Chapter 5 - Dawning of a Leader
Sudhakar patiently spun the dial on the telephone for what felt like the hundredeth time. There was the familiar ticking pulse, and then the monotonous "engaged" tone caught his ear once again. He put it down in frustration, a bit harder than he had intended. He didn't know what to do. It was night and they had made no progress at all. The whole day was wasted; there was not a sign of Abhijeet. The phone started ringing, and he hastily picked it up, praying for the best.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Sudhakar? Kuch pata chala?" It was Daya's voice.
"No, sir. Kuch nahi ho paaya", replied Sudhakar, his heart sinking. "Tab se main phone try kar hi raha hoon. Abhijeet sir ka mobile out of reach hai."
There was silence on the line. "Theek hai. Koshish karte raho."
"Aap log kahan hain, sir?" asked Sudhakar.
"Yahan paas hi Varni gaav hai. Poochne jaa rahe hain, agar kisi ne Abhijeet ko dekha ho."
"OK sir. All the best..."
He felt a bit awkward, but didn't mind. Granted, he and Abhijeet hadn't always been on the best terms but he had much respect and concern for his senior all the same. He prayed the latter was safe and sound.
*****
Even from a distance, Abhijeet could tell Subhash meant serious business. The establishment was imposing and impressive. Numerous skylights, multi-storeyed apartments and glass-lined buildings shone like gigantic segmented boxes, reflecting the sunlight like some enormous set of mirrors set to double its intensity and show everyone where their future lay. In the hands of the tycoon who owned it all. As their tractor approached, the great metal gates with their characterstic logo of the enterprise slithered apart and a deep gravel road leading to the innards of the town met their eyes. Their driver, a friendly man named Raka, seemed unusually quiet.
"Bas yahi rok do, bhai", said Abhijeet to him once they had driven a minute into the town. "Bas do-teen minute lagenge dawai lene mein."
"Hello, Abhijeet bhaiyya. Aapne promise kiya tha mujhe!" said Mika with a puppy face. Despite repeated protests from both Abhijeet and his mother, he had refused to stay away from the trip; apparently being deprived of Kwality Waals ice-cream for a month was too much already.
"Haan baba, yaad hai", chuckled Abhijeet, stroking his hair. "Chalo, kaam jaldi khatam karna hai."
Raka parked the tractor along the side of the road, and they set out among the tall buildings, Mika leading the way as he pointed out the chemist's shop.
*****
High above the establishment loomed a singular tower with an unusually broad top. It was ultra-mordern for its time. The chrome and glass strip lining its bulge glinted in the sunlight, giving its inhabitants a panoramic, bird's eye view of the entire area. Any visitors were left in little doubt of whom it belonged to.
"Vicky, Monu... lagta hai apne yahan mehmaan aaye hain", smiled Subhash, his deep blue eye scanning his kingdom through a large telescope.
Both the thugs sitting beside him in ornate chairs laughed heartily.
"Khud sher ke muh mein chale aaye. Inse zyada bewakoof kaun ho sakta hai", laughed Vicky.
"Ahh... meri aisi bhi badnaami mat karo, Vicky", crooned Subhash in mock indignation. "Mera naam hi kuch aisa hai. Meri udaarta ke kisse sunne ko milte hain har jagah. Bhala kaun nahi aayega yahan, phir?" He chucked. "Yahan dur-dur tak bas ye ek jagah hai jahan logon ki zaruratein poori ho sakti hain."
Vicky and Monu sniggered.
"Maine dekha iske baare mein news, TV pe", said Monu. "Ghooskhor lagta hai. Court mein case chal raha hai."
Subhash nodded. "Maine bhi dekha. Achraj ki koi baat nahi... desh mein aadhe police waale toh aise hi hain. Aur humare liye accha hi hai. Tum dono zara jaake usse milo. Aur main jo kehta hoon, wohi karna."
*****
"Good morning, Arjun dada!"
"Good morning Mika, beta", smiled the old man at the counter of the candy shop as they walked in. "Accha laga tumhe kai dino baad dekhke." He looked up at Abhijeet, and suddenly his smile faltered. "Uh... hello. Aap bhi yahan?"
"Jee. Kyun... koi baat hai?" asked Abhijeet, feeling awkward at this less than warm welcome. He guessed these people had seen the news too, and though him to be a corrupt officer. He dully put Lily's medicines on the nearby counter and hoped to get out of this place as soon as possible.
"No... kuch nahi", said Arjun quickly. "Boliye, kya doon?"
"Woh vanilla ice cream dijiye na, dada", said Mika, pointing. "Chhota waala."
As Arjun reached up, Abhijeet called out, "Bada waala dijiye. Bataiye kitna hua."
Mika turned to him. "Nahi bhaiyya. Please, mujhe woh nahi chahiye."
"Tu bas ice cream enjoy kar", smiled Abhijeet, stroking his hair and handing him the cone. Mika smiled broadly. "Thanks bhaiyya!"
Arjun looked curiously at him, as he paid up the bill. "Kya ye sach hai ki aapne Subhash bhai ko takkar di?" His voice was barely a whisper, as though he were afraid the furniture would listen and go tell Subhash.
Abhijeet frowned. "Haan, di. Kisi ko chhed raha tha, toh kya karta?"
Arjun leaned forward slowly. "Saab... aap jaante hain woh kaun hai?"
Abhijeet was nonplussed. "Woh jo bhi ho, kanoon toh sabke liye barabar hai. Kisi ko apni marzi ke khilaaf apna ghar-zameen bechne par majbur karna ek aparadh hai. Hum toh shuru se yehi seekhte aaye hain."
Before anyone could say anything more, the doors banged open. In walked two tall men with ugly grimaces on their faces. Abhijeet recognized them at once; they were Subhash's bodyguards he had seen outside Lily's home. Almost magically, Arjun and the few shop attendants seemed to vanish; they had sneaked out of the back doors in fear. Mika eyed the two men angrily.
"Hello", smiled the taller one, leering at Abhijeet.
Abhijeet gave him an impassive look. "Main aapki kya madad karun?"
"Myself Vicky, aur ye hai Monu", smiled the man again. "Hum toh mil hi chuke hain, sir. Haan parichay utna sahi se nahi hua tha. Agar humse koi galti hui ho, toh humein maaf kar dijiyega."
Abhijeet said nothing. He simply waited, wondering what the two of them were up to.
"Hum yahan Dr. Subhash ki taraf se aaye hain... as friends", said Monu. "Humein khushi hai ki CID ke officer humare beech aaye hain. Bahut garv ki baat hai. Hum sab ne aapke aur ACP Pradyuman ke baare mein bahut kuch suna hai."
"Haan... aaj kal toh kaafi mashoor hoon TV pe", said Abhijeet with too much unintended sarcasm.
Vicky gave him a badly done expression of sympathy. "Hum uspe vishwaas nahi karte, sir. Media waale pata nahi kya kya mirch masala lagate hain har cheez ko. Humein aap par vishwaas hai."
Abhijeet maintained silence again. He felt they were approaching the purpose of their visit rapidly.
"Accha, maine suna hai aapko jaldi Mumbai waapas jaana hai, aur aapki bike kharab hai. Kya ye sahi hai?"
"Haan. Par ye tumko..."
"Agar aapko aitraaz na ho, toh kya hum aapki bike theek kar dein?"
"Kya??"
