Here is next part. I know I'm late for my FF, will come soon.
PART 3:
The visual of Sree being tied up to the chair was enough for the team to hold their breath. The person who was taking the video moved around his chair, giving a 360 degree view of Sree. There was no sign of physical injury, but he was asleep. The video lasted a few minutes, though there was not even a word spoken and then it went blank. The team stood silent grasping what they saw now. Arjun replayed it and watched it again.
Ar: single room. no windows. Only one door. Aur waha bhi andhera hai. bas ek light hai. ye koi hidden jagah hoga. Not an open room.
Ch: par ye kahi bhi hosaktha hai.
Ar: hosaktha hai.
He calls the security on duty in phone.
Ar: jisne ye letter diya hai, usse dekha hai?
Sec: nahi sir. apne chehra covered thi. Burkah me thi. Kaha ke apke informer hai.
Ar: ok.
He cuts the call. They didn't know what and where to start. They didn't have any single clue with them. It was getting dark.
Ar: koi hai jo hamare har movements ko track kar raha hai. Aisha, Sakshi, Chotu... kuch din pehle thak ke office ke bahar, I mean, parking lot aur bahar ke video footage leao. Lets study it. dekhthe hai, ke kuch unsual milthe hai ke nahi.
Ai: yes Sir.
They turn to go.
Ar: Sakshi... wo letter kaha hai?
She takes the letter and hands over to him reluctantly. He could see that she was herself in some tug of war. He didn't know why. Others left the room.
She lowered her eyes as he tried to open the envelope. He was watching her every reaction. But then her mobile rang. She looked at the screen and was a bit worried.
Sa: mien abhi ayi...
She went out of the room to attend the call. He didn't understand what's going on.
He opened the envelope and took out the photo. He studied the pic clearly, with loads of questions in his mind. "Sakshi is Anand's daughter?" it was a surprise for him.
She had gone out as the call was from Pradhan, the security head. She was worried to see the call. But he assured he had just called to say that there was nothing unusual around and dad was safe.
Sa:its ok uncle. Bohot jald sab teekh hone wale hai.
Pr: wo kaise?
Sa: apko dheere patha lag jayega. Bye.
She knew the consequence of showing the pic to Arjun. He will react to it. And for sure, there will be many questions to be answered. She mentally prepared for it and walked to the hall.
He was still standing with the pic, studying it.
Sa: Arjun...
Ar: tum Anand ke beti ho?
She knew it would be the first question. She nodded.
Ar: Anand, the ex-IAS officer. Jo apne imandari ke wajah se apne zindagi se ladna pada. Ek shoot out me...
Sa: mara nahi hai. lekin zinda bhi nahi hai.
Her voice had all the more a different texture. He had never heard it before.
Sa: 3 saal hogaye hai. abhi bhi coma me hai. spinal injury thi.
He stood silently listening.
Sa: patha nahi ye sab kya horahi hai.
Ar: kaha hai wo?
Sa: mere ghar. Private security di hai. 24x7. Pradhan uncle, I mean, security head ko meine sabere notify ki thi. He said he is fine. par...
The ever so bubbly Sakshi looked dim. He watched her intently. If it was someone else, that person would have hugged and consoled the girl. But no, he was different. He was Arjun. He knew what pain is. How it hurts. And to what all extend.
Hugging and consoling could help. But the better help would be a mere presence of someone to listen and to trust upon. And he was here.
And he could see that Sakshi may be troubled at heart, she was not a damsel in distress. She was strong within.
Ar: take me to your dad.
She looked at him.
Ar: I would like to see him.
Sa: abhi?
Ar: hm...
Sa: ok...
She waited for his step, he tucks his gun and walked past her and she followed him. The ride home was silent except for her giving the directions. He had known about Anand a long back from papers and the issues back then. He had known about the firing incident too. But then he didn't know the present status.
They reached her home which had many securities around. He was glad to see the security set up. Pradhan seemed to be an efficient person and also showed warmth towards Sakshi. She took him to her dad's room.
Lying in the bed was an elderly man, surrounded by some life supporting setups. There was a duty nurse who acknowledged Sakshi.
Anand's face showed the tiredness than what he remembered years back. Arjun watched him and also Sakshi who sat by his side and had kept her hand on the immobile hand. She had indeed forgotten his presence and was getting a bit teary. He didn't want to witness that and so he wandered to have a closer look around. He observed the window that was shown in the pic. He mentioned Pradhan to come closer.
