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Book Review: Swipe Right to kill: The Jaipur Tinder Murder Case

Priya Gole
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Book Review: Swipe Right to kill: The Jaipur Tinder Murder Case

Author: Anirban Bhattacharyya

Every second day, we get to hear of someone falling for online fraud. The person should consider himself lucky for only losing money. Once you read this book, you will know how much a criminal mind can stoop and the victim can lose a lot more than money… his life, too.

The Jaipur Tinder Murder case shocked the daylights of the public, especially given the circumstances that led to the death of Dushyant Sharma.

In 2018, Dushyant, who had been using a fake identity in the virtual dating world, fell prey to the scheming Priya Seth. While Priya was a veteran who used her charms to scam unsuspecting men for a long time, Dushyant was naïve and his libido overpowered grey matter in every aspect. He realised his folly only too late. Priya and her accomplices Dikshant and Lakshya had plotted to kidnap Dushyant in hopes of getting a hefty ransom. However, it all fell through when they realised Dushyant had faked it all. He didn’t have the money. Blinded by greed and fear, they killed him.

However, in the process of evading arrest or getting spotted by the police, they made innumerable mistakes and were soon caught.

While the case was a direct one, the author takes us through the complete investigation process that followed after the FIR was lodged when Dushyant first disappeared. It’s overwhelming and educative to learn about how criminals can escape using the loopholes in the law and this time the police were extra careful. Very often media trials bling judgements in favour of the criminals. However, this wasn’t the case here. The case that shook the country was taken to its logical end.

There is also a lot of discussion on the mental state of the perps and the victim. Its interesting to understand the varying dynamics of the same and how they impacted each other.

The author has raised pertinent points on the dangers of the virtual world where it doesn’t hurt to be careful. The book also throws light on several cases that were a precedent to the current one. I applaud the author for the detailed research and thank him for serving crucial information on a platter to the readers.

A must-read for real-time crime aficionados.

 

 

Book Review: Mr. Joshi’s Bride

Priya Gole
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Book Review: Mr. Joshi’s Bride

Author: Vani

A contemporary romance crafted with tinges of family drama from India and abroad.

Parshuraman Joshi is a 27-year-old ideal marriage material for every eligible woman because he is well-bred, educated and, most of all, an NRI. Having lost his parents as a child Parshu has been the apple of the eye of his maternal aunt, Parvati, his grandmother and sister, Ragini. The sole aim of the woman folk is to see him ‘settled’ in marital bliss before… he finds himself a ‘gori’.

What follows, is a family drama with the roller coasters of ‘meeting’ eligible girls to Parshu finding himself ‘engaged’ and being stood up at the altar. However, Parshu develops feelings for his colleague, Jennifer. But is that genuine or an infatuation? What about the woman who left him at the altar? He had thought he could spend a life with her as well.

Did Parshu know what he wanted, eventually?

The author uses simple language and has good timing with the funny moments that leave a reader smiling throughout Parshu’s over-the-top or a bit too-subtle shenanigans.

You can’t help but fall in love with the lead characters however quirky they are!

 

Book Review: Mostly Mundane

Priya Gole
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Book Review: Mostly Mundane

Author: Saugata Chakraborty

Contrary to what the title suggests, there is nothing mundane about this book. It’s a perfect elixir when not-so-mundane life stressors bog you down!!

The story is an anecdotal account of Shantilal Biswas who goes through the curveballs life throws in his direction, with admirable tenacity and grit. The journey is laced with humour and the reader smiles throughout. A few instances also make you laugh out loud and you can’t help but compare Shantilal’s situation with your own!

The author’s wit, play with language and humour stand out throughout the book. Nothing is preachy in the book, yet it makes you stop and think.

This book isn’t to be just read. It’s to be savoured!

My only grouse is the book ended sooner than it should have and I was left wanting for more!

Book Review: My Life On Canvas (poetry collection)

Priya Gole
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Book Review: My Life On Canvas (poetry collection)

Poet: Saloni Sareen

While I am not a poetry person, Saloni’s book made me stop in my tracks and take a pause. Everything around me seemed mundane as I began to go through the poetry collection. The roller coaster ride of emotions as you sail through the web of words strung together… touches you deeply. The poet has put in her heart and soul into each verse and word. The expressions are simple yet the in-depth meaning is intense. The themes vary from nature to people to simple expressions around us. It would make the reader admire the surrounding beauty more. There are subtle shades of grey too… Even if one isn’t a connoisseur of poems, you can enjoy this book.

 

Book Review: Kausalya : Queen of hearts

Priya Gole
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Book Review: Kausalya : Queen of hearts

Author: Vibha Sangita Krishnakumar 

Who was Kausalya?

An unwanted daughter, given her mother’s indifference? Someone whose fate was tied to the Asura king Ravana? or someone who had to bear with the fact that her husband had to take on two more wives?

Or was she just a mother who had to give up her children, including exiling her own son?

