The Blue Poison

Chapter one 

It was in room no.1921 of the Sea View Hotel, where Rajan Nair was busy in a supreme act of lust and desire. He was riding her like a stallion. It had been a whole month since Nair's last act of fornication. He had been busy the entire month, striking a deal with a foreign business tycoon. Now it was the time to reap the rewards. This one was not like any other previous prostitute he had sex with. Her eyes were green and big. Such a combination would normally scare anyone but not Rajan. He was instantly charmed by her and was in awe of her snake-like beauty. Her breasts were not too big and not too small, which was the perfect combination Nair liked the most. There was no sign of any hair on her whole body, which made her look even sexier. She was wearing a velvet mini skirt with a deadly add-on of Lee Cooper's blue shirt, which made her look even more desirable. As soon as she had entered the room no.1921, Rajan felt she was some angel who had come down from heaven just to fulfill his long-lasting wish of fornication with a goddess. Blood flowed down in a second from all parts of the body to his dear cock to make it hard-erect like the statue of liberty. He couldn't control his emotions and immediately stripped her naked and started shoveling himself into her goddess-like body. Rajan had never experienced such ecstasy before! He came thrice. And still, he wanted it to go on and on. Even she showed an ample amount of enthusiasm towards Rajan's intense desire to be one with her. Something was unique about her. The way she was moaning was more than enough to make Nair cum instantly. And the way she was taking in her hard-rock cock into her fragile mouth was making Rajan reach the climax in seconds. She was caressing his long hard-rock cock with his beautiful lips. Rajan couldn't resist the way she was dominating him. No one had ever done this before. The pure and intense act of copulation lasted a total of one hour. The prostitute went into the bathroom and cleaned herself. After coming out, she started putting on her clothes. Wearing his underwear, Rajan said," I have never been in such an intense inter-course before. You are like some kind of a Goddess of Sex. I would like to meet you again. I will give you as much money as you want. But I want you back. When can we meet again?" She replied," There come such moments in our life where we are happy beyond our imagination. And as humans, we cannot fathom the fact that we can ever be so happy. And because we can be this happy once, we want it to happen again and again. We never learn to live in the moment. We always think about when this moment is going to end and sadness will back envelope us and will we ever experience such a moment again in our whole life. That is why humans can never be happy forever". She starts leaving! Rajan stands there dumbfounded, thinking what she just said. She wasn't a regular prostitute. She was more than that. After she left, Rajan stepped into the bathroom to clean himself. As he started washing down all the semen, he slowly began to feel uncomfortable. Darkness started surrounding him. He started feeling dizzy. He tried to step out of the bathroom and call the room service. But before he could reach the telephone, he struck the floor with a thud. A white foaming substance could be seen coming out of his mouth. 

Chapter two

The Sea View hotel was swarming with police officers in light brown uniform the next day. The hotel was put under lockdown. No one was allowed to leave or enter the hotel. In the morning, the room service had come down to room no. 1921 to ask if the guest would like some morning breakfast. Even after knocking thrice, there was no response from inside. So, the room service person opened the door with a spare key card and went in. The next thing he saw sent shivers down his spine. He immediately ran down to the reception, and the Bombay police were called. As it was a high profile murder case, the best of the best police officers were on the scene. Rajan Nair was a very successful businessman in the city. He had even cut the Forbes list of Asia's richest person. He was born in a low-income family in Tamil Nadu. In search of employment, his family came down to the city of dreams. His father started a small shop of cycle and bike repairing. From an early age of 10, Rajan began helping his father. But, even after the hard work of the whole day, they could manage only 50 rupees. Rajan was transfixed every time he saw a luxurious car passing by. He dreamt of driving it one day. But he knew by repairing the cycle and bikes won't be enough to achieve that. Soon, he started mingling with the wrong kind of people. These people showed him easy ways to make huge bucks. Rajan had found the perfect way of fulfilling his dreams. Slowly, he started smuggling and then diversified into the drug supply. At the age of twenty-two, he became a millionaire. But Rajan's father had warned him that he kept going the same way; it would lead to his death. So, he started to invest in legitimate businesses. He even started his own production house. He opened a lot of pubs in the city. But the past never left him. He was still in the business of drug supply. He would supply it in his pubs. Police were after him for a long time. But they always failed to convict him due to lack of evidence, or even if they did convict him, he would be out on bail in seconds due to his strong network in the government. Rajan had married a beautiful girl and had two sons. He was living his dream life. But here he was lying on the floor with foam coming out of his mouth. In a way, the police officials were relieved to see such a sight. But due to his image in public, they had to find the killer. Inspector Sanjay Raut was in charge of this case. He was surveying the crime scene. From the sight of his clothes being thrown here and there, it was clear that he had sex last night. Sanjay asked the sub-inspector, Mrunal Mehta, to check the CCTV footage of the floor to see who was here last night with him. Then he instructed his colleague Mohan Pandey to call an ambulance to take him to their department's laboratory for the autopsy. After giving all the instructions, he started searching the crime scene for any clues or any evidence that might be of help. He found a strand of female hair on the bed sheets, which he carefully tucked into the plastic as evidence. Nothing was out of order. From the way the body is lying, it can be concluded that he was trying to reach the telephone. No injuries on the victim's body. It's murder by poison. The room service told him that the shower was on when he came in. So he went into the bathroom to survey it. Nothing out of the ordinary. As he turned to step out, he felt a reflection of something on the backside of the glass door. He pulled the door and saw something written in Sanskrit on the wall:

Paritraanaaya sadhunaam vinaashaaya chadushkritaam l

Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge ll

Chapter three

"Are ruko, kaha jaa rahe ho?" The watchman asks instantly as the man enters the gate. As the man came over to the watchman, he realised that the man was taller than him. around 6 feet. Or maybe he was shorter than the man standing over him. The man's body was in quite good condition. It looks like he spends a lot of his time in the gym. His dressing was pretty much average. A polo t-shirt and denim jeans. His face was also an average—perfect combination of dark and fair. But what made him stand-out was his hairstyle. His hairstyle had a kind of seducing feeling in it. It was not your typical hairstyle you see in most adults nowadays. Overall he was a 7.5 out of 10. " Andar jaana hai," the man replied in his masculine voice. " Kyu?" the watchman asked again." Ji mai chef hu", it was hard not to notice the politeness he was speaking with. " Par madam ne toh lady chef ko rakha hua hai," the watchman inquired in his own Sherlock way. " Ha ji, vo meri behen hai. Aaj uski health thodi kharab ho gayi achanak se. Isliye usne mujhe bheja hai", he replied smoothly. " Ek min ruko, mujhe madam se baat karne do," the watchman speaks for the last time. The man observes an exchange of few words on the cordless telephone between the watchman and the madam. The watchman put the phone down and gestured to the man to go in. The man gives a unique kind of smile and walks towards his target. The man knew there was a CCTV camera on the entrance of the door. But it seems that he wasn't afraid of it. He rang the doorbell, and the madam opened the door. " Good morning, madam. Mai Roshni ka chhota bhai hu. Uski health thik na hone k karan Mai aaya hu", the man tries to convince his target. " Par mujhe toh Roshni ka koi phone nahi aaya," the madam replies in her defense. " Vo isliye kyuki subah dawai lene k baad se vo soo rahi hai. Usne bas mujhe kaha ki aaj tu chale jaana because aapko appki morning chai k begair din ki shuruwat karna accha nahi lagta", the man plays his final card. " Ha vo toh sahi hai. Chalo abhi aaye hi gaye ho toh jaldi se ek garma garam chai bana do. Mujhe kaam par jaana hai", the madam replies exhaustingly.

The man enters his arena and steps towards his execution ground. " Madam, sugar kitni chammach?" "Do." The man starts preparing the final drink of Sujata's life. Sujata is a criminal lawyer who has a track record of losing only one case in her whole career. She has saved a lot of people from false accusations. Most of her cases are pro-bono. She has her law firm, which ranks third in the city. Even though she faces a lot of criticism when she takes up a criminal case when she proves the accused innocent, the tables are turned, and everybody appreciates her for doing the right thing. She had a happy family. Her husband is a doctor who is in his clinic right now. She has two sons who are in their college right now. She was reading her morning newspaper while the man was preparing to execute his master plan with clinical precision. The watchman made sure to frisk him before he entered the house. But, the man was one step ahead. He opened his mouth and took out a tooth that was golden in color. He poked it open with a knife and emptied its content into the "chai." He stirred it well and took it in a plate to the madam. He placed it in front of her and was standing beside her. Sujata put her paper down and, for one second, looked at the handsome man standing beside her. His hairstyle mesmerized her.

"Your hairstyle is unique, I must say," Sujata said in her lawyer accent. " Well if you are inspired to be the Gordon Ramsay of India, then you should at least look like him," the man replied in his polite voice. Sujata was amazed at the fluency with which he spoke English. Then she drank the tea. Within seconds, Sujata fainted on the dining table with a thump. And a white foaming substance could be seen coming out of her mouth. Mission accomplished! The man walked out of the door and told the watchman that he was going out to get some vegetables and that the madam had called for him. And the man left!

