Sense & Sensibilities

Ending (as we know it)

What happened next is a blur for Riya . . . (Like it will be for the readers ahead). She would think later and put it in a corner of her head, too exhausted to go over the moments as she has to rush towards the end.

The dreaded gangster arrives in the city and ETF custody one fine , sunny afternoon. Rawte'e mood is palpable in the air, making everyone feel on an edge. The suspect says nothing, like the acp. He stares at things, just like the acp. He sits straight and refuses to engage with anyone, just like the acp.

It was watching two extremes of a spectrum and nobody knew how to navigate ahead.

Even Riya had tried – she had counted on her fingers the amount of time she had faced a high profile criminal such as this. The man's blank stare did nothing, her questions might as well be mute for him as he didn't flinch or reacted to surroundings. There were no movements when crime scene photos were presented, no threat of jail or hanging made him pause, and after hours of no food and water, he didn't even ask for any. The person was a living corpse, the mere sight of him made them uneasy.

Naturally, with such an uncooperative criminal and their circumstantial evidence, there were pressure from up there to fast track the interrogation. Rathore had gone and booked a court date as well to expedite the process, frustrated yet confident the man will open his mouth and confirm all the horrors they have imagined him to be capable of.

Aryan khanna come and tried his hand too. He left after shaking hand with Rathore.

"If anything is needed, do let me know " to which the other man nodded. He looked at Riya, gave a small smile, and walked away.

Sakshi Anand had called a few times, she didn't pick up those.

Everyone is busy, everyone is in foul mood and everyone is tired. Even Liza barks at her staff and runs like bat out of hell whenever she can leave office. Riya tries to find an anchor in her faith – it irritates Rawte when she lits up a diya and prays, sometimes he taunts, sometimes he stays silent and brood.

"You should tell him to make the criminal confess " it was a low blow even by his standards, and his frustrated exhale , surprised and angry at his own cruelty made it known to her.

She lightened the mood, picking up a sweet from plate to eat as she murmured. "I doubt even God listens to devil like him."

He took the sweet from her fingers before she could eat and put it in his mouth, rolling eyes at her words.

The criminal does open his mouth one day.

"You are fools."

"yeah?" Patil was there, with his straight face which gave away nothing and endless patience.

"you are. You really think I did this?"

"Do you really want me to answer it?" he spoke casually, making a show of picking up a file from side table. "your list of crime is exhausting, I can read it out if yo . . . "

"I remember exactly where I was for all the things I did. So listen to me carefully when I say this – I wasn't near to that Rosa lady's house."

"Roshni."

"whatever." He looked away in irritation. "I didn't do this."

"the timeline matches- your team collapsed due to acp Rawte. You fled country. "

"you people are fools. You know why? He's out there, the actual killer. And now that he knows you have me, and you are trying to find him? He will strike."

Patil closed the file. "You know a lot about this man."

The man gave a thin smile. "he walked into the house of a police officer, slit his wife's throat, cut his hand and walked away never to be found again. He will come back. Trust me "

Suspect was supposed to be taken to criminal court on this particular day – which also falls on a festive day where roads are clogged with an overbearing amount of crowd everywhere. They found an alternate road, and after a few kilometres got the traffic – the procession was on road as people danced around it, music banged loudly with colors flying in air.

Everyone kept an hawkeeye at the criminal – he can't escape now.

There was a gasp ringing in their ears, and then just static. Shree was the first to run, cursing in his way out as everyone followed. Riya ran too, heart in her throat ignoring the sudden dizziness and pit in stomach. They found the broken earpiece, and a familiar gun on the ground.

Public cheered, threw colors in air.

 Riya collapsed on her knees.

The unimaginable has happened – someone has taken the ACP, and the criminal was smug that somehow his prediction that a retaliation would happen has come true. Now that desperate times have arrived, he's getting physically tortured – others shouted on his face, who did this? Was it his gang mate? Where is ACP Rawte? – beat him until he's passed out in pain, deprived hin of sufficient food and water, kept him in dark, isolated room. The entire city was under crackdown, they had searched every nook and corner. The ACP was nowhere to be found. He's vanished.

Riya found her hands shaking during a meeting as Rathore barked at everyone and abruptly left, Aisha running behind him. She had heard nothing that had happened in the meeting. Shree had stood near her, took her hands and they had stopped shaking immediately.

"why it has happened, Ri?" she looked back at him quizzically. "we thought we have the man responsible for Roshni's death. So why take Arjun sir now? Will there be any ransom call? Or it will be something drastic? Do you think he's still alive?" hs took a seat next to her, patil standing near them. "Why it's happening now? Do you have any answer?"

She didn't answer immediately, letting her hands fall down slowly.

"Think. Look closely." Patil said. "say it."

"It's sikandar." She answered shakily. "it has to be him."

"we thought that was imagination of sir?"

"why he's attacking now?"

"is he still alive?"

Riya closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly to focus.

"he had a doubt regarding the suspect. He had a gut feelings it's not the same man he had seen in his house on the day of murder, but he didn't have evidence. The suspect hasn't budged yet, we had gone through his team mates – they aren't that loyal to risk themselves by pulling such an action. ACP Rawte was abducted from a procession in broad daylight, in the presence of hundred of people and police. This is to send a message. Mock us, too. The man we have isn't responsible for Roshni. The man who's responsible is still out there, and I am not sure if the ACP is alive. He will toy with him, surely. He did the same last time by hurting his tattoo. I am not sure till how long he will continue, but the window is small. I am not. . . " her throat clogged, and hands started to shake again.

Patil patted her back, the men looking at each other grimly.