Hello, Mr. Major General (1)

Chapter 195 - The Price Of Being With Him

“Where is Devika Gandhi?” Deepak was now in full interrogation mode. “Mr. Gandhi, are you sure you want to pick a fight with the Special Operations Forces?”

Rahul was the Prime Minister’s son, but he was not his father, not by a long shot. He “worked” in a consulting company, but his position was entirely superfluous and he spent most of his time idling at his desk. He was powerless in front of Deepak; in fact, Rahul was even less
qualified than Sidharth’s head orderly, Harsh.

Rahul wanted to say something, but he saw Deepak’s face darken and immediately forgot how to speak. He could only stare helplessly at Deepak, and at the
soldiers that had set up a perimeter around the Prime
Minister’s residence. He finally realized what was happening: the Gandhi family was at a disadvantage. They had to hand over Devika, or risk losing it all!
His father, especially!

“She… she’s in the backyard… in the parking lot,” said Rahul between clenched teeth. He pointed to the back door.

“Thank you, Mr. Gandhi.” Deepak relayed what Rahul had said into the mouthpiece of his headset: “The target is in the rear parking lot of the Prime Minister’s official residence. I will be there shortly.”

“Understood.” Harsh and his team were already lying in wait outside the Prime Minister’s official residence, near the back entrance.

…

Devika, wrapped in a fur coat, hurried after her mother to the rear parking lot. Her eyes were red and puffy.

“Go, Devika, and don’t come back.” Mrs. Gandhi’s eyes were
also red from crying. “I shouldn’t have gotten those photos for you. I didn’t think they would cause you so much trouble…”

“Mommy, don’t cry. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry.” Devika was afraid, and the fear coursing through her had finally snapped her out of her obsession with Sidharth. But it was too late—she had messed up, big time. Even if she were able to get out of the country, she would never be able to return, and she knew that she would never again fantasize about getting together with Sidharth.

She had pretended to be Sidharth’s fiancée while on a
mission in Europe. The mission had spanned six months, and she had fallen hopelessly in love with Sidharth then. She had assumed Sidharth felt the same way about her. Many of their predecessors had eventually gotten married after pretending to be a couple. But Sidharth was different. As soon as they finished their mission and returned to the India, Sidharth
immediately dropped the act and refused to have anything to do with her.

She had wept, thrown a tantrum, and even tried to commit suicide—there was still a deep scar on her wrist from her failed attempt to take her own life. She had virtually lost her mind over Sidharth.

Her father was the Prime Minister, but not even the Prime
Minister could force Sidharth to love her. Huo Shaoheng was a military man, after all, and reported directly to General Rawat. Prime Minister Gandhi was powerful, but he wasn’t powerful enough to influence General Rawat.

In the end, Devika’s parents had been left with no choice but to secretly engage someone to help them get a copy of the confidential prop photos taken during her mission with Sidharth, so she would have something to remember him by.

She had laid low abroad, under an assumed identity, and the photos had been her sole pillar of support over the last several years.

Devika was consumed with regret. Her years of wishful thinking had gone up in smoke overnight, and she had probably dragged her family into the mess.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I won’t do it again.” Devika held onto her mother’s hands as she dissolved into another round of weeping.