Chapter 12

BitterBerry

@BitterBerry

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]

Chapter 13

Sometimes you lose people because you want to protect them from your own demons and some other times it’s your foolishness that leads you to lose them...

In my case it was both.

Arjun POV

The morning in the ETF conference room today is peaceful. I can’t really say if it’s the silence before the storm or the aftermath of a disaster. Both ways the silence of the room felt eerily suspicious.

One look at the NIA second in command and you can say she’s the foreboding appearance of an uncontrolled devastation that’s about to unleash. The calmness of her appearance was frightening. I know what she must have done previous night. She’d have dissected her thoughts, resurfaced those bitter memories from the hidden corners of her brain and now wearing them in her sleeves. One shrug and you could see her bursting. But none of that happened. How did she learn to control her rage overnight?

She held a file in her hand, with another she was playing with the Coke. My eyes dropped to the name on the file. The name printed on it was of Aditya Rao. Totally unrelated to the case we are handling.

“What is it Riya?” Rathod noticed the file the same time I did. It was a relief that Rathod asked this. Even though she is pissed with almost everyone in the team, there was still some warmth left in her for Rathod.

She didn’t say but just passed the file to Rathod who inquisitively took the file and started reading it. “is it a patient report Riya?”

“Yes. And No?” Rathod looked confused.

“Yes because it is a case study report. And no it’s not a patient report but a death report.”

“From where did you get this. You weren’t even there when Preetika told us about her father’s research”. Sakshi intervened.

“ I have my ways...”, that’s the only reply that came out of her mouth.

“What’s Sakshi saying”? Rathod wasn’t anymore questioning the ladies but his head directed at me asking for clarifications.

“the doctor had a son. They lost him during the outbreak... six years ago.” I tried to keep my voice calm. I chose not to look at her. And Rathod very well understood what I am saying.

“ and he was his first case study too. After the doctors son lost his consciousness, they took him to the hospital where they tried a whole body transfusion along with alternative therapy . But it was too late that the medication failed and they lost him...”. Riya stressed on the word too late. Too late was her way of saying who was responsible. I felt the same rage building inside me for everything I did that day and for everything she’s holding me responsible for. The worst is I can’t undo it. I have damaged this forever. This isn’t the time for that Arjun. Get a grip. My mind told me. I accepted and agreed with my mind.

Rathod is deeply unsettled with where the case is going. First of all the only clue we had about the doctors murderer is dead. Thanks to this lady sitting in front of me. Secondly, we don’t have an even idea about the purpose behind smuggling of such heavily loaded ammunition. Lastly, our case is heading in a direction that could compromise the current collaboration we have with NIA because we have disappointed the NIA second in command in the past.

“I think ACP Rawte was right. It’s more than just a terrorist killed a doctor.” What is it with her calling me ACP all the time? Sir sounded good. Usual. Arjun sounded better. ACP sounds like a stranger’s referral. What the hell am I thinking? For the first time after she joined us, she has agreed to something I said.

“So you think the doctor was killed because of his this secret research he was doing and not because the terrorist really had to kill him for whatever reason?” Rathod asked puzzled. Why can’t he see the obvious?

“All I am saying is, there is more to what we are already seeing on the surface?” she said clarifying.

“Even though the doctor and his research is a different case, we still can’t avoid the ammunition we discovered...” I said.

“but we don’t yet have any link to put both the case together!” Aisha said for the first time after the conversation started.

“Okay then. Let’s split. Aisha and Chotu, help Riya with her investigation regarding the ammunition. Arjun and Sakshi you two investigate more about this research, Dr. Rao was doing.” Rathod said. I don’t know from where the idea of splitting came. Sakshi looked happy with the decision. It didn’t really affect Riya. “Shree you will provide technical back up to us.” Rathod finished with his orders.

“What about the truck drivers?” Riya asked.

