Love in Times of Terror- Part 4

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 3

Source- istockphoto

Shirin got up and sat on a boulder near the edge of the mountain. Her face was showcasing the fury inside her.

“What do you know about me Rakesh? Do you know how it feels when your brother is dying in your arms, pleading with you to save him but you are too scared to even move. Do you know how it feels to see your parents’ dead right in front of your eyes but you can’t hold them, can’t hug them a last time? Do you know how helpless it feels?”

Rakesh was silent as he let Shirin cry out her tears of frustration.

When she was calm again he spoke. “No, I don’t understand your grief. Neither will I pretend to. But what I do know is, killing innocent people for no fault of theirs is not a right thing to do. Would you have felt satisfied if you had sacrificed the lives of those poor men and women or would you have gone killing others, till you feel that the murder of your family was vindicated?”

Shirin looked at him helplessly.

“What do you want Shirin? Do you want a hundred more young boys and girls like you, out on the streets, seeking revenge? Because when you kill innocent people, you are doing exactly what you had experienced, to the loved ones of those dead. Their children, brothers, sisters, wife, husband will seek revenge, just like you did. An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind but it will not ease your pain.”

Shirin started pacing, wringing her hands in frustration.

“I don’t know Rakesh. Few years back I was restless, every day I had dreams of my parents dying, of my hands bloodied with my brother’s blood. I hated myself for being helpless, for not avenging the death of my family. That’s when I met Rashid Ali, who goaded me on about how Indian Army killed innocent civilians in war. He held speeches, well attended by young men and women, on how Kashmir deserved to be independent and not a bone of contention between two countries. I met other victims of war, who were members of Azad Kashmir and they spoke of how they had suffered and how Rashid helped them to overcome their grief. We were taught how to handle arms and guns. We underwent rigorous physical training and learned how to survive in extreme conditions.

And then I met you Rakesh. You, with your soft words and gentle demeanor captured my heart. My resolve broke. Rashid knew that I was becoming weak in my purpose. And he gave me this mission, this mission to plant a bomb in the IT Capital of India. I knew that backing out would mean irking Rashid’s ire. And Rashid can be a dangerous adversary. In fact I’m sure once he realizes that his mission has been botched, a plan would be hatched to destroy me.” Shirin held Rakesh’s face in her hands.

“I’m scared, Rakesh. I want to know how life with you would be like. I want to know how our children would look like. I want to build a family with you. I want to grow old in your arms. I want to live with you.” The tears streamed down her face.

Rakesh wiped them and kissed her wet cheeks.

“Then you have nothing to be scared of. I’ll be with you every step of your way. I’ll never leave your side, and that’s a promise. Let’s go to the police and confess everything. Do you trust me?”

Rakesh extended his hand forward and Shirin placed her hand in his.

