The Catch

Delhi Police's undercover cop Himanshu had sweat trails all over his forehead as he entered the Metro just milliseconds before the doors closed down. He was a little embarrassed on having entered the train this way as his dramatic entry had caught everyone's attention in the bogey. At 6'2 he was too big a man to go unnoticed anyway. Even then, this wasn't the way he had planned his entry inside the busy Metro. He soon realized, though, that he wasn't in his uniform today, something that would have made it all the more embarrassing for the 32-year-old. He settled himself quietly in one corner as he leaned on the side frame of the Metro seat. He then went on to wipe out the sweat beads trickling down his face now. His eyes scrounged the entire bogey and found the man they were looking for. There he was, a bearded young man with a brown bag kept right next to him on the seat. One look at him and Himanshu knew he had found his man.

In the minutes that followed, Himanshu's eyes were fixed on his brown bag. The bag, he knew too well, was the big giveaway and deserved all his attention if he were to succeed today. He knew he had to leap the moment the bearded boy went for his bag. Not a moment too early, not a moment too late. Years of being in the force had made him more vigilant to the little things, the same little things that civilians often end up overlooking. Not even for a second was he ready to let go of the bearded man's sight. Standing quietly in the corner, with his head well above everyone in the bogey thanks to his tall frame, he managed to keep an eye on his man. The bearded man, though, remained thoroughly occupied with his phone and showed little to no emotions. 'The bastard must have trained himself in it', Himanshu began to smart under his breath.

A station approached and Himanshu got himself ready. Maybe his time to move is now, thought the big man. But there wasn't any movement from the bearded man. His bag was still comfortably placed by his side and both his hands still on the phone. The cop in casuals was waiting for those hands to move towards the bag. There was a millisecond of eye contact between the two but it gave nothing away. The bearded man wore a relaxed look. Himanshu quietly put both his hands behind his back. He realized that he had to play his cards well and not come across as tensed. A few more glances were exchanged but none on purpose. Himanshu’s first instinct was to hide behind the crowd but he knew that it wasn't something he could afford. With every passing station, he eyed the entire bogey before his gaze returned to the bearded man.

Himanshu was a pro at the waiting game but something about this day was making him uncomfortable. Maybe it was the Delhi heat. Maybe it was the funny looking dramatic dash he had to make to get to the train. Whatever it was, the tension was palpable in the air. Himanshu realized he was breathing a little more heavily than normal.

But just then it happened. It was as if the man seated had got a whiff of Himanshu's inattention. He removed his earphones to pick his brown bag up. Himanshu noticed it just at the nick of time and ran like wind and stood right in front of the bearded man before he could even reach for the bag.

As the bearded man struggled to move past the big frame of the policeman, Himanshu said with a less than a genuine smile, 'Thanks for the seat'. The man with the brown bag said an even less genuinely felt 'Welcome' before rushing out of the Metro door.

'Finally', Himanshu sighed with relief as he sat counting the number of stations he had managed to get himself a seat for in his long journey in the crowded Metro today.

Not a bad catch for the top cop.