Chapter 23

Part 24 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Six unconscious people were tied in a circle on the floor. Heavy iron chains blocked their hand movements. The big, burly man had a huge bandage taped around his head. A few steps away, a girl lay unconscious on the floor. She too had a bandage tied around her head.

They were surrounded by a few goons pointing guns at them. A spectacled man with curly hair smirked seeing them. His sister was by his side. Her husband stood a few feet away, behind them. Sweat trickled down his forehead. No matter how many times he wiped it off, new droplets continued to form.

Shree gestured one of the goons. He threw a jug of water on the group. They jerked at the sudden onslaught. The goon proceeded to sprinkle water on the face of the lone girl. They had all been given strict instructions to be gentle with her.

Fluttering their eyelids, the team opened their eyes. A hazy image formed in front of them. A bunch of people were staring at them. A man in the centre was leading them. Riya blinked her eyes rapidly to make sense of the surroundings. The room had a single coat of paint and was unfurnished. It looked like an under construction site. She could smell fresh concrete. Rathore’s head ached, it was spinning badly. It felt heavy and light at the same time. A puking sensation remained in his throat making it sour. He whimpered in agony.

They were all brought to their senses with the thunderous voice of ACP Arjun Rawte.

Arjun: SHREEE!!!!!!

He smirked: I told you ACP, it’s not over

Ayesha(angrily): I Don’t Believe This!!! TUM AISA KAISE KAR SAKTE HO?!!?!

Shree: kaise? Jaise kiya hai

Chotu: Shree! Himmat Hai Toh Haath Khol Mere!! Kamine Teri Itni Haddiyan Todunga Ki Tu Agle Janam Mein Apahij Paida Hoga!!! Ri Ko Pakad Kar Kaafi Dhoka Nahi Diya Tumne Hume?!!?

Riya pleaded: Shree please, sabko jaane do! Please don’t hurt them!!

Shree: hurt them?! you hurt me Riya! uska kya?

She looked away in disgust. They tried to free their hands but the chains were too tight. Arjun cursed him mentally.

Shree turned to the team: aur in logon ko humare beech aane ki keemat toh chukani hi hogi!

He removes a gun sweeping the floor from beneath her feet. He points it straight at Arjun. They glared at each other.

Riya: NAAHIIIII!!!!! SHREEE!!!!

Arjun’s hands started working quickly. He squeezed his hands together and slipped off his watch. The knots of the chain were at his wrists now with a reduced bulk. They had loosened. Rathore somehow managed to shout through the excruciating pain in his head.

Sameer: Shree! Don’t you dare!

Arjun smirked: tum mujhe nahi maaroge Shree, main jaanta hun

Ayesha: Arjun sir for god’s sake…

Shree: sahi kaha aapne, aapko aise nahi maarunga (he went on his knee to face him and whispered to him) not until you see her become mine

Arjun fumed: YOU BA*TARD!!!!

Shree laughed and pointed the gun at Rathore. Arjun pulled his bandage lower. Using it as a lubricant, he tries to slip his hand out of the chains. But that was not enough. He desperately looks around for something that could help them.

Riya felt her senses numbing. No! she had to fight back. She had to! She couldn’t let anyone else fall prey to him again and definitely not the team or her love. Her mind raced for a solution. Her vision clouded with tears. Fighting them back, her gaze darted around.

Liza: SHREE PLEASE, STOP THIS!!! Mat Karo Aisa!

Ayesha: Tumhe Kya Lagta Hai Shree? Tum Hum Sabko Maar Bach Jaoge? Hum ETF Hai Yaad Nahi Tumhe?

Arjun caught Riya’s eyes just as his hand managed to slip out. She looked at him with a million emotions in his eyes. He subtly shook his head, asking her to stray strong. He held the chains so as to not make any noise and alert anyone. She looked at him questioningly.

Shree loaded the gun.

Her eyes widened in horror. His gaze darted to the figure beside Riya. She followed his gaze. He freed his second hand.

Shree: bye Rathore sir!

Rathore glared at him. His head was still bursting. Maybe it was his last moment but ACP Sameer Damsingh Rathore had never backed out of a fight. Be it with his best friend or any criminal. He looked at death straight in its eye, undeterred.

