Cold Love

by Amieya Prabhaker

  “We are waiting for one more friend, Riya. One minute.” He calls on his mobile. “Ok Krish. See you in a few minutes.” Arjun eventually turns to speak to Riya, “Why don’t you sit down? Will you have something? Tea?! Coffee?” Riya shakes her head no, “Water?”

  “Arjun. You are scaring me. What is it? Uncle… aunty…Puja… are they ok? Please tell me.”

  Arjun, however is in no mood to talk, at least not yet. A few minutes later, Krish is at the door. Arjun speaks into the security microphone to let him in.

  “Hi Krish…Do you mind if the guys check you out?” The security guards frisk him, taking away his guns and knife. Riya is perplexed. When Krish enters the room, Arjun continues in his cold tone again. “I don’t need to introduce you guys to each other, do I?”

  “No. We met in Afghanistan. Krish rescued me.” Riya finally speaks.

  “Yes sure. And after that?” He looks at Riya and then at Krish. “Then where did you meet again next? Will you guys tell me everything yourselves…?”

  There’s a strange tone of anger and resentment in Arjun’s voice. Krish responds calmly, “So how did you know Arjun?”

  Riya is feeling extremely vulnerable with Arjun’s sudden need to cross-examine them both. Krish, on the other hand, is his professional self, calm and composed.

  “Why don’t the two of you tell me your story first? Then I’ll narrate mine.”

  “Ok. Fair. Well, I understand you saw the ballistics trajectory file then? That is how you guessed, right?” Krish asks and Arjun nods his head slowly in an affirmative.

  “So Krish!” Arjun continues, “You are the undercover RAW ‘rogue’ agent who was at that operation. There is only one person in the department …or should I say, in this part of the world that I know of, who can take that difficult shot.” He taps his fingers on Krish’s chest.

  “Undercover RAW agent, yes! Rogue, no! Arjun, before you jump to any conclusions, let me tell you … our goal is the same.”

  “But the path to reach to that goal is completely different.” Arjun clarifies.

  “But Arjun, for the sake of truth and justice, isn’t the eventual goal our ultimate motive?” Riya jumps into the debate, “And if that goal is legitimate, then the path taken becomes legitimate as well, right?”

  Arjun claps sarcastically, “Aaha! Bravo! You have learnt to talk deep strategic stuff too Riya! How beautifully the two of you made a fool of me! So Krish, framing the ISI lieutenant general for the shooting and using Riya to convince me to testify in the case! The plan worked, right?”

  Krish and Riya look at each other; neither of them answers.

  Arjun approaches Riya, and moves his finger gently around the edge of her chin, “And you … I could have never imagined that my best friend could ever betray me. I was a sitting duck, right?”

  “Arjun!”, Riya mumbles, “… I…”

  “So Arjun, when did you suspect us?” Krish asks curiously, interrupting Riya.

  “When I saw the trajectory file… And when Riya told me the other day that she would call you to ask about the ₹2 crores. How did Riya have the number of RAW’s most accomplished undercover covert agent? Unless you gave it to Riya yourself, Krish?”

  Riya and Krish stare at each other without responding.

  “So Krish, was this eventually about the neutron missiles?” Arjun continues, “Because very few people in the department know about it, and you are one of them!”

  Krish sighs and finally decides to speak. “Yes Arjun! You are right. That was the eventual plan. But first, we wanted to build the right environment where the use of these missiles can be justified. And because of the political situation today as a result of this case, the international community is with us, they will support us… In fact, they will thank us… like a savior getting rid of the cancer of terrorism from the most notorious part of the world today.”

  “Interesting. I don’t agree with your viewpoint, but very interesting indeed!... And what about you Riya?”

  Riya is extremely afraid and confused about what to say. She knows she has betrayed her childhood friend. She had never expected Arjun to unravel everything so quickly, and scrutinize her like a criminal being interrogated in a police lockup.

  “Yes, Arjun; we met and planned this together. When Krish came to know about your Mumbai operation and that you were joining the same MBA school as I was, he came to meet me in Singapore. Krish knew that you and I… I mean… that we are very close family friends … Krish asked me to gain your confidence further, so that we can get access to the codes for the neutron missiles.”

