One man - determined to save...
G Raghuveera Rao is a man of principles and honour. A man of integrity and valour. A man now desperate enough to make a deal with the Devil himself, if that is what it takes to save his son.
One favour - destroy to s...
He spent a restless day, moody and withdrawn. After Khaleed had left the previous night or rather early in the morning, Raghuveer had tried to rest. Sleep was not easy, with dreams and visions plaguing him. He could not remember any of the dreams but always woke up in a sweat and with a stiff shoulder. At eight in the morning, he gave up and got out of bed, groggy and grouchy. He was disturbed and decided not to go to work either, he just could not sit at a desk and focus at the administrative paperwork which was his lot during peace times.
Despite the unease, he could not wait for nightfall. And found himself leaving for the park almost as soon as they finished dinner, hoping that he would have some time to think. However, it was not to be for Luc appeared within a few minutes of him reaching the park.
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Another night, another city.
His head spun for a shorter time and his nausea did not last long as it had the previous night. Was it just one night since he had taken a life, albeit a not so innocent one? He shook himself out of the dizziness and looked around. They were on the rooftop of a building, a short squat one, which was under renovation, there were support bamboos all around. He stomped his foot on the roof, it appeared to be strong, so the repair job could be a merely cosmetic one. He turned around and in the distance, he could make out the lit frame of the Howrah Bridge twinkling against the night sky.
So they were in Kolkata, a city he had been posted for a couple of years, more than a decade ago. He should have been familiar with where they had appeared but then things and places looked different at night time. It was cold, with a biting wind and he wondered where in the city he was, the answer almost snapping at his thoughts, "Girish Park."
Raghuveer tried recalling about the place, hoping he could understand the significance when he heard Luc speak again, "This is a nice park and a nice locality though it is relevant for us on account of its proximity to Sonagachi. I do not need to specify much on that, do I?"
He did not have to, Raghuveer had heard of Sonagachi, Asia's largest red-light area though its relevance to what he had to do was not clear. But before he could say another word, he saw the case in Luc's hands and reached out for it. Questions would have to wait, at least till he set up his rifle. From their position, it was apparent that the victim would be either be walking towards them on the sidewalk ran along the park boundary or sit on the bench set in a clearing off the pathway.
They had to wait for more than fifteen minutes before they spied someone walking down. It was a couple of ladies and Raghuveer was curious as to why two women would need to stroll in a park. From the dappled light of the street lamps, he could make out that they were not prostitutes, not with the way they dressed and walked. Simple sarees, a thick sweater and a purposeful walk, not to mention that the older woman, who would be in her early fifties, carried herself like a person of authority.
"That is Dr Mohini Mitra."
He did recognise her then; he had met her once. She had an unforgettable persona and being the wife of Brigadier Koushik Mitra, a notorious philanderer, had ensured that she was often the centre of gossip, especially among the army wives. "It is an interesting name, would you not agree?"
