An Imperial Affliction

Chapter 33- The world breaks everyone

The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are stronger at the broken places.

- Ernest Hemingway

"How come you didn't ask why the Magician is a male and not, a female?"

The question was suggestive in a lot different ways. While one part of her brain, the cop part which loves to solve puzzle and goes after criminals based on barely there clues was already tearing apart the words, the rest of her body and soul can only chant one thing.

No. No. NO NO NO!

"I don't understand." She answered flatly to his earlier question, but it sounded pathetic even in her own ear. No wonder even Rahane looked disappointed.

"You don't, or you don't want to?" He retorted, exhaling slowly, "You can already feel it, can't you?"

She looked away, her left foot tapping impatiently midair.

"You really want me to spell it out for you?" The otherwise sharp words had no heat. She would go as far as to say he was being gentle to soften the blow, "It's him. The Magician."

"No." She whispered quietly.

"He is back, is not he? He never died." He exhaled once again, "Don't you think his timing is spectacularly co-incidental to everything that's going on around us?"

This time, she looked up with fresh anger, "No." She repeated, this time her voice forceful. Getting up from her seat in a flash, she raised her voice an octave, "What you think is wrong. The Magician, or whoever the hell you are chasing you right now, it's not him. I don't know how . . . "

"I tell you how." Rahane interrupted her, "While he was being recruited, Magician was directly in touch with Nasir and Haqqani. Haqqani never met him, but Nasir was constantly in touch with him. He was the one who helped him to come onboard, leave his former life, get settled in a new place. Neel Sahaay's death investigation . . . "

"Don't you dare." She threatened, lowering her voice.

" . . . led you directly to Johny, and to Nasir when all other roads were closed." He went on, "Tell me it never crossed your mind, because I know it had. Or else you would not be so hyped up right now."

"I am hyped up?" She glared, "You are sitting there and making all these assumptions in air . . ."

"It's not assumptions." Rahane also got up on his feet, "All roads led to this one point."

"It's a ton of horseshit." She replied stubbornly, crossing arms over chest. They stood there in silence, glaring at each other.

After a few beat, Rahane opened his mouth once again, "He contacted you, right?"

"How . . . " She trailed off, the next moment her eyes steeled, "Director told you?"

"Commissioner Ram." He answered, "I didn't just come here with speculations, Riya. I have evidences."

"No. What you have is bunch of circumstantial evidences and co-incidences."

"Okay." He nodded once, "So how you explain his sudden appearance then?"

She had no answer to that.

"Why he faked his death? Why he never contacted you? Why he is here now? Why he needs your help to escape country?"

"He said . . . " She started, but he cut her off.

"Yeah, bad guys were after him. Putting himself in front of you as a victim." He ran fingers through hair before starting again, "You know how Nasir got wind of Magician?"