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.)

Chapter 22

“Nitya…? Can you hear me? Are you alright…?” Maanav’s voice hammered into her skull. She struggled to open her eyelids which seemed to weigh their own. Somewhere in the recess of her fudged mind she could hear a wave of voices sweeping over her… was she dead already or was she in transition to the other realm?

Suddenly she felt water on her face as her eyes opened on their own volition. She looked up at a worried Maanav who looked like he would burst out crying any moment.

“Oh, Thank God… Nitya…” His voice was hoarse, and he tried to smile in vain as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. He helped her sit up and she felt like an alien as she looked around her.

Shadow who was hovering around gave her a nod and a smile that brightened up his rugged face as he went back to his workstation. He typed in something and the screen came up again. Captain Rawat was the only one present on the other side.

“Nitya, I hope you are better, girl. You have been such a strong girl so far… you can’t give up now. Got it? There is a lot at stake here… and Naman is our priority and everything else can wait, National security or not. Now buck up and get into the groove. We have work to do. …”

She heard the man type something and immediately his voice boomed over the speakers as all of them came close to the Screen.

Captain Rawat put up a slide. It showed some kind of signals like tiny meteorites in the clear dark skies. After a regular shower, it suddenly stopped. “This is the signal we were receiving from Naman’s video game. The smart boy gave us complete coordinates of the travel and those morons must have not known till now…”

“…Oh God Naman…” Nitya placed a hand on her chest hoping to pacify her thudding heart. “…Does this mean his signal stopped… does that mean… they caught him?” she looked at Maanav in alarm. He hugged her shoulder and got her closer to him. But she wasn’t able to calm down. It was her brother, for crying out loud. He was all alone out there. For once she was glad about his condition, he probably trusted Kamble Kaka and he wouldn’t do anything stupid. She felt proud of him for having stood the test of time irrespective of his condition or the limitations the condition put on him.

“Don’t worry, Nitya. I am getting extremely fleeting signals but it’s not consistent….” Captain Rawat explained. “…That means he isn’t caught. However, that means he is beyond the signal range… way beyond.”

Nitya gripped Maanav’s hand. “What do you mean? Where can he go so soon It has been barely a few hours since he left… and that signal was meant to be in the cyber range, so  why…?”

Maanav turned her towards him and held her shoulder. “There is only one place where such a signal can go bleak…” he tried to reason.

“Where Maanav…? Where on earth is Naman…?” She wailed as tears made their way down her cheeks. “…isn’t cyber level signal boundaryless? It shouldn’t matter even if he leaves the country, right…?”

“You are correct, Nitya…” Maanav placed a warm palm on her cheek. “…but the signal will go weak in a place with very low cyber range… I mean where we can’t have wifi or related signals…”

Nitya’s shoulders slumped. She was tired of being strong… she didn’t think she had it in her. Her brain seemed to have frozen… what was she missing here? All she wanted was for her baby brother safe and back home. She promised herself she would never let him out of sight. “Maanav, Captain Rawat, Shadow….” She looked at each of them, unmindful of the tears that kept streaming. “…I don’t have much knowledge compared to you all… all I know is that my brother is out there somewhere… but even aeroplanes have internet, don’t they? Then where on earth is my brother…?” She placed her other hand on her head.

“Naman is safe, Nitya… I promise nothing will happen to him. He is our strongest warrior…” Maanav assured her.

“Then… then Maanav, where is he?” Her voice sounded strangulated with all the emotions churning though her body.

Maanav took her closer to the screen where the map of the area explained earlier was displayed. But this wasn’t just a map. As if reading her thoughts, Maanav explained. “this isn’t just a map… it’s a real-time image of that place where we believe Naman is…”

Nitya stared wide-eyed at what looked like a large expanse of water… in either corner, she saw the Yemen Coastline and the Indian coastline. Where was Naman…?

“So where is Naman…?” She looked around at everyone present and her eyes rested back on Maanav.

He held her shoulders and she instantly knew it was going to be something not for her ears.

“Nitya… he is in the sea… literally…” Maanav spoke softly and she gasped.

“WHAT…?” She found herself screaming.

The picture available on the screen was enlarged and it pixeled out. Its then that she saw a few black dots in the pristine sea. “That…?” She looked back at Maanav.

“Yes Nitya… from our intelligence sources, we feel Naman has been taken there.”

