Chapter-2

“Just because she joked about a dead body to you, doesn’t make her a suspect. Damn it! Raute! She was just kidding!”, Rathore tried to convince Arjun.

“Nahi Rathore, there’s something about her that’s..”, Arjun stopped at the questioning look by the three men.

“Mujhe tumse argue nhi karna. Tumhe to sabhi criminals hi lagte h.”, Rathore turned his head away in frustration.

“Atleast we know that she is somehow involved. As a victim or a culprit.”, reasoned Shree.

“We'll find out! Chalo Raute, tumhare ghar chalte h.”

Saying so the four men sat in the two SUVs and raced towards Arjun’s lodge.

 They stopped at some distance from the place. Rathore signaled Arjun to get down and check on her, while they would keep an eye on the surroundings. If they have not wasted enough time, there is still some hope left.

Arjun walked towards the lodge in quick steps, opened the main gate and rushed up the stairs. He reached her room and hesitated before knocking the door. Before he could, he heard a voice, 

“Todna mat please haan, abhi kal hi security amount bhara h”

He jerked and turned back. There she was, relaxing on the swing, with a mug in her hand. Arjun rolled his eyes.

 “Rathore and Shree were worried about her?”, he spoke to himself.

 Quickly, he entered his room next door, not wanting to indulge in any conversation with her. Minutes later, he peeped out of the window to check for her. Finding her missing from that swing, he quickly rushed out and jumped into the car parked in the next lane.

Shree and Rathore had already left, he and Chotu followed. 

ETF OFFICE

The four men were in their seats thinking about today, when Rathore’s phone buzzed.

“One constable will watch over Raute's house, 24 into 7.”, announced Rathore.

“Why, I don’t need it!”, Arjun retorted.

“Not for you, it’s for that girl, what’s her name?”, Rathore looked at Arjun.

“How would I know?”, an irritated Arjun spoke, banging the file in his hand on the table.

Rathore shook his head in disbelief. Her mention is enough to annoy him.

“Shree, any information?”, Rathore turned to Shree.

“Not much! Her name is Riya Mukherjee. 22, orphan. Permanent address is of Delhi. Hamesha se Delhi ka hi h. Has rented a room at Ravi Lodge for a year. That’s all.”

“A year? Why?” Arjun questioned impatiently.

“Sir, this is all we know from the rent agreement and her ID. We can interrogate your landlady, she might know.”

“Not required. I'll find out myself.”

Saying so, he got up and moved out of the conference room, leaving the three men behind wondering about his intentions.

An hour later, he called.

Rathore: “Haan Raute!”

Arjun: “Kisi college m pdhne aayi h, college ka naam, nahin bataya. Phone number bhi nahin bataya. Aur pucho apne vigilant constable se k kidhr h, kyunki ghar pr to h nahin.”, Arjun spoke in a breath and cut the call.

“Not been a day since she has walked in Arjun’s life and he is going nuts.”, Rathore said while walking out of the room.

Minutes later, they all reassembled.

“Sir, Vo constable ne to nahi pr lodge k paas ek dukaan wale ne us ladki ko subha jaate hue dekha tha bag le kar, koi uniform nahi pehni hui thi. 10 bje k aas paas. Matlab hmare nikalne k kareeb adhe ghante baad.”, Chotu informed.

“Vo constable bekar tha, hata diya h use duty se!”, Rathore said annoyed.

“Sir, thoda time dijiye, us ke educational records mil jaenge ya fir koi social media profile. Fir hum use trace kr skte hain.”, Shree sounded hopeful.

The day passed by, with no signs of success. It was the first time Shree had not been able to find anything other than the official records available. Rathore was just disappointed but Arjun had grown anxious. She was the door to Sikandar, at least he felt so and she was missing. 

Dusk set in and an impatient Arjun strolled in the garden of the lodge. If she was fine, she should be home by now. The ETF office was also doing the best they could. Shree had contacted almost all colleges in the area enquiring about a new admission. Chotu was talking to all his informers in the area. Rathore was talking to the Commissioner for any help, to which he had politely refused.

Mrs. Wadekar too joined Arjun in his anxious walk across the garden, even she was worried by now. She kept pacing in and out of the house, but what surprised her was a worried Arjun. She had never seen him like this. Although she didn’t know the cause of his concern, she knew he was worried for a girl's safety who was new to this place. His “I-don’t-care-about-anybody” façade had come crashing down today in front of her.

She went in for sometime and taking advantage of the situation, Arjun rushed upstairs and stood in front of her locked room. This was the only way left. Her room and her belongings could answer their questions now. He looked around but found nothing that he could use to break the lock. He immediately went in his room and got a screwdriver along. He inserted the driver in the shackle but before he could do any further, 

“Chor…chor….chorrrr!”, he heard a familiarly unfamiliar voice. He turned back to look at her, when he saw her running upstairs. There she was, unaware of the fact that they had spent the entire day looking for her. He scanned her from top to bottom to check if she was alright.

“Kya kar rahe the tum?”, she marched towards him eyeing him suspiciously.

Arjun was at a loss of words.

“Haath mein kya hai tumhare?”

He tried to hide the screwdriver but in vain. She had seen it.

“Abhi tumhari complaint krti hu!”

Without even waiting for him to speak, she dashed down the stairs. Arjun looked at her retreating back and hurried inside his room. 

After locking from inside, he let out a sigh of relief. Picking up his phone, he dialed Rathore’s number.

“Zinda hai!”, he spoke as soon as Rathore picked.

“Thank God!”, Rathore fell in his chair. 

“Raute, speaker p ho tum. Team!”, he grabbed every one's attention.

“What happened today shouldn’t be happening again. This girl is very important if we want Sikander. We need to make sure she never gets out of our sight. Every action of hers, every movement, every person she meets, everywhere she goes - we need to know it all.”

“It is strange that we couldn’t find anything about her after an entire day of search. Arjun Sir's angle of her being involved could be true as well. How can she have no records at all.”, Shree reasoned.

“Finally!”, Arjun almost shouted at his words.

“Not so soon Raute. Let us wait before we jump to conclusions. I still think that she is just another target. Sikander, Shamsher, Pathan Lala ye sb human trafficking ka kaam krte h, hm sb jaante h. Ho sakta h ye bs victim ho, I mean banne wali ho. Ye hame in tak pohoncha sakti h.”

“Par unhe agar sirf apne trafficking racket ke liye ek ladki chahiye, to yeh hi kyun? Aisa kya khaas h isme?”, Arjun spoke.

“Ye to tum mujhe bataoge!”, Rathore replied.

Arjun frowned not understanding what Rathore meant.

“Raute, you need to be friends with her, gather some information, stay close to her.”

“I can’t!”, Arjun retorted without even thinking.

“ You have to!”, Rathore said in a commanding voice.

“And if you can’t be friends, just pretend. Think of her as an enemy if you wish, and you know the thing about *Keeping your enemies closer*, so be it.”, Rathore said and cut the call.

Arjun pondered over what Rathore said and made his mind. He had to get to Sikander anyhow, and if it meant being friends with that annoying girl, he would do it. So he went out of his room after changing into something comfortable and set out to do something unthinkable.

He nervously entered Mrs. Wadekar’s house. It was his first time here. The lady was busy cooking while the girl just chirped round, saying a thing and then laughing at some other. Arjun observed the surroundings. The room smelled of brownie. He stood there for a minute and when neither of the two noticed him, he coughed to gain their attention. Both of them turned around at the visitor. 

Arjun faked a smile. 

Riya eyed him murderously seeing him there while Mrs. Wadekar was too shocked to react.