I don’t think she likes me!”

“Your choice is fine,” he said, “Sub! Set the floor! I go fetch Ta.”

“I am not ready!” she freaked out.

Tahera sat on the sofa beside Mariam Mala, “Hello Deeni!” And Mala returned a wide smile however shy.

“Get started!” ordered Mosanic.

Tahera picked Mala’s arm, “Relax!” She began to touch and cup her palms on her tits. Then dropped a hand on her lap.

Tahera stood up and slipped her dress from the shoulder, dropped on the floor and stepped out. She was tall and slim, extremely fair, fully shaved, a smooth chest and pinkish nipples, not even a girdle on the hips.

 

Then there were two unclothed women running and swimming on Velassaru beach. Boat crew lazed under the foliage in the sand and observed them ravel. It was just another day in paradise.

A day came, Mosanic called the women, “Today we have a very special exercise. Follow me!”

Two marched behind him to the other side of the island. There stood three cages of roughly one cubic metre filled with dozens of cats.

“Poor cats!” cried Mala.

“Who did this?” asked Tahera.

Moosa Manik replied, “They come from Embèru. Stray cats. They want to dump them in the sea. Put them into a sack, attach a stone and sink them into the bottom.”

“Oh no!” cried Mala, “You can’t do that! Cats are sacred! Look! They are crying!”

Those cats stared straight in their eyes and it was written all over, they were begging for help. Cats knew something evil was about to happen trapped in these cages. Their eyes told everything and faces solemn as if to say they would behave. They showed affection to talk to human kind knowing a great deal of humanity and primates could save them from this situation.

“They weep like us!” expressed Tahera.

“Release them!” demanded a disturbed Mala, “So cute! I can’t bear to watch them!”

“Ladies!” ordered Mosanic, “Stand here facing this way!” positioned them at ten-yard distance, “CLOSE YOUR EYES!”

He approached Tahera first and placed a pair of ear muffs, passed the Colt M1911 into her hand which she efficiently reloaded the magazine. Next, he reached Mala from behind and put on the muffs. He passed her the Česká – the Ceska. “It’s loaded.” He stepped away to stand in the front and put on his muffs.

“LADIES!” he called, “Release the safety carefully and raise your weapons!” Both pulled the weapons in air, arms in full stretch. Mala began to shake.

“Listen! This is your final exam. I don’t want to see you panic. If you are not through, you are not through. You are not ready. YOU SUCK!

“When I order, you shoot those felines. OPEN YOUR EYES! Turn around and face the cages. READY!”

“READY!” shocked Mala to hear Tahera yell out in a shrilly voice.

“AIM!”

They lowered the weapons to point at the cages. He gave a moment for the women to observe and feel. Mala shook from head to toe. She glanced at the skeletal pinkish woman who stood deeply focused with a foot forward and skin dangling between thin legs. A horrible image.

“FIRE!”

Blasts took off like firecrackers. Seven bullets emptied. Its sound deafening at 157 dB. Mala dropped on her knees with her palms on her face, shaken.

Mosanic reached Mala and grabbed the gun from her hand. Tahera removed the muffs and uttered, “Didn’t she shoot?”

“CALM HER DOWN!” He took away the Colt.

 

Back in the studio, Moosa Manik said, “Deeni! I will ignore the exercise. It happened not. You are ready to go.”

“It was cruel,” Mala groused, “utterly useless.”

“I respect your views. Maybe it’s a good attribute not to cross a line,” said the guy they called ‘the Doctor’, “Just don’t fail us.”

“Where do these girls come from?” she was still in shock.

“Gamar is from Hinnavar, Reena from Velidu and Tahera belongs to Barah.”

“That explains the tone of her skin,” uttered Mariam Mala, “but the gut. Why didn’t you pick one of them?”

“None of them Adduan. None speaks a word in English. They are not educated like you,” Mosanic said in a low tone, “It’s over. Go home and relax.”

“When do I go?”

“When the officer calls.”