The four Days!
Chapter-39:
Thirukkural: (Chapter-86; Poem-855)
Shrinking back from hatred will yield wealth; indulging in its increase will hasten ruin.
-Thiruvalluvar.
Careful gals, We are in the star episode of the story.
Arjun looked me.
"All right," he started in a quiet voice, "I think you still remember the fight in the Serine's club' that occurred between two friends some six months ago. The one fellow in that incident is now in our questioning room." That shocked us for a start.
"The other one, who went unnoticed, is the one who has kidnapped Dhanya Shekar. And remember the manager told us this other fellow had some factory."
"He (Bags) was following his friend ever after the fight as we can guess, for who has changed as an enemy to him now.
"You would have understood this, much before now, if not you've seen your friend there."
He stopped a moment to make sure that the point was sunk in.
"He had to trap him and his business, the one they did in partnership once."
Arjun started pacing the floor and tried to hide his haste.
"And he knew the methods of the job well, so it was easy for him to guess what the plan was.
"He started planning his own intrigue to trap this friend and succeeded as he came to know about Devananth.
"He used him as bait, as they are using someone else out there, for the job. He told some story to Devananth about some package, but really there was nothing like that. And if anything went wrong and when police arrived, the harmless fellow would be holding the sack and he knew nothing of the real plan.
Arjun was explaining us sincerely, but he did not know his efforts were going in vain.
He was telling, "He didn't think we would reach him while his whole plan led us to the factory instead. And when you told me that there was a factory in the middle of most of the booths in that area, I realized that someone was setting something on somebody. I didn't think, this somebody must have been involving in a crime, frankly."
And now, he stopped pacing and looked us.
"We have one fellow here and one is out there- free, trying to shut a life of an innocent girl, ready to do a crime," he insisted and expected us to get ready for action.
But he had to accept that he did not get what he wanted.
He stood there helplessly or at least I thought he did.
"That doesn't explain why we should have to trust him!"
He looked me astonishingly and said, "Shree, what we don't have is time!"
I sighed dramatically and he started talking fast.
"See, Shree! I-" he stopped short and started again, "Don't you see that in the fit of spleen he was ready to cut the nose to spite the face?"
He was breathless now.
I quietly asked, "So that's all? That's all you have to say to us? Hold the scales even!"
We came to know that we had caught him off-guard, for sure.
He asked emotionally, "Can't this wait, Shree?"
I ignored him and continued, "Go ahead! Tell us he had to kidnap Sakshi to tell us that he was innocent and only to tell us about this friend of his, he did the kidnapping. So nothing to worry! Not that he had much choice, had he?"
I could not stop myself then, "God, he said he was going to kill her!"
That caught him in to the core. It urged him and made him stand cocked.
He said, "But he didn't!" his voice hardened.
He crossed his hands against his chest.
It triggered me further.
"And you wish he should have?"
I asked and was stunned that I had gone too much.
I knew well, he would never wish such a thing for the whole world, but in the pinch of the moment I had lost my senses. And I knew that we did not know that it was Sakshi until we reached there.
He winced a moment, but smiled bitterly at me the next.
"Sorry," I murmured.
"Hold the scales even, Shree," he said weakly.
We stood there and were looking each other a moment.
He said, "We are talking about this another girl whose life is in danger now. And at least you know your friend is going to be all right!"
He is coming back to normal,' -I thought.
"All I'm asking is, let's try to help her while we still can!"
That stopped me.
I was realizing that, he was still answering me, trying to make sense of something, not just convincing me, for sure.
He was standing there apologetically while he could have shut me up with one intense look easily-No, he did not do that!
He did not want me to shut up, but wanted me to understand his position and he wanted our full co-operation on this deed.
I started realizing everything, what he wanted me to understand from the start and I did eventually.
We could have seen the truth as he claimed, if not we were on fire!
'Yes, I've lost my temper!'
I thought and got a point anew that he was more shuttle as a leader than a friend.
He had decided to avoid us, for he knew, it all was happening for him and he did not want anything wrong to happen to us because of him. It had to be excruciating him to see Sakshi there, I could see that, unfortunately, very late.
He was not avoiding us; he was avoiding endangering our lives.
'I'm glad he, at least, took me to that house with him, even after a hesitation!'
"I think we can help her!"
I said and saw Ayesha and Chottu's relieved faces as they smiled at my coming back to normal mentation.
I smiled back and suddenly I got that he was not hiding the truth from us, but was waiting for the right time.
If I did not interrupt, he would have done that on our return, I realized then.
We could have gone half way by this. As he said, we didn't have time.
But-
"It depends!"
Arjun started.
"On what, sir?" I asked hesitantly.
"Whether you believe me or not!"
He looked our faces.
"Sir!"
We said in one voice.
"Then let's get the devil out of here!"
Note:
Arjun had to treat our 'Bags' like that since, by experience he knew it well that if he touched him he would not utter a word.
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