Chapter 23

Nitya walked through the maze of tunnels. It was lit up with tiny halogen bulbs at regular intervals so it wasn’t difficult for her. The weight of the instrument however was impeding her speed. Her fitness levels these days weren’t all that great given the breaks she had with her workouts. She wondered how Naman lifted this stuff…

Thinking of her brother brought in the tears and she had to struggle to keep them away. Naman dear… please hang on. Didi will be there soon and will get you out safely….

She halted but right then the text she had received some time ago came to the fore. It was from a private number and she had to visit a location from where they would pick her up. It came with a stern one liner: ‘Come alone. We have eyes on you the moment you step out of your cavern’

She shuddered at being exposed without knowing where the eyes were. She had wondered how they knew so much, but then it had to be the Judas… Kamble kaka. As she walked through the cul-de-sac of the route, she began to think about the past. The good times. Kamble kaka featured in all of them. As far as she remembered, he had never spoken about his family. He was a regular when Appa was alive and was the only one who had supported them through their crises after hell had broken loose years ago.

Even after a gap when she had met him again, he had helped her. Right from finding a house with low rent to at times accompanying her when she had to take amma or Naman to the hospital or when she needed someone to wait with Naman at home. She relied upon and trusted kaka more than anyone else. There were times when she got late from work and she found him waiting for her at the entrance of the housing society with worry. She would be touched by the gesture. No one waited for her where they cared for her. No one worried about her.

She wondered why he did all that if it was just to betray them or if it was just to convey information about them to the enemy. He had gone the extra mile, so it was difficult for her to fathom his betrayal. Somehow, she couldn’t believe he was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Maanav knew him too… how could he, with all the backing he had not known about kaka? Kaka wasn’t good with technology. She knew how many times she had to help him with net banking because he couldn’t figure out simple elements like the ‘CAPTCHA’

Who was kaka exactly? Would Captain Rawat have found out by now?

Her thoughts went back to Maanav. He had been the pillar she always wanted to lean on. She knew he wanted to be with her at this moment but he had a mission to take care of. She was in awe of the team and the bonding between the friends, Shiv, Maanav, Avinash and Anandi, whom she was yet to meet. She was glad that despite the rough life Maanav had amazing friends he could rely on and now they were her friends too. She wanted to meet Padma, Shiv’s wife. She had seen her pictures when Shadow had shown them to her once and Padma was a stunner. She was the softness to Shadow’s rough edges. She had seen the reverence in Shadow’s otherwise stern eyes. He was madly in love with his wife. But still he was all set to go with Maanav on this mission. They had a team to get this done but they were doing it themselves because of her… she knew that in her gut. She felt guilty as well…

Within a minute she saw the light and at the final bend of the tunnel, she saw a rough graveled path. In a minute, she was out of a wooden grove. For anyone looking from out, it would look like a grove filled with a variety of trees. The camouflage was astounding. She came to a location and waited near the mark she was told about. She nervously gripped her phone, hoping to receive a call or a text, but nothing happened. With every second, her anxiety increased, and all she wanted to do was to call Maanav.

But she waited.

After about half an hour as fatigue began to act its way on her mind, a vehicle came close. She had seen the vehicle; an unregistered Omni pass the way a few times but now it came to a halt. The passenger door slid open, and she saw a couple of armed men in black overalls with their faces covered. One of them jumped out even before the door opened completely and moved close to her. Dragging her by the hand, he pushed her on the seat. She held the instrument closely… Her and Naman’s lives depended on taking it safely to the perps. Didn’t these morons know?

There was no time to ponder and her leg that was hurt from years ago hit the seat and she winced in pain. The man steadied her as she sat on the seat. some kindness that was! The other man removed a black detector and ran it over her to check for any kind of tracking device. He then put a blindfold over her… “This is only so for the secrecy of our location. Stay still and you won’t get hurt…” the gruff voice told her. He smelled of nicotine and she wanted to gag. But she wished to see this through… Mainly for her brother. Naman was fighting his battles… all alone. This was the least she could do.

As the vehicle cruised along a rough terrain, she winced at the jerks and hits she got. But strangely, she realized her strength had increased by aeons this time. She knew it was because of the two most important people in her life. Naman and Maanav. Each of them had a permanent spot in her heart. Naman, for his struggle with his condition all his life and Maanav who had been a permanent fixture in her life even though he wasn’t present physically for a long time.

