Chapter 17 - The Confession
Switched off. Really? ACP Arjun's phone switched off? Was something wrong then? She was pacing around in her hotel room, phone clutched in hand. Did he forget about her so soon? But then, he had sounded so impatient to talk to her just a couple of hours ago. And then, he hadn't called back. She jumped as her phone vibrated in her hand.
She shouted into the phone when she saw his name flashing on it, "Arjun! Kab se try kar rahi hoon! Phone kyun nahi utha rahe?"
"Shant ho jaa meri maa. Drive kar raha tha. Acha hotel pahunch gayi? Kya naam bataya tha hotel ka?"
"Naam thodi bataya tha. Park hotel, Connaught Place ke paas."
"Oh. Ok.Chal main rakhta hoon. Ek naya case aaya hai. Bye."
"Bye!"
She cursed herself for having taken the decision to come here. She obviously didn't think this through. How was she going to survive without him? She missed him already - his smile, his eyes... She missed her name. She wanted to be called Meethi again.
***
"Ma'am, sir ne aapke liye gaari bheji hai."
"Mere liye? Kaunse sir?" A man was standing at the door of her room, clad in a driver's uniform.
"DIG sir. Unhone kaha hai aapko abhi apne office mein bulaya hai. Kal ke liye plans discuss karne hai."
"Abhi?" She glanced at her watch - it was 9.00 pm.
"Haan. Please chaliye."
She was puzzled by all this. How come he hadn't told her himself. She thought of calling him up to confirm, but then decided against it and said, "Acha aap chaliye. Main 2 minutes mein aati hoon."
She quickly changed into a pale yellow kurti, wrapped her favourite white dupatta around her neck and exited her room to meet the man downstairs, who was waiting for her with the car door open. She fidgeted with her bracelet as she climbed in and the car door slammed shut. She wondered why she was being summoned at this hour.
***
"Yahan?"
The car had stopped outside Purana Qila - standing out against the dark night sky, its walls lit up by a golden night light.
"Haan ma'am. Sir ne kaha andar jaane ke liye."
Ok, now she was a bit freaked out. Who was this man and why did he drop her off at this dark and foreboding place? Curiosity dragged her out of the car and she clutched the pepper spray in her bag as she walked towards the entrance, glancing back now and then at the driver. She didn't know why she was following the instructions of the stranger, but something felt right here. There was the sensation of something familiar in the gentle wind that was blowing around her. The place was supposed to have closed at 5, then how come it was still open? Peering inside she marveled at the dark and mysterious passages, the old crumbling walls and the haunting light that lit up the entire place. Then, her eyes fell upon an area beyond, which seemed to glow much brighter than the rest of the areas.
She gazed transfixedly at the beautiful glow, as her feet wandered off towards the source of the light. Her breathing quickened as she walked along the ancient passages, until she reached the source of the light.
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To be continued...
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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