In any field of endeavor, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Murphy's law
It's a universally known fact, that a situation shitty like this, will only need more reasons to become shittier.
Keeping aside the mocking on Miss Austen's writing hundreds of years ago, it's truth. Even Murphy said anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. And he also said when one thing is going to hell, all will go to hell also.
Only if the mortal human had a slight idea what version of hell to expect in the recent future . . .
Granted, Riya was living in a constant place of hell from years. Things look good for some moments until the inner guilt trip starts and she could not breath. She has become so good in self loathing and brooding that it almost gave her hero complex like those superhero comic characters. She didn't sign up for this hell, but she was in it and she won't get out of it until she finish the reason of this guilt trip once for all.
But even she knew the moment she came up with the idea of making her own informer squad, she was signing up for something that will surely blow up on her face.
It was a blissful 4 years and several months with her squad, until it was not.
Her contact details are usually discreet, only known to several people like this team and a certain old man who is also the Commissioner and often (most of the time) make her listen to him. That's why when this afternoon during coffee break a new number flashed in her caller ID, she went stiff, already knowing whatever this is, this can't be good.
It's a good thing she was never the one for social etiquette, like 'Excuse me' or 'Sorry' . . .
As soon as she pressed the phone close to her ear, ready to blast the other person, came the rushing rail like flowing words, fast and desperate, "Please don't cut the call. I got this number with great difficulty."
She should have cut the call, or should not have answered it in the first place, but she did and curiosity was a bitch, "Who's this?"
"I am Javed. I got this number from Junaid. He is my brother. Please, you got to help me. Can we meet?"
It was because of that curiosity and the responsibility she feels for the people whom she dragged in her personal mission and endangered constantly she agreed to meet. She had no reason to suspect it was some kind of trap, and even if it was, she can take care of herself. She didn't meet him that day, already on the bad book of the Director due to taking off in odd moments. She snorted, like she was ever in the good book to start with. The next day work was slow and her Boss gave them all time off, so she texted Javed, telling him to meet behind the parking lot of a new Mall that was yet to open.
Javed was already there when she reached, pacing in circles, hands rubbing together in nervousness, ocassionally adjusting his glasses which slide down his nose. He frowned when she stopped near him, suspicious of her.
"Yeah, I am the one whom you talked to." She started, "So, what's this all about?"
"I got your number from Junaid." He started, but she cut him off.
"You told me that earlier. Why this meeting?"
He huffed, in two sentences she was able to make herself disliked by him, "He needs a favor."
That was a new, she thought to herself but didn't say anything, waiting for him to speak again. He obviously hoped her to say something, but when she didn't he closed his mouth, little irritated at her lack of response like he had hoped.
"He got arrested with Drugs."
She glared, "I am not going to help with that."
He looked shocked, "He said you can help him."
"He digged his own grave, and I am not going to pull him off that." She crossed arms over chest. He ran his fingers through hair.
"He said his . . . people trapped him. That he didn't do anything."
"He sells drugs. You really expect me to believe that?"
"I don't know!" He exploded, finally all the pent up frustration out in the air, "I left that life 10 years ago. Today I am a respectable teacher with a family who think I am an orphan. He didn't contact me in years, and suddenly he did. And now I am meeting with a Officer in a deserted parking lot like I am the one running from Police. I don't know what to believe!" He took a deep breath, resuming his talk in a much lower tone, "Sorry, I should not have . . . but I think he is telling the truth. He reached out to me and nearly begged me to contact you. He didn't contact me in these years but now he did. Maybe it was really a set up. Help him, please." He searched her eyes desperately for anything.
She took a moment to answer, "Where he is kept?"
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Junaid was kept in a PS whose in-charge was one of the ex- colleague of hers. She didn't know if that was a good thing or bad when she entered through the door and greeted him. Some other time, she would have spent a minute to two to be amused over the riot among other officers because she was someone important to their head, but today, she had some other thoughts in mind.