Chapter 4

The Bombay police department, which was in charge of the Rajan Nair's murder case, had its headquarters in the suburbs of Bandra in BKC. This headquarters was not like any other traditional one that the city used to have before. This was one of a kind. Better to say the first of its kind all over the country. The department had its forensic lab within the headquarters. The control room, which kept an eye over the city, was also housed there. All the CCTV footage around the city would be streamed there. And all the police officers were the best of the best. All the officers were academically brilliant, had sharp minds, and the doctors at the forensic lab were of top-notch. They were also allowed to wear casual clothes to their workplace. In reality, the police department of the city saw the best chance. At exactly 8'o o'clock, Sanjay Raut stepped into the office. He always displayed a disciplinary attitude. So everyone else was forced to reach the office before him. " Did you get anything out of the CCTV footage of the hotel?" Sanjay asked as he stepped into his junior Mrunal Mehta's cabin. " Good Morning, sir! I did. We got the image of the killer. You were right; it's a woman. Here, the printout of the photo", Mrunal replied in her soft-spoken manner. " Did you find out how she arrived at the hotel?" " We asked the security guard at the hotel gate. He said the woman arrived in an auto-rickshaw, which is not allowed into the hotel premises. She also took a rickshaw while going back. And it wasn't the same one." "Okay. Anything else?" Sanjay will always sense if there's anything more. Mrunal smiled and continued," Yes. The reception told us that the woman didn't ask the room number after she entered the hotel. She directly headed to the lift. It means she already knew which room he would be in." " So, what's strange about that? If I am calling a prostitute, then I would surely tell her which room to walk in, would I?" " Wrong, sir! Alas, Rajan was not you! The reception also told us that Rajan was a regular guest of that hotel. He would come on the third Friday of every month for his pleasure time. And all those times when the prostitute came in, they would ask for the room number Rajan was in. That means our killer already knew which room he was in. How?" " Okay, that's something. What do you think about this?" Sanjay always liked to test his protege. " Sir, I think she must have had a chat with all the previous prostitutes. We found out that Rajan would always be in room no.1921. So, I think we should talk to these previous prostitutes to get some lead on this sexy killer!" "Woah!! Do you find her sexy? Naughty! Anyway, I assume you have the printout of all the other prostitutes?" " I do, sir." "Okay, tell Abbas to form a team of two or three and find where these prostitutes work, interrogate them and get me some lead!" "Already done, sir!" " Always a step ahead, huh?" " Aapse hi seekha hai, sir!" " Anyway, I'm going down to the forensic lab to find out what poison was given to the victim. Would you like to join me? I have heard that Dr. Arun has a crush on you!" " Whatever! Shall we go?" " Let's go!" 

" So, I believe you have something for me, which will crack this case wide open?" Sanjay asks joyfully as they enter the forensic lab on the first floor of the headquarters building. The forensic lab was buzzing with white led lights. It had all the latest pieces of equipment that could be of any use. Dr. Arun had done his Ph.D. in forensics studies from America. He came back to India to work with the CBI, but before they could hire him, he was chosen by Sanjay to head his forensic department. Sanjay had immense trust in Arun. His findings had helped to solve a lot of cases within days. But this time would not be like others, he figured! Arun had a dejected and frustrated expression on his face. He spoke with irritation in his voice," Sorry boss to disappoint you, but I am no Freud! I have never seen such a case in my life! It is clear that he was poisoned, but I am unable to figure out what the poison was! There are just no traces of any element of the poison in the whole body. But I know how he died! Once the poison entered his body, it attacked his immune system instantly and his nervous system. They stopped working within seconds, and he collapsed. Simple! And it seems the poison had a side effect. The victim's throat has turned blue. I guess it happened after 12 hours. After he was brought here!" " Bluethroat, as in 'Neelkanth'? Mrunal exclaimed! " Yes, madam," Arun replied politely." So you're telling me that you have found out nothing from the victim's body, like nothing-nothing?" Sanjay asked irritatedly. " I'm sorry, boss, but this time I think I won't be of any help!" " This is the bouncer we never expected, did we?" Sanjay said in a humorously-dejected manner. " Did you find anything else on the crime scene?" Arun asked timidly. "Nothing unusual, just a Sanskrit shloka on the bathroom wall. I guess it was written with a normal blue marker." Mrunal jumped in. " What was the shlok?" Arun asked curiously. Mrunal showed him the photo of the shlok. " Do you know what it means?" Arun asked. " Do you?' Sanjay eyed him. " Fortunately, yes! I have read Bhagavad Gita a lot of times during my childhood. It means, and I quote,' For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil and the establishment of Dharma, I(the Lord) am born from age to age,'". " Allow me to explain," Arun said, looking at the confusion on their faces. " It means that when the evil is on its high and the good becomes weak, to restore the balance of Dharma, god is born from time to time." Sanjay and Mrunal exclaimed to each other. "So, it means our killer thinks she is an avatar of God?" Sanjay broke the silence. "I guess. Boss give me one more day, and I think I can give you some big lead to follow on." Arun says enthusiastically. " Excuse me, sir. A murder has been reported. Sujata Rathore has just been murdered in her house!"

Chapter 5

Varanasi. A beautiful and holy city situated in the north-eastern state of Uttar Pradesh is home to the devotees of Shiva. Kashi is one of the other names for this sacred city. It is believed that Lord Shiva resides here in the form of Kashi Vishwanath along with his counterpart Shakti, who lives in the way of Annapurna. It is a common belief in Hinduism, that if a person dies on this sacred land, he/she is destined to achieve salvation. 

Manohar Joshi was one of the many devotees and a pundit, which is a common profession in the city, used to live here with his family. His father, Anand Joshi, was also a pundit, and so, by default, he became pundit too. He was married at a very early age of 19 to a beautiful girl on his community, Amrita. They had their first after two years of their marriage. Being a pundit, Manohar had created his and his wife's "janam-kundali" to calculate what would be the best time to conceive the child so that the child born will be a boy and will be smart, intelligent and will have a bright future. And indeed, it turned out to be true. The first child, Amrita conceived, was a handsome boy. They named their first boy Arun. Just after a few months, Arun was introduced to Bhagavad-Gita, Vedas, and Upanishads, the epic kinds of literature of Indian history and philosophy. He started reading at the age of two. At the age of four, he enrolled in a local school nearby. Manohar wanted his child to take after him. But Amrita insisted on giving him a good education and let him decide it for himself. Exactly after two years of Arun's birth, Amrita conceived again. Manohar had repeated the whole thing. And this time too, it was a boy. When Amrita saw the face of his second son, she had a feeling that he is special and would go on to do great things in his future. So, they named him Ishva. An anagram of the name of Lord Shiva. A very unique name for a very unique boy! Amrita started taking special care of her second son. She would shower more love of Ishva than Arun. She would always be there to take care of Ishva. She would do all kind of things to protect him from all the bad things. And all these did not affect Arun. He was more than happy being busy with his studies. As years went by, Arun's interest in studying increased more and more. He had read Bhagavad Gita, Rigveda and few Upanishads by now. And he had started reading various authors like Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Bruce Lipton, and likes. He was getting more and more interested in science day-by-day. And he made it very clear that he would not be taking after his father and instead taking up science for his further studies. Manohar was observing all this and was disappointed but Amrita convinced him that it was his choice and they should support him. Now Manohar realised that it would be his second son who would take forward his legacy. That now, Ishva would be the one to take after his father. But, destiny had some other plans, it seemed. Ishva was not like most of the boys. He was kind of shy. Not so intelligent. It would take him a lot of time to grasp what he was reading. And he was always bullied at school. Fellow students would hit him from behind and he would quietly take it all and not tell a soul about it. He was beaten badly a few times. Manohar tolerated all this but there was one thing that he could not tolerate. Ishva would occasionally behave as a girl. He would paint his fingernails and put on lipstick and apply mascara to his eyes. This would make his father mad all the time. He would shout Ishva madly. Sometimes even curse him. One time when his father had gone out on his work, Ishva entered his mother's room. His mother had gone out to buy some vegetables. Ishva started applying nail paint on his fingernails and toenails. He applied lipstick and mascara. He put on bangles and anklets and earrings. He even started wearing his mom's saree. At that moment, Arun entered the house. He saw Ishva doing all this. He said,'' Ishva, what is all this nonsense,huh? Stop doing this and start paying some attention to your studies. Now get out of that getup, dad must be coming soon!" And he went to his room. Ishva stopped for a while and then stared in the mirror. "She" was looking really beautiful. She admired herself and her beauty. She stared at herself for a while. And suddenly his parents walked in! Amrita entered the room and noticed Ishva standing in front of the mirror. For a second, she was lost. She was amazed at how beautiful her son was looking in a lady attire. But soon she came to her senses and started to get him out of that get up. Alas! It was too late. Manohar saw all this. Just looking at Ishva in a saree made him mad to death. He became so angry that he picked up an iron rod lying nearby and started hitting Ishva. Attempts made by mother and brother to protect Ishva were futile. Manohar was not going to take it any longer. He was going to beat him to death today. Within seconds, Amrita went into the kitchen and came back with a knife in her hand. She pointed it towards Manohar and told him to back off. Manohar was so enraged that he was going to hit Amrita on her head. But Arun came in between. Manohar loved Arun in spite of the fact that he did not want to become a pundit. Arun was smart and intelligent. He made Manohar proud. And thus he stopped. And throwing the iron rod away, he slammed out of the house. But not before he said,'' Are isse to accha hota ki tu pet me hi mar gaya hota!" 

