Sidharth lifts Sana into his arms and carries her to the bed. He makes her lie down and starts kissing her face. Suddenly the light goes off and Sidharth hears footsteps from outside his house. He grabs Sana's wrist and pulls her down the bed. And just then, a round of bullets come inside shattering the window glasses.
Sana screams as Sidharth pulls her close to his chest. He takes the phone and signals her to calm down. He holds her down and takes her to the bathroom.
"Lock the door and stay inside. Step away from the door. And don't come out until I tell you. Take the phone and call Ranne or Gaikward."
"But Sidharth.."
"Don't worry. Please stay here."
Sana locks the door from inside and moves towards the wall. She could hear shots still being fired. She trembles out of fear and with a shivering hand, she dials a number. After two rings, the call gets connected.
"H..ello.. Shivaji!"
"Bhabi boliye. Is everything alright? Wait, what's the noise?"
"There are people firing..come soon please..Sidharth is outside.. please come.."
"Don't worry, I am sending people. They will be there in a few minutes."
Ranne hangs up the phone. Sana closes her ears, trying to stop the noises. Within a matter of minutes, she could hear police sirens.
After a few minutes, she hears a knock, "Sana. Open the door! It's me."
Sana opens the door and gets into the arms of Sidharth, crying profusely. He just holds her tightly till she feels better.
Sidharth looks at the dead bodies lying outside his home. Dead bodies of two constables who were on guard at his home are taken into the ambulance. Two of the men are dead, three ran off in a black van before the police arrived.
"They were Tyagi's men. That one is Tony. I caught him in a small theft case last year.", Sub Inspector Rastogi says.
Sidharth nods his head,"Get the bodies out."
He nods his head as he leaves.
"Sir, I think you are hurt. You should get it.."
Ranne was cut short by Sidharth,"How dare she attack my home? I will not spare her so easily. Never. When is Sarita bai coming tomorrow?"
"In the morning."
"Hmm.. Arrest Tyagi. And prepare a team for tomorrow. We have got some raids to do.."
Sidharth comes inside his mother's room where Sana sits. She is on the bed with her knees pulled near her chest and arms wrapped around them. She looks outside, lost in some thoughts.
Sidharth comes closer and sits beside her on the bed. He touches her shoulder and she shudders and turns her face towards him.
"Are you better now?", he asks.
She nods her head and he continues, "I.. I am sorry. I really shouldn't have involved you in my life right now. I am really sorry. I think you should stay at your place till the case is over. That will be better. I will drop you at your home tomorrow morning."
"Which home are you talking about? I am your wife now. My home is where you are. If you drop me at that house, you will have to stay with me.", she says with anger.
"Sana, try and understand. Kaveri has gone crazy. She wants to get me away from this case by any means. I can't risk your life. I know it is all my fault. I wanted to keep Ruhani with me and in this attempt, I got your life at risk."
"Just shut up. Okay. I wanted Ruhani with me more than you had ever imagined. It was my decision too. So stop saying sorry. I won't leave you. I won't..", she starts to tear up.
Sidharth pulls her close, "Shh.. bas.. stop crying now.. "
"Stop talking about sending me away again. You are my husband. You are ACP Sidharth Srivastava. Can't you protect your family from a cheapo criminal like Kaveri?"
Sidharth nods his head, "I can and I will, I promise. I will not ask you to go. You will stay here with me. Now stop crying."
Sana had fallen asleep but Sidharth couldn't. He sat on the desk, reading the files on Keshav. He has to get Kaveri as soon as possible. He has not much time left in his hands. Kaveri is getting more dangerous, more aggressive with each passing day. He has to be careful now. He has the responsibility of his family along with the job of catching her.
He goes out of the room to his bedroom. It is a mess. He runs his fingers through his hair and goes to the table to pick up a file. He finds a pen drive underneath it.
Sana wakes up to drops of water falling on her face and a soft kiss on her cheek. She opens her eyes to see a Sidharth sitting beside her with wet messy hair.
