Rikara: To Serve and to Protect | Part 12 - Pg 36 |05/18/2018| - Page 16

Pinky Singh Oberoi

Shakti has been accused of colluding with Tej Kapoor and helping him in his illegal activities in business. When Shivaay explained the accusations in Jahnvi's note, I laughed.

My children probably think I have gone mad. Jahnvi has accused Shakti, the only person who cared enough to try and help her of colluding with the man she considers her nightmare. The irony does not escape me.

A year and a half ago, when Jahnvi reached out to me amidst an award ceremony, it was I who assured her of help. She begged me to try and help her locate her daughter, the child she had lost years ago. Her plight and her distress moved me. She is a friend.

I persuaded Shakti to help her without going through official channels. I passionately pleaded to him to keep the matter under wraps. Jahnvi's terrified pleas about Tej Kapoor's reach, her thought that her child will still face this society's wrath if her affair was known rubbed off on me.

Against his better judgement, Shakti reluctantly agreed.

I tell my children about it all, tears streaming down my face.

"Why would Jahnvi do this Shivaay? All Shakti did was try and help her. He tried finding her child. Is that wrong? What is his mistake in all this? Why did Jahnvi accuse him of something this outrageous? Is it Shakti's fault that Gauri is not Jahnvi's daughter? Her child died three days after birth. I think Jahnvi has gone mad in her grief knowing the truth.

Shivaay hugs me without a word.

It takes me sometime to gather myself. I hear Shakti telling me to be strong. Then it strikes me clearly. I will not break. Shakti and my family need me. I won't give in to my sorrow right now. I wipe my tears and look at all my children, all five of them.

"Sorry. It was too much to bear suddenly. I know we need to be strong right now and a weeping mother is not going to help.

Annika and Gauri hug me from both sides.

"We will get dad home mom. We will.

Annika hold my hands tightly as she looks at the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rudra Singh Oberoi

Bhabhis have taken mom to her room so that she can rest. We want her to rest. There is a lot to do. My mom cannot get weak now. Dad needs us all. I look at my brothers looking grim as they discuss the various possibilities.

"They have remanded him for two days. They won't let me see him. Protocol.

Shivaay Bhaiyya sounds frustrated as Om urges him to try and concentrate on proceeding with the facts in hand.

"Shivaay, I will see him tomorrow. But we need to get to the truth, the entire truth. There is no other way to help dad.

Truth. I realize that dad has only scratched the surface when he let us know about Gauri Bhabhi's protective detail a few days back.

Three days past...

Gauri, there is something you need to know. Actually, there is something that all of you need to know.

He had then gone on to explain about mom's friend Jahnvi and her sad life, the child taken from her and finally the abuse she has gone through. Jahnvi Kapoor had held on in the hope of reuniting with her daughter at some point. It all seemed to be possible when she met mom a year and a half back. Dad kept the investigation unofficial on mom's request. He tried finding the long-lost Kapoor kid.

"I searched for the child and it led me to Gauri.

I can still hear the gasp from Bhabhi when the revelation was made. Bhabhi had sat transfixed hearing those words, her face pale. Dad continued explaining.

"While I found that you were not Jahnvi's daughter, I also found that someone was stalking you. So, I ordered a protective detail, to keep you safe.

At first, dad said he suspected Tej Kapoor for the stalking. But then he changed his mind. The stalking had started recently, just weeks ago..

"I realized that the more I started digging, the more you were threatened. At one point, your roommate turned out to be a plant from the Kapoor NGO, from Happy Homes for Women'. So, when Pinky asked about bringing you home as Om's wife, I immediately agreed.

"Shakti... What are you saying?

