Tip tip tip tip…

"I had told him to get the tap repaired a week back. Bloody good for nothing lump of fat and bones."

Tick tick tick tick…

"I had told her to remove the clock from that wall a week back. She's just sitting in one place and accumulating fat by the day."

Tip tip tip tip…

"Aargh! Bombay has turned into such a trash can now. So different from the Bombay Rustom and I landed in, thirty years ago…after they blew up our house in Afghanistan with a deadly time bomb."

Tick tick tick tick…

"This ticking reminds me of impending death, of the sheer ruthlessness with which time marches on, ticking off my life, one second at a time…with the cold brutality of a gang of contract murderers. Much like those men who blew up our house in Kabul…"

Tip tip tip tip…

"'It's just water', I keep telling myself. As I did on that fateful night. It was only when Ma happened to scald her fingers did we realise that it was acid. Each drop taking our home a step closer to doom…"

Tick tick tick tick…

"It was only when Ma shrieked after scalding her fingers did we realise that something was not in place. Pa happened to notice an eerie sound from behind the almirah. 'Tick tick tick', it went…"

Tip tip tip tip…

"It didn't take us long to figure that there had been a security lapse at the Prime Minister's residence - the most fiercely guarded building in the country. Or the fact that we had only a few minutes…"

Tick tick tick tick…

"Ma and Pa made us run out into the lawn outside. 'Keep running as hard as you can', was the last I heard before…"

Tip tip tip tip…

"The sound was deafening. 'So this is how the death knell sounded', I had thought to myself then…"

Tick tick tick tick…

"Bombay is still the way it was so many years back when we landed. Still waiting with open arms for anyone with half a dream and a big heart."

Tip tip tip tip…

"Bombay is still the ruthless bitch it was so many years back when we landed. Still ready to snuff out anyone who wants to lead a clean life of honour. Where else are citizens more afraid of the Police, than they are of the Underworld?!"

Tick tick tick tick…

"Bombay has allowed me to build this multi-billion dollar empire single-handedly. I wonder if it would have been possible anywhere else in the world…"

Tip tip tip tip…

"Yes, Bombay has allowed Rustom to build a multi-billion dollar empire single-handedly. But at what cost. One can not live a clean existence here. To be fair to him, Rustom has tried his best. In the process though, he has made more enemies than he thinks he has…"

Tick tick tick tick…

"It has been a good life, I'd say. I've made a lot of money, earned a lot of fame, and generally been on good terms with most people. Most except two. Roshan thinks they're out to kill us. But you know how paranoid women can get for no rea…"

Tip tip tip tip…

Tick tick tick tick…

Tip tip tip tip…

Tick tick tick tick…