“I would trust you with my life, Rakesh”. Silently they walked away from the sun, setting below the horizon, hopeful of the future that lay ahead of them.

~~~

Love in Times of Terror- Part 3

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 2

source- istockphoto

Rana was getting impatient and nervous. He was pacing the parking area with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Four hours had passed since they started the search but they couldn’t find the bomb. The parking area had few cars and bikes that were parked from yesterday. Employees were allowed to park their vehicles for 24 hours after which there would be a fine to be paid.

His men had checked the vehicles, the underground drainage sewers, the over-head pipes but they couldn’t locate the bomb. Rana knew that time was running out on him. He had to take a decision to vacate the IT Park soon. If the alert was a genuine one and his men failed to locate the bomb then he would not be responsible for the consequences. He had argued with his seniors that this was a risk he was not ready to take.

Shaken by the threat in his voice, his seniors had decided that if Rana’s men couldn’t locate the bomb by 1 PM, the IT Park would be vacated and the situation would be made public.

Rana looked around him. It was a huge empty space and he wondered why anyone would choose it to plant a bomb. He answered his own question by guessing that this place was least secured and completely free of any electronic surveillance. There were two guards posted at the entrance and exit who were now looking at the proceedings with curiosity. There were small guard posts at the entrance and exit where the guards could rest during the night.

The nondescript structure was so small that only one person could sit at a time. Rana was about to throw the cigarette butt on the ground when he was struck by a thought. He ran to the guard post at the entrance. His men had completely ignored searching this cramped place. The small one room was filled with empty plastic cups, some clothes belonging to the guard, few keys, a torch light and a couple of registers.

Rana started rummaging through the litter piled in the tiny room. But he didn’t find what he was looking for. The security man came running when he saw the officer messing up his den.

“Sahib, what are you doing? Do you need something?” cried the man clearly ruffled.

“The room at the exit, is it same like this one?”

“Yes Sahib”.

Rana ran to the other side of the parking lot, hoping and praying fervently that his hunch be true. When Rana reached the exit post, his eyes immediately fell on the box kept at the corner of the room. He called the guard assigned at the exit, and asked him to open the box.

“Sahib, this is just a tool box. It has not been opened from a long time”

“Just open the damn box, you idiot”, Rana swore some more as the terrified man forced open the rusty box.

Inside there was contraption with wires entangled together and a small red digital clock ticking away furiously.

Rana heaved a sigh of relief just as the bomb detonating squad reached the spot.

***

Rakesh rode his bike silently with Shirin sitting behind him. Her head rested on his shoulders even as her hands clutched his waist.

“Isn’t the multiplex the other way”, Shirin asked, noticing that Rakesh was driving in the wrong direction.

“I have a surprise for you. You do trust me, right?” Rakesh spoke with the wind blowing past his face.

Shirin tilted her head to hear him and replied, “I would trust you with my life, Rakesh”.

Rakesh had a grin on his face as he continued to drive. After an hour of riding, he stopped and Shirin saw that they had left behind the hustle of city.

“Where are we?” she asked Rakesh.

Rakesh took her hand and guided her to a place where a tall rocky mountain stood smugly as if daring the visitors to scale it and conquer. Rakesh started climbing it deftly. Shirin had no difficulty in following Rakesh’s cue. Shirin reached to the top of the mountain first, panting and gasping for breath.

As she looked around, she was struck by the absolute splendor of the beauty around her. Her eyes could only see vast greenery covered in thick foliage. It was calm and serene. She sat down gazing at the open sky. Rakesh joined her and their eyes locked. Rakesh spoke, his voice sounding low and faint.

“Shirin, I know about your involvement with Azad Kashmir extremist group.”

Shirin was suddenly as still as a statue.

“I heard you speaking on the phone yesterday night about the bomb that you had planted”, he spoke, but his tone was not accusatory.

Shirin remembered the call she had got from the private number.

“Is it done?” was all he had asked her.

“Yes, I have planted the bomb in the parking lot of our office and it’s set to explode at 3 PM tomorrow. Rashid Bhai, I still have my doubts if I have done the right thing. The bomb will kill thousands of innocent men and women. Is this the mission of Azad Kashmir? Will Allah forgive us for that?” Shirin had talked in a whisper so that she wouldn’t wake up Rakesh, who she thought to be sleeping soundly.

“Shirin, for any cause there are sacrifices that one cannot avoid. When the Indian Army bombed your house in Kashmir and killed your parents and your little brother, just to extricate a few Pakistani militants, did they think about the innocent civilian causalities? Weren’t your parents and brother innocent too? Why did they die when it was not their battle?”

