"It's a trap Masan, go straight ahead, there was no diversion when the team passed from here 45 minutes earlier,"

"Ok then, hang on everyone, I am going to bust ahead," Masan warned and then jabbed his foot on the accelerator and collided with the empty drum in which the board was supported and send it flying into the air. Their way was now clear and they zoomed past without any hurdles. Bandu felt the impact of the collision when his head hit the roof of the car. But all he could do now was massage the swelling.

"Bandu, you alright?" Comm. Seth asked and without waiting for a reply began to talk into his phone.

"Yes, Sir, I am fine," Bandu said.

In the meanwhile, the impact had Makhan stirring in his sleep and began his blabber. He had fallen forward on his face, which now rested on Masan's seat. Bandu dragged him slowly to his seat's headrest.

"I will need a bucket of water to wake him up," Masan said and chuckled.

"I have informed the team behind us to stay alert. I hope we meet no further blocks,"

Nearly two hours of drive saw them to Rira town, after bypassing two other towns. They stopped at a medium-sized hotel on the highway. The sleeping receptionist had to be woken up. He was surprised at the guests that had arrived in the middle of the night, with one guest being supported by another. After entering their rooms they observe the same precautions here too but were not attacked.

They left the hotel before six in the morning. This time Comm. Seth took to driving as Makhan was still not alert enough to drive, although awake. He would suddenly drift to sleep without a warning. The cool air now changed its stance and now was burning with heat. As the sun rose the traffic filled the road making their pace slow.

By 3 pm in the afternoon, they reached Chalhat. Bandu felt strange looking at his surroundings. The town appeared to be in a depleted state. There were no colorful buildings, all had that old look like they were never repaired or painted. The people too had the same look. They looked forlorn and angry. He saw many liquor shops and hotels along the road, but the scene changed once they reached the center of the town.

Here the town painted itself differently from its entrance and he was very much curious as to the reason. The people here were well dressed, though overall had a grim look. They checked into a hotel in the chowk(circle). They collected their keys and after taking the same drill of precautions, they freshen up and then meet down at the lobby again.

The police headquarters was at a walkable distance from the hotel and they did just that. The building that housed the headquarters sucked. The first impression that Bandu had of the building was on the outside. The structure stood in a crowded narrow lane, lined by police vans, SUV's and bikes blocking the way to the entrance of the building. The huge iron gate that decorated the entrance was now rusted and looked ancient.

Some constables were seen roaming outside, along the iron gate, with batons in their hands. They were actually overlooking the people that were for some strange reason handcuffed to the iron fence in a line beside each other. He wanted to ask someone about it, but they were already inside the building. No one around bothered to look up at the new party that had entered the premises except in front of the commissioner's office, where they were asked to wait.

The rooms on the second floor were dusty and cobwebs adorned the ceilings. The pieces of furniture in the room were old and rusty. The walls at the corners were coated with red tobacco stains. Bandu cringed at the sight and wanted to be out of the place soon.

The men working there were no less untidy. The dignity of the job seemed to be lost to them. There was no difference between a thief and police. They were asked to enter the cabin, which Bandu thought was rather habitable than the outside. Though not clean, was not sore to the eyes, but you could not say the same about the man who sat behind the desk. He himself was an ancient portrait, with a portly and heavy figure. In his fifties and with a blading crown, he seemed proud of his thick grey mustache that was pruned regularly by his fingers. His round spectacles balanced at the tip of his nose and he was surveying them above the glasses.

"Please find yourself seats and be careful of the rats," he said matter-of-factly greeting the four of them with a mouthful of paan. Although Masan and Makhan saluted him and stood at attention, comm. Seth extended his hand for a shake which was reciprocated duly. Comm. Seth sat on the chair opposite his counterpart Gautam Teja.

"This is Mr. Maan Surjan Raghav, nephew of Raja of Ratanpur," and that got the man's attention to Bandu, "And these are my assistants," and they were also acknowledged and his eyes returned to Bandu.

"Please be seated, I am honored," he said finding it difficult to act out the respectability. Bandu seated himself while remembering his warnings.

"I received your message regarding your mission. It sounds a little strange to me though...chasing an unknown enemy...anyways my hands are already full at present, but will help however I can, that assured. But I have one request...don't enter Ghatti. I nor my men will enter that place, however, I won't stop you,"

"Thank you comm. Teja for your assurances. We are staying here at Hotel Maru. Thank you for your time then," Comm. Seth rose from his seat and extended his hand once again, which was taken promptly. Bnadu too shook his hand that was extended to him. Masan and Makhan saluted him and then the group left the room. None of them spoke as they moved down the stairs to leave the suffocated environment inside.

It felt great to be out in the open air, which was now less fierce than in the afternoon as the daylight was fading away to the grey sky and cool air. With that, the place around too appeared dangerous, as though dark creatures had emerged out of their lair to get you. The four of them walked in another direction led by comm. Seth, along the footpath, trying to avoid the drunkards and addicts. The shops looked all deserted and the shopkeepers looked at them with suspicion as they passed.

But just as the hotels were filled with full-bellied people, its outside was equally lined up with hungry scavengers hidden behind the lanes in the shadows. There were women and children too among them. This place did not appear economically rich, but the hotel where they checked in, told a different story altogether. And now too, the area they walked into was completely different in the scene.