T H E M E 1 - S T O R Y 1
THE CASE OF THE THREE-WAY TARGET
Chapter 1
10:39 PM.
Most of the staff would surely be at dinner by now. Even if spotted, all he had to do was to come up with a convincing excuse, such as having forgotten his papers back in the laboratory. He wondered who could possibly have remained behind, for any purpose. Walid? Prabhakar? No... it was extremely unlikely at this point. Nobody waited back this late without solid reason, and he'd already made confirmations. And the CCTV cameras had already been disabled. He was stricken with guilt, thinking this way about his own colleagues. But the circumstances made it that way, he forced himself to remember. They forced me into doing this. I have a life, family and feelings too... they're not the only ones!
The sleepy security guard was facing the other side when he easily slipped past the entrance and entered the corridor opposite the lobby. The lights were dim and place was vacated; his faint footsteps echoed like gunshots in his ears as he tiptoed across the corridor, heart hammering. Just the effect of adrenaline, he reminded himself. He snuck past each of the rooms so familiar to him. The pathology lab where a lone assistant was sleeping by the front row of microscopes. The department of nuclear medicine with a shelf of dosimeters, complete with twin Gieger-Muller counters visible from the steel-rimmed window. The department of biophysics with the all-too-familiar FTIR spectroscopes lying dormant. He could hear faint voices coming from the dinner hall.
"...sach mein, lagta hai humara department itihaas ke panno mein mashur hone waala..."
"...phase III trials using plasmid vectors were extraordinarily successful..."
"...protein receptors in the T-cells showing immunity towards retroviral DNA..."
His pulse was racing as he finally reached the door to his own department.
"Tumhe pata hai na tumhe kya karna hai?"
That man's voice seemed to ring in his head again. Brushing sweat off his forehead, he raised his left hand - which still felt peculiarly stretched - and pushed gently on the digital touchpad. The screen blinked to life; flashing green words read "Authorized: Dr. Sharad Walunzkar". The steel door opened with a low click.
Only a week before, this laboratory was his home. He had put three years of heart and soul into this work already, working selflessly for a noble cause, with a noble intention in mind. Now what he was going to do, repulsed him from his own self. His conscience was screaming at him. But it was eclipsed by the flash of rage as the pallid face of Dr. Nityanand simmered in front of his eyes. And even that was eclipsed by a singular, stabbing image that swam up to his retinas like a ghost from a foggy moor. The image of a young boy, no more than twelve, lying prone on a bed covered in wires leading to beeping machines, a battered copy of the Bhagavad Gita held up weakly in his thin hands. His fists balled as he pushed open the door.
He didn't even bother to turn on the lights. Walking straight past the tables lit only by the dim ultraviolet rays by the apparatus, he approached the large freezer flanked by two large liquid nitrogen tanks and punched a code on the console. There was a loud beep that made him jump in alarm. Fortunately, nobody seemed to hear. Frosted smoke billowed out. What he wanted was right in front of him, on the top shelf. Pulling on a new set of gloves, he reached up and pulled down the sealed glass jar, which at first glance appeared completely empty. Reaching into his shoulder bag, he extracted another jar, identical to the one just retrieved. Once again ignoring the tiny screaming voice in his mind, he got down to do what he had to.
Chapter 2
"...accha? OK... ok sir."
Sachin looked up from the table as Daya's voice echoed from the corridor beyond the door. He subconsciously felt a faint smile curl his lips. Finally, something to break the monotony of the past three hours. The pile of files he was supposed to be sorting had only gone down by half. It normally wasn't a big deal; having light discussions with his beloved teammates was more than enough to make even the most boring paperwork a breeze to get through. He looked up again, at the table from where Abhijeet used to talk to him. The computers from where Freddy and Purvi used to smile at him. The now vacant ACP's cabin which he used to watch out of the corners of his eye. He felt almost a bit childish. It was only two days since they left, yet he was missing them all badly.
"...kar doonga sir. OK, sir. Take care" finished Daya as he pushed open the door and walked in, pushing buttons on his phone. "Kya bhai Sachin, aur kitne saal lagenge ye sab poora karne mein?" he quizzed without looking up.
Sachin chuckled. "Arre nahi, sir. Kaafi kuch toh ho gaya. Bas ye Vicky ka file kahin misplace ho gaya tha, abhi mila."
"Good, good", said Daya, smiling at him as he pocketed his phone. "Yahan akele akele bore nahi ho rahe ho?"
Sachin paused, and looked back down at his files. "Ho toh raha tha, sir. Sab rehte hain toh kaam mein bhi zyada mann lagta hai."
"Woh toh hai hi. Aakhir hum sab ek parivaar ki tarah hain. Ek bhi na ho toh unki kami mehsoos hoti hai."
Sachin nodded. Two days back, as they all were absorbed in their work, the ACP received an urgent call from DCP Chitrole that an escaped convict the Mumbai CID had once apprehended had become active in Lucknow, and the local law enforcement had enlisted their help to recapture him before it was too late. The entire team including Dr. Salunkhe proceeded to leave at once, after informing Daya and Sachin - who couldn't accompany them due to two separate cases they were working on. Now that work was finally over, Sachin had been sitting alone in the bureau, finishing the piles of paperwork he had been procrastinating over since months.
"Sab kaise hain, sir? Case kaisa chal raha hai?"
"Sab theek hain Sachin, chinta mat karna", replied Daya. "Kahan tak bhagega woh David humse. Ek baar pakda tha, phir pakdenge. ACP sir se hi baat kar raha tha abhi."
"Hope so, sir. Jaldi se case solve ho jaaye aur sab waapas aa jaayein. Kaash hum bhi hote unke saath."
"Haan Sachin, par idhar bhi toh kaam dekhna hai na kisi ko. Soch rahe the yahan case khatam hone ke baad nikalne ko, par Chitrole sahab ne rok liya."
Sachin was quiet. As much as he disliked the DCP's orders, he couldn't deny they were justified.
"Vaise yahan kuch treadmill vagerah ka intzaam toh karna padega", said Daya with a mischievous smile. "Apne log jaake Lucknow ki biryani pe toot pade honge. Sab ke extra calories ki khabar lenge ACP sir."
Both of them shared a hearty laugh together. It felt like ages since they had a light moment in the bureau, having been so occupied with work day and night. Sachin pushed the stack of files slightly away from himself as he stretched back on the chair. Daya pulled up a chair beside him.
"Ab aaj kya karein, thoda -"
"Sochein? No thanks, Daya. Ye koi aaram karne ka waqt nahi hai", interrupted a cold voice from the door.
Almost instinctively, they sprang to their feet to see the prominent figure of DCP Chitrole walking in through the door, his expression rather more terse than usual. The LED light of his phone was still on as he strode in front of them.
"Good morning, sir", chanted Daya and Sachin together. Chitrole didn't return the wish.
"Maze kar rahe the bureau mein akele baithe?" he demanded, eyes narrowing as he looked them up and down.
"No... no, sir!" said Daya quickly. "Yahan kuch zaruri paperwork bacha tha, main Sachin ki madad kar raha tha. Hai na, Sachin?"
"Haan, sir", said Sachin quickly. "Woh cotton mill murders ka record tha -"
"Theek, theek", interrupted the DCP impatiently. "Main yahan ye batane aaya hoon ki tum dono ka idhar rehna accha hi hua. Ek naya case aaya hai apne paas."
"Oh..." Daya and Sachin looked at each other. They knew it had to be a seriously twisted case if it was important enough for Chitrole to approach them personally for it. "Kaisa case, sir?"
