Chapter 63

CHAPTER 63

RECOVERY

"Hello?"

"Papa." Monami took a deep breath. "Mujhe... M-Mujhe aapse k-kuchh... kuchh p-puchhna hai."

"Puchho. Kya hua?"

She launched into the happenings of the past few days, skipping over the details that would be confidential. "... aur m-main... main n-nahi figure out k-kar p-paayi ki... ki woh th-theek nahi hai." She sniffled, feeling the tears well up. "Am I... Am I a b-bad d-doctor, Papa? Main i-itna bhi nahi d-dekh paayi ki w-woh th-theek nahi hain."

There was a pause. She looked at the phone. The call was still connected. Why wasn't he speaking? "No", he said finally. "You are not a bad doctor. Tumne jo cheez miss kari, woh tumhaari inability ki wajah se nahi, tumhaare inexperience ki wajah se hai. You are a good doctor but nothing beats experience. It's not your fault." She sniffled. "Monami... woh theek hai, na?"

"H-Haan. He'll be... he'll be o-okay."

"Toh rone ki kya zaroorat hai? Wipe your tears. Kuchh irreparable nahi hua hai. Chin up, baccha, chin up."

She took a deep breath, wiping her tears away. "Th-Thanks, Papa." She took a shaky breath. "Aa-Aap k-kaise ho?"

He paused, before heaving a big sigh. "Getting used to the empty house", he said quietly. Her gaze dropped to her lap. "Tu waapas kab aayegi?"

She fiddled with a loose thread. "M-Milne bula r-rahe ho k-kya?"

He sighed. "Tu... Tu theek hai?"

A small smile spread over her face. It was the first time he had asked her that. She rested her head on the wall. "Haan. I am... I am r-really h-happy here, Papa. Mera... Mera d-dream hai y-yeh."

He sighed again. "Kuchh aur dream nahi dekh sakti thi tu?" Her smile faded a little. "Bilkul apne Mumma jaisi hai tu. Ziddi."

"Apne d-dreams ke l-liye z-ziddi hona b-bura nahi hai. Main d-desh ko pr-protect karna ch-chahti hoon."

"Tujhe kaun protect karega?"

"Main... Main a-apne aap ko i-itna s-strong banaungi ki k-kisi ki p-protection ki z-zaroorat nahi p-padegi", she said quietly. "Aur a-agar kabhi p-padhi, toh I have p-people here, Papa. Mere... Mere teammates, m-mere tr-trainers. They will pr-protect me."

He was quiet for a long time and she looked at the phone again. The call was still connected. She held it back to her ear, listening to the silence. "Monami", he said after a long minute. "I have to go abhi. I have a surgery." She hummed. "Bye."

"Bye. Apna dh-dhyaan r-rakhna."

He hesitated. "Tu bhi."

She stared at the dropped call, a small smile on her face. It had been a long time since they had talked like that. She liked it.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

'You're so pretty.'

'Kabhi kabhi tumhe... tumhe dekhta hoon aur bas dekhta hi reh jaata hoon.'

'Tum... Tum paas hoti toh... toh sab theek sa lagne... lagne lagta hai.'

Karan closed his eyes. "I am an idiot", he muttered, keeping his hands on his face. He looked at his best friend, who was grinning. "Sab teri galti hai."

He laughed. "Humne kya kara hai?"

"Don't leave me alone with Monami jab main high hota hoon", he said. "Please? Main kuchh bhi bol deta hoon. Use kitna bura laga hoga. I am such an idiot. Goli hi maar de mujhe."

"Kitne dramatic ho rahe ho tum." Faizi laughed. "Waise... kuchh bhi nahi, jo dil mein hai, woh hi bolte ho." Karan looked at him miserably. "Tum ab bhi yeh deny karoge ki tumhe lagta hai woh pretty hai?"

"Ho gaya tera? Chup reh. Tujhe isliye bataaya tha taaki tu mujhe comfort kar sake. Mera mazaak mat udha." He sighed. "Kahan hai woh? Gussa hai kya mujhse?"

"Pata nahi." He hesitated. "Thoda upset zaroor lag rahi thi." Karan's face fell and he groaned, keeping his hands on his face. "Ho sakta hai kisi aur cheez ke liye upset ho", Faizi comforted.