Kausalya was the princess extraordinaire. She excelled in all areas to the extent that she was known to be blessed by the Goddess. She had powers unknown to many.

However, she had to remain in the shadows of her father, husband and later, her son. Though she embodied truth and wisdom, happiness and sorrow, sacrifice and devotion, she came across as a disgruntled and voiceless monarch.

There were many layers to the enigmatic Kausalya and the young author has done a good job of peeling them one at a time. Here was a warrior queen who birthed an avatar but was a lot more than what met the eye.

The later part of the story, particularly the exile and Sita’s birth, is very different from what we have read in most versions of the Ramayana. But the reasoning is effective enough. It’s a different yet interesting perspective.

Kausalya was the queen who had it all but was always alone…

 

Epilogue: the password

Priya Gole
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Epilogue: the password

Epilogue

18 months later

Maanav and Nitya walked hand in hand and stood still in Shadow’s office. The place had undergone a lot of changes and was more appealing to the eye. Maanav knew this was Padma’s handiwork. Shadow waved to them while on call. While Nitya rushed to pull out of her hand from Maanav’s grasp, he held on. Her dark green bangles jingled and she looked at her henna adorned hands. She smiled remembering their wedding a week ago.

The slight commotion also stopped the furious typing that was going on in a dark corner.

“Didi… Naman miss didi… Naman miss Maanav… Naman good…” Naman scurried out of his dark corner and rushed to the newly wed couple just back from their brief honeymoon. He hugged Nitya and Maanav.

Nitya blinked back tears as she watched her brother happier than ever before. Maanav finally let go of her hand as Naman dragged him towards his console. She saw that Shadow had arranged it all to suit Naman’s sensory requirements. The corner was dark just like he liked it and there were a set of headphones.

She remembered the period 18 months ago when the final showdown took place on the ship.

Jameel had passed and the MARCOS had taken over the ops from then on. The media carried reports of a Naval operation and there was no mention of SPS or Nitya, Naman or Kamble kaka. They however acquired a lot of evidence from Ashfaq’s father who had escaped a little earlier with them. It was more than enough to clear her Appa’s name and he was posthumously awarded an honorarium for his sacrifice and the PMO issued a public apology on behalf of all the office bearers to date.

Ashfaq’s father lamented over the loss of his only son yet he delivered her father’s savings to her as promised. Nitya invested all of it in Naman’s name. The amount was substantial along with the ex-gratia amounts they received as arrears for their Appa’s service in India. Shadow helped her with investment advice. Speaking of which, the gentle giant was God sent for Naman and the young guy adored him. Shadow had immediately offered a job to Naman and Naman had been elated. They didn’t reveal anything about Naman… or his extraordinary skills to the media. Soon the frenzy died and Nitya and Naman moved in with Maanav. After a few months, Maanav proposed to her and she accepted… life had been a bliss ever since.

Kamble kaka had lost a lot of blood but recovered well. He revealed all about his role as a RAW agent. He had retired from active field duty but Capt. Rawat on Maanav’s father’s insistence those years back had gotten Kamble kaka back on board to keep an eye on DR. Manohar’s family. That he already knew DR. Manohar was a bonus.

Nitya’s Maternal relatives who had severed ties slowly made an effort to get in touch with them. While she was bitter about the past she understood their decisions. She was trying gradually for Naman’s sake. The boy was blooming and trying his best to socialise.

Life had come a full circle indeed….

Maanav and Avinash had joined SPS full on and had even completed a couple of missions. Anandi had taken off on a long break and was all set to join SPS. Nitya was glad Maanav had such amazing friends.

“Nitya, take a look here…” Maanav called out shaking her out of her reverie. She walked towards Naman’s console where Shadow stood deep in thought.

“Naman has created a folder in memory of your father where he has stored all the codes and other details that he unravelled…” Maanav explained. “…You should take a look at this…” Maanav pointed and Naman made a few clicks.

The song from that instrument played again. The instrument was now placed in a locker because it was very fragile. It was no longer of any use but they wanted to keep it in Dr. Manohar’s memory. It was the only connection for the siblings with their father.

This time the music played from one of the files on Naman’s console.

“In our frenzy to complete that mission we had never bothered to find out what was the code to mobilise the torpedoes…” Shadow explained to Nitya.

The torpedoes were embedded in a jutting rock in the seabed. They were carefully dismantled. 15 years of strong sea currents hadn’t damaged them much so everyone understood why the perps wanted it so badly. The investment was tremendous… the outer shell remained but the rocks would require blasting so it was decided to let it remain there.

“…So here is the password… rather, Passwords. No one would have guessed them…” Shadow spoke smiling.

“So, what were the passwords?” Nitya asked intrigued at the turn of events.

Shadow turned the monitor towards Nitya and she read it wide-eyed….

