WANTED: for the greater good

The custody case

It had, of course, escaped everyone's mind that today was Christmas Eve.

It was only when Virat and Jaddu had been admitted into the ICU and the doctors chased away the remaining gang of thirteen, none of who wanted to budge, out of the floor that Kuldeep noted the decorations of mistletoe wreaths on the walls.

"Is Christmas coming?" he asked.

"Is it?" Jinks consulted it calendar. "Gosh, it's the 24th. How did we forget our flight was on the 24th?"

"How is that possible?" asked Rahul, who had been whacked away from Virat's side and was in a crankier mood than normal. "How can you reach this quick?"

"24th in India, Rahul bhai." Rishabh snickered. "We landed here early morning today."

"And why did you?" demanded Shreyas.

"Because each one of you were unreachable, and we wanted news about Zoravar!"

"Fair enough," conceded Shreyas.

"Well?" Bhuvi said.

"Well what?"

"When are you planning to tell us the whole story?"

Rohit coughed. And realized there wasn't really many ways out of this one.

"Come out of this hospital building," he said. "What if they have spy cams?"

***

As they sat on the kerb outside and exchanged stories in thrill-inducing whispers, Hardik looked up and spotted a familiar face at the gates.

"Officer, you're here!" he hailed. "Are you stalking us?"

"More like you are stalking the crime sites," said Officer Jones drily. "I'm here on guard duty till your friends are discharged."

"Brilliant." Hardik beamed. "We owe you a coffee, too. Several, wouldn't you say?" He turned to Bhuvi and Jassi.

"Sure," muttered Jones. "There's someone who'd like to meet you first. Mr. Sharma, can you--?"

Rohit stood up, intrigued.

A young girl in police uniform came forwards.

"Aliyah!"

"Hello, Rohit bhaiya," said Aliyah, slightly awkwardly.

"Oh goodness--" Rohit pulled her into his arms and automatically went into typical Indian-uncle mode. "You've grown so much. You look like an adult!"

"I am an adult." Aliyah was grinning, now at ease again. "I'm working as a training intern at the AFP. Even Rhea's an adult, technically..."

Bhuvi, Ash and Jinks had come to join them and greet their girl.

"Rhea can't be an adult," said Bhuvi with utmost conviction. "Where's she?"

"She went over to a friend's place. She's kind of...disturbed, obviously..."

Rohit felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

Why--why did people act without thinking of consequences?

Ayesha was not just Shikhar's ex-wife. Ayesha was Aliyah and Rhea's mother, too.

"Yeah, we...heard," he said, subdued. "Where are you guys staying now?"

"Nowhere, really," Aliyah said. "I've been camping over at training and Rhea stays in her college dorms with her friends. They say we can't return to our place till the whole business in settled. Not that we mind--neither Rhea or I want to go back."