Lady Enigma

Chapter 2

Have you ever felt so helpless, that you want to just abandon your entire life and run far far away so that no one will ever find you?

That's how I'm feeling now, interrogating an accused, who without any doubt, has brutally run over a group of people, who were sleeping on the corner of a footpath. There is evidence that he's the one, the CCTV footage. Damage has been done to the victims and society. Yet, the court refrains from giving the punishment because the right to life gives them a chance to prove their innocence.

Innocence my foot.

The department's shotgun is loaded, the target is just inches away, my fingers are itching to pull the damn trigger. It's a matter of just a few seconds, and it will be done.

But thinking better of myself and my job, I exit the room, while my subordinate takes over in presence of the public prosecutor. I can't put my hard work and position at risk only for the sake of this scum. There are much better things to concentrate on.

Before I could enter my cabinet, the Commissioner, a superior and a mentor of mine, summons me. As I enter his room, I give my greetings and salutes to the officers present, while the commissioner asked others to leave.

"Sir!" I say, with emphasis as I salute the elderly man.

"Vijay!" He exclaims. Happy to see me. "It's been so long!"

I ease myself from the attention position as he speaks informally. "Yes, sir."

"Please take your seat, young man! How are you? How're your mother and sister?"

"Just being the spitfires, like they are.." I say, with a soft smile. He roars with laughter.

"Should I complaint that you just called the ladies spitfires?" He asks, very amused.

"I don't know, sir. But it is a matter of fact." I say with a shy smile. You can't get into the bad side of your mom now, can you?

He laughs again, hitting the table in excitement. "Touché !" We both laugh at this time. But something is telling me that he's not here to talk about how my mother and sister are spitfires, but my behavior and decorum in the station.

Few minutes pass as he makes some small talk before addressing the elephant in the room. His laughter subsides and leans on his elbows, accentuating his wrinkles of worry.

"How are you doing?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Are you sure, that's the right question?" I ask in return.

He pinches the middle section of his eyebrows, as he sighs. "Are you able to control your anger?"

There it is.

"Yes— to some extent.."

"To what extent?" He immediately poses. I don't answer that question. To what extent? He says.

Maybe to an extent where I just run away from the situation? Avoid it, so that I can think it disappeared. But it's still there.

The commissioner sighs and continues. "Look, I know you have some issues. So does everyone. You can't let —"

"I can't let them get me. Yes. I know. And I'm trying." I continue as he has nothing else to say "I know that the world doesn't revolve around me, sir. And the last thing I want is to be suspended due to an unsound mind. Is there anything else you have to say?" I turn around to leave as he just sits there.

"Chinna!"

It makes me stop in my tracks. Chinna. It was the name only my father and his colleagues used to call.