“THE SECRET RIPPLES”

 

 

 

******************** The end ***********************

 

 

 

Chapter 25 The curtains fall… in action

Priya Gole
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Chapter 25 The curtains fall… in action

 

Chapter 25

Maanav stood still for a moment trying to quickly analyse the situation. Shadow was leading the mission but Maanav and Anandi had the liberty to make decisions for Nitya and Naman’s sake. Just then Aanadi gestured that she was going inside through a window at the far corner. He wondered how she could make that out in the darkness that had enveloped them.

Amidst the acrid sea breeze blowing the loose tendrils of her unruly curls besides the obvious contours, nothing gave away that she was a woman. Maanav was in awe of her skills and all three of them hugely respected her for that. He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. She disappeared into the dark cavern and Maanav tried to figure out if he could make out anything from the din of noises coming in. The intensity of the song had reduced but it still played and Capt. Rawat signalled that Naman was close to indicating the location of the torpedoes. He had to continue playing the song, which meant he had to unscramble the codes, which meant he had to keep typing on that instrument. Did the people inside know what he was doing?

They probably had to know because Kamble uncle was there, wasn’t he? He knew what that song meant.

He had to get inside… without making a noise because by now everyone would have been alerted. Suddenly there was a commotion and the glass in front of him creaked. He bent down in time to dodge a bullet. He slithered into the dark crevices. The bastards were shooting at his silhouette and Nitya or Naman could get hurt. He moved towards the back side of the ship. He knew there had to be an entry as per the blueprint Capt. Rawat had obtained. It wasn’t perfect, but gave them some idea about the ship’s layout. Usually those sides were heavily guarded but now that there was confrontation there was a possibility that the guards would be less since everyone had to take control over the deck, which now lay in darkness, thanks to Shadow’s handiwork.

Maanav slipped on his dark goggles and moved towards his target, silently and quickly, true to his name… He was right. Not just fewer guards, there was no guard at the back end. How could these people be so careless? Did they underestimate the Indian Navy? They probably also knew about the SPS courtesy Kamble uncle. So, this didn’t make sense, unless there was a …. Trap.

Right then Capt. Rawat’s voice made its staccato entry into his earpiece. “Avoid the tail… grenade trap…. Naman… conveyed… AVOID THE TAIL…”

But it was a tad too late… His leg hit a wire or something like that. It was too dark and despite the night vision goggles, he didn’t see the booby trap. But he reacted quickly and sprang to safety as 3 grenades exploded one after the other.

The explosion shattered the prevailing lull before the storm on board as chaos ensured. Flames licked the skies and debris rained down… charred wood, paper, cloth and stones too… Maanav barely escaped with a few scratches due to his quick reflexes but he worried about Nitya and Naman. Had Anandi made her way inside? Did he compromise her as well? Thick smoke filled the air around him and he had covered his face earlier in anticipation. The breeze helped for a change but there was a danger of the entire ship going up in flames a few containers that lay on the deck…. Did they contain inflammable articles? It would be catastrophic.

“Location determined…” Capt. Rawat declared. His voice drained in the ongoing commotion. “… Navy on the way to neutralize…”

Thank goodness the Navy had taken over that aspect. Their work was now cut out… They had to free Naman and Nitya and get out of there.

But that was easier said than done. They still didn’t have intel on the number of men on board from the enemy camp. And then he heard footsteps… of course, the explosion had given him away. He saw a huge anchor with its rope coiled up together for later use and made a quick move to hide behind. He had to remain uncaught.

“Bullet… come in…” Shadow buzzed into his earpiece. “…I have a visual on you. 3 men at 11 o’clock…” he now knew the positions of those coming in. “… they had AK 47s and grenades strapped to their bodies…”

Oh hell… he could take them out of their AKs in an instant but the morons were suicidal… indoctrinated. They would just explode themselves and kill all of them in the process.

“Bullet… just stay low. I shall join in…” Shadow spoke. He heard some clicks and thuds amidst a commotion on the deck. There was firing going on for sure… just how many were there?

“20 + men on the deck… a lot more inside ready with explosives… hold back boys… we need to be strategic…” Captain Rawat screeched into his ears.

Maanav hated to just wait, but he had been on dangerous missions and knew how crucial it was to wait along with presence of mind. Capt Rawat now had better visuals and all he wanted was to get into that room.

Right then he heard thuds and looked a bit outside his hiding place and saw the 3 men lying lifeless on the dusty deck floor… guns and grenades in tow. Laser stood behind them and nodded before disappearing from where he had emerged.

Wasting no more time, he rushed towards the room where the door stood on its hinges, hanging fragile in the wake of the blast. The sharp smell of burning metal was clogging his throat. It brought back the nightmares from his innumerable missions where he had conducted rescue operations, but nowhere before had his heart thudded the way it did now. He had known to remain neutral during missions, but this was proving difficult… with Nitya in there.

He stealthily moved close to the door and tried to peep inside, hoping to get some visuals. There was noise and music, along with some murmur. He was in a small part right outside the main room… he moved closer to a shaft-like structure that stood like a wall between him and the occupants of the room. He made an effort to hear what was going on…

They were talking… what?

Yes, talking… in loud voices. There was an argument of sorts going on, and Nitya was arguing with someone with a deep baritone.