"Ya chhodiye, bike kya theek karna. Subhash sir aapko ek Hayabusa bhi dila sakte hain. Agle saal film aa rahi hai Yash Raj ki... Dhoom. Hit hogi bike poore desh mein, aur lakho ki hai. Aapko muft mein dila sakte hain, aaj hi."
"Dekho, main ye sab..."
"Chaliye aapko bike dila dete hain. Aap kyun drive karke waapas jaao Mumbai, uss ghane bhediyon se bhare jungle se... aapko hum apni private limo se drop kar denge Mumbai. Phir bike aapke ghar tak pohocha denge."
"Dekho, main keh chuka hoon ki -"
"So, baat pakki! Monu, zara Chaccha se bolo ek Hayabusa issi waqt Tokyo se -"
"Main keh raha hoon, nahi chahiye mujhe tumhari bike, ya koi madad!" said Abhijeet loudly. Silence fell. "Dekho, main jaanta hoon ye sab ek bahana hai. Tum dono mujhse milne kyun aaye ho? Saaf-saaf batao."
Vicky and Monu looked at each other, and then fixed him with two identical grins somewhere between intimidating leers and smiles of fake warmth.
"Sahi suna tha aapke baare mein, Abhijeet", said Vicky. "Dekhiye... Subhash sir ke liye Lily madam ki zameen kaafi maayne rakhti hai. Ab tak toh aap jaan chuke honge. Humare ye waada hai ki wahan rehne waale sab ko rehne ke liye acche se acche ghar, behtareen naukri di jaayegi. Bas, aap ek baar madam ko manwa dijiye Subhash ji ka offer maan lene ko."
Abhijeet gave them a wry smile. "Socha nahi tha yahan pe bhi log itna gir sakte hain. Jaanta hoon tum logon ki sacchayi... tum sab ne kaise jhoote waade kiye unn bechare kisano se, kaise unki zindagi haram kar di. Aur tum ye sochte ho main Lily se ye kahunga?"
Vicky and Monu's smiles had disappeared. Vicky glared at Abhijeet and took a menacing step forward. "Dekho Abhijeet", he said coolly, "hum farzi ki ladai nahi chahte hain. Humne dekha Lily aur tum kaise ek saath bahar ghum rahe the, sawari kar rahe the. Tumpe bharosa karti hai woh. Tum chaho toh bilkul manwa sakte ho usko."
"Main itni badi saza apne sabse bade dushmano ko bhi nahi dunga", said Abhijeet furiously. "Apne boss se jaake bol do ki usne wrong number dial kiya hai. Ab please, excuse me. Mika, chalo."
He took Mika by the shoulder and nudged him ahead, but Vicky held out a thick arm and blocked his path.
"Tum bhool gaye tum kiske ilaake mein ho, officer", he scowled. "Humare boss hi yahan ke bhagwaan hain. Unka naam izzat se liya jaata hai idhar."
"Logon mein khauf failana aur izzat, do bahut alag cheezein hain", said Abhijeet calmly.
"Accha", snarled Monu. "Tujhe sikhayein izzat kya hai?"
"Oye hit wicket, mere bhaiyya se aise na bolo!" said Mika angrily.
"Kya bola, choozey?" hissed Vicky, snatching the ice cream from his hand and splattering it over his head. "Ghatiya ladki ki gandi aulaad..."
There was a great crash as Vicky was sent sprawling through a stream of broken glass, screaming as he landed hard on his back outside the window. Abhijeet walked forward, his fists still shaking in rage as he saw the man bleed on the street, twitching. His insides were pulsing with anger. With a great yell, Monu seized an iron rod lying by the side and lunged forward. Abhijeet was ready. He ducked and the rod swooshed high above his head. As if in slow motion, his own arm stuck out and caught his enemy just below the armpit. He torqued himself and seized the man behind the neck, throwing his entire body weight backwards. Both the men were thrown backward, and Abhijeet managed to collect his momentum in a jump to straighten himself up after tumbling over the ground.
Monu was doubled up in pain. As Abhijeet approached, he struck out with the rod but the officer kicked it hard and sent it clanging across the marble floor. Monu lashed out with his leg; Abhijeet caught it and struck his foot hard below the kneecap. The air resonated with Monu's screams.
"Chale jaao yahan se", said Abhijeet quietly. "Agar aainda kabhi Lily ya uske parivaar ke aas paas bhi nazar aaye, toh bahut pachtaoge. Samjhe?"
The two men slunk away, clutching their injuries and wheezing, Vicky shooting him one last look of deepest loathing as he limped off. A small crowd had gathered outside, eyeing him with a mixture of fear and wonder.
"Abhijeet sir... I'm sorry", said a lady standing at the back. "Maine bahut galat socha aapke baare mein. Aapne jis tarah Lily ki izzat ke liye unn gundo se lada, mujhe ab yakeen hai ki media ki khabar bilkul galat hai."
"Aapne bahut galat kiya", said a short man quietly. "Subhash bahut gussa ho jaayega, aur woh kuch bhi kar sakta hai."
"Karne dijiye", said Abhijeet. "Aise ghatiya logon ko kanoon ke haath karna mera kaam hi hai. Isne aap sab ko dhokha diya ki nahi? Aapki zindagi ko bigaad diya, ki nahi?"
They all nodded, slowly.
"Ek baat jaan lijiye... jurm ko chhup chaap hote dekhna bhi ek jurm hai", said Abhijeet. "Aap sab ek ho jaaiye, aur apne haq ke liye ladiye. Aapse waada karta hoon ki Mumbai jaakar inn sab logon ki sacchayi duniya ke saamne laa dunga."
*****
"Waah bhaiyya, aapne ka fighting kari unn gundo se", smiled Mika as they were returning to their house.
"Tum mat try karne lagna, haan", chuckled Abhijeet. "Abhi chhote ho. Bade ho jaao, phir lag jaana apne sapne poore karne mein."
"Haan, mujhe bhi aapke jaise CID officer banna hai", said Mika eagerly. "Par Abhijeet bhaiyya... ek baat puchu? Aap aakhir yahan aaye kyun? Aapko toh Mumbai mein hona chahiye na. Sabko batana chahiye ki aap begunah hain."
Abhijeet was silent. "Haan beta... woh toh main karunga hi. Bas kuch kaam se bahar aaya tha, idhar aa gaya."
"Kaisa kaam?"
"Kisi se milna tha."
"Par yahan toh dur-dur tak koi nahi rehta. Aur hum sab se aap pehli baar mile."
"Woh... nahi, yahan se thodi dur pe."
"Jungle ke uss paar? Toh phir aap jungle paar karke idhar kyun aaye?"
"Arre yaar, bas aise hi. Ab kya farq padta hai?"
Abhijeet hid his irritation with effort. It was obvious Mika was a sharp and observant kid. No wonder he wanted to join the CID.
Mika became silent. He looked ahead, but kept watching him from the corner of his eyes. "Farq padta hai, bhaiyya. Please... bataiye, aap wahan se kyun aa gaye?"
"Kya?"
"Bas pooch raha hoon, bhaiyya."
Abhijeet breathed hard, collecting his patience. "Beta, wahan mujhpe ek se ek ghatiya ilzaam lagaye gaye the. Meri wajah se CID badnaam ho rahi thi. Mujhse dekha nahi jaa raha tha. Isliye bas apna mann halka karne ke liye thoda bahar aaya tha... bas. Jo kuch hua, ek accident tha."
