Late at night it was. But sleep was miles away from him. He was praying for Swara's safety. Just by imagining all the possible scenarios, he felt a huge punch in his heart. He was in this line for more than 6 years now. In these years, ha had witnessed the atrocities of these terrorist and their possible ways to extract informations. But he did not want to even think about it anytime sooner.
"Please be fine Swara! Please!" His heart let out a message for her.
He remembered his first meet with her. How they fought! It brought a silly smile on his face. And then, all of a sudden, something striked his mind. Jagram dada, the peon, who was working for Ram for more than 17 years! He did not come even once to see Ram! Where was he!
He immediately rushed to Laksh. As he told him, Laksh stood up at once! Sanskar was right. Where was Jagram!
"You stay here with papa! I know where he lives!" Sanskar said.
"Don't go alone bhai!" Laksh asked with concern.
Sanskar turned and replied, "Don't worry! I am not a fictional superhero who does work alone!"
Taking a few of his choicest officers, Sanskar headed towards the little alley in which Jagram lived.
"Officer Jeevan, just you will be with me! Others will come out only when I ask!" Sanskar said stepping out of the jeep. He knocked on the door. A middle aged lady opened the gate.
"Where is Jagram dada?" Asked Sanskar.
"Sir! He ..... He is not here!" Lady fumbled.
"Tai! You know me na?" Sanskar said in a sweet tone.
"Sanskar sir! I know you..." Lady was looking visibly distressed.
"You know my father has been shot! Why didn't dada come to meet him even for once?" Sanskar asked. Suddenly he realised the door of a room behind her locked. He looked at her and then at the lock.
"You remember sir, the goat which you used to play with, and laksh sir snatched it .... I remember you sir! How can I forget you?" Lady said but her meaning was understood by Sanskar. He gave an assuring look to her.
"Okay tai! We are going! Tell dada to meet me once!" Sanskar said.
Lady closed the door. Sanskar signed Jeevan to go towards the backyard of house. It was where they used to keep their goats which they had stopped now. Only those who knew the family from a very early time, could decipher what the lady meant!
At the backyard, they saw a small door. A window was there too. With the count of 3, Sanskar blasted the door. This sudden attack was enough to terrorize the two goons standing inside. Within minutes, goons were in the hands of officers. A girl, almost of Swara's age was tied up looking greatfully at Sanskar.
"Thank you sir! Save baba! Please save baba!" Girl started to cry immediately as Sanskar untied her.
"Tell me! What happened Lata?"
Lata was Jagram's daughter with whom, Sanskar and Laksh used to play in childhood.
"They.... The night Ram sir was shot, they came here too. They came inside and took away baba forcibly. Baba said he won't do anything against law. So they threatened to kill me. Baba had to agree. And they took baba away leaving two goons here." Lata was crying looking at Sanskar.
"What else did you see?" Sanskar asked again, "Did you see a girl?"
"Yes! A girl was also in the car. She was wearing a lavender saree. But she was unconscious and her hands and legs were tied too."
Sanskar felt an immediate urge to punish those who did this to Swara. But he controlled his anger somehow. He then looked at those two goons.
"Chalo! Let's go to your honeymoon suite!" Saying so, Sanskar dragged those goons.
He informed everything to Laksh as he was on the way to headquarters.
"I got someone here too. I am bringing him too there!" Laksh said.
"Don't leave Papa alone!" Sanskar said.
"Nikhil is here along with Ragini. And a few of my people too! But this guy has some good information I suppose!"
They reached headquarters simultaneously. When other subordinates were doing some warmup for the goons, Sanskar was slowly taking off his watch and ring while just looking at the goons. Goons were looking terrified.
"Sanskar! You know who is this, the lab technician of forensic lab!" Laksh said pushing the one whom he caught in hospital, "He came to give an injection to papa!"
"Great! Now it's his time for getting a few injections!" Sanskar said. His hands were itching badly.
Next 10 minutes were over. Laksh was calmly sipping his coffee and goons were giving out all the informations.
"It was me who called Swara ma'am!" Lab technician started to spill out secrets, "The body was of a spy from gangster Kajaran! When encountered, begotten dying, she swallowed a packet. And police brought her here for the autopsy!"
"So, you called Swara." Sanskar said looking straight into his eyes.
"Yes! And then, I received a call. They promised to give 10 lakh to me if I anyhow drive those policeman away. So I told them that mam is not available now. Autopsy will be performed in morning. Then Swara ma'am come! But Kajran's goons were inside already. They had packed the body already. When Swara mam cane, they asked to do the autopsy and don't inform police. But she didn't agree. They promised to give her money, fame.. but she disagreed. So they threatened to kill her. But she was firm!"
Laksh immediately looked at Sanskar whose eyes were getting red with anger.
"And then?"
"Sir! Then they asked to her to call Ram sir there. She refused. They told her that due to Ram sir, years back, one of them got life sentence. So they will kil him. She said she will die but let nothing happen to Ram sir! So they forcibly took her phone and called Ram sir. And then messaged him!"
