In Dangerous Waters

Gopal Nagre was trembling when he walked into the Coast Guard station. He knew that he was taking a huge risk coming here. If they found out then surely they would kill him and his family as well. He feared not even so much for his own safety as that of his wife and two young sons. He had walked several times past this place the last few days wondering if he should go inside or not. He had spent sleepless nights debating the decision in his mind weighing the pros and cons over, and over again. Ultimately, he had decided that he was an honest man and he had to tell the truth. He could not live with himself if he continued doing what he was doing. God would condemn him on judgement day along with all the others and he did not wish that to happen.

So here he was, sitting in front of Commandant Mahavir Singh wondering if the decision he made was right or wrong; wondering if he could still pull back from this moment; wondering if he should turn around and run. However, Mahavir Singh looked like a kind man. He also looked like an intelligent man. He would know what to do. Gopal decided that he would just tell Mahavir his story. The Commandant would advise him better. He was after all an illiterate fisherman. He needed the help of an educated man.

Gopal was grateful for the glass of water that Mahavir had given him. His throat had gone dry. Finishing the glass of water Mahavir began his story.

For as far back as he could remember the only friend Gopal Nagre had was the sea. The crashing of its waves had told him the changes in the weather. Its gentle breeze was a lullaby that had cajoled him to sleep. The monsoon winds had warned him of dangers that incoming cyclones would bring. Standing on the beach at dusk the passing tides would tell him stories of distant lands beyond these waters. He would wake up to the sound of sea gulls flying low over the waters. Like him, they too were born to catch fish. The dolphins entertained him with their play whenever he went far out to sea. He loved the sea, lived for it, and could scarcely imagine a life without it. The sea after all was in his blood.

He had descended from a family of fishermen who for generations had plied their trade in these waters. Their humble village full of ramshackle huts near the coast was their home where they lived out their lives. The sea dictated their purpose from birth until death. Fishing was the only craft they learnt. They knew no purpose in life other than to take their boats out at night, throw their nets in the water, catch as much fish as they could and then sell their bounty in the morning markets in the city area. They would rest the whole day and then resume their craft at night. The monsoon season while it brought with it the promise of a bountiful harvest also brought with it many dangers that put the lives of the fishermen at risk. However, such risks were a part of their lives and they accepted it calmly. Their needs were limited and whatever the sea provided them they lived on it, accepting anything extra as a gift from God.

One day the people of the city decided to build a bridge. They called it a Sea Link. It would link one end of the city to the other. They said it would save a lot of time for all those rich people travelling by cars. But, for the local fisherman it was a bridge from hell. The fish stopped coming near their shores, and they had to travel farther and farther out to sea for their daily catch. This put lives at risk and often the fishermen would return home empty handed. Gopal Nagre found that fishing no longer fed his family. His wife and two young sons often had to go to sleep on an empty stomach and there was a shortage of money in the house. He could no longer afford to take his boats far out to sea, put his life at risk and yet have nothing to show for it. He was a worried man. He knew that he had no choice but to go to Bappu Shinde.

Bappu Shinde was a rich moneylender who also owned several mechanised trawlers. These trawlers went far out to sea where the small fishing boats of the local anglers could not go. They often came back with rich hauls of fish, which they sold in the markets at high prices. Bappu Shinde lived well. Those who worked for him also lived well. Where the lives of the local fishermen seemed condemned to poverty, Bappu Shinde and his people seemed to get richer and richer. They wore fancy clothes and drove around in foreign cars.

Gopal was reluctant to go to Bappu Shinde. He had heard some unsavoury things about him, and while he did not know if they were true or not, the rumours were strong enough to plant doubts in his mind. But, Gopal also knew that was not earning enough to support his family. The small fishing boats of the local fishermen could no longer sustain them. Gopal needed to find a source of income and fast. He also wanted to send his two young sons to a good school so that they would be educated and unlike him or the generations before him, they could follow a profession other than fishing. The world was changing and the way of life that his village had followed for decades seemed doomed. Gopal liked the independence that his way of life afforded but he knew that, that independence would now have to be sacrificed.

Bappu Shinde was an intimidating person. He was huge with a rough demeanour and a gruff voice. He was always to be found in an old-fashioned Pathani suit, twirling his huge moustache and looking out of the corner of his eye. The cronies sitting beside him looked even more rough and nasty. Each looked capable of cutting off a man’s throat and then having a beer to celebrate. Gopal Nagre felt uneasy sitting in front of them.

