Posted: December 02nd, 2019

♚ Aarush ♚

2.47 We Are Warriors

        The night was turning out to be a busy one - atleast where our plan was concerned; everything else about earlier in the evening was a memory that is now forever engrained in my system. So when Randeep suggested I go ask Jhanvi for a dance, distract my mind for a bit, my body seems to jump at the opportunity of being close to her.

Why do I feel lightheaded all of a sudden?

Probably this glee that I seem to be high on.

Across the room, she may have an innocent, bright smile on her face but her moans ring in my ear. I want to touch her again. I need to.

With a harsh swallow, however, I turn the offer down. I also need to compartmentalize right now. Forcing my eyes to blink away from her, I turn to Randeep. "There's one thing that's still bugging me."

"Which is?"

"We are working on the theory that they found out Charu was pregnant. But, how did they find out? Or, for that matter, her parents?"

"Friend, maybe? Someone she confided in?"

I shook my head, "She wouldn't have told a friend even if they were close. She wouldn't have risked that. Why didn't she come to me first?"

Aarav appears from behind us, joining at the table where we stand. "Because she would have wanted to confirm it first."

Why didn't I think of that? "She went to the hospital."

Randeep points out, "Anyone working there could have gotten their hands on her reports."

This is going to take long. But I tell myself... I had waited 8 long years. What are a few more days?

In sync with my thoughts, Randeep assures me, "I'll get the list of all the employees who worked there at the time and if there were any camera's around, then all the footage too."

Aarav says, "I guess we have our work cut out for us."

"If you need to go back to Mumbai..." I feel terrible holding him back when he has his own sets of problems to deal with.

He returns an easy smile, "I can handle work from here."

"Are you sure?" He may be the type of guy who won't think twice about sacrificing his own priorities for the sake of people he considers family, but with Jhanvi and Inaaya, he also needs to think about the rest of his family back in Mumbai. Where Shyam is considered, there is no saying what he could do to get what he wants.

He already made a play. The conniving psychopath seems to be three steps ahead.

"I'm sure. Also, might I remind you that transportations are suspended? I'm essentially stuck here regardless."

Well. Point. I do think, however, that the situation would be resolved in a day or two. It would be economically disastrous and unwise for the government to seclude the city from primary modes of travel for too long.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          Majority of the next day passes in collecting background on all the employees in the city hospital who worked during the time while also watching through the recorded footage - starting from the day of the massacre and working backwards so we can figure out a timeline on when Charu might have visited the hospital. We take into account that it would take some time for the hospital to get a report back from the lab confirming the pregnancy. With that, Eva pointed out we should also look into the lab employees given the hospital sent out their tests to an independent lab with an affiliation to the hospital, but not a part of it. Their employees would not be included with the hospital employees.

Since Eva and I are good at digging through people's life, we take up that task while Jigar and Randeep take turns watching the footage at twice it's normal speed to weed out the rest and hurry the process along. Annie supervised the children - Arshiya and Ishaan - though Arshiya would make a scene for sure if she hears anyone calling her a child while Aarav works on his laptop for a bit before joining the team in skipping through the footage.

At one point, Annie leans over from her spot. "Wait. Back up."

Getting the hint that she saw something, I sit up from the chair where I had been collecting employee background to walk over to the laptop where they were watching the footage. Randeep rewinds the tape before playing it at a normal speed. It was a camera facing the reception desk, but no one was at the desk.

"What, there's nothing there." Randeep comments.

"Play it again," she says as if it's a gut feeling but when he looks doubtful, she adds. "Trust me, okay? I look at frames for a living. Even in videos that I record, I print each still-frame and something isn't right here."

"O-kay," he puts it back five minutes and plays it again. The entire time, nothing changes on the screen. No one comes in the frame. Everything on the reception desk is as is.

Arshiya comments casually sitting back to the farthest chair, "Oh, geez. For a bunch of smart people who claim to be big shots, you guys take too long. Look at the freaking clock."

Our eyes shift to the clock hanging on the wall as Randeep goes back a minute and presses play for the third time. Now that we know where to look, we all see the problem instantly. One second, the small hand was at 2, but the next, it had shifted to 8.

Entire half hour footage has been erased.

How original. And yet, none of us caught it the first time around.

"Holy shit," Eva says.

Randeep twists his body towards Arshiya with his eyes narrowed, "You are sitting all the way over there. How did you even see that?"

"While you all were looking at the big picture, I was looking at the clock the whole time." She calmly responds. "Seriously, the easiest way to tell if something has been messed with."

I comment, "Suppose that's a lesson that it isn't always about the big picture."

Sometimes, the little things matter. Whoever was behind the missing footage, they went to great lengths to ensure no object was out of place, but they forgot about time.