"Toh aap waapas jaake phir ladenge na? Sach ke liye?" asked Mika eagerly.
"Shayad", said Abhijeet coldly. "Mujhe farq nahi padta. Maine toh resign kar diya."
"KYA??"
"Resign kar diya", repeated Abhijeet.
"Kyun??"
"Kyunki mujhe nahi lagta kisi ko meri zarurat hai wahan. Bas meri team hai... milte rahenge. Baaki main kya kahun."
Mika said nothing more. He sat stiffly, looking straight ahead. And then, after a few minutes, he abruptly dived a hand inside his pocket and pulled out a little something, which he thumped down in front of Abhijeet. It was a little folded card with a small, clearly old photo of Mika posted on front, and the words "Senior Inspector" cribbled underneath it, along with some cartoon stars and medals around it.
"Mujhe humesha yehi laga ki ek CID officer kabhi peeche nahi hathta", he said quietly. "Isliye main bhi ek CID officer banna chahta tha. Par, ab lagta hai ye sahi nahi hai."
"Ye kya keh rahe ho tum, Mika?" said Abhijeet. "Meri personal baat se tum itna kyun pareshaan ho rahe ho? Arre, kuch cheezein hui jo tum nahi samajhte..."
"Ek CID officer kabhi peeche nahi hathta. Ye sach hai ki nahi, bhaiyya?"
"Haan, par -"
"Toh phir aapne resign kyun kiya? Aap aage badhke apne liye kyun nahi lade?"
"Kyunki mujhe apni nahi, apne department ki chinta hai. Main unko badnaam hote nahi dekh sakta."
Even as he said it, he realized he had already broken rules by stepping outside Mumbai. His heart sank.
"Par agar aap waapas jakar nahi lade, toh jisne bhi aapko phasaya hai, woh khula ghoomta rahega na bhaiyya."
"Usko toh humari team pakad hi legi. Par jo logon ne mujhe CID par kalank bola, uska kya?"
"Kya aapko lagta hai woh sach hai?"
"Of course not!!"
"Toh phir aapko kaisi pareshaani?" said Mika. "Aap meri mumma ko dekhiye. Woh bemaar hain... unko sab kya kya bolte the."
Abhijeet sighed. "Tumhari mumma ne jo kiya, lakho mein ek bhi shayad kar paaye. Shayad main bhi nahi."
"Aap Senior Inspector Abhijeet ho. Kisi se kam nahi... sabse zyada ho, bhaiyya. CID ki shaan ho aap", said Mika. "Agar aap resign karoge toh baaki sab ka kya hoga?"
Abhijeet wondered if he was talking to an eleven year old. He was silent for a while, considering it all.
*****
"Sorry, sir", said Vicky, dabbing at his wounds. "Jitna socha tha, woh usse zyada khatarnaak nikla. Baat toh maani hi nahi... upar se..."
"Muh ki khila di humein", cried Monu.
"Not surprising", said Subhash calmly, stroking his silver hair in the ornate mirror nearby. "Lagta hai maine jo kuch suna tha Mumbai CID ke baare mein, waqai sach hai. Ye log aise nahi maanne waale."
"Toh ab kya karein?" asked Vicky.
"Nikaalo apne bikes. Aur thodi aur cheezein bhi..." said Subhash quietly. Even his minions took a step back in alarm as he turned to face them. His eyes were narrowed, and every inch of his face was contorted. A dark shadow had passed all over his person. He was grave, and his intentions were not mild. "Jo kuch hona hai, aaj raat hi ho jaayega."
Chapter 6 - The Ambush
Once they had dismounted in front of the house, Mika jumped off and ran inside without a single word. Feeling down, Abhijeet took up the pouch of medicine and walked inside to hand them to Lily.
"Thanks", she said, accepting them. "Sorry, aapko takleef dene ke liye."
"Arre, aise mat boliye. Ismein kya takleef?" said Abhijeet.
"Mika pareshaan lag raha hai."
"Woh... yeah." Abhijeet wasn't sure what to say. "Actually wahan thodi gadbad ho gayi."
"Kya?"
Abhijeet explained about his confrontation with Vicky and Monu.
Lily was quiet for a few moments. "Ye accha nahi hua, sir. Subhash ghamandi aadmi hai... uske ego ko dhakka lagega ye jaanke ki uske aadmi aapke haatho pit gaye. Woh chhup nahi rehne waala."
"Usse jo karna hai, karne do. Burai sehne ki bhi ek hadd hoti hai", said Abhijeet angrily.
"Baat sirf uski nahi hai, sir", said Lily. "Yahan ek orphanage hai... kisaan hain, logon ki zindagi chalti hai inn kheto se. Subhash jaise log humari kamzoriyon pe hi nishana lagaate hain."
"Par jab tak aap log dabte rahenge, Subhash aapko dabata rahega. Kabhi toh iss masle ko khatam karna padega", said Abhijeet.
"Kya kar sakte hain hum?"
"Abhi kuch nahi. Bas ek baar main Mumbai pahuch jaaun, ACP sir se baat karunga. Hum sab Subhash ko sab ke saamne expose kar denge, aur uski ye manhoos establishment hatakar sabko unki zameen wapas dilwa denge."
"Itna aasan nahi hai, sir. Subhash ki pahuch bahut upar tak hai", said Lily. "Aur mere baare mein janne ke baad, mujhe nahi lagta koi bhi mujhe support karna chahega."
"Kyun nahi karenge, jab aapne kuch galat kiya hi nahi?" said Abhijeet firmly. "Hum bhi aise logon ko jaante hain jinko Subhash kabhi lalach mein daalkar apni taraf nahi kar sakta. Phir kya karega woh?"
The answer was only a second away. The door banged open and a disheveled Azhar stumbled in, his eyes wide with terror.
"Lily, bahar chaliye, abhi", he said loudly. "Abhijeet sir, hum par hamla hua hai."
"Hamla??" said Abhijeet and Lily in alarm.
"Batane ka waqt nahi hai, chaliye bahar abhi!!" cried Azhar.
"Ruko... ek baar dekhein ki..."
There was a swooshing sound from outside, and a green bottle flew in from the open window. Abhijeet saw a tiny lit fuse sticking out from its mouth as it fell. At once, he knew what it was.
"BHAAGO!!!"
He grabbed Lily, who was only a few feet from the bottle, by the arm and pulled her out of the house just as there was a great explosion and half the room was blown apart by the impact. Though shielded by the wall for most of the part, they were knocked forward by the impact of the blast.
"Mika!" cried Lily as she struggled to get to her feet. "Mika kidhar hai??"
Before any of them could answer, the door to the house was blasted apart and the sound of screams rushed in from outside. And from among them, the roar of bike engines grew louder and louder. In crashed through the exposed doorway, a huge white bike with its headlights shining like the eyes of some devilish snake, two masked figures in black riding it, the man on the read holding what looked like an enormous metal watering can with an unusually long mouth. He pointed it straight at them, and Abhijeet distinctly caught the smell of gas.
"Bacho!!" he bellowed.
Both he and Lily dived in opposite directions just as the can roared like a dragon and spewed a burst of white hot flames, scorching the ground where they had been just moments ago. Abhijeet drew his gun; he had limited ammunition and knew he had to use it wisely. He aimed at the bike, took aim and fired. The attacker screamed, clutching his shoulder. The driver immediately changed gears and pulled the bike back through the doorway. Abhijeet leapt up and pulled Lily away from the burning furniture, and desperately directed her out of the room now filled with acrid smoke and fumes.
