~Chapter 11~

Lab

The quiet forensic lab was quieter than usual. The 4 living people in the room stood still around their fallen colleague. ACP Pradyuman gave a sigh

"Salunkhe, we need to start the postmortem. We don't have time."

"I never liked her. Now, I will never have the chance to like her"

He sighed and took in a deep breath before starting

"Time: 21:35 hrs, Preliminary Autopsy Log Commenced. Decedent is female, estimated age 34 years, height 5'6". Cause of Death: Gunshot Wound to the Thorax. Initial Findings: A single projectile entry wound is observed in the anterior aspect of the left chest wall. Wound track analysis and Manner of Death classification pending."

Half an hour past before Salunkhe said

"Here... Purvi, you can have the key... This looks like the key to her desk."

"Yes sir, it does. Give it to me let me try it..."

As she walked out of the room still covered in dirt and sweat, Pradyuman looked at Daya.

"Shreya is coming?"

"Yes sir, she should be at the bureau now"

He nodded and turned to Salunkhe

"Salunkhe, things are getting out of control. I think we need to prepare for a getaway. Could you pack as much things as would be necessary for conducting an investigation away from here?"

The doctor nodded and proceeded to do what ACP had asked. 10 minutes later, Pradyuman turned to Daya and started

"Daya..."

"Whatever you need sir..."

He nodded understanding his support. He was just about to explain to him when the lab door opened and in entered ex-DCP Chitrole and Vaibhav. He looked at Zoya lying at the table and said

"Well, well... you killed her..."

"What? What nonsense?"

"Zoya was shot dead in a room where there were 2 bomb squad personnels, ACP Pradyuman, Senior Inspector Abhijeet, Senior Inspector Daya, Inspector Purvi and Forensic specialist Dr. Tarika. All of you are now suspects in a murder investigation. Step away from the body"

Days grunted

"We are already 5 feet away."

ACP gave him a stern look, then turned to Chitrole

"With all due respects sir, you know we didn't shoot her"

"Where is the proof? The apartment cctv footage has a blurred image and nothing else. The headquarters don't want to suspend you but they want you far away from this case. Understood? Vaibhav, you stay with Dr. Salunkhe and check if he is passing information to these people"

"No"

"No?"

Salunkhe looked at him and sneered

"I refuse to work under you"

"Salunkhe, I will take disciplinary action. You can't refuse to work"

"I can. I have a month of paid leave pending. Effective immediately I am on personal time off. You can't talk to me"

Pradyuman caught Salunkhe's eye and raised his eyebrow slightly, he gave a faint nod. Chitrole looked annoyed

"Salunkhe..."

"Sorry sir, I am off duty. Pradyuman? Daya?"

Daya grinned at Chitrole's frustrated face

"We have enough earned leaves too. Goodbye Chitrole sir"

With that the three of them marched out.

****

Bureau:

Purvi walked towards Zoya's desk her steps strangely unsure. Zoya was the one who had always stood against her mentor, criticizing everything they did as a team, she used to take great pleasure in shooting nasty jibes at her. Purvi had chosen to ignore her just as her mentor did but today, she wondered if she had looked a little deeper then perhaps she would have found a girl not unlike herself. She looked around to make sure she was alone. She had shut down the cameras inside the bureau before entering in. Her hands shook as she opened her desk. Inside it, she found an old diary. It looked worn out. She gently opened it and immediately recognized the beloved handwriting

"Raghav?"

She wondered why Raghav's diary was with Zoya. Then she remembered her laboured words

"Sim...mran... Not Zoya..."

Her eyes widened as a memory of her happiest time flashed in front of her eyes

"You know, my Di is so strong. She always stands up for what is right. She used to fight bullies to protect me when I was young. She is the reason I joined military in the first place. Women like you and her are worth risking our lives for."

"Oh really... When are you going to introduce me to this Di of yours?"

"If I could I would have taken you to her right away but Simran Di is out of country on business..."

Purvi looked at his diary again

"Simran Di?"

A gentle breeze blew as she felt a lot of Zoya's jibes now make perfect sense. She would have done the same too, if someone had shot her brother. She knew deep down that whatever the reason was, at the end of the day she was Raghav's killer. As she was processing the newly gained insights, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jumping up, she saw Shreya. As their eyes met, she knew that her best friend understood. Shreya reached out and held her hand tight

"Shall we check together?"

"Yes"

Shreya bagged the diary as Purvi turned to empty the desks contents

"She was his Simran Di..."

She said handing over some files to Shreya

"I know"

Purvi looked at her surprised

"When?"

"Daya called me from the apartment. I talked to some people."

By the look of her face, Purvi knew that it wasn't that simple.

"There's more?"

Shreya nodded

"Mmm... I persume there is. We'll know in sometime. Uh... Purvi... look"

Purvi looked at where Shreya was pointing to. At the end of the drawer, the wood was of a different color. She tapped on it

"It's hollow"

"There should be a way to open it"

Purvi nodded and detached the drawer from the table, she examined it closely

"Ah... here's a pin hole. Do you have?"

Shreya handed over a tiny hairpin.

"Thanks"

She inserted the pin inside the hole and shifted it up and down until it fit, the false bottom slid away and inside it there were two keys. She took it in her hands and was about to say something when footsteps interrupted her. She looked up to see Daya coming in

"Purvi, Shreya... Chitrole is taking up the case... We are leaving to wonderland now... You know what to do"

He had just completed when Chitrole came running behind

"You... you guys need to handover all information if you are going on leave."

