Riddhima’s team followed the ambulance to the hospital. Kabir, Angre and Sara had all rushed outside as soon as Divya had found them but they only got to see Riddhima being loaded up into the ambulance. They hadn't gotten a good look. They didn't know the full extent of the damage Riddhima’s attacker had wrought.
But Vansh did.
He rushed into the hospital ready to find out where Riddhima was being treated. A friendly looking nurse looked at him from behind the desk. Her eyes were wide and troubled when she asked, "Sir, are you all right? Do you need to see a doctor?"
It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. His clothes were covered in blood, but none of it was his.
Vansh shook his head, "No, I'm fine…I uh, brought my friend in."
She understood and gave him a slow nod. Before he could ask where she was, the three other members of the team burst in through the door.
"Vansh!" They all exclaimed at once.
"What happened?" Angre asked, "Divya said she was hurt."
He just shook his head. "She was attacked. I found her in the parking lot."
"Did she say who did this?" Kabir inquired.
"No, she wasn't in any kind of state to." That was an understatement. Vansh had never seen Riddhima in a delirious state of shock before; it was a side of her that he hoped he never had the misfortune of seeing again.
"How did this happen?" Sara asked; her voice was heavy with emotion.
None of them knew the answer to that, least of all Vansh. Riddhima had always been a pillar of strength and power. She was the indestructible one. It was unbelievable that she would be reduced to this, that someone could actually hurt her.
That didn't matter now though.
Vansh ignored the question and stepped over to the same woman who he had spoken to before his friends had come in. "Excuse me, we're here for Riddhima Mehra."
The woman nodded, "I can check on her status." A few taps on the keys and she was pulling up a digital file on their friend. "She's been checked in and her injuries are being assessed. As soon as that's over they will let the Forensic Nurse do her job."
"We're with the CBI." Kabir stepped forward and flashed his badge. "We need to get her statement on what happened to her tonight." Vansh knew that was not necessarily the case but what was the use of a badge if you couldn't use it for your own ends sometimes.
"I'll let you know when you can see her."
Now all they could do was wait. At the moment that was probably the hardest thing they could do. The minutes ticked away slowly. Angre was the only one not sitting down; he kept pacing by their seats. The other people in the waiting room watched the four of them with curious eyes. Their gaze fell to Vansh more often though, no doubt wondering where the blood on his clothes had come from.
Their waiting was interrupted when Amit Mehta entered the room. "Have they said anything?"
Kabir shook his head. "We're still waiting for a report."
Amit sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. "This is a nightmare." That really was an apt description of what had happened. He kept his gaze steady with the whole team. "Protocol says that you need to stay far away from this investigation." All four of them tensed immediately at his words but he held up a hand to stop them. "But I know that none of you are going to listen. So I'm pulling in some strings. Kabir, you'll take the lead on this case. I know you will do all you can to find this man."
"The scene is secure, but no one is touching anything until you get there. Talk to Riddhima, get her statement and then process the scene. Everyone wants this guy caught and off the streets as soon as possible."
It was the one bit of good news they had heard yet. At least this time they wouldn't have to stoop down to subterfuge to get a case done. Rules wouldn't have stopped them but it definitely helped being able to use the full force of the law instead of having to work around it.
Amit glanced down at his phone. "I have to get back. Ranbir is taking a beating with the press and guests at the fundraiser are scared. But call me when you have something, I want to know Riddhima’s condition as soon as possible."
Then he was gone. That was fine; this was a family matter anyways.
It must have been at least another hour before a doctor walked in and spoke to the nurse behind the desk. She pointed towards their little group and they all knew immediately that answers were finally coming.
"You're here about Ms. Mehra?"
"Yes we are," Kabir said.
The doctor nodded. "Well she's awake and lucid. We're going to run an MRI to be sure, but I don't think her head injuries are too severe though she does have a moderate concussion. Her wrist was broken and she'll need stitches on her arm and her head but all in all she was very lucky."
That was not a word Vansh would ever attribute to something like this.
"Can we see her?" Sara asked quickly.
"She's on the third floor," the doctor replied, "room 311, but I should warn you, she doesn't look like herself."
That was all they needed. It was a mad dash to the elevator and an impatient wait for it to reach the third floor before they scrambled down the hallway. Riddhima was in a private room, away from the floor desk.
She looked up as soon as she heard the door open and she gave them a very small trembling smile.
It was a hard sight to see.
The dried blood had been cleaned off but her face and neck were mottled with red and purple bruises. Her eye was swollen shut now and her hair hung limp around her. Her left arm was wrapped tightly in a thick layer of bandages; a cast would be put on later. Vansh could hear the sharp intake of breath from his companions. They knew what they would see but it still didn't prepare them for the reality. It took everything Vansh had not to lose it himself.