Outside was an inferno. In the distance, he could see another bike hurling flames at the already burning fields of maize. The nearby cottages were all in flames, their inhabitants running out in fear. The orphanage was half in flames and people were desperately trying to rush through the flames trying to save the children. Abhijeet suddenly forgot where he was. He charged blindly at the building, his eyes on the screaming children looking out through the windows, his mind imagining the screams which could not reach him over the din all over. Another biker charged straight at him, the passenger aiming a rifle at him - Abhijeet aimed and fired, knocking the weapon away and disbalancing the vehicle which went crashing past him. There was no time to catch them. He rushed at the building, charging blindly through the wall of heat blocking the doorway and up the stairs through the putrid smoke.
*****
"Sir... aap theek hain na?"
"Main theek hoon. Inmein se kisi ko toh kuch nahi hua na?"
"No sir. Aapki madad se humne sab baccho ko bacha liya. Lekin... humaare ghar, kheth!"
Abhijeet looked around, his heart sinking. Thankfully, due to their joint efforts there was no casualty in the place. But it was a ruin. The houses were ravaged, blown apart by the Molotov cocktails hurled by the vandals. Their healthy maize crop lay smouldering in the now barren fields. Several of the mango trees had caught fire and were nothing but naked trunks now. Lily had only barely managed to rescue Maximus and Dex from the burning stable, both of them suffering from burns. The bikers had managed to escape before they could stop them.
"Mika..." she said quietly, her voice cracked.
"Mika ka abhi bhi koi pata nahi chala?" asked Abhijeet in alarm.
"Pata chala hai. Ye dekhiye. Uske bedroom mein tha."
She thrust a crumpled paper into his hand. Abhijeet read the simple sentence three times.
Bewakoofi ki bhi hadd hoti hai, Miss Lily. Apne bete ko zinda dekhna chahti ho toh bas woh kar do jo saalon se taal rahi ho.And placed just beneath the letter was Mika's self-made CID badge.
"Issi ka kaam hai", said Abhijeet quietly. "Subhash. Ab isne yahan par hamla karwaya aur Mika ko kidnap kar liya, tumhe zameen bechne par majbur karne ke liye."
"Ab main dikhati hoon isko, zameen kaise bechte hain", said Lily. Her voice was pulsating with rage.
"Matlab? Kya karne waali ho tum?" asked Abhijeet in alarm.
She didn't answer. She stormed inside the house, seized her shotgun from the scorched cupboard and strode out again, straight towards the shed.
"Lily, meri baat suno", said Abhijeet, walking after her. "Gusse pe kaabu karo. Mika ki jaan khatre mein hai, humein soch samajh kar kaam karna padega."
"Kaafi soch liya maine, sir. Mere hote mere bete ko koi haath nahi laga sakta", said Lily, without turning, doubling her speed.
"Kya karne jaa rahi ho tum?" asked Abhijeet again.
"Ye maamla khatam karne, humesha ke liye. Aaj hi."
"Kya?! Par Lily..."
The rest of his voice was lost in the sound of revving engines as she started up the only vehicle in their possession - the old tractor - and drove off speedily into the night. Abhijeet cursed and turned to the gathered crowd for help.
"Ab kya karein? Subhash ne jaan bujh kar ye jaal bichaya. Woh toh Mika aur Lily, dono ko maar daalega!"
"Kuch samajh nahi aa raha, sir. Usne toh humein barbaad kar diya! Humare kheth, ghar... sab jala diye."
They were so confused, devastated and broken that they could not help in any way. It was then that Abhijeet's eyes fell on Maximus and Dex, tethered to a nearby pole. Although he didn't want to disturb them in this injured state, now was a time for desperate measures.
*****
"Kya matlab, bhediye??" cried the ACP.
"Maine dekha tha sahab, inn sahab ko", said the lean man outside the village. "Parso raat bhediye inki bike ke peeche pade the. Main toh dur se dekhke hi ghabra gaya, ye kya chala rahe the bike..."
They listened in terror as he explained how Abhijeet was chased by the wolf pack that night, went crashing through the forest and then over the edge, and then was rescued by the mysterious girl who seemed to simply vanish after keeping the wolves away from him.
"Tum jaante ho uss ladki ko?" asked Daya.
"Dekha hai sahab, kayi baar. Shayad uss taraf rehti hai... kabhi baat nahi ki."
"Abhijeet sir kahan hain, kahan gaye?" asked Asha. "Tumne unki madad karne ki koshish nahi ki?"
"Main ruka tha sahab, par uss ladki ke paas bandook thi, isliye main darr gaya. Baad mein dekha toh woh sahab jaa chuke the."
"Matlab Asha, Abhijeet theek hai aur shayad wohi ladki usse lekar gayi hai", said the ACP. "Chalo chalein. Ab humari manzil dur nahi hai."
Chapter 7 - An End, Once And For All
"Chhod do mujhe!"
"Chhup kar, warna yahi teri gardan daba dunga", hissed Vicky.
"Aaram se, Vicky", crooned Subhash, standing with his back to them, looking out of the window. "Abhi sahi waqt nahi aaya hai."
"Boss, dimaag kharab kar diya hai iss chooze ne", snarled Monu. "Kamse kam dus baar hum dono ke pair par kooda. Glassein tod di, plate tod di, kursi pe bhi nahi baitha paa rahe -"
"Kuch bhi nahi hai, bas ek baar manzil haath aa jaaye", said Subhash, now taking out his binoculars and peeking outside the window with renewed interest. "Aahhh... get ready, ladkon. Humare yahan mehmaan aa rahe hain."
*****
The gates to Subhash's town were moulded in wrought iron, with his logo flanking the elaborate designs in front, but Lily aimed her shotgun straight ahead and blew apart the locks with three shots, and then rammed the tractor into the metal, breaking them off their hinges. She drove the vehicle relentlessly ahead, not looking back, seeing nothing but the image of her son in her mind's eye. Goodness knew what condition he was in, what these animals had done to him.
She drove the tractor straight below the tallest of the towers and, after parking the vehicle, leapt off and approached the doorway with her weapon held straight up.
"Subhash!" she cried. "Bahar niko apne bil se, agar khud ko mard kehte ho toh!"
The glass doors opened and the tall, willowy frame of Subhash walked calmly out.
"Ah, Miss Lily... entry maarna koi aapse seekhe", he smiled. "Bataiye, main aapki kya seva kar sakta hoon?"
"Bhole mat bano, samjhe?" she snarled. "Sab kuch khatam karne aayi hoon. Aaj hi, issi waqt!"
"Really. Toh der kis baat ki? Chalaiye na goli", said Subhash in mock fright.
Lily raised her shotgun and pointed it straight at his heart. "Mika kahan hai? Kahan hai mera beta?"
"Pehle aap apna kaam kijiye, phir aaram se usse mil lijiyega", smiled Subhash. "Go on... fire!"