"Good morning wife! Tea is brewing in the kitchen. Wash your face and come out."
Sana smiles as she gets out of the bed.
A few minutes later, she walks into the kitchen to find her husband making omelette for her.
She bites her lips and comes closer. She wraps her arms around him and kisses him on his cheek.
Sidharth says, "I don't know much cooking. Tea, bread toast and omelette for breakfast. Hope it is okay mam."
"The cook is hotter than the breakfast. I want to eat him up. Can I?"
Sidharth turns to face her, "Acha? You want to eat me up?"
Sana puts her arms around his neck and starts kissing him, "Since the day I had laid my eyes on you."
Sidharth raises his eyebrows, tucks away the strand of hair behind her ears and kisses her ear lobes, "ReaIly? I thought it was just me."
He pulls her closer by holding her waist and she puts her lips over his jaw. Trailing soft kisses, she brings her lips to his chin and bites it.
"Ish..Jungli billi..."
She smiles and starts planting kisses on his neck and coming down to his chest. Sidharth cups her face and pulls her closer. Lips part to take each other. Sana moans softly as he slips his tongue inside. She grabs his hair, pulling him even closer as tongue tastes her insides. Sidharth lifts her and carries her inside his room. Sana looks surprised as the room that was all messed up from last night's attack had been cleared up. The glass on the windows has been temporarily replaced with thick cardboard. The bed has been beautifully made where he gently places her.
"You did all these?", she asks.
Sidharth puts his finger over her Lips, "shh..
Aur kuch na bol tu ab,
Mujhe tere labon ko chuna hai.
Pyar karna hai tujhe aaj tut ke,
Tere jism pe apna naam likha hai."
Sana looks at him surprised as he kisses her passionately.
"Sir, Sarita bai is in the interrogation room.", Bhonsale says as Sidharth enters the room.
"Keep her there. Let her wait. Has your khabri called you?"
"Yes Sir. We have got the locations."
Sidharth nods his head,"Good. Inform the team to be ready. The interrogation and raid must happen at the same time. Make sure the press is present when they are taken into custody."
A woman in her late 50, sits in the interrogation room. She is fat, fair and has a face that was once very beautiful but today covered with thick makeup. She wears a bright pink saree with a heavy golden border. Her hair is tied neatly into a bun with orange flowers. She wears gold and imitation jewellery. Her already painted lips are red with the betel leaf or pan that she munches.
"Kya Sahib, kitne time se wait kar rahi hai. Aap kidhar the? Mere ko kaye ko bulaya? I don't know anything about these deaths.", she asks with a smile as Sidharth enters the room.
Bhonsale says,"Kyun tu kahin ki CM hai jo tere time waste ho gaya? Chup chap baith aur jo Sir pooche, jawab dena."
Sarita smiles,"Ho.. poocho."
"Tu kidhar thi? Why didn't you come earlier?", asks Gaikward.
"Gaon mei thi. My mother was sick. I was there. You can check."
Sidharth crosses his arms as he stands leaning to the table, listening to everything.
Gaikward asks, "You have heard about the deaths in your area. Reshma and few others were in your brothels. Still you chose to stay away from Mumbai?"
"Sahib mein kya karti? She died. Women here die, sometimes from diseases, sometimes from beatings. What can I do?"
"Murder.", Sidharth says and Sarita looks up at him.
"Reshma didn't die but was brutally murdered. Her organs were taken out and her body was dumped in a dumping yard. Yes, what could you do? For you, she was just a piece of meat. All you can do is to get more young girls and women. And you can just earn by forcing them to sell their bodies every night to as many men as possible."
"Sahib, what can I do? I was here in the profession, to earn money. I had a family in the village to feed. I did what these women are doing. Don't send me on a guilt trip. I am not falling for this. Reshma was killed. I felt bad but mein kya karti aur."
Sidharth smiles," I know you don't have any sympathy for anyone. I have no intentions to send you on any guilt trip, but I will love to send you on a jail trip."
