•••

Aditi was getting ready for her party, while I simultaneously and unwillingly had my food. She made me eat one of those bitter tablets assuring that they will cure all my pain. Maybe it could cure my fever, but what about the pain of my heart . There is no medicine that could cure that pang in my heart except for Dhruv. But then he is snatched away from me now, by that bastard Mr A . We were one step away from catching him, one step. Just one smart step!

Wish I were little careful and little bit smart! Oh, how victorious our investigation was until then ? We didn't leave a single clue . We reached depths and heights which no on else did. For the first time someone has reached Mr A and it was us.

We always knew what was next . Dhruv was so strong and intelligent that ....that he was ..invincible . I don't know what I am going to do next without him. Hell!!! I don't know how I am going to live without him . All this thinking brought me back to our first step of investigation .

We were on our way to Vellore . He was driving the jeep and was asking me about myself and my job and the case, but it didn't seem like he was inquiring . There was some kind of easiness in his way. He was a cop and was too damn charming. What am I even thinking!? For a person who likes cops only in movies, I admire him very much. He was a D.C.P, like literally he had half the city under his control , but he was so freaking cool!! With great power comes great responsibility !! Even though he had so many duties he is here with me on a 3 and a half hour journey.

It's not like I am understating my case but I am sure that there are cases of greater sufferings . I was admiring him like a fan girl but was not showing it .Well I didn't want to be embarrassed . I am here for an inquiry and that is what I have to do . "You told you know the way from here to the hospital ." He said making me come in to this world . I bit my tongue and guided him to the hospital where Mithra and others were admitted.

We walked in and straightly went to the ward where Mithra and others were being treated. She was still a bit weak but was looking better and was able to talk . I sat beside her gently and asked "How are you ?" in a soft tone, patting her forehead gently . "I am okay and am feeling better." Her little childish-enthusiastic voice found it little hard to convey that. I smiled at her . She looked at Dhruv with questioning eyes. Following her gaze , I realized I had forgot to introduce him and that we are here to inquire .

"He is Dhruv, D.C.P of Chennai city. He has taken up our case and want's to inquire you ." I said summarizing everything in a single sentence . She gave an "Oh!!" look and smiled . He came nearer and looked at us . "Sir , this case is very important to us . I will help you in whichever way I can " she promised with a smile but her eyes showed a bit of sorrow and a lot of determination . He smiled assuringly and started .

"Your friend told me you have been receiving threat calls. What were they about?" was the first question. "Threat calls! Yeah we have been receiving threat calls from an anonymous number asking us to hand over the most valuable sculptures of our findings." Her eyes furrowed as squeezed her memory to remember it.

"How long have you been receiving them?" He asked, eyebrows raising in tension. "Almost a month. Everyday we used to get a call asking us to hand over the sculptures ." Her voice dropped in annoyance.

"You got these threat calls for month but you didn't report or file a complaint .Why?" Her reply had got him little furious. "My dad told us not to." she said looking at her duvet, regretting. "Why?" he asked shocked.

"I don't know " she said looking at him . " Well, What about the fire accident ? How did it happen? Were you carrying too much of inflammable substance!" he asked looking at her keenly.

"It wasn't an accident ", she shrieked, and suddenly there appeared a furious Mithra . "Then what was it?" I asked her in vexation.

"Very clearly and well planned assault." Her gaze slowly shifted from the duvet to us. My eyes grew in horror and there wasn't much reaction from the D.C.P. The silence was broken now, "I saw a man, no, group of men, with some chrome yellow liquid in glass bottles. That moment I didn't quite exactly know what it was! But then I realised it was local petrol bombs! I rushed from there to inform. But by the time I could warn everyone.... It was too late . We were down in the excavation sites. They blew it all up. We could either save ourselves or the findings. Very few of us choose the sculptures and those who did are here either on the hospital beds or dead ." He listened everything keenly and asked one question "Can you identify them?" I asked her. She nodded saying yes . He thought for a while and turned to me. " I think I should have a word with your boss " he said looking at me with keen eyes . I nodded and then we ...

I was disturbed by Aditi asking me about Arjun and Anirudh, "If you can, please ask them to have food!" Aditi once again reminded me. "Don't worry, I'll convey... and I wish that they cone back with some happy news after meeting Dhruv" I forced the words out of my throat and shot her disturbed smile.