Either Nitya was walking straight into the lion’s den or he was hallucinating. Where was Anandi. As if hearing him, he heard a tiny whistle. That was a call between the 4 friends… when they wanted to call each other without others in the Gurukul knowing about it. He looked up and Anandi was perched on a platform. If he didn’t know her, he would have thought it was a part of the wood. That was how good she was at camouflage. She gestured that she had heard everything there and that he had to wait for her to blast the shaft. Else their hostages would be hurt.

He nodded… this was getting on his nerves. He was used to missions where he just walked in all prepared, completed the job and left with the hostages or the packages that they referred to as their targets. This was getting way too difficult because his heart was involved… the explosion outside was a throwback to those jungles years ago in the camp where Nitya and he were separated. But this time he vowed… come what may, he wasn’t leaving without her.

There was noise coming in from outside… he wondered what was happening… did they neutralise the threat on the deck?

He struggled to hear the rising voices coming in from the other side.

“You are stubborn… very stubborn… like father like daughter…” the deep voice roared.

“Don’t you dare talk about my father… you don’t deserve to take his name after what you did to him” Nitya spoke back.

“We give him money… lot of money. And he…? he betray us. Because of him we couldn’t finish our mission. But now… Inshallah… we will.”

The music continued and so did the typing. Naman was holding himself well despite the chaos.

“Now tell the boy to explain this or you explain this nonsense music…” he roared again.

Maanav wanted nothing more than to kick the shaft and kill the man with his bare hands, but now he would endanger everyone. It was a faint scratch… he realised that faint noise was coming in for a while now. He squinted up to see Anandi had chipped of a tiny piece of wood and was now peeping through it. She gestured that there were 8 armed men inside and a few people tied up too besides Nitya, Naman and Kamble uncle. Nitya’s hands were cuffed. Maanav’s anger rose but Anandi gestured to him to keep calm. This wasn’t the time.

Their earpieces cracked again. “Deck neutralised completely. 3 arrested. We are all safe. Navy closing in 10 nautical miles…” Shadow informed them.

Anandi conveyed the inside situation to Shadow through her tiny tab.

“I just got a visual. I can see shadows and silhouettes inside. We aren’t opening fire now…” Shadow assured him.

They continued to hear the conversation.

“I don’t understand what he is doing… my brother just loves that instrument for its music…” Nitya reasoned.

“I am not idiot, girl. I know this means something. Your father… genius… He made something for those… activation keys. Tell me or I will kill you.” There was click and Maanav’s blood boiled.

He was about to kick the shaft when Kamble uncle spoke.

“Wait Janab… wait.. if you kill her the boy will be useless… he only listens to her and she is the only one who can understand the boy… otherwise this would not have taken so many years…”

“BAS KARO… I had enough nonsense… you old man… you are useless… what is the use of all my money…? You promise results… what is this? Why are… armed people on my ship? Who told them? Is something going on that I don’t know? My boys are dying…” the man was angry.

The music became louder.

“Naman’s messages have stopped. He is upto something. The Navy is a little over 5 Nautical miles away… from the torpedoes. It won’t take long…” Capt Rawat spoke up.

 

“We are spread across here… just get them out on the deck…” Shadow spoke immediately.

There was tiny vibration and Maanav knew it was the pick-up helicopter they had arranged just in case any of them were injured. It was on standby now. The music continued, and the ripples kept playing loudly.

“STOP THAT…” the man screamed. “…OR I WILL SHOOT YOUR SISTER… YOU RETARD….”

“Janab… please… let me try once…” Someone else spoke, and Anandi indicated it was Ashfaq.

“YOU…? YOU…? YOU ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL THIS… YOU AND YOUR FAMILY… IF YOUR GRANDFATHER HAD NOT DELIVERED THIS PACKAGE OR HELPED HER FATHER… THIS WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED… our mission would have taken place long ago and we would have received funding for a lot more missions… instead for 15 years I have been stuck with this because we spent so much on those torpedoes… they can’t be activated… Tomorrow is that Mumbai festival… lots of people gathering… best time to take them all… government will come to its senses…” The man chuckled.

Was he insane…? Mumbai festival…? Oh goodness, it was Ganpati Visarjan tomorrow. Maanav decided it was about time.

He gestured to Anandi to tell him where each person was.

“Nitya… please talk to Naman and get the activation codes. Our men have tried here but its scrambled… Naman knows it. I am sure…” Ashfaq spoke again.

“No Sajid… I mean, Ashfaq. My father gave up his life for the country… I would do the same but you know how much I love Naman… Unfortunately, he is uncommunicando… can’t you see he is distressed?”

“Its always him over everything… isn’t he?” Ashfaq sounded frustrated. “…He was the bone of contention between us as well… if not for him we would have had a future…”

Right then there was a gunshot and a thud. Maanav’s heart was in his throat but he heard Nitya scream. “ASHFAAAAQ… OH MY GOD… are you insane? Why did you shoot him?”

