Chapter 17

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 17 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Sharp at one pm, the three cars were ready to go to Vile Parle from the head office of the bank. Arjun had arrived with them but disappeared suddenly.

Chotu: ye Arjun sir gaye kaha?

Shree: naam mat le, us khadoos ka!! Mere haathon ki band baja di, pura badan dard kar raha hai mera unki wajah se, Hitler kahin ka!

Chotu: are main toh bas puch raha hun, Ri tujhe pata hai kya?

Riya: nahi yaar, subah pucha toh tha maine par unhone adhura jawab diya, maybe woh destination par rehne wale ho?

Rathore comes to them: team! Ready?

Chorus: yes sir!

Rathore: let’s move!

Rathore and Shree take the lead. The van follows and behind them Riya and Chotu. The two teams were connected by bluetooth sets. They travel uneventfully till Bandra. The three cars were in line to turn towards the highway at the signal.

The signal turns green. They start moving again when suddenly the signal changes color.

Chotu: Ri red!!

She brakes hard barely missing the vehicles that zoom past them.

She bangs the steering wheel: Shit!!

Rathore: kya hua?

Riya: sir signal change ho gaya

Rathore: itni jaldi kaise…

Shree: Rathore sir!!!

A canister falls to the ground engulfing them in smoke. Rathore pulls over. Riya and Chotu hear coughing on the other side.

Riya: kya hua Sir?!? aap dono theek hai??

Chotu: Shree!! Sir?

The signal turns green again. Riya speeds off to see Rathore’s SUV near the side and the money van nowhere to be seen. The two of them were outside trying to catch their breaths from the smoke.

Chotu hurries out with a water bottle for them. Riya pats their backs.

Riya: aap theek hai?

Rathore composes himself: ha

Chotu: sir van kaha gayi?

Rathore: pata nahi, ye dhue ki wajah se kuch pata hi nahi chala, kisi ne bike par aa kar andar feka

Riya: that’s weird… unhone signal ko hack kiya ye toh samaj aa sakta hai lekin, is baat ki kya gurantee ki gaadi ka kaanch khula hoga?

Rathore: maybe unki nazar hogi hum par

Shree: sir ab kya karenge? Woh van kahi bhi jaa sakta hai

Rathore: ab sab kuch Rawte ke upar hai

The other three exchange glances in confusion.

Chotu: matlab?

Rathore: woh van ke andar hai

Riya: Woh Kaha Hai?!!?

Rathore: lekin ye baat kisi ko nahi pata, sivay hum dono aur Vikram sir ke, kal jab unhone hume case diya tabhi Arjun ne suggest kiya

Shree: fir bhi sir, agar waha zyaada log hue toh? definitely ye baat toh tay hai ki woh chaaron guards shaamil hai, hume kuch bhi karke unhe unke destination par pahunchne se pehle van ko rokna hoga

Chotu: sir paise ki security ki itni badi van hai, aasani se sabke nazar mein aayegi aur highway par toh CCTV bhi hai

Riya: nahi Chotu, agar unhone itni planning ki hai toh iske baare mein bhi socha hoga

Rathore: you’re right! Woh log highway par zyaada der nahi rahenge, agar kisi subway mein se minor traffic signal par utar gaye toh waha se kaha gaye ye pata chalna bahot mushkil hai

Shree: sir, raaste mein logon ko puch-puch kar track kar sakte hai, andar thode bahot camera hai woh check kar sakte hai time jaayega lekin…

Chotu: nahi re, woh gaadiyaan bhi toh move kar rahi hogi humara jawab dene ke liye wait thodi kar rahi hogi? Aur authenticity ki kya gurantee? Agar galat raaste chale gaye toh musibat badhegi

Riya: Shree, signal track kar, 5 kilometre ke radius mein jammer haina?

Shree: gaps dhundhu?

Riya: ha! Rathore sir, main van ko dhundhti hun, ye baat toh tay hai ki koi andar ka admi mila hua hai warna humare plan ke baare mein nahi pata hota, aap log uska pata lagaiye

Rathore: theek hai but stay connected.

She nods. The team splits up. Riya goes back to the SUV and drives ahead while Shree, Chotu and Rathore turn the car back towards the office.

Over the next two hours, the ETF grilled the head office staff, and the local police was sent over to the Vile Parle branch to keep everyone in their place. Having no clue from the head office, Rathore rounds up a few higher officials and they move to the destined branch of the bank where the grilling continues. Shree conveys the disruption of signals to her. Riya ends up reaching a forested road till finally,

Shree: Ri, pichle 15 minute mein disruption change nahi hue lekin

Riya: lekin kya?

Shree: us area mein waise bhi signal kam hai, national park ke paas, I feel radius bad chuka hoga

Riya: where am I?

Shree: tu aadha km dur hai perimeter se

Riya increases her speed and stops approximately at the distance.

Shree: ya that’s fine

Riya: yaha raaste kaise hai aage?

Shree peered into the map: main road toh do teen hai, uh kache raaste zyaada hai

Riya: cameras?

