ThaHaan FF *The End of Darkness* Episode 3

A/N: Thanks for the response guys. Here is the next part:
Soon the airport arrived. Thapki took her luggage and went inside. After check-in she was sitting in the waiting lounge when finally her brain lighted up. She remembered where she had seen that conductor before. She had seen him in her own house i.e. Pandey Niwas. But still the confusion didn’t go away completely.
Thapki wondered:

Thapki: How is this possible? Just two weeks back he came to our house as Police Inspector and today he was performing the duty of a conductor and that too in a questionable manner. Is he indeed the same guy or am I mistaken?
Thapki wondered how can she confirm her doubt. And she got the answer. She picked up her mobile and dialed the society head’s number.
Thapki: Hello Sharma uncle. I am Thapki Bi..(she was about to say Thapki Bihaan Pandey but she stops herself as she is not sure if she even has a right to call herself that anymore) I hope you remember me uncle.
Sharma: Yes beta you have such a unique name, how can anyone forget you. How are you? Is there any problem that you have called me at this point of time?
Thapki: Yes uncle I am fine and sorry for disturbing you early morning. Actually, I needed a permission urgently, that’s why I called you. Someone has stolen a precious thing of mine (referring to her and Bihaan’s relation). So, I want to check the CCTV footage of the cameras installed near Pandey Niwas. May be I can get some clue regarding the thieve.
Sharma: Okay beta you can check the footage. I’ll call the security guard and ask him to let you go inside the office and the in-charge present there will show you the required footage.
Thapki: Thanks a lot uncle but there is a problem. I am out of station so I can’t check the footage myself. If you don’t have any objection, then can my PA Surbhi Mehta check the footage on my behalf?

Sharma: Hmm that’s okay. I will inform the security guard.
Thapki: Thanks a lot for your corporation uncle, Bye.
Then Thapki calls her PA Surbhi.
Thapki: : Hi Surbhi, sorry for disturbing you at this time but I want your help urgently.
Surbhi: Yes ma’am tell me what I have to do.
Thapki: Surbhi I have taken permission from the society head. You have to go to our society office as soon as possible. Introduce yourself as my PA and the guard will let you go inside the office. Tell the in-charge present there to show you the footage of the cameras installed near Pandey Niwas. You have to check the footage of the day Kabir had organized the Sangeet function. I think around 10pm, you will see some cops going inside our house along with Bihaan. And they will leave the house after 15-20 minutes. I remember the whole house was decorated with lights that day, so I think you will be able to see their faces. You have to capture their pictures and send them to me. Please do it as fast as you can, I am waiting.
Surbhi: Ok ma’am, bye.
Thapki cuts the call and soon she hears the announcement requesting the passengers of her flight to make their way to the plane.
Thapki is in a dilemma. Should she board the flight or stay here to find the truth.
After a bit of contemplation, she decides to stay back. Thapki goes up to the airport authorities and tells them that due to some personal crisis she has to stay back in Kolkatta and hence she cannot board the flight. After a few explanations and guarantees , then authorities agree to let her go and they get her luggage back. Thapki takes it and goes outside the airport.
Thapki: I should not waste time. Before Surbhi sends me those pictures. I should try to locate that conductor so that when I get those pictures, I can compare them with the guy standing in front of me.

Thapki takes a cab and asks the driver to take her to the road where that bus-stop was located. Soon she reaches the bus-stop and asks the driver to wait for her.
She gets down from the cab and makes her way to a nearby shop. She asks the shopkeeper:
Thapki: Bhaiya today around 7:15am a school-bus picked children from this bus-stop. I know your shop must have been closed at that time. But do you by any chance have an idea which school’s bus picks children from this bus-stop.
Shopkeeper: Yes madam they even drop the children on the same bus-stop after school so I know the school’s name. It’s SY Public School.
Thapki also confirms the name from a road-side vendor and then sits back in the cab and tells the driver to take her to SY Public School. After 15-minute drive, she reaches the school and again asks the driver to wait for her.
[Note: All her valuables are in her hand-carry which she carries with herself whenever she gets down from the cab]
Thapki goes up to the gate-keeper and tells him that she wants to meet the principal. He informs the peon and after getting permission, he lets her go inside. Thapki asks for the direction and then makes her way towards the principal’s office.

On her way, she gets Surbhi’s message. She stops and opens the pictures sent by Surbhi. She zooms-in one of the pictures and carefully looks at the face of the inspector.
Thapki: I think he is the same guy I had seen at the bus-stop. I will get the confirmation when I see him in person.
Thapki reaches the principal’s office. She knocks on the door and then goes inside. She introduces herself as Vaani Oberoi and luckily the principal knew her as one of the leading industrialists of the country so when Thapki shares the purpose of her visit and shows her the picture from her phone. The principal identifies him and is about to order the peon to summon him when Thapki stops him and requests him to call the cops first. The principal obliges and soon the cops arrive at the school but they stay outside so that the children don’t panic unnecessarily. Thapki thanks the principal for his cooperation and goes outside to meet the cops. She explains the whole case to him and then as per the principal’s instruction the peon goes up to the conductor and tells him that someone is waiting for him outside the school’s gate. When he comes outside, the cops arrest him and take him to the Police Station. Thapki follows them in her cab.
The inspector starts his interrogation and third-degree torture. Thapki sits inside the police station and waits for him to get done with his work. Her phone rings and as she sees Vasu’s name flashing on the screen, she realizes her mistake. She hastily picks up the call:
Vasu: Thapki beta where are you. I had sent the driver to pick you up from the airport but he returned just now after waiting for you over two hours. That fool neither called you nor he informed me that you are not showing up. I thought after landing you have gone to your office, that’s why I hadn’t called you up till now. Now tell me where are you.
Thapki: I am really sorry maa. I got so busy in my work that I forgot to inform you that I didn’t board the flight. Some really important work came up and because of that I had to extend my stay in Kolkatta. I am sorry I should have informed you beforehand.
Vasu: It’s okay. Tell me will you come back by evening? Actually, I have kept a special Pooja in home today and I have invited special pandit from our village. I didn’t inform you before otherwise you wouldn’t have agreed to go to Kolkatta. But I really wanted you to participate and take blessings from panditji.
Thapki: Maa at this point of time, even I am not sure whether I will be able to come back today or not. You please pray for me that I successfully finish my work and come back as soon as possible.
Vasu: My prayers are always with you. I hope you can come back today. Whatever it is, do inform me about your plan, I will send the driver to pick you up from the airport. Take care of yourself, bye.

Thapki: Bye maa.
Thapki puts her phone down and waits for the inspector. After some time, he comes out of the lock-up, settles on his chair and signals Thapki to come and sit at the chair in front of his desk. Thapki stands up and makes her way to his desk and then sits down on the chair.
Inspector: I have a good news for you Vaani ji. He has admitted his crime.
Thapki’s face brightens up, she folds her hands and looks upwards and softly mumbles: Thank You God
Teaser for the Next Part: She felt like she had acquired the world’s most precious treasure and now there was no stopping her.
I hope you guys liked it. I know there was not much progress in story but the next episode is going to be a rocking one.