Jigar says, "My guess would be that this is the time when she arrived. Probably was waiting by the reception for her turn."

I ask Randeep, "What day is that?"

He reads back the date scribbled on the tape cover and doesn't have to be told to pull out the rest of the tapes from that day. One after another, it's the same thing. Around that time and for the entire hour after the time from the reception desk footage, various times are missing from multiple camera angles all over the hospital.

I tap Randeep's chair and he moves aside, letting me sit in front of it. I am about to work backwards to retrieve the erased footage when my fingers still on the keyboard as I recall a key piece of information. "Damn." I mutter before informing the others who look confused at my reaction. "These DVDs are digitalized copies."

Eva rephrases, "They aren't originals. You can't retrieve the data."

That and its also 9 year old footage. It requires old school coding.

"Fuck. So close!" I start to get mad, pushing the laptop back while also standing up. Jigar catches the back of the chair before it falls to the ground with a clatter.

"Aarush." Eva chides for my little outburst. Then, after a moment, she takes on the role of a leader, "Aarav, Jigar, can you check which employees were working that shift? Randeep, pull out the footage for 2-3 days after and go through it again. I'm sure you'll find missing gaps there as well. We'll cross check the list of employees and put together a suspect pool." She then points to me, "You, go take a break."

"But..."

When I start to protest, she adds in her no-nonsense voice, "Take Inaaya out for a walk."

With a sigh, I mumble. "Yes, ma'am."

Randeep points at Arshiya, "And you, get over here." I'm sure he'll want another pair of keen eyes given how she had been the one of us to catch the misshape the first time around while it had taken us three tries - and that too after we were told what to look at.

As I walk out of the room, I faintly hear her response, "Say please."

If that girl can make Raizada Sr. and Jr. bend to her will, I doubt Randeep ever even had a chance. She reminds me of Barkha in so many ways. I suppose it's true what they say about sisters. Come rain or shine, they can make the toughest of brothers do just about anything for them. It's true for Aarav, and it used to be true for me. But, seeing Arshiya, it reminds me that this fight I am taking on is not just for Charu and our child who never even got a chance, but also for my sister and parents. Their untimely departure won't go unavenged.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          "Now that is just unfair," Jhanvi complains when Inaaya calms down within seconds from when I hold her.

I place a toy in Inaaya's palm while leaning in and kissing the baby's head. "She loves me; deal with it."

Jhanvi rolls her eyes, "I have to compete with all you people for her affection? Heck no. I'm her mother!"

Inaaya looks between the two of us with her wide doe eyes and ever so confused, ofcourse. She understands nothing. Not the fact that two people are vying for her affection. Nor the danger looming around her.

I tease Jhanvi, "That's your defense? That she has to love you more simply because you're her mother. You aren't going to be one of those parents, are you?"

She narrows her eyes in response, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was ordered to take a break." She only nods and goes on to gather the mess of toys around the room. Sitting on the couch and putting Inaaya on my lap, I decide to share our working theory. When I look up from Inaaya once Jhanvi comes to sit next to us, I catch the expression on her face. "What, why do you look surprised?"

She shakes her head with a smile, but a second later, explains her reason. "You're sharing. Without me having to poke and prod. Might be a first."

I can tell that she isn't saying it with the intention to guilt me over my past actions. She says that with an expression that tells me she is surprised seeing the slow change in me, but not in a bad way. She is happy that I made the choice to share. Even if it is a simple thing that is not a secret in any way.

"Well, you are my... I mean, I am not going to disrespect you that way by not keeping you in the loop."

I hope she would let it be, but she is not one to let anything slip past her guards, "You walked right into that one, you know that, right?"

I did dig myself that hole. My gaze switches to Inaaya, "Yeah..." I had no idea what to call our relationship for now. It's all still very new. We weren't dating, but I did tell her how I feel in a way. Still, I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend. It should not be this complicated, right? We are adults. But, I haven't done this in ages. I guess I have to figure out how it all works these days. What the norms are.

She reaches forward to touch my hand and adds only after I look back at her. "We don't have to do labels, but if you want, can we atleast talk about us later?"

I nod in agreement. Once this is all behind us.

She continues while shifting her hand to Inaaya's back and gently patting her, "What we do need to talk about now is... my father."

"What about him?"

"You haven't handed him over to the authorities."

I argue on the technicalities of the term. Authorities. It has such a vague meaning in these parts of the country. "He is with the authorities."

"No, Aarush. He is locked up in a room here with no windows and two armed men at the door. I know better than to think you would keep him in the same place as a child he's made attempts to kill if you didn't need something from him. So, my next question is, what is he still doing here?"

