Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 57- Deeper Into The Tunnel

CHAPTER 57

DEEPER INTO THE TUNNEL

Karan sipped his coffee, watching the CCTV from the street again- the one where Raawat had been attacked. There were always things he could have missed. A little glance here, a teeny tiny signal there and everything changed.

Someone sat in front of him and he glanced up. Koel.

He raised an eyebrow when she sat quietly, fidgeting with her hands. "Koel... can I help you?" He asked.

She nodded. "Aap thodi der ke liye Karan Sir banna band kar sakte ho?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Aap thodi der ke liye mere boyfriend ke best friend ban jao. Please?"

Karan heaved a sigh, closing the lid of his laptop. "Boliye", he said. "Kya hua?"

"Aapko bhi pata hai kya hua", she said. He hummed. "Faizi toh aapko sab bataata hai. Right? Maine kuchh kara hai kya? Kuchh hua hai?"

He chewed on the inside of his cheek. "He has some things... jo use sort karni hai about himself. Kuchh cheezen hai jo use... mentally tang kar rahi hain."

"Like what?"

"I shouldn't be the one to say this to you. He should be."

She slammed her hands on the table. "Par woh baat kahan kar raha hai?" She snapped. "Agar use mujhe kuchh bolna hai, toh apna muh kholkar bol de, na? Pooja karoon kya ab uski?"

He looked at her hands which clenched tightly around the edge of the table. "Table toot jaayega. Paise tumhe dene padenge. Punching bag nahi hai woh."

She looked at her hands and then up at him, narrowing her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, and she sighed, releasing it. She crossed her arms. She sat quietly for a few minutes, staring at the wall. "Use bolo, na?" She said quietly, looking away. "Mujhse baat kar le."

"Maine bol diya hai already use. Usne kaha woh baat kar lega tumse." She looked up hopefully. He nodded to her silent ask for confirmation and she smiled a little. "Ho gaya kaam?" She nodded. "Ab yahan se dafa ho jao."

"How polite of you", she muttered, standing up.

"Hai, na? Mujhe bhi yeh hi lagta hai", he quipped back.

She chuckled. "Thank you." She glanced at his empty cup and then at the files and notebook. "More coffee?" He glanced over the work, heaving a sigh. He nodded.

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

"Are you over your parents' death?"

"Yes", Param said immediately. "Dad ki death ko 29 saal ko ho gaye hain. Mom ki death ko 27. I am well over it."

"Tumhaare Dad shaheed hue the", the psychologist said. "Someone killed him. Does that make you angry?"

He paused. "Nahi", he said. "Unki death aur unki death ke circumstances dono main accept kar chuka hoon."

She jotted down something. "And your brother? You raised him. Bahut saari cheezen tumne sacrifice kari. Does that make you angry?"

"Nahi. Mera bhai meri responsibility tha. And more than that, I love him. Har relationship mein- romantic or otherwise- sacrifice hota hai. And he was a good kid. It was easy to raise him."

"Tum apne bhai ko lekar bahut protective ho."

"I raised him. Mere bacche jaisa hai woh. Kaun apne bacche ko protect nahi karna chahta?"

"Is there any limit to what you would do for him?"

"Yes", he said. "Main Karan ko protect karne ke liye bahut kuchh kar sakta hoon but given the line of work we are in, aise times honge when I have to let him go or make decisions for the good of the nation jo use danger mein daalta hai. And I will do it. Over and over again, if it means protecting my country."