“But why…? Why in the sea?” She couldn’t make out anything… nothing made sense.

“Because they plan to execute their mission directly… from the sea.” Shadow piqued in.

Oh God…

“Maanav… do something… please… Naman is in danger…” She pleaded frantically.

Before he could speak, Captain Rawat’s voice came in through the speakers.

“Listen carefully, Nitya. Irrespective of what they have they can’t do anything because Naman can only use this instrument assembled by your father. The key to it all lies here with us. They have Naman and will now use him as a bargaining chip for the instrument… They must have their experts but will hold on to Naman nonetheless… so till the time this instrument is with us, Naman is safe.”

“But they can have another instrument made… why are they after this one and why are they after Naman?” Nitya was perplexed.

“That’s because…” Shadow stood before her, towering further over her tall frame. “… your genius father customized the instrument in a way that the software used in it is the only one compatible to activate the torpedoes. They are from 15 years ago… so nothing else will work on them. I am sure those people must have tried everything under the sun and failed. Besides the costs for making those devices would have been astronomical not to mention, to maintain them for so many years…”

Maanav held her cold shivering hand, enveloping her in his warmth. “Nitya, Naman was the only one who activated it and he is the only one who can do it all over again… But he is a warrior and a very brave guy.”

She was in tears seeing the adoration for her brother in Maanav’s eyes. “So… what do we do now…? Just wait for them to connect with us?” She asked.

“Come with me, Nitya…” he pulled at her hand and she looked around.

“Why… where are we going…? To Naman…?”

“Just come… trust me, Nitya… come with me.” Maanav pulled again and this time she didn’t resist.

She didn’t bother asking or checking with anyone around and just followed her heart… that now lay with him. Maanav took her to his bedroom and pulled her inside as he shut it. Pushing her backwards till her back hit the door he placed his hands on either of her sides. She felt his warm breath on her face and knew he was struggling with the onslaught of emotions, too.

She raised her hands and cupped his face. “Maanav, you know I trust you, right? I know they are all very good… Shadow, Captain Rawat and all of them there, but for me… its you. Its always you, Maanav that I trust my life with. I trust… Naman with.”

He bowed his head and she knew he was trying to control his emotions and not to breakdown before her. She pulled him closer till he rested his head on her shoulder and she could feel a shudder run through his body. She caressed his back and whispered into his ears. “We will get through this Maanav, we will… I love you, Maanav, I always have…”

Suddenly he jerked his head up and stared into her eyes with a bloodshot intensity she had never seen before. “What… did… you… just… say?” he was breathing hard.

She cupped his cheeks yet again. “This probably isn’t the right time, Maanav. But I… I am in love with you… no pressure at all to reciprocate. I just wanted to be clear about my feelings … I mean…” Nitya didn’t know what got over her to confess it to him, but she looked away. Talk of timing… she would win an award for it.

She let her hands move away from his face. Right then, he gripped them and held them before his face and kissed her hands. “God knows Nitya… I have been longing to hear those words… I love you more than life itself. I love you for the woman you are and I also love the little brother you bring in… Naman. He is a rockstar…”

He pulled her close and hugged her. “Don’t worry, Nitya. Naman will be home soon.”

“Maanav…?”

“…Yeah…?”

“Why didn’t they call yet?”

“That’s probably because they are still getting their bearings… Meanwhile Nitya, our team is working on this too… the Indian Navy and the Air Force are secretly helping us. We are waiting for more intelligence. We don’t want to go unprepared… it will be risky for both Naman and us.” He kissed her forehead. She rested her head on his chest and wished for it all to end soon…

Maanav’s walkie-talkie buzzed and they separated. It was Shadow on the other end.

“Bullet, come in with Nitya. Theres some intel”

“Will be there in a moment…” Maanav signed off and held her hand before striding off to the office.

Nitya could feel confidence steeping in and she knew it was because of this man who stood with her through this all.

As soon as they entered the office Nitya saw the huge screen lit up again and the Ripples song playing again. Shadow had used Naman’s codes, apparently. She saw some more scrolling happening on the screen.

