ATHENA

The wind pierced her skin, making her fragile. She was running through a trance of oblivion. There was nothing to feel and hear. She just ran wherever her feet could possibly take her. Her ghagra blowing, her hair dancing on the rhythm of the wind, her gasping breadth created a peculiar scene yet an amusing one. She rushed past people leaving nothing behind except her footprints which were drenched with blood. Sharda ran through the crowded Ghats of Banaras. Amidst of all people, she could only feel Brian and Christophe in her head. Sharda had never come across anyone of that name in all her life but she knew that they existed. She often told her pa about it. Her pa assured her that it was just a fiction made up by her mind. But in this caseshe trusted her mind’s eye more than her pa’s insights.

Sharda stopped. Suddenly everything started to make sense. There she was, a mere Indian girl, standing in one of the oldest Ghats of Banaras, tired due to the tedious run, dripping with blood and sweat, looked up and then, she suddenly fell down ready to leave the world if that was what fate had decided for her.

**********

Five BMW’s entered the gigantic gates of Pentagon. The starry night seemed notorious. John Baptiste, the counterintelligence officer of CIA, got down from the glittering car. He looked like a virtuoso in his blue oxford shirt and black coat. He was escorted by two lanky agents and a general. He was led into a small glass panned room, already occupied by two solemn folks.

One of them was Senator Henry Adams and the other one was Thomas.S.Andrew, the man who was in much talk lately, was the CIA’s deputy director. In the next three minutes, the three gentlemen were over with the general introductions, and other topics like health, politics and wealth.

Then Henry said” Mr John, you need to know that you are in a position to be of great service to your country. Your recent endeavours have made you suitable for the job. Now, we are going to share some vital information with you about some events that took place in the past –not ancient history but not at all latest by any means. But I must warn you that it will be dangerous.”

John was curious but confused at the same time. But he was always hungry for exciting errands. He swore that the information he will be exposed to, will never be shared by him not even at the edge of gunpoint, until and unless commanded to do so by Thomas Andrew and Senator Henry Adams.

Thomas pulled out three bulky files marked ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ in block red letters and opened them.

“This girl is Sharda Williams.”Thomas pointed out a brown-skinned teenager, with black hair and scintillating eyes. ”Adopted by Stan Williams, the director of external affairs in the US Embassy in Delhi.”

Thomas continued” This is Brian White. He is a merit student in MIT. He served prison time between 2007 and 2008 for hacking in the DA’s office in Seattle. He is a nasty but a lucky whiz kid.”  John could see a tall, blonde boy in the photograph.

“His name is Christophe. He works in a departmental store in downtown Paris and is a small time boxer. He is a regular drunkard and a drug addict.” John witnessed a guy of the same age as Brian with silver hair and blue eyes. There was nothing so interesting about him, except his large physique.

“These three kids were hospitalised today, at 2:00 pm.”, said the Senator.

“Wait a sec, are you trying to say that the three of them were hospitalized at the same time? That’s a hell of a coincidence, isn’t it?” cried out John.

“Precisely, Mr John”, commented Henry.

The fact that he was brought all the way from Virginia to a massive edifice, to tell him about some kids, was perplexing and disappointing. Henry continued” Mr John, Why don’t you turn to page5?”