The in-charge was all smiles and questions about her for some minutes, but as they both walked toward Junaid's cell, he narrowed eyes, "Is he one of your people?"
Her silence was the only needed answer. He exhaled a sharp breath, "He was caught with drugs. You can't seriously expect me to overlook that."
She turned her neck to look at him as they stopped in front of Junaid's cell, who stood up when he saw her expectantly, the reply enough for both of them, "I can only expect to rush the Hearing date, if he is guilty."
The in-charge was pleased with the answer as he walked away, but Junaid was glaring, "What was that?"
"Don't worry about that if you are innocent." She eyed him coolly.
"I am!" He exclaimed, "I didn't do anything. Someone trapped me."
"Do you," She stressed each word slowly, "honestly expect me to believe that?"
"You have to save me." He was adamant.
"What about we start from the basics?" She leaned on the wall crossing arms over chest, "Who do you think can be benefitted from trapping you?"
"Some rival gangs." He replied, which was too rushed, "A competitor. It's your work to find out and save me." He then lowered his voice, "We owe each other favor. You get me out of here and I will give you what you want."
She glared, "If you are expecting me to get you out of here if you are guilty . . . "
"Why you are asking me the same damn things?" He shouted once again, "I am here and it's your job to save me! Whether I am innocent or not is none of your business."
She took some steps in a warning, "You reached out to your Brother and dragged me into this. You made it my business. I am not helping you until I am sure you are innocent."
"So until then I will rot here?" He asked in disbelieve, "I thought the deal was two way. You help me and I help you."
"The deal was to keep my people out of your ass."
"Then do it!"
"I didn't say I will save you when you are handing yourself on a silver platter."
He stared at her for some moments, the tension so thick it can be cut with knife, "If you don't help me, I will spread the words that some of us linked with Police. Not only your men will suffer, because of you other officer's informers will suffer too."
"Are you threatening me?" Her voice was ice cold.
"I will do anything to get out of here!" He replied stubbornly. She eyed him, uncrossing arms and standing on her feet straight once again as she prepared to leave.
"If you turn out guilty, not even your threats can save you." that was the last thing she said before she left him alone in lock up.
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"It's been two days, surely you got something." Javed was desperate. ACP Mukherjee let out a frustrated breath.
"If I got anything, I will tell." She snapped. Closing her eyes, she said in a softer tone, "There is no evidence that someone falsely accused him."
"You have to get him out." he argued. Something flashed in her eyes.
"I will tell you the same thing I said to him. If he is guilty, I am not going to save him just because he is one my informers." She cut the call, clutching it tightly. She made her way to the discussion room once again, brooding all the way.
Having low lives to do your digging is not easy. She chose them carefully, with external help, because they were the people who had ears in all places without being spotted. They wanted to stay away from the bloodshed, protect themselves, even if cost of others. This was the important thing when someone is a double dealer for Law enforcement and dangerous criminals, but when things take a turn, it become a pain in neck for the former. They are desperate enough to save themselves, so ACP Mukherjee could not tick off Junaid's words as empty threat when he said he will start a war between criminals and informers in not so subtle words. He can do it, he is desperate. And because he is desperate, it's dangerous. The path was pretty clear to her, if he is guilty she won't have anything to do with him. But then, she can't let him start a riot just because she didn't help him like he wanted her to.
And Universe help her, her Genius, Shree, was asking the same thing to Chotu when she returned to Discussion room.
"I mean we all know how broad and affective web of informers you have." His tone was appreciative to which Chotu beamed. Her eyes went back and forth to them and a certain curious Second in command who obviously noticed she halted in her tracks near the door, silently taking her usual seat as the IT expert said again, "BTW, how you have them anyway? I never asked."
"Baba knew people in everywhere." Chotu shrugged, his father was a constable, "It helped me."