  “So you planned everything, even …” Arjun doesn’t complete the sentence and simply stares into Riya’s eyes. She is rendered speechless, understanding his implication about the way she has led him into love. A medley of images assault Arjun’s memory as he recalls the various moments that he now knows must have been planned meticulously… but now he realizes that they were nothing more than an act. The various activities at the picnic, the drive back when Riya had casually slipped her legs on to his, pretending to be asleep, and the ruffians at the park.

  “Huh!” Arjun continues, “now I know why I couldn’t find a single police record for any one of those ruffians who eve-teased you in the park. Phew! And the stone that cut your feet Riya? Bet you stepped on that intentionally, didn’t you?”

  Riya nervously looks at Krish, getting extremely concerned now at Arjun’s knack of narrating her actions with such precision.

  “What about the tennis game Riya? You play much better tennis than I thought you did!” He starts laughing loudly adding to Riya’s anxiety, “And the cherry on the top… literally Krish… your fake bomb! I should have known earlier when I read Riya’s report… that she had learnt and took part in gymnastics in Singapore! What an act Riya… fainting in my arms when you reached the top of the dam!”

  Arjun claps again, still smiling bitterly, but Riya can sense he is fuming with wrath and a deep sense of disappointment. She looks at Krish helplessly and is on the verge of tears.

  Arjun continues, “I am sure you must have planned the timing of all Riya’s activities, right Krish? Everything was done to plan!”

  “We had a purpose and a direction Arjun, but it was a coincidence that things fell into place on their own… like the ISI lieutenant general and agent Vinod Shukla being coincidentally at the same place at the same time. I improvised as things happened. Another example was Riya’s birthday coinciding with the Jammu operations.”

  “My birthday!” Riya exclaims, curious.

  “Yes Riya, your birthday actually paved the way for everything. That opportunity simply fell into my lap. Remember, Riya, you had called me when Arjun was to go to the Internet security seminar in Delhi? The Jammu mission was strictly classified and neither of us had told you about it. And then, coincidentally, Lt Gen Khanna asked me for the video evidence to be flown over to Mumbai immediately after the operation. Arjun, I improvised on the spot and deliberately brought about the conversation casually to you … you naturally took the bait.”

  “Hmm!” Arjun reminisces with a grim frown on his face.

  “Arjun, you might have noticed that Lt Gen Khanna took longer than usual that night to go through the de-briefing with you.”

  “Yes. I was surprised that Lt Gen Khanna was asking operational level questions. Often my meetings with him barely last five to ten minutes, as all he cares about discussing is the final result. But that night he was going into needless details.”

  “The de-briefing was longer Arjun, so that you get just a fifteen or twenty-minute window to wish Riya on her birthday before midnight. Look at it from the perspective that a typical boy or a girl would see it… imagine flying down just to wish someone in person for barely fifteen or twenty minutes! I think that’s a big deal! That birthday night set the tone for everything else to follow between you and Riya.”

  “So Arjun did not come to meet me that night?” Riya says softly, not realizing that she was sp
eaking out loud.

  “Yes he did Riya, but…Apologies Riya, if you thought Arjun came specifically only for you… he had to deliver those video cassettes. And that evening set the environment… I remember it was a beautiful full moon night… and all that was left to do was to make sure both of you met and you acted naturally!”

  “Hmm! So it was all an act?” Arjun turns to look at Riya, speaking in a grimmer tone, “What about… us, Riya? … Everything was a game?”

  Riya is weeping; tears run down her cheeks. She tries to say something but almost chokes as she fumbles in her choice of words. Finally, she replies boldly, taking a moment to compose herself, “What do you think Arjun?”

  “You tell me, Riya! To tell the truth… I am absolutely spell-bound by your performance! Absolute genius!” Arjun continues in a mocking tone, waving his hands, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Oscar for the best actress award goes to…”

  Riya interrupts him with a stern response, “Just say it once Arjun, I can die for you. Try me if you want!”