Sanskar felt his blood boiling. But he calmed himself down.
"Ram sir came immediately. But till then, they all asked me to take Swara mam's fingerprints on the bullet. When Ram sir came, Swara mam anyhow understood. So she bite the hand of one goons who had closed her mouth with his hand and shouted a warning to him. Ram sir immediately dialed someone's number and these goons shot him two times! And then, they made Swara mam unconscious by injecting ketamine in her veins. Tonight, they again called me to kill Ram sir!"
Sanskar took a deep breathe. He then looked straight in his eyes and asked, "Who provided them ketamine?"
Technician didn't say anything but Sanskar understood that he was responsible.
A sudden punch by Sanskar made the technician realise how big his fault was!
"Now you tell me! Where is Swara and jagram dada?"
"Sir! Please don't beat us more. We will tell you everything!"
Sanskar smirked.
"They had taken the girl and the man to their godown near the jungle. They had taken the man to help in the autopsy. They want the thing that was swallowed by the dead girl." One of the goons said with his hand folded.
"And then, they will kill them. May be..."
Sanskar's gaze made him stop. But hearing this thing, he felt warm tears building up in his eyes. No, Swara should be fine. Nothing should happen to her! God cannot do such things to a girl who was ready to die to save others.
Laksh came near Sanskar who was taking deep breathes outside the room.
"Swara will be fine! Don't worry!" Laksh tried to calm him down though he himself was distressed.
"First papa! Then Swara! I won't leave that man" sanskar was gritting his teeth in anger.
Within half an hour, with the help of goons, they reached the godown. It was located in such a secluded spot that even if they wanted to, they would not be able to trace it's location without the help of goon.
It was mid January. The night was very cold and silent. There was not even a single noise.
"Sanskar!" Laksh called him from behind in a low voice.
"Hmm!"
"Don't loose your temper at anything. You got me na!"
Sanskar understood what Laksh meant to say. He knew that even a single scratch on Swara would prove kerosene to already burning rage inside Sanskar. He had controlled himself till now, but he couldn't do it any further.
Trying to minimise the sounds of footsteps, they entered the godown. Slowly, overcoming all the guards, finally they reached the centre of it.
The scene was horrifying. Both Swara and Jagram were lying on the floor. Swara was unconscious and her clothes were wet. Jagram was conscious but looking very week.
"Wake her up!" The one who looked like their chief was saying. And the next moment, bucket full of cold water was thrown on Swara.
"Don't! Please don't do this! She will die!" Jagram requested with his hands folded, "You have been doing this for two days. She will die!"
"Untill and unless she agree to help us, we will do this." Man laughed and again threw a bucket full of water over Swara.
Sanskar was immediately about to run but Laksh stopped him.
"They are torturing her!" Sanskar said with gritted teeth.
"They will kill her if we do some sillyness!" Laksh intervened, "Just a few more minutes."
Sanskar felt hot tears in hia eyes. He could not bear anything happening to Swara. But he admired her guts too. She did not budge on her ground. She was ready to die but not help a criminal.
"Is she awake?" Man asked.
His goon looked at Swara. Her eyes were closed.
"Girl! Wake up!" Man said in a rude tone. There was no movement in Swara's body.
"Oh God! If she dies without helping, chief will kill us!"
And at that moment of panic, Laksh signed Sanskar. It took just a few minutes of scuffle to take over and reach to Swara. Sanskar's anger was on it's peak when he saw Swara's condition. There were marks on her face. Her hands and legs were tied up too tightly that they were bruised. Her body was cold as ice.
Laksh opened Jagram. He folded his hands in front of Laksh in gratitude. And then looked at Swara.
"If I am alive, it's because of her! Save her please!" He said and then himself fell unconscious.
Sanskar took Swara's hand in his palms and stated to rub vigorously. He patted her face gently calling her name. Her lips were bluish. Her face ashened.
"Bhai! Swara...." Sanskar trembled. His worst fear was on the verge of becoming reality.
Laksh ran towards him. He took Swara's wrist and tried to feel pulse. It was not there.
"Calm down Sanskar! It happens in hypothermia! We know na!" Laksh tried to pacify his distressed brother. But his heart was beating faster too.
Sanskar took her in his arms. Yes he always dreamt of this moment, but he never thought that it would happen this way.
On their way back to hospital, Sanskar held her hand tightly. He did not want to let her go.
As they reached hospital, he immediately put Swara on the stretcher. He did not even realise when Swara was taken inside. He did not know when Shekhar came running to the hospital. He noticed Ragini crying and Nikhil trying to hide his tears to be strong. But he couldn't understand what were they saying to him. Were they thanking him! Were they asking questions to him!
Laksh came in front of him and answered everything to everyone. So Sanskar got time to sit on the bench and praying as hard as he could. He wanted Swara's safety. He wanted her happiness. And for the same, he even distanced himself from her. But now, when doom fell on her, the person who took her out of it was him!