Sense & Sensibilities

Cat and mouse

One fine afternoon, Sameer Rathore had enough of uncertain life and string of repeated failures in recent times related to his career and his team. So, he pressed call on a number he remembered by heart and hated at the same time, face twisting in disgust as he put the phone near his ear.

"ETF, in half an hour."

Chandrakant Patil is never caught off guard- his old job and current ones made sure of that. Yet he couldn't stop popping out his eyes when the infamous Sakshi Anand strolled through the corridor, looking like she wanted nothing to do with this. Then why, oh why, is she here? Is there another set of bad news they are going to receive?

His colleagues went to lunch-Liza, Shree, Aisha dragging Riya in tow. Chotu was supposed to fast, as his mother had drilled into his head since morning. The seniors were inside, and he thought for a moment if he should fetch them.

Then Rathore sir came out sneering, making way for her to get inside the conference room. Arjun sir followed after a while, and he picked up his phone. Shree and others need to know.

ACP Rawte knew nothing that's happening- reconnecting with best friend after years means gaps and corners where they are not so attuned anymore. Yet he masked his face to a poker one and stood in a corner, looking at his lion-esque friend ruthlessly tearing into the woman who squirmed in chair. Gone was the confident, sassy woman with smirk and eyes boring holes. A shell of woman remained, who kept twisting her bandaged hands and looked at a corner of room.

"You know," she spoke after a while. "I am not answerable to any of this."

Rathore smirked cruelly. "of course not, Miss Anand. You can walk out anytime you want. And go home to what, that killer?" He leaned close to her. "He attempted to kill a senior army officer. The matter has gone beyond you and him and us now."

"That's an accusation without any proof."

"Maybe." Rawte intervened at last, not moving from his place. "But we all know its truth." Pausing, he commented softly. "These wounds, he did these. Didn't he?"

Rathore looked up startled, but composed himself. Sakshi shook head vigorously and he pressed, "So if we do a blood test, we wont find match between yours and the blood written note sent to the army officer?" she remained silent, and his thin haired patience snapped.

"Why the hell you are shielding him now? After everything? What is this, you are devoted to him or something?" She looked at him sharply, "Hes hurting you for gods sake. How far you want it to drag out? He will kill you, Sakshi. He will kill you. You know it. Then why? It cant be ego, can be?"

"Rathore." Arjun took over, "Its not devotion. Come on, a woman like her? Smart, calculative, thinking about her own interests? Someone who paid a prison guard to get signed papers?" His voice was hard, and he cut off when she tried to answer. "I don't care about proof. You did it, we all know it. So what it is? Ego, maybe. That you decided to use a man then it backfired on you. A small, seemingly harmless game which you wanted to play for your own interest, he took control of it. If he goes down, you go down." He took a step closer. "Shame, isn't it? How, the no 1 writer and best friend of Damre, miscalculated this. Has to be shame, Rathore." The men shared a look.

Sakshi Anand looked up after a while with a displeased expression. "Tell me whatever I have to do to end this."

This was a suicide mission, they all knew it. They had wired Sakshi and was going to monitor her as she goes into her house and meets Damre, and the moment things are clear they barge in to take him out. One slip, its her who will die either by ETF bullets or Damre's knife. But Miss Anand had no choice. Its by pure luck the prison guard didn't re confirm her name for bribery case, or else she would be arrested by now. That she was hosting a serial killer and advocated his release was morally grey enough, if it gets out she was involved in his criminal activities, her reputation would go down.

Of course, she wont confirm or deny her extent of involvement.

Shaking her head at the chain of thoughts, she looked at the team mates, catching eye of Dr Mukherjee. What, are they expecting a sorry? They will be sorely disappointed.

Those unpreneteable eyes followed her till she left office.

As murpys law had said, things that can go wrong will surely go. Damre attacked Sakshi with a knife aimed at throat, sensing foul play when she arrived late and acted different. The ETF seniors cum Aisha chased him through roads and jungles, as Shree and Chotu took her to hospital. Fortunately, it wasn't that serious and she will recover soon, but Shree had no doubt she will use it to manipulate public once again and write a book on the killer who pretended to be my friend. Judging by Chotu's look, he was thinking the same.

They missed him, the sly bastard that he was. But now that they had a case in hand, there was a manhunt for the bailed killer who had attacked a publically loved author. It was only a matter of time hes caught.