“Yes Rashid Bhai, my family was killed for no reason. I still remember that night when I hugged my brother’s little body as he bled to death in my arms. I was scared to come out, even though I knew that my brother was dying. In front of me, I saw my parents dead with their eyes still open and their mouths frozen in a scream. I’ll never forget that horrible night. Allah saved me for a reason and that reason is revenge. To avenge the death of my family.” replied Shirin, her voice shaking from fury.

“We have to teach the Indians a lesson or two. Kashmir is ours, it’s a paradise that belongs to us rightfully and they cannot take it away from us. You have assured yourself a place in heaven because you have done His bidding, my daughter. Tomorrow will be a new dawn for us”, commended Rashid Ali, the mastermind behind Azad Kashmir.

Rakesh who woke up to have a glass of water couldn’t believe his ears. How could his Shirin be a terrorist? He went back to sleep to think things over. When he was sure that Shirin had fallen asleep next to him, he went out, his mind a whirl of thoughts. He came back only during the wee hours of morning.

When Shirin was showering, he called the police and informed them about the impending bomb attack. He just hoped that the police would act upon the threat and not take it as a prank call.

He also decided that if the police were unable to find the bomb, he would force Shirin to come clean with the police. He would not sacrifice the life of thousands of men and women for the sake of his love.

But when he saw the flurry of activity involving the bomb squad near the parking facility, he was relieved. He had let out a sigh of relief realizing that the police were successful in detonating the bomb. All he had to do now was to convince Shirin to surrender to police. But knowing Shirin’s past, Rakesh fathomed that it would not be an easy task.

***

Love in Times of Terror- Part 2

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 1

Source- istockphoto

Chapter 2

Inspector Rana listened to the voice on the tape umpteenth time.

“…please don’t take this lightly”. He replayed the whole conversation again but he couldn’t guess if the voice belonged to a male or a female. The person seemed to have intentionally muffled his/her voice. But why would the person refuse to come to the station and talk? Was he or she involved in the attack?

Geetha who was standing next to Rana was nervously swaying from one foot to another.

“Sir, I think we should take some action. I have a gut feeling that this call is not a prank”, she said adding her two cents of wisdom.

Rana scowled at her. The last thing he needed was a bomb threat in his precinct. He looked at his watch. It was already 8. The parking area of the IT Park was spread over several square feet of land. Combing the area for the bomb would be like searching for a needle in a hay stack. A tough task but definitely not impossible. Rana decided to act swiftly.

He placed a call to his senior officers and soon there was a meeting conducted in the station.

Rana barked out instructions to the men surrounding him, after bringing them up to date of the bomb threat.

“Inform the bomb squad to be ready and get the sniffer dogs to start searching the area. We have limited time, since we don’t know where the bomb could have been placed. Check for vehicles. Check for underground drainage running through the parking area. Check for pipes. Check for everything that you lay your eyes on. I don’t need to tell you that this is a major disaster. If the bomb is for real, it has the potential to kill thousands. So be alert and act smart.”

An officer asked him if they could shut down the IT Park and send the employees home.

The same thought had crossed Rana’s mind too, but the calls put to intelligence agencies confirmed that they had not received any terror alerts. So it was only this call that had put the officers on high alert. If this news became public and the threat turned out to be a false alert then they would become the laughing stock. He had to handle this carefully.

“No, we don’t make this news available to public yet and that means no talking to the media. For now, we are just closing down the parking area in guise of maintenance work. Let’s just hope that we get the bomb or this alert turns out to be a joke.”

Rana quickly dismissed the men and took out a cigarette. He had cut down to a pack a day, but this case was already getting on his nerves. He knew that he was walking a tight rope. If the threat was indeed real and he couldn’t locate the bomb then he wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. He walked inside his office to speak to his seniors again.

***

Rakesh and Shirin met during their tea break. Although they worked on different floors they always had tea together. Today, some of their colleagues had joined them too.

Rakesh kept glancing at Shirin. He couldn’t believe that a beautiful girl like Shirin had fallen in love with him. The day Shirin had accepted his proposal he had been on cloud nine. He knew that she was lonely and had no one in this world except for him. It made him more protective about her. They had met a year before and last week Rakesh decided that he would propose to Shirin.

He was an orphan too, like Shirin. They acted like anchors in other’s life providing support and comfort. He knew that those beautiful eyes belied the pain and suffering that her heart felt. He wanted to take care of Shirin, he wanted to make her happy, he wanted to wipe the tears off her face forever and put the smile back on her lips.

Shirin caught Rakesh staring at her and smiled a thousand watt grin. Only Rakesh could make her smile like that and it made her love him even more. If that was possible!

As they were heading back to their desk, Rakesh caught Shirin’s hand.

“Hey, so that movie date is still on, right?” quipped Rakesh holding onto her hand.