Sarita stays quiet as Sidharth continues, "Right now as I speak, police are raiding your kothi. All the girls whom you had captured from small villages of Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and even Bangladesh are getting rescued. Your partner Yaakub has already been arrested. Lovely news isn't it?"
"Bhonsale, kitna shaal andar rahegi, for human trafficking?", Sidharth asks amusingly.
"Sir 10 years of imprisonment and upto 1,00,000 fine.", he replies.
Gaikward says,"Sir, there are minors too in them. So it will be a rigorous life imprisonment."
Sidharth nods his head,"Hmm.. In these 10 years, you have fallen into the habits of a luxurious lifestyle. Jail life is not good you see. No AC, no bed, no gold jewellery, no good food. But what can we do? Put handcuffs on and take her away. And give her some good treatment before she is handed over to the team. Where is Constable Gayatri?"
Bhonsale signals and a tall and heavy lady constable puts the handcuffs on her wrist and pulls her, "Chal uth.."
When she still sits there staring at Sidharth, the constable hits her legs with a thick cane, "Uthne ko bola na."
"Sahib maaf kardo? Mein deti na paisa, chod do..", Sarita screams.
"Gayatri isse ache se khatir ki jiye. She will give us money. Show her how rich we are. You have 30 minutes. Enough? ", Sidharth asks.
Gayatri smiles,"More than enough Sir. Chal tujhe paisa dikhati hun. Aye come inside and take her."
After about 10 minutes, Bhonsale comes in as Sidharth watches the news. 32 ladies out of which 17 were minor girls were rescued from an underground chamber at kothi in Prem Chowk. They are being treated badly, beaten up, and not fed for days. A man named Yaakub and a few others have been arrested by the police.
"She is ready to talk..", Bhonsale says.
Sarita sits on the floor of the custody room. Her face is full of sweat beads. Her hair is all disheveled, make-up messed up and body bears the marks of treatment by Gayatri and her fellow colleagues.
"Sahib kya chahiye bolo? Mein ready hun.."
Sidharth smiles,"I know who is running your trafficking business. I want you to accept her name and be the witness. "
"Me and Yaakub. No one else is involved."
"Fine. Gayatri, don't stop. Let her enjoy some good thrash."
"No Sahib.", she screams,"Kaveri. Kaveri Bai. Everyone knows she runs all the underworld businesses. We all work for her. I cannot say anything. She will kill me."
"Yes you will die. Just take her away and kill her. Make her another victim of these murders. She is of no use to us. Gayatri, take care of her. You people are just wasting my time. ", he turns away to leave when Gayet ri pulls Sarita to her feet.
"Tell Sir everything, you will be safe. You can become a state witness. Teri saza kam ho jayegi. You will be kept at a safe place. Otherwise you will die tonight."
Sarita looks at her with horror in her eyes and then nods her head.
Sidharth smiles,"Good. One more thing. You know Shakila, Reshma's mother quite well. I want to know her relationship with Keshav.
She gazes at his face out of fear, "Keshav? I don't know anyone by this name."
Sidharth sighs,"Fine. I don't need your witness. Gayatri, please take her."
Gayatri pulls her hand,"Chal."
Sidharth starts to walk towards the exit and stops, "Give her anything she wants to eat, chicken, alcohol, anything. And yes, the cut on the abdomen should be similar. Check the photographs of the victims for reference. Take out organs.. hmm.. call Toufiq from forensics. He will stage it properly and throw her body in the same dump."
Sarita turns towards Sidharth and says,"Sahib mein bolegi sab. Sab bolegi."
Tyagi is a strong and stout man. He wears a half shirt with all of his buttons from the top opened, showing his red coloured perforated vest. There are several amulets in his neck. On his forehead is a vermilion mark or tikka. A handkerchief is tied on his wrist. He sits in the custody room, looking at his men who are getting thrashed by police.