*****
Abhijeet tethered Maximus safely in the shadows and proceeded to sneak up the stairs to Subhash's tower. He hoped nobody had seen or heard him riding in from the side entrance, taking the shortcut he had seen earlier that day. He needed to find and rescue Mika before it was too late. He saw a corridor to the right, leading to the elevator. Too risky to use at this point, he decided. Instead he approached the staircase. Two guards flanked it from both sides, and he took them down silently from behind. He ascended the stairs with gun drawn, though he knew it was of little use; one sound and Subhash would be alerted and possibly even kill Mika and Lily as well.
It took him about five minutes to get to the top level, taking down at least three more guards without as much as a thud, and pulling them into cupboards along the way. He couldn't risk more; too many bodies would attract attention. Through the windows he now saw Lily breaking through the gates. He knew it was now or never. He checked every room he came across, but Mika was nowhere to be seen. There were footsteps; he ducked behind an alcove as Subhash walked past with a few bodyguards, smirking as they entered the elevator. The last one lagged behind; once the elevator was out of earshot, Abhijeet sprang out, seized him from behind and knocked away his gun. He wheeled him around and put his gun on the man's forehead.
"Ek bhi aawaz nikali toh maara jaayega, samjha", he growled. "Baccha kidhar hai? Jaldi bata."
"Nahi bataunga", snapped the man. "Abhi main chillaunga aur sab ke sab aake tujhe uda denge."
Abhijeet tightened his hold and pressed the barrel hard onto his skull. "Mujhe kuch bhi ho, tujhe toh apne saath lekar hi jaaunga, samjha? Batata hai ki...??"
It took about two more tries until the man finally decided it was best to divulge. "Ground floor pe, power room mein. Mujhe aur kuch nahi pata."
Abhijeet knocked him out with the butt of his pistol and rushed downstairs. As he hid in the cubbyhole behind the elevator, he saw through the half open door to the power room - Mika tied and gagged, surrounded by about six or seven guards. There was no way he could rescue him without getting spotted and raising a huge commotion. He couldn't risk endangering his life. As he slunk out of the rear door, wondering what to do, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, he wheeled around, gun held aloft, but almost immediately lowered it.
"Arjun ji?" he whispered.
"Haan, beta", said the older man softly. Behind him was a group of men and women from the town, all of them looking extremely grave. "Humne aate dekha aapko yahan. Aur humein ye bhi pata chala aaj Subhash ne kya kiya."
"Uske jaisa shaitaan humne kabhi nahi dekha. Baccho tak pe daya nahi aayi, anathashram ko jalane chala!" said a woman in indignation.
"Kal ko humare saath bhi wohi karega", said another man. "Aapne sahi kaha tha, sir. Har cheez ki hadd hoti hai. Waqt aa gaya hai, ki hum bhi apne haq ke liye ladein."
And then, Subhash's voice drifted in from the distance.
"Really. Toh der kis baat ki? Chalaiye na goli! Go on. Fire!"
What now? Thought Abhijeet desperately. Lily needed their help. And he knew they'd never make it out alive with so many guards all around the place.
"Thank you. Meri baat suniye", he said, his brain working fast. "Dheeme boliye; koi aawaz nahi honi chahiye jab tak main na kahun. Main jaisa kehta hoon, vaisa kijiye."
*****
"Pakka?" asked the ACP.
"Yes, sir", said Azhar, pointing. "Abhi thodi hi der pehle woh nikle yahan se, Maximus pe. Humara ek ghoda."
"Let's go, everyone", said the ACP quietly. None of them said a word as they walked through the smouldering remains of the little settlement and got into the CID car.
*****
"Aur kitni der karengi, miss Lily", said Subhash, his smile wider than ever. "Chalaiye na goli! Jo kaam karne aayi hain, usse pura kijiye!"
The bodyguards now gathered around him chuckled derisively. Lily felt her hands slipping on the metal and wood of the shotgun. She had waited for long, she hated this man who had made her life hell for two years, who had now sunk to a level so low as to attempt to murder children in an orphanage, burned their homes and ravaged their fields. All she needed to end his vile life was to put a few ounces of pressure on the trigger. But she couldn't. Something in her just stopped it from happening. Was it because she had never killed a human being before? She didn't want her soul tainted with the blemish of homicide, no matter how justified it was?
Subhash decided to end the stalemate. He lunged and easily snatched the weapon out of her hands. Two of his bodyguards immediately seized her by the arms, and pulled her back.
"You see, miss Lily", smirked Subhash, twirling the shotgun carelessly in his hand. "Ye sab cheezein aap logon ke bas ke bahar hain. Kisi insaan ko itni nirdayta se maarne ke liye, kuch chahiye hota hai. Ab aap usko krurta kahiye... ya haiwaaniyat. Jo bhi, woh mere paas hai aur tumhare paas nahi."
"Nahi banna mujhe tumhare jaisa", said Lily angrily. "Kahan hai Mika? Tum usse chhod do, bas!"
"Papers?" crooned Subhash, pointing at the two men now holding out a paper in her direction.
Lily looked at it for a few seconds, weighing her chances. And then, she looked back up at him with a look of defiance. "Woh sab log... jinke kheth aur ghar tumne aaj jala diye, woh mujhpe bharosa karte hain. Tumhe kya lagta hai, main unko dhokha deke bech dungi zameen? Unki, unn bacchon ki zindagi sab tumhare haath kar dungi?"
"So that's your final answer... no', right", said Subhash mockingly, his smile slowly receding now. "Very well, miss Lily. Maine lakh koshish ki. Aapko samjhaya, behlaya, dhamkaya... ab aapki yehi marzi hai, toh theek hai. Abhi tak toh maine sirf tum logon ki property ko jalaya tha... ab dekho, aage kya karta hoon."
He snapped his fingers, and the guards inside brought out Mika. The little boy broke away from them and rushed to his mother.
"Mika!"
"Mumma!"
Subhash laughed as he stood over them, Lily kneeling as she hugged her son, and he pointed her shotgun straight at Mika's head.
"No... please..." said Lily. For the first time in her life, she was actually pleading.
"Afsos", smiled Subhash, taking careful aim. "Aapke faisle ki badaulat... ab aapke bete ko jaan se jaana padega. Woh bhi aapki hi bandook se."
Lily instinctively pulled Mika closer and threw herelf over him, trying to shield him from the line of fire. All around her, the guards raised their weapons.
"Jaisi aapki marzi!" smiled Subhash. "One... two..."
And there was a great roar in the distance. Every being in the vicinity looked up and turned towards the direction of the sound. It was terrible... as though the earth's atmosphere were shattering apart. And then, smoke and light flared in the distance. There were great sparks, and a pillar of fire rose into view.
"Ye kya hai?" said Subhash quietly.
The answer was only a second away. A huge mob came into view, brandishing torches and setting fire to Subhash's buildings, cars, trees. In the distance, the power station went up in flames. The mob's chanting became audible... Subhash Trivedi, haai haai! ... humari zameen, wapas karo!
"Jaao, roko unhe!" snarled Subhash, and his guards charged forward to clash with the mob. He turned angrily back at Lily. "Tum... tumne inko bagawat karne par utaar diya na!"
"Nahi, maine kiya."
A single piece of card landed at his feet. He picked it up and looked at it. A single photo of Mika, with cartoon stars and medals, "Senior Inspector" written over it. Abhijeet walked out of the door, his eyes flashing with rage.
"Maana ki ye mobile kaam nahi kar raha, par Motorola ka ek faayda hai iske programs", he said, holding up his bulky mobile. "Aapne abhi jo kuch kaha, record ho gaya hai ismein. Adaalat zarur sunna pasand karegi, kaise aapne khud apne muh se qubool kiya ki aag aapne hi lagayi thi."
