Chapter 210: This is the way

Few hours later; back in the MIB base at Snehatheeram. There was a man loitering before an office door, contemplating whether to enter the said office or not.

It took the person a good few minutes to decide, but in the end, he took in a deep breath and opened the door.

"Heyo, chief!" Lonappan waved his hand around as he greeted.

"Dang, that sounds nice. Keep calling me chief from now on." Ponnappan spoke with a smile on his face.

"Ha, you enjoy that shit? Then screw it. I'll never call you that again." Lonappan spoke.

"Dude! You're being real sadistic right now. Let this man enjoy such little things." Ponnappan spoke with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"Then let THIS man enjoy his share of happiness as well." Lonappan pointed to himself as he spoke.

"Cool, if that's what is making you happy, then so be it. I don't wanna mess that up for ya." Ponnappan replied, still keeping that sadness in his tone.

"Oh, you're trying to guilt trip me as well, huh? Might have worked the first time, but not gonna happen this time as well." Lonappan jumped around as he said that.

Ponnappan kept a sad face for quite a long time, but Lonappan remained unfazed by it. After a few seconds, the commanding officer gave up and let out his breath.

"Damn it, was it that obvious?" He asked.

"It's never that obvious, my man. It's just that you lot crack under pressure so easily, so I don't really have to know if it is true or not." Lonappan shrugged as he answered.

"Well, I could've maintained my expression for a few more hours under pressure, but you seemed like you got a lot in mind right now, so I thought of stopping it and give you a chance to speak. So, come on. What is it that worries you right now? Or what are you here for?" Ponnappan asked.

"Oh, if you were concerned with what I had to say, then keep on going. I have a plenty of time in my hand to bring up the issue that I wanted to talk about." Lonappan spoke.

"Hey, your face definitely says otherwise. Come on, now. We've been close to each other for what… so and so number of years, right?" As Ponnappan was about to follow it up, Lonappan interfered.

"You don't even remember how many years we've been together for?" Lonappan asked.

"Now, now! Don't be sensitive about that like my wife." Ponnappan replied.

"Oh, my! You don't even remember the day that you met your wife?" Lonappan stared at his commanding officer with a surprised look on his face.

"What? I forgot it just once and she made a big deal out of it. I just don't understand the thinking behind it." Ponnappan looked frustrated as he said that.

"Dude, I don't care if you forgot about the years that we spent together, but don't you dare forget the meeting, dating and wedding anniversary. And if you can remember your asking out to be your girlfriend and proposing anniversary as well, you get the extra brownie points." Lonappan spoke.

Ponnappan sighed. "I'm just gonna say this again. I don't get the reasoning behind remembering these dates. Why should I even?" He asked.

"Well, those days are supposed to be special for you guys, right?" Lonappan asked back.

"Hmm, I feel like every day with her is a special day for me, so…" Ponnappan shrugged.

"Oh, that line's gonna give you some extra brownie points for like a few seconds before she realises that you actually forgot the dates." Lonappan replied.

"Ha, that's exactly what happened." Ponnappan sighed yet again in the short span of speaking with Lonappan.

"See? I knew it! Even if you consider those dates as something trivial, that's not the case when it comes your wife. She actually cherishes those dates like no other. So, you gotta respect her wishes as well, understand?" Lonappan asked.

"Yea, you're right. I'll go learn those dates now." Ponnappan was about to get up from his seat, but got back to it just as he got up. "But before that, what is it that you wanted to say, huh? You seem to really drag it out for no reason for quite some time now. I'm not saying that your advice just now isn't gonna help me or something, but it seemed like more of a desperate attempt to elongate the conversation than just a simple advice." He speculated.

This time around, it was Lonappan who sighed"There's no use hiding it from you, huh? I come here with a request." He spoke.

"Okay, what is it?" Ponnappan asked.

"Well, technically. It's not my request, but someone else's." Lonappan replied.

