Sense & Sensibilities

Saath

Dr Mukherjee has always observed people- profiling is more about seeing people and behavioral patterns than theory, Dustin sir always said. She looked at people- their attires, how they style their hair, if their nails are clean, their shoes and sizes, the accessories they carry, how they speak, how they stand, if they shift their eyes or intertwine their fingers. In crime scene, she looks at the entry wound, if there is any weapon, the dumping site of body, the condition of the same. Things like these narrows down suspects, helps her to understand what she is dealing with, and of course, write her paper better.

But now that she has killed a person, the habit is more to keep her mind off how her hands still feel warm with blood and mind plays the doctor's word on loop- he's dead. Her attention is on the new arrival in ETF, Aisha K, who had joined them post the gunman case. This development came out of nowhere and none could tell who was more uncomfortable with this- the officer or ETF OGs, as Liza described them.

Aisha arrived on day 1 with clenched jaw and stiff posture, hating the injustice of it all that the agency which ruined her career chances is where she will have to work now. To Rathore's credit, he gave her a wide berth. (Come to think of it, he has always been better to people who's last name wasn't Rawte.) After the first day, she kept her distance, spoke to none apart from work. She came on time with impeccable dressing, left once work was done, obsessed over a point which she felt was right and doggedly pursued that, making her case. There was a case where they found a body in the middle of nowhere in an abandoned car and she started to walk in a random direction, away from everyone and informed nothing.

"Where is she going?" Shree whispered aloud

"To that side." ACP Rawte said, and started to go towards the direction himself- a lone house not faraway from dump site.

As days passed, Riya started to observe more and more, and If Aisha noticed the strange woman's stare all day long, she didn't reveal. But it was wrong and intrusive, and Riya knew she had to stop.

And someone else was noticing her too.

Arjun cleared his throat just to give her a heads up before speaking, both of them heading for ETF from the local ps which had the jurisdiction of the body in car location. "You spoke to someone?"

They don't pretend, hence Riya turned to him without hesitation or pretending not to know what he asked. There was a rare lightness in her eyes.

"Someone who's not you?"

.He ignored the jibe. "Did you?" When she didn't answer, he gripped the steering wheel tight before speaking. "There is a doctor . . . If you want I can give you the details. He can help you." When he turned to look at her, she was frowning, "He was recommended to me. During my . . . " frustrated, he exhaled, "Departmental doctor. Now that you are part of ETF it will cover your expenses. Maybe it can help."

"was it recommended during the minister punching incident?"

"How do you . . . " shaking head, Arjun replied, "never mind. You should go."

"I don't think people like me and you are meant for words. " Riya mused aloud.

This is coming from two times PhD holder?"

"Putting words on a paper is different. Speaking to a stranger about how I killed someone?" she shook head, "Its ok."

"Are you?" the former looked up at the sharp tone, "Are you okay?"

Nobody can come back from that, they both knew. But this wasn't a simple question, was it.

"What defines okay? I am functioning- physically, mentally and intellectually. I don't zone out during meeting, I am not forgetting my research or whatever I know in this field. I implement them during work. I eat on time, when I cross a road I look at the signal. I wake up, go to work and come back. Nobody can suspect a thing. There are days I forget what happened. Then suddenly . . ."