But now, things were different. Love, often a pillar of strength, is also a brittle glass house that can be shattered by a single stone. Has he overlooked the safety of others around him, whilst being pre-occupied with his work? He wants to get back as quickly as possible to the safety of his house. The news about a hitman on his lookout did not come as a surprise. However, in this open valley and countryside, he could be a sitting duck for any sniper. More important, Arjun was really concerned about Riya by his side, and he glances back at her, as he notices Riya’s mischievous nibble on his neck. As a response Arjun instead revs up the engine further, as Riya desperately clutches on to him as the racing motorbike sped through the picturesque valley.
Arjun makes sure to meander through the roads and keep under the shade of the tall mahogany trees lining the roads along the valley. Riya is oblivious to what Arjun was thinking and preferred simply to dig her face in Arjun’s back and close her eyes peacefully in his embrace.
Sitting Ducks
Meanwhile, back at Arjun’s home, his parents were about to go out shopping… a follow-up on the engagement ceremony. Mr. Sinha notices Arjun’s sports car parked in front of the garage, blocking the exit.
“C’mon, my love! Let me take you out today in my son’s convertible instead,” Amit picks up the sunglass and Ferrari cap lying on the seat. He opens the passenger side door for Kamla, bowing low in a romantic gesture. She smiles and graciously sits on the passenger seat.
“Huh! As if you’re taking me out for a drive to Khandala or somewhere.”
Mr. Sinha put the sunglasses and Ferrari cap on and looks in the rear view mirror.
“Do I look handsome in these sunglasses Kamla?”
“No!” Kamla replies jokingly, “my son looks more handsome than you. Oh! Don’t know where he is!”
“We spoke to Riya, isn’t it? Don’t worry, Kamla she will take good care of Arjun. She is such a lovely girl. I think she loves Arjun very much.”
“Yes! I know she does. Arjun is lucky to have a girl like her. Puja has told me, that they are deeply in love. Even though they have not told each other. You know… Puja saw Arjun’s picture in Riya’s personal diary the other day!”
“Oh really? Kids!”
“Listen, I think we should not delay any further. It’s good we exchanged shagun and gifts, but please speak to Arjun when he is back and then let’s speak to Mr. and Mrs. Saxena. I want Riya and Arjun to get engaged as soon as possible.”
“Ok Kamla, you are right. Let him come back. I’ll speak to him”, he readjusts his cap, “Man to man talk! Huh?”
The sports car engine roars loudly as Mr. Sinha looks up in the mirror again, “Whatever you say Kamla, I am looking like a hero in these sunglasses and Ferrari cap?!”
Both laugh. The car slowly comes out of the drive.
“Yes you are! Let’s go now my hero, should we?”
As the car emerges from the garage, a sniper’s finger twitches eagerly, barely inches from the trigger. He is perched precariously, but surely, almost a kilometre away at the roof of a skyscraper. The sniper quickly puts a silencer on to his sophisticated long range rifle and carefully aims at the driver in the car. The cross wire shooting range points to the middle of the Ferrari cap as its target.
Just as the hitman is about to pull the trigger, Mr. Sinha bends over to kiss his beautiful wife. The bullet hits the seat head cover, splattering it with tufts of feather and foam flying across. The sniper reloads the gun immediately and the next shot hits Mr. Sinha on his shoulder. A third shot hits Kamla’s arm as she tries to cling to her husband amidst the confusion. Another bullet follows immediately, and pierces right into the heart of the driver wearing the Ferrari sports cap.
The sniper has taken the shot with such artistic precision that none of the security guards notice the couple lying unconscious in the car in each other’s arms. The sniper vanishes stealthily walking briskly down the stairs of the tall skyscraper, into the din of the bustling city.
.
The Execution
Arjun’s motorbike is racing in from the distance. Arjun drives in through the gates of and parks the motorbike on the front patio of his house by the large garden. He gets off and rushes in hastily leaving Riya behind, who is somewhat surprised at Arjun’s sudden haste.
“Ma! Ma!”