"Hopefully", he muttered.

"Achha, rona band karo. Chodho ab iss sab ko", Faizi said. "Monami keh rahi thi agar aaj sab kuchh theek hua, tum waapas room jaa sakte ho." He looked up hopefully. "And Bhaiya keh rahe the ki aaj kal mein sab cadets ko dobara meeting ke liye bulayenge aur brief kar denge."

He hummed, straightening up slightly. "We don't know humaare paas kitna time hai. If they are switching to offense, we would need the numbers."

He dipped his head in agreement. "Hum kya soch rahe the... cadets ki weapon training shuru kar dein kya?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Abhi?" He tilted his head. "Theek hai. Par... Batra Sir se ek baar baat kar le." He nodded.

Faizi tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling. If Sayed really was the son of the boss of EFR, there is sure to be retaliation once they had caught him. If the cadets would know how to shoot, they would at least, be a tad bit better at protecting themselves. The weapon training was needed.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Karan Sir kaise hain?" Koel asked, sitting down on the bed.

Faizi pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. He smiled at her a little, nodding. "He's fine ab", he said. "Kaafi better."

"That's great." She gently slid her hand over his, eyeing him. "Tum kaise ho? Anything you want to talk about?"

"Nahi. Hum theek hain." He squeezed her hand. "Kuchh... cheezen samajh aayi hume jo hum jaante the, par shayad... darr rahe the accept karne se." She tilted her head. His grip tightened on her. "Hum... Hum tumhe khona nahi chahte. Hum tumhaare... tumhaare saath rehna chahte hain." He looked at her hopefully. "That is... agar tum... tum bhi rehna chahti ho."

She leaned up, pressing her lips to his. "Tum buddhu ho agar tumhe lagta hai main naa bolungi", she muttered.

He smiled at her. "I love you."

Her smile widened. "I love you too", she admitted quietly. "I really missed you. Mujhse ab... ab aise door mat jaana."

"I am sorry", he said. He pulled her closer, kissing her head. "Maaf kar do?"

She leaned up, kissing his lips softly. "Of course", she said. She snuggled closer to him, sighing happily. He kissed her head, content with having her in his arms. He had missed her.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

His muscles were screaming. Karan paused, leaning on his brother, and the older male patted his shoulder a little. "Koi naa", Param said soothingly. "Thoda sa bacha hai." He nodded, taking a deep breath and pushing himself to walk.

Monami had, much to Karan's dismay, kept him in the trauma room, for another night. But she had finally let him go to his room in the morning, on the condition that he would do absolutely no field work and would take it easy. He had dismissed the offer of a wheelchair but he hadn't factored in muscle soreness. Apparently, coagulants resulted in muscle soreness. Wasn't that just excellent? He wanted to sit down and sleep in the hallway floor. Why was his room so far?

"Wh-Wheelchair is s-still an o-option", Monami piped in, gesturing to the empty device she was pushing.

He shot it a distasteful look. "I would rather crawl", he said. He hated wheelchairs. Loathed them. They reminded him of his brother's amputation and the misery on his face when he had no option but to use it. He would rather stay away.

"Karan ko wheelchairs nahi pasand", Faizi explained.

"Sir ko wh-wheelchair n-nahi p-pasand. Sir ko d-dawaai nahi p-pasand. S-Sir ko patta g-gobhi nahi p-pasand. Sir ko apna kh-khayal r-rakhna nahi p-pasand", she quipped. "Bas kisi ki b-baat n-naa s-sunna p-pasand hai. Hai, na?" Faizi and Param chuckled.

"Bas karo, Monami. Kitna taunt karogi? Parso se taunt hi kare jaa rahi ho. Bas karo", Karan complained.

She narrowed her eyes. "Aa-Aarti utaaroon ph-phir?" She shook her head. "Th-Thoda sa b-bacha hai", she soothed. "You can r-rest ph-phir."

Faizi opened the door, and Karan sat down heavily on his bed, taking a deep breath. Monami was by his side the next instant, gently prompting him to lay down. He obeyed happily, closing his eyes. He wanted to sleep now.