“Even though they started from all the different places, they followed the same route and the same gate pass. When I verified their license number, a very odd thing came out”. Shree said this.

“What’s odd?” asked Rathod.

“Not a single one of them are from Mumbai. When I traced their actual address, I found that they were all from Hyderabad?” every eye turned to Riya. She herself noticed that sometimes later.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” Riya shrugged it of as if she has nothing to say.

“you know nothing about it Riya?” Rathod was the first one to ask.

“Then how were you there at the warehouse that night?” I was the second one to ask.

“Don’t you get it the first time or you just don’t trust me? I mean not that I am expecting you to...”, she said. Her voice is non-creamy, it isn’t laced with any sarcasm but the undertone said she’s done with us.

“Look I already told you that I had a tip about his location. We only came to know about Bhadra during the Hyderabad chain blast case and since then he’s on NIA radar. I don’t really know what’s his connection with the doctor. And I don’t understand your whole point of questioning me while I am just trying to be cooperative with you people!!” Her exclamation was bigger than her silence. Didn’t I say?

“Rii is right, I did a time check of the transportation. It all started only after the blast?” Now all eyes turned to Shree. Didn’t he just call her Rii? Like the old times. Did they talk and sorted everything altogether. I instantly looked at Riya. Minutes ago she was giving explanation that said she’s done with us. But the tug of smile on her lips saying Shree is out of that list. Shree acted as if he didn’t say anything objectionable. As if it came just so naturally to him. Best friends since childhood, so no explanation needed. As far as I remember, Shree was the emotional pillar she always held onto. And Chotu was her logical part.

“I hope now you have your answers. Shree can you please send me the whole route ?” She was back to her polite self. He just nodded, with a blank expression. What’s wrong with these two?

“if what Riya is saying is right then we have to uncover whatever secret reserach the doctor was doing.” Rathod said.

Riya just held her coke and followed shree to his chamber without listening to the part of our discussion. “ check each and every single person that had any contact with the doctor during his research and the doctor couldn’t do such a high profile research being a one man army. There has to be others. Arjun, you and Sakshi go to that clinic again and let me know if you find anything”. Rathod finished. What is it with him tagging Sakshi with me always.

Before going my eyes once travelled back to Shrees chamber. Riya was leaning over the desk as Shree was uploading the location on her phone. They looked very comfortable with each other. Or did they just pretend?

You can never trust them what they are up to when they have that goofy look on their faces. Most of the time Shree came to her rescue for every intentional or non-intentional stupidity she did. Like the last time...

Flashback

“You can at least give me some credit Rii. But no, you are just a very big ungrateful cat.” Shree was laughing hard at what he said. He was holding his phone to his ears while the other hand worked on his keyboard.

A very familiar sound playing in the background. I hadn’t expected this.

“Well Rii now that you have prove, what are you going to do. I mean he cant obviously deny this if you tell him that you know.” Taking his fingers off the keyboard he finally leaned on the chair.

“What do you mean he didn’t say anything. Are you serious? I think you are missing it for life.”

I have heard enough bullshit. So this was a plan? Suddenly I felt I was stabbed in the back. I shared my raw emotions with her and she... she planned all this? How dare she play with my emotions like that.

Shree!!!” my voice echoed in his chamber as there were no people but the two of us. His phone dropped to the ground and I have never seen him this horrified ever. That’s good. He should be horrified of the consequences that would follow for whatever he and his best friend planned.

“Sir... sir you are totally getting it wrong. Riya didn’t do anything?” Shree shuddered with what he was saying.

“Then what proof you are talking about Shree. Proof of my emotions being dissected in front of someone who thinks she loves me. You tell your best friend that I hate her. She just disgust me...”.

An hour later Riya entered the ETF office. She looked nothing like last night. She wore the plain formals that always went with her researcher attitude. Her last words started playing in my mind. “you think I am taking her place and you feel guilty because you can’t do anything but letting me in?”

