Yes, her dad had been murdered.
She knew this all along, didn't she? Afraid she was to accept such a harsh truth. She'd been living in denial, working her mind to come up with any excuse she could think of. She'd been running away from the harsh reality that always caught up to her, waiting to be acknowledged.
Sudden revelation had caught her off guard. The fact that he never told the truth affected much more. In the end, shattered and confounded, She had clung to him like a desperate soul, wanting to be consoled. His warmth calmed her, his muscular arms controlling the fury of emotions that seem to have wrecked havoc in her confused mind and heart.
She buried her head deeper into his chest, as silent sobs escaped her lips, tears staining his coat. She found solace in his presence, a sense of assurance she could embrace.
His deep baritone enveloped her messed up senses.She looked up.
"Let's go, Ananya. There are many more things that you need to know."
...
All the way back, she cried.
Cried at her own stupidity, her own helplessness and naivety. She felt sorry for her own self, her own sorry condition. She was responsible for every pain and hardship he was going through. His bloodstained coat made her cringe.
He never complained, did he?
Never did he utter single word of submission regarding the soup she had landed herself into. It had all started because of her.
She would forever be indebted to him for every little thing he'd done for her.
She never realized she had been entirely dependent on him, expecting him to care and protect her, save her, console her. Every moment, she wanted him to be by her side.
Am I asking too much?
She dared not question his feelings. He was known to work his way up the ladder through certain ruthlessness, emotions and feelings apparently didn't exist.
Why would he like a person like me?
She glanced at him.
His eyes were transfixed, staring blankly over the dark black road ahead, though she noticed a strange flicker. A flicker of concern. Or she was simply imagining herself to perceive a vulnerable Kabir.
Her hand reached for his, enveloping his clenched fist. Alerted by the sudden contact, he tightened his fist. His eyes, for a split second, gazed at her with an expression she could not decipher. A smile, slightly enough for her to notice, crept on his lips.
He loosened his stiff posture, concentrated over driving. He had no words to console her. He wanted her to cry, pull out all her angst and anger with deliberate force. He wanted her to face the reality, not with tears, but with a strong determined mind. The road they they were treading would ask much more than tears.
She mentally prayed to God asking for strength and tenacity she'd need to prove herself along side him.
...
She was perplexed about the speed at which every piece was revealing itself laying bare its secrets for her to investigate. This man, suddenly appears, opening up those hidden secrets she had been pursuing for eight long years. It all felt like a vivid dream, any moment she'd wake up to find her life as unadventurous and dull as ever it was.
Back in Kabir's study, she found herself in the company of Laxman and Inspector Khurrana. She'd expected them but not the person sitting next to her. She'd been practically left dumbstruck, her bloodshot eyes fixed on him.
Dressed in a dark navy blue suit, he sat, mentally praising his manicured nails. Khalid relished the idea of being part of a top secret mission, or so he preferred to name. He held an important position in the world of journalism as well as the perks associated with it. Having the co-owner of one of the esteemed news channel had its own given advantages and reputable assurance.
"Miss. Ananya Kashyap! I am definitely not surprised to find you here." Khalid smiled.
She blinked. "I'll take that as a compliment, Sir." she broke into a huge fake grin suddenly followed by a morose expression.
Kabir cleared his throat.
His arm, cleaned and neatly bandaged, rested on the table as his eyes lingered on the laptop. He had barely managed to keep their investigation hidden. His meeting with Rajan had turned awry when they had realized goons following Rajan. Even before anything could be rationally thought, an alteration had ensued, Rajan reluctantly having to slash his arm in order to defy all suspicions.
It was a known fact that like her dad, many more had fallen prey to this huge mesh of scams and rackets. It was time, for Dharam Singh to fall to his knees, beaten and punished by justice and truth.
Motioning everyone, he turned the laptop for others to see. Dull black screen faded to show a well- furnished, dimly lit room. A personalized bar counter could been seen over the far corner. The camera shifted jumpily towards a bulky man slumped on an armchair. A low, husky voice blared from the speaker.
Kabir observed them all, their expressions changing from surprise to shocks and imminent gasps.
As the clip faded to black, Khalid was quick to express his worry.
"You know with whom you are dealing with, I suppose. "
"Were you expecting me to chicken out?" Kabir replied.
"Obviously not. But you must have a fair idea about the ratings and position the channel would plunge into if I lose you two."
Ananya could sense the apparent hesitance and in his voice. Exposing Dharam Singh was an elaborate feat requiring immense caution. One misstep and all could come crashing down, killing them all.
Their lives were on stake. Literally.
And losing The Kabir Sharma would be disastrous.
"And imagine the ratings when we expose that dimwit!" she said, gritting her teeth.
He shrugged, looking at Kabir. No doubt, he trusted them both. They had the ability to pull the best out of each other. Still there was danger, and they were straight aiming for a goal guarded by death. Seeing the resolute look on their faces, he gave up.
"Fine then. Get going."
"Where to?" Ananya asked.
"The evidence we have is not enough to initiate a probe. We need some substantial data to prove Dharam Singh guilty."
She exactly knew where this conversation was heading to and she was excellent when it came to joining dots. She suddenly felt queasy, as she racked her brains to reach a conclusion.
"All those people killed, as he mentioned himself..We need to find something that would affirm a murder."
"Exactly." Kabir said.
She got up, facing him and Khalid, her stance emanating strong waves of melancholy. It was time to accept a fierce ballgame.
"We have to start with my dad. CityCare hospital."
... To be continued...
Debate Mansion
Anupamaa