“So you want to work for me” spoke the gruff voice of Bappu Shinde.

“Yes, my Lord” answered the meek voice of Gopal “I am in dire straits and I would very much appreciate your help”

“Fine” the gruff voice spoke back “But just two conditions. Never ask any questions and never give any answers. Understood?”

Gopal did not understand. But he nodded his head anyway. What questions and answers can there be in catching fish, he wondered.

Gopal had always seen these huge fishing trawlers from afar but he had never actually been on one of them. He knew that technologically they were years beyond the tiny 30 hp fishing boats that he and his fishermen friends used. However, he was still surprised by how modern they actually were. Bappu Shinde had four trawlers and he had imported them from the Far East. They were powerful vessels with 10,000 hp engines. They were equipped with the latest sonar equipment, advanced electronic navigation and fish detection devices. The boats could run on autopilot and GPS was used for manoeuvring the vessels in harbour and at sea. Echo sounders and sonar were used to locate fish. Motorised Gilson winches and net drums had been installed on deck to control the towing warps and store them when not in use. The ships had onboard fish processing equipment and refrigerators. The fish could be processed for oil and meat before they even got to harbour. A crew of ten could comfortably stay on the trawler for days and maybe even months and complete all their fishing before heading back to port.

Gopal was employed as a deck hand and he was to help the crew with a variety of duties. Most of the work was done either electronically or mechanically anyway so there was not much day-to-day work. The crew whiled away their time playing cards, gossiping or sleeping. Despite the highly advanced fishing equipment on board there was very little fishing actually being done. This surprised Gopal. A boat like this could in a single trip, catch more fish than what he and his angler friends could catch in a month. They could even finish all the processing on board and have the catch ready for sale by the time they got to harbour. These boats were like a godsend. Why, a boat like this could support his entire village for a month. Yet the crew seemed least interested in catching fish. But then Gopal remembered Bappu’s words “No questions, No answers”.

It was sometime in the middle of the night. The sky was dark overhead with a thick cloud cover blocking out the light from the stars. Gopal was sleeping in the cargo hold below deck when he was woken up from his sleep by one of the crew members.

“Get up” he was ordered roughly “We have work to do”

Bright lights stabbed his eyes as he went up on deck. As his vision adjusted to the brightness, he saw that the trawler had docked next to a giant cargo ship. Foreign looking men had boarded the trawler. They were transporting huge gunny bags from the ship to the trawler. Gopal was ordered to take the gunny bags from them and store them in the cargo holds in the deck below. He saw the trawler captain in deep conversation with the ship’s captain, who he noticed was carrying a pistol. He heard the words hashish and cocaine being spoken by the crew.

The truth hit Gopal like a punch being thrown by a boxer in the solar plexus. This was not a fishing operation, but a smuggling operation. Bappu Shinde was not a fisherman, he was a smuggler. The foreign cars and easy money had not come by virtue of enterprising fishing, but by bringing narcotics into the country. He had gotten himself involved in the company of dangerous criminals and now he was an accessory to a major crime. Now he understood what Bappu had meant by NO QUESTIONS, NO ANSWERS. He was never to ask Bappu or his men any questions about their business and in case somebody asked him about his, he was never to give them answers. Violation of this rule would mean that he would pay with his life.

Gopal noticed that as lethargic the crew were during fishing they were highly efficient at handling the drugs. In a matter of hours, the drugs and the money had changed hands and the cargo ship was on its way. The trawler headed back to the city heavier with the drugs on board. On the way, they even did some fishing to show for their outing. The crew were now in a cheerful mood laughing and joking. The innocent people of his humble fishing village would laugh and joke like this when they got a good catch. These men were laughing and joking after transporting drugs. Gopal was sick to his stomach. However, he dared not show any weakness in front of these men. Otherwise, he might not even make it back home alive. After all, who would miss the dead body of a poor fisherman who had drowned at sea?

The trawler did not go back to its home port. It went to a deserted beach some distance away from the city where it dropped anchor a few miles off shore. Small motorboats carrying more of Bappu Shinde’s men came and moored alongside the fishing vessel. The drugs were transported from the trawler to the boats. The boats took the drugs onshore where they would be processed and distributed for sale. The transportation over, the trawler headed back to its home base. The men coolly disbanded once they reached port. The fish was sold for whatever price they could get on the market. It didn’t really matter! It was not their main source of income anyway. Gopal was given instructions to come to Bappu Shinde’s place on the weekend where he would be given his pay.

