Arnav-Khushi FF: ASR Decrypted - Part 5 on pg9

INDEX

 

 

Part 1: in the next post

 

Part 2: Page 3

 

Part 3: Page 4

 

Part 4: Page 7

Edited by errrm - 11 years ago

 

 

Khushi Kumari Gupta was one of those people who tended to take the weather personally. If it rained, the skies were weeping with her. But also, if it rained, the drops were dancing about in glee. She would invariably choose the interpretation that best reflected her own mood at the time. As a psychologist, she found it amusing to recognise and analyse her own idiosyncrasies, as if she were two persons in the same body.

Smiling slightly, she drifted away from the grey window, and directed her eyes back to the file - the first assignment that she would be undertaking alone, not as an observer, but as a qualified criminal psychologist. It was both exciting and daunting. 

She would have to go with no preconceived notions, no emotions... but how could she possibly achieve such detachment, when her subject was the person who had cold-bloodedly murdered Shyam Manohar Jha? The headlines were still fresh in her mind. How could anyone so mercilessly kill their own brother-in-law, and the beacon of light and hope for so many vulnerable people? She still remembered Shyamji's speeches, and his relentless fight against injustice and social inequality. She remembered how people had wept at his funeral, inconsolably. She remembered the news reports on the court case, the fiery comments that had followed.

But she steadied herself. She had been taught better. She stared at the frowning photograph, until all questions abandoned her mind, and all she could see was a subject who probably needed help, and a profiling report that was hers to prepare.

"Khushi?"

She stood up. It was her mentor, Shashi Sir. 

"Please come in Sir."

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Khushi smiled, remembering how austere and inaccessible he had seemed when she had first joined the office three years ago. It must have been merely a test of her self-confidence and her ability to withstand pressure. In the past few days, he had become so much more open and caring. To Khushi, who had lost her father at a young age, he was what she imagined a father might feel like. 

"Fine, Sir. I was just studying the file."

"Do you feel ready?"

"No," she said, honest as always.

He smiled at her fondly.

"Two things to remember. Never condemn the subject - he has been condemned already. And never get too close to him. No emotional involvement, either way. Steel yourself."

Khushi's smile faded away. Of course, this was advice that she had heard before. If anything, these were the golden rules, that should have become second nature to her by now. But the words felt different. All the while, ever since she had known who the subject would be, her only thought had been to avoid any negative prejudgments. She had not thought of the converse happening. And now, when she did, she felt, oddly unsettled. Could it be? Could she somehow, against her better judgment, develop some sort of attachment for this person?

"It can happen," Shashi Sir said, reading her unease.

"I understand, Sir. The subjects sometimes manipulate -"

"Yes, but it's not just manipulation that I am talking about. Not all criminals are evil psychopaths, and you know that. Fact is they're all human, have human problems, that may or may not be apparent. And as humans ourselves, we have a natural tendency to empathise, to make other people's pain our own. That is why you need to remember, constantly, what your job is. You cannot lose yourself. You are very strong person, Khushi. But even the strongest can get swayed, and you need to be aware of that."

"Don't worry, Sir. I will keep that in mind."

"And do you feel ready now?"

She stole a glance at the opaque eyes of Arnav Singh Raizada in the photograph, and breathed deeply before answering.

"Yes Sir. I will not let you down."

"I know."

And almost intuitively, without thinking, she went around her desk, and bent down to touch his feet. It felt like the right thing to do. 

He beamed at her with pride. In all his years of work, no person had given him the kind of respect that Khushi gave  him. There was something about her, something special. He did not know what it was - her simple joie de vivre, her resolute optimism, her courage, her honesty, her unpretentious, sincere compassion or her unwavering dedication. Whatever it was, he hoped the profession they were in, would never take it away from her. And in that moment, it seemed, the file that lay open on the table, loomed ominously over his tired eyes. But the moment passed as quickly as it had come, and he patted her lightly on the head before leaving.

In a claustrophobically small jail cell of a nearby city, Arnav Singh Raizada stirred from his sleep, not wanting to open his eyes to find out that it had been a dream after all. But the smell of urine and sweat and the feel of the wooden plank rebelling against his aching back could not deceive him. He heard the warden shuffling lazily outside the bars of his cell.

"Abbe Raizade, haraamzaade, how much will you sleep?" the warden leered at him, swinging his lathi in careless swishing sounds. He fancied himself as some kind of comedian and liked to fashion innovative nicknames for the prisoners. 

Arnav did not open his eyes. 

The warden, undeterred, continued, "Do you know, the paagalon ka doctor will come to do your checkup tomorrow?" 

Paagalon ka doctor... did that mean a shrink? Arnav smiled inwardly, ever so slightly. Finally, just what he needed. And his mind began  reeling with strategies, in anticipation of the pompous old fool. But the warden  was still making noise outside his door. Arnav leapt up from the bed, roared at him like an enraged animal and watched, with satisfaction, the man's pupils expand with fear, even as his defiant mouth continued to spit out expletives. Arnav continued to stare at him, his murderous bloodshot eyes betraying no fear, even as he knew very well that this affront would not go unavenged.

...

Part 2

Edited by errrm - 11 years ago

Res :) Edited by --SweetFarwii-- - 11 years ago

OMG! This is beautiful, I've read it briefly, Back to reading it again now and i LOVE it! 😃

Interesting start! Looking forward to part 2.

P.S. Love yur Banner :)

ITS AMAZING...👍🏼👍🏼...interesting...🤔🤗...continueee...😊

thanks for d pm..🤗

ASR killed shyam ...
Pretty interesting storyline...

Edited by errrm - 11 years ago

And to everyone who commented/liked, a HUGE thank you once again! I would not have continued this, if there were no comments - which I would have felt really sad about.