Aath and ant

Nothing came out of the illegitimate brother, Shankar had sealed his mouth and those goons ACP Rawte had sent to jail were not of much help as Silva, the had, was nowhere to be found. The seniors  a hissed argument behind closed doors as the trio stood outside, glancing among each other.

“You know what’s interesting?” Shree asked to none in particular, pushing glasses above his nose, “These letters did not come through post office. There were no seals, nobody handed these over to Kalki devi.”

“You sure?” Chotu asked.

“Yep. Rathore sir checked with Shankar three times, his mother said the letters were just dropped in her room.”

“That means someone from this house has to be in it.”

“We do have a suspect list.” Riya said, “Just need to find out who’s more desperate to hurt her.”

“So who is desperate?” Chotu crossed arms over chest, making his sherwani stretch wide enough to tear at seems.

“Who isn’t?” Shree rolled eyes, “Rich family, shady people, illegitimate kid, secrets, lies, and a missing old woman? It could have been a horror novel if not for the wedding. Like wuthering heights.” The Dr. Started at that, looking at shree almost quizzically. He sensed it, but by the time he looked back she was busy checking out the floor design.

Shankar appeared and disappeared inside the room. This time the sounds were loud enough that they heard clearly.

“Someone in this family did it. The local goons had an idea of your mother being missing, and he has to know from someone inside.” It was Arjun, “Its time we tell your family the truth and interrogate them one by one.”

“No.”

“He does have a point.” Rathor sirs voice was soft

“I called you and your team so that this can be discreet.” There was a pause, “Its my niece’s wedding, please understand. If words got out it will be ruined.”

“You want your mother alive or not?”

“How can you say that?”

“Rawte!”

“Do you have no compassion?” After a few beats, the door opened and Shankar came out, his face set in stone and eyes angry with unshed tears. The trio looked at each other and walked in silently.

“I can’t believe you said that!” Rathore almost yelled at at the other man who didn’t look like he cared.

“And I can’t believe you are onboard with his delusional ideas “ He fixed the other with a glare, “Riya, what’s the crucial time window post abduction?”

Before the doctor can reply Rathore snapped, “I know the damn timeline. But you need to understand, Rawte, we are here because of his request. He wants it to be discreet. So we need to respect that and work around that “

“Then you do it. I will find another way

“Why are you even here if you are not going to listen to me?” running a frustrated hand through his hair, he turned to others, “None going to interrogate any family member directly, is it clear?”

The juniors nodded quickly, and after a few beats of tensed silence Riya asked, “Does sneaking into someone’s room cone under discretion?”

Four pair of eyes turned at her.

Riya had a theory and men followed- time was running out, it also helped with Rawtes agenda that they find out about others, it didn’t disturb the family and Shankar didn’t know. What he didn’t know won’t hurt him, hence everyone was happy. The ETF decided to spy and search members room and narrowed down 3 crucial members- younger brother of Shankar, an older uncle, and Shankar himself. Rathore might not have liked it personally, but he knew the logic behind it- often perpetrators are hidden in plain sight. Shankar’s room was easiest to get into and search, and there was nothing. The team couldn’t tell concretely what they were looking for, just looked out for things based in hunch.

Next was uncle, and it also happened relatively quickly amidst the functions and music. Which left the brother, and that was difficult because he had a pregnant wife who didn’t leave the room at all except for some small intervals. The team had an opportunity to search during an evening dance function, but Shree informed them through comms that it was locked. The keysets hung from the wife’s designer kamarbandh.

Chotu sighed to himself, then looked at the crowd as an idea came to him. Riya was standing next to him and got startled when he took her hands, walking towards the people who formed a circle as they danced

“You know dancing?”

“Err. . no?”

“Same.” He whispered, “You see those keys? Get it anyhow.” When she looked back in question he tried to smile, “You will figure out. Go!”

She was pushed into the circle the next minute. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and she was pretty sure the pregnant lady caught her eyes multiple times. Sensing an opportunity, she banged to the lady during a particular dance move, almost making the former stumble. People rushed to help the two, and taking the opportunity she quickly snatched the key hiding them behind her dupatta. Rawte was the closest person standing near the circle so she moved quickly, making a show of hugging the “husband” who stood like a statue at her close proximity. Then he sensed the heavy weight inside his pants pocket- she gave him the key.

His hands rose to encircle her.

After all the nerve wrecking moments, getting assaulted by a local thug, revelation of illegitimate son and possible suffocation slash death by getting stuffed in a giant trunk, Kalki devi appeared during a significant wedding ritual. Descending through the stairs like a regal queen, her chin proud and eyes spitting fire at those who dared to harm her. The ETF knew who they were and couldn’t wait to take them into custody- but nope. Kalki devi was against filing a case or even going it out in public. They will handle it like a “family” whatever that means. From the terrified look on the pregnant lady’s face, it can’t be good.

Arjun stood outside the house, waiting for their transport to appear. His colleagues were inside trying to enjoy the ceremony on Kalki devi and Shankar’s insistence, but he couldn’t stand the sight – the wounds were too much.

He felt someone’s presence and by this time, he was stopped being surprised that he knew Riya that well to appear next to him. Predictably, it was her, watching the drizzle descending in front of them

“You will miss the function.”

