Chapter 18

BitterBerry

@BitterBerry

If nothing, your own insecurities will kill you everyday. Your guilt will kill you everyday. And if you don’t feel like dying everyday, you have never really lived…

Arjun

Once she was out of the conference room, my eyes turned cold at Rathod. Why do I have to be a pumpkin turned carriage to take the Cinderella to her prom? Other than that she wasn’t Cinderella! 

“what do you think? I am her driver Rathod”? I asked.

“I am just reminding of the responsibility you took last night for staying with her.” He said plainly. That reminded me his comment on how could she give me a black eye. I frowned at the thought of her. It won’t be surprising, looking at the current mood of the NIA second in command that she would be hostile in a matter of second if probed further. Cause she could just give more than a black eye.

“and what are you saying? That guy is her boyfriend?” Aisha asked. I could already see her curiosity horns shining golden.

“I am not saying anything. He said so” I said remembering everything that lieutenant said.

“Might be, he was so damn protective about her. You should have seen it how troubled he looked seeing her down there you know.” Aisha added later.

“I saw that Aisha. You don’t have to exaggerate much”! I commented. 

“What’s wrong with you? And what’s wrong if the two of them are in a relationship”? She asked daring me to answer. 

“nothing is wrong Aisha. We are not here to discuss her personal life”! 

“finally, Rawte you could come up with something logical and not out of place. Now go and help her.” Rathod was persistent with his decision.

Something about this settlement didn’t go well with me. Is it possible they might be in a relationship? Why does this bother you Arjun. Stop thinking about her. 

Ignoring the calculated look both my comrades were giving I too came out off the conference room only to find an array of argument disrupting the peace of the room.

“I am just going for a statement Shree”! Riya was shouting at Shree? And looked like I am not the only one who is displeased with the arrangements.

“So what are you expecting? Should I send a friendship band?” he barked at her. 

“You are being impossible”! 

“and you are being irrational.” Riya sighed, trying to bring down her annoyance.

“its fine if you don’t want to go. I have to go and see Rohit. He was there because of me. At least I should check up on his health. And don’t forget he is the only link we can find useful if we ever need Coast guards on our side. Navy has clearly asked us to stay off the board and we cant even make a request. Mohit will be helpful Shree.” She said trying to convince him. Shree was silent after that giving away the argument and ignored her for the rest few minutes while she just silently waited there for a reply from her now angry best friend.

“You are not getting an alliance with Navy using Mohit, Riya. You know how he is”, Shree  was now shouting.

“why do you care Shree? you don’t look like you give a damn about what I want from you. So stop this argument unless you want to fix things between us. I know what I did was wrong Shree and I know you are not entitled to listen to whatever I want to say. But at least don’t pretend that you care when in reality you don’t even want to talk to me.” She bursts like a volcano. The whole ETF was shocked with the interaction the duo just had. Shree shut his laptop now in bubbling with rage and stood in front of Riya facing her. Sakshi placed a hand over him but his glare was enough for her to back off. Shree came forward getting too close to Riya and held her by her arm. She winced in pain as I noticed it was the arm she was injured. 

I intervened. “let her go Shree”! Shree heard Riya wince and he instantly let go of her as she furiously went out of the room. I took a step in her direction , but Shree raised a finger, his aggressive eyes boring holes into me and for the first time in life I was petrified of the look our technical head was giving me. Not because he scared me. But because he was  about to unleash a wrath he had contained with him for damn six years. “I respect you a lot sir, as my senior. But this is NOT your matter.”

“I know Shree but she was hurt so I just told you to let her go.” I said.

“Let her go? Didn’t we let her go way  before? It was all because of you. Your seniority, your anger, your perception about her. You didn’t understand her feelings, that’s fine. But you had no rights to degrade her in front of the whole state and judiciary. She didn’t deserve the professional backlash she faced that day. And all of this happened why? Because our second in command believed a criminal but not his teammate. They questioned her morals and emotional quotient. But in that matter you were incompetent. You lacked understanding and you made all those decisions with your instincts. And…”

“ENOUGH SHREE”! I heard someone roar behind me. “you have said enough. Did you forget who you are talking to?” Rathod sternly said and glared at Shree. I didn’t know how should I react. Only his words kept ringing in my head. 