Ayesha had tears streaming down her face: NAHHIII!!!!!

Shree smirked and gripped the trigger. He was about to squeeze it when,

Riddhima screamed: SHREE!!!!

All eyes turned to see Riya’s leg returning after a kick as Riddhima fell to the ground.

Shree(tensed): Riddhi…

Riya locked her legs around Riddhima’s neck, choking her. She hit her legs repeatedly but Riya’s grip only got tighter. Tarun and the goons immediately stepped forward but Arjun lashed out at Shree’s hand, dropping the gun right into Arjun’s hand

Shree: What the…

Before he could comprehend anything, the ACP had him in a chokehold, pressing the nozzle of the gun to Shree’s temple.

Arjun ordered the men: Peeche Raho!!!

Shree struggled to be free but was no match for Arjun’s strength. Besides, he wasn’t a very on the field person. He never had been. He was all brains and gadgets. That was his strength. As far as his dirty work was concerned, he hired the people who could do it for him.

Shree: Chodo Mujhe!!!

Arjun ignored him: kholo mere logo ko!

The goons stared at the scene in shock. Two of their masters were in the opposite court.

Riya: Sunayi nahi de raha tum logon ko? Tarun Agar Tum Apni Biwi Ko Zinda Dekhna Chahte Ho Toh Kholo Meri Team Ko!!!

Tarun: nahi, please!! (turning to the men) jaisa kehte hai waisa karo!

Shree continues to struggle: NOOOOO!!!!

Despite his protests, the men quickly free the rest of them, including Riya. Riddhima falls to the ground, grasping for breath as Tarun rushes to her. The team snatch the guns away. Rathore could barely stand up. He pushes his body off the ground only to fall again. Sakshi and Liza immediately support him.

Ayesha: Rathore sir!!

Liza: fikar ki baat nahi hai, nitrous oxide ke side effects hai, I’ll take care of him

She nods. Sparing another look at him. She and Chotu rally the goons in a single line at gun point. Riya slips to their side. Ayesha immediately grabs her arm. She gives her an assuring look. Chotu passes her a gun.

Liza makes Rathore take support of the wall and Sakshi. Riya and Liza step forward pointing guns at Riddhima and Tarun. They look at the scene with fear in their eyes.

Seeing them take control, Arjun allows his emotions to take over. He spins Shree to face him and punches him, breaking his nose.

Riddhima: Shree!!!

She tries to go ahead but Riya slaps her, pushing her behind and putting the gun to her head.

Arjun is livid with rage. He starts beating Shree black and blue. Shree falls to the ground, groaning in pain with fractured ribs and blood trickling down from his nose and lips. He had barely taken a breath when Arjun stamped his stomach making him cough up blood.

Tears rolled down Riddhima’s eyes: Shree!!!

Riya looks away. Her mind was divided. On one side she wanted him to pay for all he did and on the other? She could see the shadow of the person who she considered to be her best friend. She gripped her gun tightly. Her eyes moistened.

On the other hand, the team had gotten over their technical expert. All they could see was a man who ruthlessly claimed to love a woman by imprisoning her. All they could see was a beast who was hidden in the flesh of a human. All they could see was a criminal who dared to put a gun on their beloved khadoos seniors!

Riya snapped out her thoughts when Shree was thrown at her feet in a semi-conscious state. Startled, She looked up at Arjun. He gave her an encouraging nod.

With shivering hands, she raised her gun.

Riddhima begged before her: Riya Nahi!! please!! Mere bhai ko mat…

Her words definitely fell on her ears but they did not get registered by her brain.

“Jis din faayda uthana hoga bas tumhare khaane mein neend ki goli mila dunga”

“Puri Duniya Ke Liye Riya Mukherjee Is Dead!”

“tumhari wajah se hi toh Arjun sir ki jaan gayi”

“chinta mat karo Riya, tumhara dimag toh chalta rahega lekin bas tumhara shareer mere hissab se chalega”

She clenched her eyes shut and squeezed the trigger.

Shree gasped and his body jerked. Blood oozed out from his chest. A tear rolled down Riya’s eye.

Riddhima/Tarun: SHREE!!!