Gopal was sick to the pits of his stomach. He could barely live with himself. An honest fisherman like himself who had never done any wrong in his life, never told a lie and never hurt a soul was now mixed up with dangerous criminals. All Gopal ever wanted was the sea. It had given him everything. It had trained him in his profession, given him a livelihood and had sustained him his whole life. The fact that the same noble sea was now being used to transport dangerous narcotics that would addict and kill people disgusted him. It seemed like life was playing a cruel game with him and God was not finished testing him yet. He could barely endure taking the money from Bappu Shinde knowing how that money had been earned. How could he look his family in the eye knowing what he had done? If he told anyone about this, he knew that he along with his family would be the victim of an unfortunate drowning incident. Gopal Nagre wished the sea could have swallowed him up on one of his numerous fishing trips rather than have life torture him like this.

The decision to go to the Coast Guard was not easy for Gopal. He had tortured himself endlessly over it, debating the decision with himself over and over again. But finally he decided to put his faith in God and do the right thing. He told himself that as long as he did the right thing God would always stand by him. So, here he was sitting in front of Mahavir Singh narrating his story.

For Mahavir Singh, Gopal Nagre was a godsend. He had long known about the nefarious activities being perpetrated around these waters. However, he had never had enough evidence to catch and prosecute any of these criminals. Now here was Gopal Nagre sitting in front of him giving him step by step details on how all these operations were being conducted. Mahavir had set his eyes on Bappu Shinde for a long time. He had always known Bappu to be a shady customer. But he had never known how Bappu brought the drugs into the country. Now he knew. Gopal had given him all the information he needed.

“When is your next trip?” Mahavir asked

“I am supposed to meet them a week from Tuesday” Gopal replied

“Fine, just go along with them. Pretend as though everything is normal and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Try not to talk too much with them. I will take care of everything”

Gopal thanked Mahavir profusely and left. His heart was a kilo lighter and his mind calmer, secure in the knowledge that he had done the right thing. There was an honourable and strong quality about Mahavir that made Gopal put his faith unconditionally in the military man.

Mahavir decided that he would need the Navy’s help for this mission. The local police was corrupt and probably hand in glove with Bappu Shinde. That is why he got away with unloading his goods at those deserted beaches. Therefore, the local side of the operation would have to be handled by the Coast Guard themselves. The Navy would intercept the foreign vessel on the high seas before it could leave Indian waters. Gopal Nagre just had to let them know when the transaction had been made. If any government vessel was to be found near the transaction point then it would scare the drug runners away. Therefore, they could swoop in only when Gopal Nagre gave them a signal. The technical branch of the Coast Guard made a watch with a special device that would emit a signal that could be detected by the naval radars miles away. When Gopal pressed the hour hand on his watch, it would give out a signal that would tell the Navy ships that the transactions were being made. The fleet could then put their plan into action, and make sure that the foreign vessel was apprehended.

Two days before the next sailing, Mahavir met Gopal secretly and explained the plan to him while also teaching him how to use the watch. He also told him that a reward would be waiting for him once the criminals were caught. Gopal was understandably tense and concerned about his family, but Mahavir told him to stay strong. He assured him that no harm would come to his family, and that he should just focus on the mission at hand.

When Gopal met Bappu Shinde’s men the week from Tuesday he was surprisingly calm. Gopal had always felt confident when he was doing the right thing. Now after talking to Mahavir he felt happy that he was on the side of good again. He was an honest man and he liked doing honest things.

Bappu noticed the watch on Gopal’s wrist, but dismissed it as a sign of Gopal celebrating his new found fortune. He didn’t even ask him about it. Bappu’s unchallenged supremacy in this region had made him complacent, and he never for a moment suspected that the forces of law enforcement might have made plans to stop him.

It was a dark and moonless night when the trawlers of Bappu Shinde began their journey from the fishing harbour for their rendezvous in the high seas. There were two trawlers on this trip, both of them of foreign origin and equipped with the latest seafaring equipment. The shipment was going to be larger than usual this time around, and one could only guess the value of the narcotics that were going to be transferred. When even a small consignment of narcotics was worth lakhs, the value of a large consignment was almost immeasurable.