There’s no one inside, as Arjun checks both floors of the house. He rushes out of the house as he suddenly hears a loud scream from Riya outside.
“Arjun!”
Arjun shakes her. “What’s up Riya? What’s happened?”
With another loud scream, Riya clings to him and then points feebly towards the garage. Just outside the garage near the driveway, Arjun’s parents, seated in his yellow convertible, are splattered in blood. Riya falls down on her knees in dismay, covers her face with her hands and blacks out. When she regains consciousness, she hears the overwhelming noise of a helicopter ambulance, with dust billowing across the landscape.
Arjun’s sister, Puja, joins them and is also rushed into the helicopter alongside her parents. Arjun is about to slam the door shut when Riya, suddenly realizing what was happening around her, rushes in and grabs Puja’s hand. Puja asks her friend,
“Riya, please take care of Arjun, will you? Bhaiyya, when will you come?”
“Not yet, Puja. I need to take care of things here.” Arjun shuts the door of the helicopter as it takes off, throwing another puff of dust all around.
Riya is still confused, finding it difficult to come to terms with the activities around her. “Arjun, what has happened?” She buries her face in Arjun’s shoulder, sobbing. She receives no response from him.
Arjun clasps Riya with one arm, his expression stolid, as he looks up at the skies to watch the helicopter gradually turn into a tiny spec. Riya and Arjun are left down below, alone, distraught and confused.
Sinister thoughts shroud Arjun’s consciousness. Killings are common in his line of work, but there are rules even in this brutal business. One of those unwritten rules is not to target family members. It has never been personal in such covert operations. Even though brutal killers, agents actually respected each other as professionals, as they were only soldiers fighting a war for their respective countries.
But today’s bloodshed had broken that code. Arjun should have sensed the warning, but it came too late, and, worse still, he was too slow to react.
“How could I have been so careless?” Arjun clenches his fist in anger, whilst still holding Riya in his arms.
He cannot allow those he loves to suffer for his deeds. This gruesome game has to end. He has to ensure the safety of his family. Thankfully, RAW is taking care of his parents as the ambulance helicopter is flying them to a secret hospital, located in a remote area.
“I’ll be back soon, Riya,” Arjun gently removes his hand from Riya’s shoulder.
“Where are you going Arjun?” Riya is still motionless with shock.
Arjun doesn’t respond; instead he goes on to speak to the security personnel, gives a few instructions and gets into a car. Riya’s parents have arrived by then and the security personnel have secured the area. His mobile rings as he drives his car out of the compound.
“Don’t worry son.” The voice on the mobile is that of the director of RAW, “We’ve already got the best doctors in this world flying in. They will be here in the next few minutes. Trust me; nothing is going to happen to your parents.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Arjun is still too dazed to respond.
“Listen to me very carefully son. You know the protocol. This is between you and the hitman now. The money has been paid; he cannot turn back. You have all the resources at your disposal. Do what you have to do to find him… eliminate him! Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Sir; I will.” Arjun switches off the mobile as his car races away.
For the next two days, there’s no sign of Arjun as Riya and her parents wait anxiously for further news. The message conveyed to them
is that Arjun’s parents are off to a secure location, whilst Arjun is still busy taking stock of the situation. Commissioner Pratap is close to the family, but there is no sign of Arjun, and Riya is unable to contact Puja, whose mobile is unreachable as well.
Finally, on the third morning Arjun texts Riya, “Doctors are looking at Papa and mummy. Both are still critical. I am tied up with work. Please follow every instruction that Pratap uncle and the security personnel give you; speak to you soon.”
Riya calls him immediately, but to no avail. Needless to say all her calls and messages continue to go unanswered.
“Why is Arjun not picking up the phone Papa? I have messaged him so many times. What is he doing? I want to meet Uncle and Aunty!”
“Beta,” Mr. Saxena hugs his daughter, “Give him some time. He will come back. Trust me.”
“Papa, what has happened… why?”
Shanti comes over and hugs them both as they huddle together on the sofa.