“As you see here there was some more information in the song… more Morse codes but there are numbers too this time. Your father had timed them, Nitya. In case these fell into the wrong hands… I could crack this only because Naman completed most of it…” Shadow didn’t take his eyes off the screen as he typed and spoke. “… these numbers are in some sequence that we can’t figure yet… we don’t know if its some kind of a passcode or information…”

Oh Appa… Nitya made a mental prayer. Please appa… this should be enough… I can’t take this anymore. Naman is in danger…

Maanav walked towards the screen in slow motion and stared unblinkingly at the screen.

“Shadow… halt this one moment…” He spoke aloud.

There was a pin-drop silence as everyone gathered around Maanav. Nitya couldn’t make out anything there were random numbers that came up as the morse codes for numbers got decoded. What was Appa thinking…?

“THAT’S IT…” Maanav thumped the desk sending the paperclips flying. “… I got it…”

He turned around with a triumphant grin on his face as he looked at Nitya.

“Maanav here is a maths wiz…” Shadow spoke and he connected them to Captain Rawat who was immediately on screen.

Maanav nodded at the Captain and spoke. “Look at the numbers here in this order… each four-digit number here is a sum of the preceding two numbers… that means it’s the…”

“… The Fibonacci series” Captain Rawat completed his statement.

“…That’s right Captain and now look at the arrangement of the series… it’s blended with an alphabet… so here we go…” Maanav took up a pen and scribbled something on a paper.

“…Nitya I wonder how long it must have taken your father to do this and then scramble it all… this is a combination of numbers and if we place a decimal after the digits strategically coinciding with the ocean where these people are…. So we now have four such combinations…representing Latitudes and longitudes…” Maanav continued scribbling. And then held up the paper.

“Oh MY GOD…” Shadow exclaimed as he watched spell bound and this was the first time Nitya saw him flustered. “… These are coordinates…”

“Positive…” Captain Rawat spoke up this time his voice filled with excitement. “… These are the locations of the torpedoes under water… meant for firing. Dr. Mohandas had designed them to be placed there without knowing for what they were to be used… he must have got the idea of it all later and did the damage control to the best of his abilities… Mind blowing…” there was silence again as everyone tried to digest the information just received. Captain Rawat made some calls and typed furiously, sending his office at his end into a flurry of activity. “…I am getting in the Navy officials on board who will help us without the red tape involvement… we will confirm the location without them getting an inkling of the same. Meanwhile Shadow and Bullet, you must be prepared… I have called in Razor as well.” Captain Rawat signed off.

Within an hour Shadow and Maanav were ready in their combat suits while Nitya didn’t like the wait. She was however grateful to these men especially Shadow who was going the extra mile and risking his life for Naman. There was a buzz and soon they welcomed a tall good-looking guy with a flirtatious smile. He gave her a two-finger salute as he joined them in the office. She didn’t need any introduction to know he was Avinash ‘Razor’ Thakur. But as the meeting progressed and he was brought up to date, he was serious and soon was dressed up in his combat suit. The trio looked dangerous, but still Nitya was scared for them. They waited for Captain Rawat’s go-ahead.

However, the silence in the office room was jarred by an incessant shrill ringing of an incoming call. It was a private number.

Shadow gestured to Nitya to answer the call.

“Hel… hel… hello…?” She stuttered.

“So, you must be the daughter…” a rough voice, which was probably camouflaged with a software spoke. “…by now you must be knowing your dear brother is in our custody. And you also know what we want…”

“…How is Naman…?”

“Look lady, you have no right to ask any questions. Naman is safe as of now. We want you to bring that instrument to the location I text you in 10 minutes. I want the instrument in the next 8 hours…. But you must come alone to this spot in one hour and my men will pick you up. Bring help and you won’t see your brother… got it…?” The warning was firm

“Don’t you hurt Naman. He is innocent… I will get whatever you want…”

The call went dead and Shadow shook his head, which meant they couldn’t trace it.

“Nitya… here’s the plan. We will…” Maanav began.

“…No Maanav… please no… They have warned me… I can’t get any help. I will go alone. Let me hand over the instrument and get Naman. Then you can take over… please let me do this my way…” Nitya frantically pleaded and walked towards the instrument, trying to detach it.

“Wait Nitya. If you do this, it will destroy the codes in it… it’s fragile from years of wear and tear…” Shadow warned.

Nothing they spoke made sense to her.

Maanav walked towards her. “…Ok Nitya. We will do it as you say. Just have some water. And remember… not to use the washroom anywhere. Don’t drink anything else… not even more water… got it?” he handed a bottle to her. It just had about 50 ml of water and it tasted strange, but she gulped it, nonetheless.

Soon she stood at the threshold of the secret pathway holding the instrument. Maanav stood next to her and spoke. “Just focus on your task at hand, and I will focus on mine. Remember, I am always with you…”

She nodded and blinked back tears as she made her way out… to get back her brother safe and sound.

©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.)

Chapter 21

The office room was now a flurry of activities with Shadow at the helm of things. Captain Rawat too was a constant feature as he barked orders to his office back in wherever he was. Nitya could only stand and anticipate as the gravity of the situation began to sink in. What did her father unearth that cost him his life? This was huge and concerning National security. What was her father upto? He had passed on such vital information…

How she wished this was revealed years ago… before her father was called a traitor and their family shunned. Would her mother be sane? Would Naman have received better treatment and support options? Maybe she would have got a proper education and overall… stability and a carefree life where she didn’t have to look over her shoulders all her life.

Blinking back tears, Nitya watched Maanav and Shadow draw all possible information about torpedoes and their use.

“So boys…” Captain Rawat roared and startled Nitya. “,.. we have on a conference call the defence secretariat… and the home Minister himself. We have to update him so he can take care of the bureaucratic matters. I strongly feel we will need that.”

Nitya sat in a dark corner of the office watching the scene unfold. The huge screen now had the who’s who from high offices and their screens were shadowed. She wondered why because they were all in public lives anyways.

“That’s because they are in this mission on a classified basis… they can’t reveal themselves. It’s a façade you see… to cut the bureaucratic red tape….” Maanav whispered as if hearing her thoughts. He seemed to know her more than herself. She was so glad he was with her… else she couldn’t have coped with this mayhem.

“Here’s the status…” captain Rawat’s voice boomed through the speakers and all the others in the office were looking with rapt attention. Shadow and his team were all prepped up to fire the keyboard while Maanav sat next to Nitya holding her hand. “…This terror conspiracy was launched way back in early 2000s or probably even before that but received a shot in the arm after the 9/11 US attacks. The funding had to be diverted somewhere else so Yemen became a hotbed. The proximity to large number of ports was critical part of the reason to consider attack by the sea route. And the reason for the attack was the age old… Babri Masjid demolition….” Captain Rawat sighed and Nitya saw him rub his face. she was sure the man was fatigued but he didn’t let it show through his voice as he continued.

“… so gentlemen as you see here…” he put up a slide showing the sea route from Yemen to Mumbai. “…Its not an impossible task. 26/11 was done so from our neighbouring land but the planning and the needed technological advancement were provided from Yemen so given our good relations with the country, no one would suspect them. In fact, I have on good record the authorities there have been clueless about what was happening clandestinely right under their noses.”

Nitya realised she had gripped Maanav’s palm. He placed a warm palm over their clasped hands. “don’t worry, Nitya… this is the beginning of the end. I promise…” He whispered and she nodded. She realised she had become an emotional mess ever since Maanav had returned to her life. She loved him more than anything… always loved him but it also scared her. She had lost a lot in life. What if she lost him as well? What if something happened to Naman? A flood of negative thoughts sent a shiver down her spine. She felt Maanav’s grip tighten as they continued to hear what Captain Rawat had to say.

“… The 26/11 attack on Mumbai as we already know happened via the sea route and they had planned a follow-up attack immediately in December. The November attack was called the ‘BUTT mission because of the chief perp involved in the same. He was tried in a court in the neighbouring country. The second attack was to have taken place in a more severe form. However, because of the vigilance by Dr. Mohandas, that attack was prevented but the physical preps were all done…”

“What do you mean by the preps?” A member of the defence secretariat questioned.

“Dr. Mohandas sent the details to us cryptically. He was sure those people would target his family if he directly sent it… it also could have fallen into the wrong hands instead of coming to us… Dr. Mohandas would have probably aimed for one of the two outcomes… either destroy it all… so it would never work. The perps had spent too much and they would suffer losses that would render them useless. The second would be getting it all decoded by someone trusted and someone highly intelligent. This is difficult to find amongst the enemy. That worked and here we are. But at that time the attack was a few days apart after 26/11. So, all their other preparations would have had to be in place.” Captain Rawat explained.

