My heart hasn't gained the missed beat since Aniruddh spoke his last words. He was willing to take the betrayer with us on the new mission. As of now, our only suspect was Manoj.
At a crucial moment like this, when we don't even know what our main plan will be, Aniruddh had pre-planned the role for the betrayer.
Present Day
"So, was it that easy to trap Adarsh?", Fatima broke in after an ample amount of silence.
"Both, a 'yes' and a 'no'!", I spoke sarcastically but my voice slowly darkened with reminiscences of the past, "It was easy to trap him in our words but considering the mental situations we were in, it was audaciously difficult to take proper steps.”
“And do you have any idea about Adarsh these days? He’s not in the news.”
“Probably retirement. It's been twenty years. I feel really sad ‘bout him. The throne that his party is enjoying even today after twenty years is because of the wave of political opinion that he created after Operation Stigma Removal. Now he isn't even paid an iota of heed."
"I get it", Fatima took a deep inhalation and said with excitement, "So, Operation Stigma Removal is in the play now! That makes the story interesting. Well, an accurate name for the mission."
"I know it's the interesting part but I don't think my body's gonna support me more. Maybe I'll have to terminate what I started narrating. I can try for now"
“Makes sense!”
“In the end, everything does. Little did we know at that time that this story was blatantly open to the door of perspectives."
December 2014
We found our way back to Aniruddh's house. It has not been even a week since Vikram's demise. Everything seemed so normal at home (except for Amaira who was not able to comprehend the fast-paced situation).
I don't know why but this perception cracks up my mind for a bit that the month of December generally brings me and my family some unbearable amount of grief. Apart from Ajay's and Vikram's death, in 2002, my parents' business ran into ruins after a very minor recession in the United States. Ugh! I hate December(s)!
A couple of hours later Manoj, out of blue, called Aniruddh and asked out for an informal meeting. It was about four to five in the evening and we suggested it would be better if he visited us a few hours later.
Our hearts pumped a bit of fear. Maybe because we were starting to suspect Manoj, he might want to kill us today to finish all this. But there stood a sigh of relief that if he did so, he would earn nothing from his whatever damn mission. It was no surprise that we were beginning to claim, with all our might, that Manoj is the only one we were looking for. (And this hatred was developing at an alarming rate. Internally, we both were concerned, just for a mere reason, that the things that are happening around us might have been hypothetically set up by the betrayer. I really pity Aniruddh because he is at such a harrowing lack of information.)
An hour or two later, Manoj trod into our house. We had kept Amaira upstairs as a precautionary measure! We had clearly told her to remain calm and be ready to call the reinforcements or police if Manoj goes berserk.
Fortunately, our assumptions were totally wrong. Manoj had no clue about us visiting the Prime Minister and bribing him. We, for a bit of time, tried not to talk about serious issues. Even, Manoj had no such significant reason to visit us.
Abruptly, Aniruddh couldn’t digest this unexpected arrival. Out of curiosity, he raised the topic again, "Hey, I heard your private Investigation Team is investigating the Sukkur Disaster…”
"Yes, it is!", Manoj replied.
"You know what happened, right? You have every damn clue that it was because of our fault… Then why put us in danger?"
"See, first of all, I had to act as an international representative. I would have been questioned or trolled internationally for not helping in this matter. You know, my team has the potential to solve this case only if it weren't the way it is now. Moreover, I want to know what the hell did those pilots do! I want to know Farhan's reason for betraying us!"
Ironically, these were the lines said by the man that we were suspecting to be the betrayer.
"Agreed"
"As a matter of fact, I have been denied permission to solve this case from the Indian Government with a mere reason given that solving such disputed cases on foreign lands should be against the will of our patriotic hearts. Maybe because India is seen as a suspect, therefore, they don't want the truth to come out."
"When did that happen?"
"Moments before I called you!"
"Oh!"
So, Adarsh acted on his own when we left. Well, this was an advantageous step. Probably, this will delay the investigation, therefore, giving us more time.
“Aniruddh, see, I know about your son’s death! I will help you if you need my investigation team. Deep inside we both know what the truth is!”