“I am very scared jee. Why have the special security personnel asked us not to leave our house over the next week? Why is there so much security in the first place?”
“Don’t worry Shanti! By God’s grace, everything will be fine. I am sure Arjun is doing what he should do.”
Riya and Shanti are not convinced but they simply cling to each other.
The next morning, Riya enters Arjun’s room, and sees the bedclothes neatly tucked in. This is the same house that was full of life a few days ago when the family celebrated the engagement ceremony of the daughter of the house. Why has Puja not bothered to call her? Her best friend, her soul mate… all her calls have been unanswered, and no messages have arrived or been responded to. Does a single bullet break all the ties, bonds of friendship and generations of love? It has certainly shattered the lives of the two families. Riya walks around a bit and goes into Puja’s room. She looks out of the window, and then goes over to sit on the bed. She closes her eyes for a minute holding the pillow. This is where she had slept alongside Puja, chatting through the night after Puja’s engagement ceremony. Her eyelids close for a few minutes as she drowses into sleep.
The very next moment, the sight of the dreary desert with a mercenary holding a child flashes into Riya’s dreams. She sees herself admiring the lofty mountains and the white barren terrain as her hair flutters in the wind. As the man turns around, he moves a gun from his hand to the child’s head…
“No!” Riya wakes up screaming loudly. She starts crying, thinking about her living nightmare, gets up, walks around the room disturbed and then eventually rushes out of the house.
The world around her has toppled upside down and she can only wait for her love to return to set it right. … Will he set everything right, please? How would have she known that Arjun had other plans in his mind?
Segregating Roles and Duties
Arjun finally showed up later that day. He entered the living room while Riya and her parents were seated on the sofa, flipping through TV channels blandly. Riya saw Arjun first, and she ran over immediately to hug him tightly.
“Arjun! Where have you been? We were so worried about you!” She holds his hand, brings him to the sofa and turns off the TV.
Shanti comes up to sit next to him, “Come beta. Sit down. How are you Arjun?”
Arjun nods to Shanti, without speaking, and sits on the sofa.
“How are Kamla and bhai sahib? When can we meet them?”
Mr. Saxena couldn’t hold back his curiosity either, “Arjun, what has the doctor said? How are they?”
Arjun finally clears his throat “Papa is still critical. They are at a secure hospital.”
“Where beta? Can we meet them?” Shanti asks eagerly.
“I cannot tell you where they are. No one can meet them …. Ma is conscious now and is walking about, but she is in a state of shock and not able to say very much. One bullet grazed her arm.” He touches his shoulder to indicate the wound. “The doctors cleaned her wound and put a bandage upon it.”
“And uncle?” Riya dares to ask the ominous question.
“Papa was hit twice. Once on his shoulder and another… another bullet went through his heart. There is also a clot in his lungs. The doctors have put him on both a heart bypass and an air vent.”
Riya and Shanti gasp on hearing Arjun’s words.
“Arjun! I want to meet uncle and aunty.” Riya says impatiently. “Please! I want to meet them now. Where are they?” She holds his hand in distress. “Arjun, please tell me; nothing will happen to uncle right?”
Arjun looks at her and tries to smile, “Doctors have kept him alive… so far!”
Both Riya and Shanti begin to weep. However, Arjun continues to speak in a stern voice, full of intent. “Uncle, I have spent the last few days thinking a great deal.” He pauses for a moment with a finger on his lips. “I cannot live in this house any more. I have moved to a new house, given to me by the department, outside the city. And when all this is over… in a couple of weeks, I will move with Maa and Puja … to the US.”
“Where?” asks Riya, looking stunned.
“I cannot tell you.”
“What do you mean you cannot tell me?” Riya asks in a confused manner. “Arjun, what are you saying? Please, where are uncle and aunty? I want to meet them now! Arjun! Please!”
“No one can meet them!” Arjun reiterates emphatically, “And perhaps … after today,” he pauses to look at Riya, “we will never meet again. I wanted to say this important thing, Uncle, to all of you.”
“Arjun one minute! What are you saying? What do you mean never meet again?”
