REDEMPTION - CHAPTER 2
I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three. - Unknown
Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the Gun down
Rudran placed the empty cup,which had held his second round of black coffee on the table next to his bed.Reaching out,he gently picked up the photo stand and stared into both the pictures of his brother and himself.In the photos both were wearing identical and they looked like the reflection of the other.But,if you looked closely,real closely one could see subtle differences in both their eyes and lips.His brothers soul had always been filled with smiles that reflected in his eyes and danced slightly on his lips.He always took he first step not to lead but to protect his other self with his own body as armour.He was quick to thought and even quicker to translate that to action while he was slow,cautious and yet his parents knew that he was the brains behind everything.
Rudran looked at his brother " Bhairav,i miss you.I miss you more each passing day.I hope the day comes soon when we can see and be with each other again.But until that moment i remain half alive and half dead.I love you."
This was more or less the same words or mantra which he chanted,whispered everyday and every night before going to sleep.
Rudran placed the photos back on the table and wondered if the tears would come.But they didn't and they hadn't for a long time.A few tears had come when his father had finally succumbed to alcohol and cigarettes but they were more for his mother who gradually sank into a state of stupor and now only moved about with the help of nurses who came to their houses in shifts of three which started at 6.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m and from that to 10.00 p.m and from then to 6.00 a.m.
After bhairav's disappearance his father had sold off all their various businesses and had relocated to kodaikanal.Rudran had continued his education in Kodaikanal International School aka kodai school and the family had returned to chennai for rudran wanted to do his graduation in MCC aka Madras Christian College.After finishing his basic graduation in psychology he had enrolled in the university of madras for his post graduation in psychology and had then got his doctorate.But rudran then went on with a burning zeal and got a Ph.D in (Criminology and Criminal Justice Administration).
For many of you who haven't gone in the direction and to the rarefied levels of Phd you must understand that there are many stumbling blocks before one gets his or her doctorate.Professors or research guides as they are called and the ones who overlook your research and preparation for your thesis can be real tyrants and taskmasters and the less said about what women go through.
But Rudran was not one among them for his calm and steady personality only raised paternal and maternal feelings in most of the faculty members.That it also raised other feelings in his female professors is better left unspoken.The psychology department's faculty members knew and recognised greatness when they saw one and knew that Rudran was special and was on his way to great things.
Yet,beyond all that was the force and power he exuded even when he calmly gazed into one's eyes that largely encouraged people to step aside and let him do his thing and take off on the mighty wings he seemed to possess.And add to the limitless knowledge that his brain seemed to contain and many who were doing their thesis owed their doctorates to his help and inputs.
He had then sat for the Civil Service Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission and after being selected had been sent to train at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy,Hyderabad.
It was whispered that he was overqualified for the posting of an IPS officer for he topped his batch in not only academics but in other areas such as track and field events.He stood first when it came to shooting with small arms and placed a close second in rifle and long range shooting.He always seemed to excel in solitary events such as marathon running and chess and always declined when he was invited to take part in games such as football and cricket.But he was always present to cheer those who played and people did not take it to heart his solitary demeanour which could be sometimes border on irritating or rather frustrating..He was among the few who were sent to train with the elite of the military teams called black death squads who were given the task of seeking and destroying terrorist sleeper cells in the sensitive kashmir region.
He was the only one among his batch to be sent secretly abroad to train with the Mossad of Israel and then with the FBI of USA and all this was done because his superiors felt his incredible brain should be further sharpened and made use of its full potential.
But one thing that people from his batch remembered was the photo of his brother and the way rudran saw it and softened measurably.They knew that beyond his solitary and quiet persona lay a man who was kind,gentle and it yet lay covered under some great tragedy.
After training for two years he had been posted in delhi for a year and it was here where his talents finally exploded and rose to the top and where he became a legend through his many exploits.But remarkably he always took a backseat when it came to publicity and preferred to shun the limelight and his name being mentioned.His wishes were respected and then he came under the protection of the then defence minister who was now prime minister of the country.
It all started with the disappearance of the defence ministers grand daughter who was doing her first year graduation in an elite college near gurgaon.Rudran was the first on the scene for the area came under his jurisdiction.He quietly and discreetly went around asking questions and talking to some of the girls closest friends.He then walked the whole campus on foot not leaving one portion unexamined.
Then mysteriously he made a call to his superior and asked how much force could be used and when informed that lethal force could be used,quickly assembled a team of five of the best men assembled.Police informers were brought in and information was collected.They got a name and a raid was planned and executed and the missing girl was found chained in one of the rooms belonging to the local don who was also a drug supplier and had control over most of the drugs that moved in delhi.
No information was ever given out about how the raid was conducted but five dead bodies including that of the drug dealer were laid naked on the stone slabs of the government mortuary room for autopsy.The whole incident was hushed up and even rudrans superiors under orders from the government did not write a report or ask him to hand over one.The whole case had started at 11.00 a.m and had been solved by 5.00 p.m in the evening.
At about 8.00 p.m the telephone rang and rudran was told that the defence minister wanted to see him and thank him personally.
