Zero Degree Love (Completed )

chapter 20

    Shravan stepped into his father's study. ..He was still trying to come to terms with his father's death. ..His father's murder,he corrected himself. His face flushed with anger. ..

  He had got the news on the same day when suman was handcuffed at Maitri. ..He was shattered and the word wouldn't describe how did he feel. ..

   Ramnath was shot at his forehead. ..the bullet had been travelled to the other side. .

Shravan shook his head , his body was  trembling not less than a earthquake. ..

    He overlooked the study. ..it had been ransacked. ..completely it was a  mess;books and files had been scattered all over the ground but none of the other rooms seem to have been disturbed. .it seems they were searching for something specific. ..something they thought was in the study. ..

   The strange thing is, nothing had been stolen except ramnath s laptop. ...

   There were so many questions in Shravan's mind. ..

The killer  had breached the security without  any obvious sign of break in. ..in this case,did papa already know him. .?

Why  he always chose to live in this secular farm house. .? Did he work for any secret mission. .? If it's, why he didn't share it with me. .?

  "Papa. .."

Shravan cried out loud to see the chalk  markings that were done by the crime dept. ..He softly touched the floor and talked to the mark.

" Papa. ..I hadn't even talked to you when I saw you last time. ..I didn't touched you. ..I didn't hugged you. ..I miss you papa. ..I became an orphan now. ..no one is there with me. ..you're the sole boat in my oasis. ..i miss you papa. .."

   He mumbled repeatedly and lounged at the floor. ..His world swirled into darkness. ..

'Papa '

In his mind he reached for him. For just a moment, in the oasis of his memory, shravan was with him. .He was twelve  years old. ..

" Papa... papa. .one day, I will be an officer like you. .."

The kid shravan imitated ramnath. ..

" haan beta. ..I wish the same. .."

" I am scared of the army recruitment process. ..will I get through. .? "

Ramnath laughed beside him. ..

" Beta. ..if you don't, then who will. .listen. .you've all the powers in your genes. ..the thing is , you had to find out. ."

Shravan   looked him amused. ..

" I already have. .? "

Ramnath held Shravan's hand ...

" yes. ..you are inbuilt with the qualities of a commando. .."

His eyes flashed back. ..

Satisfied shravan grinned. .. hugged ramnath and ran away. ..

  Shravan's eyes let down fresh set of tears. ..His father had been equally playing his mother's role too. ..ambitious, gentle yet strict approach. ..Always, they had been discussing about the patriotism and national security. ..He never thought himself apart from his duties. ..

  A form of guilt exasperated shravan. ..He thought that he had failed to safeguard his father. ..

  He recalled his sudden demise, his neck vein pulsated to recall his brutal murder. ..