“ I don’t love you Riya?” “I don’t believe that you don’t.”

You cant take her place Riya. I can’t love anyone else. You can’t manipulate me into believing that she’s slipping away from me. How can I let anyone invade me that easily? Fury took over me like never before. How dare she play with my emotions that way. Was she even drunk? Or she just acted to get my attention? And how stupid you are Arjun to fall into all of these? Did you forget why you are in ETF? You can’t let emotions weaken you.

Rathod barged into the conference room with worry and fury both. Something huge has happened. He just screamed for Shree as he emerged from the conference room. Rathod immediately ordered him to switch on to the daily news.

What we saw blown our mind away. The whole city was in danger. People were dying with an unknow disease and we didn’t yet know if it was a natural outbreak or something finely planned and crafted.

“I have already sent Chotu to find out about where it all started. Let’s move to the city hospital. There’s a lot of pressure from home ministry and we just have to do something about it.” Rathod said.

We all left for the city hospital. Shree was still seeking updates from all the news channels and was playing all the videos one by one. The situation was getting out of our hands.

Through the rear view mirror she was staring continuously. Her presence was pinching me. Yet I controlled myself. I just have nothing to do with her now.

The view at the hospital looked like an anomaly. Everyone were rushing here and there. The hospital was in high alert. People were being rushed in the hospital, their condition already deteriorating. It was a real emergency in every sense and we had to act fast.

“Riya, go to the information desk and find as much you can about this situation and see what can be done.” Rathod ordered. She acted fast upon his orders as she rushed to the information desk.

We met a senior doctor on our way to the directors office. He explained to us about this outbreak.

“Exactly how many cases have been registered here since this morning”? I asked.

“ Almost 52 and still coming in...”, the doctor said.

“And the mortality?”

“22 since morning and 20 more are in ICU. We don’t have enough space for such intensive care.” The looked like he’s done everything could but that’s still not helping.

“What’s exactly affecting them doctor?” Rathod asked.

“the preliminary reports say they have had contaminated water. They are having all the signs of a severe infection that has spread rapidly and it’s worse for immunologically compromised patients. We suspect its a virus but we can’t say anything until we confirm what exactly is killing them”? The doctor left us to attend some more patients.

“had it been some natural cause, it wouldn’t have spread this rapidly.”? I said.

“We can only say when Chotu will come back with some information”. And that was the moment Chotu appeared in the corridor. He looked tensed owing to the situation.

“Sir, all these people who are affected are from the same locality. And it all started after they used the municipal water?” he said.

“you are right Chotu, the doctor also said the same?” I clarified.

“ I went to Mumbai municipal office of water division and they said they didn’t send any water truck to that area, but the local people have confirmed that the water tank belongs to the municipal?” chotu said.

“someone must have sent this truck intentionally then. But who?” situation looked deliberate and way too unnatural.

“Shree, check the CCTV footage of the municipal office and then of that locality . Even if the truck wasn’t sent by the municipal its still belongs to the municipal. Someone must have stolen this truck and used it”. Rathod interprets from the situation. Shree nodded in a yes and left. We left the hospital after that.

“Sir, where is Riya?” Chotu was the first one to ask. She went to the information desk and what is taking her so long. She will be back on her own.

“She will join us later with more information.” Rathod said.

Shree found out that the truck was actually stolen from the municipal and he’s yet to identity that person who stole that.

It was only a matter of minutes when the municipal reported the missing of another three trucks. We were sure this is happening because of some big conspiracy and humanity is on the verge of being wiped out if something wouldn’t be done for that matter.

“Shree, alert all the checkposts about these trucks and no one should pass without any check”. Rathod ordered shree.

After some hours we were able to trace one driver who was caught at check post. He was brought to ETF interrogation room where he revealed that he was asked to deliver the water tank to that area. When we asked who has ordered him, he said someone from the municipal. We were sure someone has breached into the municipal management and doing all this.