"Okay." Shree let it side, "But they are also criminals! May be they are the small fish which helps us to take down the big ones, but they are bad people too! How do you deal with them when they are accused of something? Do you help them get away because of the whole informer-officer dynamic." He paused, "Have you ever faced anything like that?"
"I didn't." Chotu admitted, "But there is no choice. If they get caught doing something bad, they will get punished. I won't interfare."
"Won't it be unfair?" The IT head asked, "I mean they help when we are stuck, but we ditch them when they are stuck."
"I am paying them for their informations." Chotu pointed out, "We are not exactly doing a favor. It's a type of Business arrangement."
"Sometimes things are not so Black and White Shree." Rawte said, cutting into the conversation, "Or right or wrong. Granted, they helped us. But like you said, they are also criminal. If they are caught doing crimes, they will have to pay. There is no option when they are doing something bad."
"So they are helping us to plan their own doom." Shree said slowly.
"And making a hole in us officer's pocket." Chotu joked.
"They can always change sides." Rawte shrugged, "Yes, it's not easy, to leave that life to start a new one, looking over shoulder for something from their past. But what is more important than one's own life? What's more important to start a new life, leaving all the darkness behind? You can't go on by keeping legs on both boats."
He eyed the ACP, who gave a small nod to that. The IT head slowly nodded, grasping the whole aspect.
And the Universe decided that time to drop the bomb on their laps, literally.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Seriously, she should have been expected this. Like Murphy said, if things are left on their own, they will always go from bad to worse. This had to happen. Junaid had to take the desperate level one step high and had to break out from jail. He had to hide some place near ETF location. The DIG of that circle had to call The Director and request her team to assist.
Really, she should have been see it coming.
Junaid should have headed for Bus stop or railway station. Mumbai has so many of them anyway. But he decided to run to some shady slums before calling one of his friends. ACP Mukherjee had a bad feeling he was living upto his threat. Okay, he might not know who else is the mole in this crime world, but there are always suspicion. One word, and a chaos will spread which will shake both the worlds with a lot of bloodshed. The Department can't afford it.
She can't afford it. Finally she had something . . .
They got the friend outside Junaid's location, an abandoned incomplete construction sight, the 3rd floor where the meeting was supposed to happen. Police and ETF along circled the area, and she barely met the judging eyes of the ex-colleague she met not too many days earlier. He was looking forward what she will do if things go more south. If she will let him escape.
"Junaid?" Sameer addressed the man as they all circled him in the shadows, "The police and ETF are all over the place. You need to discard the weapon and surrender yourself."
His eyes searched in the darkness for someone, finally realizing no help from his favor was coming. His face twisted in rage, then he bolted, shooting everywhere.
After many bullets, sweats and minutes later, they had him cornered. But they had to stop, because he was holding their in-house crime journo by her upper arm, a gun on her forehead.
"Let me go or she is dead." He warned, pointing the gun so hard that it might leave a hole in the woman's forehead. Others looked at each other, different scenerios in their head for this situation going on.
"Look, you can't escape." The journo tried, but was cut by more pressure on her head.
"Shut.Up." He hissed on her face, glaring at the police and looking around to escape simultanously.
"Let her go." Rawte said, taking a step to him. In response Junaid took two steps back, nearly on the edge of building.
"Let me go and I will leave her." He tried to deal. His eyes finally found ACP Mukherjee and twisted in disgust, as if trying to say it was her fault, both his fate and this situation. She looked him thoroughly, then to the crime journo. She can wait to be frustrated about her later.
"You are trapped." Rawte tried one again, his voice calm and controlled, "There is only one way you can get away if you don't drop your gun right now and leave her, and that's going to be one of us bullet in your body."
"Then I will take her with me too." He now put the crime journo in front of him, using her as shield, "She is one of you. You can't risk her." He hold her close, "I am just a small fish. Let me go."
"Now by helding hostage somone who is one of us is making you pretty big." Chotu said, "Don't make us kill you."