Chapter 6

" It looks like the same poison was used to kill this victim too!" Sanjay was quickly observing the crime scene. And instantly something clicked in his mind and he started searching the house like something somehow was left behind by the killer for him. And a quick search of seconds, he found it. Just like there was Sanskrit shlok written in Rajan Nair's crime scene, there was one too. And it was written in plain sight on the mirror attached above the sink in the kitchen. He even guessed that it was written with the same blue ink. But, he was dumbfounded as he didn't know what it meant:

Jatasya hidhruro mrityuh dhruvam janma mritasya chal l

Tasmaadaparihaarye arthe na tvam shochitumarhasill ll

"Mrunal talk to the watchman and find out what did he see and what lead can he provide us, yeah?" Sanjay ordered Mrunal. "Yes sir!" Mrunal stepped out to interrogate the fear-stricken watchman standing at the gate. " Abbas took a sample of this ink and sent it to Arun for analysis. Maybe we can get something out of it! And also take a sample of that foam that came out of our victim's mouth. That might give us some lead about the poison!" Sanjay instructed Abbas. Abbas did the needful. Mrunal rushes in to tell Sanjay something," Sir, I think our killer is not afraid of getting caught!" "What do you mean?" asked a confused Sanjay. " Sir, the watchman told me that our killer, a muscular man who is a chef, probably. That must be a lie I think just to get in the house. Anyway, the killer explained to the watchman that he was the brother of the lady chef who works in this house. The killer told her that she was ill and that's why he came in place of her. And as our victim, Sujata, was getting late to her work, she let the killer enter. And, most importantly the watchman clearly remembers the killer's face. So it will be easy to get a sketch done of him. And secondly, I believe it was the coffee that was poisoned and I think there can be killer's fingerprint on the cup." " That's helpful. Do one thing, take him to our headquarters right now and get that sketch done and circulate it all over the city. Activate our informants and circulate the printout of both the killers to them. I'm sure both the cases are related to each other. And also, take that lady chef's contact number and find out why she didn't come to work today and if she has any brother, yeah?" " Right on it, sir! Meet you at the headquarters." Mrunal left with the watchman. " Abbas take that cup also, it's our most important evidence!" "Sure, sir!" " Manoj, do you have any doubt on someone who might have done this? Someone who envies Sujata or you or is an enemy of you or her?" Sanjay asked the heart-broken crying husband of Sujata's. " She was a criminal lawyer. She has a lot of enemies." Manoj replied slowly and sadly. " I know it's hard but try to be strong, Mr. Manoj. You have your kids to look after. Try to be strong. We will leave now and will let you know as soon as we catch the killer." And the team leaves the once renowned lawyer's house. 

The next day, Sanjay walks in the headquarters at sharp 8am in the morning. He goes straight to the forensic lab, keen on getting some new leads to crack this two high-profile murder cases. "So, do you have something for me this time or not?" Dr. Arun was busy reading some thick book when Sanjay entered the lab. He looked up, kept his book aside and spoke in a calm manner," Nothing from the autopsy, unfortunately. But I have found something interesting related to the poison used in both the killings." "And that is?" " Have patience. Have you read this book?" Dr. Arun held the book he was reading a while ago. " Bhagavad Gita? Nah, I was never interested in such shits. But my dad used to tell me some stories from this big book. They were interesting, though!" " First of all, it's now shit and second they are not stories. They are realities which humans of Kaliyug have started neglecting and avoiding. Only if we were smart and humble enough to read this book, then we could find the true meaning of our life, and stop wasting it in the way today's youth is doing." I'm waiting for the part where you tell me the interesting thing you found related to the poison!" " I'm getting there. The story goes like this. Devas(Gods) were cursed and they lost all their powers. So regain their charm and power they started the churning of the ocean. This would provide them the elixir of life and retain their immortality. But, during this process, a lot of other things appeared. One of those things was a deadly poison, Halahala, which had the power to kill everyone and everything. Lord Shiva came to rescue and drank the poison. To save himself from dying, he squeezed his throat and the poison got stucked there and it turned his throat blue!" " Woahhh!!!! That's some interesting and thrilling story. So, let me get this straight. You believe that someone discovered this mythical poison called Halahala and now they are using it to kill people randomly?" " Exactly!" replied Dr. Arun with the same polite manner as before. " The world is filled with all kinds of possibilities, we just need to look more attentively", Dr. Arun continued. " So, our murder weapon is Mythical poison, first killer is female, second is male, our killers believe they are some kind of God, first victim is a bad person, second is a good person, both the victim's throat turned blue after 12 hours,both the crime had a Sanskrit shlok and we have no lead whatsoever! How the heck am I gonna solve this case like this?" Sanjay was furious. "Yeah, that second Sanskrit shlok! I found the meaning of that shlok too." " And?" " And it means,' Death is certain of that which is born. Birth is certain of that which is dead. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable!" " What the hell!"

Chapter 7

Things were pretty much rough after the incident of Shiva's beating took place. The father and son were not on talking terms. Amrita would try to talk but Manohar would just ignore her, too. He would only talk occasionally to Arun. Ask him about his studies or what his future plans are. Rest of the time, everyone would be silent in the house and it seemed impossible that things would ever go back to being normal. One day, Manohar suddenly asked Ishva to accompany him to somewhere. " Ishva, I would like you to come with me to Mishra Ji's house. I'm performing a 'Puja' for their new house. I want you to learn how it is done. So that you can become a great pundit one day." Ishva and his mother were equally shocked at this proposal from Manohar. They never expected him to talk to Ishva ever again after that mean comment he made. Ishva was still in shock when Amrita came to him and encouraged him to accompany his father. She was hopeful that this might be a new beginning of the relationship between the father and the son. Ishva was still not sure about this. He was having some premonitions that something is not right. But, for her mother's sake he changed into the clothes pundit's are required to wear to such events. The duo stepped out of the house and started walking towards some Mishra Ji's house. The walk to their destination was a quiet one. The duo walked at the same pace. They changed a lot of narrow alleys. Ishva had never seen this part of the city. He was still feeling a little uneasy. After a while, they stepped into an alley which was wider than the rest. At the opening of this alley was a house that looked like a haunted house from a 90s movie. It seemed that nobody had lived in this house for years now. Windows were broken, doors creaked while opening, the floorboards were damaged, no fans were there. The house had lost its touch, the colour had faded. There was no source of light entering the house. Just a small beam of sunlight, which was dim, could be seen entering the house from a hole on the roof. The duo entered the house. Ishva was now feeling insecure and the uneasiness had reached its peak. He started asking questions to Manohar but his father shushed him. He told him to keep silent or it won't be good for him. After standing in a spot for a few seconds, Manohar started whistling. Suddenly, a stranger appeared from the darkness of the house. He was standing a few steps behind where the sunlight beam was falling. Manohar exchanged customary salutation with him and said,'' Sir, this is my child I was talking to you about. He has a strong desire of becoming a female person and I really hate that. I am disappointed that such a person has been born in my sacred house. I'd be more than happy to not see him in front of my eyes for the rest of my life." This came as a shock to Ishva as he stood there listening to his father. He couldn't believe what his own, his very own biological father, was doing to him. He was slowly realising how cruel his father was and to what lengths he could go to destroy Shiva's existence. " What is the age of the kid?" the man asked in a strong voice. " 14, sir! He is raw and ripe for your use. Do whatever you please with him. Uhh, my money sir?" " Here. Count it if you want.'' The man handed a thick envelope to Manohar. The man then reached out to hold Shiva's hand and bent down to see his face. The sunlight beamed of both the faces. Ishva saw the face of the man who was here to buy him. The man had a dark facial complexion and his eyes were typical black. Ishva was in shock yet pondering over the fact that it was in some way a good thing that he would be away from the vicious clutches of his cruel father. He started contemplating his very own existence. He started doubting himself. Is this World so cruel that you can't even be what you want to be? Is it such a bad thing to want to be a female in this world? How can a small body part decide your whole life, what you should be your whole life? It all sounded so disgusting and embarrassing at the same time. He realised that this world is not a safe to be in, anymore. But then, like a flickering of a flame, it dawned on him. He remembered about his mother and the consequences it would have on her. He remembered that the only person ever loved him was his mother. She always protected him and encouraged him to be whatever he wanted to be. She taught him not to be ashamed of his feelings and his desires. She was his only ray of light in this dark tunnel of life. As soon as he recollected all that, he pushed the man with all his force while Manohar was busy counting the pink notes. Ishva ran even faster than Usain bolt. He didn't look back even once. He remembered all the alleys they took to get here and taking those alleys back he reached his home in minutes. He started panting as he entered his house. His mother saw him and rushed to him. She looked concerned. Ishva relayed the events in detail. His mother was taken aback. She could not believe that her husband would steep so low. Her shock instantly turned into anger and at that spot she decided something that would change their life forever. 

She was going to kill her husband!

Chapter 8

When Sanjay entered the office at sharp 8'o o'clock in the morning, the office seemed deserted. Not a single soul was to be seen anywhere. It was difficult to assume that nobody had arrived yet. Because everybody was given the orders to reach the office before Sanjay. He headed straight to his office to call Mrunal and find out where she was. But he never did.