Shadow stood and nodded at everyone as he took over the explanation. He put up another slide. “As you see here, Yemen has a 1200-mile coastline. Of which 4 of these ports are heavily guarded. 3 of them are major ports. It over all lies in the South Western corner of the Arabian Peninsula so quite a bit of it is secluded from us and our western coastline. If there has to be an attack, they have to use a port for the activation and technology… that means they will require a port that’s not in function. In the last 15 years, there have been a couple of ports that have been rendered dysfunctional and are used to repair and build ships….”

Captain Rawat took over. “…I have sent a word across through our informer network to check for anything untoward happening in one of these two ports… meanwhile here is my research…” he put up another slide. “… Ul-Ad-Fitoor has been dysfunctional from early 2008 and even to date because of the difficult underwater terrain for ships it has not been in use….” He put up another slide. “… If you see, the projection of this port area to the Arabian Sea to Mumbai coastline is a straight line despite the distance. Also, the waters midway are politically in a no man’s territory, unclaimed by any country. So anyone is free to use them. However, the vigilance these days is strong so whatever has to be done has to be done underwater. “

Maanav walked towards the monitor. “Hence the use of ‘Torpedoes’. They had planned this earlier which means the torpedoes are already present… underwater. Undetected so far.”

“Yes, Bullet.” Captain Rawat agreed. “…Today’s torpedoes are highly advanced, incorporating guidance systems, propulsion technology, and various sensors… even way back in 2008 the technology was pretty good. However, since it was a top-secret mission, it had to be taken care of without the watchdogs of the world… Hence…”

“…Hence my father came into the picture…” Nitya found herself talking. Everyone fell silent and no one attempted to stop her as she walked towards the monitor that showed the Yemen coastal strip. “…he deactivated and scrambled the codes to destroy the attack plans…” She looked at Captain Rawat. “… didn’t he?”

She felt him nod slightly and slumped to the floor even as Maanav rushed to her. he helped her stand and she felt all her energy drain away as she clung to him for support.

“My Appa was never the traitor… he gave up his life to safeguard the national interest and even after his death today his son continues the legacy… my brother decoded it all… unscrambled it all… we aren’t children of a traitor… we aren’t.. at fault … we … are … not … responsible…my appa…” She felt breathless even as her chest constricted. The anxiety attack which she thought was a thing of the past came back with a vengeance she didn’t know existed.

Right then there was a loud beep on the monitor. Shadow rushed towards his instrument panel and looked at Captain Rawat wide-eyed. Captain Rawat nodded and signalled something to his back office… what must have happened? Nitya found the world around her begin to spin. There was a cacophony of keyboard clicks and all those present virtually simultaneously talking. In all that she could only make out two words that penetrated her fudged brain… ‘connection lost’. Oh God … NAMAN!

She saw a blurred Maanav frown and speak something as he held her close… was he shouting? She couldn’t make out her ears were ringing and her chest was… goodness she couldn’t breathe anymore… was she whimpering? She couldn’t tell… was she dying? She didn’t know… what would happen to Naman then? Would Naman be alive or join her in the other realm?

Before she could think more, darkness claimed her…

©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.)

Chapter 20

The cacophony of the instruments buzzing around in the office acted like a balm to Nitya’s disturbed soul. She wanted to do something… anything to take her mind off the horrendous thoughts of what may be happening to Naman. His signals were coming in if Captain Rawat was to be believed. The man still wasn’t showing his face but was constantly in touch with them giving them updates about Naman. Apparently, the boy was on the move still which meant the location was till not final.

Captain Rawat had been firm not to interfere right now though they had all the capacity to free Naman. Nitya was aghast initially but knowing that Naman was safe and given the involvement of her father indirectly, she felt it in her veins to trust her brother. She was proud of the fact too. However, the sister in her wasn’t… she was anxious.

Maanav was working in tandem with Shadow’s technical staff to decipher the letter and she looking in awe at the man who faced something similar from the same enemy. His father had died in the line of duty in the same tragedy that had struck her…. He had bounced back and while she was yet to learn the details about his life; she was proud of him for the man he had become. She saw him as being the epitome of concentration… he was like that. Whether it was for the country or whether it was in bed….

