PART-19
Rajveer put his arms around her waist. She looked at him affectionately without blinking her eyes.
"What happened?"
"It's been so long having been with you... I love you Raj."
He smiled back at her and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes as his lips gently brushed against hers. He kissed on her cheeks and then reached for her lips. Their lips were locked in a tender kiss and their tongues slowly caressed each other playfully. They were enjoying each other's soft touch but at that point of time they had other more important things to focus on. They parted reluctantly.
"We will continue this later tonight." Rajveer said kissing on her eyelids.
She smiled and nodded.
"What do we do with this body?"
"I'll handle it. You go back to the base and check his quarter and cabin for the proofs he was talking about. Give me a call when you find them. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Come I'll drop you to a place where you can find a cab."
They drove off leaving the dead body of an innocent but dedicated officer behind. He dropped Naina at some distance and took the gun he had given her.
"I'll see you. Bye Jaan."
Naina took a cab and returned to the base. She already had a copy of duplicate keys of Huda's cabin and his quarter. She entered into his cabin first and thoroughly checked it. She went through each and every file and looked in every corner but could not find anything. She locked it again and came to his quarter. She minutely searched everywhere but could not get anything. She sat down on the couch in dismay. She was scared. Tears brimmed her eyes. She didn't know what do now.
******
Rajveer returned to the crime scene after almost 90 minutes. He opened the back door of his car and dragged out the unconscious figure of a middle-aged man. He sprinkled water on his face and slowly he regained his consciousness. Meanwhile Rajveer took out gun from Huda's pocket and pointed it on him. As that man opened his eyes and his blurred vision cleared, he saw Rajveer standing on his head with a gun pointing towards him.
"Please don't!" He begged him in a shabby voice. It was too weak and unclear. He looked very thin and unwell.
"Sorry Major Rastogi. Can't afford to have any mercy on you. Only one of us can live and I chose my self."
Major Rastogi looked terrified. He has already been in their custody for last more than 2 months. All this while he has been tied up and starved. Most of the time he was kept on sedatives. He has been leading a wretched life in that dark room. Many a times he won't even see a human face for so many days. That has been the worst part of his life after a small span of immense happiness and pleasure. This was not the way he wanted to die. He had joined the army with a spirit to die for the country but right now he was about to die but that was not for his country. He didn't even had the strength to fight back.
He closed his eyes as tightly as he could. He couldn't have seen his death approaching him. Just a second was all that Rajveer needed to pull the trigger. Another dead body fell down on the ground. It was a lethal night where terror reigned.
******
Suddenly something flashed in her mind. There was one place she had not checked yet. She got up and proceeded towards the wooden almirah in the other room. She had checked that almirah earlier also but this time she wanted to check not inside it but behind it. She slipped her hand in the narrow space between back of the almirah and the wall. Her hand struck something attached to the back of the almirah and she with a little difficulty managed to pull it out. It was a big cover. She opened it and found a file and a CD. That was it. She has got all that she wanted. Now nothing could prove that she is guilty. She arranged everything in the room as it was before. She made sure that not even a single thing was left out of place. She locked the place and returned to her quarter. She called up Rajveer and told him that she has got the file.
"Great jaan... I'll be there in an hour. I'll need another 5 minutes to finish my work here. And you be ready. We'll continue from where we left. I am coming."
He disconnected the call. He took out a huge box from his car and placed it in Huda's car. He placed the gun with which he shot Major Rastogi in Huda's hands and the one with which Naina killed Huda in Major Rastogi's hand after removing the fingerprints. Everything was set.
******
"I think that night Captain Huda called up Major Rastogi and asked him to meet at an isolated place. May be he wanted to warn him against the developments we had made in the case and the proofs we found against him. There they might have got into some sort of fight and both of them ended up shooting each other. Because the Ballistic reports also says that they died from the bullet shot from the revolvers we found with those bodies." Rajveer was explaining his theory to Lieutenant Colonel Prassana.
"Even in that case Captain how would you explain the rifles those were found at the crime scene."
"Sir I think they were trying to dispose them off. They didn't do that earlier because, may be, they were looking for the right opportunity that came now only when our focus shifted from the ammunitions' case to the kidnappings. I think that was the only reason Captain Singh was kidnapped. They wanted us to shift our focus."
"Fine but what about Major Rastogi's kidnapping case?"
"He never was kidnapped. He disappeared when he found about the inspection, about which he obviously knew in advance, Thanks to Captain Huda."
"But Captain if he knew about inspection well in advance, why would he disappear. He could have easily kept those rifles back in the place."
"Only if he had not sold few of those rifles. We have not found all the missing rifles sir. The ones we found were hardly half of them."
"I see. Do we have any proof against Captain Huda?"
"Unfortunately, no sir. But we don't even have any other explanation for his presence there the night he died with Major Rastogi and the rifles that we found in his car."
"It's still very difficult for me to believe that he was involved in such activities. I knew him as an honest and dedicated officer for last two years."
"It happens sir. I can understand that. But right now I don't think there is anything that can substantiate him worthy of your trust for him. I am sorry but that's how things here are."
The discussion continued for two hours. They showed him all the proofs they had collected or rather created against Major Rastogi. But as far as Captain Huda was concerned, they made sure that he isn't given any benefit of doubt. At the end of it Lieutenant Colonel Prassana gave in and accepted all their theories.
"Okay fine Captain Shekhawat, I think the case is closed then."
"I think so too sir. What are the orders for me now?"
"I think until we find another suitable person to be posted as the in charge of the base, you take over as the acting head. That's the order I have received from my senior officers and Captain, Congratulations... for your posting and for your success in this case."
"Thank you so much sir."
"By the way Captain Singh and Lieutenant Sharma, I believe you both are fine with Captain Shekhawat taking over the charge."
"Certainly sir." Captain Singh was more than happy with the news of Rajveer staying back. Lieutenant Alekh also agreed with her.
"Great then. All the Best and I hope we don't have to meet again to discuss any other such unfortunate matter."
"I really hope so too sir." Captain Shekhawat answered. But he didn't know that he was hoping against hope!