"Mujhe nahi lagta yahan batana theek hoga", answered the other. "Gaadi nikaalo, Daya. Humein seedhe Erebor Road ki taraf chalna hoga. Raaste mein sab bataunga."
*****
"...aur uska kehna hai woh nirdosh hai?" asked Sachin.
"Sab gunehgaar yehi kehte hain", replied the DCP coldly. "Ye baat bhi hai ki Dr. Walunzkar ki reputation zyada acchi nahi hai. Pehle bhi department mein kuch gadbad karne ka ilzaam laga tha uspar. Par iss baar institute mein koi bhi nahi hai jisne usko wahan par dekha ho."
"Aur ye jo chori hua... woh kya hai, sir?" asked Daya.
"Details mujhe bhi nahi pata, par kisi tarah ka biochemical agent hai" , said the DCP.
Daya and Sachin had to suppress a groan. Biological weapons were among the worst possible adversaries, and they had faced enough of them already. Without Dr. Salunkhe by their side, however, they felt helpless to face it now.
"Aise toh bahut cases humne dekhe, sir. Ye bhi solve kar denge", said Daya.
"Ah, par aapki colleague ka kehna hai ki ye case kuch zyada hi sensitive hai. Jo bhi karna hai, jaldi karna hai", said Chitrole drily.
"Collague? Kaun, sir?" asked Sachin.
A small smile flicked on the DCP's countenance. "Abhi hum usse hi milne jaa rahe hain. Daya toh zarur pehchaanta hoga. Ab phirse milke kaisa lagega, ye toh mujhe nahi pata."
Sachin glanced at Daya, who was now looking extremely surprised and rather uncomfortable. Who knew what lay ahead now. What had started as a normal and boring day was turning into some sort of unexpected adventure... them facing a possible unseen danger and meeting up with some former apparently formidable colleague. Though neither had any idea who.
Chapter 3
The silence was chilling. Though the temperature was reaching forty degrees outside, he felt an icy chill running through his veins with every step. What if it didn't work? Though he knew he wasn't in danger as such, he surely didn't want to get into this man's bad books. He could feel the collective feel of some twenty eyes on his back. Steadying his hands, he tilted the frosted metal container in his hands. A glass window passed from view; on first glance, the container looked empty. He knew well otherwise. This is a carrier of emptiness indeed. Emptiness that will be unleashed onto the world, should this thing fall in the wrong hands.
Once again, his conscience stabbed at his soul. He ignored it. This is a tool of medical interest, not a weapon. It's not going anywhere. It's exchanging hands between two men of science. After what they did to me, they deserve it.
The light from the console at the base of the contained blinked bright green on his fingers, as he pushed a pin into the socket to the side, and connected it to the wall. There was a piercing beep of a sound, and nothing happened. The tiny beeping continued as always. There were groans all around. He glanced nervously at the boss, whose narrow eyes were fixed on the flashing message on the console: "ERROR: Incompatible device".
"Ye bhi nahi hai..."
"Lagta toh nahi, Dr. Carlos", he answered quietly, setting the metal carefully back on the table. "Ho sakta hai Dr. Prabhakar kuch aur install kiya ho. Maine toh confirm kiya tha ki -"
"Never mind", interjected the man called Carlos calmly. "Aapne poori koshish ki. Aage kya karna hai, sochte hain. Par jab tak humara procedure complete nahi ho jaata, humari deal poori nahi maani jaayegi. Uske baad hi aapko paise mil paayenge."
He felt a sinking feeling in his heart as he nodded, his eyes straying back to that blinking container. An innocent life depended on it opening now.
*****
The gilded gates opened wide as the CID Scorpio drove out of the desolation of the Erebor Road, into the premises. A vast building with the words "Central Institute of Science and Research" rose up in front of them. Daya and Sachin looked on - the centre was famous in itself for dedicated humanitarian research within. It wasn't a place where weapons of any sort were developed. The place was famous for developing resources of biogas, biodegradable plastics, GM crops, vaccines and the like. Moreover, it was in news for being short of government funding as of late.
"Aap hi ke bulawe par aaye hain", said the DCP to the guard at the gate, flashing his badge briefly.
The guard nodded and turned back to operate the console at his booth; the gate bleeped and slid apart. The car moved across the polished premises into the parking lot where two men in plain dress greeted them.
"Kuch pata chala?" asked the DCP.
"Nahi, sir", answered one of them. "Dr. Saab abhi bhi dekh rahi hain."
"Aur Dr. Walunzkar?"
"Custody mein hain. Poochtach hi chal rahi hai."
The DCP nodded, and motioned Daya and Sachin to follow him. Silently, they moved though the premises into a large corridor, smelling strongly of ethanol and marked by several labels over the doors. Daya glanced at some of them - "Department of Robotics", "Department of Lithography", "Department of Biophysics", and "Department of Ornithology". Each of them leading to a lab with different kinds of equipment or specimens inside. The magnitude of research was stunning.
"Ye raha sir, department of pathology", said the attendant, pointing them towards the end of the corridor. They walked into another corridor to see several men in white coats, talking to a lady whose back was turned to them. As they entered, the lady turned, her long curtain of dark brown hair flashing in the light, as she faced them. The team stopped, and Daya blinked at her.
"Dr. Niyati?!"
"Daya?" said the other, as she smiled. "Well, what a pleasant surprise! Maine toh socha tha ye case CID tak nahi jaana tha."
"Dr. Altaf sahab ne mujhe phone kiya, kyunki unko laga maamla serious hai", replied the DCP, rather coldly.
"Understandable", said Niyati. "Serious se bhi badhkar hai. Vaise, ACP sir yahan nazar nahi aa rahe?"
Nobody missed the peculiar amalgamation of coldness and amusement in her voice. The DCP cleared his throat.
"Daya aur Inspector Sachin (who shook hands with Niyati) ko chhodkar poori team kaam se Lucknow gayi hui hai. Isliye toh mujhe unn dono ko bhi bulana pada."
"Kaun dono, sir?" asked Daya and Sachin at once.
"Aapne toh inko kuch bataya hi nahi, sir" said Niyati with a wry smile.
"Time hi kahan tha" said the DCP rather brusquely. "Khair woh abhi aate hi honge, mil lenge. Progress kya hua?"
"Kuch pata toh nahi chal raha", answered Niyati. "Par Dr. Altaf aapse baat karna chahte hain. If I may... Daya, Sachin - aap log mere saath aaiye. Aapko situation ke baare mein update karti hoon.
*****
They walked through the facility for about fifteen minutes. Dr. Niyati explained that she had been called in on an emergency in the morning, being familiar with the institute's director Altaf. There had been a shocking discovery in the department of pathology that morning. A sample of genetically engineered pathogenic specimen, part of one of the biggest research projects undertaken by the institute, was found to be missing, and the CCTV unit of the entire premises disabled. Since the lab was under heavy security, the place could only be visited by employees using a registered ID, and the door's console computers showed that the hand fingerprints used belonged to Dr. Sharad Walunzkar. Moreover, the fingerprints found over the CCTV control and cryopreservation unit were his.
"Par unka toh yehi kehna hai ki woh bekasur hain", said Sachin, remembering what the DCP had said.
"Haan. Poochtaach abhi chal rahi hai, dekhte hain woh aur kya kehte hain", said Dr. Niyati.
"Par agar who bekasur hain, toh unke fingerprints wahan kaise aaye honge?" said Daya. "Aur aakhir ye sample tha kis cheez ka?"
"Virus ka sample tha, Daya", answered Dr. Niyati, her voice darkening. "Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV ka sample."