Ar: pic, issi window pe focused the. yaha se Mr. Anand ke face clear hai. Did you notice anything else?
Pr: hum bahar kafi area thak search kiya hai. We didn't find anything special.
Ar: hm... (he looked through the binoculars and also at the pic) photo high precision ka hai. shayad waha se.
He pointed at a home a bit far away which was in the line of sight.
Pr: hum check karthe hai.
Ar:no. I'll look to it.
He looks at Sakshi who was still by her dad. He turned to Pradhan. "I'll be back soon"
He goes to that home and presses the bell. It was already 7 pm. An elderly lady opens it.
La:kahiye.
Ar: ACP Arjun Rawte. ETF. Kuch puchna hai aapse.
La: ji puchiye.
Ar: apke naam?
La: Shyama Mathur.
Ar: tho Mrs. Mathur, aapke upper stairs me left side ke room kiske hai.
Sh: wo room? wo tho khali hai.
Ar: kya?Sh: haan. Upper ke room hum kiraye pe dethe hai. pichle ek mahine se waha koi nahi hai. hum tenants ko dhoond rahe hai.
Ar: kya mien wo room dekh saktha hu?
Sh: mien yaha akeli hu... tho...
Ar: I understand. Par ye kisike jaan ke sawal hai. please.
Sh: ok... aayiye.
She takes him up and opens the room with her set of keys.
Sh: dekhiye. Ye khali hai.
He goes inside and checks. He uses the binocular and checks it. "anyone with a high definition camera can click it. ye uthna dur nahi hai. par... agar koi camera use kar sakthe hai..tho... ek gun bhi..." he was calculating mentally.
He touched the window pane. It did move. He wondered why and moved it aside. It was a glass pane and there were no railings.
Sh: are isse kya hua? Ye tho waha fixed thi.
Ar: are you sure?
Sh: haan. Wo waha fixed thi.
He checks and sees the hinges as tampered. And then something else caught his eyes. In between the curtains he found a sticky note. He wouldn't have found it if he had not checked the pane. He took it out.
"Well done ACP..."
He was surprised. So someone had calculated this step too.
Ar: iss room me akhri baar koi bahar wala kab aya tha.
Sh: 5 din pehle. Ek ladki ayi thi. Mrs. Veda. Pregnant thi. Kuch 4-5 mahine ki. Usse ek room chahiye thi, 1-2 mahine keliye. Yaha ayi aur room dekhke chali gayi.
Ar: fir wapas nahi aya?
Sh: nahi, abhi thak nahi. Usse tho ye room pasand bhi ayi thi.
Ar: kya wo iss room me akeli rukhi thi?
Sh: haan, jab usne kaha ke usse pani chahiye, mien neeche gayi thi. Garam pani le aane.
Arjun was connecting dotes. A pregnant lady now? a burka lady before? Who is this?
He looked down from the window. It was a lawn below.
He went down and looked up from the lawn. There were footprints of a shoe on the wall. Someone had jammed the window so that it was openable from outside. And then climbed up with the help of pipes on the wall, came in, took pics and went away. Smart idea.
The footprint was that of a man. so there was many options.
Either the man and the lady was a group. Else, all were the same.
It was really frustrating. He took the photos and went to check again. She asked Shyama not to let anyone tamper the room and left. He went directly to Pradhan.
Ar: wo window bullet proof hai?
Pr: kya hua sir?
Ar: make it secured. His life may be in danger.
He mentions about the matter and discuss materials. Sakshi listens to it silently. She was worried and numb that she didn't say anything. He saw it.
After work, he moved to her. "are you staying here tonight?"
Sa: um... no... yaha uncle smbhal denge. I'll come to office.
Ar: ok... mien... neeche hu...
He gave her some time and waited at the SUV. She went and sat by her dad again, silently asking him to get up and then left after meeting Pradhan.
Arjun drove her back silently again.
At office they were analyzing the videos, when Arjun and Sakshi walked in.
Ai: sir nothing suspicious.
Ar: we are playing with someone good enough. Either that person has good connections else he is a master of disguise.
They discuss and then he walks to his cabin. He was in his chair with his head zooming over each points. Within his thoughts he heard his phone ringing. Absently he took it. "hello"
"Rawte!! Sree, kaha hai??"
The voice came from a distance. It was a time now that he had heard it. He couldn't answer anything suddenly. The voice was indeed needed for him. Among all those bickering in the conference hall, it was him who had helped him to think freely.
"kuch bolo DAMMIT!!"
It woke him up.
16