Subhash's face contorted into an ugly grimace. "Tumhari itni himmat? Maar do saale ko!"
The guards charged. Abhijeet blocked their blows and crashed their heads together. Now that the guards were all engaged, Lily knew she had her chance. She lashed out and knocked the legs out from under Subhash. The man stumbled and ran for his life back into the tower, the routes out of the town having been blocked by the mob.
"Lily, Mika ko lekar jaao yahan se", shouted Abhijeet, as he knocked out the last of the guards. "Main Subhash ko pakadta hoon!"
"Par Abhijeet sir..."
"NOW!" he shouted again, not looking back as he rushed into the tower. The tail of Subhash's coat vanished just around the edge of the stairs as he entered. He chose against taking the elevator and rushed up the stairs, his breath coming in gasps, sweating from the dense fumes now slowly filling the air, and light from the inferno outside flashed in through every window he passed, so it looked like he were in a war zone. And then, he was on the top floor and in Subhash's lavish personal room. He found the wicked enterpreuner in the corner of the room, opening up a hidden box behind a painting on the wall.
"Ruk jaa wahin", snapped Abhijeet, raising his gun and coming to a halt. Lily and Mika caught up with him from behind. His heart leapt; they had chosen not to leave his side until the end. But there was no time now. "Jo bhi kar rahe ho, Subhash, ruk jaao!"
Subhash merely smiled, pretending to cooperate. And then, he pulled down the knob he was holding. There was a deep rumble that seemed to emnate from the very foundations of the building. And then, they felt it sway. The crashes of battle were eclipsed by the low bass of the sound as the tower clearly swayed at its roots. Abhijeet had to clutch the desk for support.
"Tumhe kya laga, Abhijeet... main apne dushmano ko aisa khud par haavi hone dunga, woh bhi apne hi ghar mein?" hissed Subhash. "Sab intzaam kar rakhe hain maine. Ye self-destruct mechanism tha. Ab iss tower ka malba hi tum dono ki kabr ban jaayega... aur mere khilaaf jo bhi saboot hain tumhare paas, yahin khatam ho jaayenge."
"Toh humare saath tum bhi maare jaaoge", said Abhijeet furiously. "Ab bhi waqt hai, surrender kar do."
"Surrendered", smiled the other, opening a small valve near the foot of the farther wall. "Emergency escape chute... mere liye. Afsos, yahan se nikalte hi main isko block kar dunga. So, goodbye!"
Abhijeet knew he had only seconds. He lunged and seized Subhash's coat from behind, and lashed out with a single hand to grab a tuft of his hair. Subhash struck back, but Lily came to his aid and struck Subhash squarely on his diaphragm. The man screamed and struggled to get free. Abhijeet pulled him away from the escape chute and struggled to hold him back. By now, the tower was slowly and steadily getting inclined at an angle with the ground, its centre of gravity shifting over and making it more and more unstable. Subhash finally broke free, climbed out of the nearest window and held onto the ledge of an office building's rooftop on the other side. Abhijeet helped Lily and Mika out just in time, and himself leapt onto the roof just as Subhash's tower went down in a great cascade of dust, debris, broken glass and fire.
"Subhash kahan hai?" he said at once, looking around. The roof looked deserted.
"Yahin kahin hoga", said Lily deftly, looking behind the water tanks placed around them. "Yahan se bhaagne ka bas ek raasta hai aur maine dekha, woh wahan se nahi gaya."
"Zarurat bhi nahi."
From the shadows lunged a dark shape, a gleam of silver in its hand and Lily doubled back as there was a flash of scarlet over her shoulder. Subhash seized her by the throat and wheeled her around, both of them facing Abhijeet now.
"Jaane do mujhe warna abhi isko kaat ke neeche fek dunga", snarled Subhash.
"Theek hai... theek hai..." said Abhijeet loudly, his eyes on Mika who had slunk unnoticed behind one of the tanks and was now peeking out from behind Subhash. He nodded ever so slightly; the child got his signal. He quietly took up a broken lock lying on the floor, and took careful aim. Lily's eyes were fixed on Abhijeet, and she clearly knew he was up to something for she kept herself calm, clutching at her wound.
"Itni dur aane ke baad main tum jaiso ko nahi bigaadne dunga apna kaam", hissed Subhash, backing away gradually and forcing Lily to do the same. "Jab yahan se bhaagne ka mauka tha, tabhi karna chahiye tha."
"Main ek CID officer hoon, Subhash. Aur CID officers kabhi haar nahi maante", said Abhijeet quietly. "Tumhari ye Lanka toh jal hi rahi hai, aur tum sab bhi ab jail mein sadoge."
"Woh abhi pata chal jaayega", growled Subhash, tightening his grip and pushing the knife squarely on her throat.
Abhijeet gave the signal and Mika hurled the lock straight at Subhash's hand, who yelled in pain and dropped the knife. Lily stamped hard on his feet, elbowed him in the stomach and landed a hard strike across his face. He tried to hit back, but Abhijeet blocked his attack and seized him by the throat, pushing him back and nearly over the edge of the terrace.
"Abhijeet, nahi! Ruk jaao!" came a familiar voice from the door at the far side.
Abhijeet spun around instinctively, and he couldn't help but grin broadly. "ACP sir? Daya? Asha? Fredericks? Aap sab yahan kaise pohoche?"
The team rushed up to him. Daya seized Subhash, who had been trying to counter-attack, and held him in a firm half-nelson.
"Batane ka waqt nahi hai, boss. Chalo jaldi, hum sab ko yahan se bahar nikalna hoga."
The cops, along with the captured Subhash, Lily and Mika rushed down the building, which was already filled with choking smoke, and rushed into the CID jeep parked right outside the ground floor. As they drove through the ravaged town, Abhijeet saw that Subhash's men had been defeated and the remaining ones were being apprehended and pulled out by the local law enforcement. The town was a flaming wreck and bathed in a sea of fire. They did not stop until they had crossed its boundaries, and the starry skies smiled at them once again through the smoke-filled sky.
*****
The rays of the dawning sun broke the darkness, and heralded the ushering of a new era. Not a soul was seen in the once magnificent establishment. The tall buildings and shining vehicles were smouldering, black ruins of brick and metal. Shattered glass draped the cracked roads. Blood stained the poles and walls. Subhash's looming tower was a pile of rubble. The trees and hedges lining the town were a jumble of bare trunks. Nobody could tell where the ruin ended and plains began.
"Bas yehi dua hai ki jo ye zameen, kisi zamaane mein humare purvajo ne itni mehnat aur imaan se humein saupi thi, ek din phir humari ho jaaye", said Arjun quietly.
"Hum poori koshish karenge ki woh jald se jald ho jaaye, Arjun ji", said the ACP. "Ek kisaan ke liye ye kitna maayne rakhta hai, hum jaante hain. Aap sab apne khoon-pasine se humare desh ki neev banaye rakhte hain, humari zindagi chalate hain aur ye log aapse sab kuch cheenna chahte hain. Kabhi nahi hone denge hum aisa."
Subhash and his men had already been arrested by the authorities for his vandalism of Lily's dwelling; apart from the several eyewitnesses, fragments of his bikes were recovered from the spot. Abhijeet's recording of his threats served as the final nail in his coffin. It was only a matter until the trials took place.
