BOOM.
...Wait ! Boom ? wondered Sanyukta internally. She might not know much about gun brands, but she was sure of one thing, a gunshot didn't sound like boom. May be those basooka things, but definitely not the small model in Randhir's hand. A boom was the noise cause by a blast !
Sanyukta panicked as she looked around, trying to determine the source of the noise. A glance towards Vidushi and Randir and she knew they were in a daze looking at Raghav's body... maybe they were still finding it hard to believe that they had succeeded in the mission, a mission they had devoted more than half of their life... and now that it was over, they didn't know how to react, they didn'tknow what to say... they were rendered speechless. She guessed, for them looking at his lifeless body was kind of looking at the fruit of their tedious labour... unusual fruit and unusual labour i'll give you that, but fruit and labour nonetheless ! ...And in their daze it seemed like they hadn't noticed the blast.
She let them be and turned around to assess the level for any sign of destruction. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary she turned on her earpiece to contact the other teams. If nothing had happened on their floor, if was likely that it had happened outside or -her heart skipped a beat,... on the first floor !
"Guys what happened ?" she asked anxiously waiting for an answer.
Silence.
"Guys !" she spoke louder.
"An explosion at the entrance of the building" replied someone, she recognized him as one of the long distance shooter.
"Sh*t" cursed Sanyukta, thinking of the worst. "Did Team A come out or are they still in there ?" she inquired. Her heartbeat increased.
"We spotted 4 out of the 5 persons of the team" the man answered.
"Sh*t, sh*t, this is not good" dread filled Sanyukta, as multiple scenarios took shape in her head, who did activate the blast ? why such drastic measure ? who was the last person missing ? and why was he not with the rest of them ? she wondered relentlessly.
Just as she was about to ask who was missing, police sirens blared in the air.
Her eyes grew wide.
"F*CK ! Police ! Great just great !" exclaimed Sanyuka. "Sh*t, double sh*t !" They also had to come at this exact moment, she blamed her bad luck. Usually police was always late, and the one time they actually needed to be late, they managed to arrive on time ! Wonderful !
Hearing the sirens, Vidushi came out of her daze and panicked, Ranhdir on the other hand was still frozen at the sight of Raghav's profusely bleeding body near his foot, blocking out any noise. Raghav's body suddenly flicked like that of a dying fish as his eyes looked up... his last breath... he was indeed dead ! Slowly Sanyukta reached Raghavs shoulder and caressed it.
"Guys the police is here, we have to get out like NOW" Vidushi panicked voice broke the gruesome silence.
As mush as Sanyukta wanted to give Randhir time and space, she couldn't. Time was a luxury they couldn't afford at this moment. In a swift movement, she jerked him and said "Randhir we need not got police is here"
At the sudden movement, Randhir broke out of his spell, his blurred eyes raised up slowly and came in contact with Sanyukta's light brown one. She saw the mist on his eyes fade away as he focused on her. Her hand went up to his cheek " Randhir, we have to go". He nodded.
The next moment they were hurrying out and within seconds they were climbing down the wall of the building from which they came in.
"We need to find the others" pressed Vidushi.
"Hmm" only said Sanyukta. Not wanting to announce them what she had been told on the earpiece.
"This way" directed Vidushi urgently. Sanyukta understood her state very well, she was worried for her comrades... she was worried Parth. Only god knows, what had Sanyukta went through when she had heard of Randhir's injury. Despite the burning anger toward him she had at that moment, despite the humiliation he had put her trough before her departure, she had literally fled in his arms, ...anxious yet desperate to see him. Vidushi must be experiencing the same anxiety.
"Over there !" a voice in the distance, brought Sanyukta out of her flashback.
Sanyukta recognized it as Sahil's voice. The trio ran in the direction of the voice. They could see a few people standing in the ditance...and each step Sanyukta took, filled her with dread... she was indeed seeing only four person standing in the distance. Please, please let them be all safe... she pleaded to... whoever was ready to listen her to priers. At this point, she was not going to reduce her prying scope, ...She didn't know if she was prepared to lose another person close to her after her best friends death.
But as they neared them, her eyes landed on a figure crouched on the floor, hope shot up in her mind. They ran a few more meters before reaching the team. Relief instantly filled her, as she distinguished Parth bulky form on the floor. He seemed to be clutching his leg... he was probably injured, she concluded.
As they reached them, Vidushi dropped down near Parth, bombarding him with question on his health and his inhury.
"What happened ? Is everyone ok" Randhir hoarse voice overpowered Vidushi's concernd on.
"Yes everyone is fine, only minor damages" his gestured toward, Parth's leg and his own arm. Sanyukta had not noticed it before but Sahil was indeed clutching his right arm, which was bleeding.
"Is Raghav dead ?" asked Parth from his crouched position.
All eyes drifted to Randhir, eagerly waiting for the answer to the million dollar question.
"Yes" Randhir simply said. Sanyukta watched as Sahil and Parth closed their eyes in contentement and releif. A weight had been lifted off their shoulder, a huge, hundred pounds weight !
"POLICE ! GIVE YOURSELVES UP, YOU ARE SURROUNDED" blared a voice in a loudspeakers. Shit, cursed sanyukta, they had closed up on them. They were too close... escaping them was not going to be easy !