The air was still, and even the normally vibrant sea breeze appeared to be holding its breath in suspense on the outcome of the mission. As the trawlers made their way into the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, Gopal sat silently on the deck of his boat. He was fighting a losing battle with the myriad thoughts that were clouding his mind. Some of his thoughts were centred on his family who were alone at home right now and to whom he had bid a long farewell. His children could not understand why their father suddenly gave them such long hugs, and his wife wondered why her husband suddenly had so many instructions to give her regarding their future. Other thoughts dwelt on his bravery, and his ability to stay calm under pressure and complete the mission. Some of his thoughts were full of hatred for the consignment they would load on this vessel, for the men who carried out such nefarious activities, and Bappu Shinde who masterminded these operations. He wondered if Mahavir Singh could stay true to his word and capture this gang. Any lack of professionalism or failure on his part would lead to catastrophic consequences not only for him and his family, but also for the region in general, for the gang would surely strike back with great viciousness and re-group with greater determination.

Gopal let his eyes wander to the other deckhands. Some of them were busy playing cards and gossiping, others chose to take small naps, while others spent their time staring aimlessly into the dark sea night and dreaming about their future. Gopal noticed that the other vessel stuck close by and had its lights set to a dim glow. Both boats maintained radio silence, and by turning off all unnecessary lights had made their outlines as inconspicuous as possible to prevent attracting the spotlight of a passing fishing vessel or a stray Coast Guard helicopter.

A couple of the deckhands called out to Gopal to join them in their game of cards, but he declined with a polite smile, and went back to his thoughts. The last thing he wanted to do was to engage the others in meaningless conversation, and give his secrets away. After a while, tired from the excess thinking that he was afflicted with, Gopal went below deck and tried to get some sleep. But even sleep deserted him on this night, and he lay awake with his mind still convulsing from a melange of idle thoughts.

Gopal was more than glad when the call finally came from the trawler’s captain ordering the deckhands to get ready for the rendezvous. The foreign vessel had been sighted, and the transfer of contraband and money would take place as soon as it pulled alongside the trawlers. Gopal expected to be nervous whenever his mind had tried to live this moment. But to his surprise, he found himself rather relieved. The time for action was finally upon him, and his strange new life would come to some kind of conclusion one way or the other.

He quickly made his way to the deck and saw the dazzling lights of the foreign ship illuminating the trawlers. The trawlers had also turned their lights on now, and the whole area was engulfed in a sea of brightness. The deckhands were busy readying themselves to load the contraband onto the boat, while the captain barked out brisk orders. Gopal noticed similar scenes taking place on the deck of the other trawler as well.

Gopal Nagre was not a particularly imposing man. In a crowd it was usually quite easy to lose him. This aspect of his personality seemed like a setback to him all these years. But now it seemed like a gift from the heavens. In all the din and commotion on the boat, Gopal was easily ignored. He stood alone in a corner of the deck till the time came to bring on board the gunny bags.

The moment was finally here, and it was time now for Gopal to send the signal. He nervously fidgeted with the watch trying to adjust the dials that would turn the hour hand. Then suddenly with a rude shock he heard his name being called out. Gopal looked up with plenty of tension written on his face to see the captain hollering his name. He was being ordered to come to the front of the boat. Gopal gave a quick nod indicating that he would come.

With a new urgency he kept fidgeting with his watch trying to get the hour hand to turn. But for some reason it seemed to be stuck and it was not turning. The blood pressure inside Gopal’s body was building up rapidly and his emotions were nearing a state of panic. The captain called out to Gopal again, this time more impatiently and more angrily. Gopal’s face was now white with fear.

He knew that he had to comply with the captain’s orders. He stopped meddling with the watch and made his way to the front of the boat where the captain was standing. The captain looked at him angrily.

“When I call you, you drop everything and come. Do you understand?” he hollered. “Otherwise you won’t have a hand to wear that watch on”

“Yes….Yes Sir” stammered Gopal

“I have two suitcases in my cabin. Go and bring it. Quickly” the captain continued screaming in Gopal’s ears.

“Yes….Yes Sir” stammered Gopal again and quickly made his way to the captain’s cabin.

