Chasing the Evanescent

Chasing lies.

"Maam. You have to keep calm and think about any calls or messages your husband left for you in these last months..." the voice from someone assigned to inform cum interrogate her from time to time who tried his best to sound gentle was back.

"Don't tell me you still have no news about him?" she kept her voice low, but her heart had already started pounding and was ready to break itself out of the rib cages. "all the sensors, radars and god knows what kind of systems you have and you still got nothing...one minute, it seems you know but do not want to say.

"We are trying our best but there is a theory we are starting to believe in a theory..." the man who sounded like a young recruit cut her.

She wanted the guy to lose the string of his words, just so she could feel a relief of sorts but perhaps the young man behind the receiver was chosen on his ability to keep calm even when the restless wives of the missing soldiers lost it on him.

"And what is that...

"We believe your husband took an... uninformed leave in between... the ongoing mission." the words were calculated, she could feel it in the man's voice and all of a sudden she was unable to focus.

She turned back to confirm this tall guy named Vansh was still sitting there, in the corner seat but he was not there and it terrified her.

"Maam, I know its surprising to you...but

No longer her attention was on the call, she was walking to the glass doors of the restaurant.

"Maam...are you there?"

And there he was, grabbing a cup of coffee or whatever from the sleek platform and it brought back the breath she was holding... she had one too many secrets to save from the world.

"Sorry, yes, yes I am here... are you sure about this theory?" she was surprised, and only after her brain was calmed from this other soldier who was now walking towards their table behind the glass she could focus on another one talking with her.

"That is why we called you Maam, has your husband tried to contact you or maybe someone else in your family... if you could talk with his friends?'

Friends, did she know any of Kabeer's friends? There were a few at their small and private wedding but Kabeer didn't even introduce her to them, and later she never saw them again.

"I don't know about my husband's friends, Sir but I have not received any such calls or messages." she knew the Army won't stop looking for him but how could they conjecture one such theory?

"Okay Ma'am, that's all for now... be vigilant though, any calls or messages that you find suspicious and you have our contact details."

Like that the phone call ended and left her with a headache that started right above her nostrils and flared to her brows.

***** 

"you look shaken, everything okay?" he looked in her direction when she crossed his chair to reach the one she was sitting on earlier, touching the back wall of the restaurant.

"I think we are done here." she didn't acknowledge his question but sat in the chair, the gesture showed she was disturbed about something.

"Maam your tea..." the waitress surprised her and she looked up at her face as if trying to remember when did she order tea.

"Keep it here and thank you," Vansh answered on her behalf and now Ridhima's eyes shifted to him.

"you didn't eat anything so I took the liberty to order a tea for you...