“I know who I am talking to. What will you do sir? Charge me against misconduct or initiate another inquiry?” His reply stunned Rathod. But he was not the only one who became stony. The whole ETF witnessed something it wasn’t supposed to.  Chotu instantly came towards Shree to calm him down. But he looked beyond consoling.

“Aisha, Sakshi can you both wait outside. I have to talk to them.” He said and both Aisha and Sakshi made their way out without asking a single question.

Rathod turned to Shree as he placed a hand over his shoulder. Rathod wasn’t anymore furious rather he looked guilty. 

“It was mistake Shree. I didn’t know she had issues. It was an order from the commissioner.” He said even though he himself wasn’t convinced what he was saying. 

“Mistake. How easy it is for you to say that it’s a mistake.

Your single mistake changed her whole life. Did you even know her enough to question her morals?

You pushed her to the hell she struggled with her life to survive. Let it be, I will assume you didn’t know. But you did read the inquiry reports right? You still didn’t pry much about this issue or how it could be used against her. Dr. Mehra must have given a complete report of her medical history. Didn’t you know how it could bring triggers? That she had real clinical issues. How it would be still traumatizing for her. It’s a miracle how she stayed strong even after. I have seen her all my life Sir, and I have never seen someone become emotionally this dead as she was that day.

Do you know how many doses of sedatives they must have used to calm her down.

Do you know how must she haven’t slept a single night without having those nightmares.

Do you know how many times she must have killed herself in her mind just to get rid of that guilt.

Do you know how much she is guilty for not being able to save all those people. She doesn’t even know Aditya Rao, yet she spent an entire night getting his death report? Do you know why? That guilt is still eating her.” He was throwing us with questions we have had no answer.

“Tell me Arjun sir how must you have felt when you couldn’t save Roshni ji…”? Something shattered just right there. The floor suddenly turned brown as the coffee splashed over it. I glared murderously at Shree and raised a finger on him, “don’t you ever dare Shree. Don’t…” I warned him.

“It still hurts you right? Then imagine how it must have weighed upon her. The death of those thousand people who could have been saved…”, Shree finished in a whisper.

I didn’t know what broke him all of a sudden. And I don’t know what broke me right now. 

It still hurts right?

How would I put it? Hurt? Is it even the right word? I feel my existence shattering into nothingness. Even after all these years, the flashes of that day still plays in my head in an unending loop and he said it still hurts? 

“Shree now you are crossing your limits.” Rathod warned shree in an unwavering manner. He was visibly angry and I was visibly lost.

“you are right sir. But I am not the only one.” He finished and left the room banging the door. 

“Make him understand Chotu, I wont tolerate such behaviour in this office ever again.” Rathod warned Chotu. He obediently nodded but he was no way in agreement with whatever that transpired right there.

Two years since the bloodbath.

Two years since I believed that I managed make peace with myself. 

I did justice to her. 

Justice? Did she even wanted justice. She didn’t deserve to die in the first place. I failed her. 

My inner voice reminded me every her thoughts crossed my mind. 

And he asked, it still hurts?

I am not mad at Shree. I couldn’t be. These were accusations thrown at me. These were the truth I dreaded to face someday and the day has arrived. It pained more than talking to her about it last night. It pained more than the way she banged the door on my face. It pained more because, while she appears so much as to forgetting this, we were still stuck in that day. It pained because there was no closure to it.

I felt a hand touched my arms as Rathod turned me. His presented me knowing looks. He had warned me about this day. And it arrived. I was never this drowned in guilt ever…

When I left that room something else was waiting outside for me. “it’s all because of you. Ever since you have stepped into ETF nobody is at peace. You have destroyed the whole serenity of our team? What do you want?” Sakshi was constantly throwing questions after questions. Riya looked unfazed with anything Skahsi was asking her. Rather she looked too calm to be disturbed. She was leaning over the corridor wall with one leg on the floor and other one pressing on the wall, her hands crossing over chest, too oblivious to the accusations thrown at her right now.

“Sakshi!!! how dare you question her like that”??? My anger knew no boundary and suddenly I felt like pushing everyone around.

“Should have thought before assigning me in this case officers.” She said coldly. Even the little inclination she had for Aisha  before also faded. Aisha looked disturbed with everything that has happened today.

“No Arjun don’t stop me. Shree has never dared to question you like that before. It’s all because of her”. Sakshi continued. 