"It…it was an interesting party," Riddhima spoke, breaking the silence with her dry quip. She was trying to set the tone; to make them all know she was fine. She wasn't fooling Vansh.
None of them laughed but they did relax just a bit. "Yeah it was," Angre replied softly.
Kabir focused his gaze on her. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Riddhima let out a long sigh and closed her good eye. "Um I went outside to get some air. Someone came up behind me, I…I was taken by surprise."
"Did you recognize him?"
She shook her head. "It was dark, I never got a look at his face. But he was tall, white, short hair. Ummm he was wearing dark pants and a white shirt…a bow tie, I remember feeling a bow tie." Riddhima drew in a shaky breath. "I fought him, I know I scratched him. I know I did that."
"Did he say anything?"
"No," Riddhima said. A tear slipped from her eye and began a solitary tract down her cheek. "He never said a word."
Angre stepped forward. "We'll find him boss." He put a hand on her shoulder and Riddhima flinched. Her body became rigid and tense. She nodded, scooting forward so that Angre had to pull his hand away.
Vansh never took his eyes off of her.
"I'll be okay," Riddhima told them calmly, "really. This is a good hospital and I've been through worse."
That was a lie.
But the rest of the team accepted it, they wanted to believe what she was saying, that it was a lot simpler than it really was. "We're going to process the scene," Kabir said, "We'll come back tomorrow to get your official statement."
"Okay." None of them moved for a long moment so she smiled once more. "I'll be fine. You can go, now."
Vansh was still keeping his gaze focused on her.
Kabir was the first to file out of the room. Angre and Sara followed him. Vansh still watched her and
Riddhima’s smile fell slowly when he refused to look away. He left the room after the rest of the team but they were just standing outside, he closed the door.
"Sara," Kabir began, "stay here with Riddhima. Bring the evidence that the Forensic Nurse collects to the CBI. Call us if anything changes."
"Of course." Sara was happy to take over that duty, she was more than willing to watch over their boss and friend.
"We'll head over to process the scene now," Kabir continued, "we'll update you when we have something."
Angre and Kabir turned to do just that but Vansh didn't move with them. "I'll catch up with you," Vansh told them. They didn't question him; no one questioned Vansh’s motives much on anything anymore.
That was two, one more.
He smiled softly at Sara. "I think Riddhima would like some coffee, it would probably do her some good, and you too."
Sara studied him for a moment but chose, like the others, to keep her questions to herself. "All right."
Vansh waited until she was gone before re-entering Riddhima’s room.
She didn't look surprised to see him come in again; she met his eyes only briefly though and tried to smile. "I'm fine, Vansh, really."
He didn't say anything but focused his gaze on her once more. His face was grave; he wanted her to know that lies weren't going to work.
Riddhima shrugged and tried again. "It looks worse than it is."
"Oh we both know that isn't true."
The full meaning of his words hit her quickly. Her fake smile and cheerful look fell away to fear and shame. She couldn't look at him anymore; she focused on a spot on the wall beside him. "I'll be fine."
"No," Vansh replied, his voice was hard and firm, "not like this."
Another tear fell down her cheek and she shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Vansh."
It didn't matter what she wanted, this was about what she needed. "I know what happened, Riddhima." She still didn't look at him, even when he stepped closer so he was standing by her bed. "You have to tell them the truth." She shook her head again. "No, Riddhima, you cannot hide this from them. They will find out, you know this isn't something you can keep quiet." He stopped for a moment, hesitant to actually say the words. He didn't want to push her, not when she was already in so much pain. But he had to.
"If you don't say something, I will," Vansh said firmly, "this is not something I will keep to myself."
Riddhima met his gaze once more. He could see it. She was afraid and hurt but most of all she was ashamed. Ashamed that this had happened to her, that she had been caught off guard and abused so terribly. She was a cop.
She wasn't supposed to be the victim.
He hoped that she could see the truth in his eyes. That keeping this to herself would only hurt her more. She needed to let them know everything so that they could find the man who did this. She didn't want to be one of the many who kept silent; those women only caused themselves even more pain in the end, even if they never spoke of it.
The silence that stretched between them was interrupted by the Forensic Nurse coming in. "Oh," the older woman with a kind face and salt and pepper hair said, "I'm sorry, should I come back later."
"No," Vansh told her, "I was just leaving."