“I will not hesitate to shoot anyone else now. Enough is enough… tell that mad boy to deliver the codes…” the man spoke coldly.

Maanav looked up at Anandi who nodded. She typed into her tab, probably alerting Shadow. Maanav gestured the count of three and kicked the Shaft… he had to do it twice immediately when it gave away and he immediately took cover beneath the thick plank. There was firing around him and he heard a few clicks. No one would have anticipated Anandi to be there. She took out a few men before hurling a smoke bomb inside.

“Maaaanav…?” Nitya called out to him and he heard her scream. Just then, the music stopped.

The firing also had stopped for a moment.

“Naman genius… papa genius… Naman genius… didi… torpedo gone… torpedo dead….” Naman scampered around.

Just then, the huge man with a limp caught hold of Naman and held a gun to his temple.

“You made big mistake and now this brat will die…”

“NO… PLEASE NO… NAMAN… He will give the codes. I promise…” Nitya was frantic.

Maanav and Anandi had trained their rifles on the huge man and 4 of his men who now got their bearings together and held up their pistols.

“you fooled me enough… you and that old man… Kamble. No more. You can’t catch us.” The man limped behind backwards, while one of his men opened the door. Maanav instructed everyone that they were not to fire.

“NAMAN …. no please…” Nitya was crying and right then Kamble kaka rushed towards the limping man. He held the man’s hand holding the gun and tried to pull. One of the men kicked him and he fell.

“Shoot him…” The limping man commanded and one of his men shot Kamble kaka. The man moved away, but not quickly enough. He was shot on the thigh and instantly there was a pool of blood beneath him.

“Oh God … NO…. no… Kaka…” Nitya rushed towards him even as the limping man shuffled outside with an awkwardly struggling Naman in tow. As they began their exit one of the men pointed his pistol towards Nitya who was trying to stop Kaka’s bleeding.

In a swift motion, Maanav dragged Nitya, and they rolled towards a corner of the room and she missed being hit. Anandi made quick work of the man as he fell lifeless on the floor. Maanav shot at her handcuff’s and released them.

Nitya grabbed Maanav’s hand. “Maa… Maanav… Naman… please…” she whispered amidst tears.  “…Kaka was innocent… he…”

“I know Nitya… calm down. Nothing’s going to happen to Naman…” Maanav held her shoulders as he continued. “… that’s a promise. We are leaving together this time…” An unspoken understanding passed between them.

Nitya furiously nodded even as Anandi spoke to someone about Kaka as she tied a tourniquet around his bullet wound to stop the bleeding. They had to take kaka to the helicopter as soon as possible else he would bleed to death.

“Stay with him, Nitya…” Maanav instructed her and nodded towards Anandi and kaka.

He saw Nitya help Anandi as they tried to control the heavy bleeding, and kaka was losing consciousness. He glanced a bit outside to check. The deck lights were on …

Right then, Shadow’s voice came in. “Visuals on the target… Naman is in danger still. The man limping is the brother of the actual mastermind behind the 26/11 terror attack… the mission was named ‘BUTT mission’ in the bastard’s honour. He is wanted by Interpol for the blasts in London and the tourist bus attack in France. The Navy warriors are detaching the torpedos. Its 3 Nautical miles away from here. The bastards have rigged this ship, so we have to escape carefully… the trigger must be somewhere with the limping man.”

“Alert everyone…” Capt Rawat spoke up. “… Our brave and intelligent Naman had overheard the perps talking about the layout of the bombs and the detonator details are with me. It’s wired to a mobile with that man in the centre. Name’s Jameel Sayeed. My man has hacked into the software. Keep him occupied for a tad longer…”

Jameel limped cautiously forward. Right then, a smoke bomb landed close by, plunging the deck into a smoke zone. Everyone around began to cough and two of the men were taken down instantly. The two others sat limp on the deck, dropping their rifles. However, Jameel dragged Naman toward the ship’s edge, hoping to use him as leverage in a final standoff.

From the tail end, a couple of paramedics precariously trapezed down a rope from the helicopter and got into the room. Maanav heaved a sigh of relief now that kaka would be safe. Nitya rushed towards him. Before he could react, she screamed.

“NAMAN…  You, please LET MY BROTHER GO…”  Her voice had become hoarse by then. And Maanav’s heart broke watching her weep.

Jameel laughed hysterically. “You guys ruined it all. The sponsors are going to have my hide… No… I won’t go down alone. This kid… he is the root cause of trouble… everything would have gone as planned if he wasn’t in the picture… He will go down with me…”

“DROP THE GUN, JAMEEL. IT’S GAME OVER…” Shadow’s voice boomed over the ship’s loudspeaker.

“NO… NOT OVER… NOT AT ALL… MY MAN WILL BE HERE ANY MOMENT… I will leave here with this boy. You all will become ashes… just wait.” He smirked. Maanav saw the flustered look on his face.