Her back ached along with her glutes and her leg throbbed. Her feet were dead to the world, and she wondered how long it was since they were travelling. It was a long time and she had lost count of the time being lost in her thoughts. She only hoped what she had planned would be successful and all of them would be safe… she hoped whatever her Appa had started would finally get the closure and his name be officially cleared. Of course, Shadow had promised her that, but she knew better… without concrete evidence, it would be a Herculean task to achieve.

Suddenly, the vehicle came to a halt. They removed her blindfold, and she had to blink a few times to adjust to her surroundings. The fresh soothing sounds of waves greeted her and for a moment as the breeze patted her cheeks, she forgot where she was. But immediately, reality struck.

The door opened, and she was jarred back to the present. “You may come out quickly…” The man who had blindfolded her spoke. She was surprised at his tone. He was faking the voice that she was sure of, and now that she saw him standing before her just before the vehicle headlights for illumination, she felt something familiar about him. He was tall and those eyes… The way he touched his right hand to the back of his head… Good gracious.

“Sajid… is that you?” She exclaimed.

The man froze and his eyes were filled with what she fathomed as fear. Did she speak too much? She knew Sajid alias Ashfaq was forced to do what he did, but that didn’t absolve him of the crime. However, at that moment, he seemed scared as well, so she kept quiet. There was a roar coming from a distance that only increased with every passing moment.

She looked around her, but except for the vast expanse of the night seashore, she couldn’t see anything. She was in Mumbai, she thought… where else could they reach in that time? Also, she could smell the acrid air that the night sea often unravelled in Mumbai. But did Mumbai have such a clean and empty beach place? She doubted. Then where was she? Could she get to talk to Sajid alone? There was a lot he had to answer, and she knew he would. He didn’t seem like a thug… But then she didn’t know who she could trust now. She had to keep her nerves intact.

The roar increased, and she saw a helicopter descend sending strong waves of dusty wind around her before she could think of protecting herself with the cramped hands that still held the instrument, Sajid came close and stood before her, trying to take the maximum impact. Soon she was escorted to the heli and strapped to the seat. While Sajid sat in front of her. The other guy sat with the pilot and the two others in the vehicle drove away.

The helicopter ascended in its glory and she couldn’t help but be fascinated by the night landscape before her. It was Mumbai for sure and suddenly from the high altitude the city that never slept felt so miniscule. The twinkling lights felt like sequins on a black cloth that beckoned her despite the hardships. She blinked back tears and wondered if there was any imminent danger to her beloved city…

She looked inside and felt Sajid staring at her. They were alone for the first time. He had removed his mask. Probably because she had recognized him.

“Want to say something…?” She prodded.

He looked away outside, and she could see the distress on his face. The mark on his forehead where he had been hit was still healing.

“Sajid…? Or should I say, Ashfaq…?” She continued softly. Now that got him to stare right back again.

“So, you were there that evening…I knew it. I thought I saw you. And was sure when Janaab described you… What were you thinking, Nitya? Coming there all the way…? How did you even know about it? You almost got me killed.”

“I got you killed? Is that supposed to be a joke? After what you tried to pull through?” Her annoyance was palpable.

“Whatever I did, I never intended to harm you or Naman. I have tried my best to protect you, Nitya. Or else you would have been long dead. Why do you think you escaped that place unharmed? Did you think we didn’t see you escape? No… It was I who took the responsibility for your secrecy. I convinced Janaab that you were more important alive than dead… you are so selfish, Nitya.”

“JUST CUT THE CRAP, Saji… I mean Ashfaq. All that you have done is only cause me distress, especially to Naman.” She looked away, trying to let nature calm down her senses.

“You don’t know anything, Nitya. I wish you did. I have only wanted to save you. I really liked you…” He spoke with conviction.

“…Just Stop it…” She cut his talk. “… everything sounds so hollow… so superfluous. I fell for your tricks, I agree…”

“…But Nitya, you were never in love with me. You agreed to date me just for the sake of your family… so you were not in the right either.” He stared at her and continued. “… But Nitya, believe it or not, I always liked you. I knew we didn’t have a future together, especially after this was done. But I… I liked you. I would have done anything to get you if you had reciprocated. But I knew from the go, you weren’t in this relationship at all…” He looked away.