“Stop talking about things you are not aware of. I don’t want anyone to interfere in this matter.”

“Aisha, take her away. I don’t want to see any more argument in this office.” I finished it for once and all. Aisha dragged Sakshi inside while Riya was still leaning onto the wall.

“Its fine if you don’t want to go”! She said. She didn’t look like whatever Sakshi said bothered her even a bit. For a split second her eyes met mine. Something broke inside me again…

Her eyes mirrored my turmoil. They were the last thing I wanted to see, yet I couldn’t avert my eyes. 

“I have to clear your discharge papers”. I said. And she smiled. After all things that happened today, she smiled for the first time. 

Yet she doesn’t know what happened inside. She doesn’t know what shree said to me. I was surprised myself how he let it loose after all these years. His words mirrored the pain in her. He understood her like soul to soul. Yet he is not giving themselves a chance. Not giving their friendship a chance. Why? 

His words wont haunt me now. I know. But they will come for me, when the world sleeps under the shade of darkness, unleashing the greatest desire of their sub consciousness and to take control beneath their eyelids. But can I do that? Can I handle the same? And all of a sudden I started dreading the night. Because it wouldn’t be just her. There were thousand others who could have been saved…

“There should be a time and place for people to be funny. You sound like a parent ACP.” She smiled at her own new found humour. 

“Just following the orders.” I said. She still smiled with some cryptic thoughts running in her mind. “and I am sorry about what I said about..uh.. your boyfriend”! I said.

“why are you so serious about my boyfriend? And you don’t sound sorry. You don’t sound sorry for what you said in the conference room at least.” She asked now without a smile. How easily just she could read through me. I was sorry for everything other than what I just in the conference room.

“well is he now?” I asked more to myself. Why can’t she have a boyfriend? She has this over protective boss. And then she has another over protective best friend who just blasted off like RDX. The last thing I wanted was again an over protective boyfriend who’d call out for me with the ‘stay away’ tag from her. But staying away now seems impossible when she’s looking at me with those intriguing eyes, those painful expressions or those cryptic smiles.

“Let’s see if he is”! She said questioning herself. 

“You don’t sound you’re just so sure about him”! I replied expecting another reply I didn’t want to hear. And she didn’t disappoint me. “I was never so sure about anything in my life apart from him”! She said. 

And I remembered something. 

Mohit. 

Mohit Srivastav. 

Lieutenant Mohit Srivastav, acting in command, Indian Navy was her childhood love.

And she said she’s never so sure about anything in her life apart from him. I was completely blank because I completely ran out of thoughts.

That night she did say she loved me. It might take forever for me to forget what happened that night. Her whole confession thrilled me. I couldn’t afford another human being trying with all her capacity to evoke those emotions I didn’t want to feel. 

I let her go for better? Didn’t I? And see where she is now? Happy with a guy who was her first love. She took another chance at love? Is that what pains so much? That she has moved on with someone else? Or the fact that she managed to? After everything? And I couldn’t.

“Talking about first love and forever”? I asked.

She stopped dead in her track and turned instantly looking directly into my eyes. And for the first time after like forever, I felt like she bared herself to me. She let me see through herself. Allowed me to see the deep reverence in her eyes for something she held onto so aggressively that her existence deepened on it. And that scared me. I couldn’t find myself asking any questions because, like I dreaded the night, I dreaded the answer too. What if it’s not…

No…

Stop thinking about it Arjun. She might just have moved on. She’s changed for good. And she’s just not like you. Don’t drag her into the labyrinth of the darkness where you don’t even understand yourself. She could be happy in her life. She could be happy with that guy.

“There is no forever ACP”! She said in a deep voice. A voice that demanded some layers to be torn apart to understand the real undertone behind what she said. At last she has managed to silence me. I know from where those words came. That night when she was fully drunk she mentioned some guy who was her boyfriend. She said something like, “it didn’t hurt with Mohit”! 

We headed towards the Coast Guard office immediately. It was half past noon  but lunch was the last thing I wanted to have if she wouldn’t have asked me to stop near a restaurant. I leaned closer, opening the dashboard in the SUV and pulled out some energy bars. There was an inexplicable gleam in her eyes upon seeing the energy bar. “Didn’t expect you to keep these… I mean your chief is doing a lot many things to bring emotional quotient of the team to the point of saturation.” There she goes. Another jibe.

