immj
Chasing the evanescence – part 4
He didn’t know how he managed to get back to the place, then school and surroundings.
But when he reached there it smelled fishy in air.
There didn’t seem any kind of change, the kids were leaving for home peacefully, big boys were crowding the corners with all those after school moments.
Coffee vendors were happily pouring cold coffees in big mugs to people waiting in the small waiting area of the shop.
He could not believe a road was going to be this silent after one such accident.
“excuse me, there was an accident here…”
“Sorry, I just came, I don’t know.’ told the woman who might be one of the teachers from the school.
“did you see Dance Teacher Ridhima ?” He asked trying to get his breaths back.
“Sorry, but I was busy all day I didn’t seem to notice her.” the woman was in a hurry.
He walked to the nearby shop where this old man was clearing his newly fetched grocery cartons into containers and racks …
“what accident, there had been no accident here,” the shopkeeper eyed him in confusion.
“Are you sure you were here all the time, there was an accident, a lady got hurt somewhere on this road…?” he was shocked but maintained his calm.
“Young man, I am here all day and accidents don’t vanish in thin air.” Old man confirmed bowing down to collect the supply then unloading in shelves.
He took a moment to collect himself and just then his phone pinged with a message.
“looks like there was no accident at all… welcome to War zone Tuscany, Captain.”
Someone was getting on his nerve or something big was going on without his knowledge and some people were involving innocent people in their game.
“call me whenever you are free.” he typed furiously before heading to the school area.
“Angre, there is someone who knows about the operation Tuscany.” he screeched in the phone as soon as he received his junior’s call.
“How could it be, Boss…” Angre answered back. “we still don’t have a lot about this operation. It was just her that day and then nothing just a big blank”
“We need to hurry, we’ll discuss it when we meet this evening,” he told him before cutting the call and heading to the principle’s chamber for some important information.
One beautiful and then black evening started in front of Angre’s eyes and he stared at the seemingly lifeless body of someone on his phone.
~~~~~ A few months back~~~~
The hall was lit with red and white balloons and lights, something precisely between Lavender and roses was spread in the air of the huge hall of the club.
He was expecting a lot more things speaking about the love week but this place was genuinely decorated for the week dedicated to lovers around the globe.
Dusting away the imaginary wrinkles from his ink blue blazer, he put his phone in DND mode and made way inside the blurring world.
This was the needed escape from his tough life and before making his way to his base he made sure to enjoy this evening like always and what more beautiful than a valentine’s week.
Life was not cakes and cookies after he qualified for the designated military exams since the small age of 17 and earned medals and citations for the best cadet.
Sharp as a knife and cunning to cores… that was his identity in the fellow mates and of course, people who didn’t want to mess with him.
The blue eyes with a tinge of grey took a quick look around himself and then he stepped into the voices.
Romantic numbers were on the play-list making the evening as romantic as the songs promised, trying to catch one of the tunes he made his way to the bar area where his buddy was expected to meet him.
Hearty giggles mixed into moments of surprise were all around him and sometimes he thought about what he would do with a girl in one such scenario, what the hell he would do with a girl at all.
There were not many occasions when he mingled up with them in the small vacations he got in between his deployment days.
brushing away thoughts oriented to his life involving opposite s*xes, He took one of the high stools and ordered a drink to kill the time before his buddy showed up.
The plan was to enjoy the night, to have a couple of drinks and then head home to sleep before the next havoc they were going to stop.
“Sir, could you help me with this phone, it was kept here and it seems it has dropped to your side.” the girl not more than 18 or 19 asked him with big scared eyes.
“sure.” settling the drink on the shiny bar platform he looked for the phone and sure there was a phone with a neon sticker that was glittering with the light.
“A dramatic person.” he smiled as he bent to pull it from under the small bar wall.
“I am sorry Ma’am, Misha needed to be somewhere…” the bar girl apologized to someone.
“Where is Misha, I told her to take care of my phone for a few minutes and here I cant see her at all.” the voice was dropping self-admiration and a person with tolerance level a big zero.
Also, this woman has to have her feet on….
Clouds
His thoughts stopped when he came face to face with this drop-dead gorgeous Diva…
Off-shoulder olive green dress touching her knees and the extra inches in her feet made her look even taller than she already was and with a minimal or if he guessed right something natural on her face she stood uniquely in this hall full of people and girls.
So this was the owner of the phone.
“here is the phone you were looking for Miss …” working his eyes to look away from the person just a couple of inches away, he extended the phone to the platform.
“What on earth… how can you take someone’s phone? Are you some roadside goon or something.” the miss’s eyes burned ambers and he didn’t like that the heat was towards him.
“excuse me..” he opened his mouth to clarify the things.
“forget it, I don’t know what kind of people are being allowed here.” with that she took her phone and attempted to turn towards the crowd.
________________*_______________
The keyword being Attempted.
Because in the next moment her right arm was pulled in a strong grip and her ears buzzed with stone-cold words.
“looks like its not your best day but I don’t want it to be my best day if you catch the sarcasm… I was -” and the grip loosened in no time.
