He called out the name of one of his companions, but there was no response from the other side.
Perhaps his voice hadn't reached his comrade.
He turned his gun toward Molsak and stepped around to face him.
But as soon as his eyes landed on Molsak, he froze in shock.
Terror made him drop the gun from his hands.
Molsak also recognized him.
He was the same man whom Molsak had spared in the desert days ago.
The man quickly looked around to make sure no one was approaching.
"S-Sir… y-you're here?" he asked in a trembling voice.
By then, Molsak had stood up.
Instead of answering, he stared deep into the man's eyes without uttering a word.
It was only now that the man understood the meaning of Molsak's ominous words from that day in the desert —
"I'll come back…"
And now he had.
Without saying a word, the man quietly picked up his gun and walked away.
Before leaving, he informed Molsak of how many men were inside the haveli and where they were stationed.
He even pointed out the Wadera's room.
The man had acted wisely by not trying to prove his loyalty to the Wadera —
He may have escaped death in the desert,
but if he had opposed Molsak here, he surely would not have survived.
After the man left, Molsak turned toward a tree and climbed it.
Half the branches leaned over the haveli wall.
Using them, Molsak scaled the wall and perched on top.
From there, he scanned the darkness with his sharp gaze, trying to see as far as possible.
Then, carefully walking along the wall, he made his way toward the haveli's rooftop.
He had no fear of falling.
Even if he did fall, nothing would happen to him.
His soft body and flexible bones — a gift from nature — protected him from injuries.
No matter how high he jumped from, no bone of his would ever break.
He crept silently along the wall, his forked tongue flicking in and out,
a sign that the predator was closing in on his prey.
As he neared the rooftop, he stepped back a few feet, then leapt like a cat and grabbed the ledge.
Effortlessly, he pulled himself up.
From the roof, he descended a set of stairs and entered the courtyard.
The haveli's main gate stood in front of him, lit by bulbs from both inside and out.
A faint trail of smoke rising outside the gate indicated that one of the guards was smoking a cigarette.
There was enough light in the courtyard for him to move undetected.
He hid behind a pillar near the stairs and, after ensuring the coast was clear, crept forward.
According to the information given by the man, Molsak's target room was the third one.
He glided noiselessly to the door and gave it a gentle push.
It was locked from inside.
He stood there for a moment, unsure of how to get in.
After some hesitation, he decided to retreat for now.
He had already located the Wadera's room.
Now, he needed to find a way to sneak in during the day.
He climbed back up the stairs to the roof, where he found two rooms.
One was full of old junk.
Molsak chose that one and lay down inside, waiting for morning.
The Wadera never knew that death had come to his door and then walked away.
---
The next day, Molsak stayed hidden in the same room.
By evening, he peeked out and surveyed the courtyard below.
Beneath a tree, he saw chairs and a table.
He heard the voices of women speaking.
As he contemplated going down, his eyes fell on a large drainpipe fixed to the wall —
it ran from the roof all the way to the ground.
He decided to use the pipe, but before he could, he noticed a large hole in the wall just below the pipe, likely meant for air circulation.
It was a better route and less likely to expose him.
He rested half his body on the roof's edge and slid toward the hole.
Soon, he had reached it.
Half his body still rested on the ledge as he squeezed through,
his body slithering across the steel girders toward the Wadera's room.
Below him in the veranda, two women and a man argued about something.
Unseen, Molsak continued moving forward.
Luckily, the girder ended right at the Wadera's room, which also had a hole in the wall.
He carefully peered inside and tucked himself into the hole, gathering his body into the small space.
It was indeed the Wadera's room.
Now he could jump down and hide wherever he wanted.
But before he could do that, a bird saw him —
a mother sparrow who likely thought he was there to harm her or her chicks.
As soon as she spotted him, she began chirping wildly.
Molsak grew nervous.
Such a racket could easily draw attention.
Everyone knew that birds and animals often raised a commotion when they spotted snakes or predators.
"She'll get me killed," he thought, and quickly jumped into the room.
He slithered into hiding underneath a bed, from where he could only see the feet of anyone entering the room.
Now, he lay in silence, waiting for nightfall.
---
Around midnight, Molsak emerged and approached the bed.
The Wadera lay there, unaware, sleeping peacefully.
One look was enough for Molsak to recognize him.
He was alone.
The Wadera woke up to the sound of hissing —
a sound that escaped Molsak's lips as he laid eyes on his prey.
Startled, the Wadera sat up and was horrified to find a man standing near his bed.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, they widened in terror.
"Y-y-you…" he stammered, his words faltering in fear.
But that was all he managed to say.
Molsak had already grabbed him by the throat.
The Wadera gasped for air.
He had never felt such strength in a man before.
It was as if a giant snake had coiled around his neck —
and in a way, that's exactly what had happened.
Molsak pulled him closer and, as usual, flicked out his forked tongue.
Then, he sank his teeth into the Wadera's arm.
The Wadera convulsed — and then went completely still.
Dead.
Molsak let him go, walked to the door, and slowly opened the latch.
The haveli was still and quiet.
He slipped out, climbed back up to the roof, and jumped over the wall just as he had entered.
He vanished into the darkness.
He was sure that Wasuri would be waiting for him now.
He had to return to his hideout.
---
Near the central square of Thatta, a crowd had gathered on the roadside.
A snake charmer had just arrived and was setting up his show.
He laid down a cloth, pulled several wicker baskets from his bag, and placed them in a row.
All of them were sealed.
He then took out a dusty flute and began to play.
The melodic sound began drawing people in.
Soon, a small crowd surrounded him.
After a few minutes of playing, he set the flute aside and picked up a small basket.
"I caught this snake from the forests of Skardu," he told the gathering.
The crowd grew excited to see it, but the snake charmer took his time.
"Maybe one of you has seen a snake like this before?" he teased, stoking their curiosity.
It was all part of his well-rehearsed showmanship.
"It looks small, yes… but anyone who underestimates it is making a grave mistake."
"It may be tiny — but the venom it carries... a single drop is enough to bring down an elephant in two seconds."
He began untying the ropes around the basket as the crowd leaned in closer.
Everyone was desperate to see the small yet deadlier-than-cobra snake…
(To be continued…)
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