Shanti pitches in, equally confused, “Beta, I don’t understand anything.”
“How could you say we can’t meet again? How can you make such a decision?” Riya challenges him. “Uncle and aunty have been like…I mean… and Puja… Puja is not just a friend; she is more like my sister… my soul mate. You left to study abroad, Arjun, but we have been together ever since we were children. We have shared each and every joy and sorrow in life. And how could you just say it so easily that …” She breaks down in tears before she can finish her sentence.
“Riya, please try to understand.”
Mr. Saxena intervenes. “Beta, we know it has been tough on you. But Arjun, don’t rush into anything… think it through. We are always here for you. We will never leave this house or your family.”
“Uncle, I understand but I have thought it through. And this is my final decision.”
Suddenly Riya starts speaking to herself with a dreamy look on her face. “Do you know Arjun, when I was eight years old; Papa was out of India on a business trip? Puja and I were playing on the swing and I fell down and hit a big stone. A lot of blood came out. Uncle carried me to the hospital, and I was unconscious for a whole day.”
“Riya, I know about that incident …” Arjun tries to speak, but is interrupted by Riya, “Arjun, that night a strange thing happened. I was missing Papa a lot, I was continually crying, not because of the pain, but because I was missing holding Papa. Uncle carried me in his arms and told me, ‘Beta, I am like your Papa too’. Do you know throughout the night, uncle carried me in his arms, because the minute he put me down on the bed I would start crying? I slept on his shoulder through that night.”
“Riya, please do not make this tough on me. Uncle you should try to understand.” Mr. Saxena nods reassuringly, “As you have been told already, you have 24-hour special security monitoring your house now. All the windows and doors have been made bullet-proof. Your cars …”
“Arjun, I don’t care about your security!” Riya shouts, extremely distressed now. “Damn the security! I want to meet uncle and aunty!”
“Beta, let him speak.”
“But Papa!” Mr. Saxena holds up his hand, gesturing to Riya to calm down. Riya sits down resentfully on the sofa next to Arjun, visibly distressed and sobbing intermittently as Arjun continues to speak.
“The house, windows and cars have been made bullet proof. Wheneve
r you leave the house, security personnel will escort you. Riya, over the next two weeks, will you please not go to the school? And as I said… uncle,” he clears his throat again, “I want to stay alone and I have moved to a department house outside the city.”
“Beta, what can we say? I am just stunned! But don’t rush into anything son.” Shanti tries to reason calmly with Arjun.
“Aunty, you have given me so much love but perhaps… perhaps the path we travelled together ends here.” He gets up suddenly, folding his hands as he faces Mr. and Mrs. Saxena.
“Beta… and that day Kamla and I were talking about your paths to be merged for generations.” She turns around to look at Riya and holds up her wrists on which she wears the bangles. “Do you know these bangles? These are your grandma’s shagun gift from Kamla!” Riya stares, astonished as well. Shanti continues, “Yes beta, we didn’t tell you two as we did not want to impose our will upon you. We thought the two of you will come to this decision on your own. We old women are longing to see you tie the knot together forever. Your parents wanted that too Arjun!”
“Aunty, there’s no use talking about this now.” He folds his hands again and starts walking away. Just then, Mr. Saxena shouts out to him.
“Beta!” Arjun stops on hearing his bold voice, “One minute… sit down.” Arjun returns and takes the chair. Mr. Saxena continues, “Arjun, I can understand and respect the reasoning and the sentiments that underlie what you have said. But before you leave, I would like to say this. I acknowledge we are not servicemen. But if there’s a race to lay down our lives for the country, then none of us will lag behind you. Whatever you have asked, we will do exactly what you tell us.”
Riya stares upon hearing what her dad says. “Yes Riya,” he assures her as she lays her head on his shoulder crying. “But remember this Arjun, my family, my friends… spending a few moments of love with them is more valuable to me than thousands of years of barren life. Amit and Kamla are dearer to us than our lives. And the doors of this house and our hearts will always be open for you and your family.”
Cold Love Page 16