“I still don’t understand, how a survival strategy can add all the fancy to itself over a time.” I said as she ripped apart the wrapper and started munching over the energy bar totally ignoring my implication that I might not be interested in whatever the chief is trying. 

Everything is becoming a conflict when I am even in a closer proximity to Riya Mukherjee. I wanted her to know that I have changed for better. Yet, I wanted her to know that nothing has change since she has left.

“You want some”? She asked while digging her eyes into her phone as she forwarded her hand with the half bitten bar. I took it, shifting my hand from the gear and continued driving while munching on it.

We had to ignore all the looks we were getting from the attending staff of that emergency room along with the guards we fooled last night. Still holding another energy bar she stepped inside the room first. 

The injured man who is her friend, probably Rohit, is now in his full sense. He stirred a little over the hospital stretcher and looked at Riya. Another pair of eyes stared at us when I stood at the door and she walked around the stretcher to make herself comfortable on a chair beside Rohit. 

“I ruined it. Didn’t I?” he asked looking at Riya.

“You made it out alive. We all did. And that’s important. Stop over thinking about it”! She pacified him with a serious tone.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him.

“down with two bullets and he asked about you the first thing when he opened his eyes.” Said the lieutenant. Her eyes darted to him blankly as she held onto his expecting gaze.

“Too much for the old school friendship. Eh?” Rohit tried to smile at the comment Riya made at him.

“I got you all into the situation”! He said in his meek voice. Riya held his hand that was pricked with needle and said, “let it go, Rohit. It could have been worse but that didn’t happen?”

“well are you ready to make any statement?” she asked him coolly. 

“I already have it recorded”! Said the lieutenant. Too eager for her attention?

“Then why the hell did you call me here Mohit?” She glared at him. They don’t look like they are in good terms.

“Someone isn’t happy seeing me here”! Well I was definitely not. “come on, I thought you would really want to meet Rohit.” The lieutenant said.

“I did. And you didn’t always have to play games.” She said frowning at him.

“games? Like what? I just sent a flower. You loved those flowers”. He said smiling. In reply Riya remained silent. He waited for some moments to get any reply from her but she wasn’t giving away. Then his eyes turned to me. So it was him who sent her flowers.

“Hey man! You’re alright?” He asked me. I just replied to him in a nod. 

“What is it? All of you are giving me silent treatment. I don’t like it.” He said in a cheerfully complaining tone.

“There are a lot more things going right under your nose and probably you wouldn’t like them too.” She said finally. 

“I know what you are talking about. Rohit told me. We’re figuring it out. A sub is in it’s way. We could discuss it… err over dinner?” he asked her directly.

“You don’t look like you want to feed me information over a dessert Mohit. And I am not interested if you are asking me out”! She said matching his eyes. Mohit Srivastav went stiff with the reply she gave him.

Ouch!!

“That hurts. And what did you think I will make this bargain to give away our secrets? MI doesn’t involve overt ops Riya. It’s just a dinner. We’ve never really had a dinner.” He placed his hand over his chest to pacify the male ego which fell right from his face with her rejection. “You are still mad about everything. Can’t we settle everything. I mean come on it’s just a dinner”!

“What’s wrong with a dinner”? Rohit asked.

“I just don’t see the point of making everything fancy of a survival strategy.” She said as her eyes drifted to me for a split second, she was playing it better. Yet, Rohit didn’t looked like he was convinced.

“You’d never stop being his lawyer.” she smiled at Rohit.

“he saved our life. You could uh.. Express your gratitude with going out for dinner with him. I promise he wont budge you after dessert.” Rohit said.

“Point taken my lord.” She said now laughing. And all I felt was a confused audience who have missed the first half of a movie. 

“What would I do to make you say a yes?” Mohit asked finally.

“nothing. I guess Rohit has a point after all.” She said now smiling at Rohit. Yet her indifference towards Mohit didn’t fade.

“So that’s a yes”? Mohit asked cheerfully. 

“See you at dinner.” She said more to Rohit. “I am not the only one who’s going to pay gratitude to Mohit.” She added later. 

“I am going for your discharge”, I said finally. They didn’t look like they care enough if I stayed. But then Lt. Mohit pulled out a paper and handed it over to me.

