Brute's Paradise

Chapter 25 - "Buried past..."

ACP Bhosle was on the phone with his higher authority when his junior SI Rane barges in. His face is beaming with excitement. Bhosle glances at him and answers to the person on the other side,

"Yes, Sir. He is under my scanner too. In fact, I am keeping my eyes on every member of his group. Especially Aryamaan Khurana. But Sir, I need some more information about their past. They all used to study at St Peter Convent School in Panchgani and according to my investigation, all were quite notorious. Each of them has a past which is not very pleasant. In fact, one of them was convicted of a case of abetment of suicide. His name was Abhimanyu Thakkar. Even his death is quite mysterious."

He pauses for a moment as Rane tries to get his attention again, but Bhosle shows him his palm indicating to wait for a moment and continues the call.

"Trust me, Sir...their past will help us to explore their present more accurately. And without proper investigation and proof, we can't seize them. Either it is Manik Malhotra or his three friends...all are masters of dodging the law. Moreover, it is another country and they are very influential."

After some moments of silence, Bhosle ends the call with a positive response. As soon as he hangs up, SI Rane speaks up,

"Sir, Manik Malhotra has joined Aryamaan Khurana's Mafia business officially. Now, we can nab him with solid charges."

He perhaps expected a shocking expression and reaction from Bhosle; but on the contrary, Bhosle composedly replies,

"That is exactly what he wants. Rane, this man always surprises me when it comes to his obsession with his wife. To guard her he is even ready to make himself the target. But wait, Mr Malhotra; I am here to not only grab your neck but also investigate the other angles of your life. Especially the secrets of your friends. They are not what they appear. At least to each other."

Bhosle zones out while Rane enquires,

"Sir, do you have any suspicions about their involvement in betraying Manik Malhotra in any way?"

"Rane, if you analyse their friendship then you will notice that each of them is connected to each other with their pasts. And when the past is common and connected then there is a scope to manipulate the present. We have already figured out that Dhawans are going through a great loss in their business and Malhotra company is risking its money on them. Is it a mere friendship or Manik has no other option? Similarly, Aryamaan...having Manik beside him in his Mafia business is a huge gain for him. Hence, for these three friends, Manik is a jackpot. You can say a friend with benefits. However, one of these friends has something more with Manik Malhotra. And unfortunately, this something is not good. Manik is in danger and this time he is not able to guess the source of this peril. Because it is always deadly to have an enemy in a friend's disguise."

Bhosle utters with conviction. His lips curl in anticipation. Rane mutters quizzically,

"Sir, did you know the face behind this disguise?"

Bhosle walks towards to glass wall and looks through it. The Manhattan city is beautiful with many secrets. His voice touches the lowest pitch.

"I can guess. That night I also followed Manik and Nandini to their lake house. But at the last moment, I lost the track and was forced to wait in the jungle. Thankfully I did. Otherwise, I couldn't see the person who was also tailing them. I couldn't see his face but after the bullet sound, when I rushed towards the source, he just whizzed past me. That time he muttered something which was enough for me to recognise him as one of Manik's friends."

"May I know what he said, sir?"

Rane squirms in excitement.

"Mukti."