When he entered his office, he saw all his team members standing there surrounding someone and listening to that person. Mrunal saw his boss standing at the door and passed her formal salutation. " Good morning, sir. Chief Minister Sir is here to have a word with all of us." Sanjay immediately realised why the busiest person was here. "Good morning, Sanjay. How are you?" the Chief Minister grinned slyly. " Enjoying every moment of my life", Sanjay replied sarcastically. Chief minister grinned. He knew what Sanjay meant. The Chief Minister had gone through alot of trouble recently to achieve this post for himself. A Lot of political changes were seen, coalitions were broken, new ones were made. And the first thing this 38-years old first time Chief Minister did was to make a special force to make his people feel safe in their houses. Sanjay was handpicked by him. And recruiting all the other members of the team was the task of Sanjay. The motto of this special service was really assuring to the common people:"Equal security for each and every citizen!" But the past few days were proving otherwise. Two high-profile murders had taken place in broad daylight. And the special forces was still unable to procure even a single lead in these cases which had became a hot topics for the press to cover. And the icing on the cake was that the Special service head Sanjay Raut had not even made a single press appearance after the murders. The press was raising all kinds of questions against this special service commissioned by their new Chief Minister. Opposition was also not sleeping. They started attacking the Chief Minister by making remarks like," the Chief Minister is just wasting tax-payers hard earned money in the name of special service, which is not at all special and seems unfit to provide any kind of services." Now the Chief Minister was getting restless. He needed something really good to feed to the ever-hungry media. " I have come to understand that you still haven't gotten any lead on the cases", the Chief Minister broke the awkward silence. " Sir, we are working on it. These cases are not like anything normal. We will need more time than usual to crack this hard nut", Sanjay was spot-on to his defence. "More time? It's already been three days and two high profile people have been murdered and you don't even know the poison the killer used. Mrunal here says that you haven't even identified the killers. Nobody recognises these people. Did they just appear out of thin air, carefully conduct their task and then vanish into the thin air? You are making me look like a fool in front of everyone. You have all kind of technical help, the best personnel, the best infrastructure, what else do you need, huh?" Sanjay was opening his mouth to say something but the expression of the man in front of him, but decided otherwise. The minister spoke again with the same urgency," I am giving you ten days ultimatum. Find me the killers. Or else be killed!" The statement came as a shock as everybody knew the chief minister trusted Sanjay the most. After the stringing statement, the Chief Minister left in a swift. Sanjay gestured everyone to leave his office except Mrinal and Dr. Arun. " Let's try to put the pieces of the Puzzle together. What do we have till kow?" Like expected Mrunal replied," A female and a male killer. Both poisoned in the same manner. Means both killer are related." Dr. Arun took over," One victim is male and one is female. One is a good person and other is a bad person. Looks like the killers are maintaining the balance." " Of Course they are!" Sanjay grinned grimly. " So maybe these killers are brother and sister or husband and wife or something else but they are sure as hell related." Sanjay put some pieces together. He continued," Do we know why they targeted these particular victims?" Mrunal was eager to present a hypothesis," Maybe they did something bad for our killers or maybe our killers just want fame and attention, like psychopaths do?" "Seems convincing", Dr. Arun readily agreed. " So do you have any strategy we could use to catch these psychopaths?" Sanjay was not in action mode. " According to me, our psychopaths would execute more people. Probably in the same manner. So our next victim should be a bad person and a male." Mrunal said. " Spotting a needle in a haystack, isn't it?" Dr. Arun commented. " So our next step would be preparing a list of all the bad people who are male in this city," Mruanl said lazily. At that moment, Abbas knocks on the door," Sorry to interrupt sir, but a murder has been reported in Goregaon. Senior inspector of Goregaon police station Mr. Ashok Nagar has been found dead in his own cabin!." " Seems like we found our next target but late as usual!" Sanjay was already out of his office. 

Chapter 9

She had recently moved in with his brother. His brother lived in a posh area of Mahim. But he knew if she was seen with him, he would be suspected too. He needed to make sure that nobody could link him with her. So he got her a rental apartment in a corporate society in Goregaon West. After a month, she was not settled in properly. One fine morning, she went out to do some shopping for herself. She bought herself a new pair of shoes, new outfits and a few shades. She had just come out of the shopping and was very tired. The city was in it's season of summer and the sun was showering scorching heat. She stopped at a stall to drink a' Masala Chaas'. A refreshing drink to escape the burning sensation of heat. As she was gulping down her much needed drink, a man ran towards her. She was not aware of it. He came, snatched one of her shopping bags and ran away. Before she could even realise what happened with her, the man was lost into the bustling crowd of the city. She tried to run after him but it was of no use. She froze the moment she realised that her wallet was in that bad. It had all her credentials, her plastic money and real money, jer contact cards, everything. The man standing on the stall advised her to go to the nearest police station and lodge a complaint of theft. He guided her towards the police station and soon she was standing outside the place nobody even liked to see. She went in and asked a constable where she can lodge an FIR against a theft. The constable was chewing paan and said in a gibberish way," Sit down, I'll call you!" It was difficult to understand at first but then he motioned her to sit and she took a seat on a nearby bench. Few minutes went by. The constable was pretending to be busy with some paperwork all the while staring at her. After another few minutes, she stood up and went to the constable's desk and asked him," Sir, would you please be kind enough to take down my complaint?" 

The constable fired up and said," Ek baar bolana, samaj me nahi aata kya? Baithi thodi der, bulata hu!" The way he spoke was very rude to her. Helplessly she sat down again. After a while, a senior inspector walked in. While entering his cabin, his eyes felt on the lady sitting irritatedly on the bench. He went in and called the constable sitting outside. He asked the constable who was the woman and he said she wants file a complaint. The senior inspector told him to send he woman in. He would take down her complaint. The constable came out and gestured the lady to go in. She knocked on the door and stepped in. "Have a seat. Sorry for the inconvenience caused to you!" Senior inspector Ashok Nagar politely greeted the lady and even apologised for the misbehavior. The lady was impressed and sat down on the chair opposite Mr. Nagar. " Tell me Ma'am, what can I do for you?" " My shipping bag was stolen. Actually the bag has my wallet in it and it is very important to me. All My valuables are in there. I need that wallet back!" "Don't worry Madam. We'll definitely get it back for you. Come with me. I know someone who has information about every thief in this area. Let's go!" The lady and the officer stepped out of the police station and boarded the police jeep. Mr. Nagar started the engine, accelerated the automobile, took a right turn, then again a right turn and and stopped the jeep under a tree where no one coming or going. " Why are we stopping here, sir?" The lady asked in bewilderment. " See, everyday a lot of cases come here. Murder, suicide, robbery,etc. What I mean is cases which are way serious than yours. Such petty theft cases are of least importance to us. But, seeing you condition,I am willing to find it for you. But to go through so much pain for just a small wallet, I need something in return. You know what I mean?" " Sir, if you need money, once I get my wallet I'll give you all the cash it has!" The lady didn't know the real motive behind such requests. " No,no, money is also of least importance to us. You see, if I'm working so hard for you, I'll get tired and to knock off the tiredness, I should get something that will give me immense joy. Like this!" And the next thing the lady saw was beyond the definition of disgusting. The officer flashed his black small dick in front of her. She now knew what the intentions of the man were. She couldn't stand the sight of such a thing. She pushed the door open and ran away without once looking backward. It was the most horrifying sight she had seen till now. She reached her home. But the key was in the wallet. Thankfully a spare key was always kept with her brother. She called him, he came, opened the door and she narrated the whole incident to her. He was stunned at how low the most intelligent species had fallen! It was that he had never imagined. He thought there was still a little bit of good left in this world. It was heartbreaking for him to see her sister face so many hardships just because she didn't fit in the norms of the society. Even the people who were supposed to protect us were the one doing the total opposite. Even their father was also a part of this cruel society. Her brother knew something had to be done now. He had been a victim of something similar in a foreign land too. The duo decided it was time for everyone to pay for their sins. They realised that humanity was dead now. Only the humans were alive. And they needed to be put to sleep now. And thus began the saga of killing with the ultimate goal of wiping out this whole fucking human race existing without humanity! . 

Chapter 10

It might alert her. Abbas! The door comes down with a loud thud! "Hands in the air, knees on the ground. Do not try to move, don't think of doing anything crazy. You are under arrest Ms. Ishva Joshi for murdering Mr. Rajan, Ms. Sujata and Mr. Ashok!"

"Jai Hind, saab!"

 " Body kidhar hai?" 

"Unke cabin me hi hai, saab!"

"Body ko sabse pehle kisne dekha?"

"Maine hi dekha tha, saab! Maine hi appko phone lagaya! Mujhe pakka pata yehi us aurat ne hi kiya hoga. Vo kuch ek-do hafte pehle bhi aayi thi! Kuch complaint likhane! Saab ne andar bulaya, fir unke saath hi, unki me kahi chali gayi!"

"Abbas gets the sketch artist, and has the sketch ready as soon as possible. Mrunal, let's check the crime scene. Dr. Arun, do you find me something like this, alright?"

"Sure, sir!" 

The trio enters the officer's cabin. 

The officer was on his seat, his head leaning back and a white foam coming out of his mouth. Clearly, the same killer, the same poison. 

"How was he poisoned?" Sanjay asked himself. He then called the constable outside, who was busy in relaying the details of the lady's description. 

"Did you see anything in the hands of the lady?" Sanjay asked, interrupting the process.

"Oh, yes sir! She was carrying a 'Mithai' ka box. That red colour box." the constable instantly remembered.

Then it has to be that sweet through which he was poisoned. The killer probably took the rest of the box with herself. Sanjay was talking to himself. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Arun was busy spraying a liquid around the office to find any fingerprint left by the killer. But, instead his eyes felt on a strand of long hair lying near the victim's feet. He immediately picked it up and kept it in the evidence plastic. 

During this time, Mrunal was talking to someone on the phone. Collecting valuable information. When her call was finished, she came near Sanjay who was still lost in his thoughts. 

"Sir?"

"Ohh, yes! What did you find about our poor victim?"

" Seems like he fits the killer's definition of a bad person. Maybe even worse."

"Tell me!" Sanjay was curious.

" He was one of the most corrupt police officers. Always used to take advantage of poor and helpless people who would come to file a complaint. Money and physical advantage too! He was a very cruel person too. Rumours has it, that he used to torture his prisoners alot. Even worse than third degree torture. He was the opposite of what a Policeman should be!"

" Despite all the facts, we cannot ignore the fact that no one has the right to take justice in their own hands!".

"Maybe sir, this lady killer, she was herself a victim of Mr. Ashok's physical 'advantage', when she visited the station a few weeks back!"

"Still!"

Abbas came running inside. He was panting.

"What happened Abbas?" Sanjay asked.

"Sir, the constable just told me that he had seen shopping bags in the lady's hand the last time she came to file a complaint. I know a shopping mall nearby. Maybe she had gone shopping and while coming back something happened and she came to report that!"