This was the good fortune that Gopal needed, a place where he could be alone to adjust the watch and give the signal. He closed the door behind him as he walked into the captain’s room. He saw the two suitcases in a corner of the room lined up against the wall. But his thoughts were not on them. His thoughts were on the watch. He began fiddling with it again trying to send the signal. His hands were shaking nervously now, and all his attempts to keep his heart steady and his mind calm were failing miserably.

He finally got the dial to work, and the hour hand to move. The watch emitted a tiny beep, indicating that the signal had been sent. He moved the dial and the hour hand again sending the signal a couple of more times just to make sure.

“Well, I have sent the signal” Gopal Nagre thought to himself “Now it is up to Mahavir, the Navy and the Coast Guard. If they fail then it is all up to God”

Having completed his primary mission, he went to the corner of the room where the suitcases lay and picked them up. He then trudged his way out of the room. Nothing more could be done by him now. All he could do was carry out his duties and hope everything would go according to plan.

The captain was in a filthy mood when Gopal got back to him with the suitcases. This small task had also been completed by Gopal with some delay and it was easy to judge by the disgusted expression on the captain’s face that this was not appreciated. As Gopal got close, the captain grabbed him by the collar and shook him viciously, making him drop the suitcases. The captain got very close to his face, looked him in the eyes with the look of death, and snarled.

“I don’t like what you are doing today, Gopal. This is an important night for us. You better get your act together or I will put you through more pain and suffering than your pathetic mind can even imagine.”

After a bit more shaking, he finally let Gopal go.

“Now hurry, and help the others with the consignments”

Gopal quickly scurried away on hearing these orders and got busy unloading all the gunny bags that contained the narcotics. His mind was a complete blank now. His heart was frightened beyond a point that his mind could not comprehend, and the deluge of emotions that had come over him was something he was finding difficult to handle. So in a machine like frenzy, he continued finishing the tasks that were assigned to him. He had done whatever Mahavir had wanted him to do. All he was interested in now was to save himself from the captain’s wrath.

The transfer of narcotics and money took longer than expected, and it was only at the break of dawn that the foreign vessel pulled away from the two trawlers. Gopal could sense a tension in the mood of the crew that he had not come across before. Clearly, things were not going according to plan for them this night.

The first rays of the sun could already be seen over the horizon as the trawlers made their way back to their home port. Normally the crew would doze off a bit on the way back or make some light jokes or get busy talking about their future. But that was not the case today. They were all wide awake and rather quiet. The prospect of making their way back in bright light across the busy  coast which would be full of fishing boats and trading dhows was not an idea which put them at ease. The navigators of the two vessels were working harder than usual to make sure that they did not come across other fishing vessels or worse yet, a Coast Guard patrol boat.

Bappu Shinde was a tough man around these parts, and he was feared, but even his influence had its limits, and there were times when his henchmen did not want to test those limits. This was one of those times. If they were caught with the contraband that they were carrying today on these two vessels then even Bappu Shinde’s money and influence would not save them.

The trawlers sailed towards their planned rendezvous on the distant and deserted beach where other henchmen of Bappu Shinde were waiting for them with smaller fishing boats and trucks to take the narcotics to their eventual customers. The mid-day sun began beating down ferociously on the vessels. Gopal Nagre found a corner to hide in for the rest of the journey. The captain was already furious with him, and the other thugs were in a bad mood. He did not want to inadvertently cross someone and earn their wrath. He had played his role in the story he found himself a part of, and he had now simply resigned himself to his fate. His mind was now devoid of any thoughts, and his heart was emotionless. He just stared morosely in the distance without looking at anything in particular. He had no intention of sleeping, but little by little his eyes closed seeking solitude from a tired body and rest from a tired mind, and some shade from the glare of the Indian sun.

Gopal Nagre had never heard guns being fired before, and he had never heard or felt a bullet up close. But he was pretty sure that it was a bullet shot that woke him up. For a while his mind did not really register anything. Everything was a blur, but after a while as the images came into focus, everything became clearer.

He looked down at his right arm, and saw that his shirt was red with blood. There was a deep cut, and as he turned around he saw a bullet lodged in the boards that he had been leaning on. His left hand instinctively went to the wound and covered up the hole so that the blood would stop seeping out.

