Cid Vs The Eye

Chapter 9: The Farewell

Previously: The footage revealed a masked man breaking into the bureau that night, killing Mayank, and trying desperately to save Shreya before fleeing. A dry-cleaning tag led the team straight to his door — and when they broke it down, Shreya found herself staring at a face she never expected to see standing on the wrong side of a CID raid.

The small flat had gone completely still. Guns still raised, breath held on both sides, the only sound the faint hum of a ceiling fan turning overhead.

Shreya: (barely a whisper) "Aap?"

Rahul lowered his gun slowly, his eyes fixed only on her, as if the officers surrounding him didn't exist at all.

Rahul: "Main jaanta hun, Shreya, ki maine jo kuchh bhi kiya, wo sab gunah hai. Lekin us waqt maine wahi kiya jo mujhe karna chahiye tha. Aur agar meri jagah koi aur hota, to wo bhi wahi karta. Maine sirf apna farz nibhaya hai."

His voice hardened.

Rahul: "Aur jo maine kiya, uska mujhe zara bhi pachtava nahi hai. Uske saath wahi hua jo ek ghatiya aadmi ke saath hona chahiye." (anger flashing through) "Uski himmat bhi kaise hui teri taraf gandi nazar daalne ki—"

He caught himself, and when he spoke again, it was almost pleading.

Rahul: "Lekin Shreya, please... mujhe jaane do. Agar main arrest ho gaya, to mera career, mera business, sab kuchh barbaad ho jaayega. Please."

Tears kept sliding down her face. She'd lowered her gun the moment she saw him — but now, drawing on something she didn't know she still had, she raised it again.

Shreya: (her voice shaking but firm) "Bhaiya, apne aap ko surrender kar dijiye."

All the officers, almost in unison: "Bhaiya?!"

Rahul: (stunned) "Shreya?"

Shreya: "Bhaiya, please."

The team moved forward together, weapons trained on him, voices overlapping — surrender, drop it, come quietly. Rahul raised his own gun in response, sweeping it across all of them.

Rahul: "Dekho, main keh raha hun, wahin ruk jao. Main... main goli chala dunga. Main sach mein shoot kar dunga. Maine kaha na, ruk jao tum sab!"

Shreya stepped through the line of officers, standing directly in front of him, and with a single motion of her hand, gestured for everyone to lower their weapons. They did.

Rahul: (furious, disbelieving) "Hosh mein tu hai bhi ki nahi? Kya bakwas kar rahi hai?"

Shreya: "Haan, main sach keh rahi hun. Chala dijiye goli — kyunki agar aaj aapko arrest kar liya, to bahan ka farz nahi nibha paungi, aur agar nahi kiya, to CID officer ka farz nahi nibha paungi. Aur main in dono mein se kisi ek guilt ke saath zindagi jeena nahi chahti. Isliye sabse sahi option yahi hai — aap mujhe goli maar dijiye aur chale jaaiye yahan se."

Rahul: (shaken) "Pagalon waali baatein mat kar, Shreya. Thappar padega tujhe. Marne ka bahut shauk chadha hai kya?"

Her legs gave out mid-sentence. She swayed, and before anyone could reach her, Rahul threw his gun aside and caught her, lowering her gently to the ground, her head resting in his lap. His whole face had changed — fear and desperation replacing everything else.

Rahul: "Shreya, please open your eyes. Kya ho gaya tujhe? Shreya... please open your eyes." (cupping her face) "Shreya, tu chahti hai main surrender karun to theek hai, main surrender kar raha hun. Please... aankhein khol."