“Its done, you could just sign there.” He said. I signed the paper. 

A phone rang right in the emergency room and she excused herself to attend the call.

“Is she always this prickly about everything?” Mohit asked looking at me.

“looks like you don’t know your girlfriend  better.” I replied back that silenced him. The whole scenario that played out in front of me compelled me to make my speculations.

Point one, they are having a rough time of their relationship. 

Point two, Riya is playing ‘I am hard to get’ to a whole new level.

Point three, there is nothing going on in between them while Mohit is just becoming a Romeo. 

All these points didn’t quite settle well with me for unknown reasons. 

“Its confirmed. That was Hussain that night.” She said the first thing after coming inside. Mohit looked alerted upon hearing the name.

“I think we should go now.” Riya said to the two of them. She went around Rohit again and pressed his hands. “See you soon.” She said to him.

“I am having normal saline for dinner. Don’t count me.” He wheezed. Riya hit him across his arm and made her goodbyes without glancing at the  lieutenant or say Romeo?

I was the first one to exit and she followed me. “now if we have that man’s face who took him to the hospital, we’re not far away from reaching Hussain or the doctors killer.” I said. She said a yes in agreement. “But it wont be that easy. I don’t understand how all of a sudden things became so simple.”

“what do you mean?” I asked not understanding the point. It took us almost two weeks to get this lead after the doctors death. And we wouldn’t even have found this without NIAs help.

“Azim Hussain is no simple catch ACP. He managed to run a sleeper cell right under our nose and killed 20 people last month. And there’s more to his bio data if you put it that way. There is something we are missing…”! She said with speculation.

She took out her phone and dialed a number. “What’s wrong? Is he still that mad? Shree isn’t picking up..” she casts a confusing look as we both got into the SUV. 

“I think he is just tired.”  I said and started driving. I couldn’t get my mind off the words he said today. It was as if Riya was speaking in his voice.

“let me call Chotu.” She said and dialed another number. After a few minutes, Chotu picked up.

“Chotu, where is Shree? Why isn’t he picking up the call?”

“what?

 Rosogulla?

How many?

Almost eleven???

Hell Chotu, freaking stop that guy.

And where are you now? oh I don’t even have to ask. I know where you must be.”

“I guess we have to take another turn.” She said in a worried voice. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Shree is acting crazy. Actually he rides for a sugar hunt when he’s mad or angry. I didn’t know he’d be this angry with Mohit…” she kept the  remaining words to herself, unaware of the things that has transpired in the ETF office.

“Where to”? I could only ask the location.

“Sweet Bengal.” She said tightening her seatbelt.

When we finally pulled in front of the sweet shop, the sight was too surprising to believe. There were almost 10 little plates neatly placed in front or Shree while Chotu was dragging him outside. It was hard to see Chotu dragging away someone from food.

“Shree!” she shouted and he spared a glance at her direction. 

“Stop this right away or Chotu will do something you would regret later”! She said in that bossy voice. He didn’t budge with her reply. She sighed in frustration and eyed Chotu. 

“Are you serious?” Chotu wasn’t sure about their possibly old plan to work cause Shree didn’t look like he gives a damn about who is snatching a plate as he took another rosogulla.

“Enough. That’s enough.” She muttered as Chotu went straight and picked Shree up as you lift a child sitting on a chair. He took him all the way from the shop towards the SUV inviting weird gazes from other costumers. He dumped him on the backseat and locked the SUV totally seizing his access to outside.

Shree was enraged but he didn’t do anything stupid like breaking the windows of the SUV and trying to come out to continue his sugar hunt. Riya and Chotu paid for the disaster he made in the shop and came out finally. 

We went towards the SUV. Riya knocked at the window where Shree was sitting fuming with anger. She signalled him to roll down the glass. He did after some time. 

“what?” he asked.

“I think you had a task at hand!” She said.

“I was occupied. This is my lunch time”! 

“Your lunch is over. Now let’s get back to work. And no I am not planning to hang around Mohit to get information”. She said and he stared at her.

“That’s not the matter. It will take time”! he said.

“I have a clip”! she said as she took out her phone and handed that to him. She leaned over the SUV inserting her head inside as he worked his hands for his laptop and finally connected the phone to his laptop.