“Do you?”, Aniruddh yelled. Sitting in front of his son’s murder suspect (assuring that he doesn’t leave a clue about anything) had turned Aniruddh’s deep voice into a raging one, “I have already given up on him. Well, just leave this! Tell me when you are visiting C.R.E.W.?”
“I am sorry for outraging you. Well, for the latter, I’ll leave for C.R.E.W. after we have had enough talk.”, Manoj replied after taking a safe side on Vikram’s matter.
“Good! I will be coming tomorrow. Do me a favour!”
“Go on”
“Tell the office that Abhinav, Supriya, you and me will be starting a new mission named the Operation Stigma Removal.”
This was something even unknown to me. Aniruddh was deadly serious about taking the impostor on the mission.
“What the hell? What about permissions?”
“I had a talk with the Prime Minister. He will convince the President. And as it is said by misconceptions that the President is the puppet of the Prime Minister, I needed only to have Adarsh convinced. That’s all!’
“You are god-damn mysterious, Aniruddh. At least should have asked me! I am a businessman, not a soldier, right?”
“Absolutely right! That’s what I need.”
“What the heck, Ani”, Manoj was furiously flaming, “Does my life mean nothing? You all have signed to put your lives on the line; not me! Moreover, if you start forcing, I might stop the funding of C.R.E.W… I won’t care if you put a brake on my entry to the office!”
“Read your documents. Clause no.-8: I will be forever ready to serve my country!”, Aniruddh seemed to be serene.
“Tear those apart!”
I decided to break into the situation now, “What if the Prime Minister orders you to do this?”
“I will challenge this in the Supreme Court.”
“Will you? C.R.E.W.’s documents will play a crucial role in defeating you. You can’t escape.”
“Exactly”, Aniruddh supported.
“Fine!”, he swore under his breath and probably, termed us ‘morons’. Well, who cares? He continued, “I will first see the plan and then act accordingly. Tell this to the office yourself!”
“No problem”
“Does Adarsh know the plan?”
“Nope!”
“God knows what you’re planning… I am leaving for now!”
He didn’t take any pain again to say goodbye. He just went and shut the door with the highest force that he could apply. Well, we were wrong to inflict our feelings on someone else. No one can be as self-sacrificing as Aniruddh but he had no other choice.
For the rest of the night, I was only following Aniruddh just trying to squeeze the plan out of him. He would say nothing but reply that he would tell everyone together.
Ultimately, I had lost all my hopes in the fact that Aniruddh would be willing to tell me something. He wasn’t doing this on purpose; just was trying to tease me out for the whole day.
By now, December was starting to terminate. Celebrations were starting to take place in the countryside. Paparazzi and news reporters set in their jobs to capture everything on their cameras. Bells and new posters were all at the fingertips in the market. I was becoming jealous of such stressless lives that people enjoy. Little do they know how difficult it is for warriors like Aniruddh and others to defend the nation at all costs.
I spent most of the night thinking about these things. As soon as the sun rose, I hurried up to take up the breakfast and then, leave for C.R.E.W. as soon as possible. About ten in the morning, I left for the department alongside Aniruddh. Manoj had already made his presence there.
I could spot the man who was telling us about Zayhan yesterday running towards us. He shrieked out, “Sir, my stomach’s aching since yesterday. Let me tell the whole thing about Zayhan!”
“Yeah, sure… But why not tell it to everyone!”, Aniruddh boomed.
“Huh?”
“No questions. Stand on that small stage. Speak boldly.”