Casually dressed in a white kurta and pyjamas and leather sandals covering his feet,rudran quietly got in the car that had come to his quarters and arrived at the palatial residence of the defence minister.
Jagannath mishra was a man who had come up from the bottom rungs of his party and had the image of a no nonsense and absolutely incorruptible man.Twice he had resigned his posts of central ministerships when he found that too much pressure was being brought on him to co-operate with certain scams that meant corruption and black money.
The great man himself stood waiting with arms folded and watched as the black mercedes drove Rudran to the steps leading into the house.
Rudran unfolded his tall frame out of the car and seeing the minister,stiffened his body and whipped out a perfect salute.
The man shook his head " no sir,you deserve my salute and many salutations " and saluted in return. " welcome to my house and please accept my thanks for bringing my granddaughter safely back to me."
He led rudran to his study which was as big as rudrans bedroom back in chennai and that was saying something for rudran lived in a really big penthouse.The room was painted white as seemed to be the theme for the entire house and white curtains danced gently and lifted themselves as if young girls lifted their skirts while playing with waves on the seashore.The room had one single massive teak table and one side of the wall was lined with books which were mostly related to philosophy,spirituality and religion.There were also many books of great thinkers from the ancient world and modern world.There were a few cane chairs again with white cushions and both of them sank into the luxury of two cane chairs.
The minister pressed a small device and a man who was his personal aide while in residence came rushing in.
Jagannath mishra looked at him " switch off all the cameras monitoring this room and the audio recording devices.Also,please bring my bottle of scotch and two glasses.don't forget ice cubes and boiled ground nuts."
The man vanished and a few minutes later,a table was set and everything arranged neatly and the man again vanished leaving them alone in privacy.
Jagannath looked at rudran " small one or large one."
Rudran smiled gently " i will start with a small one and no ice cubes please."
Jagannath mishra poured one for rudran and then one large one for himself and dropped a few ice cubes in it.
The minister took a sip and sighed " you know mr.rudran,these are the only moments i have for myself and very few moments where i can sit and unwind myself off all the tensions and pressures brought on by my post and the public.But anyway,let not an old man bore you to death.Mr.rudran,the reason you are here is to tell me exactly what took place and why is it that you solved this case so quickly."
Rudran "sir,please stop using mr. and just call me rudran."
Jagannath mishra nodded " okay rudran."
Rudran looked at him " sir,the case was very simple and easy to solve.Your granddaughter joined this college purely on merit and after scoring high marks in her board exams.everything was goin well until her last semester when her grades started slipping.When i spoke to a few of her friends,they said that her whole personality had changed dramatically and she had become very moody and withdrawn.Sir,most parents would ignore it and most of us in our department would probably conclude that the girl had run away or eloped with her boyfriend,which happens to be true in most cases.Cases like this where subjects exhibit such mood swings are common and the factors are mostly physical abuse,the start of menstrual cycle,bullying by peers,neurological disorders and lastly and most importantly drug abuse.
Your granddaughter is nearly 18 years old and so hormonal problems with the menstrual cycle is ruled out as is physical and domestic abuse and further more bullying in the college is strictly banned and a few have been expelled.I ruled out neurological disorders and hit upon drug abuse for that is the most important factor in many cases where teenage lives have been lost or ruined.Your granddaughter must have been sucked into this vortex with her knowledge or led into it when some asshole must have laced her drink or soft juice with coke or other highly addictive drug.Most teenagers try drugs for the thrill of it and are lost when they get addicted to it.so,i used our police informers and found out who and all were dealing drugs in the area where the college is situated and also discreetly checked the cafes and restaurants around the college.I found two drug dealers and after spending just a few minutes with them got the information about who was behind your grandaughters kidnapping.So,we went directly to the man and since this case involved you and the highest levels of powers,i thankfully did not have to take calls from MLA'S or MP'S who usually call when an accused is brought in.
Jagannath mishra shook his head in awe " it sounds so simple when you explain it so casually but i can imagine and i can really understand what or how fast you brain must have been working to put all this information together and come to conclusion.But please tell me what happened in that drug mafia leaders estate and how five of them were killed."
Rudrans's body stiffened and something flared deep in his eyes and Jagannath mishra knew it was rage and he felt sorry for the people who saw that and who would be seeing that in the future.
Rudran " sir,we found other girls who had been raped,sodomized and also photos and videos had been taken for distribution and for blackmail.Thankfully your grandaughter was not harmed in anyway.The whole operation is being run under the protection of the local MLA of your party.At that moment i knew that if these men were arrested they would come out in a few days and all case would be squashed and witnesses either killed off or brought off with money and threats.So,i first shot three of them and got the information from the drug king about his dealers in drugs and po*n material and where he had hid tapes and disks of all the atrocities they had committed and then shot him and his assistant.We arrested three of them and after getting all the information we can gather,we will give them an option to quietly serve life sentences or take a bullet in the head."
Jagannath mishra " bravo,bravo.wow,that is an amazing story.well done boy,well done.come now,let us have a few more rounds and tell me more about yourself and importantly tell me how you are going to handle this MlA of my party who has been involved in this despicable acts."
"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us." Winston S. Churchill
Edited by s.satishkumar - 10 years ago
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