"HIV virus?" repeated Sachin. "Ye kisi alag variety ka virus tha?"
"Variety toh virus ki alag nahi thi, Sachin. Par haan... prakriti ne usse jo banaya, insaan toh genetic engineering se badal hi deta hai na. Yahan bhi kuch aisa hi hua", replied Dr. Niyati.
She explained briefly that the project in question was to develop an effective cure for AIDS - an elusive dream being pursued by researchers across the world. It was extremely hard, for the genetic material of the HIV virus was a single-stranded RNA, which is highly susceptible to mutation and usually changed as soon as the virus moved from one host to another. Thus, there was no specific target for them to identify and attack. Every patient needed a new kind of vaccine - an impossible task. In order to identify common factors in the genome that could be used as target sites for drugs, the researchers at the institute had isolated the virus and tried to examine it during various stages of entry and exit into cells. Since the virus could normally only be transmitted through infected body fluids and they needed much faster results for laboratory observation, they had modified it to be able to cross a wide range of cellular barriers.
"Ye jo virus ka sample hai, woh pulmonary alveoli ko bhi cross kar sakta hai", said Dr. Niyati heavily.
"Pulmonary... matlab, lungs?" asked Daya in alarm.
"Haan Daya", she replied. "Ye specimen aisa hai ki isko sirf inhale karne se hi insaan ko AIDS ho sakta hai."
"Aisa kharatnaak sample aakhir banaya hi kyun gaya?" asked Sachin desperately.
"Research ke liye risks lene padte hain, sir", said a voice. They turned to see an elderly man walking in accompanied by DCP Chitrole, who introduced him as director Dr. Altaf. "Plan ye tha ki research poori hone ke baad specimen ko destroy kar diya jaayega. Sab kuch controlled laboratory environment mein kiya ja raha tha." He explained that the virus was even stored in crystallized form in a special cryo unit and a digital canister under high pressure, to deactivate its enzymes and prevent any accidental leakage.
"Par agar aisa hai toh yahan aur security kyun nahi hai?" asked Daya. "Retina scan, ya kuch? Itna khatarnaak virus tha aapke paas!"
"Ye koi weapon nahi hai, sir", said Dr. Altaf. "Sirf ek research ka tool hai. Humne yahan security lagayi kyunki humari field mein aise chor hain jo samples churake, reverse-engineer karke khud ke products banakar patent kar lete hain. Aur saara faayda unko ho jaata hai."
"Ye bhale hi weapon na ho, par galat haathon mein padne pe weapon ki tarah istemaal zarur kiya jaa sakta hai", said Sachin darkly.
"Ye toh kuch nahi hai, Sachin. Dr. Altaf, asli baat bataiye na sabko?" said the DCP.
Dr. Altaf blanched, and beads of sweat materialized on his forehead. Then, quietly, he revealed the truth. Shock was seen on every single face in presence.
*****
"Move it, move it!" screamed Carlos. "Pata nahi ye log kahan se aa gaye!"
The van swerved wildly. Bullets were ringing out from the car behind. Miraculously, they hadn't been hit so far. He turned to his men, and the man next to him.
"Jo bhi ho, isko kuch nahi hona chahiye. Aage ka main dekh loonga. Kisi bhi tarah inn logon se peecha chhudao, aur niklo idhar se."
Chapter 4
"Sirf 24 hours?" asked Daya in shock.
"Haan, sir", replied Altaf quietly. "Battery ka backup usse zyada chal nahi sakta." He had revealed that in order to maintain effectively high pressure inside the canister, they had installed a battery-powered device that was powered from within the cryopreservation unit. It was designed to be opened by gradually decreasing the pressure via a pump. If it ran out of charge, the pressure would be explosively released and the canister would burst apart, releasing the virus particles from within.
"Battery ko dobara charge nahi kiya ja sakta?" asked Sachin.
"Kiya jaa sakta hai sir, par sirf humari Institute mein", said the scientist. "Humari batteries ek eco-friendly alloy se bani hain jiska charger sirf Institute mein hain."
"Matlab agar hum 24 hours ke andar uss canister ko wapas nahi laa sake, toh pata nahi kya ho jaayega", said Daya heatedly. "Ye jaante hue ki ye specimen kitna khatarnaak hai, aap logon ne uski security aur tight kyun nahi ki? Nahi socha ki agar woh bahar nikal gaya toh kya hoga?"
Altaf and the accompanying group of scientists hung their heads in shame and began explaining how they never expected anybody to know about the project, much less use it as a potential weapon. Before they could speak more, the doors to the side opened and two people walked in. Daya and Sachin turned to see them; for a moment, both parties looked at each other. And then, smiles lit every face.
"Daya sir, Sachin sir!" said the two.
"Vivek, Kajal!" said Daya and Sachin in unision.
They moved forward to greet each other. Even in light of the darkness that lay ahead of them, the uncertainty of their mission and daunting task they were now facing, the joy of reuniting with familiar faces wasn't lost. It was a ray of sunshine in a dark cave, a silver lining in the thunderclouds.
"Bahut accha laga aapse itne dino baad milkar, sir", said Kajal.
"Haan, sir", added Vivek. "Main koshish kar raha hoon phir se Mumbai transfer karwane ko. Bahut miss karte hain hum aap sabko."
"Aur hum tumhe", smiled Daya. "Khair, kya chal raha hai yahan? Kuch progress hua?"
Vivek and Kajal turned serious at once. They explained how the DCP had summoned them on short notice to assist Daya and Sachin in the case. Dr. Walunzkar had been insisting his innocence and saying that he had not even visited the institute the night the theft took place, and was instead meeting some friend in Andheri.
"Humne confirm bhi kiya, sir", said Kajal. "Halanki koi eyewitness nahi hai, kuch logon ne Dr. Walunzkar ko kareeb 10:30 PM ko Andheri mein dekha tha. Aur chori kareeb 10:50 ko hui thi, freezer ke graph ko dekhte hue."
"Andheri se Institute aane mein kareeb ek ghanta lagta hai, sir", said Vivek. "Isliye lagta hai woh sach keh rahe hain."
"Par lab ka darwaza toh Dr. Walunzkar ke fingerprints se khola gaya tha na?" asked Sachin.
"Unka kehna hai kisi ne unke fingerprints churakar unka istemaal kiya", said Dr. Niyati, from the back.
Daya and Sachin looked at each other. Although rare, they had indeed seen cases of fingerprints being cunningly collected on wax and used for nefarious purposes henceforth. One such victim was none other than Dr. Salunkhe, long ago. A case of clinching evidence it truly was.
"Aap sab sehmat hain iss baat se?" asked Daya to the group of scientists gathered, the group involved in the HIV project.
All of them nodded slowly. Dr. Altaf said, "Bilkul, sir. Maana Dr. Walunzkar ka Institute se jhagra chal raha tha ek patent ko lekar... par humein nahi lagta woh humko itna bada dhoka de sakte hain. Woh toh 8 saalon se Institute mein hi kaam kar rahe hain."
Chitrole's phone rang, and he excused himself. Daya and Sachin went aside, and the latter looked grimly at his senior. "Sir, jo bhi ho, ye kisi andar waale ka hi kaam hai, kyunki bahar toh kisi ko project ke baare mein pata nahi tha."
"Woh toh hai, Sachin. Par jo bhi hai, aise hi nahi batane waala", said Daya darkly. "Chalo ek baar hum bhi Dr. Walunzkar se mil lein. Phir dekhte hain kya karna hai."
*****
"Khabar pakki hai?" barked the sharp voice on phone.
