“Are you sure…? A long black car?”
“Yes, it was a long black Jaguar. I saw it with my own eyes. A guy got out of the car and the one inside the car shot at him, right on the back of his head!”
Riya hides her face in her hands as she recalls the scene of the gruesome killing and the skull opening up like a melon in front of her eyes. Arjun waits patiently, as do the others in the room. Everyone is completely shocked.
Puja is about to get up and ask a question but Arjun gestures with his hand for her to wait. He waits himself, looking intently at Riya, until she lifts her face and drops her hands into her lap. Arjun continues in a more compassionate tone.
“Did you see the person who shot the bullet? Did you see him clearly?… Tell me Riya. Can you identify him?”
“Yes, I can recognise his face in millions.”
Arjun springs to his feet, excited.
“Wait… Stay here… I’ll be right back.”
He immediately dashes out to his room. The family members continue to talk quietly, most of them consoling and sympathizing with Riya. Arjun returns in a minute with a printout. He brings it to Riya and shows her pictures of five people.
“Is he among any one of these?”
“Yes. There he is”. She points at one of them, “That is the man who shot from the car… that black Jaguar.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely sure.” Riya nods, looking at Arjun.
“Riya, will you be able to be a witness to the incident? Don’t worry; you will only need to identify him in the court. You cannot imagine what a big favour you will do to us… to this country… Will you be able to provide evidence? Please.”
“Yes I will.” Riya says firmly, looking back at her parents as if seeking their support and also their permission. “Who is he?”
“He is a very senior diplomat. I’m sorry I cannot reveal his identity yet. But I can definitely tell you that if we get this guy it will be a big victory against terrorism for our country!”
Arjun puts the picture back into the envelope in his hand. This man had, for a long time, been the key senior representative orchestrating ISI’s notorious covert operations on Indian soil. ISI has been sponsoring terrorism in the country for over two decades now, and in recent years it has also supported internal separatist groups, mafia, and smugglers supplying arms and narcotics. All these operations continue unabated and Indian officials find it difficult to stop Pakistan’s cold war through diplomatic means. However, an arrest for murder on Indian soil is a different ball game. The diplomats will go berserk of such an exposure of direct ISI linkage to such operations.
Arjun is lost in these thoughts as his dad walks over to sit next to him.
“Arjun, what is all this? Is everything OK?”
“Papa, I know this has come as a big shock and surprise to all of you. But I need to make some phone calls urgently. All I would say to you Papa … Your son is not doing anything wrong, trust me.”
Arjun’s dad is about to say something but Arjun does not wait; he mumbles an excuse and walks out. Outside the room, he stops and calls the Head of RAW on the phone.
“Sir, my friend Riya has witnessed the killing. … She has seen the killer. She was with me at site of the operation. She is ready to testify. (Pause) Right Sir, I will go ahead and make arrangements for the arrest; you handle all the diplomatic channels please! …OK, Sir that will be very useful. Yes, Sir, Commissioner Pratap can handle that. Thanks!”
Arjun immediately rushes back to Riya, and sits next to her on the sofa as everyone watches him with curious eyes.
“Riya, Commissioner Pratap uncle will be here very soon and he will take your statement in private. Is that OK? You won’t need to go to the police station… not yet.”
Riya nods gently, nervously looking around. Arjun springs back on his feet.
“Papa, I have to go. We need to arrest this guy as soon as possible!”
Kamla gets up from the sofa and walks up to Arjun, hugging him and caressing his hair.
“Go ahead, beta. Do what you have to do. We are all with you and trust you.”
“Thanks mama. I may be late getting back in.” Kamla nods reassuringly. Arjun looks across at everyone, and pauses to gaze at his dad. Mr. Sinha smiles and gently nods at his son to indicate his confidence.
Without much ado, Arjun walks out of the door. There’s still a lot to be done and it will likely be a long night out.
A New Morning
Arjun has stayed out all night as a swift stealth operation was mounted to capture the ISI lieutenant general. Indian agents had been tracking his activities for a while and had already made plans to nab the man on grounds of suspicion before Arjun initiated the warrant.