Lily sat quietly in a corner, cuddling her son as Asha gently checked her bandage and reassured her. The fight had been too much for her; the anemia manifested again and her breathing was affected for several hours until they got medical aid. She was touched by how Abhijeet had taken hold of her blood-stained arm and pulled her along during the escape, without even worrying about the obvious. Thankfully, there were no open cuts in his body and thus nothing happened. He smiled, quietly petting Maximus as they waited.
"Kabhi aap sab ka shukriya aada nahi kar paaungi", she said quietly. "Aapne kitni zindagiyon ko barbaad hone se bachaya."
"Aur aapne bhi", said the ACP, smiling. Abhijeet had told him everything a few hours before. "Itne sab kuch ke baad bhi aapne himmat nahi haari."
"Par phir bhi, aaj aap sab ke bina pata nahi humara kya hota. Subhash ne hum sab ko jaan se maar diya hota. Ab zindagi ke jitne bhi din bache hain, bas yehi chahti hoon ki kisi tarah iske aage ki zindagi ke liye kuch karun." She gestured sadly at Mika, who was standing with Abhijeet. "Aur inn sab ka bhi." She gestured towards her little family, who sustained injuries from the recent battle.
"Inn sab ki zimmedari humari hai, Lily", said Asha.
"Aur orphanage ke sab bacchon ki bhi", smiled Fredericks.
"Hum ye dekhke rahenge ki Mika ek accha, kaabil nagrik bane aur uske sab sapne pure ho", said Daya. "Ab toh Abhijeet uske bade bhai jaisa hai. Phir kis baat ka darr?"
She smiled at them.
"Aur uske pehle ek aur zaruri kaam bhi hai", said the ACP, suddenly stern. "Humein aapke... yaani, Rahul ke ghar ka address aur number chahiye."
*****
"Toh ab aapko wapas jaana hoga na, bhaiyya", said Mika dejectedly.
"Haan yaar", said Abhijeet, stroking his hair playfully. "Par tu chinta mat kar, haan? Milne zarur aaunga jab bhi time milega. Aur phone bhi karta rahunga."
"Kaash aap yahan ruk jaate humare saath", said Mika loudly, before he could stop himself.
Abhijeet couldn't help but smile. "Ruk jaata zarur, beta. Par meri bhi duty hai, team hai Mumbai mein. Aur humein jurm se ladte rehna hai taaki hum iss desh ko tum aur tumhari mumma jaise acche logon ke liye surakshit bana sakein."
Mika smiled, and held out something small in his fist. It was quite familiar. "Mera badge, bhaiyya. Taaki agar aap humse milne na aa payein, tab bhi humein kabhi bhoolein na."
Abhijeet stared at the little card for long, before pulling the little boy into a brief one-armed hug. "Tumhe kaise bhool sakta hoon, beta. Kabhi nahi... never."
*****
Everything else seemed to happen almost by itself. The first thing the team did after reaching Mumbai was ensure that Lily and her family were allotted temporary residences by the government until the case was settled officially. They visited Rahul's house and, following a sound rebuke to his cruel parents and brother, assured them that they would pay for their deeds very soon. Abhijeet offered an apology to the court and explained how him moving out of Mumbai was an accident. The court accepted his explanation and, in following trials, he was found innocent and Bhiku and his men were arrested for framing him wrongfully.
Subhash was tried in court, found guilty of illegal usurping of land, threatening, kidnapping, attempted murder and several other charges, and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment in one of the country's toughest prisons, where he was killed in a clash with inmates not long after. Karmic retribution, thought Abhijeet. The farmers received their lands back, and the government officially cleared the path for the demolishing and removal of the remains of Subhash's establishment, so they could start their living once more. The team was showered with their blessings, and they kept their promises to Lily as well.
And that's what stabbed Abhijeet the most. The last time he saw her was in her chawl late that year, giving the good news of their victory in court and planning how to to rebuild their lives. Despite the atmosphere of joy all around, she had merely given him a meek smile and kept to her corner. Abhijeet found opportunity and approached her to talk. She looked thinner than ever. Her hair was falling and graying, eyes looked sunken and gait had none of the agility and strength he remembered. He knew her health had deteriorated a lot in those five months.
"Lily..." he said quietly.
"Ab aapse kya chhupaun, sir", she said, without looking at him. "Aap khud hi dekh rahe hain. Din par din meri haalat kharab ho rahi hai. Aakhir jeet toh HIV ki hi honi hai na."
"Woh sab mat socho tum", he said firmly.
"Par sacchayi hai who, sir. Mere jaane ke baad Mika ka kya hoga, mujhe bas uski chinta hai."
He remained quiet for a while. "Mera waada hai tumse, Lily. Mika mere chhote bhai jaisa hai. Usko sahi raste par chalne mein humesha main madad karunga. Aur hum sab bhi."
"Par main toh sirf aapko jaanti hoon. Isliye waada bhi sirf aapka chahiye", she said. "Aap Mika ka dhyaan rakhenge, mujhe poora yakeen hai. Thank you, sir."
"Ismein thanks ki kya baat hai?"
She merely smiled. And they spent the rest of the time in silence. And he played a bit with Mika and the team took joyful leave of the community of farmers. That was the last time he saw her. And he never realized it would be the very last one. He had thought of meeting them later, if not a long one, just a brief visit. Duty never permitted. It didn't help that their phone was out of order, and the few times that he called, he'd been able to talk to neither her nor Mika. Weeks turned to months and years, and they fell out of touch. There was so much chaos, confusion, violence, bloodshed and tragedy in his line of duty that he barely found time for anything else.
And then, in May 2007, a young man of around fifteen turned up to meet him just outside the bureau. The place was empty except for Daya, Asha and Freddy, and they looked at him with curiosity.
"Abhijeet bhaiyya... Daya sir! Asha mam! Fredericks sir! Bahut accha laga aap sab ko phir dekhke", he smiled, extending his hand.
They looked at each other in a bit of surprise. And then, Abhijeet recognized the thin cut mark over his right eye.
"Mika!" he exclaimed.
"Mujhe pata tha aapko pehchaanenge, sir", he grinned.
"Mika, beta tum kaise ho? Kya kar rahe ho?" asked Asha eagerly.
"Yahan kaise aana hua? Sab theek toh hai na?" asked Daya in concern.
"Haan sir. Bas yahan kuch din ki training thi, socha aapse mil lun", said Mika. "Police ki training le raha hoon."
"Wow!" they cheered in unison.
"Tumhari mom kitni khush hongi na?" said Freddy eagerly. "Ab kaisi hain woh?"
Mika's smile faltered, and he suddenly fell silent. They saw the worst answer in his eyes. Freddy put a hand over his head.
"Oh... no", he said softly. "Mika... beta, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize..."
"No sir, koi baat nahi", said Mika. "Ab toh kaafi din ho chuke hain. Aadat ho gayi hai mujhe... haan unki yaad bahut aati hai. Unhone aap sabko bhi yaad kiya tha."