“Give me a face.” She said and watched him working on his laptop. 

“looking at me won’t just get the work done.” He commented and she took her head out of the SUV. 

Chotu joined her and whispered something into her ear. She looked alarmed and there was something else in her eyes. As if she was itching to do something but was being stopped by her conscience.

“I guess I have to cancel my dinner plans then.” She muttered to herself. Her phone  beeped and she looked at it while frowning. She punched some reply and turned it off, throwing it in the back seat.

After one hour of taking a march in front of the sweet shop she leaned onto Chotu and got over the bonnet of the SUV with his help to finally giving some rest, both to her legs and mind. She looked tired. Yet she was unrest. The bandage on her hand eagerly demanded her to take some rest, yet she just shifted uncomfortably in her current position putting much weight on her good hand and waited. 

“Cant we just unlock the SUV and sit inside?” chotu asked her.

“Not when he’s acting like being pregnant with twins. NO! Let’s just give him some more time.” She said as she sat across the bonnet cross legged, earning a laugh from Chotu. I looked at our technical head who was too engrossed in his laptop. He looked like he took that comment, yet he remained silent. He’s probably closer to getting something. I know that look, that posture and the lines of worry on his face when he’s onto something. Doesn’t matter how mad he is, he’s still the best man we’ve got in the team for technical aspects. 

“its done.” He said finally stretching his arms turning the laptop towards us.

“Who’s he? Anyone you know?” she asked.

“You wanted a face. That’s all I’ve got for you.” Shree said still irritated maybe because the way we have stranded him in the SUV.

“Come on, you can at least check the DB for some match”! She pestered him.

“what made you think I didn’t?” He asked sardonically. Of course he didn’t find a match.

“transfer that to Chotu. We could use some informers”, I said to him and he didn’t even bother looking at me for that matter, instead he just said, “done.” 

Chotu brought his phone to me and I saw a picture manageably edited in some software. Even though his face was in dark, his features were  clear. Enough for us to ID him.

“We should ask in the clinic first. It was clear he took Azim Hussain to the clinic. Someone must have seen him or them.” I proposed.

“You are right. But still Chotu, please try to get his address.” Riya agreed to the plan. 

“let me inform others.” Chotu said and got himself busy with his phone. Riya immediately took her phone from the backseat and called her boss.

By the time she was done, the door of the SUV opened at the side where Shree was sitting and he came out stretching his arms. He instantly made his way towards the sweet shop, to complete the remaining plates if they were still there waiting for him.

Riya rolled her eyes in surprise that he is going inside again ignoring the fact that Shree has just hacked the SUV and opened the door.

“How the hell did he do that?” Chotu asked with his mouth hanging open.

“he replicated the wireless transmission from the control in his laptop and opened it.” Riya explained to Chotu.

“don’t stop him. I guess he needs all the sweetness he could harbour from this place. He has turned bitter lately.” I told her and she sneered narrowing her eyes. 

“Maybe he needs that, but the truth is bitter anyway.” Saying so she followed Shree inside. You never speak shit about anyone’s best friend. Doesn’t matter if they are in talking terms or not. 

I fished out the dashboard of the SUV to find if there are any remaining energy bars for me to save the day, unluckily there were none, so I had to follow them inside to the sweet shop. After having a late lunch we finally made goodbyes to Sweet Bengal. Chotu promises Riya to take care of Shree and said he will contact us as soon as he gets anything about this person. I and Riya went straight to the clinic. 

The clinic didn’t look like anywhere closer to how it was yesterday. All the hoardings have already been taken out. There were lines of trucks  to shift the hospital stuffs to somewhere. There was no sign of any doctor in the close proximity of the clinic. We didn’t notice anyone from the doctors family.

There was a single woman dressed in the corporate attire hastily making arrangements and checking up onto some listings. She looked like all the logistics weighed upon her.

Riya introduced herself to that woman who ignored her directly. Then Riya pulled out her ID to show her but in vain. The woman was too groggy to listen to anyone. She shouted to some men working on the cartoons and who soon pushed up a box inside the truck.

Riya came back annoyed with the way she was treated by the woman.

“She’s too pissed with the clinic getting shut and now mad about everything cause she has to handle all this.” Riya exclaimed looking around the mess. 

“Let me try.” I said.