•••

We both completed the formalities needed and took permission to meet Dhruv. All the police there helped us, even the head officer. Most of them were all his colleagues and they had some respect and sympathy in their eyes while we spoke about him. After all it's Dhruv Vishwanathan we are talking about and this is the respect he has earned.

One side of me me was proud while the other was angry. There were few idiots who were grumpy and were insulting him. I would have smashed them if not for Ani. We walked with the officer to the cell where they had kept him. Wait...CELL?! Hell No! He didn't deserve to be treated like a criminal. He is NOT a criminal in the first place!

Damn these clowns, damn these governments,damn that bastard Mr A. The officer stopped and showed us the cell on our right saying "This is Officer Dhruv's cell" he pointed and left. "Dhruv!" Ani called out slowly with misery evident all over his countenance. A silhouette walked towards us only to be revealed as Dhruv .

"Dhruv??" we both shrieked at the same time in shock. Our eyes couldn't believe. He smiled sadly at us. His signature smart grin, the spark in his eyes and the charm in his face were all gone.

There was an aura around him considering how charismatic he was, now it has disappeared. The majestic uniform he wore and pride had replaced itself with a third class prison uniform. There was a wound on his forehead.

Ani's finger slowly reached out to the wound through the bars creating boundary between us. He touched it gently but Dhruv jolted back and hissed in pain. We looked questioningly demanding to know the reason.

"I ....I couldn't wear this dress .So...they made me " he said looking down, bitter chuckle on his lips. What the actual hell?! Did those bastards hurt him? I am so going to take them down now . We both looked at him with pain in our eyes.

"How is Nethra?" he asked in a low tone. "She is fine, but unna paththi dhaan yoschite iruka" (she is thinking about you only) Ani answered . "Take good care of her da" he said " I don't know what's going to happen to me here after." His voice had lost all its hope! My eyes widened .What the heck is he talking?

"What are you blabbering about Dhruv?" Anirudh voiced out ."We are here to get you out not leave you to rot in this stupid cell", he continued . He looked up at us. "We are here to help " I said assuringly.

"Nethra told us about Mr A ." I told him. " If catching him is the only way to get you out, then that is what we are going to do " Ani said with determination sparkling all over him. Dhruv let out a heavy sigh and looked at us. It appeared as though he was thinking hard about something .

"Mr A yaarunu kandupudikanumna modhala Arun and Kiara paththi ellame therinjakanum " (We have to know about Arun and Kiara to know who Mr A is ) he said with a keen expression and looked at us fixedly.

"But who are they ?" Ani asked as we both didn't know anything about them. "Arun is the reason I am here . That bastard acted as our guide here in Zurich . But I am so sure is an apprentice of Mr A" he answered while his eyes showed his anger , and he banged the iron bars hard with his fisted fingers.

This Arun has messed up hard, hasn't he and he's going to pay hard too, won't he? "And Kiara , who is she ?" I asked . "Kiara is the daughter of the industrialist Mahendran . While we were investigating, I found a lead to her . Keep an eye on her, we might find some clues about Mr A." He briefed.We both nodded.

"If you find something , tell me." We were talking about that Mr.A and that's when an officer came and told us to make a move as the meeting hours are done . We both looked at him and nodded. We looked at Dhruv , he was smiling at us but there was pain in his eyes and his smile also felt fake. You are so dead Mr A . We bid adieu to him and came out of the embassy.

"I can't believe this crap is happening to our Dhruv ", Ani said sitting in the car. " I can't see him like this, I feel like torturing those Crap Weasels to death" I said,venting out my anger on the steering.

"Once Dhruv is out they won't be able to be happy even for a split second" he said grinning devilishly . "They are gonna pay for this so badly " I said with an evil smile. That's when Ani's phone rang, as he switched it on again. It was his mother and she was pestering him to go and see his relatives living in Zurich. There were already 32 missed calls for. I drove the car, dropped him at the adress and reached back to Nethra's home.

All the while I was thinking about all this madness happening around us . I was so tired not physically but mentally. I opened the door and collapsed on the couch, not even bothering to switch on the fan and lights. Relaxing, but then I heard a sound . NOW WHAT !!!!

•••

Signing off

~sadhubhai

~shubhzz_luv