“Of course, have I ever said no to you”, Shirin said with a slight smile.Both headed back to their desk, happy and content of the future that lay ahead of them.

***

You can read the next chapter here- Part 3

Love in Times of Terror- Part 1

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

Source- istockphoto

It was 7 AM in the police control room located in Bangalore. Geetha, who was manning the calls during the morning shift sat back in her seat with a cup of hot tea that had been bought from the neighboring tea stall. She had asked Ramu, the boy who supplied the tea, to add an extra spoon of sugar in her tea. She liked her tea to be hot and sweet and the extra sugar had begun to show in her expanding waistline.

No longer had she taken a sip of tea, the phone line started to ring. With a sigh she picked the receiver and said in a disgruntled voice, ‘Police Control room, Bangalore’.

“Listen carefully, today around 3 in the afternoon a bomb is going to explode in the IT Park located in Springfield. The bomb is so powerful that it can wipe off the whole IT Park from the map of Bangalore. It can kill thousands of men and women who work there."

“Who is this? And how do you know this?” Geetha had been receiving such hoax calls ever since the terror attack in Mumbai, so she did not feel the need to panic.

As if sensing her lack of trust in the authenticity, the caller immediately said, “Do not think that it’s a hoax call. If you ignore my warning, thousands of innocents may die. The bomb has already been planted in the parking area. I don’t know any other details.”

Now Geetha was a little worried. It did sound like the caller was scared and telling the truth. The voice was muffled to an extent that she had difficulty in identifying the gender of the caller.

“Why can’t you come to the police station and tell us in person”, probed Geetha hoping to get more details.

“I can’t. Listen I have got to go now. But please don’t take this lightly." The call was cut abruptly, leaving Geetha staring at the phone.

The audio equipment had recorded the entire conversation and Geetha replayed the conversation multiple times until she was convinced that the call required the senior office to look into the matter.

She went in search of the inspector in charge. She even forgot to gulp down her now tepid cup of tea.

***

As Rakesh came out of the shower, he saw Shirin already dressed for work. She was applying kohl carefully to her eyes. Rakesh came and stood beside her. Her eyes looked hypnotic and entrancing as she looked at his reflection in the mirror. He took her in his arms and kissed the nape of her neck.

“You look so beautiful”, Rakesh said admiring her beauty. She had worn the light blue kurta that he had gifted her on her last birthday.

“Stop it or we will be late for work”, reproached Shirin lightly with a slight smile on her lips. But the smile did not extend to her eyes. It never did. Cocooned in her own grief and busy in fighting her inner demons, she failed to recognize the pall of gloom that hung heavy on their relationship.

Shirin sat behind Rakesh on his bike and they headed off to their office located in the Springfield IT Park. It was a cold, wintry morning and Shirin hugged Rakesh tightly, holding him more for warmth than for safety.

She felt blessed and lucky to have him in her life. Had it not been for Rakesh, she would have been a lost soul in this world, without parents, family or friends. Ever since her parents’ death, she had isolated herself from the rest of the world, shutting down her contacts with her family and friends. It was only Rakesh who had been able to break down her barrier and invade her heart by his charming and loving persona.

He had provided her comfort and peace in a storm and for that she would be ever grateful. She couldn’t think of living without him, she loved him so much that it sometimes hurt her and terrified her. To place so much trust and to love someone unconditionally made her anxious but she was slowly learning to enjoy her life again.

Rakesh turned back slightly and asked her “Hey, can you take off from work at 2 PM today? There’s this new movie and I thought we could watch it together. What say?”

“I was about to suggest the same. You know me very well” Shirin replied.

***

You can read the next chapter here- Part 2

First Impressions- A Short Fiction for #WillYouShave Activity

I shifted as I sat on one of the cane chairs cushioned by uncomfortable tiny pillows and yet again declined an offer of samosas from Neetu aunty. All she had done since I entered her house half an hour back was to place various assortments of snacks and drinks in front of me and coerce me into taking a bite of each item.

“Vicky beta, you have not tasted these jalebis. I made them specially for you since you like sweets. I remember when you were small, and your parents were our neighbors in Jalandhar, you would come running to our house in your shorts, wearing nothing else, and you would ask for a jalebi. Oh! You were roly-poly then. Now you are not eating at all”

I smiled indulgently and took a small jalebi just to pacify Neetu aunty before she could burst into details of another of my embarrassing childhood episodes.

The truth was I really didn’t know what I was doing in this house with my parents who were now enjoying listening to my childhood anecdotes. The Badyals’ and our family had been neighbors many years back, when my dad’s posting was in Jalandhar.  And all though we had moved to 5 different cities in the next 15 years of my father’s career as a bank manager, my mother and Neetu aunty had been in regular touch.

A few weeks back my mother started discussing the telephonic conversation that she had had with Neetu aunty.