Nitya shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to think about her personal affairs with Maanav. She felt eyes on her and looked up to see Maanav staring back at her… He smiled and an unsaid message passed between them. Something told her he thought about the same situation that she did as well… She blushed despite everything and looked away. She thanked God for Maanav and Shadow and of course Captain Rawat… she was grateful that irrespective of what happened in her life in the last 15 years, these people had her back. She wouldn’t have known what to do. No wonder her father had asked her to take help and he had been specific, too. Maanav. Maanav’s father, too had been specific. And that was because her father wanted it that way…

Could it be that their fathers were blessing them from wherever they were?

She blinked back tears. Her father was stuck in something sinister and yet he thought about her well-being… She deeply wished to clear his name. And the process had begun. The letter had to be decoded.

A shriek filled the air as she startled and she saw Maanav thumping his fist in the air. Shadow patted him and she knew he had decoded the letter. Captain Rawat was back on the screen again.

The translation of the letter was put up on the large screen along with the original letter lines.

The translation read:

Qui totum vult totum perdit

He who wants everything loses everything.

De omnibus dubitandum

Be suspicious of everything.

Factum fieri infectum non potes

It is impossible for a deed to be undone.

Pisces lethale in aquis profundis

The lethal fish in deep waters

dona felis summis

The gifts are trigger alerts

missio non perficitur

Mission to not be accomplished

circulorum ut nec in aquis usque

Ripples shouldn’t be found in still waters

“So, here’s all open before you…” Maanav declared as he read the translated letter aloud.

There was a pin drop silence as everyone began to decipher the messages hidden in between the lines… with the buzz of the instrumentation for company.

“Nitya, child…” Captain Rawat’s soft voice came across from the speakers and Nitya was touched at his changed tone. “… You knew your father at a personal level… I know you were just a child at the time but I have seen first-hand at how perceptive you were even then. Your father was always proud of you. So think about the depth in these words and help us out. Maanav this applies to you as well.”

Maanav walked closer to Nitya and they stared at the words.

“Appa… he wanted us to ‘save all’….” Nitya spoke softly and she felt Naman’s strong presence and aura urging her. At that moment it felt her father had also played a role in getting them together from wherever he was. “… so, we now know that he was warning us about the next attack” Nitya looked at Maanav and he nodded in affirmation.

“When he mentioned ‘take help’ it meant me, and you all by association…” Maanav added.

Shadow moved closer to the screen. “Let’s take one line at a time… Nitya can you make out the first line? He who wants everything… what do you think it meant?” he asked her.

“I think… he was speaking about himself… he wanted it all…” Nitya added, choking on her voice. “…and then he lost it all.” She broke down. Maanav held her close and she was grateful he was there. He was her pillar of strength, especially at that moment. Shadow got her water and she had a couple of sips trying to stabilise herself. None of them tried to rush her and she knew how imperative it was that they finish on time.

Sniffing on her tissue she read the next line and pondered. “My appa was suspicious of everyone… I think he meant Kamble kaka… the Judas. He must have found something about his involvement at that time…”

No one interrupted her and she was relieved. Maanav didn’t let go of her shoulder and she was grateful for the physical contact.

The third line was confusing everyone… what deed was her father talking about that couldn’t be undone.

“I think I have figured this…” Maanav answered her thoughts. “… I think if you consider the Morse code messages and the series of events at the time… Your father meant he couldn’t stop 26/11….” She felt a shudder run through his body and knew instantly there was some connection.

Maanav hugged her closer with one hand and supported himself on a nearby table with the other. He turned towards her. “I lost dad… on that horrific day… in the line of duty… Details aren’t known to date… just him… rest all of them we got their videos or something… No information about his death though…” he looked down again as emotions got the better of him. This time it was her turn as she turned and hugged him. he hugged her back and placed his face in the crook of her neck. She felt him breathe heavily trying to contain his emotions as unanswered questions kept popping up…  She didn’t care about the audience and no one interrupted them.

What on earth had happened to their fathers? Everything was so messed up. She rubbed his back and eventually, he sighed as he moved away. He held her hand as they both looked back at the screen.

The next line ‘lethal fish in deep waters’ didn’t make much sense… so after pondering for about 15 minutes, they decided to move on to the next one.

“By gifts did he mean the package that he sent… this instrument that Naman used all this while?” Nitya questioned everyone.