  There’s an awkward pause as Riya stares back at Arjun, extremely offended with all that she has just heard. She walks over to sit on a chair by the desk. Arjun follows her to sit next to her and looks at her intently.

  “Ok, do it!” He puts a gun on the table and briskly rolls a silencer on it.

  “What do you mean?” Krish takes a step forward but Arjun pulls another gun from his pocket and points it at Krish.

  “Stay right where you are Krish!” Krish stops immediately in mid-step.

  “Right Riya, let’s do it then!” Arjun flips open the magazine of the first revolver and empties all but one bullet. He then spins the magazine around several times within his palm and places it back on the desk right in front of Riya. She stares at Arjun with a confused look. Arjun pulls his chair closer to her, the second gun still in his hand. Riya looks at Krish and then towards the gun on the desk, and picks it up.

  “Before I do this, let me tell you Arjun, you may think everything was an act… but… but I do not know for certain the time since when I have… liked you… perhaps when we were children. But just like you, Arjun, I loved my country more. I was tempted several times to tell you, but I controlled myself, because I genuinely believe that what Krish has planned is best for our country in the current circumstances.”

  Krish is astonished at Riya’s words. He never knew that Riya really loved Arjun.

  “Riya!” Krish interrupts her, “you told me that Arjun was just a good friend and that you were happy to play your part in this mission.”

  “What difference does it make, Krish? At least sometimes I didn’t need to act!” She continues with a half-smile, “And on other occasions, even I could not distinguish whether my feelings were genuine… or fake. I have chosen this destiny, Krish, to make a fool of my own love… Arjun, I do not blame you. Your childhood friend has betrayed you. I knew even before we started that my love was destined to lose. But that is ok… because I wanted you to win Arjun... I wanted our country to win this war. And you have that power to make us a winner! You can end this cold war forever. I want you to decide correctly because you hold the power to make us all winners!”

  “Go on Riya, pull the trigger,” Arjun prompts her in a dry tone.

  Riya puts the gun to the side of her head and pulls the trigger immediately. The gun clicks but without a bang.

  “Arjun, the problem is that I know you too well,” Riya smiles sarcastically, “If you do want to test my love, why don’t we make this game even more interesting? I am sure you must have kept the bullet on the last slot. So let’s see,” she starts rotating the magazine in her hand, “rather than clicking five times, should we cut to the chase and rotate the bullet in the other direction… twice anti-clockwise?” She stares back at Arjun. “Do you want me to shoot again?”

  Arjun looks at Krish and then at Riya. After a small pause, he nods his head to say yes. Riya picks up the gun and places it on her head again. Arjun is looking intently, sitting right next to her. Just as Riya’s finger moves close to the trigger, Arjun reaches out in a flash as the gun fires, but the bullet hits the ceiling. Riya drops the gun on the table and breaks down sobbing, her face in her palms. Arjun and Krish wait for her to recover as the bullet went about 20 centimeters above her head. Arjun slides a glass of water towards her. Riya eventually gets her face out of her palms.

  “I’m sorry Riya, I had to do this. I had to be absolutely sure.” Riya drinks the water slowly and takes a moment to regain her composure. “As you rightly said, we both love our country more. Go on then…continue your story.” Riya looks back dazed, and does not respond.

  “So it all started from Afghanistan, right?” Arjun prompts her.

  “Yes, Arjun, it started from Afghanistan… when I saw those monsters there, I made up my mind that any organization that supports terrorism must be uprooted and destroyed… and I didn’t care if I lost my life pursuing this objective …And why not Arjun? When these guys do not care about right or wrong, why do we think so much before punishing them? That little baby dying in my arms took a part of my soul away. What harm had he done? You know very well Arjun, how bloody their hands are! Then why are we discussing about right and wrong? They are murderers… why shouldn’t we punish them Arjun?”

  Krish speaks up to support Riya, “Arjun, let me ask you. Isn’t it true that for a war to end someone has to win and another person has to lose? We want this cold war between the two countries to end… once and forever! And for that, righteousness should win! I know you believe in karma. Lord Krishna himself favors the one who is right…!”