We tried to trace the number from which the person has called but of no use as the sim was sim was out of service. Chotu was able to find another two drivers but we found nothing from them too. We were at a dead end. And people were dying.

“Sir, I found some glitch in the network. It’s more like a technical glitch.” Shree came up with something useful.

“What do you mean?” Rathod asked.

“What I mean is sir, all the three drivers received those calls at exactly same time. I think the call was computer generated from different servers.”

“Can you trace the IP?”

“i can trace. But I’d have to hack.” There was not a single trace of hesitation when he said that.

“Do whatever you want shree, I just want to know who’s behind this”. Rathod roared. The day was totally unrest and felt like endless.

“Sir, do we have any information about the infection yet?” Chotu asked. “We are yet to know chotu.” Rathod sighed. “Sir, I got a location” at the mean time Shree said. “Send that location to me, I will go”. I said. “I will have to go to the ministry. We have to make a statement about the ongoing crisis. People are in fright.” Rathod said. It’s only a single day and something just turned the spirit of Mumbai upside down. Everywhere you go , people are dying. I followed the location.

On my way, I heard my phone ringing. A name flashed on the screen. A name I have started despising. Riya. I had to take the call. “Sir, there is something important I have to tell you”. Her voice was nervous. “What Riya?” I couldn’t keep my calm. Whenever I thought about her, my insides was filling with rage and rage only. She shouldn’t have this effect on me. “I know what has happened last night?” she said. I already told her to forget this. I can never forgive her for what she has done. “Don’t you get it Riya? I am done with whatever happened last night. I don’t want to listen or to talk anything about that.” And with that I cut the call. She is just being outright undutiful and irresponsible again. How could she even think whatever that has happened last night matters to her more than this crisis. You surprise me Riya Mukherjee. 

The location Shree has sent me, took to the Central laboratory for infectious diseases. The facility was in chaos as well. I asked Shree to send the proof of the IP so that I can get clearance to enter. I went directly to the head of the institute. He was furiously talking with someone. But I entered anyway. “I don’t really care what position you have in this but a strain of a infectious bacteria made it’s way to the municipal waters, hundreds of people are dying and you are saying you don’t know”. I heard the voice unmistakably. She was furious too. Riya was on top of her voice. She had some paper in her hand and she just placed on the table with a thump. 

“What is it?” the Director asked. “You can see it to confirm but let me tell you. This is the DNA sequence of the bacteria we found from the people who died due whatever infection this bacteria is causing. The bacteria that is specifically engineered here in one or your labs.”

 “That’s impossible.” The director was shocked at her retreating. He took those paper in his hand and started reading. "Not only that, we also found that the person who did this, and called those water tank drivers to supply water is from here." I said.

 “Now who are you?” said the director looking at me. “ETF. And I have clearance.” I said as i was in no mood to wait. “Take this IP and just tell me who is using that system”. “I’d like to talk to scientists and technicians of that particular lab.” Riya said as she didn’t wait for anyones permission and made her exit. She wasn’t even a bit surprised seeing me. Her eyes had hope and expectations. Even though she was enraged with the director first, her forms softened after seeing me. And I didn’t want to see any of that. She saw rejection in my eyes and left.

The director called his chief technical officer to verify the IP. After some moments a regretful reply came from the director. The IP indeed belongs to one of the systems of this facility. He also told us to which lab that system belongs. 

“Is there any employee that suddenly took leave or is missing without notice?” anyone who did this wouldn’t be waiting for us here. “I will check and tell you soon?” the director was more cooperative than before. The technical officer leads us to the lab where that strain of bacteria was kept. It was a level three of Biosafety lab only a very few people are allowed inside the lab. This made our job easier. I had do undergo different safety checks before going in.

 “And you are saying you don’t know. Who else are working in this lab?” Riya was on top of her voice again. “Ma'am we are only five people. And Dr. Shukla is on a leave since yesterday. That leaves us four only.” One of the scientists said.