Back home, both families waited for Arjun’s return in the morning. They are breakfasting at Riya’s house. Puja’s mobile on the breakfast table rings. Amit, sitting next to Puja, picks it up immediately.
“Yes beta…OK, come over quickly son. We are waiting for you.”
He puts down the phone to the curious gazes of the others seated around the table.
“Arjun said that the operation was successful. They have captured the killer… Kamla, your son is a hero!”
“A son is always a hero to his mother. But I don’t know… I feel very scared.”
“Don’t be, dear; everything’s fine. He’s a big boy now!” He hugs Kamla, who nods, even though still unsure. The wall-mounted TV behind the breakfast table is tuned to a local news channel. Amit increases the volume of the TV as something catches his attention. The TV reporter is telecasting from the scene of yesterday’s operation.
“Yesterday, during a special operation carried out by the Mumbai Narcotics Department, several key players of the drugs cartel have been put behind bars. Officials state that as much as two tons worth of heroin has been captured. It is the largest cache of drugs seized by the Mumbai police in recent days.”
There is no mention of a killing. Nor of the official that was arrested by RAW overnight in the stealth operation. Riya excuses herself and walks out to get to her room and get ready for school. While looking into the mirror and brushing her hair, she gets lost for a moment, recollecting the events of last evening. It has been a crazy 24 hours! At that very instant, Arjun knocks at the door and enters.
“Arjun! Where have you been all night?” Riya shrieks in an ecstatic tone.
“Hi!” Arjun is more composed in his greeting.
Riya responds with a gentler “Hi”, but again, almost with a tone of enquiry.
“Listen I wanted to… thank you.”
“Really?…. For what?”
“I wanted to say… the testimony that you have provided… we arrested our man! Actually even before that I wanted to…” he hesitates and continues in a gentler tone, “…apologize for my behavior yesterday.”
Arjun stammers a bit, his manner an obvious acknowledgement that he had been really harsh on Riya last night. Riya flaunts a gentle mischievous smile as if enjoying the moment, eager to get back at Arjun and to bell the rebellious cat.
“Excuse me, I didn’t hear clearly. Would you please mind speaking up a bit?”
“I know I’ve been harsh on you, so please don’t rub it in!” he repeats the words slowly but loudly. “Riya, I am really, really sorry. You know I am.”
“OK! OK! Apologies accepted!” she smiles gladly.
“You don’t realize how much you’ve helped… so I really wanted to thank you…”
Riya interrupts Arjun mid-way. “Excuse me Mr. Arjun. Are you the only one who’s taken ownership of our country? What do you think? You have become a super cop overnight? I don’t need your thanks, because I’m also a citizen of this country and am very well aware of my duties,” she continues loudly, “And I can lay down my life for this country just like you, if necessary! So please spare me the thanks and keep it to yourself.”
She immediately realizes that her harsh statements have made Arjun a bit defensi
ve, judging by his body language. Riya in turn softens upon realizing this.
“Listen. In friendship there’s no sorry, no thank you! Right?”
“Right! Sounds like a line stolen from a flop Bollywood movie!” Arjun responds with half a smile, realizing that she is only playing around with him.
“A Bollywood movie, yes…but not a flop one! So just chill, OK! … Friends?” Riya offers her hand as Arjun shakes it vigorously with a smile. “OK listen, come down now; everyone is so eagerly waiting for you.”
Just then Shanti enters the room. Following her is a little kid, who jumps on to Riya for a big hug.
“Mausi!”
“Hello my lion! How are you my dear?”
“Arjun, this is Rohan, Priya’s son! He has grown up, hasn’t he?” Shanti introduces the kid to Arjun, smiling with motherly love. “Beta, is everything all right now? We were so worried about you throughout the night!”
“Aunty, everything is fine now. We have captured a dangerous gang and the entire operation has been a big success.”
Priya, Riya’s elder sister, enters the room too, “On that note should we have some breakfast together Arjun!”
Arjun moves forward to greet Priya, “Hey didi! How are you?” they hug each other, “So nice to see you after such a long time!”
“How are you dear? You have been in India barely two months and already started creating a bang! …God… I am seeing you after … ummm…seven years!”