"Bilkul pakki hai, sir", replied the constable, pushing the box with his shoe. Stacks of red cylindrical material poked out from within. "Yahan workers ne bhi confirm kar liya. Kuch bhi churaya nahi gaya ismein se."
"Toh phir woh log isko lekar bhaage kyun the?"
"Yehi toh samajh nahi aa raha, sir. Isliye socha Inspector sahab ko bata dein... unhone aapko bataya."
"Accha kiya", answered Chitrole's voice. "Aur jo tumne dekha, woh pakka hai?"
"Haan sir... pakka toh nahi pata, par symbol kuch vaisa hi lag raha tha. CISR ka."
"Theek hai. Wahan nazar rakho aur logon se poochtaach karo. Keep me updated. Good work."
A beep, and the line went dead. As usual, not a word more than required.
*****
2:12 PM.
Daya and Sachin walked back into the guest room. Vivek and Kajal were still with Dr. Walunzkar, helping him recall details of that night. The doctor had, once again, insisted and repeated that he had no idea about the theft and who was involved in it. He was working with enzyme modification in the virus project but had no idea about the storage details of the stolen specimen. Although he had access to the lab, he had never visited it that late at night. Daya had asked Vivek and Kajal to find out from where the culprit could have taken his fingerprints from. Over fourteen hours had elapsed since the canister was stolen: they had at most half a day left. And they were at ground zero with no leads at all. The countdown had begun...
"Jabse ye specimen churaya gaya, aapmein se koi campus ke bahar toh nahi gaya?" demanded Daya.
"Nahi sir. Humne sabko detain karke rakha", said Dr. Altaf.
"Vivek bahar ke garage se CCTV footage laya hai, sir", said Sachin, holding out a large square tape. It was the only one which had not been disabled, having been operated from a separate server that day.
"Abhi dekhkar pata chal jaayega ki premises mein kaun aaya aur kaun gaya", said Daya grimly.
The process took almost half an hour. Although it meant investing precious time, they wanted to make no mistake in identifying the culprit. They observed every person who had entered or left the premises that day. Employees, visitors, workers... until the point of the robbery. There was nobody suspicious to be noted. They were almost worried about wasting time when, at 11:01 PM, a man walked out. He was in rags, his head covered by a cloth and carrying a large sack.
"Ye jo dhobi hai, isko jaante hain aap log?" asked Sachin.
"Nahi sir" said one of the scientists. "Ye log residents ke hostel se kapde lene aate hain aur kabhi kabhi woh naye logon ko bhi bhejta hai. Unke paas labs ka access nahi hota, so hum log dhyaan nahi dete."
"Itni raat ko bhi aata hai?" asked Daya in surprise.
"Haan, kabhi kabhi students bula lete hain", said another man.
But this was clearly no ordinary dhobi. They rewound the tape to observe him - the man lurked in the shadows for at least five minutes, watching the guard by the door. Then he threw a small stone by the table, and the guard gave no response; indicating he was asleep. Quiet as a ghost, the man slithered out through the shadows of the trees, coming into view only as he made his way to the gates, and moved off-screen.
"Yehi aadmi gadbad hai, sir", said Sachin. "Dekhiye kaise chhup-chhup kar bahar nikla."
"Close up karo Sachin, isko paas se dekhna padega", said Daya grimly.
They zoomed into his image. The image was dark and blurred, but after several attempts they saw a flash of metal reflecting off the man's hand.
"Sir, aisi ring toh Dr. Gupta ke paas hai. Biochemistry department mein kaam karte hain", said one of the scientists.
"Aapko pakka yakeen hai?" asked Sachin.
"Haan sir, main pehchanta hoon usko", said Dr. Altaf, observing it closely. "Ya toh Dr. Mohan ki ring iss aadmi ko mil gayi, ya ye wohi hai."
"Woh bhi kaam kar rahe the iss project mein?" asked Daya.
"Kuch khaas nahi sir. Sirf ek receptor complex pe kaam kiya tha shuru mein", said another scientist.
"Woh iss waqt hain yahan? Bulaiye unhe."
They searched the institute, but failed to find him. The sleeping guard was reprimanded for his carelessness; he agreed that Dr. Mohan had entered the campus earlier the previous day and there was also an exit entry at 7:30 PM, though no eyewitnesses saw him leaving. Since the entry was made on computer, there was no proof that it was genuine.
"Gadbad yahin hai, Sachin. Ye koi coincidence nahi hai ki Dr. Mohan gayab hai, uska ring CCTV mein dikh raha hai aur uski exit entry bhi galat hai. Milna padega."
"Aap humein please Dr. Mohan ka address dijiye", said Sachin.
Instructing Vivek and Kajal to inspect the rest of the scientists, and Dr. Niyati to work on a potential way to stop the virus' effects in case of the worst possible scenario, they left.
Chapter 5
"Ye kya kar diya tum logon ne?" barked Carlos. "Agar mujhe aadmiyon ki zarurat na hoti, pata hai kya karta tumhaare saath?"
"Sorry, boss", said one of the two thuggish-looking men who stood with their heads hung low. "Box toh lena tha aur ussi waqt wahan patrolling ho gayi. Jaldi aage na badhte toh box bhi uthwa liya jaata."
Carlos snarled. "Baat toh wohi hui ki unko shaq ho gaya. Ab kuch bhi karke police ko dur rakho humse. Kaam hone tak aur koi gadbad nahi honi chahiye. Aur Edwin se kaho jo kaha gaya hai, jaldi kare."
The men nodded and left silently. The deserted laboratory fell silent, save for the faint tinkling noise from the corner. A disheveled man in a labcoat working relentlessly on the metal container, a number of used plugs lying on the table beside.
"Dr. Mohan, kya progress hai?" asked Carlos, walking forward. There was a tinge of impatience in his voice now.
"Samajh nahi aa raha, sir", said Mohan, not looking up. He was sweating worse than ever, and his hands were shaking slightly. "Ye device koi bhi charger accept hi nahi kar raha. Iska pressure low karne ke liye battery ko recharge karna hai, aur..."
"Woh toh mujhe bhi pata hai", said Carlos coldly. They had already discussed how it was safest to transfer the specimen to a different container before taking it out of the city, both to bypass any potential security checks and ensure personal safety in case of accidents. But it was impossible to open the container without bringing the battery to full charge and lowering the pressure gradually, in stimulated laboratory conditions. So far, the device accepted no charger of any sort.
"Main poori koshish kar raha hoon, sir", said Mohan desparately, working on. His fear was growing every second... fear that the device was no ordinary chargeable one after all. It could only be charged where it was made - at the CISR premises, in the cryo unit. But how could they go back to it now? And he was in no state to say anything to Carlos, the millionaire head of a prestigious private biotechnology firm.
But if I perish in course of this, what will happen to them? My family? Once again the image of a small boy lying prone on white sheets flashed in his mind's eye... while his physical eyes strained with tears that never came out owing to his pulsating terror in heart.
*****
3:30 PM.
"Ab kaisi hai uski haalat, doctor sahab?" asked Daya in concern.
"Vaisi hi, sir. Aur bigadti hi jaa rahi hai. Transplant hone tak kuch kaha nahi jaa sakta", said the doctor sadly. "Aap khud dekh lijiye."
They walked forward towards the intensive care ward. Having reached Mohan's house, they found it locked and the neighbours explained the family was now at the City Hospital since weeks, their son being critically ill with advanced leukemia. He was in dire need of a bone marrow transplant, and they had hardly enough money for it. Having made their way to the hospital, they met the doctor and updated about the proceedings. Although Mohan was absent, they met his wife outside the unit. She was drawn and haggard, the skin under her eyes dark and lips dry, looking as though she had not seen the light of day for ages. When Sachin explained who they were, she looked up with what seemed like defeated acceptance.