Junaid struggled with it, his feet unconsciously going backwards, but then something flashed in his eyes and he pointed his gun toward ACP Mukherjee, ready to shoot. He never pulled the trigger as Rawte was running for her, pushing her on floor and falling with her. This served as a trigger and the other two ETF officers and some other officers shot him repeatedly as he fell from the 3rd floor, pushing the crime journo off him who sobbed on the second in command's chest after a while, scared out of her mind.
Hours later, in middle of police and ambulence sirens, when Riya saw the bloody body of Junaid's inside a body bag, she thought maybe he was right. Maybe it was not so black and white like it felt in her head. The lack of feeling accomplished was also saying the same thing.
She ignored Javed's calls.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She wanted quiet after the encounter, the guilt feeling again consuming her even if she didn't even shot Junaid. For quiet, she should have headed for the apartment, but she like the rest of them made a mistake to go to ETF first and had to witness Aisha exploding on Sakshi, which resulted in her decision that the crime journo won't shadow the team anymore. The latter left tear stricken, halting in front of ACP Mukherjee with a unreadable expression before hurrying for door, leaving behind her stunned and sad team mates.
After the argument, she should have left for apartment, finally, but she walked to the Director's office after some 1 hour who was wrapping up, clearly no mood for work herself after the outburst, "Can't it wait for tomorrow? I am not in a mood for games right now."
The former closed the door quietly behind her, "I need few minutes."
Director sighed, which was a signal for 'Go ahead what can I do'. So she did.
"You once said to me I need to adjust with your team. That they are like a family who works well in a team. That I can't mess that up."
The Director frowned, not getting what she is about to say.
"Looks like you are the one messing that family up."
She glared, "She created an obstacle for my team and others. I can't allow that."
"She did that many times."
"She endangered one of us." The Director raised her voice, "I am not going to overlook that."
Both the women stared at each other, holding their position in this matter. Suddenly ACP Mukherjee was uncomfortable, she was never the one who showed her emotions openly and squirmed and others did the same, expecially to hers.
She said after some moments passed, "She was part of a team. She may have not given more output when it came to cases, but that was not her job. Her job was to shadow team and write about them, which she did. People like Junaid, they will come and go. Sometime they will held her on gun point, sometime they will held one of us. You can't hold it against her."
"I thought you don't like her." The Director observed with a surprise, "And here you are, argumenting her case."
"It's not about me and I am not argumenting her case." She said defensively, "I am just reminding you what you said to me the first day I was here. You are breaking up the team by showing her out. That's it."
"She is always doing that." The Director suddenly raised her voice in frustration, "Always! Endangering others. There was a reason I never wanted her on this team. What we do, it's dangerous. She might write about crimes but she has very little knowledge about the dangers we are constantly in."
"Now that she has spent time in this world, she knows the danger."
"I can't overlook her being liability to my team Riya." The Director warned.
"Then don't." She shrugged, "Give her ultimatum. Tell her what is she is supposed to do and not do when it's a dangerous situation. Tell her encounters and confrontation with criminals are off limits. Do whatever it takes to keep her away. You are the Director."
Both the women eyed each other for another minutes until the Director said, "I am not making any promises."
"Of course not." The ACP feigned innocence, to which she rolled eyes smirking. As she looked the former leaving the room, she said, "Look at you, becoming the part of team."
"Just following the Director's order." She winked and left, banging the door like always. The Director chuckled, shaking head.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Even after the heartfelt (?) conversation with the Director and watching her leave, ACP Mukherjee didn't leave. The bad habit of weeks to spend all her time in here, even when she was feeling not so great and confused, was starting to get to her. She was sitting on one of ETF's SUV's bonnet, staring at nothing, when Chotu bid good night as he headed home for the night.
"Can we talk?" She jumped down from the bonnet, to which the Commando looked surprised, but nodded anyway.