“Arjun, have you had anything to eat?” Shanti enquires. Arjun shakes his head gently, “Oh, come on then. Have you seen Kamla?”
“Not yet. I’ve come straight from headquarters. I wanted to apologize to Riya for my harsh behavior last night. I suppose all of you might have been upset as well with me after last night.”
“Oh my dear! No, not at all my son. Come on, just forget everything. Come, I’ll prepare a nice breakfast for you. Come, Riya; you didn’t eat anything either.”
“Mama, I am not hungry, and anyway, I am getting late for school.”
“Uff, my little school girl! If you go late one day, no one will scold you… Arjun you tell her; she should eat her food properly!”
Arjun spots an opportunity to get even with Riya. He mischievously scans Riya from her toe to head, “Aunty! What can I say… these girls nowadays! Dieting and fashion is all they care about. If they can spare some time from this, only then can they focus on health and food. … But Riya, what’s the use of all this … I mean no guy in school gives you a lift anyway!”
“Hey! Listen!” Riya snaps her finger at Arjun, eager to respond to Arjun’s banter. Shanti rightly intervenes.
“OK kids! Will you please stop fighting and sit down?! Come beta.” She takes Arjun’s head on her shoulders tapping his cheeks. “Come!”
Everyone goes down to the dining room. Both the families have decided subconsciously to leave all their questions for another day. Shanti stuffs a full poori as Arjun gobbles it in one lot from her hand! The two families wholeheartedly express their solidarity towards Arjun for his just cause. A status quo has been restored… for now!
A Walk in The Park
A few weeks later, life gradually settles down. Arjun gets some time to catch up on his classes, as the investigation slows down to a routine pace. After their MBA class, Arjun and Riya are walking to a park close to their home. The beautiful flowers and lush green trees made it a pleasant picturesque stroll. Riya is wearing a lovely summer floral skirt, looking stunning in it. They walk down in a leisurely manner, discussing their studies, the classes they share and also catching up on childhood memories.
Arjun points to the places he used to visit in this park as a kid. It pains him to see that the same ground that used to be full of kids, and where he spent most of his childhood days playing cricket with his gang of friends, is now completely deserted, with portions of the ground full of long, overgrown grass and shrubs. Kids nowadays prefer to spend their time indoors on electronic gadgets and video games. Riya and Arjun pass by a road next to a bench where a group of guys are seated eating peanuts. Their appearance befits that of roadside ruffians as they have left a long trail of garbage around them. The guys notice Riya and can’t help commenting about her.
“Hey check out man! Lovely flowers in the park today!”
“Right buddy! Wow! If I had such a flowery girlfriend, then it will be one joyous ride!” he gestures obscenely, as all the others laugh.
Arjun is offended and is about to respond violently, but Riya holds him back.
“Arjun please let’s leave this place!” She grabs his hand, and pulls him away, shaking her head to gesture “no” when Arjun tries to break free.
“Where are you off to sweetheart?! Oh! Why don’t you take us with you as well, so lovingly?” one of them continues to banter on.
Riya stops this time and turns back to respond.
“I’m going to the police station. Do you want to come? … Don’t act smart with me, else all of you will be inside the jail, mind it!”
“We are also eager to go inside and outside my love,” the guy moves his waist in an obscene gesture as all the others laugh. Arjun is absolutely furious and turns around, forcefully pushing the guy so that he falls on the bench, as his friends hold onto him in time. The guy immediately bounces back, pulling a knife from his pocket. Riya intervenes immediately, sensing trouble.
“Listen, we don’t need any trouble. Take it easy… Arjun, come with me!” she pulls Arjun back using all her strength, as he resists, “Arjun!”
“How dare he!” Arjun is now furious and ready for a fight.
“Arjun, for God’s sake please let’s go!”
“Oye hero! Go run and hide behind your girlfriend!” they all laugh, seeing that Riya has convinced Arjun to leave. Riya holds Arjun’s arm tightly, pulling him briskly along with her on the pathway. Arjun is fuming inside, and suddenly turns around, shouting back at the ruffians, “You guys stay here… I am coming!”
