The Love Investigation

Ripened fruit

Indhu's pov

At the headquarters

In the meeting room

The clock striked 09.00. all the people were assembled in their seat. I was sitting on the centre seat oposite to an empty seat. The owner of the seat is yet to come. People were seated on my either side. John was on my right side. (usually our colleagues say he is my right hand). To my left was our team member Preethi. Two seats far to my left saw the forensic team leader. When I had to see to my right far from Harsha I was forced to calm myself. The other investigation team was there.
I don't know why the h*ll they are here. It's right when someone said 'office politics are blo*dy minded but weak on content.' i can't control the frustration. "Why the h*ll there are so much people in here ?" I yelled at John. Though no one dare to reply, that team leader Vatsan gave a smirk, which urged me to kill him rn.
      I'm not that ...kind, caring, humble person with patience. I'm hot headed and short tempered. I don't make a great first impression on people. I hate being around people who are so good with coaxing someone. But i could find loads of people here doing that. Especially that other team. When Preethi said "Mr. Harsha have no friends in the office. He usually eats alone." I understand now why he wants to be alone.
It's 09.23 am, and my frustration grew and i was also kinda stressed, coz I don't know what i should tell to Mr.Vardhan. Speak of the devil, here he makes a grand entrance, without knowing, his hands on his pant pockets. With cool blazers. Everyone greeted him. The meeting started. First the other team was reporting on their case. It was a case involving the attack on the house of CEO of a famous tech park. A girl in her late twenties gave the briefing, while their leader (that arrogant, venomous Vatsan) was seated indifferent.
            "Good work. As soon as you have enough evidences, proceed with the arrest. Reminding you again no violence. Just because you are named as 'special force' it doesn't mean that you're people who fight in warfare. You are special forces in investigation wing to investigate on important cases of important people in the country. More than cbi officers. So don't behave like some local thugs and spoil our name. " Mr. Vardhan said. Typical. He has been always like this. As soon as he appreciate, he'll give some earful for no reason. Coz, he don't want us to take it to our head. As someone who is not so likely to bound by the rules, i get an earful a lot.

"Now the next team."

     Sh*t. I got up. And started to explain about the reviewing. "So...from this we found that we made a mistake last time by making one team to follow MP, and the other backup team to rescue MP's daughter. There was no team to watch over the activities of the gang. That made them smuggle drugs worth 6.3 billion ruppes through Andaman. We got 2 of our people to investigate. We split our team into two, which will prevent further errors. We will investigate further. " I stopped looking for
Mr. Vardhan's reaction.
         He was kinda confused with my sudden silence. Then he looked up "so you will submit the list of places and person investigated till now ?"
"Er....our two people are investigating rn, and...they gave us few.....names...we did...." I tried to speak. But ....stopped as soon as Mr. Vardhan talked " Indhu I'm asking the list. Don't tell me you've not started onsite investigations."
"Sorry Sir, for past days we reviewed the forensic details, cctvs and everything. We will start our onsite investigation from tomorrow...." I said. " Officer Indhu, ..." He paused and the. Continued " im kinda disappointed. I didn't expect this from you. This is your first case here. I never thought you would slack off. " He stopped for my response. But i remained silent. Looking into his eyes. I'm not that kind of person who bow their head when they are getting an earful. Coz, i want people to see what my eyes are trying to say and understand my feelings.
       "Never thought you've not started with onsite investigation. What's stopping you?." He asked. "sorry sir " that's all I could say. Someone's words echoed in my mind "thousands of words can explain my actions but if i utter them now they will nothing more than some stupid excuses. " I gave a glance to the person who said these words to me. He was looking at me with some kind of emotions. Not pity, not sassy, my-team-disappointed-the-head kind of look. Our eyes met just for a moment.
        "And the whole team, I don't know what you guys were doing. I'll give you two days. I need a clear report of onsite investigation. I want you people to atleast track down the location of that gang., Their recent activities and everything. If you guys failed to ....the case will be given to
Officer Vatsan's team." He said and then left to his office furiously. The last stare he gave...with huge disappoint pierced through my heart.
I was embarassed. Slowly people were leaving the room. The room was empty. Me and John were the only people. "It's not the first time we are getting scolded. " John said.

Me : Yes but i was humiliated infront of loads of people in the meeting room because i didn't do my duty properly.

John : Indhu it's not just our fault, they refused to co-operate and we didn't expect them to be this cruel.

Me : John, you started to work here before me, you must have known they are like this. I don't want to blame u too it's all my fault.

John : But i don't know they are like this. I just know that the team member Riya and Harsha....forget it.

Me : don't ever bring up his name to me again.

John : this is your problem Indhu. You are mixing up personal life and professional life. You have never been like this. Only if you've listened to Harsha when he told about Vatsan's team for heaven's sake.

Me : Yeeah..I already told you. It's all my fault. I'm not the f*cking team leader who should be f*cking responsible.

       I yelled furiously got up and start to walk to the door. "You guys deserve a better leader John. I let down people who trust me." That's all I could say without bursting into tears. I'm not the person who cry easily infront of others. I believed that it will make me look weak.
Me and John had differences in opinion and had lots of fights but we never had a quarrel for not doing our job. I don't know where to go i walked randomly. I realised that my foot steps stopped before a huge glass door. I looked up it said

"Mr. Vardhan"
Chief investigation officer

I knocked and waited for the reply. I went in at once I got an answer from the other side. He was staring at the laptop.

Me: "I'm so sorry sir. We tried to collect as much info...."

Mr. Vardhan : Indhu i know. I know that Vatsan's team refused to co-operate.

Me : but how ? Did John told you ?

Mr. Vardhan : you know he won't. Harsha already told me early at the morning. He called me. He said you tried your best.

Me : no sir I didn't try my best. I didn't try anything. All i did was to sit lazily. I should have never waited for their cooperation. I should have just carried out the investigation. Like i always do. I failed to do that.

Mr. Vardhan : ofc yes.i didn't expect this from you. But you don't have to be so harsh on yourself. That was not my intention, that's not the reason i scold you there. I just want you to understand that you are not like your usual self. Indhu i understand all the things you've gone through. But i don't want you to lose yourself.

Me : sorry sir. I'll get a hold myself now. And i won't disappoint you again and people who trust me.

Mr. Vardhan : i know you wont. And I'm not disappointed actually more like worried. Ok. Continue your investigation. Don't forget you have your inaugration party today evening.

Me : no sir. I think we should cancel it. The situation doesn't favours . And i don't want to waste any more time

Mr. Vardhan : Just now you said you wont disappoint people who trust you. Your juniors made efforts for this inaugration. Don't let them down. They wanted to give you this.

Me : sir but...

Mr: Vardhan : Indhu you know what your father said when we got earful from our seniors, or when we failed to find the solid evidence, or when we failed to catch the culprit. He says " If a tree always give ripened fruits first before giving raw fruit  we won't appreciate its sweetness."
         So what I'm trying to say is whatever happens try to move on because these raw fruits are not permanent., All those ripened fruits are waiting for you. Don't forget to dress up nicely. Now get lost I've to take a power nap.

       I chuckled and left the room. At the range of my vision I saw someone looking down and knocking his tip of the shoes against the floor and waiting for me infront of my cabin door. Mr. Vardhan is right. I've to wait for the ripe fruit. Dad is right.