Shree: I’m afraid not, maybe forest department ke paas ho but I doubt that kyunki it’s not the core area

Riya took a deep breath mv “pata nahi Arjun sir waha akele kya kar rahe honge? I hope he is fine… hey bhagwan please keep him safe! Bas un namuno ko password pata na ho aur van ka darwaaza na khule.”

Riya: Shree, Rathore sir kaha hai?

Shree looked up from his laptop to see him and Chotu threatening the staff.

Shree: uh interrogation?

Riya: call him na

Shree: ha ek second… Rathore Sir!

Rathore: kya hai?!

Shree cowered: sir, woh Ri bula rahi hai

Rathore leaves the collar of the man and goes to the desk. Shree gives him the earpiece.

Rathore: ha Riya, kaho

Riya: sir, they are not moving, woh log ek jagah par pahunch gaye hai, main jam ke andar jaana chahti hu

Rathore: lekin Riya tum akele…

Riya: sir humare paas abhi aur koi option nahi hai, I’m going to search the area

Rathore: par Riya it’s not safe…

Riya: I’ll be fine sir, ek baar van mil gayi toh jammer off karke contact kar lungi, please aur Arjun sir bhi toh andar hai

Rathore scratches his chin in thought: theek hai Riya, go! But please be careful, ye log khatarnaak ho sakte hai and guards ke paas semi-automatics hai

Riya: ji sir, mujhe yaad hai

Rathore: hm, tumhari gun full hai?

Riya: ha sir, agar main ek ghante mein contact na karu toh mujhe dhundhne aana

Rathore: ok, go in! you have my permission

Riya: sir!!

She puts her foot on the accelerator and all contact goes for a toss.

Shree: sir, go where? Aur iska GPS kyun…

Rathore: woh andar gayi hai

Shree: lekin sir…

Rathore: I know

Shree remains quiet. He could see the worry on his Chief’s face and something told him, it was not for the money or the case or even their reputation as the ETF but it was for his two officers. Rathore walks back to continue his interrogation.

Riya starts searching all the routes for the van one by one. She starts from the main roads and then gets onto the adjoining kacha rastas.

After half an hour, she U-turned from a fruitless dead end to get back on the main road. To her luck, a vendor was selling star fruit and raw mango to the occasional cars that passed from there. She stops near the lady.

Riya rolls down her window: suniye, aapne yaha par koi badi si van dekhi? Uske side par ek bada laal aur silver color ka sticker bhi tha

Lady: ha, woh aage choti sadak ki taraf gayi

Riya: kuch hai kya waha par?

Lady: ek chota sa godown hai lekin band pada hai

Riya beamed: thank you so much!!!

She sped off onto the by lane. Around 200 metres in she saw the godown at a distance. She stops her car and reverses it among the trees. Taking her gun, she walks the rest of the way.

As she nears the building, she hears the jubilant voice of the four guards bragging about their feat. She hides herself behind the boxes and drums. Cautiously, she steps forward. To her relief, the van was still closed mv “thank god!”

Riya inches closer and manages to get inside without being spotted. She ducks behind the boxes mv “ab Rathore sir ko inform kaise karu? in logon se ladna mushkil hai aur mere paas itni bullets bhi nahi hai, jammer kaise off karu?”

She was still in her thoughts when one of the men saw a hand between the gaps.

Man: ae! Kaun hai waha?

Riya froze mv “shit man!!”

The other men too, get alert. She hears footsteps nearing her.

Inside the van-

Arjun hears the voice mv “ye log kiske peeche pad gaye?”

He had barely anytime to think over it when a volley of gunshots resounded in the space. He rushed to the door and peeped through the one way glass mv “Riya?!!? ye yaha kaise aur woh bhi akele?”

Outside Riya returned fire to their rifles but carefully. She had only 15 bullets. She raises herself above the box for a shot when a bullet hits her arm.

Arjun: Riya!!

She ducks down in pain. She looks at her arm. The bullet had grazed through but had ripped off a piece of her flesh with it. Her eyes filled with tears as blood oozed from her arm. The pain was excruciating.

Arjun tensed seeing her not return: ise kya hua? Ye firse fire kyun nahi kar rahi? Shit!

He rushes to pick up his guns. Taking a deep breath, he pushes open the doors and starts shooting relentlessly. The men duck for cover. Arjun runs to her.

Riya: Arjun sir…

Arjun doesn’t bother to answer. He hoists her on his shoulder firing all the while and runs back to the van closing the door safely. The men try shooting inside but the doors close effectively sealing the bullets out. Arjun places her on the floor.

Riya: sir, aah!

Arjun: sambhal ke

Riya: Arjun sir…

Arjun pats her cheek: hey aankhein khuli rakho, kuch nahi hoga ok?

Her other hand tries to hold onto him: sir… signal…

Outside-

Man(angrily): Ye Andar Se Admi Kaha Se Aaya?

Second: Ye Saale Police Waale Humesha Koi Na Koi Chaal Chalte Rehte Hai!

Third: ab kya karenge, do-do police waale?

First: are kuch nahi! manager ko aakar ise kholne de, fir woh dono aur humari goliyaan… saara khel khatam

They laugh at their sinister plans.

Riya: manager?