“Vikram, do you remember Shefali? Neetu and  Alok’s daughter? You know you used to play with her all the time?"

I vaguely remembered a girl with two pigtails and a permanently running nose, following me assiduously everywhere I went. I felt a dread knowing where this conversation was going.

“Several days back Neetu mentioned that they were searching a boy for their daughter. And I sent her your horoscope. You both were such good friends when you were kids. And guess what? The horoscopes are a perfect match”, my mom continued talking even after I got up from the table.

“Mom, you know that I am not interested in marriage. And you didn't even ask me before taking matters forward. What’s wrong with you? I need to concentrate on my career right now and I don’t want to marry, ok?”

Even as I morosely went to my room, I knew that my mom would be crying over my outburst.

“I know that you are working in a big corporate company and you have a high paying job. But this is the right age to settle down beta”, mom sniffed a few times to show how hurt she was.

“What’s the harm in just meeting the girl? If you don’t like her you can always say no”, my dad joined forces as I felt coerced by my parents.

It took a few more days for me to bow down to the pressure and this is how I found myself on a fine Sunday morning, in a house full of guests with keen eyes that watched my every move. I had my strategy in place. I would meet Shefali, talk with her for few minutes and then reject her by citing some reason. I was ruminating on what reason would sound legitimate to my parents when I heard the soft tinkling of bangles.

I looked up to see the most beautiful girl enter the room. She was dressed in a simple salwar suit that accentuated her curves. Her eyes, made up with kohl, twinkled as her gaze met mine. She seemed to wade gracefully through the room, without the awkwardness that I felt in my limbs.

Ah, Shefali beta, come sit here and let me introduce everyone”, Neetu aunty started the introductions as I stupidly gawked at the proceedings.

Shefali? This is Shefali? Where is the grimy, filthy girl with the pigtails? I couldn't believe my eyes. I rubbed my beard as I contemplated the change of events. I saw Shefali’s looking at me with a hint of disapproval. All through the evening my eyes never left her as she chatted with everyone effortlessly. My parents’ eyes were glazed with happiness. I was sure they were already visualizing their grandchildren.

Finally it was time for the boy and the girl to speak in private. I couldn’t think of one reason to reject Shefali. In my mind I had prepared a couple of questions to ask her but I already knew what I would say to my parents when they inquired if I liked her.

“So Vikram, the hot-shot executive, you looked a bit surprised when you saw me. Did you remember the ugly duckling story?” Shefali teased me. If Shefali could have seen my cheeks under my bristly beard, she would have seen them go red and understood my embarrassment.

“You do look beautiful. But I don’t give much importance for appearances. The outer beauty is nothing but a mirage. It fades away with time and age. What matters to me is the beauty that lies beneath, the beauty of the soul”, I tried to lie glibly, though my words sounded superficial even to my ears. The fact was that Shefali’s gorgeousness had blown away my mind and if she hadn’t been so beautiful, I would have probably been out of her house by now. I desperately needed to make a good impression on her.

“Ah, but I believe in first impressions, Vikram. I think it’s very vital to be well-groomed and to appear pleasing, especially when you are meeting a person for the first time. And if this person you are meeting is your potential spouse then it’s even more important to give attention to your appearance. First impressions do speak volumes about a person and it’s definitely hard to remedy a bad first impression. Don’t you think?”

I was dumbfounded. I had not expected this. I thought arranged marriage meetings where girls would simper and answer the questions asked by boys in monosyllabic replies. But Shefali was going on, not giving me a chance to speak my two cents worth of opinion.

Source-http://www.istockphoto.com/

“I mean how would you feel if I were to walk into the room with messed up hair, not having bathed or smelling like yesterday’s garbage? I took so much care to look good for you so that I can make a good impression and you show up without even caring to shave? Look at you, your scraggly beard and your smelly mustache. Tell me, did you not have enough courtesy to shave your facial hair before meeting your potential bride?”

I felt offended. I was furious. This was not how I had expected the whole meeting to go. But somehow I felt inclined to explain.

“Facial hair is a manifestation of one’s masculinity.  And people tell me that it looks good on me. What do you know? “I asked scornfully.

“You need proof for your masculinity? By growing a beard and mustache you feel more macho? Don’t your actions and conduct determine your attitude? Good for you if others think that facial hair looks macho on you but I like my man to be well groomed and clean shaven. I like a man who wants to look good for me. I am sorry for speaking so honestly but it’s better to be forthright when your whole destiny depends on a single decision you make.”

Picture says it all. Source- http://www.istockphoto.com/

Shefali walked past me into the room where our parents waited with anticipation to hear our decisions.  I realized that after all I needn't come up with a reason to reject Shefali. I repented not having shaved before coming here.