"Faizi Sir", Monami said, and he opened his eyes, finding her handing his best friend some tablets. His lip curled in distaste. Great. "Yeh kh-khaane ke b-baad. P-Painkiller hai. M-Minimum do b-baar. M-Maximum teen b-baar. Yeh b-bole ki n-nahi hai d-dard phir bhi do b-baar toh d-deni hai." She turned to Karan, narrowing her eyes. He shot her a thumbs up. He didn't have the energy to argue. She turned back to Faizi. "K-Kuchh bhi c-concerning lage, pl-please aa j-jaana. Inka k-koi bh-bharosa n-nahi."

"Hum dhyaan rakhenge", Faizi assured.

"A-Apna bhi r-rakhna", she said sternly. He nodded. "Main ch-chalti hoon ph-phir. I h-have some homework to c-catch up."

She turned away. She paused, staring at Karan's desk. He followed her gaze. Him and Baby. His gaze drifted back to her. She had stared at it a couple of times but she had never asked and he hadn't offered too much information after he had found out. She glanced at Param, before walking out of the door. His gaze followed her out of the room till she was no longer visible.

"Bas, bas, Chhote, kitna dekhega use?" Param teased.

Karan's gaze snapped to him. "Sone do mujhe", he muttered, closing his eyes. He felt the warmth of a blanket engulf him and then someone sitting down next to him, running a hand soothingly through his hair. His brother. Under the warm blanket, with his brother's hand in his hair and the exhaustion from his tiring walk, he had no trouble falling asleep.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Sir ji kaise hain?" Sanju asked, looking at his sleeping form.

"Theek hai ab", Faizi said. "Suno, humne humaare kamre ka taala change kar diya hai. Ab humaare aur Karan ke alaawa iss kamre ki chaabi kisi ke paas nahi hai. Spare key ek Param Bhaiya ko de denge." He held out another. "Aur ek tum rakho. Dhyaan rakhna iska."

"Ji, Sir ji", she said. "Aap ko kuchh pata chalo?"

He shook his head. She sighed. "Hum kya soch rahe the... cadets ki weapon training shuru karte hain." Her eyebrows raised. "Tumhe kya lagta hai?"

She tilted her head. Guns made the cadets feel powerful and it was thus, mostly introduced at a slightly later stage when the arrogance had been worked out of them, or at least, most of them. But their team cadets... she nodded. "Woh sambhaal lenge, Sir ji."

"Hume bhi yeh hi lagta hai", he said. "Aur Karan ko bhi koi dikkat nahi. Hum aaj Batra Sir se baat karte hain phir."

Sanju hesitated. "Sir ji... aapko woh warehouse yaad hogo?" Faizi tilted his head. "Woh hi jo Rahul ne bataayo tha? Jo jungle ke beech mein tha? Aapko aur Karan Sir ji ko jaana tha par aap jaa nahi paaye the?"

"Haan", he said. "Hum toh bhool hi gaye the. Jaane ka mauka hi nahi mila uske baad."

"Hum jaakar dekh aato hain."

Faizi shook his head. "Akele nahi", he warned. "Hum chalenge tumhaare saath. Kal parso mein chalte hain." He rubbed his forehead. "Hum uss warehouse ko kaise bhool gaye?"

"Aap aur Karan Sir ji kaafi busy rehto hain", she said soothingly. "Aap bhi thoda aaram kijiye. Itna kaam karenge, toh aap bhi bimaar ho jaayenge."

He nodded. "Hopefully uss warehouse mein kuchh mile", he muttered. "We don't really have leads."

Sanju stared at Karan's sleeping form. They didn't really have much to go on. And the spy... he had sneaked into their room and slipped a poison in. Would they really be able to stop him if he decided to attack again?

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Is the meeting tomorrow a continuation?" Sid asked.

Sanju hummed, nodding as she made the coffee. After much prompting, Sid had confessed that the coffee was a tad bit too sweet for his taste. And so, she was determined to make one that was just perfect. "Haan", she said. "Tum logon ko poori baat bata naa paayo the, na? Isliye." He hummed. She poured the milk in the cup, before handing it to him. "Pee", she said, staring at him expectantly.

He smiled, taking a sip. "Achhi hai."

"Sach sach bata. Kuchh kami hai?"