The nurse smiled and stepped into the room. "I'm Wendy and I understand that you are an officer so I'm sure you know what's going to happen." Riddhima nodded slowly but the woman still explained. "I'll take some pictures and collect your clothing for evidence."
Vansh was still standing in the doorway, still watching her with his focused eyes. Wendy stepped over to the table where Riddhima’s clothing had been set aside after she had been put in the hospital gown. "I see only one shoe."
"I uh…lost it, it's still at the scene." Riddhima explained.
Wendy nodded and continued the inventory, placing the shoe in an evidence bag and carefully folding Riddhima’s now ruined dress into another larger one. She froze and turned back to Riddhima. "I don't see any underwear. I have a bra but no underwear."
Riddhima began to tremble and she wiped away the tears that fell slowly. Wendy was not unobservant. She walked over slowly but decided not to touch Riddhima. Instead she asked very softly, "Do I need to get a SAFE kit, dear?"
There was a long moment of silence. Riddhima wasn't looking at Wendy. She was looking at Vansh.
He waited calmly for her answer.
Finally Riddhima nodded slowly and simply whispered, "Yes."
Vansh didn't smile but he hoped she knew that he was proud of her. Instead he just nodded his head in return and backed out of the room.
He swallowed hard as he made his way down the hallway and into the elevator. He had the vessel all to himself, which was something he was grateful for. Vansh ran a shaky hand through his hair and used these few moments to try and compose himself.
He'd known.
He'd known as soon as he saw her what had happened. But to have her finally say the words just made it all real. Over the years he had the fear that Riddhima would be harmed, but not like this. He never imagined that someone would hurt her like this.
He never thought she would be raped.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
It was after midnight, but Capital Plaza was still lit up when Vansh pulled into the parking lot. Squad cars were everywhere, casting blue and red shadows over the other parked cars and people. Yellow crime scene tape sectioned off pieces of the lot to show where sanctioned officials could enter and where guests and press could stay the hell out of. Vansh had to flash his CBI I.D. to an officer in order to be allowed past the security.
On the steps of the Plaza, Ranbir was surrounded by an army of reporters scribbling down his statement and flashing pictures. There was very little he could actually say, only that an agent was attacked and they are confident that the perpetrator would be caught. He didn't know many details, especially not the most important one.
Vansh ducked under the tape and walked towards where the forensics guys were photographing the sidewalk. Riddhima’s blood was now being numbered, photographed and forever imprinted into a case file.
"Look, we already gave our statement," a man said in a strained voice. Vansh looked and saw that Angre was standing beside a silver Jaguar. The man was in his mid forties with a scantily clad date, likely his trophy for the evening. He had the lady's arm linked through his while his free hand held his car keys. "We don't know anything about what happened. Can we please just get our car and go?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but everything beyond this tape is considered a part of the crime scene," Angre said. The hand that was clenched around the flashlight suggested that Angre was not in the mood to argue.
"We paid to come to this function," the man said, "we gave your Bureau our donation, is this the thanks we receive for it?"
"Sir, I need you to leave now."
"For the love of God, it's not like anyone was murdered."
Vansh saw the flashlight quiver in Angre’s grip. Even in the unreliable light of the streetlamps, he could see Angre’s patient look turn into one of outrage. He turned the light to the silver Jaguar, fixing it on the smear of blood on the hood where Riddhima must have used to steady herself. "Do you see that? That's my friend's blood. She was attacked not far from here while you were drinking and dancing. Your car is evidence now, so just call a damn cab and get the hell out of here."
Vansh couldn't have said it better himself.
The man let out a scoffing sound and tugged his date away, muttering something about talking to Angre’s superior about this. This guy had no idea that in a case like this the superior wouldn't give a damn about his hurt feelings.
"Hey," Angre said when he saw him, "How's she doing?"
"As well as can be expected," Vansh said. Not well at all was what that meant.
"Vansh," Kabir called out and Vansh saw that he was a few yards ahead of Angre. "Is this where you found her?"
Vansh’s feet felt leaden as he forced himself to walk the several paces to Kabir’s location. He stood in the exact spot he was before when he'd seen Riddhima’s battered form stumbling away from him. He nodded. "She was right there." He pointed to a spot Kabir had marked up where blood stained the blacktop. "I called her name and when she turned around she told me she was trying to find her car." He looked away from the blood, staring at the streetlights instead. "She was in shock. She had no idea what she was doing."
Kabir nodded and then gestured to his right. "She came from that way. We're still following the blood, but it will take a while since we have to mark and process every drop."
Patience wasn't something Vansh was known for. Let the forensics boys do that job. He was going to find where it all happened a lot faster than them.