“The explosives are disarmed. Jameel can’t do anything…. go ahead, my boys, finish the mission.” Capt. Rawat’s voice came into their earpieces.

Within a moment, shots were fired at Jameel’s shoulder and he wobbled a bit. Maanav rushed and in an instant pulled Naman away. Jameel raised his arm with the gun, pointing it towards Naman but a shot soon made its way to his forehead and the curtains finally fell.

Within a few moments, MARCOS on standby rushed and took control of the entire ship and the helicopter made a breezy landing to take the SPS team with Nitya and Naman along with the injured kaka… As told earlier, this mission was a secret and the details were not to be revealed.

Nitya rushed towards Naman who, in turn, smiled awkwardly.

“Naman Genius… Naman brave… Shadow…?” Naman looked around even as Nitya hugged the boy.

Shadow came towards Naman and hoisted him up. “You are the true hero of this mission, Naman… do you know you just saved our country?”

Everyone clapped for Naman.

“Naman genius… Naman saved country…” The young boy erupted in joy. As Shadow placed him down, supporting him on he wobbly ship, he looked up in reverence at the gentle giant. “… Sh…Sh… Shadow…?”

“Yes Naman…?”

“…Naman Brave…? Naman good…?”

“Yes…” Shadow reiterated. “…Naman is a brave genius… Naman is the best…”

 

©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 24 Action on board…

Priya Gole
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Chapter 24 Action on board…

Chapter 24

Maanav stood in attention along with Shadow and Razor. The 3 of them were to move in to complete the unsanctioned mission. They tentatively titled it ‘mission sea-blaze’.  Beneath the darkening skies, in front of them on the deck of the aircraft carrier platform, stood the Indian Navy men in combat uniforms ready to strike when required. It was decided that they would provide the silent support needed and if they found incriminating evidence, then they would officially wrap it up. SPS though on board with three other team members wasn’t a sanctioned body for these missions and it was allowed permissions only because of Captain Rawat’s strong influence.

For Maanav this was personal too… he knew it would be tough to separate the two but he had to focus to stay in the game. To save the love of his life and the young man who had cemented a place in his heart. Next to his Shadow was the epitome of multitasking as he discussed strategies in depth with the Navy captain-in-charge. Shadow had been his strongest pillar of support. He knew it was not just because they were friends but also because Shadow had been through something similar for his wife Padma. His friend’s love story spanned years quite similar to his but Shadow remained unwavering in his feelings even ready to give her up when her father had requested it from him. He had seen it firsthand how Shadow was heartbroken and got back to work like a man possessed before giving it all up to start SPS and fight for Padma. The woman was tenacious too just like his Nitya. Padma never gave up despite Shadow leaving her and she chose to keep their child despite facing pressure from her royal family. Their love stood the test of time and Maanav’s respect for them had risen notches higher.

Today he was in a similar situation… and he was confident of pulling this through. Because Shadow and Razor were with him. Right then there was a commotion, and he turned around and he didn’t need to see because she announced her arrival in a unique manner. Anandi ‘Lolita’ made her appearance complete in combat attire and while the 3 of them rolled their eyes not surprised that she was here, the Navy guys were looking with their eyes wide open… little did they know that beneath the sexy veneer lay a hardcore killer. Her otherwise blemish less face had a dark scar that went upwards from her right ear and disappeared into her hair. Anandi had never bothered to cover it with makeup or plastic surgery. She said it reminded her of cause… the reason she had chosen to be a warrior in the first place. Maanav didn’t know about her dark childhood in detail… But she was a strong woman and he couldn’t wait to introduce her to Nitya.

“So, you 3 think you don’t need me? But tell you what, I swim better than all of you…”  She pointed a perfect finger at the three of them in turns. The Navy guys chuckled. She ignored them all and continued. “… don’t you think a woman ought to be there?”

Maanav tried to control his laughter. She loved playing the woman card at times like this but she was someone who believed she was equal to guys! And they treated her like that as well.

“I knew you would swarm in like that…” Shadow said. “…Welcome to the mission, Lolita and you will be accompanying Maanav as we start…”

The helicopter stood ready to drop them on a passenger cruise ship a few miles away from where they had to go, to the cargo ship where Nitya and Naman were presumed to be held hostage. It was based on the presumptions from the signal Nitya’s body was transmitting. It would soon be metabolized and the effect would not last. It lasted for so many hours meant Nitya hadn’t had a sip of any liquid or a morsel of food.

It was also not known if there were more explosives. One couldn’t trust these morons to go overboard in their misplaced idea of vengeance or some cause that they didn’t even know at all. They only followed indoctrinated ideas.

But Maanav, Shadow and all the others knew they had to be extra careful. The cruise ship was also planted and the ‘passengers’ on board were Indian Navy men and women ready to fight this if needed.