He hesitated. "Thodi... zyaada strong hai", he admitted. She sighed. "Par achhi hai. I needed strong coffee. Bahut saara kaam hai aaj." He leaned closer, and she took a step back, holding a hand out. He merely smiled, leaning back. "You want?" He held it out.

She accepted it, taking a sip. It was too bitter for her. She handed it back.

"Tum theek ho?" He asked. "Thoda... pareshaan lag rahi ho."

"Kuchh nahi. Bas... Karan Sir ji ko lekar hi thoda..." She sighed. 'Aur spy.' But she couldn't complete the sentence now, could she?

He clutched her hand. "Woh theek hain ab", he said. She nodded. "Is it related to the things jo tum mujhe nahi bata sakti?" She nodded again. He kept the mug down, grabbing her other hand too. "Jo bhi hai, sab sort ho jaayega."

She stared at him. She snaked her arms around him, hesitantly resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his hands around her, gently rubbing her back. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Everything will be okay. It has to be.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Karan stared at them, resting his head on the wall. He had slept for the past 4 hours. He was still drowsy. He wanted to go back to sleep.

"Karan", Param said and he looked at him. "Sona hai toh so jaa. Painkillers se neend aati hai."

"Aur filter bhi off ho jaata hai", Faizi teased.

He didn't quite have the strength to glare at him. At least, Monami hadn't brought it up. And he was too embarrassed to even apologize. "Thodi der mein meeting hai", he muttered. "Dobara so gaya toh uske liye nahi jaa paaunga." He rubbed his eyes, sighing. "Sab taiyaar ho gaya meeting ke liye?"

"Haan, Sir ji", Sanju said. She hesitated. "Sir ji... hume Sanket keh raho tha kuchh din pehle ki woh jo signal hogo, na? Jo Laxman ke murder ke time hume uske phone se Delhi mein milo tha? Woh keh raho tha ki woh use trace karne ki koshish kar raho hai. Hum kaa soch raho the ki... Siddharth ko uss kaam par laga deto hain."

"Sanket abhi tak woh kar raha hai?" Karan asked. She nodded. He hummed. "Kar sakte hain."

"Hum aur Sanju kal warehouse dekhne bhi jaayenge", Faizi said.

He blinked. Warehouse? "Arey haan", he muttered. "Use toh bhool hi gaya tha. Woh hi waala, na, jo Rahul ne bataaya tha?" Faizi nodded. He wanted to go too, but he doubted he would be able to even get the words out before he would have the angry birds squawking at him. It was better to shut up and rest. Speaking of rest, his bed looked so welcoming.

"So jaa, Karan", Param said.

He looked at him, yawning. "Aadhe ghante mein utha dena", he conceded, falling to his bed and drifting off before his head had even hit the pillow.

Faizi chuckled, shaking his head. "Itne time se jo yeh raat ko dhang se so nahi raha tha, sabki kasar poori ho jaayegi", he said.

"Achhi baat hai", Param said. "Tum log kal hi warehouse jaakar check karna. Jitna late hoga, utna kam chances hain ki kuchh mile. It's probably already cleaned up but it's worth a try."

He hoped the cadets would eventually have something to offer. They needed more information. He looked at the door. They needed just a few more things. A few more pieces and the puzzle would fall into place. He hoped.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Monami stared at the trainers with wide eyes. Was this a joke? A mock mission? Some sort of training? No way there was a literal spy in the academy. Right? Her eyes darted to Karan. No amusement, no observing eyes, just dead seriousness. Nope. They were serious.

It all made sense. The spy was the one who had poisoned Karan. Her jaw clenched. She just wanted a syringe and a few minutes with the spy. She would make him rest up... real good.

"Iss room mein jo log hain, unke alaawa kisi ko nahi pata ki academy mein ek spy hai", Param said. Her eyes darted back to him. "Not with any certainty, at least. And it should stay that way. Galti se bhi tumhaare muh se yeh nahi nikalna chahiye. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir", they echoed.

"You guys will be our eyes and ears. Kuchh bhi suspicious dikhe, sune, tell us. Chhoti si chhoti baat jo strange lage, report. Baat desh ki security ki hai."

"Monami, aaj se you'll work in the dispensary", Faizi continued. "Hear what the patients are saying. Strike up a conversation." A conversation? She nodded nervously. "Chitra, tumhe hum kuchh agents ki list denge. Unka social media achhe se check karo. Whatever you find inconsistent or suspicious, report. Bala, grapevine. Tumhe already academy ke baare mein kaafi pata hota hai. Agents ke baare mein pata karo."