 “That makes it’s easier. Who’s System is this?” the technical officer went to check the right system and stopped in front of the second system in the row of computers. “This is system sir.” “Who works in that system?” i asked.

“I work in that system sir, but I didn’t do anything”. “You all have personalized systems right? Then you all must have personalized access too. How can you say you didn’t?” “I wasn’t here the whole day. I was away for a field study”. The scientist clarified. The director came back with the alibi of all the staff of that lab. And this scientist was speaking right. It was also true that Dr. Shukla was on leave. 

“Who handles this strain of bacteria?” Riya asked. “It’s a project of Dr. Shukla. He engineered this bacteria.” “Can you give us more information on this bacteria and what possible treatment the doctors can adapt?” She asked again. 

The scientists face fell. He looked hopeless. “There is no cure to this infection. Dr. Shukla has engineered it in such a way that no antibiotic will work upon it.” “How could you allow such practices in your lab. I’d like see the ethical permission for this project”. I asked. “Officer, the whole purpose of this project was to study antibiotic resistance and it is ethically approved. You can see the permission letter. We have checked all the safety measures for its culture conditions”. The director explained.

 “Then how in hell it reached the water tanks ?” I glared at the director. “I am sure someone deliberately did this, but for what reason?” Riya found herself questioning this. “Do you know where Dr. Shukla might be?” I asked. “His application has cited some personal reason. He might be any where. We can’t say?” “Give me his address and yes, you Doctor, have to come to ETF?” I said to the scientist whose system was used to make the calls. The directors assistant came up with Dr. Shuklas address.

After getting the address I left the lab as I felt Riya was following me. I hurried my steps so that we couldn’t really have any chance for any conversation. She called out for my name and I ignored her behind as I left. I saw her face in the mirror of the SUV. Her face had disappointment and I was fully in rage. 

Flashback ends

Later I realized that Shree was actually right. Riya didn’t play any game. It was me who found excuses to run away from my own emotions. Everything would have been fine. Only if I had just listen to her once. She had something else to say and I got it wrong. I was too blinded by my fury that I forgot we had a professional relation too. She requested me enough time to just listen to her once but I didn’t. And the inevitable happened. She just left...

“Arjun? Arjun... we reached the clinic. Where are you lost?” “I am sorry Riya” I was brought back to reality by Sakshi, and I blurted out something that would now drown me in a pool of questions

“Riya? Why are you calling me Riya and why are you saying sorry”. Sakshi started with her questions. I kept my silence.

“Arjun are you going to say something. Ever since this Riya came to ETF I haven’t seen any of you in peace. Just what the hell was the problem with this woman?

I opened my mouth to say...

“ yeah yeah you will say it’s none of my business but it is more than my business now. Did you love her Arjun?” how could she come up with asking something like that?

“what are you talking”?

“ I am talking about what I am seeing”.

“What are you seeing?”

“I am seeing the way you look at her. The way you keep mum wherever she’s rude. The way you stare at her through the rear view mirror or the way you defend her irresponsibility. I thought you don’t eat up any nonsense thrown at you, but no. Here you are tolerating everything as if you are bound to your girlfriends tantrums.”

“Are you done psycho describing unethical dating practices?” I could ask her the only single question because all those things she said was mostly right. I have tolerated Riya’s behaviour beyond my tolerance. Is it because I am guilty of hurting her? Or is it the otherwise. No I couldn’t say it even in my mind. Arjun are you falling for Riya? I erased those thoughts from my mind. But suddenly they felt so right. Am I? Really? Falling for Riya?

I remember, in her drunken state she had said she loves and it’s too painful. I wanted nothing but to erase her memory. I hoped her feelings for me will fade. But the worst happened. Instead she faded from our lives. I really mean it when I said she ain’t going anywhere. But I just simply became the reason of her dismissal.