Maanav was extremely athletic underwater amongst all of them and could hold his breath longer as well. However, Anandi was exceptional underwater. She could twirl and create ripples in a strange way. No one would know what hit them and there was no match to her underwater. Maanav was not privy to a lot of personal information on Anandi before she joined them in the Gurukul but he respected the hell out of her. She was who he needed in this mission more than anyone else. He was glad his friends had his back. They were a formidable team when all 4 were together. He had seen that when they rescued Padma… It seemed like another lifetime but it was barely 2 years ago.

The helicopter rose and moved towards the cruise ship. It didn’t want to come under the direct radar of the cargo ship so it was decided they would all drop down a few nautical miles away and swim towards the cruise ship. On a regular day, it was fine. They were used to longer drills. But the tides were high and the Met department was sending them dynamic updates. They checked their earpieces for inputs from Captain Rawat. He was coordinating with the eyes on the cargo ship… They had satellite images, but because of the strong winds, it was not strong enough.  Efforts were on to connect with the US defence counterparts to help release live films of the satellite recordings that could be of use.

Their specialized equipment was in the cruise ship and Maanav couldn’t wait to get into them and use them… However he knew well, they would be exhausted by the time they battled the tides to reach the cruise ship and they had to replenish their energy. It would take time… but they had planned to hit it that night itself. Every moment extra would put Nitya and Naman in jeopardy.

However, they were in for a surprise. The Indian Coast Guard had arranged for special motorized floaters so dark that they blended in the dark shining waters of the Arabian sea… The tides were high but so were their spirits as the group made their way to the cruise ship four warriors in each floater.

“We’ll get them Bullet…” Shadow’s gruff voice sounded like a staccato in the cacophony of the aggressive sea breeze.

Mannav turned to look at his friends, Shadow, Lazer and Lolita… they stood tall in his support and right then he was sure they would win this… battle or whatever it was.

Within 15 minutes they reached aboard the cruise ship. A team of Marine commandos (MARCOS) renowned for their underwater infiltration and combat prowess was ready to help them unofficially.  Maanav couldn’t thank Captain Rawat enough for this support. It would have been impossible for the SPS alone to navigate through the blue tape to get this help.

The mission was clear: avoid detection, neutralize the terrorists, and secure the hostages without triggering the explosives in or around the ship. But the only problem at the moment was they were yet to get live satellite visuals of the cargo ship. Meanwhile, Maanav’s phone screen indicated the fading dot from the concoction in Nitya’s body. They had to move quickly or the woman would dehydrate herself to death. A shudder ran through his body and he realised at that moment, Nitya was like his next breath. He now understood Shadow’s pensive expressions outside the ICU when Padma was in there fighting for her life. He had never seen Shadow like that for all the years that he had known him.

He blinked away tears. He had to get his emotions under control. He decided to let the feelings make him stronger to face the upcoming roadblocks. It was just a matter of time…

As the night fell deeper and darker, all four of them along with the commando team of 4, dressed in black wetsuits and armed with tiny but lethal rifles, slipped into the cold waters. Captain Rawat had just received the visuals and he was transmitting it to all of them through their earpieces. It was tough to focus in the water amidst the dark gushing currents. The four friends in addition to the rifles had grenades and Maanav had a tab for receiving the visuals. Shadow signalled them to halt and as they bobbed on the huge waves, he signed them the directions to take.

As planned Maanav and Anandi swam towards the main hull while Shadow and Lazer took the tail. The four MARCOS surrounded the ship at strategic locations and in the next minute all of them were hanging on their ropes anchored to the top edge of the ship. The moulded edges of the anchors made bare minimum noise which was engulfed by the loud thunder and the wailing sea.

They had received intel that there were 6 men guarding the ship outside on the deck and everyone else was inside. Maanav and Anandi were the first to loft themselves and the dim lights helped their cause. They blended into the Shadows and waited trying to get a hand of the deck and also get a breather. They were useless if they were too exhausted to put up a fight. Within a few seconds, Shadow and Lazer came aboard.

Shadow true to his alias, melted into the darkness of the deck and if Maanav didn’t know him, he wouldn’t have known that Shadow was on board. As planned, Shadow slithered stealthily towards the engine room at the far end of the deck while Laser kept his watchful eyes trained on the bunch of idiots roaming carelessly on the deck with high-end automatic weapons.

Maanav heard a slight muffle and a thud from the engine room, indicating Shadow had taken down whoever was in the room. It was important to take control of the engine room that housed the major power switches. Maanav heard a few click sounds and knew Shadow had laid out his ideas and most probably the entire control of the ship was in his hands.

There was a major hurdle. The location of the torpedoes somewhere beneath this ship was still a mystery and they had to play the song on that instrument, now in the custody of the perps. They had to make the moves carefully. Though Naman had been calm so far Maanav wasn’t sure, how long he would be so without medication and food or if he saw Nitya was in danger. He hoped the boy wouldn’t do something dangerous for himself…  the only solace was Nitya was with the boy and these people would have planned it just to use her help with Naman.

