Chapter 44

Part 44 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

ETF office-

Riya and Chotu were in the record room. He was helping her with the last 20 or so files. All of them had helped her reorganize the place in the past few days. She was going to do the last of it today when Chotu offered to help and finish it off! Shree was surprisingly on the other floor in Liza’s lab.

Chotu: ho gaya, finally!

Riya: ha, ab jaa kar mere man ko shanti mili

Chotu laughs: humare man ko toh usi din shanti mil gayi thi jab tune humari saza khatam kar di

She giggles in reply and they walk out.

Chotu: chal toh fir, kal milte hai

Riya: ya

Chotu: aur sun, tu woh mishti khoyi kab laayegi?

Riya: are khoyi nahi doi

Chotu: ha jo bhi, kab laayegi? Kitna time ho gaya khaaye hue

Riya laughs: acha baba, do-teen din mein lekar aaungi

Chotu: promise?

Riya: pakka promise!

Chotu: yay!

He high-fived her and they bade good-bye.

Arjun and Riya’s cabin-

She entered to take her purse. He was in his chair lost in thought.

Riya: Arjun sir

He looks up: ha?

Riya: dinner?

Arjun: taaki tum mera interrogation kar sako?

Riya (taken aback): nahi, aapko aisa kyun (he raised his eyebrow) damn! How did you know?

Arjun: tumhe sach mein laga that would work on me?

Her eyelids fluttered: yea, I, I actually did… wow!

Arjun shook his head. He was about to say something when their phones rang in unison. They looked at each other in surprise and picked up the call.

An hour later, D.B. Marg-

A police line was taped around the area. There was a traffic jam in the roads leading upto the place. Ambulance sirens were screaming. A red fire brigade stood near the tape. There were flames in random places. The stench of burnt rubber and flesh filled the place.

Ayesha was outside the perimeter, sitting on the pavement. She stared at the destruction. She was angry and she was sad. The pain due to the injury on her hand was forgotten. She is brought out of her thoughts with a voice calling out to her. She turned to see Arjun, Riya and Chotu making their way through the crowd that had gathered. Recognizing Arjun, the policemen let the trio through the barricade.

Ayesha stood up immediately.

Chotu: Ayesha

Riya: are you ok?

Ayesha: ha ma’am, lekin

She gazed at the sight in front of her. The others looked in horror. Riya’s chest sank seeing the charred bodies. She looks away, tearfully.

Arjun: Riya pata karo ki shehar mein aur kisi jagah par blasts hue ya nahi? Chotu control room jaa kar teams coordinate karo and spread them out with bomb detectors. Ayesha, yaha nazar rakho, itni bhagdad mein evidence easily tamper ho sakta hai

Chorus: Yes sir!

Arjun fished out his gloves and wore them. He and Ayesha entered the police line. The Inspector saw them and saluted.

Inspector: Jai Hind sir! Inspector Mangesh Rao, D. B Marg police station

Arjun nods: blast ka area kitna hai?

Mangesh: sir around 20 metres

Arjun stops in his tracks: 20? (thoughtfully) itna low intensity?

Ayesha: ye aapko low intensity lagta hai? 20 metres!

Arjun: have you seen bombs before?

She remains silent.

Arjun: kisi bhi terrorist activity ka target zyaada se zyaada logon ko ghayal karna hota hai, woh itne chote bombs plant nahi karenge, samjhi ya samjhau?

Ayesha: but sir, serial blasts mein low intensity multiple blasts hote hai

Arjun: aur woh saari jagah bahot crowded hoti hai, jaha par koi insaan ya CCTV aasani se dekh bhi na paaye.

Ayesha: sir the death toll is 9! Aur na jaane aur kitne ghayal log nahi bachenge

Arjun: exactly, it’s 9, matlab bomb utna dangerous bhi nahi jitna koi normal terrorist group use karega (looking around) kuch toh chut raha hai

As they talked, Mangesh led them to the burnt ruins of a bike. He points to a steel box.

Mangesh: sir tiffin bomb hai

Arjun(sternly): jis tiffin mein bomb rakha ho, uske fatne par na hi tiffin bachta hai aur nahi vehicle. Gaadi fir bhi bach sakti hai lekin bike? Not a chance! Bomb yaha nahi tha

Mangesh deflated at the comments. Ayesha, on the other hand, was surprised at all his quick deductions. Not that she hadn’t seen him apply his theories to cases and be right but this was real time. Maybe he was called the super cop for this reason.