  “And you know that truth and righteousness is with us Arjun!” Riya chips in.

  “Agent Vinod? Why did you kill him?” Arjun decides to ignore the moral debate about righteousness.

  “Agent Vinod was double-crossing us and selling nuclear secrets to Pakistan.” Krish explains, “We had him in our sights for a long time. This was kept classified in honor of his late father, who was a freedom fighter. We could have nabbed agent Vinod anytime, but when I came to know about his meeting with the ISI lieutenant general, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I was given the task to eliminate him anyway. At that meeting, he was going to pass our encrypted nuclear locations to ISI. But we had replaced the memory stick he’d stolen… and my special agent, who works as a mole in the ISI, helped me get a bullet from the lieutenant general’s gun.”

  “Oh! Really?”

  “Yes, Arjun! It wasn’t difficult, considering the fact that the ISI lieutenant general had a big weakness for liquor and sleazy girls. So I used his bullet and a similar gun to shoot agent Vinod when he got out of the car that the ISI lieutenant general was in.”

  “Hmm! Two birds with a single bullet! Cool!”

  Krish smiles and continues, “The ISI lieutenant general had fired a few shots during the operation. So it wasn’t difficult to prove that he fired the bullet that hit agent Vinod. The DNA tests proved Vinod’s presence in the car. So it was easy for the court to arrive at the conclusion that it reached eventually.”

  “Checkmate! Hmm! Impressive!” Arjun ponders gravely. “Krish, is that it? What about the neutron missiles? Everything eventually was about the missiles, right?”

  “Yes Arjun.”

  “So the ISI lieutenant general was just a means to create a political environment that can justify its use? And that’s where Riya came in to gain my trust to get the codes for these neutron missiles?” Krish nods yes slowly to Arjun.

  Not many in the department knew that Arjun, in his role as Executive Head of the Strategic Wing for RAW, was one amongst three people in the country, who were recently granted the launch codes to remotely trigger the neutron missiles. The other two people, who could do this, were the Head of RAW and the Air Force Chief.

  The neutron missiles were invented by the Israelis to safeguard themselves against nuclear threat. The Israelis have always lived in fear of the consequences of a terrorist group capturing a nuclea
r weapon. Eighteen months ago, India acquired this technology from Israel through a strategic alliance to jointly combat terrorism. Arjun received one of the three codes because the Strategic intelligence wing in RAW is most likely to be the first body to receive such intelligence information, and so is best suited to react immediately. The technology used in these missiles was very advanced; however, the principle was quite simple. These neutron missiles were specifically designed to take out nuclear arsenals by neutralizing the radioactive plutonium or uranium. If you neutralize the radioactive component of a nuclear weapon, then all that remains of the missile is just a big piece of rock. These missiles were harmless to any living being, because they only diffused the nuclear weapon by neutralizing the radioactive component. The US and Israel, and now India, possessed these neutron missiles. Very intelligence agencies in the world even knew about these missiles.

  “Arjun, we can diffuse all Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals without harming a single human being. And they won’t even know how it happened.” Riya reasons with Arjun, “Tell me, isn’t nuclear deterrence the reason our hands are tied … the reason our Government cannot take any action against the terrorists? Just imagine Arjun, without those nuclear weapons, will they ever have the courage to fight this cold war against us?”

  “Krish, this must have had backing from senior RAW officials?” Arjun decides not to get into a debate again. “Who else is with you from the RAW right wing?”

  “I cannot give any names, Arjun. Everything is off the books. RAW received very clear instructions from the PM’s office last year… do whatever it takes… whatever… to tackle cross-border terrorism. The PMO assured the director of RAW that it won’t ask any questions, as long as the results were delivered.”

  “Why me, Krish? What if things went wrong?” Arjun asks.

  Krish doesn’t respond and sighs deeply.

  “Oh! Stupid question,” Arjun laughs mockingly, “Let me answer that myself. Since I am the lowest-rung executive amongst the ones who hold the code, if everything works… well and good… but if things went horribly wrong… RAW would alienate itself from me, maybe classify me as a ‘rouge agent’.”