Chapter 12
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Hey guys, sorry for the loooooooong delay before this update. Luckily I completed my last exam yesterday and it all went well. Here's the next bit for you, I promise you a longer part next time!
Chapter 12
Raj had driven to headquarters in record time, he was unable to wait any longer for his questions to be answered. It had taken a long time for Ritu Mishra to finally crack, and today she would tell him who had been behind Navin's death.
Quickly he passed the security checks before heading down to her cell.
It doesn't take long for him to reach the basement where she's being kept, especially as he's hurried the whole way. Before he goes in, Colonel Shakti briefs him. "Be careful, Captain, she's a very intelligent woman. Make sure that you get the information out of her without falling into any traps."
Raj nods, he has waited long enough for this day, practicing what he would say to her if he ever got the chance, thinking about the questions that he needs to ask. After this final warning he is finally allowed into the cell, the guards closing the door quickly after him.
"So, Captain…" she says the last word with utter contempt, "You've finally come to see me."
She looks vastly different to how she did the last time he saw her, and even more different to her usual image before that. The feminine saris are gone, replaced by a prisoner's outfit. Her hair is no longer perfectly groomed and there is no makeup on her face. In addition to this she looks washed out and tired, the combination of a lack of sunlight and of ill treatment. Looking at her, he realises how much of a mask her previous appearance had been to conceal the truth of what she really was.
"Yes I have, Dr Mishra," he tells her, perfectly calm. "Or should I be calling you something else?"
"No," she tells him, "I completed the degree in psychiatry, I deserve the title. And besides, does it really matter what my real name is?"
"Not really," he agrees, "I'm far more interested in the other names that you can tell me."
"Oh, did you really think that you'd get them that easily from me?" she's toying with him now, trying to win even when she's already lost.
"Well, I was told that you were ready to make a deal, if that's not the case, then maybe I should go…"
Ritu rolls her eyes, "Hold it, Captain, there's no need to get uptight about it so easily. If I'm going to tell you everything you want to know, then the very least you can do is play the game for awhile."
"Fine, Dr Mishra, I'm ready to play, what is it that you think I need to do before you'll tell me what I want to know?"
She smiles then, she's back in her element and knows that he'll keep her happy just to find out the information she wants, in a way it's the only way she has left to exert any power. All of her options are gone, and now the only way for her to survive is to make this deal.
"Why are you doing this, Captain? For your country, for your friend, or for…" She trails off at the last sentence, smiling at him mockingly.
"I promised myself that I would uncover the truth of Navin's death, no matter what happened, after everything you did to him, at least you can help to prove his innocence."
She laughs, a bitter, angry laugh. "Oh is that right, or is it that you're looking for redemption? Trying to absolve yourself of his death. Or is it because you want his little sister to forgive you?"
The last thing that Raj wanted was for her to start talking about things like this here, while his superior officers were listening to the conversation. He had to bring this discussion back to the topic it was meant to be about.
"Cadet Singh has already forgiven me, Dr Mishra, and I've also forgiven myself. Now it's just a matter of finding out the truth."
She's genuinely surprised to hear this, staring at him in shock. "She's forgiven you? How could she? I thought that she'd never forgive you after finding out."
Raj shrugs, trying to look casual but really disturbed by this turn in the conversation. "Well she did, in the end she knew that it was the people behind this conspiracy that were really responsible for his death, not me." He looks directly into Ritu's eyes, trying to judge whether she's going to really give him the truth or not. "Now, if you can give me that information I know that Naina would appreciate it as well. So how about it?"
"And then what, you both can live happily ever after while I rot in jail? What type of a deal is that?"
"It's an excellent deal, you're not going to be executed, which is what usually happens to spies, and you'll receive a new identity so that you can't be tracked down by those who want to kill you."
She regards him curiously for a minute, looking him over thoroughly, before settling back in her chair with a small smile on her face.
"Do you know where it was I failed, Captain?" she asks him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
He inclines his head and gestures with a hand to tell her to continue speaking.
"I couldn't make you fall in love with me."
He realises that it's true. It's how she trapped Navin, making him so blinded that he couldn't realise the web that she was spinning for him. By the time he had worked it out it had been far too late.
"That's true, Dr Mishra, I'm quite thankful that you weren't able to."
"Now," she pauses, leaning over the table so that her face is closer to his, "I wonder why that was."
He knows what she's implying, she wants to make him lose his temper by her references to Naina, but he's not going to give in.
"I've always been suspicious of women who wear too much make up." He tells her with a humorous smile. It's only partially a lie, women who take too much effort to dress up and spend too much time on their hair and make up have always intimidated him. It had been the simplicity of Naina's beauty that had attracted him to her. For him, one of her smiles was far more lovely than anything in the world. He had been amazed that she could look beautiful even after falling into a pool of mud, simply because she was able to laugh about it.
Dr Mishra looked at him, finally realising that he wasn't going to play the game the way she wanted him to. She had nothing left to lose, and really this deal was the best she could possibly expect. The people who had employed her would kill her if they got their hands on her, so why should she feel any loyalty for them? It had never been about an ideology for her, she had always done this simply because it was her job, and because she would benefit from it.
