Teri Lakeerein

8. Her Search

Rays of sunlight illuminated the room, but the atmosphere continued to remain grim. Hands clasped tightly behind her back, and jaw set rigid, Haseena Malik didn't blink as a presentation of pictures continued, on the screen ahead of her. Standing at the end of a long desk, on whose either side were seated DSP and IG, Haseena watched the scene, filled with blood and horror.

"SHO Malik, the man you are seeing here is SHO Vikrant of Madgaon, and that's his team- IG sir paused and corrected, "-was his team".

The tragedy wasn't lost on Haseena as she looked at the photo of SHO and his team, post winning the inter-station cup. They all looked so happy, and full of life.

She bit her lips and dug her fingers deeper into her palm, behind her back.

They had been robbed of that life, and that too very brutally.

She forced her eyes to watch again as SHO Vikrant laid there covered by dirt and blood, his throat sliced, and his right forearm separated. Another picture showed two of his constables, both women, lying on the ground, each perforated by at least 3 bullets.

They were caught unaware, in the night and murdered in cold blood.

Haseena shivered, and looked away from the presentation, her eyes starting to prick.

DSP immediately switched off the presentation and turned to her.

"SHO Vikrant was about to get promoted, both in his professional and personal life. Constable Bubbly was about to get married, and Constable Seerat was preparing for departmental promotional examination. All of them were such talented people", he sighed.

Haseena didn't nod in acknowledgement. She had known loss and could feel it cutting into her again.

When she had received his call last night, at worst she was expecting to deal with thugs who had dared to defile the wall of police HQ. But in the last 8 hours, a major tragedy had come to pass that she could've never thought of. Three police officers had been murdered on their night patrol and one had been kidnapped.

"And sir, what about the missing SI?" She asked.

"Ah yes, SHO malik, he's the reason you were called here. At the same time when these murders happened, SI Suresh was kidnapped from a night club where he had been visiting with a friend. His friend had filed a case in the nearest station and that's how the report reached us".

Haseena picked up the sheet that was forwarded towards her and swept her gaze over it.

'Taken by a white wagonR from the parking of Crown club. An unidentified person was driving the vehicle, their face covered'.

She then picked up the PD that was slid towards her and looked at her seniors.

"Haseena Malik, we are assigning you with the rescue mission of SI Suresh", IG proclaimed.

"But sir, wasn't the report filed in another station. I, of course, am more than happy to help but- She stopped, confused.

IG sir roused from his seat then and walked to the laptop, to which the projector was connected. A few clicks later, Haseena looked over his shoulder to see a man's photo being displayed on the screen behind him.

"That's Lallan Thakur. Barsoya village chief, and most probably the orchestrator of this entire fiasco, the kidnapping and the killings".

"SHO Vikrant was investigating a medical scam, Miss Malik. And he had gathered evidence that pointed to this man being one of the prime players. However, Lallan Thakur's stepsister, Raziya Sharik, who has a steady foothold in politics, had all the evidence erased and the case closed. That was some 2 months back", DSP added.