" Seems logical! Go to the shopping mall right now. Take Mrunal with you. Ask the constable what date it was when she came to the station, then go to the particular store in the mall, get shopping records of that day, you might find something. Call me then! Got it?"

"Yes sir! On it."

The constable conveys the date to be 1st May. He remembered it so confidently because it was Maharashtra day and everybody was enjoying a government holiday except them! 

Mrunal and Abbas reached the mall, went to the particular store, and asked the store to get their billing record of that day. They showed everybody in the store the sketch of the lady in question. The manager of the store immediately recognised the lady. 

"How do you still remember her?" Mrunal asked suspiciously.

"Because the way the lady was talking. I instantly knew she had a charm in her and was very rich. I personally showed her around. She did a lot of shopping that day. And the way she was talking was really sweet. It was almost mesmerizing!"

"Enough about the lady! Tell me, did she pay through debit or credit card?"

"Yes, she paid with a debit card!"

"Awesome! Give me the details right now."

After getting the details, Abbas called the bank branch and relayed the details. What he was told shocked him. He got the name of the card holder but the address he got baffled him. Looking at his expression, Mrunal asked him,

"What happened? What did they say?"

"The name of the card holder is Ishva Manohar Joshi!"

"Ohh, cool name. But that's good! We can easily catch the killer now. But why do you look so shocked?"

"Because the address the branch gave is of Varanasi!"

"What???! The killer is in Varanasi! We need to inform Sanjay sir immediately!"

The manager interrupts them and asks," Excuse me, sir. If you don't mind, may I ask why you are searching for this beautiful lady?"

Abbas replied irritatedly," Your beautiful lady is a killer. She has killed three people!"

"What the.....??!!!!" The manager was shocked. 

"Let's go Abbas. Sanajay sir is waiting for us at the police station."

"Sir?" The manager asked meekly.

"What now?"

"If you are searching for this lady then you would definitely need this!"

"What is this?"

"The address of the lady's house!"

"What the hell!!! You had this the whole and you are giving it now!!!!" 

The address was of a corporate society in Goregaon West. While coming out of the shopping mall, Mrunal passed this information to Sanjay and they decided to meet at the destination.

Both the teams reached the spot. They asked the watchman what was the room number of the lady. 

"1921!"

"Let's go boys. And girl too!"

When they reached the house, noise of the news going on the television could be heard from outside. They realised the killer was inside. 

"We should just knock and when she opens the door, arrest her!" Mrunal suggested.

" It might alert her! Abbas!"

Chapter 11

Everybody was gathered in Sanjay's office. And the center of attention was Ishva Manohar Joshi! At last the psycho killer was under their arrest. Sanjay explained her that she was charged with the murder of three high-profile people. Though the blood of second murder was on the hands of a male killer, she was definitely a part of it and thus guilty of it too. 

"So, shall we start the 'Ram katha' of Why and How?" Sanjay was very curious to know the reasons.

"Har ghadi badal rahi h roop zindagi, chaav hai kabhi kabhi h dhoop zindagi, har pal yahah jee bha jiyo jo hai samah Kal Ho Na Ho!" Ishva was singing a hindi melodious tune questioning the existence of tomorrow. Everybody looked at her confusingly. What is she doing? Has she lost it completely? Maybe scared because her time has come. Everyone was already assuming something!

"Aapko kya lagta hai, Mr. Sanjay, kya aap kal ka suraj dekhne k liye jeevit rahenge?" Ishva shot a shocking question.

"What is this, huh?" Sanjay was looking irritated. 

"Kripa kar aap prashno ka utar denge?" The way she was speaking so pure Hindi amused him.

"I... I don't know. But mostly I will. I'm not the one to die so early!" 

"Bilkul satik jawaab! Aap me se kisi ko nahi pata ki aap kal yahah honge ya kahi aur! Yahi toh manushya jeevan ki neev ka mul aadhar hai. Par dheere dheere hum is prashna ki ahamiyat ko bhul rahe hai! Hum apne jeevan ko an-avashyak vastuo me vyatit kar rahe hai! Aapki bhasha mai kahu toh,' we are taking our life for granted and it won't be very late that life hits us with the harsh reality'!"

Everybody looked mesmerized! Sanjay was first to get to his senses!

"Okay, you speak fantastic Hindi. Point established. Now, what's all this go to do with the cases? And please speak in English, just to make sure everyone here understands!"

"You know I wasn't born like this! I mean I was a boy when I was born!" Everyone's mouth fell open! Ishva continued.

"It is so revolting that people judge you on the basis of just one part of your body! If you have it, you are a male and if you don't, you are a female! So fucking outrageous! I mean how can you even judge with that just one thing between your legs, huh? Who the fuck gives the society the credibility to judge a person? If you have a dick you are a man and If you don't, then a lady! I mean, what if the person with a dick wants to be a lady and vice versa? Then what? "

Everybody was paying close attention. It felt like she was hypnotizing everyone.

"I'll tell you what! Society will not accept that person. Why? No reason! We just don't do that here! They will make you feel ashamed of yourself, they will disrespect you, they will harass you, mentally torture you, make you feel so little that you would start questioning yourself! And that is the worst thing that can happen to anyone! This society that you swear to protect is an asshole! And the worst part of it is that my very own Father was a part of it!"

"How?" Mrunal was clearly sympathizing with her!

" He wanted a boy. Someone who could take forward his so-called legacy. My elder brother was very smart and wanted to do something in the science field. So my father wanted a son who could become a pundit like him. But, there I was! I wanted to dress like a girl. Behave like a girl. Act like a girl. He couldn't tolerate it. It was even more disrespecting for him that a transgender was born in his sacred house! He would beat like hell. With iron rods! He reached his height of cruelty when one day he tried to sell me to a man!"

Everybody was startled at hearing these words. They gaped at her in bewilderment. It was not something they would encounter everyday. Yet, it used to happen everyday! 

" The man my father tried to sell me off to was none other than Rajan Nair! Now you know the reason why he killed him! And while we at it, I'd also like to admit to the murder of my father! Actually my mother and I did it together! We hit him on his head with the same iron rod and burned him in his own room and made it look like a suicide. Nobody doubted it because they all knew how disappointed my father was because of me and suicide was a normal choice, accordingly to them!"

" I understand you had a very rough childhood! But you could have always gone to the police for help. That's what we are for!" Sanjay said empathetically.

"Have patience, officers. I'll come to that also! First let me explain the reason for the second murder!"

"Yeah, please!"

" As I told you earlier I had an elder brother. It wasn't that he disrespected me, but he never even accepted me. He would be busy in his own little world. He also thought that my father's death was a suicide. Afterwards, life took its turn, my mother worked really hard to raise us and provide us with all the facilities. She was educated and so she took up a job in a college as a Hindi professor. Years went by, and brother left for America for his further studies. My mother once told me to go through the process of sex change. To truly become what I was from inside! But I told her that body parts don't define who you are! It's your feelings. And she readily understood! She was my only escape in this cruel society! 

"Could you please get to the point?" Abbas was a little restless.

" Dheeraj rakho beta! So, after a while my mother had a heart attack and she died! It was the worst thing of my life. Like even worse than my childhood! It tells us that when life starts to feel like Life, when everything seems perfect and you are the happiest, it's the silence before the storm! Soon afterwards, my brother came back, we carried out the final rites! The strange thing among all of this was that my brother wasn't the same as before. He was changed. He started respecting me, accepting me! And yet he was hiding something! One day I confronted him and the realisation was horrifying! While he was in America, he had an Indian professor who used to teach them biology! Naturally, they started bonding. And one day he called my brother into his office. And.....and...he......raped him!" This was the first time Ishva fell into tears.

"My god!!!" Everyone was taken aback. Mrunal brought a glass of water for Ishva. She gulped it down in a go! 

" And guess what, the man was the husband of Mrs. Sujata Rathore!"

"Holy shitttt! So, you brother killed his wife to take revenge! But why his wife and not him?" Sanjay slowly asked!

"It wasn't my brother. He died way before I started this killing. And I killed his wife because killing him was not going to hurt him as much as killing his wife did!" Clearly Ishva lied about her brother!

"But it was a man who killed his wife!" Sanjay asked, knowing very well it would annoy her.

"I don't think you are much aware of the advancement in fashion and lifestyle!"

" Okay two down, one to go!" Abbas was so restless!

Chapter 12

Everyone took a short break. It was a lot to digest in one go. To imagine someone going through such a horrible childhood, then facing more hardships in life and still life does not seem to get easy, is very heartbreaking! Sanjay looked around to his team. Everyone was dead silent and their face read only one thing: Why? Why does God have to be so cruel? How can he give so much trouble to just one person in just one lifetime? Mrunal looked the most devastated! She was a woman and she clearly understood the pain of another. She understood what it was like for Ishva to live such a terrible life. For an instant, it all felt right! All the killings, all the reasons behind it, everything! She had already experienced that it was not easy to be a woman even in this so-called modern 21st century!