"Mujhe pata tha woh kuch gadbad kar raha hai", she said. "Mohan. Kai dino se mujhe bataye bina bahar jaa raha tha, chhup ke phone pe baatein karta tha. Achanak bola ki transplant ke paison ka intzaam ho gaya hai... maine pucha kaise toh kuch bola hi nahi."
"Aapka beta Kshitij... hum mil sakte hain usse?" asked Daya.
"Yes, sir", said she tonelessly.
She led them into the room where a young boy of no more than twelve was lying on the bed, covered in white sheets and a drip tube attached to his forearm. His hair was all but gone, a grim visible indicator of the painful chemotherapy he had underwent. He had no energy to sit upright, and had to be propped up with pillows to read the copy of the Bhagavad Gita now held tightly in his little hands. Daya and Sachin looked at each other in surprise and wonder. They sat beside him, and Daya gently put his hand over the child's forehead.
"Kshitij, beta? Aap kaise hain?" he asked softly.
Kshitij blinked, and looked at him slowly. A small smile curved his little lips. "Senior Inspector Daya, Inspector Sachin... from CID? Hello, sir. I have heard a lot about you all. I'm honoured to meet you."
The two cops smiled despite themselves. He had the quick, brisk accent of English you would commonly expect to hear from a debate topper. It was adorable.
"We are honoured to meet you", said Sachin, smiling as he patted his cheek, his heart aching with sadness at the boy's plight. "Aapko Bhagavad Gita pasand hai?"
Kshitij glanced at the book. "I heard this is the world's first book on psychology. Krishna was the first psychologist. I read it to understand more about the Arjuna and Krishna within us all."
There was a stunned silence for a while. Then Mrs. Mohan said from behind them, "Ye shuru se hi aisa hai. Doosron se alag. Aap sochiye, iss umar mein Gita padhna..."
"Doosron se alag hona bura nahi hota, ma'am", said Daya quietly, looking at Kshitij. "Garv hota hai aise bacchon ko dekhkar."
"Woh dukhi hai kyunki ek nayi movie dekhne ko nahi mil rahi", said his mother, her voice cracking.
"Kaunsi movie, beta?" asked Daya.
"The Theory of Everything", said Kshitij at once. "It's based on the life of Dr. Stephen Hawking, my idol! He keeps me going everyday. I look up to him, I am inspired by him. I ask myself... when he can achieve so much, even when nature was so brutal to him, why can't I do the same? I think that and keep hopes of getting well."
It was amazing to see him talking like that. Sachin asked, "But, do you know Dr. Hawking is an atheist? If you consider him an idol, how come you are reading the Gita?"
"The world would be a boring place if we agreed on everything, sir", smiled Kshitij. "And I believe science and religion are not enemies... both are too young to understand each other at times."
They wished they would never leave the company of such a charming child. And yet, time was running out. Daya and Sachin stroked him lovingly again, and after reassuring him, exited the unit with his mother and doctor.
"Hum aapse waada karte hain Mrs. Mohan, kuch bhi karke Kshitij ka bone marrow transplant karwake rahenge", said Daya firmly. "Par pehle humein Mohan ko dhoondna hoga, kisi bhi tarah. Aapko humari madad karni hogi."
They had hardly started talking to her when Daya received a call from Vivek, informing that none of the other scientists could possibly have been involved in the theft. Their alibi had been verified - they were either in the dining hall, overhead conference or dormitory when the thief had made his move. Daya immediately instructed him to visit Mohan's house with Kajal and search for any vital clues.
"Ma'am, aap bhi please humare officers ke saath co-operate kijiyega. Mohan ne agar ghar pe kisi tarah ka suraag chhoda ho toh humein uss tak pahuchne mein madad mil sakti hai", said Sachin.
Daya's phone rang once again, and this time it was DCP Chitrole. They were almost wondering where he was. Speak of the devil. Going aside, he turned on the speaker so Sachin could hear. "Daya, mujhe lagta hai tumhe issi waqt Santa Cruz mein MG road pe aana chahiye."
"Santa Cruz?" repeated Daya. "Par sir, yahan hum CISR robbery case pe kaam kar rahe hain..."
"Baat usse judi na hoti toh main bulata tumhe?" came the retort. "Yahan ek construction site pe dynamite ka box chori hua tha, aur dhoondne pe woh kuch hi dur par pada mila. Workers ne ek van ko udhar se guzarte dekha... shaq ki koi baat na hoti agar uske andar baithe ek aadmi ne CISR ki jacket na pehni hoti."
"CISR ki jacket?" Daya exclaimed. "Par koi CISR ka employee udhar kya karne gaya hoga, dynamite ke saath?"
"Tum idhar aao, main sab batata hoon", answered Chitrole. "Sachin se bolo case pe laga rahe, taak humein aur leads mil sakein. Agar idhar humein Mohan tak pahuchne ka koi raasta mil sake, toh case yahin khatam ho jaayega."
The line went dead. Daya and Sachin looked at each other.
"Ye employee premises ke bahar kya kar raha hai, sir? Humne toh campus ko seal kar diya tha", said Sachin.
"Ye aadmi pehle se bahar hoga, Sachin", said Daya darkly. "Usse robbery ki khabar toh mili hi hogi... phir bhi insititute aane ke bajay pahuch gaya Santa Cruz, dynamite churaane. Kya pata ye khud Mohan hi ho. Main jaata hoon dekhne... ek kaam karo, tum zara apne khabriyo ko kaam pe lagao. Pata karo aisa koi research firm hai kya jo aise dhande karta ho."
It was a relatively obscure area of crime, but it did exist. And it was lucrative. For a biotechnological firm, even a single strain of engineered bacteria - though too small to see with the naked eye - could be worth crores of rupees if it produced enzymes or antibiotics of value. For that they needed to patent it for themselves, and that required espionage or stealing material from mid-research of rivals, so they could reverse engineer, develop and claim it as their own. Patenting something like a cure for AIDS would be slightly short of an eternal goldmine for them.
Planning thus, the two parted ways, their end mission the same.
Chapter 6
"Kuch ready hua, Dr. Mohan?" asked Carlos.
"Lag toh raha hai, sir", said Mohan, still not looking up. Frankly, he did not like what was happening. He had finally managed to dismantle the rear part of the canister, get the wiring checked by one of the henchmen experienced with electrical equipment, and put together a makeshift circuit of sorts that was partly responding on being plugged into a socket. "Par ismein khatra hai. Agar kuch gadbad hui aur ye canister phat gaya, toh..."
"Think positively, Mohan", smiled Carlos. "Ye toh sirf shuruat hai. Ab dekhna, humara target meet hote hi tumhe tumhaare paise mil jaayenge, tumhare bete ko nayi zindagi mil jaayegi. Meri pharmaceutical industry mein monopoly ho jaayegi, aur phir... aah!"
Mohan's flesh crawled at the greed in his voice. Looking to the side, he saw something that almost made him jump. A flash of metal slithering into Carlos' pocket.
"Ye gun kisliye? Police?" he breathed.
"Self-defense", answered Carlos calmly. "Police hoti toh koi badi baat nahi hai. Department mein mere dost hain, lawyers hain... par ye jo log peeche pade hain unka kya. Tumne dekha kya hua. Chhodo, umeed hai iski zarurat hi na pade."