My mom's censure at that point is over shadowed by O running up the stairs. All I remember after that is Om knocking on Bhabhi's door upstairs.

~~~~~~~~

Now...

"Snap out of it Rudy. Where are you? O is snapping his fingers in front of me. I look at him.

"How is dad so sure that Bhabhi is not Mrs. Kapoors' kid?

O looks at me surprised and then I see him thoughtful.

"From what I gather, Gauri was not orphaned until she was eight. Mrs. Kapoor's child would have been there since her birth.

"And Gauri's age does not match with Mrs. Kapoor's child.

Shivaay Bhaiyya walks towards us, reading from a small notebook in his hand. He looks up and points to the page he is reading.

"This is dad's notes from the investigation. You know he goes old school when he wants to do something in secret. I found his notes in that locked drawer in the study we used to be so fascinated by when we were kids. He stashes his hand-written notes there on sensitive cases.

Omkara Singh Oberoi

The five of us, all except mom are in dad's study. Shivaay is reading out from dad's notes. I insisted on Gauri hearing all this. At this point, it is important she gets some answers to her questions. I also know that the answers will help her with the guilt. When I found her in mom's room, she was almost ready to leave again.

"This is all because of me. She kept saying until I sternly shushed her. I promised her that we will find the answers to the questions that are boggling us.

I now sit beside her and she is holding my hand tightly as Shivaay reads out loudly from dad's cryptic notes.

Notes from my investigations

Oct 12^th 2016, 21:25 PM: First meeting with Jahnvi Kapoor at award function. Mrs. Kapoor insists on secrecy. Pleads to find daughter.

Oct 30^th 2016, 11:30 AM: Mrs. Kapoor's information does not add up. Note to self: Look at old hospital records.

Dec 24^th 2016, 2:30 AM: Gauri Sharma is certainly the girl I am looking for. She is precocious. Note to self: Ask if Jahnvi knows about the girl S.

Feb 12^th 2017, 22:30 PM: Gauri is certainly not Jahnvi's daughter. The dates do not add up. Jahnvi is certainly mistaken or confused.

.April 2^nd 2017: Gauri joined the school as a teacher. Pinky is very happy. Worried about Gauri's safety. Jahnvi declines to believe my conclusions.

May 23^rd 2017: Jahnvi's child died three days after her birth. Confirmed with wet nurse and ward boy at that time. I feel sorry for Mrs. Kapoor. The news is surely going to break her totally.

May 30^th 2017: Started investigation on S. She is now missing for six months. No word. Not even a whiff from her contacts. Jahnvi declined to help. Does not talk about Gauri at all. Note to self: Something is definitely off.

July 15^th 2017: Gauri is being followed. No doubt about it. Room mate from NGO. Note to self: Give her a protective detail

August 5^th 2017: Investigation hits dead end at Kapoor industries. S joined by resigned in Feb 2017. No friends. No one seems to remember her. Strange. S worked only for three weeks and moved to Happy Homes for Women.

October 17^th 2017: No one remembers S at HHFW. She has vanished into thin air. Mrs. Kapoor declines to help again. Livid about Pinky's decision to make Gauri our DIL.

December 29^th 2017: Direction from upstairs- back off investigating Kapoor industries. S is still missing. Eight months and counting.

January 30^th 2018: Om and Gauri are engaged. Media attack. Tej Kapoor?

Feb 19^th 2018: Need to bring Gauri home. Danger. S is the girl under the bridge. Need to confirm. If true, changes everything

March 6^th 2018: HHFW is front. Check case files Prithvi. Talk to Om about case.

March 10^th 2018: Need to find LEAK. Moved case of Mukesh. Red herring.

His notes end there. Shivaay looks up.

"Did he talk to you about the Prithvi case?

"Only to transfer the case from me to Mukesh.

We look at each other. Things are starting to clear up a little bit. But a lot of other things are hazy.

"What does he mean by red herring? "Who is S?

Bhabhi and Gauri look puzzled and confused. I take a deep breath.

"That is exactly what we need to find out about. Dad has left us some bread crumbs. We just need to follow to the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shakti Singh Oberoi

"Mr. Oberoi, we have been treating you with utmost respect as accorded to the position you occupy. But you are testing our patience. Do you have anything to say?

"Not at the moment.

Mr. Shukla, the senior CBI investigator sighs and gets up.

"Well, then it is time you are remanded into our custody. Your remand has been extended for two days.