Mrunal Mehta was originally from Pali, Rajasthan! She was born in a middle class family, with her father being a government servant and her mother, a housewife! She was an average student in her school! But she was really good in extracurricular activities. She would always participate in sports, marathons, swimming,etc. Her father observed this about his daughter. And he thought she could make a good cop. She had the required height of more than 4ft 5inch. Her body had good stamina and she was strong enough. She was resilient! Overall she would make a sound candidate for police officer. So as she grew, her father enrolled her in the competitive exams. She worked hard for the exams and cracked it. She was called for an interview and training in Mumbai! Her father was very happy. However her mother didn't look the same. She was against the idea of her daughter becoming a police officer from the start. She thought it was a post for males and females that had no use being police officers as no one would listen to them anyway! And she had to leave for Mumbai, she even protested a lot! But her father was adamant! He sent her daughter to Mumbai for her interview! After a few days, Mrunal called her father and gave the good news. She was selected and would have to spend a month in Mumbai for her training! His father was more than happy to hear this! He even transferred a nominal sum of money into her account! Mrunal was herself very happy to be selected! She never thought of choosing this field but the encouragement from her father was overwhelming! It made her believe that she could do something worthwhile with her life. So, it kinda became her ambition to become what her father wanted her to be! She also thought that it would be the best use of her skills. And when she got selected, it was like a dream come true. But she was also afraid of being alone, being away from her father! She had never lived without him. Yet she knew this is what her father wanted and she as well. So, she wasn't going to give up so easily! 

Mrunal was part of 50 student candidates who were selected in the interview. Only three women were among these 50 candidates. The training was taking place at Marol Police Training Centre in suburban Andheri! Their training consisted of learning discipline, the important laws, the basic process of filing a report and how to handle a criminal. They were taught how to shoot with a state-of-the-art rifle. They were even taught to perform proper and legal encounters. They were given training on how to climb large walls, how to run faster, how to outsmart your opponent, everything there was to know. The training sessions were going very smoothly for Mrunal. She was working hard and was pretty good in all her training sessions. She was impressive for a woman. But, still she faced certain discrimination and sometimes even harassment. When she would complain, the supervisor would ignore it. Sometimes he would joke that a man needs to fulfill his desires! It was very disturbing for Mrunal. She even felt depressed a few times. All the women were regularly joked that they don't belong there. It wasn't their place to be. They cannot compete with men. They should just stick to their household chores and look after their house and husband. The harassment was purely out of jealousy because these three women were better than all the men combined. When the training finished, the recruitment of the candidates began. Head officers from their respective branch would come and recruit the best. This is where Mrunal and the other two women faced a lot of discrimination. Even though they were the best and would Excel in all the tests, they were not recruited. Only males were chosen. Only on one instant, when a lady officer came for recruitment, then she recruited the other two women and one male officer. She would have probably chosen Mrunal too, but she was sick of that and therefore absent for the tests. But it was for her best only. After a few days, when only three candidates remained, Sanjay Raut came looking for a raw, fierce, resilient candidate. He wanted something new. Then he saw Mrunal. She was exceptional. She was better than the rest. He knew that instant that he had to recruit her. She would complete her special force team. 

After 15 minutes of a short break, Sanjay motioned everyone to gather in the office. It was time to know the full story now!

Chapter 13

"So why did you kill Mr. Ashok Nagar? Did he do something with you when you went to file a complaint?" Sanjay asked assuming that Ishva would equally justify this murder too.

"What do you do, officer, when the very people who are sworn to protect you, become the people who you need protection from? You take justice in your own hands!" 

She narrated the whole incident in detail. Her purse was stolen, she went to the police station to lodge a fire, how the constable behaved with her, what happened Ashok Nagar came in, and what happened when she was with him in his jeep! 

"It was so disgusting. How are you supposed to stand a sight like this?" Ishva asked everyone feeling raged.

"I truly believe that your motives behind all the murders are reasonable, but still you are not allowed to take the law in your own hands. Just because one cop is dishonest doesn't mean the whole department is the same. You could have come to us. We tend to all the cases from all over Mumbai. We could have helped you." Sanjay could be seen in a dilemma of charging her guilty or not.

"You are a very brave woman, Ishva. I'm really proud of you. I kind of admire you. Wish I had that kind of courage in me. You have a lot of potential in you. You would have made a brave woman police officer. Just the circumstances made you choose otherwise. I believe what you did was right. But still you could have come to us. We could have helped you." Mrunal clearly seemed to agree with the reason given by Ishva.

"You are wrong! Haven't you heard that God helps those who help themselves? And I am a God myself. How could you fail to notice that my name is just an anagram of the word Shiva! I am his Avatar. Not only that, I am part Shiva and part Shakti! I know you find it hard to believe that a God has taken birth to kill humanity! But isn't that opinion has become a stereotype? This time, the birth is not to save humanity but to save nature, the earth, the universe, and the cosmos from this cruel species of mankind!" Ishva was speaking in a confident and convincing voice.

"That's absurd! God always protects us, not harms us!" Abbas spoke angrily.

"Not this time, my child! Tell me this! How many times did God save humanity, huh? More than 6-7 times. Every Time God came down on this living hell to destroy the rising evil, to destroy cruel people, to protect good from evil. And what did humanity do with all those second chances? They wasted it. They took them for granted! They became evil themselves. Everywhere in the world crimes are at an all time high! So this time God thought otherwise. This time God sent me to destroy this humanity once and for all. You know,' Na rahega baas, na bajegi bansuri!' Ishva looked exhausted now!

"I can't believe that a pundit's daughter is speaking those words. But then I can't blame her too. You had a very difficult childhood. We all here agree with that. Though your brother faced a difficult situation just once, it was not right. And even after that also things kept happening with you. Because of what you are! I understand that we humans are not all kind! Some are bad people. Some like to hurt people. They enjoy that. But that's the way life is. Every coin has two sides! Everyone had two sides. It's up to them to choose! Some choose right and some choose wrong! But we cannot blame them, can we? Let's take you for an example! You killed three people and you think you did the right thing. But there are people out there who think what you did was wrong. It's punishable by law. Now, you fall into the categories of those bad people that we have on the earth. You choose to embrace the dark side of yours! You could have endured it, fought it legally and could have done something useful in your life. In that way you could have inspired a lot of people to become like you. But now, you certainly cannot!" Sanjay's words seem very reasonable!

Everyone went silent for a moment. They let the words sink in. Then Ishva spoke with an eerie calmness in her voice.

"I believe you are right in your place. You have the right to believe so. Because you didn't go through what I did. You father didn't try to sell you off, your brother wasn't raped, you didn't face this heavy shit! But, remember this Mr. Sanjay Raut that the wrong way doesn't necessarily have to be wrong. Sometimes it is the only way. You remember that because what I'm about to tell you will shatter the very foundation of your little kind world. Have a seat!" Ishva was now grinning. He knew he was in the driving seat now!

Chapter 14

"The next murder will be of your mother! You real mother!" 

And indeed it shocked Sanjay! And everyone else too. First of all, what did she mean by real mother? And second, how was she going to kill her? She would be in their custody. What was her plan? Was someone else going to do the killing for her? Too many questions erupted in his mind in a second. But it was just the beginning!

"What do you mean by that, huh?" Sanjay stood up from his chair and looked very furious.

"Stay seated, Mr. Sanjay! The worst is yet to come!" Ishva was grinning. She knew she had got him by the ropes!

"Don't talk in riddles! Just speak!" Sanjay was running out of patience.

"Okay, okay! Have you ever asked your mother where did she find you? Ofcourse not, right? Because you never thought she wouldn't be your real mother! But that's the thing about truth, right? It is what you think it couldn't be! But I am here to tell you the truth and here it is! She is not your real mother! In Fact, they both are not your real parents! You are adopted. Well, they found you on the road, wrapped in torn clothes, in a dirty basket, crying!" Ishva waited for the reaction! She was going to savour every moment of it! But, she did feel pity for this person standing in front of her! He had a childhood that everyone dreams of. His foster parents were rich! His foster father was an ex-army man! He was a man of disciplines and value! And his foster mother was a housewife. It was a sad thing that she could not bear any children! She had a miscarriage once and because of that she was now unable to conceive! They were very upset about this! They deeply wanted a child who they could spend their remaining time with and look after them if they remain alive. Naturally, they turned towards adoption. Appointing a meeting with an orphanage, they visited it to feel the void. 

Sanjay's real parents weren't that rich. Actually they were not rich at all. They were very poor. They used to live in slums. He was their third child. Sanjay's father was a drunkard. He was unemployed. His mother, on the other hand, would do menial works in the day and take up sewing jobs during the night. She worked really hard to feed her two sons and her jobless husband. Ever after working so hard, the conditions never improved. Even being the sole bread-earner of the house, she wasn't treated with respect! Her husband would generally come home drunk and would lash out all his anger and frustrations oh his wife and two small boys. He would beat them furiously. It was a really bad situation for the not-so-happy family. Sometimes, when he was too drunk, he would force himself on her. And being an obedient wife she could not say to no her husband. And even if she did he would nevertheless force himself and get what he wanted. And because of this, she became pregnant again! His mother knew she could not afford another child. The money she was earning was already inadequate to feed the whole family. But she didn't have the strength to kill a life. She was not cruel like her husband. As the pregnancy progressed, she was unable to do even the normal household chores and her husband was getting even worse. She ran the house somehow by using the savings she did from her earnings. Her children would sleep hungry on many nights. And sometimes their father would not come home for days. Those few days were peaceful for them. And then the day arrived. She was in a government hospital. No one was with her. Her children were at home and her husband was probably drinking in some bar. She went to excruciating pain while delivering the third baby. It wasn't like before. But it was worth it. The baby was very beautiful. It was a boy. His smile was really sweet. But her mother knew she could not take the beautiful baby home. She did not have the time to raise another child, while also having to feed two other growing children and a jobless husband. She knew she had to give up the baby. But killing was not a choice before and not even now. She had to do something else. Figure out a middle ground. She stayed at the hospital till midnight. It was a really difficult decision to make. But she decided she would abandon the baby. But somewhere where he could be seen and luckily by some good people. Who might adopt him. But she was still not sure as to where she should leave the baby. She walked towards her home thinking this. She knew she had to do something before she reached home. She would have to tell her husband that the baby was stillborn and died just after a few minutes of the birth. She passed a restaurant on her way back. Suddenly her eyes fell on a car parked near the restaurant. The windows were left open and a lady could be seen sitting on the seat beside the driver. She was in deep sleep. A smile was dripping from her lips. She looked as if she belonged from a good house. She looked kind. She was Anuradha Raut, waiting for her husband Deepak Raut, who had gone into the restaurant to find a restroom. Sanjay's mother instantly knew that she could leave her child here. She knew he would have a pretty good life. She came near the car's window. The baby was asleep by now. She carefully put the baby in the driver's seat without making any sound. Then, after taking a last long look at her son, she ran away with tears in her eyes.