“How? With your angry voice and deep glares?” she challenged. I went straight in her direction. “You better put on your shades.” She commented from behind as she followed me too. I stop in front of the woman. She rather looked tired as beads of sweat shone over her face due to the street lights. 

“Uh.. excuse me Ma’am, I am really sorry to disturb you but we really need your help.” I said, and i finally have her attention. She turned from the writing pad she was holding and looked in my direction. Her eyes travelled from my legs and lingered right over my face.

“Men like you shouldn’t say sorry.” She said in a deep husky voice. “How may I help you.” She asked. 

“Ah! Miss…”

“Saloni…” she completed. 

“Well miss Saloni, we are in search of a guy, I wonder if you could help us find this guy. I know you have so much to do and I understand the pressure you are having but only you can bring us out from this crisis.” I said as I pulled my phone and showed her the photograph. 

She wiped the sweat from her face and smiled widely, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Then she took a clear look at the picture I showed.

“Zakir Bhai…”, she said being astonished. “What has he done?” she asked with confusion.

“Do you know him?” Riya who was till now silent asker eagerly. Miss Saloni frowned at Riya before replying, “yes, he have worked here for about a month. He worked closely with Dr. Rao.”

“can you give us his address”?

“I don’t think that’s possible as for now, since all the records are being packed and shifted”. She said sadly looking at the truck.

“then make it possible. He helped a terrorist  to get medical attention”! Riya said with a glare.

“I don’t care what connection he has with whosoever. I am busy and I cant help you now.” She replied rudely. 

“Listen…”, Riya was about to say something but I stopped her.

“Saloni ji… you can just inform us later you know. As you see you are the only who can help.” I said. She smiled nervously and she looked me in the eye.

“I will try my best.. uh Mr.”

“Arjun!”

“Yeah Mr. Arjun, I will inform you as soon as possible”! she finally agreed.

“Ah, your number?” She asked.

“9822****76*” Riya said from behind and muttered a hasty thanks before marching towards the SUV. When we turned the SUV, I could see Saloni waving at us in the mirror.

“I didnt expect you to remember my number. Not after all these years?” I asked her quizzically once we were on the main road just a few meters away from our apartment.

“what to do? I remember everything, by default. And how else she would have contacted you?” she said smiling cheekily and opened the door of the SUV when we finally parked in the lot. 

“there are other ways to get information you know, apart from deep glares and angry voice.” I said. She frowned visibly when I got out of the SUV.

“Like what? By flirting with her. She just checked you out!” Riya laughed this time.

“Its not flirting. I call it politeness”, I said in my defence. 

“I saw how ‘polite’ that was.” She replied while still smiling as we got into the elevator.

“You look like you are too happy about something”! I commented.

“I am just waiting for the address”! This time she looked in my eyes while saying that. She wasn’t anymore smiling. There was something undecided in her eyes that made  her not only look enigmatic but rather alluring.

“too eager to get the case solved and leave right?” I asked. 

“maybe.” She said.

I couldn’t hold it anymore, I pressed the elevator to halt as I hovered over her keeping both of my hands on the wall behind her, completely seizing her access to anywhere.  What surprised me is, she made no struggle to  break free. Rather she leaned  backwards, resting her back on the wall behind her and breathed heavily. The position we were in could have given anyone a fine idea that they shouldn’t step in. 

Her breathe fanned my cheeks as I asked her, “you never meant to come back right? If there wouldn’t have been this case…?” I questioned her. Hoping against hope to get a reply that she didn’t completely give up on any of us. She closed her eyes. I could see movement beneath those eyelids and then she opened them.

“and you never meant to apologize right? If there wouldn’t have been this case…”! She asked in return. She’d never miss a chance to give it back to me. Before I could ask her anything more, she came too close making me take a few steps back as she marched forward and stopped until I felt my back on the wall of the elevator. I didn’t notice when  she pressed the button in the control but we were now moving. She didn’t let me go immediately, rather she leaned closer. Her cheek almost touching mine, her breathe fanning my earlobe she said, “happy chatting with sexy Saloni ACP. Good night.” I was visibly lost in the essence of her mint fragrance to realise that the elevator has stopped and she was nowhere to be seen? When I walked out of the elevator, I heard her close the door.

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That was all about this chapter. There is another update before you go to the prelude I have mentioned before. So that’s just coming next. 

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