I shrug, nod and get up. Cuffs are not part of the drill because I am not yet accused of anything. It is all a lot of hush hush.

Shukla goes to the door and then comes back.

"Do you know who called us in?

I wait for the answer for I know this is going to be Shukla's moment of triumph.

"It was your son, Omkara Shakti Singh Oberoi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Omkara Singh Oberoi

I am the only person allowed to meet my dad. The fact that I gave them Mrs. Kapoor's note has given me a standing with the CBI on this case. Shukla, I know is trying to use me to get my father to talk. So, when he explains to me that I should advice dad to give him the necessary information, I nod my head, hoping that my face looks serious and thoughtful.

"It is for his own good Omkara. Who in this day and age does not help the big guys out. There is a lot of sympathy for him.

I roll my eyes when he does not look.

The night before...

"Listen carefully Om, for we don't have time.

I have locked myself in my office, pretending to be working when actually I am heart broken. I am in love with Gauri. I am afraid though that I have lost her. After telling her that I love her, I have kept myself away from her. I understand she needs time to come to terms with all that is happening. But staying away from her is killing me, almost.

Dad knocks and walks into my office, his face inscrutable.

"Om, I need you to do something for me.

I immediately get up and salute. He is my commanding officer, and this is my place of work.

"At ease ACP Omkara. Come with me.

I follow him out. We walk towards the Caf and when we are alone, he casually tells me to inform the Central Bureau of Investigations about Mrs. Kapoor's case.

"There is her note involving me in it. I want you to get the CBI in before the case is transferred to someone inside our own department.

The shock should have showed for I remember stopping abruptly at his request. He urges me to walk without showing any emotion.

"Two years ago, a friend of mine called me up. It was a request to help him find his maid's daughter who had gone missing in our city. This friend was loath to go through the proper channels. I figured out why pretty quickly.

"The maid's daughter was his own?

This won't be the first time. The murky waters of high-society is well known.

"Not exactly. She was a private detective.

"Your friend' was doing corporate espionage.

This time dad nodded his face grim.

"His boss is, according to him. He was trying to get proof of such activity. Unfortunately, the girl they hired went missing and while his boss just swept the entire thing under the carpet, he could not. He was worried. I decided to open an investigation on his insistence. But he begged me to keep it confidential.

He pauses before heaving a huge sigh.

"Why didn't you entrust the investigation to a team dad? Why not one of us?

"He is an old friend. I could not break my promise. At that point I did not think much about it. I hoped that the girl had just grown tired and decided to take off with the fees. I was very wrong.

"What happened to that girl?

My dad looked at me and paused for a second.

"She was the girl under the bridge you found on the day of your engagement Omkara. The girl's name is Sowmya.

My face should have shown my surprise. Dad placed on hand on my shoulders before he continued.

"Om, there are a lot of lives at stake here. I should have seen this a long time back, but I did not. I still do not have all the pieces. Nor do I have any evidence. Just a gut feeling. I want you and your brothers to continue doing what you are doing. Solve those cases of the missing girls and the dead ones. They are all somehow related. Don't trust anyone. Go with your gut. And Keep the family safe.

I nod. There are too many questions that do not have answers yet. But the first step is to start untangling this mess one strand at a time.

"Dad, is this why you want me to go to the CBI?

He nods no. "I am being watched. We need a red herring. I am that. It is time to stop playing it safe.

I know exactly what he means.

Today...

"How are you holding up?

My dad just smiles and motions me to sit.

"You should tell them about Tej Kapoor dad. You should tell them about Tej Kapoor and Jahnvi Kapoor's past.

He looks at me thoughtfully and then nods. I get up and hug him.

"Just hold tight. We are getting there. I whisper. "I know. Don't worry about me.

He pats me on my back soothingly. "You did good kiddo. You all did good.