Tropic Of Cancer

This story happens in 1915, the second year of the First World War.

On December 1914, Zen, who was born in Pataliputra to a royal family, later left his luxury and became a monk, passed away in Mexico due to lung cancer. His only daughter, Angkasa aka Ang, wanted to fulfill her father's announcement before his death which is his lung should be kept in any house in the countries that come under the tropic of cancer. Whoever has that lung in their house can rule that particular country or territory with the condition that it should not deviate from the tropic of cancer. The reason is, he has done many social deeds in all the countries and territories that come under the tropic of cancer and the people of the respective countries literally worshiped him as a God and he got divine vibes around him. So, if his lung deviates from the tropic of cancer, it will lose its divinity. It was kept in a box filled with ice. Ang has decided to keep it in Sid's house in Pataliputra and to live permanently there and rule India. Back in January 1915, one fine day, Ang smoking a cigarette, thinks about how to transport the lung to Pataliputra. The only option to do this is to take it through the sea.

Suddenly a bullet breaks the window and hits the wall. She looks out the window thinking that someone has come to steal the lung since there's more demand for it among the people to have it in their house. She sees a man running towards her home out of fear. Ang and her assistant, Pipal, rush to the entrance of her home and open the main door. As he runs, another bullet hits on his head and he falls down dead at Ang's feet.

When looking forward, a man walks towards the home with a sniper gun resting on his shoulder being followed by two more gunmen with pistols and shotguns. Pipal whispers to her "Highness...Latitude Lafayette". Ang, not whispering, with an irritated face, asks "What? I Didn't get you...What?". Pipal again whispers "Please don't shout, Highness. I said his name is Latitude Lafayette. Let's move the dead body outside and close the door. You don't know him. He's a British Indian based in Phoenix. He's a sea ruffian and a businessman. He manufactures weapons and transports them to the British Army and also secretly transports some of them to the British terrorists in the UK in his ship.".

Before Pipal tries to move the dead body out, Lafayette says, "Hey you. Don't take the trouble. He'll come and grab it. Sorry if we have troubled you both.". A gunman comes and puts the dead body on his shoulder and as he walks outside he says, "See how he betrayed us chief". Lafayette says "This may be new for newcomers like you but outdated for Latitude Lafayette. Put it in the car trunk. Let's go".

Ang says "Hello me, Mr. Latitude Lafayatte". Lafayette looks at her and asks "Yes?". Ang smokes for a minute staring at him. Then says "Can you get in for a beer and a deal?". Lafayette asks "Deal or beer"?. Ang says "A beer for a deal". Lafayette asks the gunmen to wait in the car and enters the home with Ang and Pipal. Ang shows Sid's lung to Lafayette and explains the facts. Then she says "And the deal is we gotta transport this to China by sea in your ship and by road to my Dad's home tomorrow and you need to kill whoever tries to steal the lungs on the way. I'll hand over all his ancestral properties to you.". Lafayette asks "Will that value exceed what the British terrorists are going to give me?". Ang says "More than 200 generations can stretch their legs and sleep comfortably. That much value it has.".

Lafayette says "Deal sounds good but tomorrow a load of weapons is going to the UK. If I don't send them tomorrow, I'm dead since the deal is closed. Also, there won't be a difference between me and the one whom I killed right now. I'm ready to die in a gang war or out of anything else. But not as a result of betrayal.". Ang says "I've witnessed you killing him. I'm still talking to you without calling the cops because I like you since you apologized and trust you since you are powerful. If you don't agree to the deal now I'll hand over you to the cops and appear in the court as an eye-witness.".

Lafayette thinks for a minute and says "The terrorists will kill me if I don't do an illegal thing for them. Even I can kill you now for talking to me like this. But you're offering me your property even after witnessing a murder. So I love you. Why tomorrow? We'll begin our journey this evening.". Ang says "What? you love me?". Lafayette says "You can do the same when it comes for you. And the deal is closed. Now where's the beer?". Ang says to Pipal "Get him a beer.".

