Radhika Khatri

“What?” I asked. “What do you me--”

“I guess you liked it, right? After all, you like talking to the point. So now, wanna listen to us?”

I exhaled in a sense of despair. My eyes were red. I controlled myself. “How the hell can he say such things about Kartik and others?!” I thought. Still, I replied, “O-Okay.”

“Thanks a lot, miss,” He sarcastically replied. “So, I guess we should start, right?” He turned at Mr. Keshav and asked again, “Right?”

“Imma start,” He moved some steps forward and replied. “So, I guess firstly, why are you all not making any new movements in this case? The last files we received had nothing in them.”

“Shit!” I thought. “We were told not to disclose our new information. It means they really were looking at them. Here comes another evidence against them.”

Sonia said, “Yes, but that was because we had a theory that there are moles in the police. That’s why we were ordered not to disclose any data or information to anyone else.”

“And you believed it, right?”

“No, sir. Two of our men are killed in this HQ. On top of it, there is no camera footage of anyone suspicious entering or leaving the basement, where the two died. That’s why we believed ourselves that the theory was true.” At that time, Sonia thought, “Sorry, Mr. Kartik and Ms. Radhika, but I had to do this if we want to get out of this situation.”

“Okay then, I guess we have the right to hear the current updates, right?” Mr. Keshav asked.

“Sorry, sir, but you’ve guessed wrong,” Richa replied this time. “As loyal protectors of peace in this city, we can’t even disclose this to you.”

“Why?” Mr. Keshav asked her angrily.

“It can even risk your life, sir, and we can drown in a river of guilt if you’re killed just because you knew something we told you.”

Mr. Khanna’s forehead was full of sweat by now. “Th-They won’t tell us the latest updates, I guess. And they are countering us well.” He suddenly said, “Let’s not talk about this stuff. We have yet another charge against you.” He looked at the two with sharp eyes and said, “The ‘Black Day’ happened because of your competence, isn’t it right?”

“Sir, that incidence happened just two days after the case started,” I replied.

“Moreover, Mr. Kartik successfully obtained the information from a prisoner named Shahnawaz. But, just at that moment, the jail was attacked.”

“If he would have made it in time, there would have been no ‘Black Day’, right?” He said. “The police would be prepared enough, and they would have never entered the city. But, they took over the city for us. Thankfully, no one was killed, but what if they were really here to kill. The city would have been in ruins.”

I exhaled. “Yes,” I said. “We can’t counter that argument, and that’s obvious. The ‘Black Day’ did happen, but even after just two days, we had information about the attacks, even though we got them at the last minute. Don’t you think it is appreciable in itself?”

Mr. Khanna turned at me, walked towards me and with his face just in front of me, and his eyes full of anger in mine, and replied, “No, I don’t think so, madam.”

“Then better become an investigator yourself, sir.”

“Then why am I even paying you, huh?” He replied. “Just shut the fuck up, you little bitch.”

I didn’t reply; just continued looking into his eyes until he turned backward and said, “So, kick them out. We need a new team in just an hour. Make it as quick as possible. We can’t let such a dangerous organization lurk in the city anymore.”

“Y-Yes, sir. I’d talk on the matter with the Chief of Police, and then we’d begin making a new team,” The woman replied.

Mr. Khanna looked at me and said, “What are you all doing here now? Just leave!”

I glared at him angrily and then looked downward towards my files and papers. I took collected them together, took them up, stood up, and with the files and papers under my arm, started walking towards the door. As I opened the door, I looked back at him, who looked back at me. “I’m gonna come back, and that’s a promise!” I said as we clashed our eyes.

The whole crew was sitting on a table at the café of the DPHQ. I looked at Richa and Sonia, who had their heads on me. “See, I thank both of you to help me in the argument.”

“Nah, it’s okay. At last, we’re a part of the team too,” Richa replied.

“But, what should we do?” I asked them. “Should we… work independently?”

“What?! Really?!” Richa asked. “Tomorrow, we’d be assigned at a new team, and we’d get no time meeting together. How are we gonna work independently?”

“And there’s no money in that too,” Sonia replied. “We needa think of our salary too.”

“I-I know, but you both have seen how dangerous TES is for the city. If-If we don’t help them then--”

“Then someone else will!” Sonia cut my sentence. “Someone else will take care of that now.”

“Wh-What?”

“I guess she’s right,” Richa said. “We should leave TES to them now. I guess they will take care of it now.”

“But, don’t you think tha--”

“They are as reliable as we are, Ms. Radhika,” Sonia replied. “If we were so near, I know they will complete the rest. Plus, since we have nothing to gain, we can’t help. At last, we needa keep our families running too.”

I sighed and help my forehead with my hand. “So, we’re doing nothing now, right?”

“Yep,” Richa replied and stood up. “I think I should work on the other case for now.”

Sonia stood up too, “I needa take care of that child’s disappearance case.”

The two walked away in the opposite directions. I thought, “How will I tell this to Kartik?”