He turned around and headed back towards the front of the building. "Vansh?" Kabir called after him, "Vansh, where are you going?"
He didn't answer. He knew they would follow him so there wasn't any need for a response. Vansh lifted the tape and threw it over his head as he made his way towards the stairs. He veered right of the crowd, hoping they would be too busy being nosy and irritating to notice him.
"Ah, and there is man who found her," Ranbir said, " Mr. Vansh Raisinghania. Vansh, can you comment on what happened?"
He just bounded past him, ignoring the inquiries of the man-eating reporters and the demands of the buffoon of a director. He opened the door and stepped back into the foyer. Here was where the lingering guests were being questioned by security and other CBI agents. Riddhima’s team was heading her case, but it was a joint investigation with all of the units at the moment.
Vansh maneuvered around the onlookers and entered the ballroom. The band was gone and the cleaning had yet to begin so the tables were still cluttered with dishes and champagne flutes. He stopped in the middle of the floor where he had been with Riddhima only a few hours ago.
"Vansh, what are you doing?" Angre asked while both he and Kabir stopped just a few feet short of him.
"I'm retracing her steps," Vansh explained. He put one finger to his lips as he thought back to that dance. It had just been a spur of the moment decision of his. He knew she wanted to dance and he hadn't had any objections. But this dance had been different from the one before at that high school reunion. For some reason this had been far more intimate. She had felt that shift in the wind.
"We danced," he said to his teammates. He remembered that when the song had ended Riddhima had been blushing, her breaths quick and short. She had stepped away from him and looked towards the exit, her escape. "She said she wanted to get some air."
Vansh took the same path Riddhima had, leaving the ballroom through a side exit. Now he was back outside with a perfect view of the lower floor of the ballroom through the window. She probably stood right here and looked inside, trying to sort out her thoughts. Riddhima was the kind of woman who feared emotions she couldn't control. She would have come out here to collect herself and then return to the fray.
"She was alone here," he said, "She didn't have a gun and she was caught off guard. He saw this. He used this to his advantage."
There was a shiny, dark spot on the red brick wall. Vansh looked closer and nodded. "It started here." He pointed to the spot of blood with one strand of dark brown hair glued to it. "He slammed her head up against the wall to stun her."
A few leaves from the bush had been pulled free of their branches and lay on the grass. He could see some of the grass was bent over or even pulled free from the earth. "She fell and he dragged her this way."
"Vansh, we have to mark this," Angre said, but Vansh kept walking. "Vansh!"
"He had her subdued," Vansh continued, "She couldn't fight him much." The squashed grass ended at the sidewalk, but the recent rain had left the ground moist and easily attachable to anyone who stepped in it. He could see the uneven dirt trail left by the bastard's footprints and Riddhima’s heels.
"He stopped here," Vansh pointed to the spot. "She started to struggle." There was some scuffed green residue left from one of Riddhima’s shoes on the concrete and a tuft of her brown hair torn from the roots. "He must have subdued her again."
Vansh felt cold as he stood in the same spot Riddhima’s attacker had been. But it had to be done. He forced himself to take the mind of this brutal man and scan the horizon for his perfect spot. It only took a moment and then he pointed. "This way."
He stepped off the sidewalk and saw one of Riddhima’s green heels was tucked against the curb. "Angre, Kabir, it's her shoe."
The two men knelt down and Angre put a yellow marker next to it. They had obviously decided to hold off on pictures until Vansh was done. Vansh continued down around the Plaza until he was in the alley between that back of the kitchens and the Italian restaurant next door.
He stood at the mouth of the alley and took it all in. There was a green dumpster next to one wall. Broken beer bottles, crushed soda cans and other filth was scattered throughout the sidewalk. But now the crown jewel of this crap pile was the blood that was smeared all over the concrete.
"It happened here," Vansh said. He didn't say it to Angre and Kabir; they had eyes and could see for themselves. His words were just meant to fully ingrain the spot in his mind. Now when he closed his eyes, this horrible little place would join the many pieces of Hell that haunted his nightmares.
"Good Lord," Angre said in a gasp.
Kabir surveyed the scene with his own critical eyes, searching out the little details he would need for his report. "She fought," he said, "She fought hard."
Vansh nodded. He stepped towards the blood, kneeling down so he could get a closer look. "He slammed her head on the ground several times. He knew she would fight with everything she had so he had to make her submit."
"Do you think she was unconscious?" Angre asked. He actually sounded hopeful that maybe she had been in a merciful sleep while the man pounded on her.
Vansh shook his head. "He wanted her to be aware of what was going on. This was personal."