At 5:00 PM in the evening, Ang and Pipal arrive at the harbor in Isla Tiburon, an island in the Gulf of California and where Lafayette's ship is parked. Lafayette walks them to his sickle-shaped Phoenician ship. Ang and Pipal place their luggage and the lung box in the cargo section. Lafayette places a few weapons near the steering wheel. The captain startups the engine and sails the ship towards the west side with a speed of 30 Knots.

After moving a few miles away from the harbor, only the reddish-orange evening sky and the sun swimming in the sea are only seen which created a pleasant mood. Ang stands at the front of the ship and smokes enjoying the scenery. Lafayette goes to her and says "Looking nice right? After a long time I'm traveling in my ship. So far I was just transporting the weapons.". Ang says "Even if you have traveled will you have enjoyed it? It would have felt like an official trip with a serious mood.". Lafayette says "Maybe...hey...trying to stop my business by brainwashing me? That won't happen even in the dream.". Ang says "It'll take around 4 weeks to reach China. Until then enjoy the swimming sun in the daytime and the swimming moon during the night time.". Lafayette says "Even if it is an official trip I'll enjoy all these.". Ang asks "So far or hereafter?". Both laugh together.

The travel goes smoother the first week. On the first day morning of the second week, the sunrise happens as usual. A few hours later, the clouds start hiding the sun and the sky. The rain starts drizzling. Gradually the intensity of the rain increases. Wind breezes fastly towards the south direction and the ship gradually topples towards the side. Lafayette asks the captain to turn the ship towards the south and shut down the engine so that the ship moves towards the south as the wind pushes it from the back. Ang reminds Lafayette about the tropic of cancer. Lafayette says "Don't worry. We'll be heading towards Princeville island which will come under the tropic of cancer only.".

As estimated the ship moves to the Princeville island shore. Lafayette, Pipal, and the captain moor (Means tieing) the ship to a tree. Then everyone waits for the rain to stop. Everyone's body and teeth are shivering. Lafayette says to Ang "The rain and wind were our enemiesss... in the middle of the ocean since the ship is unstable but now I think we can enjoy them.". Ang with a smile says "Yesssss of coursssse. Thanks to you for saving us and particularly the lungsss.". Lafayette asks "Shivering because of excitement or the cold wind?". Ang says "Due to both.". Lafayette "Anyway, you were looking wild when I met you the first time but now you are something else. I love this mode of you more than the former.". Ang says "Same way I love this mode of you than the way you were when I met you the first time.". They enjoy the rain for some time and continue the journey towards China after the rain stopped.

The next day evening, they see 5 boats parked in the middle blocking the way. Lafayette watches them using a telescope and spots Chinese-looking men with guns in the boats.

Lafayette asks the captain to stop the ship. All the boats surround the ship. Ang says "I think they are here to steal the lungs.". Lafayette says "We need at least one of them alive to know what they are up to. Ang, you and Pipal know firing?". Ang says "I know but Pipal doesn't know". Lafayette says "Captain, throw one to both of us.". Captain throws one to each of them and he and Pipal also take one for each. Lafayette says to them "Hey you both don't know firing right? Go and stay inside.". Captain says "We'll try our best Sir.".

Everyone staying in the boat starts firing and so Lafayette, Ang, Captain, and Pipal do the same. During the firing, everyone dodges when the bullets are incident to them. Lafayette kills one and Ang kills one. Pipal shoots one but the bullet just scratches his elbow. Then that man shoots back at Pipal. Pipal gets shot in his chest and falls down. Ang shouts "Pipal!!!". While Lafayette says "Ang, you see what happened to him. I'll take care.", a man fires aiming at Lafayette. When the bullet comes almost near Lafayette the Captain pushes him away and the bullet strikes his head and he dies. Lafayette holding Ang's hand takes her to the front portion of the ship and hides in the sickle-shaped tip.

Pipal seeing Ang says "Highness....Highness..." and dies and Ang sheds tears. Lafayette says "Ang. Don't move from this place till I come back.", takes the gun and jumps into the sea. After swimming to half the depth of the sea he shoots the base of the boats and all the boats sink into the sea.