"I don't need something yet, I think, but giving him over to the local authorities will easily get him killed. So... maybe I am keeping him to use him at the right time." I catch her gaze, unsure how my words would be reciprocated. "Is that cold?"

She is lost for a second before she retreats physically and leans back into the couch. "Wrong person to ask."

Makes sense. He may have contributed to her genes, but he was in no way a father. For her, he is just a man who killed his wife and his wife's lover out of jealousy and planned to do the same to his daughter and unborn grandchild for the sake of his greed and freedom. If anything, he is a cold-blooded killer.

"Have you talked to him?" She asks, "Find out what he knows?"

"He doesn't know zilch."

She challenges, "And you're going to take his word for it? No one manages to stay clear of multiple law enforcements by being upfront, Aarush. I may not know him, but anyone who makes such elaborate plans is hiding things."

I offer my belief even if she may have a point in her place, "He wouldn't dare keep things from me. He knows I am his best shot at survival right now."

"Doesn't mean he wouldn't try to manipulate you, still." She must read my expression since she feels the need to add, "Look, I know you are good at your job. I trust you to know how to read people, but I don't know. If he was willing to kill us, the thought of killing them for his freedom had to have crossed his mind too. I just don't believe that a guy who has been running from them for so long doesn't know anything about them."

I take a moment to think about it. I know better than to doubt her intelligence. She is a smart woman. She saw a loophole in the marriage clause of the will when an experienced lawyer and a renowned businessman didn't. So, if she is suggesting this, it might be coming from somewhere. Could Narayan be playing another angle that I've kept a blind eye towards so far?

"You really think he knows more than he is letting on?"

"Only one way to find out."

Nodding, knowing what I need to do, I shift Inaaya to Jhanvi's lap. "Okay, I'll talk to him."

I manage to walk a few steps away when she stops me, "Hold it, mister." When I turn to face her, she walks over. "Who do you think I am, your sidekick? No. Think again."

"Jhanvi..." I start to convince her otherwise already having a feeling of what she is about to suggest and where this is going.

There she goes, still suggesting away. "No, don't even try. I want to be there. I know he kidnapped me less than a week ago and tried to kill us."

I prove the obvious that should follow when she just stops there, "But?"

"Nah, someone amazing recently told me that 'but' complicates things unnecessarily. All I am saying is I understand all the reasons you'd want to protect me and keep me from having to see him in my life ever again. They are still not going to stop me from sorting out my so-called 'daddy issues'."

I take a small step towards her, touching her arm and looking into her eyes expressing as earnestly as I can. "As much as I understand why you'd want to do this, I don't want you around to see me interrogate him. Please."

I hope she will be understanding as I know she is capable of from past encounters. That side of me is not a sight I want her to witness. It's not pretty. I know, she is tough. And though she says 'but' complicates things, not in this situation. She will probably get that I'll have to use some unsavory means to get things out of him, but it's not something she needs to ever have to see.

Her lips part to respond, but I add another request with a bare whisper, "Please, Jhanvi. This darkness inside of me, I don't want it affecting you. This is something I need to do myself. If you want to see him at another time, then okay. I'll arrange for that. Just, not now."

Not before I get him to tell me everything I need to know first.

She must see in my eyes. She may not agree with it, but all that matters is that she respects my wishes. Holding Inaaya to her hip and supporting her back with one hand, she places her other hand to my neck, the pad of her thumb brushing over my cheek. "Okay," she says, "But, just so you know, there is nothing about you that could scare me away, Aarush. You can be yourself without having to hold back on anything, without feeling as if you always have to be in control of your actions and emotions because that is what has been grilled in you since a young age... atleast, in front of me. You don't have to feel like you have to keep a side of you from me to protect me from having the reality wash down on me. Because, this darkness you speak of - it isn't inside of you. It's around you, and I'm already in that space. I'm not untouched - thanks to our genealogy."

Gently wrapping my large fingers around her rather small wrist, I turn my head sideways to press my lips to the center of her palm. "Maybe after this chapter of our lives is behind us," I make her a promise.

I want her to know me too - all sides of me and all the secrets, everything in my past - just as I want to know more about her too. Things that I haven't just assumed about her from observing her, but from her sharing them with me, sharing her hardships of life in her own words. Have her feel as if the weight lifting from her chest when there is someone to bare her soul to.

She smiles up at me with a nod. "Then it's something I'll dearly look forward to."

It's as if to say she is going to hold me to that promise, and she can test it at any time.

For now, I lean forward to kiss the top of her head and she momentarily closes her eyes. Then I move back from her touch, walking backwards. After holding her gaze a moment later, I turn my back to her and leave.

Walking the path of righteousness when the world around us is doomed has never been this difficult.

One last mission.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .