Kanyaka [Sequel to Durga] | ✓

14. The Mishap

She moved the alphabets in the order K, A, N, Y, A, K and A. they heard a gushing sound. She looked at Murali, who signalled her to be calm. After a clicking sound, the door of the safe opened. She took the contents from it and glanced at him. He gave a satisfactory nod and lead her towards his office. Durga saw a man sitting in his office.

Requesting Durga to stay out of the room, Murali went inside with an irritated look. The man sitting opposite to him showed a card upon which, she noticed his facial features had softened.

Who is this man that has intimidated Murali?

He got up and handed Murali a brown paper packet. He signalled her to come after the man had left. She had studied his features till then- square jaw with a mop of blackish brown hair, serious face with marks of laughed lines near the eyes indicating that once he was the most cheerful person on this earth, slightly stout tall body that was built on protein diet and intense workouts.

To cut long story short, it seemed this man had suffered some great loss due to which he had immersed himself into work or exercise like men would always do. It’s better than drinking and damaging one’s liver. Like Indrajeet. She shook her head.

Women like me, divorced or probably single parents, must listen to the endless rants of the society.

“Durga, I cannot betray you as it would mean I am betraying my dear friend Akshad. The man who just went is a police officer, working as an undercover agent. He wants you to wear this burkha and leave through the lesser known back entrance of the bank. This entrance is known only to a few employees of our bank.”

She took a minute to process the information. “Why would I do that, Sir?”

“Because your life is in danger.”

“What?”

He gave a sigh. “It took me time to process but we don’t have much time. If you take longer time, those men will suspect and create havoc in the bank.”

“Whose men? Which men? What are you talking about?”

“Raghavendra’s men. They are standing out of the bank, waiting to take that map from you.”

*

“Who got the stupid idea for my escape?”

Durga asked as she looked at Rudra and familiar face of the supposed undercover police agent. Durga Nilaya was never this silent. The man stood up and replied, “It was my plan.”

She glared at him. “What an epic plan! I wear a burkha, get out of the bank through some ‘back entrance’ where that hypnotist Raghavendra’s men were waiting with guns.”

“Those are pistols.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I am literally shivering, narrating the scariest incident of my life and you are correcting me that those men were using pistols and not guns!”

Rudra coaxed her, “Durga, he is an IPS officer. Talk to him with respect.”

She looked at her husband. “See, I had no idea that he is an IPS officer. I was told he is a police officer. Forget that Rudra, the bullet just whizzed past my shoulder. It was just an inch away! Do you even understand that?”

“Kanna, I do understand that you’re scared but when you will listen how big the ploy is, you’ll be shocked.”

She looked at the police officer with slightly guilty look. “Sorry Sir, for being rude. I didn’t mean to but the circumstances-“

He waved off his hand. “I understand Mrs. Durga. Since I didn’t introduce you myself, I am Akhil.”

Durga shook hands with him. “It is my pleasure to be meeting you, officer.”

He gave a warm smile. “Pleasure is mine. Besides, I’ve been informed that due to your pregnancy, you often get a lot of mood swings.”

What Akhil missed to see was Rudra’s constant action of not revealing this piece of information. Since the beans were spilled, she looked at her husband. “Of course, you would’ve told him.”

Akhil, quickly diverted the topic. “We suspect that Abhilash, ASI Regional Director South Zone, is done more harm. He and his prodigy child, Raghavendra are up to something.”

“Raghavendra is a prodigy child?” Durga asked.

“Yes, thirty-five years ago there was an article of this man; when he was five-year-old kid, he was interested in sciences particularly working of human body and how the medicine affects it. He knew some concepts that were being taught to fifteen-year-olds.

These prodigy children, though are extremely blessed individuals, they have their own set of beliefs that they develop as they grow up. Once they feel their ideologies are threatened, they will do anything to safeguard even if it means taking others’ lives.”

“Not everyone is like that, Sir,” Rudra defended.

He nodded. “Yes, but there’s a thin line between good and bad. For them, they take serious action if their ‘good’ is violated.”

Rudra asked, “Has Raghavendra’s ‘good’ been violated?”

“No. Instead he is associated with the bad.”

Akhil was greeted their surprised looks. “We are not yet sure whether they are the heads, or they report to someone superior.”

“Who is that someone?”

“Someone who is very powerful that he has decided to support Nanhe Bachche group,” he replied.

“Nanhe Bachche? What’s that?” Durga asked.

Akhil replied, “It’s one of the names of dreaded terrorist group from Asia. Their base is not confirmed but it could be anywhere in Asia- India, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh- anywhere.”

Rudra sighed, “So, what are they interested in?”

“Weapons. Their eye is on nuclear weapons that can destroy city in matter of seconds. Any country will protect their weapons with huge armed forces. Since it is a foolish plan to rob them risking their lives, they have decided to make their own weapons.”

“How do they do that?”

“By using daivi astras technology.”

*****

I am extremely sorry for just disappearing but from April third week, I was very busy. After our industrial visit to ISRO Sriharikota, we had a series of exams, lab tests, assignment submissions and preparatory. I still have my semester exams, hopefully I will update regularly. *crosses fingers*

Thank you for reading.