"Hmm, you never said it was your request, so yea. That would be true." Ponnappan nodded his head to that.

"Okay, good. But remember, you really don't have to give out a yes to this. A no would be absolutely fine as well, you see." Lonappan spoke.

"Yea, yea, I know. Now tell me, what is it?" Ponnappan asked.

"Well, what else to say…" Lonappan unconsciously mumbled.

"See, intentional dragging of the said conversation. Why are being so?" Ponnappan asked.

"I don't know man. It's just that I don't feel like asking you the question. Somehow it feels unfair. As if I'm dropping all the load on to you." Lonappan spoke.

"I don't know what you mean by that, but even if that is the case, shouldn't you let me decide on that?" Ponnappan asked.

"I should, but…" Lonappan still seemed quite hesitant about it.

"Then do it. Don't think about the consequences or shit like that. That'll be on me to think about. So, just say it and be done with." Ponnappan spoke.

"Okay, here we go then." Lonappan took in a deep breath. "It's from Taro." He replied

"Cool, cool. Go on with it." Ponnappan signalled for him to continue with it.

"You remember how I messaged you a day or two before on the fact that we found another Wadorian when we went to Athirappally, right?" Lonappan asked.

"Oh, yea. I vaguely remember reading that." Ponnappan replied.

"Vaguely. Dude, info about aliens is supposed to be our bread and butter. And you took it so carelessly?" Lonappan asked again with a stern voice.

"Hey, don't go on blaming me for that. You messaged me on our private chat and not the official one. It's obvious that I'll be reading that chat casually, right?" Ponnappan countered back with another question.

"Oh, my bad! I was in the wrong that time. Anyhow, it's about that guy we spoke about." Lonappan replied.

"Okay, what about him?" Ponnappan asked.

"Well, the thing is that Taro requested for him to stay in the Holy Land as well, so…" Before Lonappan could even complete what he wanted to say, the commanding officer of his had an answer already.

"Sure, why not?" He asked.

"Wha?" Lonappan was sure surprised by this development.

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"What do you mean, huh? You don't know the threat of having two Wadorians under the same roof, do you?" Lonappan asked, with the surprise still instilled on his face.

"Well, that's far better than not having the two of them under the same roof." Ponnappan replied.

"Again, what do you mean?" Lonappan asked again.

"Let me guess something. I'm sure Taro threatened you by saying that he'd go ballistic if we don't allow his request, right?" Ponnappan asked.

"Yea… Kinda." Lonappan nodded his head.

"We can't just swat it off as a hollow threat. I believe it's a legitimate one. So, there's like a fifty percent chance of destruction of the entire world if we let the two live under the same roof and a ninety nine percent if we don't. So, tell me. What should I choose, huh?" Ponnappan asked.

"Wow, I never thought of it like that." Lonappan looked enlightened once Ponnappan completed the explanation. But he still had questions in his mind. "Then what about John? What are we supposed to do about him? I mean, an unregistered alien and Taro's friend as well. The red flags he raise is really huge. Should we shift him to #307 or something?" Lonappan asked.

"Nah, fam. The guys from the Holy Land are the only ones who actually have an idea of John's… issues. So, let's continue keeping it like that." Ponnappan replied.

"Then what the hell are we even supposed to do, huh? There's no other choice." Lonappan spoke.

"There's always a way, you know?" Ponnappan gave out a knowing look as he said it.

And it didn't take Lonappan much to realise what his commanding officer meant. "Oh, no! We're not doing this again." He outright refused it before even hearing out since he was that sure.

"But that's the only way…" Ponnappan cried.

"What about the one I suggest?" Lonappan asked.

"My way is the only way that's gonna get the approval of mine though! But I still want you to do the deed and satisfy my curiosity." Ponnappan spoke as he handed Lonappan an object.

"Never thought I'd see this again and this soon…" Lonappan spoke as he clenched the neuralyzer.

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