Kabir and Angre started laying out markers and making notes. Vansh just stared at the sticky blood. It seemed like a lot, but he knew most of it had been smeared during her struggles. She had tried, she had tried but he had been too powerful. It shattered his heart knowing that Riddhima had stayed here in this alley, helpless and alone as she endured the ultimate suffering.
"I think this is part of her dress," Kabir said. That brought Vansh back into the world.
He stood up and glanced around the alley again for more clues. Perhaps a cufflink, a torn sleeve, a wallet if Riddhima’s God was merciful.
He wasn't.
There, tucked next to the dumpster on the wall next to the Plaza was another scrap of fabric. Vansh felt his blood freeze in his veins. His hands prickled as if touched by ice. But he was compelled to move forward until he stood over this terrible thing.
The panties were black satin with a lace edge to them. Some of the lace had been plucked from the stitches and worked as a sort of ragged tail. One side of the panties had been torn straight through, making them much easier to remove.
Vansh was certain his face was white and he could feel his whole body shaking. He had known when he had seen her that this had happened, but to see this undeniable piece of evidence made it feel completely fresh. Here, in this dirty patch of unholy ground, Riddhima had been raped.
A part of Vansh wanted to pick the panties up and shove them into his pocket. They were never there. It never happened. She was only beaten by some enraged lunatic, nothing more. But this fantasy could never come true.
Riddhima had shown her courage and admitted her violation to the Forensic Nurse. Even if he spared her this small bit of dignity, the others would learn of the truth. He had meant what he had said; he couldn't keep this to himself.
But he couldn't bring himself to say the word 'rape' to them. His throat sealed that evil word, refusing to let it be born.
"Angre," he said, his voice flat and completely colourless. A part of him had just died and his voice showed it. "You'll have to bag this."
"What?" Angre said from behind him. Vansh kept his eyes on the evidence. He couldn't look away.
Angre’s feet shuffled up behind him and then stopped. He took in a sharp breath, but it never came out of his chest. Kabir came up on Vansh’s other side and peered down as well. He seemed to have stop breathing entirely.
"Are those her…?" Angre couldn't bear to finish it.
Vansh nodded.
"No," Angre whispered, "God, no."
The three of them just stared down at the panties in silence. That torn piece of fabric spoke volumes to them. It whispered how much she had suffered and screamed out the agony she was still in. It told them that this wasn't over, that it might never be over.
Kabir finally turned away. He took three steps forward and then slammed his fist into the side of the dumpster, the metal gonged out in protest. Vansh and Angre could only stand there. There was nothing they could do for him.
"Should—should we call the hospital?" Angre asked.
Vansh shook his head. "They already know." Now he saw Kabir was rubbing the back of his hand, flexing the sore fingers. "How's your hand?"
"It's fine."
"You should get that checked out."
"I'm fine."
Vansh didn't want to argue with him. He knew Angre would make sure he attended to the injury. Besides, it was likely nothing more than badly bruised knuckles. Vansh wanted to care more, he really did, but everything felt numb to him. His body was functioning normally, but his mind was partly shut down. He could only think in small, simple thoughts. He just didn't want to imagine Riddhima’s torment.
Vansh walked back to the blood smears, now marked by his teammates. "She fought him so she would have left some marks. Scratched his face and arms no doubt. His clothes would be torn and bloody."
"Vansh," Angre said, "Your clothes."
"Hmm?"
"They're evidence."
Vansh glanced down at his tux. The white shirt was badly stained with Riddhima’s blood, from the collar down to the belt. Even the black jacket had the smell of iron now. "Oh," he said, his voice still hollow and dead, "I'll change and give them to you later."
Angre gave him a tiny nod. Their emotions were so thin and stretched it felt painful just to even feel. For a man who tried to control his emotions like he did, it made Vansh feel raw. He needed to leave this place. It would break him completely if he stayed.
"You should get the forensics guys here," Vansh said, "We'll need this evidence."
"I'll call them," Angre said.
Vansh gave him a jerky nod and the turned around to flee. He didn't go back the way they came, instead he went down the untouched end of the alley and went down a set of concrete stairs. There was a widely branched tree, expertly pruned and standing alone. Vansh collapsed at its base, setting his back up against the trunk.
His hands were shaking again and he couldn't breath. He tried and tried, but the air wouldn't come. He could feel his eyes getting hot with unshed tears. Vansh gave up the fight and let them roll down his cheeks in rivers. He didn't sob, just sucked in heavy bouts of air and let them fall from his eyes quietly.
In this place he would let himself unravel. But she wouldn't see him like this. Now he was the one that needed to be strong.
To Be Continued.....