Those who don't know swimming drown in the sea and die. Four of them are left over and are swimming under the water with their guns aimed at Lafayette. Lafayette shoots and kills two of them but couldn't shoot the other two since the bullets are wasted. While they fire at him, he dodges. Once their bullets are wasted, Lafayette swims toward one of them and holds his neck. Then he pulls him to the spinning flywheel of the ship and pushes him toward the blades. A blade of the flywheel slits his throat and he dies.

When the other man tries to attack Lafayette, he holds his throat and takes him to the surface, and punches him severely on his face and he becomes unconscious. Then he says "Ang. put the ladder down.". When Ang puts down the ladder, Lafayette hangs the last hole of it on that man and asks Ang to pull him up. After pulling him up, Ang puts the ladder again down and Lafayette gets into the ship using it.

When that man comes back to consciousness he finds himself tied to a chair. Lafayette and Ang ask him at gunpoint who they are and what they are up to. That man says "I'll tell you everything. We were hired by the British terrorists to steal the lungs.". Lafayette says "Don't lie. The UK won't come under the tropic of cancer and everyone knows that the lung is useless if it is taken there. Whether you guys wanted to steal the lung or the British terrorists hired you all to kill me for not delivering the weapons to them?". The man says "Both. We wanted the lung and the British terrorists hired us to kill you. They sent us a telegraph about the agenda of your journey and asked us to kill you all and take the lung as the wage. Our boss decided to have it in his home and rule China. He's the one whom you killed using the flywheel blade.".

Ang asks "What's your name?". He says "I'm Lee". Ang asks "Lee, do you feel what you did is wrong.?". Lee says "Yes. You both can kill me.". Ang says "We are neither forgiving you nor punishing you. If we forgive you'll live with guilty and if we punish you'll die with guilty. The moment you confessed your wrong the evil within you has vanished. Once we reach China you can go home. Laf, untie him.". After he was untied he falls down and his elbow bleeds (He was the one whose elbow got scratched by the bullet triggered by Pipal). He says "I'm dying without any guilt. Thank you, Ma'am.". Due to heavy blood loss, he dies. His body is thrown into the sea. Lafayette sails the ship toward China.

The night comes and Lafayette stops the ship for sleeping. Ang asks "Whom do you think would've informed the British terrorists about our travel?". Lafayette says "There's no point in finding him. What I'm doing is wrong. I've betrayed them and they are avenging. What's wrong with it? Anyway, once the lung is placed in your Dad's home, you don't need to give his properties to me. Because you mean more to me than them after seeing what you talked to Lee.". Ang hugs Lafayette and says "I love you.".

They continue the journey for the next few days and finally reach the Shangai port in China. They leave the weapons alone on the ship. After cremating the bodies of Pipal and the Captain in Shangai, they travel by road to the Indian border. From there, a person named Adhiarja, who is maintaining Sid's house, picks up them in his car.

While entering Pataliputra, the British terrorists in a truck chases their car and intercept it on the way. Then they aim their pistol guns at Adhiaraj's car and say that they want the lung so that they can stay in Pataliputra and rule India. Lafayette takes the ice box, gets out of the car, keeps it on the road, and says "Come and take it.". A person comes and when he attempts to take the box, Lafayette kicks the box to the side and it falls near a street dog and the lung is eaten by it. Everyone especially Ang is shocked at the core. Lafayette vigorously gets the pistol from the terrorist and shoots him and the other terrorists dead.

He then says to Ang "That lung is what the problem here right? If it doesn't exist then who will put our lives at risk?.". A frustrated Ang gets out of the car and says "Are you out of your senses? Did we travel this many weeks for this?.". Lafayette says "Even after placing it in his house do you think it's safe? Won't someone sneak in and try to steal it? If possible won't he kill you and steal it?". Ang becomes speechless. Lafayette says "Nothing is wrong in this world until someone gets hurt.".

Ang takes her cigarette, smokes, and thinks for some time. Then she says "Ok. Let's go. Not to my Dad's home. Your home in America. I've nothing to gain or lose here from now on. We'll marry and stay there. Adhiarja, my Dad's house is hereafter yours.".

Lafayette and Ang return back to Mexico on his ship. Ang asks "Are you going to quit your business and surrender?". Lafayette says "There's no going back in this comeback. I'm transporting them only to the British army and not to any terrorists as of now.".