Arjun: forensics kaha hai?

Mangesh: on the way hai sir

Arjun turns to Ayesha: Liza kaha hai?

Ayesha: on the way hai sir

Arjun groans and turns to Mangesh: saara traffic clear karwao abhi! Circle par barricade lagao, koi bhi andar nahi chahiye mujhe, sab divert karo aur is taraf junction par bhi!

Mangesh: par sir, waha metro ke kaam ki wajah se already bahot roads busy aur band hai agar hum…

Arjun glares at him. Mangesh cowers.

Mangesh: main karwaata hun sir

He leaves just as Riya arrives.

Riya: sir, baakhi ki city clean hai. koi aur bomb nahi fata kahi par

Arjun: hm, I expected. Tum office jaa kar intelligence reports dekho, apne informers active karo pata karo kisine ammonium nitrate ya RDX wagera transport kiya hai lately.

Riya: Yes sir!

After the on-site investigation is completed, the bosses send them in for the night except for Chotu who continued to coordinate with the police teams on lookouts for potential threats and Liza who had a lot of work lined up for her.

Next morning-

Rathore: status update kya hai?

Ayesha: sir ab tak thankfully, Chotu ko koi aur bombs nahi mile hai

Rathore: That's good, lekin fir bhi ek do din red alert jaari rakho, you can never be too sure. Chotu se kaho ki tab tak ke liye control room hi uska ghar hai

Ayesha: yes sir

Riya: Sir Liza ki analysis ke hissab se we have either TNB or TNT on our hands. Usne kaha ki use kuch cloth shreds mile hai with chemical residues par aage ki testing ho rahi hai. shayad bomb kisi bag mein hoga ya fir koi suicide bomber?

Shree: suicide hoga sir, globally trend mein hai

Riya: But I think suicide bomber hota toh flesh aur blood particles milne chahiye the

Arjun: suicide bomber nahi hai, itne chote blast ke liye koi organisation itni mehnat se radicalized kiye gaye bande ko maaregi nahi

Ayesha: which leaves us with a bag or some sort of a similar container.

Shree: sir maine signals par ki 3 CCTV check ki hai but honestly there’s nothing on them. Lizard ke hissab se jo approximate epicentre hai, jaha se bomb fata waha koi direct camera face nahi karta.

Rathore waves his hand: waise bhi road ke CCTV’s sab kuch cover nahi karte aur hazy bhi hote hai, distance problem bhi hota hai, I don’t think insaan ka chehra dikhta

Shree: yes sir, blast ke hote hi saare cameras destroy ho gaye. Woh toh footage control room mein hoti hai toh memory bach gayi. Maine pedestrians par nazar rakhi thi, nothing suspicious. Car, taxi mein ho toh pata nahi.

Riya: ek baar fir se footage dekho, check for bags

Shree: ok, par time jaayega 7-8 ghante

Ayesha: Shree hume ye nahi pata ki bomb waha kab rakha gaya tha, ho sakta hai blast ke bahot time pehle rakha ho, sirf 2-3 ghante pehle nahi

Arjun set down his glass of tea in annoyance: CCTV dead lead hai, kuch nahi milne waala, (turning to the girls) explosives transport hue hai?

Ayesha: abhi tak kuch pata nahi chala sir

Arjun stamps in annoyance: this is useless!

He storms off in anger. The others sighed. Shree picks up his laptop and returns to his station to rewind the footage. Rathore decides to go to the desk workers in the intelligence department. Ayesha starts calling up all her informers again while Riya informs Chotu of the developments.

To her surprise, Arjun was not in their cabin when she went. She goes outside and asks a junior.

Vikas: ma’am, maine unhe lift mein jaate hue dekha tha

Riya: oh ok

She wonders where he might have gone. Not having much time to think, she decides to pay Liza another visit.

Forensic lab-

Riya stops short at the door hearing a male voice shouting at the poor forensic expert and her team. She sighs understanding exactly who he was and enters.

The white coats were all standing with the heads down, probably cursing him and their luck as he continued to scold them.

Arjun stops on hearing footsteps entering the room and turns. He would have burst again on the intrusion but controlled himself on seeing her.

Riya: uh Liza kuch aur pata chala?