When Deepak Raut came back from the restroom, he was shocked to find a baby, wrapped in torn, sleeping in a dirty basket, lying on his driver's seat. He instantly woke up Anuradha and asked her how the baby came there. She was as shocked as him to see the baby. But soon her reactions turned into a happy one when she realised that what they wanted was gifted to them by God himself in a different way than usual. She then picked the baby onto her arms and cuddled him. When she picked him, she saw a torn paper lying in the basket with something written on it. Seemed like it was his name. Krishna! She was convinced that they needed to adopt the baby. She convinced her husband too. But her husband was doubtful about it. Just when they were returning from an orphanage, a baby being found lying in there seemed a little suspicious. But the happiness in his wife's face made it all go away. He agreed but waited for a while to see if anyone came back looking for the baby. They waited for half an hour and they drove away. Deepak decided that they should change the name of the child. He is getting a new life. He should also get a new identity! Sanjay! Anuradha suggested!

When Meena, Krishna's mother, came back home, she was worried about what was happening to her child! But the worry didn't last long. When she returned, she saw her husband's body wrapped in a white cloth lying on the floor. The two children were sitting beside him. Just staring at the body with no expressions! There was a police officer standing outside the door. Mr. Ashok Nagar explained to her that her husband had taken a loan from some dangerous people and on failing to pay it back, they beat him to death. He said there was no case that could be filed against anyone! But it doesn't bother Meena. She was in a way relieved. But she didn't stand there for long. She ran! Where? Nobody knew. 

She came back to the restaurant where she had seen that car and had left her baby! But the car was no longer there. She had lost her baby!

Chapter 15

"This is bullshit! This cannot be true! You are lying!" Sanjay's tone was teary! It was evident that he was breaking down. It was the most difficult moment in his life. Clearly, his world was shaken. He couldn't believe it himself. But he knew it was the truth. Shiva's eyes were not lying. He tried really hard to control his tears. But this was just the tip of the iceberg! Ishva was determined to kill his real mother whom he hadn't even met once. He started feeling helpless. He began to understand the pain of Ishva. And maybe that was the exact reason why he unfolded this long hidden truth. What was even more shocking was that his foster parents had kept this secret from him. They never told him that he was adopted. Now he could understand why! The more Sanjay was trying to control his emotions, it was getting more difficult to do it!

"You should let it out, Sanjay! That is the best way to clear your mind. You do need a clear mind to protect your mother, don't you?" Shiva's tone was soothing. All the emotions that Sanjay was trying to bottle up, started coming out. He ran out of his cabin. Everybody knew it was best to leave him alone for a minute!

Now, the rest of the people in the room were still shocked. Firstly, at what they had just heard! And secondly, how the hell did Shiva know about this? Nobody except Sanjay's parents knew the truth. So how? 

Mrunal was the first to break the silence.

"How the hell did you know about this?"

"Didn't I tell you before that I am the Avatar of God, combination of Shiva and Shakti? You may not be aware of it but we have such powers!" Ishva was intimidating her!

"I don't believe that! There are no gods! There are only extraordinary people! Superhuman! They achieve such feats through meditation and yoga for years! I believe that! So stop giving me your crap and start speaking some truth!" Mrunal looked furious for the first time during the entire interrogation. Clearly she didn't like someone hurting her boss!

"A magician never reveals her secret!" Ishva started smiling.

The truth behind it was actually something more simpler! When she moved here, her brother helped find an apartment and she finally settled for an apartment in Goregaon! After a few days of being a member of Gokuldham Co-operative housing society, she received a knock on her door! It clearly alerted her. Her brother was at work so he couldn't be here. Nobody else knew the address. So, who could it be? She saw some elderly women from the peephole. She thought it might be the neighbour! Nothing dangerous. She opened the door. An elderly woman, clearly above her 60s, was smiling at her. She spoke very slowly. "Beta, tum yahan naye aaye ho na? Mujhe watchman ne bataya! Mai iss society k sabi gharo me kaam karti hu! Kya mai andar aa sakti hu?" Ishva realised she was just a maid looking for more work to earn a few extra bucks. She didn't want anyone to enter her secret life. But looking at the elderly women and her condition made her feel something which she didn't quite understand. She was finding it hard to say no to her. So she let her in. The elderly woman stated her name was Meena! She lived in a slum nearby. She lived alone. She has two sons, but they both abandoned her and she doesn't know where they are anymore. She had been doing it for her whole life now. It would be really grateful of Ishva to keep her as maid in her house. Ishva was looking very sympathetically now at her. Someone inside of her was telling her to give the job to the maid. At the end she gave in and kept the maid on the job. The maid left with a smile! 

As time went by, Ishva and Meena, the maid, started getting to know each other. She would talk a lot with each other. Since Ishva had no one other than her brother, she found it quite relaxing talking to someone else. In such small talks, the maid spilled the secret! She told Ishva how she had abandoned her third son, how she realised her mistake, how she went back to the place, and she had lost her baby! Now, it was a coincidence but it was a good coincidence for Ishva! Because, for a while now they had been looking into the files of the police officers they would face once they begin their mission! And her brother had stumbled upon this information about Sanjay Raut! He was adopted but not from any particular orphanage. It wasn't difficult to connect the dots! 

Just then Sanjay entered the room! Everybody fell silent. Sanjay spoke.

"I spoke to my parents. They said it's the truth!" Everybody just stared at him.

"So, now tell me, how are you going to kill my real mother by being in your custody?" Sanjay was gaining his calm slowly.

"Well, it doesn't have to be your real mother. It could be your foster mother. The choice is yours." Ishva had too many trump cards in her pockets.

"You will kill no one. You cannot kill anyone!" Sanjay sooke with rage in his eyes!

"I will. Because I'm gonna leave in a few minutes. And you wouldn't be able to stop me. So this is the last thing I would say to you. You'll have till midnight to find your real mother. If you succeed, she will be safe. But your foster mother would pay the price. And if you don't succeed, your real mother would!" And Ishva fell silent this time!

Chapter 16

All the team members walked out of the room. Except Abbas and Dr. Arun, who stayed in to keep a check on the criminal. Outside the cabin, Sanjay, Mrunal and Manohar were standing together. But nobody dared to speak. They knew their boss was thinking something. And probably it was better to not disturb him for a few minutes. 

Sanjay was completely shattered! He couldn't have imagined this even in his dreams. And now, it felt like a dream. Probably a nightmare! He never thought he would have to encounter such a situation in his entire life. Clearly he wasn't prepared for it. But now was not the time to mourn over the truth. Now was the time to take actions. Three murders were enough to convince him that Ishva was serious. She definitely intends to kill his real mother. But how? How could she kill her when she is in custody? Was there something she was hiding? Is there an accomplice she didn't tell him about? It could be! He thought maybe it isn't right to believe whatever she said! They should do their research!

"Manohar, go to the IT department downstairs and get me all the information you can find on Shiva's life. And everything related to her life. Her parents, her brother, his death, his name, printouts of everyone, and all! Go fast!" Sanjay needed to double-check Shiva's story!

Now it was just Sanjay and Mrunal, standing beside a window, both looking outside, afraid to meet each other's eyes! Sanjay had the most important task on his hand right now! Protecting her mother's! Real and foster! But there was only one he could protect! Ishva had said that if Sanjay was successful in finding out his real mother, then her foster mother would die. And if he failed, then his real mother would! He didn't know what to do! On one side, was his foster mother, who, even though not being a real mother, took care of him like one. She gave him all the love of the world. She made a respectable human being out of himself. She never even let him know or even made him feel that he was her own son! He couldn't thank her enough for what she had done. And on the other side, was her real mother, whom he had not even seen once in his whole life. Someone who had abandoned him as soon as he was born. Was it right of her to do that? But she did it out of good conscience! She wanted the best for him. She didn't want him to have a life like his brother. Wasn't that a sign of a real mother? She gave him birth. She went through the excruciating pain of giving him the birth. Shouldn't he be grateful for that? This was the biggest dilemma Sanjay had faced in all his life. Choosing between the two people, who are the very reason for him being where he is today, seemed to break him more and more! 

Mrunal was standing by her side, silent all the while. She was looking at a man who was crying inside, fighting with himself. She knew this was his battle to fight. But she couldn't help herself feeling sorry for his man. This man whom she had grown to admire over the years. She adored his looks. She craved his intelligence. She had never felt so strong towards someone before. Clearly she was developing feelings for this person. But he needed help now. She wanted to out her hand onto his shoulder, look into his eyes, tell him it's all going to be ok. Give him a tight hug and kiss on his cheeks and make him feel better. But she knew this was not the time nor the place to do so. 

"Sir, I know it is really hard for you right now, but if Ishva is right, and if she is going to kill.......one of your dear ones, then I think we should get going. The sooner we act, the faster we will be able close the case and be happy for a while!" Mrunal spoke these words with confidence in her voice so that it would make Sanjay confident too.

"I think you are right. I was just thinking how are we going to find my real mother! We don't know anything about her. Except her name. Meena! We don't know where she lives or used to live, we don't know about her kids, we don't know how she looks, and for some reason, I think she might not even be alive!" Sanjay was slowly gaining his composure.