Sidharth enters the room, folds his sleeves and picks up a thick cane. He kicks the leg of the chair Tyagi is sitting on and he falls on the floor. Sidharth pulls Tyagi up by his collar from behind and starts hitting him on the heels.
"Sahib hum mante hain na.. galti ho gaya… mariye mat na.."
Sidharth does not stop, he continues hitting him,"Tereko toh maaf karta hun ruk. Why is he still wearing clothes? And why was he sitting on the chair?..guest hai tu?"
"Ahh.. maafi dedo.. "
Tyagi sits on the floor, crossed legs only in his briefs and vest. His body bears the mark of third degree, courtesy ACP Sidharth Srivastava. Wiping his eyes, he says,"Kaveri Bai.."
"Take him to the magistrate and get his statement recorded now. Get his signature on the papers and put him in the safe house.", Sidharth instructs Kambli.
He takes a few steps towards Tyagi, staring right into his eyes,"You made a grave mistake by attacking my home. If.. if anything would have happened to my family, I would have ensured you live a horrific life."
Sidharth stands outside an old building as police teams bring out a few men in handcuffs and put them into the van. Lady police escort a group of women with covered faces into another van.
"28 girls, 13 of them are below 18 years, minor Sir. Some are from Nepal too.", Ranne says, coming near him.
"Make sure they are safely sent back to their homes.", he says.
His phone rings and with a smile he picks up, "I was waiting for your call. Did you see the news?"
"Aye ACP, tu jo yeh kar raha hai na.."
Sidharth cuts her short,"I am doing everything right Kaveri Bai. 5 raids, hundreds of women and girls rescued. Your trafficking business is gone. This is just the start. And before you give me your bull shit warning, let me tell you, stay away from me and my family. Samjhi tu? Agar tune kuch bhi kiya na, tereko main tere ghar pe aake tere sarr pe goli marunga. Tu jahan bhi chupi hogi, wahan ake marunga. I promise you that."
"Aye ACP, mereko dhamki? You don't know..."
"Just shut your filthy mouth. I know everything. Who are you? How disgusting are you? I have your biodata now. So, keep your warnings to yourself. ACP Sidharth Srivastava, doesn't get scared of them. Chal phone rakh."
Sidharth returns home and his mother starts complaining,"You got married yesterday and those men attacked here. And you left to work the very morning? You don't worry about Sana, me or Ruhani. All you care about is work. No calls, nothing all day and see the time. Yeh koi waqt hai ghar lautne ka?"
Sidharth holds her wrist and pulls her close in his arms,"I know you are worried for everyone. I know you are scared. But I don't have any option. I have to catch her this time period. I can't afford to lose a day. Her arrest can only stop these. And there is 24 hours security here and Sana's bodyguards are here too. Right Sana."
Sana smiles and comes to her, "He is correct. We have security here, nothing will happen to anyone. You go and sleep now. I will give him dinner."
"So you heard the recording Dr.Anand had given?", Sana asks, sleeping on his chest.
"Yes. When had you been there? When did you have a session with him?", he asks.
Sana smiles, "The same evening. I wanted to know why I couldn't sense anything about Meena's death. Dr.Anand did a session of hypnotherapy. He had recorded everything but I didn't get time to listen."
"Hmm.."
Sana smiles,"I had actually seen it. I had seen her death but I suppressed that thing so I didn't remember. Too much stress is causing this problem. The session helped me to remember the exact words Reshma had told me that night when she had visited me on the terrace."
Sidharth smiles and kisses her head, "That actually helped me join the dots. "
Sana says,"I am doing a little mind exercise now to sharpen my abilities. Dr. Anand's words not mine.", she pauses and then says,"Who could have thought that.."
Her voice trails off, as she keeps staring at the door.
"Sana? Baby? What happened?"
"Go to her.. they will kill her.."
"Whom?"
"That fat lady with flowers on her head."
Who might get killed? What is the story of Keshav? How is it connected to Kaveri?
Find out in coming chapters..
Let me know what you think in your comments and do vote for the chapter by clicking star below.
Let the suspense continue..