"I want some informations." She hesitated to drag him in her mess, but there was no other choice. She had words from some of her informers, who saw the (literal) downfall of Junaid, and said the arrangment between them had suffered considerable damage. When she had saved them all those years ago to grant the favors, naturally they assumed they will be saved from Police as long as they help her. Now that illusion is broken, they needed time to think what that means for their arrangement.
Time which she is running out.
"Sure." He replied, but the question was clear in his eyes. Why him?
"My circle is unavailable for the moment." She said cautiously, and even if it was not enough, he accepted it. People around her was slowly becoming used to the answers from her which were not really satisfying.
"I will arrange a meeting between you and my people, whenever you are ready." He offered. At least he was giving her space to run things by herself, even if he will eventually know from his men what she needs. She appreciated the courtesy.
"Thanks.''
"Anytime, Ma'am." He bid goodnight and left.
She turned and saw her earlier place on the SUV bonnet was occupied by none other than the ETF Second in command, Arjun Rawte. She had seen him upstairs, nose burried in files as he frowned in concentration. Now he looked pretty relaxed, curious even. Not at all exhausted by the turn of night or this late hour.
"What was that hushed up conversation?" He knew most likely he won't get any answers, but it was like a ritual between them. He asked something and she dismiss by some line, but she never asked anything. The curiosity was all his.
"Just a girl, standing in front of a guy . . . " she drawled.
"Interesting." He said mockingly, the corner of eyes wrinkling.
"Bidding him good night." She teased as she hopped on the bonnet. He groaned.
"Such a kill joy."
"Is this the part where you pretend to be okay when your heart is silently bleeding because your . . . "
"Not that word." He warned.
"Team mate," she tilted her head, "was forced to leave by our evil Director?"
"Evil." He tested the word under his breath, but then shrugged as he answered, "it was long coming. She on gun point and the Director's outburst. I am not surprised."
"You can at least pretend to be hurt." she mocked, to which raised one eyebrow.
"Why should I?"
She mumbled under breath something like blind and bad eye sight, which he let pass, something else on his mind to ask her about.
"You knew him, right?"
Like all the time, she knew exactly who he was talking about. She stayed silent, and he sighed.
"Your informer?"
She nodded, looking away.
"You knew about his charges?"
She again stayed silent, and he got his answers. She still didn't look at him, but could sense he was not frustrated or angry at her lack of sharing information. For some reasons it made her forthcoming.
"You were right." she said quietly, "It's not always so clear, right and wrong. It sounded perfectly okay in head, he should pay for his crimes. But watching him die . . . " she trailed off.
"It was not easy." He supplied and she met his eyes, nodding.
"He expected me to help him."
"He was surely mistaking." He said lightly, and her lips curled upward.
"So, did I disturb your brodding and guilt trip?" He asked with mock alarm, head tilting like she did, "Do we have to restart?"
"We?" She played along, humming negative, "I think I am the one brooding."
"I am the one with loud angry voice." He nodded, "But I can give company, or maybe not . . . " he drawled when she raised eyebrows, "You surely prefer lonely guilt trips."
"Ah understanding." She exclaimed quietly, "Just like you to abandon me in agony."
"I will never abandon you." He answered with all seriousness, and suddenly the earlier light moment was gone. It took her several seconds to overcome it.
"I was not on guilt trip."
"Why not heading home then?" He asked.
"The Building begged me not to leave it alone." She answered sarcastically. He laughed under breath, shaking head.
"It's not in me to win over you." He replied, then turned serious, "Seriously, do you even sleep?"
"I should warn you, it's night and not a good time to talk about supernatural elements."
He rolled eyes, "Whatever." He jumped from the bonnet and stood on his feet, "You want to come? I am heading home."
"Later." She replied easily. He narrowed his eyes, certainly not pleased, but didn't comment on it as he started walking, but then he paused.
"Good night," He then dropped his voice and added in a soft tone, "Riya."
She nodded and watched him walking away to his car and driving off, and found earlier heaviness long gone.
Interesting. Who knew the long suffering glare-y boss can be so . . . good company.