That man seemed a bit sheepish. I could see his hands trembling in front of everyone. But keeping his hand on the heart, he, with a stuttering voice started, “Zayhan yesterday sent an unusual conversation regarding the internal politics of his terrorist organisation. He claimed his organisation to be an element of GTO. Moreover, he has infiltrated very high ranks and has much more access to information than he did earlier. According to him, on the eve of 20 February 2015, his element will be transferring some gold to Abu Dhabi at the headquarters. The eye-catching thing this time they are experimenting to leave for such a long journey and that too, without security. In their opinion, security will attract international eyes and they may have more chance of being robbed or caught at international borders. To avoid all this, they won’t have any security to protect them! This expedition will be done by road. They have taken permission to travel through international borders. For the checking measures, they have inscribed themselves in front of the world as some kind of business. So exporting gold isn’t a big measure. The thing that hurts them is just the international trade barrier. They might have to pay a commission for the same. If anything goes sideways in their plan, their infiltrated armies will help them to get a hold of things”
In continuity, Aniruddh roared, “So my plan is, let’s wait at the international borders for them. Blackmail them and let’s infiltrate GTO! As we have deducted earlier, GTO doesn’t work on the essence of religion or something beyond money that keeps the ideology of the group circulating among everyone. Let’s try this out!”
Someone from the crowd was against this, “If Mathew’s the one who’s betraying us, then?”
“First of all, it will mean nothing. They will not have any particular reason to do this. Further, if something is out of our box, I promise to kill my team on the spot. I have decided to take Supriya, Manoj, Abhinav and myself on the mission. None of the lives is at stake excluding ours. So, it will not become an international phenomenon like Sukkur. Don’t care about all this. I have planned this through!”
I could easily spot out Supriya from the crowd. Her eyes displayed her trepidation. But she was trying to keep herself tranquil.
After solving everyone’s doubts, Aniruddh jumped into his cabin where he called Supriya in. She didn’t let us feel that she had been pressurised by this situation. Rather with a bold voice, she enunciated, “I have two shocking pieces of news!”
“First, tell me, are you mentally ready for what you have been told to do?”, Aniruddh asked for confirmation.
“That isn’t even a qualified question, sir! I will always be ready.”
“See, this is a gamble. I am taking a rookie like you on such a mission. There aren’t any specific reasons for that. Don’t let me down! Your experience is zero but your insane practical tests have been executed beautifully.”
“I promise, Sir!”, her patriotism was shining through her eyes!
“Go ahead”
“First of all sir. I had enough research on Manoj. I completed your order in time. There was the only thing that I could find significant. In January 2004, India saw an exponential rise of an international entrepreneur. Just 11 months ago before the attack in which Ajay died! Maybe he was funded by GTO at that time to expand his business and then, by the means of funding C.R.E.W. and the army, he infiltrated and did whatever he was ordered to. This couldn’t be a mere fluke. You still decide to take him on the mission!”
“I would be happier now to take him! Go on with the second one!”
“Ahmad, Farhan’s son is giving the C.R.E.W. examination. Ahmad and Fatima have been suspended from the investigation of Farhan. They were rendered to be useless. He has filled in the form as a ‘sniper’!”
I broke in, “How can a rookie with such a betraying past be allowed to join C.R.E.W.? We had to go through a lot of training to join this department.”
Aniruddh answered, “C.R.E.W. is a peculiar organisation. I don’t know why such rookies are allowed but this is how it was formed. Once again a fault. Our situation was different. He is joining as a clerk. We directly joined as the executive heads. (Speaking to Supriya). Do anything but let him pass the exam. We are taking him on the plan. I want to establish him as a hero. I want to remove his father’s traitor’s mark from him. Abhinav and I know that Farhan was forced into these grim situations. I am pretty sure he’ll pass with flying colours. I have already seen his aura burning with revenge earlier!”
“Right”
“And Supriya, be ready. You will be going through special training from now on!”
Supriya nodded with excitement and left.
I had been spending my time in Ani’s Cabin quietly until he abruptly spoke in between his work, “Ugh!! This is hard. Abhi, would you mind if I tell you something!”
I wasn’t paying full heed, “Go ahead”
“I don’t wanna lie more”, his voice was getting serious, “What if I told you I was the one you were looking for so long!”
I yelled, “Don’t make my assumptions right! I had such intuitions and deductions but believing them was really hard! What the heck? Why did you??”
Again with Aniruddh’s some lines, I felt a quaking in boots.
What is annirudh the impostor?! So excited to read the next one!!
ReplyDeleteWho knows who's the impostor! Stay tuned😁
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