Mohan turned back to his work, his neck now feeling warm. It wasn't supposed to go like this. It was a simple case of delivering the goods and taking the money. There were no guns supposed to be involved. Now not only were they being pursued by an enemy of unknown strength, but the canister was not opening and he didn't know what to do. He just wanted to get his money and go away from there.
"Hum aapka hi intzaar kar rahe hain, Dr. Mohan", said Carlos, once again sounding impatient. "Specimen switch hote hi hum sheher se nikal lenge... aur kisi ko pata bhi nahi chalega kya hua."
*****
5:07 PM
"Hello yaar, kya haal hain?" came Abhijeet's voice from the phone. "Yahan apne Freddy sahab sightseeing pe lag gaye Imam Bargah mein. David yahin aane waala hai ek ghante mein. Tum kahan reh gaye? Vaise toh har ghante phone lagate ho."
"Haan... best of luck, Abhijeet", said Daya absentmindedly as he drove. "Bas yahan kuch dhoondh raha tha, abhi baat karta hoon."
"Arre, sab theek toh hai na?" asked Abhijeet, his voice now tense.
"Haan... chalo, baad mein baat karta hoon. Take care", answered Daya before disconnecting.
Chitrole had shot him a warning look. He had forbidden contact with anyone not involved in the mission, to avoid distractions. "Ab bolo, tumhe kya lagta hai?" he asked.
They had discussed the incident in brief. Extra boxes of dynamite from the construction site in question, originally brought to blast open a path into the layer of rocks along the place, were being loaded into a truck to be taken away when one of them was found to be missing. Upon searching, it was discovered in a corner of the site, broken open but none of its contents missing. Eyewitnesses had seen two unidentified men taking it away from the main site, though they mistook them to be workers. They were not to be seen again, though the question of the van and man in CISR jacket remained.
"Do baatein ho sakti hain, sir", said Daya. "Ya toh ye log dynamite churana chahte the, par baaki workers ke aane pe nahi kar paaye. Ya toh box mein kuch chhupa ka le jaana chahte the... kyunki ye boxes load ho rahi thi, jaldi se usse nikaalkar waapas le gaye."
"Dynamite ke box mein kya chupana chahte honge?" asked Chitrole, raising an eyebrow.
"Shayad pata chal jaaye agar humein woh van mil jaaye", said Daya, pulling the car outside a jewelery shop in the vicinity. He could see from the CCTV camera positioned outside, the possible path of the van was visible and thus recorded. They asked for the footage from the shop owner, and examined it for a while. It was both easier and tougher than thought; the silver van was clearly visible, but its number plate had been tarred, rendered illegible.
"Ab kaise pata lagayenge iske baare mein? Aisi pata nahi kitni vans hongi sheher mein", fretted Chitrole.
"Woh dekhiye, sir", said Daya grimly, zooming into the image. "Ye van haal hi mein fix hokar aayi thi... kisi Suraj Automobiles ke yahan." He pointed at a half-torn tag on the rear window, which was just possible to read. "Ab wahin se kuch pata chal sakta hai."
"Main tumhe yaad dila doon ki sirf 6 ghante bache hain battery discharge hone mein", snapped Chitrole. "Aur hum jaake kisi garage mein van dhoondenge? Jaao tumhe jaana hai toh. Main jaa raha hoon dusri team lekar Mohan ko dhoondne."
"All the best, sir", said Daya, as they mounted the car. "Aapko wahan chhodkar main nikalta hoon Suraj Automobiles ko." He could barely suppress the irritation in his voice. Being stuck with a slimy octopus in a mossy tank would be a better experience than investigating with DCP Shamsher Singh Chitrole.
*****
"Khabar pakki hai na Vivek, Kajal?" asked Sachin, surreptiously smoothing his tie so the surrounding populace would not notice.
"Bilkul, sir", said Vivek. "Yahan Mohan ke room mein ek paper mila jispe usne Dr. Carlos Saldanha ka number likha hai. Aur Kajal ko uske phone records se pata chala ki ek private number pe usne kai baar baat kit hi. Dr. Niyati ne uska encryption decode kiya toh pata chala woh Dr. Carlos ka hi number hai. Lagta hai dono contact mein the."
"Ye Dr. Carlos, kisi Delhi-based biotech company ka head hai na?"
"Yes, sir", replied Kajal. "GeneTech Pvt Ltd, uski bahut badi firm hai South Delhi mein. Pichle saal GM crops pe permission ke bina mutagenic reagents use karne ke liye unpar action bhi liya gaya tha."
"Toh ab lagta hai ye Carlos CISR ke research ke peeche pad gaya, taaki unki saari mehnat ka phal khud le sake", said Sachin darkly.
"Yes, sir", said Vivek. "Iss field ki thodi jaankaari hai mujhe. Genetically engineered material ka value bahut hota hai... aisi deal se toh GeneTech ko crores ka faayda hoga. AIDS ke cure ka patent hoga unke paas. Uske liye jitna chahe utna paise charge kar sakte hain."
"Aur CISR ek government institute hai, isliye unke aise iraade nahi hain", said Kajal.
"Laake rahenge waapas woh canister, aur Dr. Mohan ko bhi", said Sachin firmly. "Great work. Tum log dekho aur kuch milta hai kya. Tab tak main idhar dekhta hoon."
Pocketing his phone, he smoothed his now gelled hair with an arrogant air, his nose held high and his shining velvet coat almost offensively clean. Nobody in this alley of dark dealing could've guessed he was an undercover cop. At least he hoped so, for that's what his informer had told him. This was the only place in the city where there was possibility of a dealing of such magnitude taking place. Moreover, a vague description of Carlos had been obtained from that general area, but nobody seemed ready to give out more details. He had already updated Daya and now proceeded on this undercover mission himself.
"Yo dude, me Mickey Johnson from Australia", he crooned to a bystander. "Sorry... mereko Hindi kum aata. You say, idhur iss bandey ko tum deka kyaa?" He held forward a photo of Carlos on his phone, sent by Vivek. "Humko bhi dealing kaarna issey."
"Nahi pata, sahab", snapped the man.
"Me not knows anything", was the reply of the second trader he asked.
"Nahi jaanta, sahab! Kisi aur se poocho!"
"Ek baar bola toh nahi samajhta, saala angrez!"
"No idea! Ab get idea' bola toh doonga kantaap!"
"Abey dukaan mein aane ke pehle jootey toh saaf karta bey dhunki!"
"Such manners!" snapped Sachin in fake indignation after the twientieth insult he had endured and ignored that day, to no avail. The people were clearly hiding something and rebuffing him rudely to discourage further questioning. Obviously, Carlos was a man with clout. It would be hard to get anybody divulge information.
As he walked along the lane, thinking what to do next, there was a crash to his side and a yell. Instinctively, he turned. A well-dressed middle-aged gentleman, busy occupied on his phone, had collided with a young fruit-seller on the road and both of them had fallen down. As the boy quietly began collecting his fruit back into the basket, the man got to his feet and stamped down hard on his hand. The boy screamed in pain.
"Uth, kutte", he barked, prodding the boy in the vitals with his walking stick and whacked him hard on the head. "Mere joote bhi chhune ke layak nahi hai, aur aake bhidta hai mujhse, s**r ke aulaad??" He whacked him again with the stick. "Tujh jaise ch***ar ki parchayi bhi upar pad jaaye toh nahana padta hai, aur idhar chala mujhe -"
"MONSTER!!" roared Sachin, seizing the walking stick and breaking it in half on his knee.
The gathered crowd gasped in awe and shock. The man stared in alarm and anger, sweat now rapidly wiping the huge tika from his pallid forehead. "Teri ye himmat? Tu hota kaun hai mujhe chunauti dene waala?"
"A human being", answered Sachin coldly, throwing aside the broken pieces of stick. "I cannot believe such Stone Age beliefs of inhumanity and superiority still exist here! You set a great example of defaming your own country."
"Raka, Bhiku!" roared the man. Two rough-looking truck drivers nearby immediately came up to him. "Dekh kya rahe ho? Maaro saale ko!"
Sachin was more than prepared. The sight of another young child being made to suffer was too much for him; anger was pulsing through him like a fire. The snarling gundas began to throw punches at him. He ducked, aimed a well-spotted blow on the first man's kidney and sent him sprawling on the ground, holding his side and almost crying in pain. The second man drew a knife and lunged; Sachin ducked in time as the blade swooshed over his head. His leg swung up and knocked it out of the man's hands; he stamped down, breaking the blade and smashed a nearby table on the man's head, who slumped down unconscious. The abusive man now stared in shock.
"Unless you wish to be imprisoned for violating human rights, you'd better apologize to this boy and get going", said Sachin icily.
Waiting until the stony-faced man had left, he turned to check the boy but he had already run away. He turned, and walked out of the alley. Everyone was staring at him. He was afraid his cover was blown; if Carlos realizd that the CID was looking for him, he would probably escape to where they could never find him in time. As he was lost in thought, there was a small whisper from the niche in the side wall. He turned to see the small boy he had just helped waiting there, and immediately approached him.
"Aap police waale na?" asked the child.
"Haan beta", said Sachin, deciding it was best not to pretend. "Par aapko kaise pata?"
"Choro ki gali hai, sahab. Yahin bada hua hoon. Bhale hi khud nahi karta hoon kuch, par sab ko jaanta hoon", he said with a small smile.
"Arre waah", smiled back Sachin. "Mujhse kuch kehna chahte the?"
"Aap Carlos ko dhund rahe ho na? Mujhe pata hai uske baare mein. Aapko sab bataunga... par meri kasam, aap mere baare mein kisi ko mat batana. Warna woh log mere sab ghar waalon ko maar daalenge."
Chapter 7
7:15 PM.
The motorbike kicked up a huge cloud of dust across the setting sun as he drove across the road. Daya hardly noticed as he parked it and walked into he premises of the Sun Automobiles and flashed his badge at the surprised owner.
"Ghabraiye mat, aapki koi galti nahi hai", said Daya quickly. "Aapse bas mujhe iss van ke baare mein poochna hai."
He put forward his mobile, with a snapshot of the van taken from the jewelery shop. The garage owner's eyes narrowed.
"Haan, sir. Pata tha ye van kuch gadbad hai. Number plate mita hua tha aur maine saaf karne ko bola toh ye log bole apne kaam se kaam rakho."
"Gaadi mein kya kharabi thi?"
"Engine baith gaya tha."
"Andar kaun the tumne dekha? Ye photos dekho... inmein se koi tha?"
"Haan sahab, ye dono toh the! Kahin bhi pehchaan sakta hoon inko. Mere poore paise bhi nahi diye."
Daya stared. So it were indeed Carlos and Mohan who had been in the van! It was time to go after this van by any means possible.
"Aur kya dekha tumne? Kuch bhi jisse hum iss van tak pohoch sakte hain?" asked Daya desperately. "Jaldi bolo, please yaad karne ki koshish karo. Batane ka waqt nahi hai, par maamla bahut serious hai."
"Haan sir, maine iska engine number note kiya tha kyunki laga tha usse change karna padega. Par baad mein zarurat nahi padi. Mujhe nahi lagta unn logon ko pata chala ki maine aisa kiya."
"Good!" said Daya in relief. "Jaldi woh number do mujhe. Aur apna phone number bhi; zarurat padne par phir se baat karunga."
*****
"So this is it, then", smiled Carlos. "Sab ready hai na, Dr. Mohan?"
"Ready", answered Mohan, his voice thin as paper. One mistake on his part literally meant doom now.
"Well, what are we waiting for, then? Do it!" pressed Carlos.
All five men leaned in, watching eagerly. Sweating, Mohan lowered his shaking finger towards the console. It looked crude and forbidding, developed from the best possible equipment they had gathered earlier that day. It was now or never... nothing else could be done. Into the hands of fate, he thought as he pushed the button.
A long beep... a click... and silence. The battery terminal blinked: 30% left.
"Nahi kaam kar raha", said Carlos quietly.
"Ye batteries sirf CISR mein hi charge ho sakti hain, Dr. Carlos", said Mohan, his mouth dry with horror and voice higher than usual. "Yahan pe kuch nahi ho sakta. Agar inko charge karna hai toh -"
"Pagal ho gaye ho, Mohan?" snarled Carlos, suddenly explosive and aggressive. "Dimaag kharab ho gaya? Ab iski batteries ko charge karne ke liye hum log CISR jaayenge? Taaki arrest ho jaayein?"
"Aur kya kar sakte hain? Agar ye battery discharge ho gayi aur virus release ho gaya toh satyanaash ho jaayega!"
"Ye baat pehle nahi soch sakte the?"
"Kya matlab? Aapne sirf mujhse specimen churaane ko kaha tha!"
"Toh battery ka bhi mujhe bolna padta? Teri khopdi mein bheja nahi hai?"
"Mujhe kya pata tha unhone aisi battery develop kar rakhi hai? Itne hoshiyaar ho toh khud kyun nahi bana dete ek nayi battery?"
"Uhm... boss?"
"KYA HAI???" barked both Carlos and Mohan at the henchman, caught up in the heat of the moment.
"Koi aa gaya humse milne."
Slowly, both of them turned to see the smiling face of a tall man at the door. His hair was grey and streaked with black, giving him an erudite look. Several ugly warts on his face made him look even more forbidding. He smoothed his moustache as he walked forward, flanked by several armed men carrying crude guns.
"Dr. Satyanand", said Carlos angrily, staring at the man. "Pata tha tumhara hi haath hai ismein."
"Kya karoon Carlos, aana pada tumhaare peeche ye jaane ke baad ki tumhaare haathon kaisi sone ke ande dene waali murgi lagne waali hai", smiled Satyanand. "Aakhir humara the Great GeneTech se jo competition hai! Ab ek kaam karo, chup chaap ye canister mujhe de do. Warna..."
They watched in horror as Satya's men walked forward carrying bottles of gasoline. He intended to set the whole building on fire.
"Dekho Dr. Satya, ye pagalpan hai", said Mohan desperately. He didn't even know the man; how to explain to him now? "Ye canister hum sab ke liye khatra hai. Iski battery down hote hi ye phat jayega aur virus release hokar poore sheher, desh ya duniya mein aatank macha dega. Aap chahte ho aisa ho? Nahi toh iska kuch karne mein humari madad karo."
"Oh, hum karenge tumhari madad zarur", smirked Satya. "Kya samajh rakha hai mujhe, aisi baccho jaise bahaano se bewakoof ban jaaunga? Boys... get them!"
The men stepped forward; Carlos and his men darted forward to tackle them and gunshots rang out. "Bhaago, Mohan!" screamed the man.
Mohan dodged bullets and hurled himself out of the window, sliding down a tin sheet and onto the road. He could hear footsteps closing behind. Without thinking, the canister held close to his chest, he ran for his life.
*****
10:21 PM.
"Haan Sachin, uss ladke ne yehi bataya tha na?" asked Daya
"Yes sir", said Sachin on the phone. "Carlos ko zyadatar wahin dekha gaya tha."
"Aur ye gaadi bhi chori ki hai", said Daya grimly. "Par aakhri baar iska location ek police checkpost ke anusar yahan ke aage tha. Chalo, confirm ho gaya. Tum ruke rehna wahin, main dekhta hoon kya hai."
"Par sir -"
Before he could answer, Daya cut the phone. He knew time was short and it was almost impossible to get the canister to the Insitute on time now. He surely did not want any juniors in the vicinity if the canister exploded.
He was so lost in thought that he nearly collided with the man running on the street perpendicular to him. Leaping off the motorbike, hardly caring as it went skidding across the street, he instinctively grabbed the man and turned him around. Both of them looked at each other.
"Mohan???"
Mohan'e eyes were fixed behind Daya. The latter turned to see two armed men rushing straight at them. Without waiting, he darted forward to greet them head-on with a volley of blows. He seized their guns, dodged their blows and knocked them unconscious. He turned back to Mohan, who was standing transfixed, holding the canister.
"Mohan, bas karo ye sab", said Daya firmly. "Hum mile hain Kshitij se aur humara waada hai ki uska ilaaj hum karayenge, acche se. Please, band karo ye sab. Laao ye canister mujhe de do."
"Kaise bharosa karoon? Kaun ho tum??" cried Mohan.
Daya held forward his badge silently. Mohan stared, and relented.
*****
Carlos' men had managed to defeat and tie up Satya and his men, and hardly exited from the house than they found themselves at the gunpoints of the police, led by Sachin, Vivek and Kajal. Dr.Niyati dismounted from another nearby vehicle.
"Tum sab yahan?" exclaimed Daya in despair.
"Aapko akele kaise chhodte, sir?" smiled Sachin.
"Hum toh ek team hain sir. Sab saath karte hain", said Vivek.
"Tum log baat nahi samajh rahe ho. Ye dekho!" said Daya desperately, flashing forward the container. The LED light was blinking: 10 minutes to go. "Ab kya karein?"
"Daya, main zyada toh nahi kar paayi par ab ek hi rasta dikh raha hai", said Dr. Niyati, walking forward with what looked like a steel cardiosphygmanometer in hand. "Ye ek adiabatic decompressor hai. Pressure aise release karta hai ki andar ka temperature bhi bahut high ho jaayega. Virus ki membranes aur genetic structure ko nasht karne ke liye itna temperature kaafi hona chahiye. Par khatra ye hai ki ismein explosion ho sakta hai."
"Great work, Dr. Niyati", said Daya, seizing the device before she could speak. "Bas isko operate kaise karna hai, mujhe bataiye."
"Sir, nahi!" cried Vivek. "Hum aapko aise akele nahi karne de sakte!"
"Please sir, baat suniye", said Sachin, walking forward. "Ye mujhe dijiye. Main le jaakar nasht karta hoon canister ko."
"Bahut shukriya aap sab ka", said Daya firmly. "Par main aapka senior hoon, aur apne juniors ko aise khatre mein nahi daal sakta. Hum yehi maankar chalte hain ki jaan kabhi bhi jaa sakti hai, in the line of duty. Humare baad bhi koi hona chahiye iss department ko samhalne ke liye. Woh aap log ho. Sachin, Vivek... please. Behes ka waqt nahi hai."
With great reluctance and fear, they relented. Dr. Niyati told him what to do. Daya took the device and canister, mounted his bike and drove away. They watched with bated breath as he moved, less than five minutes left. The minutes and seconds trickled by... and then there was a great explosion in the distance.
"SIR!!!" cried all of them in unision.
They rushed forward, hearts beating in terror, running for a full three minutes until to great relief they were greeted by a smiling and unharmed Daya on the road. The device had worked and canister destroyed. The scientists accompanying Dr. Niyati checked the area just to be sure. The tests were negative; there was no trace of the virus anywhere. The specimen had been eradicated.
Chapter 8
Carlos and Satya confessed their crimes. Carlos had learned about the project undertaken by the CISR and intending to steal the specimen and reverse-engineer it, found out about Mohan and tempted him with money for his son's treatment in exchange for the specimen. Satya, another rival of Carlos, found out about Carlos' plans and began to follow him hoping to gain the specimen for himself. Both men came from Delhi and Hyderabad respectively to Mumbai, to steal the specimen. Carlos wanted no mistakes, and going underground to help Mohan he wanted to ensure success.
Things went wrong when they found out the batteries couldn't be charged anywhere except the CISR premises, and a cat-and-mouse game ensued when Satya's men tried to steal the canister. The party was intercepted when on the move, and Carlos' van's engine was damaged in the shootout. Carlos' men temporarily hid the canister in the dynamite box before retrieving it when the danger was over. This was what led to them being spotted and caught. Mohan, being an expert in biomolecular science, had retrieved Dr. Walunzkar's fingerprints from his personal articles and used them to enter the lab, steal the specimen and frame him.
As promised, Daya and Sachin contacted a trust to help with Kshitij's treatment, and reassured the arrested Mohan that his son would soon be recovered. Chitrole praised them reluctantly, and the entire staff of CISR thanked them for averting a grave disaster.
*****
"Din kaise shuru hota hai aur kaise khatam, pata hi nahi chalta sir", smiled Sachin as they gathered in the bureau. "Sahi mein, kal subah itna boring din tha... kab socha tha ki aisa kuch ho jaayega shaam tak?"
"Accha bhi toh socho, Sachin. Dekho issi badaulat aaj humare saath kaun hai", said Daya, smiling at Vivek, Kajal and Dr. Niyati who had gathered there.
"Sach mein, sir. Jo bhi hua accha hi hua", said Kajal.
"Kitne din se taras rahe the aapse phir milne ko, aur aaj ho gaya", smiled Vivek.
"Ab zara baakiyon se bhi baat ho jaati toh maza aa jata", said Dr. Niyati with a sly smile.
"Kyun nahi?" said Daya with a mischievous look at Sachin. "Zara Skype on karna, Sachin?"
*****
"Abhijeet sir!" exclaimed Vivek. "Kaise hain aap, sir?"
"Aap sabki bahut yaad aati hai, sir", said Kajal.
"Humein bhi, Vivek... Kajal", smiled Abhijeet from the monitor.
"ACP sir kahan hain? Zara unko bhi toh bulao", smirked Niyati.
Abhijeet grew somber at once. "Woh... uhm... bahar hain. Freddy aur Purvi ko yahan ki biryani bahut pasand aa gayi, so sab log uski recipe poochne neeche gaye hain. Main akela bacha upar warna tum logon ka call kaun receive karta, aain?"
All of them chuckled.
"David toh pakda gaya, toh ab waapas bhi aao jaldi", said Daya.
"Hum aap sabka intzaar kar rahe hain, sir", said Sachin.
"Arre itni jaldi kya hai, tum dono ko? Karne do thodi shopping wagerah... kuch special occasions ke liye special cheezein bhi leni hain", smiled Abhijeet.
Daya and Sachin smiled at each other. It was a special occasion for both of them... they knew Abhijeet and their teammates would never forget it. Suddenly, there was static on the screen and speakers, and when the image cleared, there were several more people on screen.
"Hello sir!" laughed Fredericks.
"Good evening, sir!" came Purvi's soft voice.
"Kaise ho yaar Daya?" asked Dr. Salunkhe.
"Papers poore hue ki so rahe the, Sachin?" asked the ACP briskly.
Laughing and smiling, Daya and Sachin watched in pleasure as their teammates moved forward to interact, looking forward to some moments of togetherness with the loving family they had been blessed with.
THE END
Edited by debasree04 - 10 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
6