“Yes indeed. It is… it also includes Maanav’s gift from his father…” Captain Rawat spoke after a long time. “… that last line in the letter about completing the gift circle probably means that both had to be combined. It did work… the musical note was completed at Maanav’s house that morning…”

“Yes… the next line probably means that the mission shouldn’t be allowed to accomplish i.e… it should be prevented at all costs….” This was Shadow. “…We know by now that Nitya’s father had tried to prevent the next attack and, in the process, sent the packages to his family and Maanav’s father…”

Two lines still remained to be deduced…

The lethal fish in deep waters

And

Ripples shouldn’t be found in still waters

Everyone stared at the two lines put out separately… It meant the attack has something to do with the ‘water’. Was the enemy planning an attack from the water route just like 26/11? But they would know that the security would be tight.

Captain Rawat continued to speak. “They wouldn’t have tried something similar… it would be something ingenious through the water mode itself… the shock element is in place. It would be something that would still catch us unawares…What could it be?”

“That mission had to be aborted because Nitya’s father prevented it… but the fact that they are in the country for a while and have been after the instrument meant its still in the pipeline…” Shadow filled in.

“Yes…” Maanav ascertained. “… And from what Nitya heard that evening in Virar, it meant, they have planned it this December on the 6^th… We are a few months away and they barely have time to prepare it… it must be something extensive that takes this much time to get ready… what is it?”

The excitement and the adrenaline rush were palpable in the room as they collectively approached the resolution of the clues left behind by Nitya’s father.

“What creates ripples in the water?” Nitya suddenly popped up a question.

There was a sudden hush and immediately Maanav spoke… “that song ‘ripples’ played after the gifts were combined. Just check out the lyrics…”

Shadow immediately got to work and soon there was a page on the large screen.

For an hour a man may change
For an hour her face looks strange
Looks strange, looks strange
Marching to the promised land
Where the honey flows
And takes you by the hand
Pulls you down on your knees
While you’re down a pool appears

The face in the water looks up
And she shakes her head as if to say
That it’s the last time you’ll look like today

Sail away, away
Ripples never come back
Gone to the other side
Sail away, away

The face that launched
A thousand ships
Is sinking fast, that happens you know
The water gets below
Seems not very long ago

Lovelier she was
Than any that I know
Angels never know it’s time
To close the book
And gracefully decline
The song has found a tale
My, what a jealous pool is she

Sail away, away
Ripples never come back
They’ve gone to the other side
Look into the pool
Ripples never come back
Dive to the bottom and go to the top
To see where they have gone
They’ve gone to the other side

Maanav rushed to the screen that showed up when the music played. Shadow helped by putting in some codes, probably the ones Naman had used. If there was anyone who could learn from Naman it was Shadow. Nitya watched in awe as the song began to play and the Morse codes sprag up… the Initial lies were decoded.

“Just notice these fresh codes…” Maanav pointed out. “… they weren’t there earlier because we ended the music after the initial lines…” he looked around at them in excitement. “…but there were fresh codes and they came in when the music changed in a strange way…not present in the original…”

“Yes… I agree…” Nitya piqued in. “…I remember this music appa used to play often… but these lines sound different…”

Maanav played it over again and again. They even played the original to compare… this went on for half an hour and then Maanav rushed to the where the lyrics were put up and marked five lines. “Here…” he declared. “… these are the lines where the lyrics change…”

Everyone came closer and Shadow got the lyrics together.

The face that launched a thousand ships

Is sinking fast, that happens you know

Dive to the bottom and go to the top                                                                            To see where they have gone
They’ve gone to the other side

 Maanav turned towards them and put up a question. “So what do you all think? What can be the ‘face’ that launches…? that causes ships to sink? Something that dives to the bottom initially but strikes upward…? And comes in from the other side… obviously to hit us…?”

He looked at everyone even as Nitya stared wide-eyed.

Shadow straightened to his complete height anger shimmering on his rugged face and Nitya realised the man was very tall… he was a giant.

Captain Rawat who had been silently observing the proceedings so far suddenly spoke. “There can only be one answer to all of this… Given the technological advancement available at the time only one thing sounds logical… getting all the above points together especially the ripples on the surface….”

“And that is…?” Nitya moved closer to Maanav fear creeping up her spine in anticipation of what would come.

“Torpedoes…” Maanav declared his voice laced with anger and gripping Nitya’s hand tighter.

“BLOODY HELL…” Shadow roared. “…the F&%$#@s are planning the attack using Sailing torpedoes…”

©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.)