Right then one of the MARCOS who had come on board stood on a loose plank that caused a creaking sound and alerted the guarding men. The other MARCOS slipped back beneath the edges while 2 of those men approached this man while the rest of them began looking around for more intruders. The MARCO’s leg was caught in the rotting wood and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t move. Maanav wanted to rush to his aid, but everything they did then would call for attention. He knew what would happen at the back of his hand.

Suddenly the two men fell down and each of them had a clean entry and exit bullet wounds in their heads. They probably didn’t know what hit them… Maanav smirked while Anandi nodded slightly at her brother’s handiwork.

The remaining 4 men were running haphazardly like headless chickens while one of them alerted the higher-ups through the walkie talkie. Using this chaos, the other MARCOS came on board swiftly and freed their man, while Anandi and Maanav made their way to the inner sanctum of the attached room. There was a huge problem… they didn’t know at that moment how many men would be in the cul-de-sac of the room.

Maanav and Anandi hit in the corner, turning towards the room, and his mobile indicated a faint red instead of green, which meant he was closer to Nitya. Less than 500 metres.

A few men in black overalls rushed from the other side of the room with Automatics. He knew it would be a cakewalk for Lazer to take them all but they had to be careful because Nitya and Naman were still inside.

And right then… from inside the room, the music began to play. The Ripples genesis….

There was a creaking sound in their earpieces amidst the confusion.

“It’s the signal…” Captain Rawat exclaimed, “…Naman has begun to transmit again… even through the video game…”

What was going on?

©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.)

Short Story: The Alchemy of The Scar

Priya Gole
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Short Story: The Alchemy of The Scar

The following 300-word short story was based on a prompt for Artoons Writer’s room.

The Alchemy of The Scar

Rivka Weiss strutted towards the centre of the museum, the staccato taps of her unsteady cane reverberating hauntingly through the exhibition hall. She halted, panting from the effort. At 95, things weren’t easy at all…

Scattered strategically throughout the hall, stood her sculptures, each of them a mute testimony to a time that shamed humanity.

Ausstellungen der Ewigen Stimmen (Exhibits of eternal voices) was held to mark the 79th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation. She loved sharing titbits with young visitors. After all, the younger generations wouldn’t know what happened in that inferno decades ago, would they?

She sighed, looking at her shaking left forearm; the deep disfigured gash from aeons ago, was now a mere grotesque scar. Its jagged edges once firmly embedded in her delicate skin, were now a distorted map of veins and wrinkles. Her children had advised plastic surgery for years…

But how could she explain? This wasn’t just a physical scar but imprisoned in it was her tumulus past… her very soul. The scar stirred the emotions, never letting the embers of memory die.

The scar brought alive the nightmares of the concentration camp where she was among the ‘chosen ones’ for the deranged doctor Josef Megele’s* medical experiments. The deep gash happened when, at barely 15, she resisted his eccentric attempt to alter her genetic makeup…. without anaesthesia.

The Nazi camp didn’t know that her defiant blow to his head left him with hemiparesis for the rest of his life, and gave her the scar. Hemiparesis caused Megele’s ‘accidental drowning’ a few years later. Liberation came soon after and she was a hero in her circles. She became a renowned sculptor, each of her pieces telling the story of the testing times, forming a bridge between memory and history.

Rivka was scarred for life.

(word count: 300 excluding the title)

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based on what is reported to have happened in Auschwitz. This is completely a figment of the author’s imagination. The author doesn’t intend to demean anyone/anything or distort history.

Author notes: (source: Google)

  • Josef Megele: Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death,” conducted horrific medical experiments on prisoners, particularly children and twins, under the guise of scientific research. He is known to have died of accidental drowning though there are various theories in regards to the same.
  • Auschwitz is the name of a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp established in 1940 during World War II. It’s one of the most recognizable symbols of the Holocaust and genocide in the world

Book Review: The Last Witness

Priya Gole
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Book Review: The Last Witness

Author: G V Subba Rao

This is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that moves at a fast pace.

The plot begins when decorated ISRO scientist Dr, Rangarajan is attacked just before he departs for an all-important meeting in Germany. Once in Germany things don’t pan out they way they should have and he is killed. But the mayhem that follows is unexpected and everything points to a conspiracy. The dead scientist is assumed to be a traitor all set to sell the country’s space secrets to the highest bidder.

HOwever, his guide in Germany, Jasmine is not convinced and believes in the scientist whom she greatly reveres. She has a young daughter, Niniya who has autism and is a high-functioning child with super memory skills. The brilliant but cautious late scientist has left something in Niniya’s I-pad that can be cracked only after a follow-through. Puzzled by it all Jasmine, convinced of the scientist’s innocence and the threat to India that can result in political mayhem, plans a visit to India along with Iniya. She is supposed to meet Sithara, a secret key in the larger frame of things planned by Dr. Rangarajan before he left for Germany.

What follows is a roller coaster ride filled with unexpected dangers and plot twists as the trio tries to clear the scientist’s name and resolve a conspiracy against the country.

The author’s research is commendable. He has kept the pace fast and steady so the reader isn’t swayed … A book full of intrigue from the go!

 

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