"Ho jaayega, Sir ji", Bala said, a smirk spreading over his face. He liked collecting information.

"Parikshit, Prem ji, hum aap dono ko kuchh cameras ka access denge. Aap observe karenge kuchh specific agents ko. Hum aapko instruct kar denge kinhe." They nodded. "Koel, Suman ji, aap dono workers se baat karenge. Is that clear, everyone?"

Sid raised his hand. "Main?"

"Tumhaare liye humaare paas ek tech ka kaam hai", Param said. Sid looked away from him, keeping his eyes on the others. He jerked his head down.

"I hope tum log yeh sab kaam sincerely karoge", Karan said. Everyone's eyes darted to him. It was the first thing he had spoken since the meeting had started. "It's not a mock mission. It's not an exercise. Cadets, this is your glimpse into the real missions. This is your chance to prove yourselves. Do your best."

"Yes, Sir!"

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Kh-Khaana kha l-liya, na, aa-aapne?" Monami asked. She injected the coagulant, pressing a cotton against his skin.

He sighed. "Haan", he muttered.

Her gaze lifted up. She sat down next to him, and he looked at her. "Anything y-you w-want to t-talk about?"

He glanced at the door. Closed. "You know about the spy now", he said quietly. Her eyes darkened. "I am... I am just so mad at him. And... main use naa pakad paa raha, naa uske baare mein kuchh jaan paa raha hoon. And that makes me frustrated." He sighed. "I know inn sab clues mein se jo humaare paas hai, yeh hi eventually mujhe uss spy ke paas lekar jaayenge. Par... I can't see it abhi. I am so blind and it's making me so angry. He murdered my informer. He poisoned me. He is tainting my academy. And I can't see the clues. And ab... I can't even work. Main exercise nahi kar sakta. I am confined to this... stupid bed." He ran a hand through his hair.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his face tiredly. She gently touched his arm, and he opened his eyes, peeking through. "You'll g-get h-him", she said quietly. "And y-you'll make h-him p-pay for e-everything."

He stared into her eyes. They didn't waver, holding his gaze. He took in a shaky breath, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah. We will." She smiled at him, holding out some tablets. He sighed, accepting it. He quickly gulped it down, making a face. "Kadwi", he complained.

She chuckled. "At l-least you w-won't be h-high with th-these", she said.

He froze. "Uhhh... Yeah. About that..." He cleared his throat.

She stood up. "You sh-should rest. Aa-Aap j-jitna rest k-karoge, utni j-jaldi th-theek ho j-jaaoge."

"Wait", he said. He grabbed her wrist, gently tugging till she sat back down. "I am sorry. Mujhe..." He fiddled with his hands. "Mujhe woh sab nahi bolna chahiye tha." He looked away. "I hope... tum... tum zyaada uncomfortable nahi hui hogi." Who was he kidding? Of course she was uncomfortable. Why wouldn't she be?

"It's o-okay", she assured. "You d-don't have to a-apologize. Bahut l-log kuchh b-bhi bol d-dete hain jab woh h-high h-hote hain. P-Pata hai? Ek b-baar... ek p-patient ne m-mujhe unki n-newly m-married granddaughter se c-confuse kar liya jab w-woh h-high the. And... unhone mujhe 's-sada s-suhaagan' rehne ka aa-aashirvaad de diya. S-Sid ne mera b-bahut m-mazaak u-udhaaya phir." He chuckled lightly. "So d-don't worry." She stood up again. "Aa-Aap so j-jaaiye. Rest k-kijiye. Kal m-milte hain." He hummed, following her with his gaze as she walked out.

'Bahut l-log kuchh b-bhi bol d-dete hain jab woh h-high h-hote hain.'

'Kuchh bhi nahi, jo dil mein hai, woh hi bolte ho. Tum ab bhi yeh deny karoge ki tumhe lagta hai woh pretty hai?'

He shook his head. He laid down, pulling the blanket over himself. No, he couldn't let those thoughts stay too long into his head. Monami was his cadet, his friend. That was it and that was all it was ever going to be.