She was about to answer when Arjun beat her to it.

Arjun: Agar Kaam Karenge Toh Pata Chalega, Yaha Baithkar Gossip Kar Rahe Hai Sab!

Riya felt sorry for the lot, noticing the puffy eyes and dark circles around them. The lab was reeking with the same stench of the blast, toasted flesh and burnt things. Arjun must have walked in at a wrong time. She knew he could get difficult to work with in strenuous situations.

Liza took a baby step forward: bomb TNB se bana tha, it’s more difficult to obtain. Lekin ek body par hume TNT ke chemical residues bhi mile hai. We are trying to figure it out. I don’t think mixture hai, maybe thoda contaminated TNB hoga.

Arjun continued to glare at them.

Riya: thank you Liza, jaise hi koi development hoti hai, hume update karo

She nods.

Riya: Arjun sir, please mere saath chalenge, I need to show you something

Throwing another death stare at the forensics, he marches out. Riya follows closely.

She slips her hand in his as they walk towards the elevator through the empty corridor.

Riya: kuch na kuch pata chal jaayega, aap fikar mat kijiye. You know aise cases mein saalon tak leads atki padi rehti hai aur fir criminal ko pakadna…

Arjun jerked his hand out: Tum Samaj Kyun Nahi Rahi Ho?! Blast low intensity ka tha! yaad nahi tumhe? Xora ke time bhi aise hi hua tha. Mele mein chota attack tha aur fir? Fir Agle Din Pura Shehar Marne Ki Kagar Par Tha! What if ye log kuch aur plan kar rahe hai? Don’t you of all people realise how dangerous this can get?

Riya rubbed her temple. He was right.

Arjun: aur ye log baithe-baithe…

Riya: Arjun sir, aapki baat sahi hai lekin woh log bhi toh insaan hai. ye sab toh raat ko ghar tak nahi gaye. They can’t work without a break. Aap bas galat time pe waha chale gaye. Agar unse galti ho gayi toh humari problems solve hona toh dur ki baat hai, ulta bad jaayegi

Arjun sighed and then agreed.

Arjun: tumhe kuch mila ya fir sirf unhe bacha rahi thi

Riya: unhe bacha rahi thi, kuch paperwork hai, check kar rahi hu

He nods and presses the elevator button. They head back to their cabin.

It was afternoon when Riya received a call from one her informers. Finishing her conversation, she turns to Arjun.

Riya: sir! ek lead hai

He straightened immediately: kya?

Riya: Jatin naam ke ek admi ne kuch explosives transport kiye the 3 din pehle. Us par nazar rakhi toh jinhone chemicals bhijwaye the, woh unke paas jaanewaala hai

Arjun heaved a sigh of relief: that’s great!

Riya contacts the others and they immediately gather in the conference room.

Rathore: ok guys! This is a strong lead, jitne ho sake utne log hume zinda pakadne hai. Riya exact location kab tak pata chalegi?

Riya: sir within an hour

Rathore: ok, tab tak armoury jao, pad up, keep your weapons sharp, Ayesha tum back up ke saath coordinate karogi.

Ayesha: sir Chotu ko..

Rathore: nahi, let them keep scouting the city, Liza abhi ke liye tum blast site ke evidence par work karti raho. Once we are done, tum apni team ke saath aana. There is a good chane ki hume waha aur bhi zyaada explosives milenge

Liza: ok sir, I will be on standby

Rathore: ok! so, main, Rawte, Ayesha, Riya aur Shree surround karke attack karenge!

Ayesha: I thought I was back up

Rathore: we have manpower problems Ayesha, tum dono karogi

Riya: but sir, logically, agar Ayesha bhi andar hai aur connection tut gaya toh contact kaise hoga back up se?

Rathore: ye Shree ki zimmedari hai

Shree mv “main network signals aur unke jammers live field par kaise handle karunga?”

Nevertheless, he nodded his head.

Shree: sir, main technical team mein se kisi ek ko back-up ke saath rakhu? In case humare end se communication na ho toh woh handle kar lega

Rathore: tumhe jaise jo karna hai karo, it’s your job! Mujhe kaam hone se matlab hai

Shree: ok sir

Rathore: kisi ko kuch khaana peena ho toh abhi kha lena, I don’t want people fainting on field, is that clear? Now move it!

They split in different directions.…………………………..

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