Part 30...
The drive from the lodge to ETF office was a quiet one. Riya kept glancing at Arjun but he had his eyes only on the road. She didn't know why, but uneasiness grew in her, and his silence was frightening her more.
Why would Rathore ask them to come to the office, when he knew exactly how important it was for Arjun to attend the trial? She looked away frustrated, couldn't Rathore sir just say what it was? In those few minutes from the lodge to office, Riya came up with about a hundred reasons, and none of them were anywhere near pleasant.
As soon as the car was parked, both Arjun and Riya jumped out of the car. They did not speak to each other; the tension was way too much to try speaking. As they entered the office and took hurried steps towards the conference room, the room door opened with a bang and Shree came running out of it. His face had a pained, concerned look. He ran out of the office at such speed that Arjun and Riya didn't have time to stop him or even call out to him.
As they looked at his fast retreating form with confusion, a concerned looking Rathore and Chotu came out of the room, but halted seeing Arjun and Riya.
"Sameer what the hell is going on??" there was an urgency in Arjun's tone; he knew something was wrong.
Rathore hesitated, glancing nervously at Chotu.
"Arjun woh..." He tried to break the news slowly instead of jumping straight into it.
"SAM!! WHAT'S GOING ON??" Arjun screamed.
There was an inexplicable look on Rathore's face. He struggled as he searched for a way to tell him. But, there was no way to make it sound less shocking or enraging. So, he came straight to the point,
"It's...it's Sikander. He...he escaped..."
There were several gasps from around the room, as the rest of the ETF staff listened to their conversation. Amidst the gasps, Riya stared at Rathore dumbstruck, her eyes widened as she stared at him in bewilderment.
What Rathore just said was incomprehensible for Arjun. All those years of chasing, those sleepless nights, those restless days, they flashed in front of him. Did he go through those torturous years to see this day? Escape...escape? How is that even possible!!
Colour drained from his face as those words registered in his mind. He couldn't utter a word, he just froze. Everything around him seemed to suddenly change, he heard Rathore call his name but his voice was faint and distant, he could see Riya but she was blurred. His eyes became unfocused as his past flashed in front of him, and he saw something no one else could,
A beautiful, innocent face of his wife as she smiled laughed and lived. She turned; her lively, twinkling eyes looked straight into his confused ones. As he watched, the twinkle in those eyes vanished and got replaced by disappointment. That one look shattered his heart into a million pieces.
He watched her for a few moments and then the scene changed; she lay on the ground, covered in blood as life slowly seeped out of her and her eyes became lifeless. Sikander stood, towering over her body as his shrill laugh echoed around the room.
Arjun watched horror struck as Roshni's body got replaced by Riya's. His eyes widened, life got sucked out of him,
"NOOO!!" he screamed out loud as the body faded away and the office surroundings came back into his view. Tears were rolling down his face - he didn't realise, Rathore, Riya and Chotu were screaming his name - he didn't realise, most of the ETF staff was crowded around him - he didn't realise.
Arjun shut his eyes tight as he tried to block that memory - forever.
"ARJUN??!!" Riya's feared scream finally reached his ears. His fingers rolled into fists, he opened his eyes which spitted fire; his breathing was heavy as if at the edge of losing control over his rage. With his pulse sped up and blood boiling he turned to Riya.
"Please Arjun...please don't lose it now!! We need you, all of us need you!" She pleaded with teary eyes.
There was silence as what Riya said sunk in, determination came back to him; he wasn't going to let anything like last time happen again, he'll protect her, he'll protect his Riya! And all his loved ones...all of them! He remembered the way Shree ran out of the place a few moments ago which seemed like eternity now. He slowly turned to Rathore,
"Is Anu...is she o..." He couldn't make himself finish the sentence.
Rathore understood his friend's turmoil, he felt no better himself, "We don't know..." he said with a heavy heart.
"We tried calling her sir, but her phone is switched off, so Shree went to her office..."
"Arjun...Anu..." Rathore slowly said from next to him.
Arjun turned to him wide-eyed. No, not Anu! He turned on his heel and sprinted out of the office.
Riya made to follow him but Rathore stopped her.
"NO Riya, stay here! Chotu and I will go..."
"But sir, I..."
"Riya try to understand, you AND Anu, you are both his targets. We can't take a risk..." Rathore said hurriedly and left with Chotu.