Maybe if I had paid some attention to my appearance and not looked like a callous ass everything would have gone right with Shefali and me. Was it too late to rectify my mistake? Would Shefali give me a second chance?

The next day, as the sun shone brightly above me, I walked towards the building where Shefali worked. Clean shaven and looking fresh, I clutched a bouquet of lilies, hoping to build a good second first impression and reclaim my opportunity that I had nearly missed yesterday.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'

The Eagle Who Flew the Coop ( Circle of Deceit-Chapter 26)

This is the XXVI chapter of  a mystery series in the “Game of Blogs”. Our team “Kalakaar Colony” is a part of #CelebrateBlogging campaign by Blogadda.   You can read the previous chapter here.

Circle of Deceit : Team Kalakaar Colony : Wild Card Entry ( Level 3) Chapter 26

The Eagle Who Flew the Coop.

Shekar dared to cast a side glance at Jennifer’s flushed face as he opened the door to his apartment. He was able to think logically now and he felt remorse for talking brashly to Jennifer and for suspecting her benevolent intentions.

“I’m really sorry Ms. Jennifer. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or made those allegations. It’s just that I am confused and scared for my daughter. I really don’t know whom to trust”, Shekar said to Jennifer as he offered her a glass of water.

“It’s ok Mr. Dutta. I understand you must be worried, so no offense taken”, replied Jennifer as her eyes roamed over the dozens of photos hanging on the wall. Most of the photos were taken when Roohi was a baby, maybe a year or two, and she was surrounded by her doting parents.

‘What a picture perfect family!’, thought Jennifer and as her eyes finally rested on Shekar’s haggard and tired face, she resolved to do her best and reunite this family, which for some unknown reason had managed to tug at her heart.

“Look, I was talking to you over the phone and Mr. Ahuja was listening to our conversation, a little too keenly if you ask me. And then as soon as I finished talking he was out of the door, almost forcing me out of his house. I am pretty sure that he was going to meet his blogger friend, Legal Eagle. I think we should follow Mr. Ahuja”, Jennifer contemplated as Shekar struggled to keep his weary mind alert.

He knew that he did not have any other clues to follow, so he agreed to go along with Jenny’s plans.

“I left Mr. Ahuja's house around 20 minutes back, so let’s hope that he has not gone too far”, hoped Jennifer as Shekar locked his apartment. They hurriedly got into his car parked in the basement.

The Gods were smiling down on Jennifer that day because her prayers were answered. As soon as Shekar’s car turned the first cross near his house, he saw Aryan’s familiar Black Honda City zoom past the next intersection.

“He sure seems to be in a hell lot of hurry”, Shekar pondered as he stepped on the accelerator of his own car.

************************************************************************************************************

“Dad, any news about Roohi?” Tara managed to keep her voice steady even though her hand holding the diet coke was trembling slightly.

http://www.shutterstock.com/

In her arduous yet successful career, Tara had learned to trust her instincts and right now her instincts were screaming and telling her that her father knew about her involvement in her own daughter’s kidnap.

“Tara, can you come to my house? I need to talk to you about an important matter immediately”, Mr. Gupta’s voice was grave and stern.

“Dad, I can’t talk to you now. I am dealing with some critical matter.”

“Yes, so critical that you couldn’t meet the General, even if that meant it could help in tracing your daughter? Tell me what’s more important than finding Roohi right now?” Mr. Gupta’s voice was steely enough to make Tara shiver in fear. She had forgotten how imposing her father could be.

“I’ll be there in few minutes”, was what Tara managed to speak as she disconnected the call and left the restaurant flustered and in panic, her diet coke and omelet long forgotten.

What else did Mr. Gupta know but was not disclosing over the phone? Mr. Gupta had not ascended to the top of his business by being gentle as a lamb.  He was known to be ruthless and unrelenting to his adversaries. Would he spare his own daughter?

**************************************************************************************************************

Aryan was excited and exalted at the same time as he manipulated his car effortlessly through the potholes and the traffic. But what he failed to notice in his agitated and preoccupied state of mind was the other car following him closely yet, far enough so as to not raise any suspicions in Aryan’s mind.

http://www.123rf.com/

Aryan received a call on his mobile. It was his assistant who was calling back with the details of the quarry.

“A train ticket is booked in his name for Delhi and I must say that this guy is travelling cheap. Also he has locked himself up in a discreet and paltry lodging, Hotel Descent in Room 202.Do you want any other information, boss?”

“No thanks, I can take this further “, replied Aryan as he took a sharp left turn.

‘So the eagle has flown the coop’, thought Aryan smugly who felt particularly snobbish at tracking down Legal Eagle.

He was close to cracking this case, he knew it. Aryan was very rarely wrong when solving a case and he knew in his bones that this case was a foul one and Roohi could not have been kidnapped without the help from an insider, a family member.

Was Aryan’s hunch right? But why would anyone want to hurt sweet, little Roohi?

Read the next part of the story here

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.