“Yeah! Yeah! Come back if you dare! Drop your bird back home! We are not going anywhere!”
Riya and Arjun briskly walk away from the park, silent, with Arjun fuming with rage. They reach home in a few minutes and Riya firmly pulls Arjun’s hand along to bring him inside. Unfortunately for her, no one else is home. Arjun sits on the sofa and turns the television on. Meanwhile, Riya quickly calls Kamla and narrates the incident.
“Aunty, Papa and mummy are not at home either. I’ve asked them to come soon. … Yes… he is fine now, but he was really mad at them in the park. … No, please don’t worry, I’ll keep him here. …Yes, bye.”
Riya goes over to sit on the sofa next to Arjun and tries to start a casual conversation. But Arjun does not respond as he is still angry and also annoyed at Riya for not letting him respond to the vulgar behavior of the ruffians. Riya desperately tries to brush the incident aside casually.
“Seems like this is your first time walking alongside a beautiful girl in India! This is not America or Europe, mister. You will find such wierdos on the streets everywhere… And they say you should ignore the dogs barking on the streets!”
“I’ll break his nose! How dare he speak about you like that?”
“Please let it go Arjun… just forget it! For my sake…pretty please…!” she tries to offer him a coke, but Arjun is not interested; he’s still in a very serious mood. Suddenly, Arjun gets up and starts walking.
“Where are you going?” Riya anxiously runs around and closes the main door, pocketing the keys. “You are not going anywhere, Arjun. Give me your car keys please!” The car keys are still on the table by the television. Riya quickly latches on to them before Arjun can move.
“Listen Arjun! You are not going anywhere! Pinky promise if you try to go away from me!” she moves her tiny finger in a quick gesture and clasps it around his.
“I don’t believe in such stupid promises,” Arjun immediately takes his finger away with a quick jerk.
“But I do!” Riya remains composed and
calm, “And if after touching each other, a promise is broken, something really awful happens. That means… that since you have touched me, if you break the promise something terrible will happen to me. So if you care even a bit about me…”
Arjun stares at her for a moment, as Riya pleads with her eyes, begging him to stay. Although unconvinced, Arjun grudgingly returns to the sofa.
“Please don’t be so angry… just let it go!” She holds Arjun’s face in her hand, “You are such a little kid, you know.”
Arjun gently shrugs her hand off. Riya’s phone starts to ring that very moment and she picks it up quickly. She speaks on the phone and returns in a few minutes back to the sofa next to Arjun. They sit there watching the TV for a while, although Arjun is just switching channels blindly. Suddenly the doorbell rings. Riya rushes to open the door and is excited as well as relieved to see the family back.
“Beta, what happened?” Kamla asks as she enters. They talk inaudibly at the door and she quickly walks over to the sofa to hug her son. “Arjun beta, these things should be ignored … … OK?” Arjun nods half-heartedly, “And I forbid you from going out! …Just don’t think about it beta; all these small things keep happening. Anyway, we have the puja in the afternoon, and you have to be at home!”
Soon, the rest of the family is back and busy preparing for the puja. Arjun grabs his laptop and pretends to work, even though he is still annoyed at the turn of events. The family members leave him alone for a while. Meanwhile, Riya dresses for the festival and puja, in a beautiful ethnic outfit. She notices Arjun still sitting on the sofa fiddling with his laptop, and stealthily walks behind him. She tries to lighten the mood and tickle Arjun by blowing into his ear.
“Phoo!”
Arjun is not impressed and tries to ignore her, continuing his work on the laptop. “Oh God! What does it take to get a smile from you?... Although you know… you look cute when you are angry. OK, tell me; do you like this outfit?”
Arjun glances at her but does not respond. Riya tries again but has to return to her activities, unsuccessful in her endeavor to cheer Arjun up. The entire house is getting ready for the festival preparations later in the evening, even though all the family members, including Riya intermittently keep a constant eye on Arjun. After a while, amidst the hubbub, Riya suddenly sees Arjun going out. She dashes out after him and in the rush forgets to wear her slippers.
Cold Love Page 4
