Arnab had reached the stadium well before most spectators had arrived. Armed with a VIP Pass as he had asked of Aggarwal, he could access areas of the stadium where only a few others, the organizers and security personnel, could go. He had demanded this so that he could have freedom of movement, and Aggarwal had instantly agreed. His sweatshirt was tied around his waist, and his gloves were in his pocket. Aggarwal had asked him when he would make his grand entry, but he had given a counter-proposal that the tycoon seemed to love. Instead of one grand unveiling, they would wring as much entertainment as possible out of it to keep the media and crowds interested. Aggarwal would announce that the Guardian Angel would be present as his brand ambassador and in the break between each over would reveal himself in unexpected places. The grand reveal would come in the presentation ceremony at the end of the match, when he would hand over the cup to the winning captain and formally announce his partnership with Woodpecker Industries. That was still hours away, but what the arrangement meant was that Arnab had a free reign to reconnoitre every corner of the stadium, watching for where, and if, trouble struck.
As Arnab watched the first spectators file in, he was sure of one thing. No terrorist would be coming in disguised as a spectator. With the Prime Minister in attendance, there were rigid security procedures in place. Spectators couldn't bring in any bags or even bottles of water, and every one was subject to an x-ray and frisking. It made the task of getting the thousands of spectators into the stadium a painfully slow process, but the Cricket-crazy fans didn't seem to mind, as they waited their turn to watch their sporting icons in action. Not knowing where the attack may come from was frustrating, but Arnab tried to still his mind as he took in the stadium and where he would start his patrol. On his request, Aggarwal had procured for him detailed plans for the stadium, including where the security posts were going to be. Arnab had studied it till his eyes glazed over, and by now, he knew by heart where each access point was and the nature of security there. Some of the gates were to be guarded by the elite National Security Guard commandos, brought in given the number of VIPs in attendance. However, most of them were to be manned by the local police, and Arnab guessed that if the terrorists had done their homework, they would attack one of these gates.
As more of the spectators came in, Arnab made his way to the VIP box. From a distance, he could already see Aggarwal and Mishti there, but he did not go closer since he did not want to risk being seen by Mishti and being asked why he was there with a VIP Pass. As he watched, Balwant Singh, Sharma and Upadhyay arrived followed by at least a dozen policemen. Upadhyay was in uniform and instead of joining Balwant and Sharma in the VIP box, exited and was soon on his walkie-talkie, presumably going over the security arrangements for the day. Suddenly Arnab heard a loud roar, and turned to see both teams on the field, doing their warm-ups. When he saw Jayantada walking into the box, to be greeted warmly by Mishti, he walked away, losing himself in the milling crowd. The giant screens situated at either end of the stadium were now flashing footage of the toss being conducted on the pitch. Both captains were out in the middle, and as India won the toss and elected to bat, the crowd erupted in another roar. Then, their reaction gave way to loud murmurs and whispers as the screens showed the Prime Minister arriving at the stadium and making his way to the VIP box, flanked by commandos and other dignitaries.
Before the game could begin, Aggarwal himself took the mike, walking to the middle of the ground, exulting in what was already a sell-out crowd and what promised to be a huge windfall for his company.
'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Woodpecker Cup game between India and Pakistan, where you can watch your heroes on the playing field. This is a historic moment when the two nations restart sporting relations.'
The crowd roared in approval as Aggarwal continued.
'Today, we have a special treat for you. Today, we will unveil the newest brand ambassador for Woodpecker. Today we join hands with a real life hero, someone who has won all our hearts by single-handedly standing up for justice. Today, we introduce you all to our own real life superhero. Our own Guardian Angel.'
There was almost a collective gasp as the camera swung to reveal a hooded figure standing on top of the railings above the stadium. Arnab could feel the evening wind blow into his face, standing at a height equivalent to a three-story building. He had changed and climbed the ladders provided as per his agreement with Aggarwal and he stood looking into the camera, his face an inscrutable mask hidden by the hood. Then, as a hundred thousand people looked on in stunned disbelief, Arnab sprinted to the other end of the stadium across the rafters placed along the railings, covering the distance so fast that the spectators saw only a blur of movement. As the crowd erupted in loud cheers, he climbed down a ladder, disappearing into a fire exit. He could hear Aggarwal announcing how the Guardian Angel would appear after each over and finally reveal himself in the closing ceremony, but he was barely paying attention. He had memorized the maze of tunnels and ladders that made up the maintenance, cleaning and fire exits in the stadium and as the match began, he began jogging along them, trying to keep a watch for anything untoward. As he passed behind the VIP box, he could imagine just how furious Balwant Singh would be to know he was there, but be unable to do anything to take his revenge in front of so many people. He did hope, however, that Upadhyay was nearby. His plans included inviting Upadhyay to the party.
Arnab kept his side of the deal with Aggarwal by popping up at the end of each over, to rapturous applause from the crowd. By the time the Indian innings was halfway through, Arnab had completed three rounds of the stadium, looking down from his vantage points. So far, he had seen no sign of trouble, but he kept reminding himself not to get complacent, or to try and see what was happening in the match. The level of applause and cheers he heard told him that the Indian innings must be progressing well, but he also realized that the crowd seemed to reserve even louder applause for him. Arnab had never thought of himself as someone who would love the spotlight, but the thought of his reputation finally being cleared in such a way in front of the whole nation gave him goose bumps. He was not sure he deserved such adulation, but he did feel a lot of people owed him after having turned on him so viciously.
A few more minutes passed, and Arnab was beginning to wonder if he had been barking up the wrong tree. Perhaps there was to be no attack tonight. Perhaps he had just read too much into what Chintu had said. Perhaps it had all just been no more than a coincidence. Exposing himself in the limelight once again, especially with Balwant now at his throat, was a high price to pay for the unfortunate coincidence, but it was hardly something he could not extricate himself from. Aggarwal would get more than his money's worth since the rafters on top of which Arnab was running were ringed with hoardings and banners for his company's brands. Arnab could then quietly disappear, and resume the life he had intended for himself. Join the bank and get on with a life that had nothing to do with the likes of Balwant and Upadhyay. Then there was the small matter of a suitcase filled with ten million Rupees. He decided to think about that later, when he got back home. Increasingly convinced that his patrolling was fast becoming a waste of time, he risked a glance at the match. With two overs to go, India was at 221 for the loss of two wickets, and the iconic Indian player Sachin Tendulkar was tearing the Pakistani attack to shreds, and fast approaching a hundred runs. The crowd roared with manic energy as the little master slammed a ball down the ground and reached 95. Arnab too found himself caught up in the excitement and stopped to watch.