“What? Arjun asked in a dangerously low voice.
“Dev escaped from our custody. Rajat fumbled on the other side of the line.
Arjun stood frozen in his place.
“How? Arjun growls.
Samaira was startled. She looked at Arjun whose face has turned red & eyebrows knitted together.
“I was not present there…
Arjun cut his words. “Can’t you people managed for a week? What I told you before leaving that be alert, then how?
Rajat remained silent on the other side. Arjun closed his eyes & took some deep breaths to calm himself down.
Arjun- Listen, alert all the police patrolling team & seized all the exit points of the city. I will catch the first flight out tomorrow morning.
Rajat- Okay. Sashank Sir is here.
Arjun cut the phone & angrily threw it on the bed. He banged his hand on the wall.
This is first time Samaira is seeing Arjun so much angry. She frowned when Arjun banged his hand on the wall.
Samaira- Arjun, what are you doing? Don’t hurt yourself. Tell me, what happened?
Arjun- Samaira, pack all the luggage, we will be leaving for Mumbai tomorrow early morning.
Samaira- but…
Arjun- No ifs & buts Samaira. There is an emergency. So, I need to be report in duty as soon as possible.
Samaira- What happened? Why you are looking so disturbed?
She shrinked looking at her husband’s eyes which are now cold & piercing.
Samaira- You are in leave. So,…( she swallowed)
Arjun- So? So what? Yes, I was in leave & now I am saying I need to re join my duty soon. So, honeymoon over. If you want you can stay here & do whatever you like. I have no objection. Happy?
Samaira- What are you saying Arjun?
Arjun- I don’t think I need to repeat again. Your ears are in perfect working condition, right?
Samaira- I am asking in what context you are saying useless things like this?
Arjun- You are asking me useless questions. I know you are not interested in going back, but I can’t be here anymore. So, that’s why I am saying you stay here & enjoy.
Samaira- Why you always misunderstand me?
Arjun- Samaira, I am not in a mood to understand or misunderstand anything. So, just stop.
Samaira- that’s why, I am asking, what happened suddenly? Why you looked so disturbed & angry? As you wife, don’t I have that much right to know?
Arjun- Listen Samaira, this is the last time I am saying this to you, never ever questions me what is happening in my work front or anything related to my work. When I am saying it’s an emergency, I have to go, then you are not going to ask me where I am going or why? Hope you get that.
Samaira ( took a deep breath)- got it Arjun. But you too listen, I am not stupid, I know you need to maintain secrecy about your profession & I always respected your that privacy. I don’t think I crossed any line by asking what happened to you. I am your wife & it’s my right to know. How much you are going to share with me, that’s only you should decide. But your behavior is rude towards me. You have no right to misbehave.
Arjun- really Samaira? If you consider my straight forward words as rudeness then I have nothing to say.
Samaira- You have a big ego Arjun, that’s why, you can’t accept & control your temper.
Arjun ( more angry)- Yes, I have ego. So, what? You are talking useless. What are you expecting that I should beg in front of you to go with me or should you want me to say sorry because I am cancelling trip in between, then you are wrong. You already know about my profession & the responsibilities.
Samaira tried to say something but Arjun did not give her any chance.
Arjun- Why don’t you just shut your mouth. So, I can think what to do next? But no, you were & still nagging.
Samaira (bites her lips)- We are in hotel room & there are other people present in adjacent rooms. So, don’t shout.
Arjun ignored her & took out the packet of cigarette & lit one.
Samaira- Whenever you will be in the condition to think rationally, just ponder over the words you said to me. Then, you will know how you reacted & turned everything so complex.
Arjun narrowed in his eyes. “If only you stop lingering, then only, I can concentrate but I don’t think you can.
Samaira (angrily)- You are a selfish man. You don’t care about others emotions & feelings.
Arjun stormed towards the balcony & slammed the door shutting behind him.
Samaira sat on the bed feeling upset. She can understand his situation, whatever happened must be something serious, but what about her? How he twisted all her words negatively & behaved harshly just on the third day of their marriage? They were enjoying together. But suddenly… She sighed & again reminded herself the fact that he is so much passionate about his duty that he takes anything related with it very much personally. She honestly feared how she is going to deal with him for any extreme situation in future.
She stood up & started packing everything back in trolley. After an hour later, she is sitting in bed & Arjun is still in balcony. She opened the door. Arjun was looking lost, standing leaning on the railing of the balcony & smoking.
Samaira- Arjun, come inside & take rest.
Arjun nodded his head. Samaira came in the room & lie down on the bed. After sometime, she noticed Arjun came inside & went towards washroom. She can hear the sound of water. Soon, Arjun came out taking shower, wiping his hair with a towel. Then, he took his mobile & lie down beside Samaira without a single word. Samaira sighed & tried to sleep.
Arjun was busy with his mobile, Samaira sitting beside him looking outside from the window. Both are in a cab which they hired from Mumbai airport to return home. Early morning, she woke up hearing the sound of mobile alarm. Arjun told her to hurry up as they have to catch the flight. In Goa Airport, Arjun bought coffee & sandwiches for her but otherwise he maintained his silence after their argument in last night. Samaira felt neglected.
Arjun unlocked the main door of their house & entered inside, Samaira followed him behind. Arjun removed his jacket & T shirt & threw them on the bed.
Arjun- Samaira, give me the key of almirah.