The man was distracted by something or someone and her wrist burned with the sudden cold she felt after the fingers curled around them broke away.
she turned and just then the guy walked past her and waved to another guy making his way to the bar.
She took a breath and the deep masculine perfume that lingered around her touched her lungs, now she noticed the man who happened to take away her phone.
But if he was interested in taking away the phone then why did he offer it to her it only meant one thing he was not a snatcher or something but she overreacted in her state of mind.
Without changing her position she stood and stared at the man who hugged another guy and with the built body and alert postures the men looked a lot like the men who were involved with the military.
Her phone vibrated with the new message and shutting the thoughts and guilt of mistakenly shouting at someone she opened the screen.
“The guy is there. you need to transfer the small chip in the case he will provide you… he might be waiting by the bar.”
And in another moment popped one more text,
Dark hairs and a long cut on left cheek…
“This day was not going to get any better because the guy she was going to deliver the special delivery was heading her way with this insanely handsome guy whom she has rebuked in the pressure of losing the chip inside the phone.” she sighed and walked to the bar and grabbed a stool to face the humiliation she was about to go through because no way this man was going to stop, he didn’t seem like he took someone’s trash and that too without no reason.
Taking a few deep breaths she planned to lead forward with this situation and waved to the dark-haired guy who was supposed to be her target.
________________*_____________
“Agent Binod !” the tall guy introduced himself and forwarded his hand for a shake as soon as they neared a secluded corner of the club.
“Chandni !” she smiled and opened the phone’s back cover and under the neon sticker was the nanochip she was supposed to deliver.
“nice call name… dazzles the night with light.” Binod cracked a joke as he used to do and which was a reason for this call name as well.
“Thanks, Agent Binod,” she whispered and handed him the small packet containing the chip.
“you don’t look like an agent, also I was supposed to meet someone else…possibly a middle-aged man.”
“that I don’t know Agent and disclosing my identity is not something I was told I can afford… bye.” her voice was devoid of any emotion but as her voice died her lips curled in a beautiful smile and with that she took the swing to leave.
“I’ll apologize to him and then I’ll take my leave.” she decided and walked to the bar.
“Agent Binod, could I get a few minutes with your friend… I needed to apologize for something.” she turned and asked all of a sudden.
“you two know each other ?” now this was the surprise on the agent’s face which flashed and disappeared was a thing to deal with.
“No. now if could give me a few moments with him?” she didn’t talk lamely and the bossiness inside her often made way to her attitude which she could no longer have control.
“apologize to him, say sorry and then leave this club…” her feet were aching with all the things she had done and the runs here and there. She so welcomed a good night’s sleep now.
_____________*____________
“one virgin mojito for me.” the owner of the voice was never low for confidence or at least she didn’t show herself weak at all.
“excuse me … can I have a word with you.”? and the voice was towards him.
“did you call me?” he turned to the lady whose demeanour whispered nothing but a ruthless beauty.
“actually, I overreacted back then…I m sorry.” she took no moment to dread or contemplate but said the words she had come to say.
He didn’t expect that from her, he assumed her a pampered little birdie who didn’t think anyone above him at all. but then she might have been worried about losing the chip she was here to deliver.
“oh, it is okay. I guess not one of your best days,” he smirked but later smiled and his eyes smiled with him… a hearty smile on a beautiful face.
The sharp contours of his face told her about the share of rugged days he had and the shapely trimmed beard told he had interests in taking away the breath knowingly or unknowingly.
From the watch to his attire there was something that whispered about that class…
“so Virgin mojito… I thought you would order.” he initiated a talk.
“orange juice…” she completed for him.
“yeah…something like that…so no orange juice.” he teased her.
“you know not one of my best days…” and they laughed at that.
“Ishani…” she offered her hand, not a shy girl, he noticed when she smiled with no worry about her attitude or she didn’t care about the world at all.
“Angre…” he shook her hand and the slender fingers felt strange around his fingers.
“you came with Agent Binod for this? but I don’t think so..” she asked after the formalities were done.
“No, we were just chilling before the holidays’ end… or rather I say I was chilling but he was on duty.” he looked in Binod’s direction but there was no one and just when he looked at his phone to call him, he found a message hidden away due to DND mode he had turned on earlier.
“Sorry Bro, but I have to report this to my senior and you seem quite busy,” followed by a winking smile.
“agent has got some work to do!” she smiled with the words.
“I guess so… or rather he got jealous seeing my company.” they laughed at that.
“I won’t ask too much but you look like military…” she asked after a brief moment of silence.
“yeah,” he affirmed and took a sip of his drink.
“so the times when you are not delivering special packages what do you do?”
“decorate people’s dream…. houses.” her words brought a jerk to his drink and he nearly slipped the glass from his hands.
“Sorry.” he grabbed a tissue from the platform.
“I meant I am an architect…” she clarified.
“oh, I was actually intrigued about the cover story.” he teased her.
“hahaha, that’s not the cover, that’s what I actually do.” she smiled taking a sip of her minty cold drink.
“how about a Dance, Angre?” she asked suddenly and he was sure if he had the drink then it was actually going to slip from his hands.