"Don't say that sir! I would like to believe that she is alive. Wouldn't it be great for you to meet your real mother?!" 

" I don't know! And maybe Ishva is planning on killing my foster mother and this is just a decoy to distract us."

"You might be right sir! But we can't take risks, can we sir? I think we should deploy some of our officers outside your apartment, to protect your mother. And we can go after your real mother. Search her before the day ends!"

"That's a good idea, Mrunal! I'll get Abbas and Manohar to guard my house."

They say Abbas coming out of the cabin and moving towards the water can. They didn't pay much attention.

"But sir, as you said earlier, we don't know anything about your real mother, no information at all. So how are we going to find her?"

That's when it happened!

Ishva came out of the cabin, scalpel in her hand, Dr. Arun in her left hand. Ishva had gripped his throat with her shoulder and kept the scalpel just neat his throat.

"Stay away from me! Everyone stay where you are. Don't try to make a move. Don't try to be smart. Or you will lose your precious doctor. Abbas stands with them. Common hurry. I haven't got all day and I have a job to finish!"

"You are making a big mistake, Ishva. Leave him."

"Don't you dare to step ahead! Stay where you are. And give me the keys to the office. Right now!"

"We don't have the keys, it's with Manohar and he is not her. Ishva, listen to me, don't do this. You are just making it worse for yourself."

"It already is! Now give me the goddamn keys! I won't ask again.!"

There were two keys to the office. One stayed with Manohar, because he used to come first and one stayed with Sanjay! 

"Okay, okay. Here. Just don't do anything to him!"

"Dr. Arun, pick up the keys. And you better not try to do anything stupid!"

Dr. Arun bent down to pick up the keys. Ishva bent with him. All the while the scalpel didn't leave it's place.

"Do not try to move. I'll fucking slit his throat. And it'll be on you."

Ishva started moving towards the door, with Dr. Arun. They reached the door, closed it and locked it. She gave the scalpel to Dr. Arun and said,

"Sorry for that. Now, let's go! We have got work to do!"

Chapter 17

"Mrunal called Manohar right now. Tell him to open the door." Sanjay was fuming with rage in his eyes. How could he have let this happen? How could he be so careless? He let a killer get away. And with one of their own as a hostage. 

"Abbas, what the hell was that? How the heck did it happen? You better have a good reason or you will have to find a new job tomorrow morning!" Sanjay's rage was nothing like ever seen. This was the first time he was so angry. 

"Sir, she said she wanted water and there was none in the glass. So I came out to fill the glass and Dr. Arun was there to keep an eye on her. I don't know how it happened, sir. I am really sorry, sir. I shouldn't have stepped outside. It's my fault, sir! I'm really ashamed of myself, sir! I'll do anything to make this straight!" Abbas's eyes were swelling up with tears. Sanjay could see he was really sorry. And he couldn't have done anything about it. But he was in no mood to forgive anyone. After so much hard work, they had catched the killer and now she had escaped from their very own headquarters and was on the run. It seemed almost impossible. He was already thinking about the consequences of this huge mistake. He could not possibly let this get out in the press. It would be a huge shame for their team and their department. 

"Mrunal!!!? Did you call Manohar?!" Sanjay's voice was enough to send shivers down her spine. She had never seen him so furious. But in a way, it was all reasonable! This man had just learned that he is adopted and the killer is going to kill his real mother. His anger was justified! 

"I did, sir! He is on his way!" Mrunal could not even look into his eyes and speak. 

Within a few seconds, Manohar was at the door, inserting the key to unlock the door! He failed a few times to put the key into his right place. His hands were shivering. He knew something big had happened. Atlast, he opened the door! Sanjay was sitting on a desk, with his fist clenched, resting on the desk, his eyes all red. He came near Abbas and asked him what had happened! Abbas quietly relayed the events to him. Sanjay was listening to everything. He waited for Abbas to finish. Once he was done, Sanjay spoke,

"Abbas went downstairs, asked the watchman if he saw anything and checked the cctv for any lead and reported back to me as soon as possible!" Sanjay's voice was strangely calm now. No one could possibly say that he was enraged just a few moments ago! Sanjay was indeed a strange personality!

"Sir, I have got the report here. Everything related to Shiva's life. All is there in the files!" Manohar was eager to show him his work!

"I don't have time to read it. Just give me the highlights." Sanjay was quick in his statement. 

"Yes, sir! Sir, whatever Ishva told us so far about her family is indeed true. Her father was a pundit, her mother a Hindi professor, her brother did go abroad for studies. Her brother's name is Arunav Joshi. And there is also a police report about her father's suicide. Which she said is not true. But that's what they made everyone believe! Her mother did die of cancer. Here's the medical report! Only thing that does not fit in is her brother! She said that he also died. But there's no medical record of that! There is no social profile of her brother. What he studied is also unknown. Here is his photo! I even called the local police station. They said that they knew the Joshi family very well. Because of Ishva and her father! They said that there's a record of his brother coming back from abroad but within a few months after that he went missing. Ishva didn't file any missing reports, but there were rumours everywhere. He was never seen after that!" Manohar stopped to take a breath and gesture that he was done. 

"So our killer was telling the truth. Only the missing piece is her brother, Arunav! I think maybe he is alive and he is helping her somehow. She did say that he was a victim of rape! Maybe he's helping her to take revenge! We need to find him. And I think he is here in Mumbai! Manohar, do one thing, circulate this photo in every local police station and order them to send out a search party for this man! We need him immediately!" Sanjay was back in his game!

"Right away, sir!"

As Manohar walks out, Abbas walks in! There was a touch of fear on his face. He spoke,

"Sir, the watchman saw Dr. Arun leaves with his car a few minutes ago. He also saw Ishva sitting beside him! He said that sweat was trickling down Dr. Arun's face. His eyes were crying for help. He might be in danger, sir!" 

Chapter 18

"If he's in danger, then we need to move, now!" Sanjay spoke with an urgency in his voice. "Abbas did you check with the control room about the location of Dr. Arun's car?"

"Yes sir, I did! But the location tracker of his car seems to be off! We don't know his exact location. But, fortunately we know where his car was last seen." Abbas had a bit of a smile on his face. He was eager to tell them what he knew. 

"And where was that?" Mrunal couldn't wait.

" He was seen entering the Bandra-Worli sea link. Luckily, some of the cameras installed at the toll center still work. He is for sure not going towards his home!" 

"Ishva must be taking him straight to my real mother's house. She is not going to wait till midnight, it seems. We need to catch her before she kills her. Abbas, ask the control room if they saw his car leaving the sea link." Sanjay was on his feet, ready to move as soon as they got any lead.

"Sir, as I said earlier, we were lucky enough that the CCTV at the entrance gate of the toll center was working. But not all the CCTV works in this city. Some are just showpieces. We should not believe too much in the government!" Abbas's statement brought a grin on Sanjay's lips. 

"Okay, but there are other cameras. Some of them might work. Tell the control room to check the footage of all the nearby cctvs and find the car!" 

"Right away, sir!"

Mrunal was standing silent. Sanjay guessed that something was bothering her! 

"What are you thinking, Mrunal?"

"Sir, I still don't understand one thing. We believe that Shiva's is determined to kill your real mother. But her trademark is killing through some unknown poison. Probably a mythical poiy, according to Dr. Arun. So I don't understand this. When we brought Ishva she had nothing on her. And nothing on her when she left, too. Because we don't have such poison hiding in our closets. And she didn't go back to her house. Instead, she is heading directly towards your real mother's house to kill her. So it's hard to believe that she still somehow managed to keep the poison with her. And if she doesn't, then the question is, how is she going to kill your mother?" Mrunal had learned quite a lot from her mentor!

"Yeah, I didn't think about that! But maybe someone is already waiting for her at the destination with the poison. And when she arrives, she will take the poison and kill my mother. And I think that someone might be her brother! That's the only possible explanation!"

Abbas comes running towards Sanjay and Mrunal.

"Sir, the car was last seen heading towards Dharavi, Asia's largest slum. The car is not seen leaving Dharavi."

"It means my mother lives in Dharavi! Oh nooo. We need to move now. It is going to be hell of a ride to find them!

Their car entered the Bandra-Worli sea link. Seeing the camera, they were sure that it won't be long before Sanjay and his team found them! Arunav was quiet throughout the ride. This was something they had not planned! They had swore not to kill any innocent people! And now here they were, heading to kill an innocent person! Arunav couldn't believe his sister! Did hatred blind her to see the difference between the good and the bad people? Was she so much consumed by hatred towards humanity, that she didn't seem to care now? This was not the person he had made the whole plan! This was not the agenda of their plan. This was out of question from the beginning! Now, Arunav started having doubts. Was he right to support his sister? Was he right to be part of her plan? Arunav was looking at her through the corner of his eyes when Ishva spoke looking out of the window,

"I know what you're thinking. So let me clear all your doubts and suspicions! I am not going to kill her!"

"What??? But back there, you said you were going to kill her! You even gave him a choice to protect one of his mothers? Please enlighten me!" Arunav looked dumbfounded!

"Just believe me when I say this, I am not going to kill her! I'll tell you everything afterwards! We need to reach there as soon as possible! 

"As you say, boss! But remember, if you decide to change your mind, I'll not let you take an innocent person's life!" Arunav was adamant like his sister!

"Sure. You can kill me if you like! But for now, tell me you have got that red potion, I told you to get?"

"I do! But...... never mind. You won't explain anyway. It's in there." 

"Thank you, bhaiya!" The love between the siblings was immense!

"We are here!"

"Then let's get to work!" And they headed toward Meena's hut!