Samaira took out the key from her hand bag & handed it to her husband. Arjun took out a black shirt, & wore it tucking with his jeans.
Samaira- wait for some time, so that I can cook something for you to eat.
Arjun- I have to rush Samaira. (He took out his laptop bag)
Samaira- please..
Arjun- Relax. I will eat something in office. Listen, you lock the main door & balcony too & stay in the house till I return.
Samaira- & when are you going to return?
Arjun- I can’t give you the exact time. (in an irritated tone)
Samaira- You are now getting on my nerves.
Arjun- I am not in a mood to argue with you. When I am saying you are not going out in my absence, then you are not. I can’t handle any more tension. Hope I made myself very clear.
Arjun took his bag & left without even saying goodbye to Samaira. A droplet of tear escaped from her eyes. She closed the door & rushed towards balcony. Arjun left in his bike.
“Take care Arjun & be safe, Samaira murmured.
Arjun almost barged inside IB Office, his team cautiously saluted him as he was looking totally pissed off. He entered in his cabin & Rajat followed him. Arjun sat in his chair.
Arjun- now, tell me how the hell Dev escaped.
Rajat- well, yesterday from afternoon Dev suddenly started vomiting & then fainted in his cell. We all get panicked & called the doctor. He checked & found Dev’s heart beat was very faint & irregular, then after sometime, he unable to detect any.
Arjun- what?
Rajat- Yes, then we called Sashank Sir. He came & the doctor again checked Dev but he has no heart beat. So, Sashank Sir ordered us to shift Dev to the hospital for further check up. Chirag with other four guards took Dev to hospital. But, on the way, another car tried to overtake & shot the driver. So, our vehicle lost the control & hit on a tree in roadside. After that, few men whose faces were covered with clothes surrounded our officers & started firing without getting them any chance to fight back. Almost forty rounds get fired from automatic short guns. Driver & two guards were spot dead. Chirag & other two survived but badly injured & those men left taking the body of Dev.
Arjun- Not with the body of Dev but with Dev. Forty rounds were fired from short gun, not a joke. How is Chirag & other two?
Rajat- Doctors already operated & took out all the bullets from their bodies but they all are in ICU. Chirag was in sense when we rescued them, he already gave his statement. He gave us the number of the car which attacked them, Police team tracked down the car in this morning at jungle. But there is same problem, fake number plate & engine chassis number was destroyed. Our Forensic team checking the car. Till now, we have no clue about the attackers & Dev. They just got vanished into the thin air. We have some other statements of the local shopkeepers of the highway, but from them also no new lead plus they all are extremely scared after the incident.
Arjun- Do our Forensic team got the reason for sudden sickness of Dev?
Rajat- Yesterday, they checked the sample of the food & water which Dev ate & drank, but there was no trace of any drug or poison. Experts are checking Dev’s vomit sample, let’s see what they get in the report.
Rajat looked at Arjun who is looking quite tensed.
Rajat- By the way, there is another news, Bonnie is back.
Arjun furrowed his eyebrows & looked at Rajat.
Arjun- & when she re joined?
Rajat- on the day of your marriage. Sashank Sir let her join in duty.
Arjun (angrily)- Sashank Sir & his orders! All are having negative impacts in our mission.
“Really Mehra? Sashank Bhargav, the joint director of IB, entered in the cabin. Arjun composed himself. He & Rajat saluted Sashank.
Sashank- I let Bonnie Ray to join in duty because of the order from Delhi. Check your copy for any kind of confusion. I am sure you definitely did not check the mails & faxes till now. (in a taunting tone)
Arjun- Sir, I was not saying like that.
Sashank- I don’t care what you were thinking & saying. Already your irresponsibility caused many problems Arjun.
Arjun- excuse me Sir.
Sashank- You arrested Dev Arora & took him in your custody, that too unofficially. Then, Dev attempted suicide, after that also, you did not make everything official & produced Dev to court.
Arjun- Sir, Dev is an important link of our mission.
Sashank- But you did not explore the link enough. Apart from finding the fact that he was juvenile criminal, his original name is Devendra & all.
Arjun- Sir, we caught that RDX getting the link from Dev.
Sashank- Great! But what about Dev’s laptop? What’s Dev link with Samrat Khanna & Nandini pandey? What is his exact role in money laundering from Khanna Industries? Terrorism link is also not clear.
Arjun- We are doing our investigation to find links…
Sashank- yeah, you are searching & searching Mehra, but result Nil. You have no answers of my questions. No clear cut allegations against Dev, apart from the fact, he tried to rape a girl, the same girl is now your wife.
Arjun- Sir, why you every time drag my personal matter?
Sashank- Personal matter? Come on Officer, that’s the only valid allegation against Dev till now. Samrat Khanna is dead, Nandini Pandey, you have no idea about her & her whereabouts, Dev escaped, again you have zero clue about him. Not only he escaped, our two officers are dead & three badly injured. The nit result of your long time investigation is a big zero & you are questioning my authority, my decisions?
Arjun- Sir…
Sashank- I want Mission Chaturanga to be successful soon. Else, you & your team no longer going to investigate this one. Got it IPS Arjun Mehra?
Arjun nodded his head & Sashank left the cabin throwing angry glance towards both of them.
Rajat- Damn man, what is your problem Sashank Bhargav?
That’s all for today. Waiting for responses.