They were both silent for a while.

“So now, what’s next, Ashfaq?”

“We will be ending this all… your father, who decided not to betray his country, started this. And my moronic grandfather helped him and started this curse on our family… I am still paying for their actions….” He rubbed his face and continued. “…we will be descending soon and if all goes as per plan, then you and Naman will be free by tomorrow evening.”

“You mean, you will be killing us, won’t you?”

He gave her a look she had never seen before. He was angry… very angry.

“You still think I am a monster, don’t you, Nitya?”

“Honestly, Ashfaq, you haven’t given me a reason to think otherwise…. You should have left Naman alone.”

“You were there that evening… you saw what happened to me. If my father hadn’t begged Janaab then I would be dead… all because of your stubborn brother. Anyways, I have arranged for our safe passage to Dubai. You don’t have to do anything for me… your father has left you a fortune… My father took care of it. It’s all Dr. Manohar’s severance pay and the moolah for making this…” He pointed to the instrument in her hand. “… You can start afresh and live there with Naman and that boyfriend of yours…He isn’t employed anyway.” Ashfaq smirked.

So he knew everything about her… of course he did.

“Wait, what fortune are you talking about?” She didn’t need dirty money.

“I know what you are thinking, but it’s legitimate money. Your father didn’t spend a dime of his salary in two years. And he saved my grandfather’s and father’s life a day before he succumbed. My grandfather always spoke good about your father saying how such a great scientist helped him a mere sweeper, in financial crises for medicines for my ailing grandmother… He even funded my school education because my father was all set to make me drop out… I could study and become an accountant…” She saw moisture in his eyes.

She realized she was crying too… Oh Appa, you were too humane for your own good.

“Then why… why all this, Ashfaq…?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“Janaab found us out one day. After all hell broke loose 15 years ago, we lived in obscurity in a corner of Islamabad when Janaab got to us… he threatened to kill us all for my grandfather’s betrayal and so my father agreed to join them in their cause. They let me complete my education and 5 years ago I had to join them in India. My father planned this façade…, of meeting you and having an affair with you so I could reach the package…but I realized it was not you but Naman who held the strings for the ‘package’… my father also mentioned a secret account where your father had kept away his savings and entrusted my father to give it to your mother someday after everything died down. But the events turned out in such a way, he couldn’t.”

Nitya wiped her tears away…

The helicopter began its descent, and she saw the shimmering lights on what looked like a cargo ship. Was Naman somewhere there? She hoped he was.

“Nitya…?” Ashfaq called out.

She looked up at his moisture-laden eyes. He never looked more vulnerable.

“I am sorry… for what it’s worth. I never intended to harm you… just keep that in mind and, if possible, please forgive me.”

She didn’t say anything, still reeling from the information overload as they touched base.

Meanwhile in Pune in Shadow’s office…

Maanav continued to pace like a caged animal, his eyes constantly on the monitor that showed a green dot move.

“Bullet, you should calm down now…” Shadow spoke. “… You need to keep your spirits intact.”

Captain Rawat called in right at that moment.

“So we have the intel coming in. There was a request for a private landing for a heli belonging to an industrialist. It was meant for airlifting his pregnant daughter to England. However, the heli disappeared out of the radar within a few minutes of ascent. Any guesses? However, the industrialist is being questioned by the authorities and he claims ignorance, saying some staff must have done it… All that apart, Maanav, your serum is working well. We now have the exact coordinates of where the brother-sister duo are…. Shadow and Maanav, I have the required clearances from the Indian Navy. It’s show time, boys….”

The next few moments were spent in mobilizing their small team and receiving faxes from Captain Rawat about all the necessary paperwork and permissions to breach the foreign seas. They were to go secretly, but if caught, they could be helped.

Maanav hoped they wouldn’t get caught… after all, two precious lives depended on them. Along with crores of people residing in Mumbai… if the missiles were to be activated.

But then, he trusted young Naman. He did! He knew Naman well by now… the guy was a genius and his gut feeling told him Naman would pull this off… whatever this was.

©priyanayakgole

(Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction using the backdrop of the attack that happened and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. This doesn’t attempt to change history or facts.)