He looked up and saw that the captain and his henchmen were frantically firing at some Coast Guard helicopters. The captain was armed with his usual pistol, while some of the henchmen were firing from fully loaded AK-47s. From where he was sitting he could see thugs from the other trawler firing at the helicopters as well. The helicopters responded with some vicious firing on their own, and the bullets ricocheted off the deck tearing up the woodwork. Many of the bullets were coming uncomfortably close to Gopal. This was not a safe place to be in, and he had to get out of the way as quickly as possible.

He stood up, and as he did he got a glimpse of the deserted coast with its coconut trees in the distance. So, the Coast Guard had laid a trap at the drop-off point. That was clever of Mahavir Singh. He caught sight of a pair of Coast Guard gunboats rushing towards them from the distant waters. The cannons on one of the gunboats boomed, and the projectile landed close to the bow of the trawler.

Gopal suddenly heard a cry of pain from the front of the vessel and saw a henchman clutching his stomach in pain. The barrage from the helicopter guns had caught him clean in the midriff, and after a while he keeled over and fell in the sea. Gopal heard more cries from the back of the vessel, and this time he saw two henchmen being blown away by the guns of the helicopter.

Gopal was stunned by the chaos and confusion that he saw all around. The Coast Guard had taken the crew of the trawlers by surprise. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, they had come with all the firepower they could muster. Now the smugglers were outgunned and outmanned, and were trapped in the middle of a losing battle. The cannons from the gunboats boomed again, and more projectiles landed close to the trawlers. Gopal looked at the captain who had frightened him to death the night before. He now looked a pale shadow of his former self, and was blindly firing his pistols at the helicopters without taking aim at anyone in particular.

The gunboats were almost upon the trawlers now, and from that range even the rifles of the Coast Guard officers were effective. He saw an officer from one of the gunboats lift his rifle, cock it, aim it at the captain, and fire. The bullet came whizzing over the sea, and slammed into the captain’s throat. For a moment the captain just stood like a statue. Then slowly the gun dropped from his arms, the eyes rolled back into his head, he staggered back, fell, and then he died.

The trawlers were now surrounded by a halo of cannon shells and gunfire. Gopal staggered below deck, and found what he hoped would be a safe corner. By this time the bullet wound that he had sustained was starting to take effect. The blood was dripping out faster and faster, and Gopal could no longer keep himself conscious. He felt drowsy, and then suddenly everything went black.

The dull hospital light was the first thing that Gopal saw when he regained consciousness. That was all he wanted to see for quite a while. His hand was numb, his head was stiff, and his legs were sore. He heard his name being called out, and he was not sure if it was a dream or if it was real. He tried to open his mouth to respond, but no words came out of his mouth. But his ears heard noises, which after a while became audible. The voice seemed muddled at first, but after a while he recognised it to be the kind voice of Mahavir Singh.

“It’s ok Gopal. Don’t try to move. You have been sedated on some painkillers. The wound you took on the hand was quite bad, but the doctors have stitched you up pretty good. They say you will be as good as new in a week’s time”

Gopal slowly turned his head over to the right, and the trusted face of Mahavir Singh came into view. Gopal tried to speak again, but it seemed to take more effort than he imagined. But bit by bit, the words came out.

“Fa…Fa..Fa…Family” he stuttered

“They are fine Gopal. They are staying with me at the Coast Guard station. We will find you guys a new place once the dust from all this settles”

“Ba…Ba…Bappu Sh…Shinde”

“We caught him and his henchmen as well. We rounded up all his guys in the city, and took possession of his trawlers. The foreign ship was captured by the Navy on its way out of Indian waters. The trawlers were carrying a huge quantity of narcotics. It was one of the biggest seizures we have ever had. This is a big win for the Coast Guard, and all thanks to you Gopal”

“Am, am … I in trouble?’

“No you are not my friend. You are a hero. You were unconscious when we found you, but we made it look like you are dead, and brought you away to this distant Navy hospital. Bappu’s men think you are dead, and we are going to make sure they continue thinking that. We will keep you and your family safe for as long as it takes”

For the first time in a long time, a smile appeared on Gopal’s face.

“Gopal, I want you to do one more thing for me. We will talk more about it as soon as you are up and about. You are a brave and honest man and a top sailor as well. Come and work for me in the Coast Guard. You do not have to be a poor fisherman anymore. Your wife will have nice clothes to wear, and your children will go to a good school, and you can continue sailing the seas, but this time for a good cause. Say yes, my friend. We need people like you”

And Gopal nodded his head, and smiled once more.

__END__