Discreetly hiding the key, she looked at Shreya who was sitting firmly on the diary and evidences bagged. Slamming the drawer shut, Purvi walked to Chitrole and said

"Here... this is her necklace key... Keep it... that's the evidence we have now. Now, if you both can go out... my friend here has started her monthly affair and we need some privacy to move out of the bureau... Thank you".

****

Wonderland - Abhijeet's safehouse:

Tarika rushed to her daughter's room as soon as the door opened. Just as she had expected, she saw her daughter sitting on the floor in the shadows hugging a pillow tight. As soon as she entered in, she looked up startled. Seeing Tarika, she rushed towards her and hugged her tight

"I am here, child... come"

She looked at her and signed

"Papa?"

"He is outside with Manisha Di."

"Chachi is here?"

Tarika nodded and made her sit on the bed

"Don't worry... I am here... we are all here..."

"I am scared Mumma..."

"Don't be. Your Papa won't let anything happen to us"

"I know. What if something happens to him?"

Tarika shut her eyes and calmed her raging heart that had been whispering words of fear pretty much similar to her daughter's with every beat

"Shreya, beta, you know what our work is. I can't promise you that we'll be okay but I can promise you that we'll stick together"

"Forever?"

"Forever"

Shreya looked keenly at her and signed

"Does that mean you won't leave me again?"

Tarika breathed in deeply remembering his confession few hours ago

"Never"

"You know Mumma, I know we are in danger but Papa somehow looks much better than the time you weren't here. Mumma, can I ask you something?"

Tarika nodded

"Can you stay with us?"

"Well, we are going to be here until everything is sorted out."

"No no... I mean forever. I want you to stay with us. At our home. Can't you just marry Papa? Then I'll always have you."

Tarika sighed and said

"That's an answer, your Papa needs to hear first... if he asks... But marriage or not... You'll always have me"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

*****

Manisha looked at Tarika's retreating figure and then at Abhijeet

"She loves her"

"I know"

"She loves you too"

"I know"

"Don't waste too much time."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears

"25 years ago... Aryan asked me to marry him just before the final mission."

She sighed and walked towards the couch. He followed her

"I loved him but... I just wanted him home... We argued... He left. That's my last memory with him. A month later... it was all over. I lost him forever."

Her voice choked as she continued

"He never knew how much I loved him. He thought I was asking him to choose between duty and me but I wasn't... I never would... His passion towards his work was something I admired... but that day... I just wanted him to stay... he.."

She whispered painfully

"Now, he will never know"

She sat down, feeling overwhelmed. He sat beside her knowing her wounds were deeper than what she displayed. Her tear streaked face brought back a memory of 3 years back. A memory that had tormented him every single day. She had stood at the door of their home when he had left the house with Freddy. As was his custom he had said as they waved goodbye

"I'll bring him back safe, Bhabhi... don't worry"

As was her habit she had said

"You stay safe too. I'll be waiting for both of you"

Today another memory flashed almost the same as the previous one, only this time he was much younger and so was she. In this memory, he cupped her tear streaked face and said

"I'll bring him back safe, Mannu... don't you worry."

And she had replied

"You stay safe too. I'll be waiting for both of you"

He felt his throat clutch and his lips tremble as he whispered

"I am sorry"

She simply nodded her head and wrapped her hand around his shoulder as he continued in painful gasps

"I have apologized.. a lot of times... over the past 3 years... for... for not keeping my promise... but I never... never apologized for not... not keeping my... promise 25 years ago"

"Just as I have been repeating for the past 3 years... It is not your fault"

"But it is... I am still alive and they aren't..."

She shook her head and breathed in sharply

"There... that's exactly why I hid my identity..."

"Bhabhi..."

"What? You want me to loose you too?"

He clicked his tongue

"What's the point of having a friend who can't even comfort you?"

She cupped his face and looked into his pained eyes

"You being there.. that in itself was a huge comfort for me. You know when I got married to Freddy, it was because my parents forced me to. I wasn't ready at that point and I was sore afraid. I didn't know how I would be able to live. That day, when you came to the reception as his colleague. You smiled at me and said 'Welcome to the CID family'. And that... that gave me the resolve to live. To move forward..."

She sighed a little as the memories flooded her

"The days you cane home, to relish my food, to tease my husband, to discuss politics or cases with him, to play football with him and our neighbors, to bring me famed delicacies everytime you came home from a case outside of Mumbai... I looked forward to it... Do you remember the times you used to take my side when I had disagreements with my husband?"

Abhijeet slightly nodded

"That... is..."

"Yes that... everytime you took my side wether I was right or wrong..."

His lips curved up a little as his eyes softened

"Well... I did it at times to irk Freddy"

"I know... he knew that too... but that was you before you lost your memory too... In your eyes I was always right. I couldn't be wrong at all. You know even with Aryan it was the same. You hardly disagreed on anything. But when it came to me... you chose me always..."

"Did I?"

"Mmm hmmm... and I know you'll still choose me... Won't you?"

"Always"

"Well... there... my best friend is here. You are all I need, Abhijeet, don't you dare say that we are better off without you"

He simply pulled her into a tight hug. When he let her go, his eyes showed her how grateful he was to have her. She smiled softly

"Let's go and see Shreya"

****