Kartik Khandelwal

I opened the door of my investigation team’s room and walked inside. I walked towards my desk at the front. Radhika and Prakash came into the room following me and turned leftwards towards the seats and sat at one of them. “So, we got a tip,” I started right from the point.

“Wha--” Richa exclaimed and there was uproar in the whole room.

Sonia asked Prakash, “Hey, do you know what he’s talking abo--”

“Imma clear all your doubts, guys,” I announced. “But, before that, I had bad news too. Yesterday, as you know, I had a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Minister of External Affairs. I wanted to discuss about The Eye of Suicide, our case, and asked for better funding of the case. But, we got to know a shocking truth about them.”

“W-What, sir?” Richa shyly asked. She looked like she had already anticipated what I was about to say, but asked me nonetheless.

“T-The… The case has deepened. They… Even after witnessing such a disastrous incident… they decided not to raise our funds. They never gave us a clear reason, though; just the same old crap. I-I guess they’re with TES too.”

I saw Richa’s eyes widening and turned at Radhika, who tilted her head down in guilt. “Therefore,” I said, “We have concluded that we should even keep a check on the government and take further decisions. From now on, we’re not going to provide them the actual information in the weekly reports. As for you all, please refrain from leaking our information outside. We thought there were moles of TES at the HQ, but we never anticipated that the problem can be this deep.”

Richa and Sonia nodded. Prakash glared at me and thought, “Man, we’re in some deep shit right now!”

I looked at his sad face, and then I looked at the whole team who were disappointed and scared now. Richa said, “So, it’s not gonna be easy, right? Going against the whole government… the whole system… is crazy. I never thought I’d be a part of such a dangerous mission.”

Sonia had her head tilted down and she was scared to the core. Her eyes were open wide and with the down and scared face, she commented, “I don’t think it’d be a good idea, Kartik.” She looked at me with that frightening face, which said how scary it can be, and added, “We should not do what’s not in our hands.”

“I know that you all are scared, and I personally understand how demoralizing it can be to suspect something which you have believed in for all those years. But, we, as citizens of the country, have always seen the politics from the outside, and that’s why we are not able to grasp all of this easily. But, let’s not lose hope and… and do what we can. At last, that’s all we can do, right? Die fighting.”

“But what if no one here wants to die?” Sonia asked. “Is there really a person who actually ain’t afraid to die?” She smirked, “Oh, c’mon, Kartik. Just name me one person who died without being afraid of it.”

“I’m not afraid to die, Sonia, and you should not be afr--”

“It’s because you’ve never seen actual death up until now,” She replied. “Deep down we all know how scary it can be.”

At that exact moment, I remembered Yashika’s words again when in those cold expressions, standing beside me while glaring at the charred body of Mr. Mukesh, she told me, “Every policeman and investigator says that they’re willing to give their lives, but they’re never tested like soldiers if they can actually do it or not. They all are like parrots, commanded to mutter those words without even thinking twice. But, in reality, they all think that it’s nothing but a nine-to-five job so that they can feed their families.”

“Yes,” I said in despair. I had my head downwards on my shoes and had a sense of guilt. “I guess I got too far, thinking of you all as my… my weapons to stand up a fight against TES. I-I never thought about how you all felt, how you all thought, and if you all are actually ready to give it all you’ve got. I-I’m sorry.” Then, with my watery eyes full of determination, I looked at my team and said, “But, TES has taken a lot from us already. Mr. Ayush Kumble and Mr. Mukesh have been killed, and that too by this gang for sure. They have taken them away from us, and from everyone else too. Both died in one of the most gruesome ways. D-DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY DESERVED SUCH A DEATH?!” It had an impact on them. Richa was held back by the last sentence. “DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE DIED?! WHAT WRONG DID THEY DO TO PEOPLE AROUND THEM THAT THEY HAD TO DIE AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE?!” Sonia tilted her head downwards. Prakash gulped. I tilted my head down and banged on the table of my desk. “Anyhow, that’s not what we were here to discuss.”

“No!” I looked up at the team and saw Richa standing up. “No, they didn’t! And even that you’ve given us several lectures and speeches about this, I-I could never digest that I’m a part of something big.” She looked into my eyes with determination and added, “B-But, today, I assure you that I’m gonna give away my best! The all that I’ve got!”

Radhika looked at her and smiled. She thought, “Mr. Mukesh and Mr. Ayush didn’t die in vain, at last. They died so that they can set up an aim for the team. I guess that’s what it means to find the best in the worst.”

Sonia said, “Well, it’s hard to say, but I guess that now that we’ve started this, we needa end this too. At last, I won’t like an incomplete mission on my resume files.”

Everyone laughed a bit and Prakash stood up. He looked into my eyes, which were red and watery, and said, “For Mukesh sir.”

I nodded back. “For Mukesh sir.”