Riya's breathing became heavy, her fingers tightly fisted around the hem of her top as she tried to control the overwhelming anger, sadness and anxiousness that threatened to take over her better judgment. She slowly turned to the other members of the ETF and took a deep breath.
"Ne...Neha, trace Anu and Shree's cell phones" She said firmly. Authority and determination grew with each word she spoke,
"Abhi and Maya, contact Chotu's informers and find out if they got anything on Rajjan,
Vicky, that man sitting over there has attacked Arjun this morning at his lodge, take him to the interrogation room, I'll be there soon.
Karthik...Arjun, Chief and Chotu took ETF cars, they have tracking devices in them. Track the cars and keep me informed on their whereabouts. I want everyone alert and prepared, UNDERSTOOD??"
"Yes, ma'am!" They said in unison, echoing loudly in the office. Riya nodded and excused herself.
Every step she took away from the staff towards the washroom weakened her. She locked herself in and leaning on the door, she slid to floor as tears rolled down her face. Sobs racked her body as she hugged her knees to her chest,
"Please be safe Shree...Anu...please..." she prayed between her sobs.
*****
Arjun's car sped towards Anu's office. His mind was blank, or at least he kept it so, so he can think rationally. He hoped from the depths of his heart that his little sister was safe and sound in her office, ignorant of the happenings in the outside world. He dialled Shree's number for the third time, only to have the same result as the two calls before that - it rang till it went to the answering machine. Anu's phone on the other hand was switched off - adding more to Arjun's anxiety. Rathore and Chotu were in a different car following close behind him, in case they needed to split.
Arjun's car came to a screeching stop in front of Anu's office building; he jumped out of it and dashed to the reception.
"Anika Rawte, where is she??" he asked hurriedly and waited dreading the receptionists reply. Rathore and Chotu soon joined him.
"Miss Rawte left a few minutes ago" the receptionist replied with a frown.
Arjun ran a shaking hand over his face and then through his hair, his heart pounded loudly. Please let it be with Shree, please let it be with Shree...Arjun prayed for the very first time since Roshni died.
"With...with whom?" Rathore asked nervously.
"I don't know who they were..."
Arjun held the desk tightly for support as the word 'they' registered in his mind. The receptionist continued,
"Two men, they asked for her. When she came downstairs they said something to her and Miss Rawte left with them"
"How long ago was this?" Arjun asked trying to get a grip on himself.
"About half an hour ago..."
"And Shree did he come here??" Chotu asked.
"You mean the man with curly hair and glasses..."
"Yes!!" Arjun, Chotu and Rathore all said it at once, startling the receptionist.
"Yes he came right after Miss Rawte left. He asked the same questions and then ran out in the same direction that Miss Rawte left with those men..."
Arjun asked the receptionist which way they all went and again hurried to his car and roared it onto the main road. All might not be lost yet, maybe Shree got to Anu! Arjun thought hopefully. He dialled Riya's number and waited for her to pick up the phone.
*****
She needed to pull it together; Riya fiercely wiped her tears and got up. She splashed cold water on her face and looked up; her eyes were blood red with all the crying, she closed them shut for a few seconds. A loud knock on the door finally made her take a deep breath and calm her nerves. She walked to the main office area,
"Ma'am, Anika's phone is still switched off and...and Shree sir's phone is tracing back to ETF office. He did not take his phone with him" Neha handed Riya, Shree's cell phone she retrieved from the conference room.
"Oh Shree, what have you done!!" Riya said out loud, despair written all over her face. She unlocked Shree's phone and saw three missed calls from Arjun.
"Ma'am, Arjun sir and Chief's cars stopped, they are at Anika's office" Karthik reported next.
"Okay...wait, did Shree take ETF car as well...we can track him right?" Riya suddenly said with a slight hope.
"No, he left on the bike..." Karthik said gloomily.
Riya rolled her eyes, Yeh ladka bhi na!!! She pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned as she was quickly running out of options. She looked towards the interrogation room; she sighed and started walking towards it when her phone started ringing.
"Arjun, kya hua? Is Anu okay? Is Shree with her?"
"No, Riya. It seems Anu...Anu left with some men about half an hour ago. Trace Shree's phone I think he went after them..." Arjun said hurriedly, but the despair and fear was clear in his voice.
"Arjun..." Riya gasped as she looked down at her shaking hand which held Shree's phone, "...Shree left his phone here in hurry..."
She heard his sharp intake of breath and then a low curse.
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