Maruvarthai🤍

VI

The hum of fluorescent lights buzzed in the IG office, but the atmosphere was thick with tension as ACP Prabhas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised defiantly. Across the polished table sat four senior officers, their gazes unyielding and accusatory. In the corner, his partner, Rana, sat almost stiffly, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the table, a contrast to Prabhas' simmering frustration.

Prabhas could feel his heart race as he recalled the events of the previous night. The slums had erupted into chaos as they had confronted a notorious drug dealer. What was meant to be a clean arrest had devolved into a shootout with rival gangs, making them the unwitting stars of a scene no one wanted to be part of. Civilians had been caught in the crossfire, and now, instead of accolades, they were facing a commission.

"Your actions last night were reckless, ACP Prabhas," Inspector General Rao's voice sliced through the silence like a blade. "You went in without warrant, and the chaos that ensued has left the department in a precarious position."

"They were going to get away!" Prabhas shot back, his hand slamming against the table, rattling papers and drawing disapproving glances from the officers surrounding him. "If we had waited for a warrant, we would have been too late. You know how these dealers operate. They vanish at the first sign of trouble."

"Not to mention the needless risk to civilian lives," another senior officer interjected sharply. "We received multiple complaints from residents. And your partner, Rana, was the one leading the operation. Surely he should have exercised better judgment."

At this, Prabhas felt something snap within him. "What do you mean, better judgment? Rana followed my lead because he trusts me! You can't pin this entire mess on him just because he operates from the rulebook," he fumed, pointing his finger in indignation.

"Enough!" Rao breathed out through clenched teeth. "You know better than to deflect blame, ACP. You've both put the department in a difficult position. We need to be accountable for these actions, especially when it comes to civilian safety."

Rana remained silent, his gaze focused intently on the tabletop, jaw tight. He exuded an air of calm, one that Prabhas admired but was now infuriating him. Why was he taking this lying down? The weight of responsibility lay heavy on Rana, as he was the team leader, but Prabhas had always been the reckless one, pulling his friend into dangerous waters. It tore at his gut to see Rana take the heat for something that had been so impulsively executed.

"Are you seriously going to act like we didn't do what was necessary?" Prabhas spewed, his voice rising. "We stopped a drug ring—if you had a problem with it, you should have sent backup! Or were you hoping the dealers would just decide on their own to turn themselves in?"

"Prabhas," Rana finally spoke, his voice steady though low. "Let's just listen to the commission. Getting angry won't solve anything."

Prabhas shot him a withering look. "Listen? Listen to them blame us for doing our jobs? That's what you want?"

Rana's expression was a mixture of patience and concern. "You know how things work. We're not here to justify our actions. We're here to explain what happened."

"Explain? Or defend ourselves?" Prabhas snapped. There was a fire in his eyes, one that shone with impetuous determination. He turned his attention back to the officers. "We did everything we could in that moment. The chaos was unexpected. You can't crucify us for reacting to an unpredictable situation!"

"Unpredictable or not, you didn't have the right to go in there like a bull in a china shop!" a senior officer chastised. "And now those civilians are left to suffer because of your failure to follow protocol."