“I like rain.” Her hand reached out to touch the drops a few moments later. “You came.”

He blinked at the change of conversation- she always jumps from one topic to another. “Not like I had a choice.”

“I had a feeling you will come.” Riya didn’t look at him

“How can I miss a case?”

“I wasn’t talking about the case.”

Arjun really looked at her in that moment, the way she was focused on rain, playing with water as drops fell from the edge of her fingers. Her traditional dress and hair style which, pretty sure nobody among them had seen before. And that perfume, he remembered it so clearly from that night in car even then it was a momentary thing. He also remembered last night, she was so close that he could hear her heartbeat, and today when she slipped the keys. He was so unaccustomed to someone’s presence physically, someone’s attention on him (not related to work, just him- attention which allows her to say I wasn’t talking about case) that it immediately makes him take a step back. It sends alarm bell in his head, making him want to snap out of the attention and go back to his shell.

And maybe he will do that.

Or maybe she will stop once she sees the worst of him.

Back in city and shit storm stops for nothing. The moment they returned they had an official inquiry at hand, courtesy the infamous ACP. Arjun didn’t know his sixth sense will work that fast that it will hit the Doctor like a train- what a monster he can become. How can he lost control due a mere thug’s taunts and almost lose his job over it. At times, he thinks, this job is what separates him from being a criminal. Put a leash around him. People like Pathan reminds him why he should be left alone and what happens when people come close to him- good and bad alike.

Pathan did pay for his two lines taunts with both of his legs.

The ETF was buzzing with old gossip and Arjun could swear Dr. Liza actually put few good centimetres unnecessary distance between him and her the next time she was sharing a room with him, even though there were other people present. Rathore was pissed too- he suspected it was also partly the frustration of Kalki devi. Thr juniors tried not to whisper and were too silent, and the Dr…well….

Riya knew what happened that day. Pathan was apparently kind of a nemesis or ACP Rawte since the day he joined department. His first joining was in a small sea facing town called Madga, where Pathan ran smuggling business. He raided there and he was caught, and rest was history. Pathan was supposed to have a bail hearing a few months and Rawte was sent to give testimonies on his prior crimes. Outside the court he taunted on the dead wife (Riya didn’t know this) and Rawte unleashed the beast inside him. It resulted in Pathan spending 4 months in hospital bed and having both of his legs permanently crippled. Was he ashamed of his act? No. He always advocated on slap in return for slap. He was suspended for a few months before Raghu sir arranged some permission, and lo and behold. 15 days later back in ETF, as if he didn’t put someone in a wheelchair and have a major anger management issue.

But the return of this hearing means again being put in exile, having a even mote morally superior Rathore breathing down his neck. Hence no field work, no interrogation, no taking part of discussion or handling any case. Only desk job and file submission, and nobody knew till how long this will drag or he will even be allowed to continue as ACP.

ACP Rawte was glaring at the red traffic signal when he heard her, “Rathore sir does that too.” At his turn of head, she tapped on a File she was reading.

“And how do you know that?”

“He picks me up in the morning.” He does. And of course she saw. Arjun wondered if Rathore spoke to her about the hearing- he must have. They are close. One question from her and he will spill his guts.

He tried to distract himself. “What are you reading since then?” she is always buried in some book and often rave about them, but tonight she was silent. He wondered if its cause the whole office is avoiding him like a plague and then got irritated thinking why should he care.

“This?” She twisted lips before answering. “Brochure.,” There was a pause and her voice went lower as if sharing a secret. “From London University. They pub…”

“published your paper. Yes I remember.” The thing is- he even read it, even though 90% things flew above his head. Theory was never his forte. *Why you looking at that?”

“Well…. Someone from University reached out to me. For teaching position.” He was stunned for a moment. “They also offered to transfer my PhD so that I can pursue there. Their University is one of the best in Criminology on the whole world.” She fondly ran her thumb over the file. “The campus looks very nice. And the Library…”

“Are you considering it?” He cleared throat before asking.

“I should. It’s an exciting prospect.”

“That wasn’t the question, Riya.” His eyes bore hole into her. “I am asking if that’s what you want. If it feels right.”

“Nobody asked me that before.” Riya sounded surprised at his statement. He shook head, suddenly amused at her.

“You studied something called profiling about which not even police department know properly. A subject which has no opportunity in this country. I think you do know what you want.”

“My mother wanted me to become air force combat pilot.” Shr replied, eyes looking faraway. “You know I had an all india rank of 6? But I didn’t pass the EQ test, and That was the start of me disappointing her. She spent her whole career sitting behind a desk and wanted to me become better.”

“So you coming to ETF, studying profiling is to make your mother proud, or to hide from her disappointment?”

She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, and Arjun couldn’t decide if he wanted to hide from that gaze or savor that. “That’s a difficult question.” There was an uptick of her lips, “I think it’s similar to why you hit Pathan lala.”

His good mood vanished. “I am not to answer that.”

She smiled genuinely this time, going back to her file as she turned over a page. “We are at same page then.”

She whispered after a while and even though Arjun wished he didn’t hear that, he did, “I think we both don’t know the answer yet."