Everyone stilled. Vidushi, with the help of Sahil immediatly lifted Parth up.
"The cars are on the other side on the building it will take us, at least 5 minutes to reach them !" informed Sahil.
Sanyukta intently looked at everyone, they were all tired, no exhausted, both mentally and physically... No ! She decided there and then that no, they were not going to end up in jail She simply refused to let them be take to prison. They had already went through a lot, they had suffered enough... No they simply didn't derserve it ! They had made a favor to the society by eradicating Raghav's name from the earth... they had saved hundreds children's life... they had put a term to a whole empire of corruption... These persons, they had sacrified a lot to, they had compromised a lot already... It was time for them to relax and enjoy, it was time for them to finally think about themselves rather the other... It was time to start a new life... Sanyukta decided there and then that she will do everything in her power to give them the chance to start this new life. Nothing will ever harm them, nothing will ever harm her Randhir, not if she had a say in it !
Just wait darling you superhero is here !
"Guys ! You go" Sanyukta took hold of the situation before anyone else could say something. She was going to provide a distraction for them to escape.
"Sanyukta what do you mean you go, what are you going to do?" Vidushi asked as they heard rushed footsteps entering the building.
They were coming closer, in a few minutes they will be there ! Calculated Sanyukta. She had to make them go now !
"You don't have to worry about it, just go" Sanyukta ushered them out.
"What the hell are you talking about?! " Randhir spoke up glaring at her, understanding the situation.
"Randhir now is not the time GO NOW" Sanyukta glared at him.
"NO ! We are not leaving without you... " he yelled getting angry ..."I am not leaving without you !" he added slightly more calmly.
"Oh no don't worry about that, you are stuck... for a long long time !" Sanyukta winked, irking Randhir.
"Nothing's gonna happen guys, i'll just go, say hello hi and pull one of my magic trick and be out of there, simple" she smiled deviously at them. "Just go and wait for me in the cars, i'll come quick" she told them. Liar, liar pants on fire, sang her conscience.
Skeptical eyes looked at her, debating whether to believe her or not. ... And there were right in their suspicions ! Given the circumstances : a political scandal, children traffic issues and the two or three dozen bodies scattered everywhere in the building, they were nearly no chance for her to get out of here once police will spot her. They will arrest her on the spot ! She knew that. ...She was not coming back... for now at least ! She badly wanted to trust the saying 'if one door closes up then another open' but there was something really fishy with this saying... In her opinion, if a door opened after another closed, according to her there was definitely something wrong with the house... it was probably hunted !
"Trust me guys" she said, with one of her brightest smile.
Randhir heard the footsteps approaching in their direction, he looked at Sanyukta for a second.
Suddenly he pulled Sanyukta near him, encercling her waist, he gritted his words at her, "I don't know what you're upto now but when this is over..." before he could finish his sentence, her blood red painted nailed finger shushed him up.
"...I will be right where you want me to be" she whispered in his ear and winked at him. She had spoken with so much confidence that for a second he gave in to her will... to her non-sense or to whatever he didn't knew she was upto. ... But that mischievous glint in her eyes...
"Trust me on this" she said caressing his cheek with her thumb.
"Sanyukta... Where are you going?" Vidushi yelled still not figuring what was happening, right before the entrance door broke open. Randhir 's instinct kicked in as he pulled Vidushi and the others behind the corner of the wall and shushed her up. Sanyukta heard their step as they hurried away.
She sighed in relief, hoping that they will safely return.
The policemen immedialty spotted her rushed toward her, guns pointed out. The number of times she had been at gunpoint had drastically increased this past week, she absent mindedly noticed... she could see now why Randhir adored his little friend so much ! People tended to be... more helpful than average while in the presence of a gun. She had to admit it was efficient ! An idea stuck her, the moment this will be over, she will go back and change her car's horn sound to a shot gun sound... she was sure people will move out of the way faster ! Traffic was such a headache ! She put it on her to-do list before focusing back on the situation at hand.
"Hands up !" yelled a police officer on her right.
She listened to his command and raised her hands above her head.
"Ehhh look, it is not what is looks like..." Sanyukta laughed awkwardly. Lame.
"Arrest her" the officer shouted to his lady guards.
"Everything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law, you have the right to remain silent." the lady recited her rights.
Looking at the approaching lady guards Sanyukta quickly whispered in her earpeice "See you guys, bye" and just like that she disconnected the device faking a scratch on her ear.
***
They were all waiting for her in the car. They had just activated their earpiece to be able to listen to what was going on with Sanyukta.
"See you guys, bye" they heard in their ear. Randhir's stilled, in mind went blank for a second ! He knew it... he knew it...she was going to do somehting stupid, he had noticed that glint in her eyes ! He shouldn't have left her, damn it ! He should have known what she was up to... his grip on the steering wheel increased to the point that his knuckles turned white.
They had probably arrested her... his clenched in anger and frustartion ! He didn't know whether he should be insulting her right now or worried for her ! He wanted to strangle her pretty face and secure her int he safetly of his arms at the same time !
That stupid crazy f*cking woman, he roared in anger, punching the window of the car.