Arjun gritted his teeth and bent on one knee. He stared with satisfaction as Shree counted his last breaths.

Arjun whispered hoarsely: safed rani, kaale badshah ki maut banti hai, ab samjhe ya samjhau?

Shree glared at him. He tried to counter him but his muscles did not obey. Arjun put the gun on his forehead. A gunshot resonated through the space. Arjun had shot him, point blank, ending the chapter once and for all!

Riddhima wailed while falling to her knees.

The back-up was called, the perpetrators arrested. Liza quickly packed off with Rathore and Chotu to the nearest hospital as the rest remained, having no option to leave, for the formalities.

Ayesha and Riya worked with the local police with mental exhaustion playing with them. Ayesha literally burst out on a police officer for asking too many questions as they searched for evidence. Riya rubbed her temple. Her hand was barely able to write on the notepad as she recorded them. She felt like she could collapse any moment. Her head ache did not help her cause either.

Arjun came back inside with the forensic team to find the ladies working.

Arjun: Riya tum gayi nahi Liza ke saath? tumhe bhi toh chot lagi hai

Riya: main theek hu sir, choti chot hai aur fir yaha sab kaun karega? Un dono ko zyaada zaroorat hai, Chotu ko toh rod se maara tha aur Rathore sir toh theek se khade bhi nahi ho paa rahe the

Arjun glared at her but knew she had a point. He turns his attention to the forensic team. It was beyond 1 am when they wrapped up. Ayesha and Riya threw Riddhima and Tarun in the dickey of the police van and closed it. The officers would transport them to ETF office, first thing in the morning.

The trio along with Sakshi collapsed into the seats of the car. Riya rested her head on the headrest as Arjun put on his seatbelt. Ayesha lifted her legs and put them in Sakshi’s lap.

Ayesha: do you mind?

Sakshi: nah!

Riya: by the way, hum exactly hai kaha?

Ayesha : Dahisar but where? Pata nahi

Arjun: main road tak jaate hai, pata chal jaayega

Sakshi: lekin ek baat mere samajh mein nahi aa rahi hai, hum sab alag-alag jagah par the, hum kaha jaane waale hai, ye sab Shree ko kaise pata?

Her words sent them into thought. How did he come to know where they were going and how they were split into groups for him to plan effectively?

Ayesha: ha, maana ki use ye pata hai ki road par main bacho ko humesha paise deti hu lekin use ye kaise pata ki main us road par hu, taaki woh bacha aakar gas canister gaadi mein daal de

Arjun wondered if he had been tracing their phones but then again, if he had traced his and Rathore’s phone without appropriate authoritative consent, they would have been alerted immediately. He couldn’t have depended only on the junior’s phones. It was way too much of a risk.

Riya: SHIT!!!

Arjun braked the car to a screeching halt: kya hua?

Sakshi: yaar Riya, tum baar-baar gaadi mein aise kyun chillati ho?

Riya: are shut up! hum sab itne bade bevkuf kaise ho sakte hai?

Ayesha: kya matlab?

Riya: woh Shree hai!!!

Sakshi: ha… hume pata hai, toh?

Riya: toh obviously use pata hoga!!

Arjun: tum kya kehna chahti ho Riya?

Riya: Woh ETF Ka Technical Expert Hai!!! Uske Paas Humare Saare Security Codes Hai!! Woh Kahi Bhi Baithe Ek Laptop Ke Saath ETF Ke Cameras Ko Access Kar Sakta Hai! Use Humari Saari Investigation Ke Baare Mein Pata Tha!!

The truth dawned on them like an asteroid hitting Earth.

Ayesha: oh god! You’re right!!

Arjun: Shit! Hum Itni Badi Baat Kaise Bhul Gaye? Dammit Riya! tum humesha clue kyun bhul jaati ho?!

Her mouth opened in shock: main bhul jaati hu? Toh aap sabko kyun yaad nahi aaya?

Arjun: are par, woh tumhara best friend hai

Riya glared at him: aur aapka team member!!!

Sakshi(amused): woh ek criminal hai, ab woh sab chodo, Arjun gaadi chalao, hume ghar jaana hai

The couple glared at each other before turning away. Arjun twisted the key in the ignition and continued the journey………………………..

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