~Chapter 13~

Shreya's bedroom:

Tarika sat on the bed recollecting the events that had happened throughout the day. Pradyuman had sent them off to rest an hour ago considering they had a long day ahead. The weight of the uncertainty heavy on her chest, her eyes had refused to shut. Sighing, she walked to the kitchen. She walked towards the counter and fetched a glass but stood still instead of going ahead and pouring herself some water. There were a million things running through her mind... the past, the present, the future. Everything was a whirl right now. All of a sudden, she felt the ground beneath her slip and her head swirl. Bracing herself for the impact, she shut her eyes. Instead of the hard ground, she felt strong hands catch her

"Tarika?"

His concerned voice reached her ears and she opened her eyes. He gently removed the glass from her hand and guided her to a nearby chair. Pouring some water, he handed it to her. She drank it and felt better

"Thank you"

He looked at her pale face and asked softly

"Couldn't sleep?"

She nodded.

"Mmmmm hmmmm... Abhijeet, we... can we... uh... talk?"

"Let's go to the study. Nobody is there."

He gently led her in. As soon as the door shut, he looked at her

"What is it?"

She sighed remembering her mentor's words

"Abhijeet... can I... can I just... for this moment forget about CID, the clues, the strategies, the fact that you're an officer and I am supposed to be the supportive partner... and just... just talk to you..."

"What's bothering you?"

"I don't want to... can't... can't lose you, Abhijeet"

She placed her head on his chest breathing his scent in, wrapped her hands round his waist and whispered

"I just got you."

He rubbed her back and said

"You know I have no choice, right? Whoever it is won't stop just because I stop"

She looked up at him

"Can't I just be selfish and hide you in here?"

He looked into her eyes and nodded in negative

"You know I can't hide... Even if I do, this isn't going to leave me..."

He gently rubbed his nose on top of her head and said

"But... if I had a choice... right now... I'll take it... Just for you... Only for you."

She sighed

"I wish... I know you won't hide... Abhijeet?"

"Hmmm?"

"Promise me I won't lose you."

He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead

"I am very bad at keeping promises."

She lifted her finger to his lips and traced them softly

"You might not have kept some of the promises that you uttered from here..."

She then moved her fingers up and gently caressed his eyes.

"But the promises that your eyes spoke... You kept them all..."

"All?"

"Mmm hmmm... these eyes promised that they belong to me... and they kept their promise even though they couldn't see me..."

"They'll always be yours..."

She nodded

"I hope... I.. just... Abhijeet..."

"Mmmmm?"

He looked at her contemplating and tipped her chin up to make her look at him

"Tarika... what is that you are really afraid of?"

"When all this is over... will you remember me?"

He untangled himself from her and turned away. He couldn't face her. How could he answer something for which he had no answer? She had just questioned him the question he asked himself every moment he saw her. The question which was his deepest fear that had stopped him from giving her what she always wanted. Back then he had forgotten his own mother, his dearest friend he hadn't been able to recognize for 25 long years although she had been right in front of him... how could he answer her now when it looked like history was repeating itself? She saw him walking slowly away from her and rushed towards him. She wrapped her hand around him and hugged him from behind

"Sorry, sorry, sorry... I... uh..."

He turned around immediately and looked at her

"No no... Tarika don't be..."

She looked up at him

"You are angry?"

"Of course not, my girl. I... uh..."

He looked at her tired eyes wide and filled with fear. Her cheeks were slightly pale, there were bags under her eyes due to the lack of sleep. Her face was devoid of makeup. Her hair was tied up in a lose bun, her curls were amiss, few strands of her curls were grazing her forehead. She was wearing an oversized tank top and a mismatched pajama. In his eyes she was the most prettiest woman in the world and right now standing beside him, he felt she looked the most beautiful. Taking in a deep breath, he took her hand in both of his and said

"Tarika, if I somehow survive this with my memory intact. I want you beside me in my life forever. I want you not just as a colleague or a friend or my lover but also as my wife... that is if you would want... uh..."

She didn't let him finish but leaned forward, wrapped her free hand around his neck, pulled him closer and kissed him. She poured her longing, her fear, her love into the kiss. He wrapped his hand around her waist and held her close as the kiss deepened. After what seemed like a very long time, they broke apart for air. She leaned against his forehead and said

"It's all I ever wanted."

He shook his head as he remembered his fear again. He gently pushed her away and looked at her

"If I don't... I don't... remember... you?"

She swallowed the lump that immediately made way to her throat. Looking at his fear filled eyes, she decided she wasn't going to let him go after he had just promised her a life with him. She looked at him, her eyes reflecting a quiet resolve

"Then I'll take you out on a date... by the end of it, I'll get down on one knee and ask you to marry me..."

"If I refuse?"