The Diva didn’t pretend the confidence but somewhere along with her upbringing she knew she was gorgeous and her advances were always welcomed making her a natural to attract attention but she knew to talk whenever she needed to take the reigns of a situation.
“Okay.” stepping down from stool he gestured to her to lead the way.
“This was not how I thought my evening was going to be,” he recalled vaguely.
_____________*_____________
“He was a confident man but his modesty came first, call it his job or the training but he was an easy man to mingle with if you were not showing your claws.” she mused as they made their way to the dance floor.
“wait a minute, I’ll need to keep this phone there.” pointing to the bar she hesitated to walk.
“since Misha is not there,” he looked at her with mischief in his eyes. “ give it to me I’ll keep it in one of my pockets.” he solved the issue.
“Thanks.” she smiled as she handed him the phone.
“May I.” his voice was merely a whisper as he came in front of her slipping from beside her.
she looked at his extended palm and she didn’t know whether it was the song that was changing to a slow beat or the lavenders & roses were finally working on her senses but she was splitting away.
Composing her senses she smiled and put her palm in his palm.
He took the palm graciously and settled it on one of his shoulders and draped his arm around her waist and without warning held her another arm in his free hand.
Raaton ke jaage subah mile hain
Resham ke dhage ye silsilay hain
Lazmi si ….lagne lagi hain
Do dilon ki …ab,
Nazdeekiyaan
They whirled together then collected each other in their arms, and finally settled on a rhythm which matched the evening and the hearts, searching for some kind of equilibrium.
A few times he missed the step but then caught her in the rhythm and she knew it was not a regular to him but he knew how to compose himself.
She was his height in the heals and for the first time she didn’t like wearing the damn extra inches…And this close to him she noticed him well whenever their eyes lost the contact
“is that a gunshot wound?” she asked staring at the wound that was hidden under the collar but peeped whenever his shirt was pulled tight.
He pushed her to turn and then settled their palms on her stomach and right under her ears his breaths ragged for a small moment or perhaps she imagined it due to the close proximity.
“a battle went a little under the sun, nothing else.” his words were chipped but she understood he was in np position to talk about the missions he held secretly.
“do you jump from choppers and take a leap from buildings?” she asked after a while.
The minty mojito was warm on her breath and eyes shined with some kind of unnamed emotion perhaps a pride she felt for him.
“what…” he freed themselves from the entangled position they were in and covered his mouth partially to have a laugh.
“Yes, and No…” he controlled himself.
“did I ask something stupid ?” she seemed self-conscious for a moment and he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
“Sorry, it is just that I am not used to someone asking these questions at all.” his laughs seized but the smile was still there when he grabbed her hand and continued the steps.
“so yes, we jump from choppers and No, I have not leapt the buildings yet but who knows.” he twirled her on that very moment.
“you guys take a lot of risks… it’s horrible and scary,” she whispered and despite the moment of self-loathing, she has done a few seconds back her eyes shined that same pride.
“and the last thing I want is you pitying me on my job because I take a lot of pride in that… and I enjoy that.” he pulled her to him.
“No,I understand your job,” she whispered to him and stared into his eyes.
He sensed the brief movement right in front of them behind a big flower vase and in no moment he covered her completely.
“what happened …” She asked, worried about the change of circumstances.
“don’t say a thing, there is someone who is keeping an eye on us,” he whispered.
He didn’t have a weapon with him, not even the small service revolver and here they were on their own and that was enough but only when the perpetrator made himself visible.
And as if hearing his unsaid wish, a tall man came in front of them and before anything pointed his weapon on them.
In a moment the soft environment was filled with shouts and shrills and people started running here and there.
“Uncle, don’t worry…he is-” her words stopped and she heard a gasp.
A silenced gunshot and he snaked his hand behind her to hold her falling body.
“Ishani…” he sat holding her in his hands and looked back to the man who was nowhere in sight but leaping towards the exit.
He didn’t have enough time to run behind him but he had to save this vibrant lady once and for all.
“Hey, hang on to me and don’t lose the breath…take small breaths .” he carried her already shutting body in his arms and ran towards the exit.
“come to our car, Sir ! we’ll drop you at the hospital.” one of the men from the crowd told him and he could not be any more grateful towards the universe.
“Angre …
“don’t talk, just take small breaths…
“Angre …
“I think…I think my uncle is involved in this operation Tus…Tuscany.”
“what is that…”
“I don’t… don’t know.”
“Ishani, nothing is going to happen to you…just don’t lose hope.”
“Angre… Loveless …Loveless world is password.”
“what are you saying…”
“Ishani…wait.”
But it was late and she had tried to tell all she wanted to say before collapsing in his arms.
~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~
Hey everyone !!!
A very happy Valentine’s Day. I am so sorry for disappearing for this long but I tried to write a long update to somehow patch the long delay from my side.
I hope you are all doing good.
And do tell me how was it… things are connected to each other in a big loop and slowly we’ll revel through the loops.
I hope you liked Ishani and Angre on this valentine’s evening.
Take care of yourself.
Stay healthy and happy
Love Morusya.