"Fine, Captain," she told him "Then let's begin…"
Chapter 12
Raj had driven to headquarters in record time, he was unable to wait any longer for his questions to be answered. It had taken a long time for Ritu Mishra to finally crack, and today she would tell him who had been behind Navin's death.
Quickly he passed the security checks before heading down to her cell.
It doesn't take long for him to reach the basement where she's being kept, especially as he's hurried the whole way. Before he goes in, Colonel Shakti briefs him. "Be careful, Captain, she's a very intelligent woman. Make sure that you get the information out of her without falling into any traps."
Raj nods, he has waited long enough for this day, practicing what he would say to her if he ever got the chance, thinking about the questions that he needs to ask. After this final warning he is finally allowed into the cell, the guards closing the door quickly after him.
"So, Captain…" she says the last word with utter contempt, "You've finally come to see me."
She looks vastly different to how she did the last time he saw her, and even more different to her usual image before that. The feminine saris are gone, replaced by a prisoner's outfit. Her hair is no longer perfectly groomed and there is no makeup on her face. In addition to this she looks washed out and tired, the combination of a lack of sunlight and of ill treatment. Looking at her, he realises how much of a mask her previous appearance had been to conceal the truth of what she really was.
"Yes I have, Dr Mishra," he tells her, perfectly calm. "Or should I be calling you something else?"
"No," she tells him, "I completed the degree in psychiatry, I deserve the title. And besides, does it really matter what my real name is?"
"Not really," he agrees, "I'm far more interested in the other names that you can tell me."
"Oh, did you really think that you'd get them that easily from me?" she's toying with him now, trying to win even when she's already lost.
"Well, I was told that you were ready to make a deal, if that's not the case, then maybe I should go…"
Ritu rolls her eyes, "Hold it, Captain, there's no need to get uptight about it so easily. If I'm going to tell you everything you want to know, then the very least you can do is play the game for awhile."
"Fine, Dr Mishra, I'm ready to play, what is it that you think I need to do before you'll tell me what I want to know?"
She smiles then, she's back in her element and knows that he'll keep her happy just to find out the information she wants, in a way it's the only way she has left to exert any power. All of her options are gone, and now the only way for her to survive is to make this deal.
"Why are you doing this, Captain? For your country, for your friend, or for…" She trails off at the last sentence, smiling at him mockingly.
"I promised myself that I would uncover the truth of Navin's death, no matter what happened, after everything you did to him, at least you can help to prove his innocence."
She laughs, a bitter, angry laugh. "Oh is that right, or is it that you're looking for redemption? Trying to absolve yourself of his death. Or is it because you want his little sister to forgive you?"
The last thing that Raj wanted was for her to start talking about things like this here, while his superior officers were listening to the conversation. He had to bring this discussion back to the topic it was meant to be about.
"Cadet Singh has already forgiven me, Dr Mishra, and I've also forgiven myself. Now it's just a matter of finding out the truth."
She's genuinely surprised to hear this, staring at him in shock. "She's forgiven you? How could she? I thought that she'd never forgive you after finding out."
Raj shrugs, trying to look casual but really disturbed by this turn in the conversation. "Well she did, in the end she knew that it was the people behind this conspiracy that were really responsible for his death, not me." He looks directly into Ritu's eyes, trying to judge whether she's going to really give him the truth or not. "Now, if you can give me that information I know that Naina would appreciate it as well. So how about it?"
"And then what, you both can live happily ever after while I rot in jail? What type of a deal is that?"
"It's an excellent deal, you're not going to be executed, which is what usually happens to spies, and you'll receive a new identity so that you can't be tracked down by those who want to kill you."
She regards him curiously for a minute, looking him over thoroughly, before settling back in her chair with a small smile on her face.
"Do you know where it was I failed, Captain?" she asks him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
He inclines his head and gestures with a hand to tell her to continue speaking.
"I couldn't make you fall in love with me."
He realises that it's true. It's how she trapped Navin, making him so blinded that he couldn't realise the web that she was spinning for him. By the time he had worked it out it had been far too late.
"That's true, Dr Mishra, I'm quite thankful that you weren't able to."
"Now," she pauses, leaning over the table so that her face is closer to his, "I wonder why that was."
He knows what she's implying, she wants to make him lose his temper by her references to Naina, but he's not going to give in.
"I've always been suspicious of women who wear too much make up." He tells her with a humorous smile. It's only partially a lie, women who take too much effort to dress up and spend too much time on their hair and make up have always intimidated him. It had been the simplicity of Naina's beauty that had attracted him to her. For him, one of her smiles was far more lovely than anything in the world. He had been amazed that she could look beautiful even after falling into a pool of mud, simply because she was able to laugh about it.
Dr Mishra looked at him, finally realising that he wasn't going to play the game the way she wanted him to. She had nothing left to lose, and really this deal was the best she could possibly expect. The people who had employed her would kill her if they got their hands on her, so why should she feel any loyalty for them? It had never been about an ideology for her, she had always done this simply because it was her job, and because she would benefit from it.
"Fine, Captain," she told him "Then let's begin…"
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