"I'll take you on another. But I don't think you would be able to refuse me..."

She placed a hand on his chest and said

"I know this heart will always have enough room to love me"

"Always"

He pulled her into a kiss again.

*****

2 PM, Wonderland:

Pradyuman looked at his team each busily working on evidences, contacting peers and testing theories. He received a call from his CI and his eyes widened with shock. In a commanding tone, he ordered his team to come in

"Alright, team. Huddle up. We need to talk"

The team came closer to him.

"I did some digging into AR defenses and it seems that the company was flagged 5 years ago by the military for providing improper weapons. They had cancelled the contract but immediately given back. It seems some big strings were pulled. So we are up against a whole lot of money... and I strongly suspect money launderers"

Purvi came forward with her diary

"Sir I have been going through this diary and it looks like Raghav was trying to protect his Simran Di. He didn't steal the blueprint. See here..."

The team looked to where she was pointing

'Di doesn't know, she wouldn't have had this in her bag. I'll have to pretend it was me. She can't get caught.'

She looked at her fellow team members and said with trembling lips

"So she was right, I did kill an innocent man because I was too emotional"

Daya stopped her

"No you didn't..."

"What?"

"You did shoot him but you didn't kill him, right sir?"

He turned to Pradyuman

"He is right, it was the military. I... uh... I didn't want them to investigate you. So, I let them think it was the team and let you think it was you"

Purvi shut her eyes trying to process what he had just said, she wanted to retort but kept her mouth shut as she knew this was neither the right time or the place. Breathing in, she said in a professional tone

"So Raghav wasn't the one who stole the blueprint. It was Simran..."

Daya stopped her

"I believe from what sir just said about Aryan's father's company, Simran must have been under the orders of the company"

Shreya took the keys she had received

"Sir... I know what these two are. This one is from one of the lockers at 'Keep it Safe' locker shop outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and this one seems to be a locker key from 'Axle' bank branch which is opposite of 'Good Will' children's home where Simran grew up... The contents, of course are unknown"

Dr. Salunkhe opened a report he had received from Pankaj and showed it to the team

"I had given her shoe for analysis and it seems the report came back. There were particles of bomb making chemical in the shoe. She ought to have been somewhere they made bombs"

Pradyuman shut his eyes correlating everything that was just revealed to him and formulated a plan. He looked around his team waiting for his command and nodded

"The course of action is clear. We need to find what was in the lockers. Daya, Purvi, Tarika, I want you guys to go to the 'Axle' bank locker. I'll go with Salunkhe, Abhijeet and Shreya to 'Keep it Safe' locker. Report back here at... uh... 6. Oh... and don't let yourself be see too much. Keep it discreet."

The team nodded and left.

****

6.15 PM Wonderland:

ACP, Abhijeet, Shreya and Salunkhe arrived at Wonderland. As soon as they entered Abhijeet's daughter Shreya ran to him

"Papa"

He hugged her tight and looked at her and signed

"I am ok, beta... Nothing to worry..."

She nodded and then signed

"Mumma..."

Abhijeet looked up at Manisha who shook her head. He turned to ACP.

"Sir? They haven't reached yet. Any calls from Daya on the burner"

Pradyuman shook his head

"No Abhijeet... let's wait. I am sure they'll be back. Let's examine the contents while we wait. Come"

Although he wanted to go out and search for them, he obeyed and turning to his daughter, he signed

"Mumma will be back ok? Can you go to your room for sometime? We need to check the evidence"

Shreya nodded and left to her room. Manisha followed Abhijeet to the team meeting. Salunkhe opened the rucksack and the laptop they had found in the locker. ACP looked at the laptop and said

"Purvi can take a look at the laptop. Let's check the bag"

Salunkhe nodded and opened the rucksack, there were some clothes, toiletries, some files and a photo album. The photo album had photos of Purvi, Raghav, Simran and some of Raghav's friends. Pradyuman shook his head

"Nothing important, the files?"

Abhijeet opened the files and his eyes widened in shock. It was the accounts file of AR defenses 5 years ago.

"Sir look... look from where the money is coming from"

Pradyuman nodded recognizing the names at once.

"Yes they are laundering their money by saying they are paying for defense weapons. Look here, the money goes right back to them in the form of stocks"

Shreya pulled another file which were a bunch of numbers too.

"Sir, look here..."

And there it was in black and white the name of their ex-DCP. Pradyuman sighed

"I knew there ought to be something like this... He.."

Suddenly the sound of the lift opening made them turn around. They saw an injured Daya holding a bleeding Purvi walk slowly in. Abhijeet rushed to help his heart beating wildly as his quick eyes had noticed her absence. Daya looked at him and said in a pained voice

"Aryan is alive. He has Tarika"

****