Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 32- Lost

CHAPTER 32

LOST

Karan stared at the packet resting innocently on Colonel Batra's desk. He picked it up again, the picture of the dead body staring up at him. Laxman. He was... dead. And with no arm. The arm was in their forensic labs. He turned it over, staring at the note.

'Humaare kaam mein ghusne ki zyaada koshish mat kar. Aaj iska haath aaya hai tere paas. Kal tera kata hua sar hoga. Aur tere par koi rehem nahi hoga. You'll die bloody, Karan Shergill. Ulte din ginne shuru kar de. Your death is coming.'

"Karan..." Colonel Batra pushed the glass of water towards him. "Peeo."

He grabbed it, taking a sip. He could barely feel it trickle down his throat. He kept it back on the table, idly spinning a pen on the table. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. The arm stared back at him and he opened his eyes quickly. He looked at the photo again, forcing himself to ignore the body.

A special agent, he told himself. A commando. That was who he needed to be. Not a human, not a person.

Just a soldier.

He didn't have to look far. "Yahan se 15 minute door jungle ke paas ek famous landmark hai. Uske paas ki jagah hai yeh. I think we should start searching there", he said quietly. "Wahan par koi hint milna chahiye. Shayad... Shayad Laxman ki laash. At least... respectfully uska antim sanskaar toh kar paayenge."

'Desh ka kaam kar rahe hain hum khabri. Aate jaate jaan chali bhi gayi, toh koi gham nahi.'

A soldier. Just a soldier.

"Karan... tum theek ho?" Faizi asked.

"Haan", he said. "I am fine." He tapped the table slightly. "Forensic ki report mein shayad koi aur hint mil jaaye. Let's go to the location first."

Colonel Batra sighed a little. "Take a full team", he said. "Tumhaari jaan ke saath main koi risk nahi lena chahta."

"It'll help in the search", he said simply. He stood up, saluting him. "Chal, Faizi." Karan turned away, swallowing the lump in this throat. His hands clenched into fists. He wouldn't stop.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Bala closed the door behind him quickly. The rest of the six looked up, frowning at his wide eyed franticness. "Academy mein halla macha hua hai", he said, grabbing a chair and sitting down on it. Monami furrowed her eyebrows, clutching the notebook she was writing in.

"Kyun? Kya hua?" Suman ji asked.

"Karan Sir ji ko kisi ne unke khabri ka haath kaatkar bheja hai", Bala said.

"What?" Sid screeched in shock.

Monami's eyes widened. She scooted to the edge of Sid's bed quickly. Was this a bad joke? She wanted him to jump up and laugh and mock them for their reactions. He just nodded in response.

"Headline dekar kya chup ho gaya hai?" Koel snapped. "Aage bol, na?"

"Mujhe sunne mein aaya hai ki 2-3 din se Karan Sir ji ka khabri gayab tha. Usne Karan Sir ji ko koi khabar deni thi, par phir gayab ho gaya. Sab logon ko lag raha tha ki kuchh theek nahi hai isliye hi sab log itna serious the aur sab use dhoond rahe the. Aur aaj subah, kisi ne Karan Sir ji ko ek parcel bheja. Us mein uss khabri ka kata hua haath tha. Aur saath mein uski laash ki photo aur Karan Sir ji ko dhamki."

"#Death threat?" Chitra said.

"Karan Sir theek toh hai, na?" Prem ji asked.

Bala shrugged. "Pata nahi. Unki shakal par gusse ke alaawa toh zyaada kuchh pata hi nahi chalta. Abhi dekha tha maine unhe. Kahin bahar jaa rahe the, gear pehenkar. Faizi Sir ji, Sanju madam, Ustaad ji, sab saath mein the."