He particularly looked at Abhijeet, who was now feeling a dreadful void within him, as though a black hole had opened up inside his chest and was pulling everything inside. Mike explained briefly how the dreadful disease finally manifested itself in Lily's body in late 2004. It was inevitable. The virus developed resistance to the medications and ravaged her immune system... and there was nothing left to protect her from the multiple opportunistic infections. He kept it thankfully short and mentioned how he last saw her look at him, lying in the terminal ward with extreme tuberculosis, barely able to speak and saying a silent prayer for him, the CID team and all she loved. He had fallen asleep by her side, holding her arm... and by the morning, there seemed to be no difference. She seemed peacefully asleep... except the cardiograph was silent as a grave. He stopped at that point, unable to speak any further.
"I'm so sorry, beta. Aapki mom bahut bahadur aur nek thi. Aapne bahut bahaduri dikhayi beta aur aap aaj training le rahe ho. Unko zarur aap par garv hoga... aur hum sab ko bhi unpar aur tumpar garv hai", said Daya, his hand on Mika's shoulder.
"Hum sab humesha tumhare saath hain", said Freddy, giving him a small smile and patting his arm.
"Thank you, sir", said Mika, trying to return their smile. "Accha, main chalta hoon. Aap sabse milkar accha laga. Kabhi milne aaiyega, Abhijeet bhaiyya."
Abhijeet nodded, and Mika left. He noticed Daya, Asha and Fredericks giving him concerned and sympathetic looks.
"Main zara washroom hokar aata hoon", he said quickly.
And he rushed back into the building and up the stairs without looking back. There was a great lump growing in his throat and he knew he'd not be able to hold it in for long.
*****
It felt like just yesterday when he had first seen her holding him at gunpoint in that glen, saving him from the wolves and mistaking him for an enemy. And fate had made a bond between them. He could hear her laugh as he held tight onto Maximus' reigns and they rode through the plains, feeling the wind in his hair... the joy in his heart... and the peace in his soul. They had never spoken much, but he knew that the true mark of a bond was when silence between two people became comfortable. He knew that deluded minds would read his thoughts and denounce it as infatuation, or romance, or "ishq". People who thought that there couldn't exist any bond between a man and woman except romance.
Had it been elder-brotherly concern? He felt so. He had never given it much thought and he didn't need labels. They had been two human beings in a common place, in a troubled phase and who had been able to do something for each other and bring some joy to each other, even if temporary. He saw her smile in his mind's eye again. And he remembered Mika's description of her lying in peaceful, eternal slumber that morning a lovely soul was taken from the earth... and tears came before he could stop them. What was the point? For the first time in years and years, he felt the hot drops cascading down his eyes, spilling into the sink whose edge he was now gripping tightly. Let them call me weak. Let them question my manhood. If tears make me weak, then I'm proud to be weak. I'm not throwing away my humanity... she never threw away hers.
He could see three pairs of feet standing outside, from the crack beneath the door. He knew whom they belonge to and although he felt their concern, he had no desire to move outside until they had left. That took an hour, and he went straight home and threw himself onto the couch without another thought. And he closed his eyes in a silent prayer for her soul, a silent plea for forgiveness... for never having done whatever was needed to see her one last time.
Epilogue: A triumph of spirit
The restaurant was silent. Everybody had left except them. Asha and Fredericks sank back into their chairs, their expressions drawn and depressed. Sachin looked down, his breathing unusually quiet. Purvi wiped a tear from her eye.
"I'm so sorry, sir", she said softly.
"I'm sorry sir, humari wajah se aapko ye sab phir yaad karna pada", said Sachin apologetically.
"Nahi nahi... please sorry mat bolo", said Abhijeet. "Ye koi aisi cheez nahi hai, jisse yaad karna sharm ki baat ho. Haan dukh toh hota hai, par isse ye bhi yaad hota hai ki zindagi kitni keemti hai, aur usse bhi zyada keemti hai usse dusron ki madad mein lagana. Isliye agar hum sahi raah par ho, toh har mushkil se ladna humara farz hai aur hum apni manzil paakar rahenge."
All of them nodded.
"Aur isliye hum Anand ko bachake rahenge, Dr. Harsh ko saza dilwaakar rahenge."
"Absolutely, sir."
"Hum karke rahenge!"
As if on cue, his phone rang. He answered it. "Hello, Daya?"
"Hello boss. Ek acchi khabar hai. Mujhe aur ACP sir ko aane mein thoda waqt lagega. Vivek aur Varun tumhare paas aa rahe hain."
"Accha? Aisa kya?"
"Surprise thodi bigaadunga aise. Khud hi dekh lena! Chalo see you."
And within ten minutes, KD's assistant Varun and Vivek had arrived with a large box containing fragments of the pistol Dr. Harsh had hidden at various spots and assembled together to create a functioning weapon and shoot Mr. Saldanha from a hidden location. The effect was immediate; the court overruled the defense and sentenced Dr. Harsh to life imprisonment, and acquitted Anand of all charges. The latter reuinited joyfully with his family and thanked the CID team profusely. KD Pathak joined them after bidding a cordial farewell to the sour-faced Jaiswal. And amid the celebrations, Purvi turned to Abhijeet.
"Sir, Mika ka kya hua? Uski training... kya woh police officer ban gaya? Woh theek hai?" she asked.
Abhijeet smiled at her. "Acche waqt pe poocha, Purvi. Actually, aap sab ko ek news deni thi."
"Woh kya, Abhijeet?" asked the ACP.
"Hum sabko invitation mila hai. Ek felicitation ceremony attend karne ko. Ek Inspector ne akele teen terrorist gangs ka pardafaash karke Hyderabad ko ek bahut bade khatre se bacha liya. Aur aap sab uss Inspector ko jaante hain."
There was a smile on everyone's lips hearing this.
*****
He waited on the side of the stage, his powerful arms humbly folded and uniform impeccably clean. His comrades were nudging him to move ahead to accept the award, but he shook his head and merely waited. He never liked the spotlight. Quiet dedication to duty was all that mattered, more than any shining piece of metal. The satisfaction of making others happy, knowing they were living peacefully with the knowledge that people like him stood tall to protect them, was beyond words. It was divine.
"And we request our Honourable Governor, Dr. Aamir Sheikh to come on stage and give away this award."
The governor ascended on stage, took up the trophy and adjusted the mike. "I would like to ask Inspector Mika to come up on stage..."
The crowd erupted with cheers. Mika hardly knew what was happening around him. As he walked up, shook the governor's hand and accepted the award, he automatically looked towards the audience and saw whom he was looking for. The entire CID team was there, beaming and applauding him. And his dearest Abhijeet bhaiyya was right up front, giving him an enormous grin and double thumbs-up sign. Mika grinned back and couldn't help but return it immediately, feeling happier than he had been in years.
There was a rumble of thunder and it started raining over the venue. A small gust of wind passed over his head, as though stroking it lovingly. Was it his imagination, or was his mother there indeed? As a part of nature, her tears of joy coming down and her own hand moving over his head, proud of him forever. And he receded silently from the stage, quietly placing his trophy aside and longing for the moment when the function would be over and he would be able to meet his extended family who had come to visit him.
THE END
Author's note: This story is inspired by an episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, titled "Lone Wolf". And many of the things portrayed including the plight of HIV victims, is inspired by real life events. I'm very sorry if anyone is hurt by anything in this story. Its only my views and I've tried my best to treat all characters with suspense. Although I've already clarified it in the story, there's no romance intended between any characters. It's non-investigative and I hope I've done justice to all our cops. As for Asha mam and Vivek sir's inclusion, I'm writing that in continuity with an older story of mine.
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