Crime Control Squad

Chapter 2

The aroma of coffee filled the meeting room, as Vedant, Vikram and Sagar took their places around a long table. The office was stationed on the 4th floor in the government offices building. A common room containing cubicles for the officers, a technical room, a meeting room and Vedant's cabin comprised the branch office. One side of the common room wall was filled with memos and newspaper articles. The cubicles of the officers were filled with papers and files surrounding their computers giving the perfect busiest workplace look.

"Where is our Lady?" asked Sagar mischievously.

"She will be here at 8 am," replied Vedant sipping his coffee. Sagar looked unhappy with the discrimination. "So what have you got for your wife?" Vedant asked Vikram.

"Nothing yet, Sir..." replied Vikram annoyed with himself. "I don't know what to get..."

Sagar laughed. "When are you going to learn Vikram?"

"Stop laughing and give me an idea? I want to get something which I haven't got her before," said Vikram. Surprisingly, he had grown close to all the members of the team within a very short time that he had no qualms discussing his family with them.

"You have got her everything!!! There is absolutely no option left. I mean...Come on...11 years of anniversary gifts and around 15 years of birthday gifts...What's left?" exclaimed Sagar laughing.

"Leave it...I'll get something myself," snapped Vikram irritated at the non cooperation of his colleague friend. Sagar smirked. "So what are we sitting idle for?" asked Vikram impatiently.

"We are waiting for Charith to get the files," replied Vedant patiently.

Vedant and Vikram were poles apart. Apart from the two extremes of anger they respectively belonged to, Vikram was too impulsive for Vedant, yet that was the quality Vedant trusted more. Vedant's responsibilities included that of keeping his seniors updated and answering to their diverse questions. Vikram's actions had always put Vedant in a lot of situations where he couldn't give a proper explanation. Vikram had never cared for his unpredictable actions as he believed he was right all the time. But the spark he carried was the prime reason for Vedant to put him in charge of several investigations even if that would put himself on the firing line. His belief was to stand by his team and let them work according to their own style without any pressure from anyone. There had been heated arguments between the both, but somehow both of them had managed to find a common ground where they understood each other's point of view. Vikram, deep down, considered himself blessed to finally have a leader like Vedant. As for Vedant, he knew Vikram would make a great leader one day when he would understand the need to tone down the aggression.

A knock on the door followed by "May I come in" informed the men in the room that Charith was finally ready with the files.

"Come in!" said Vedant. "How many times have I told you to enter the room directly? We are a team, team of equals."

Charith gave an embarrassed smile. At 24, he still couldn't believe he was working for the IPS, and in the special branch. After his training, he was directly posted in this branch and hence this was his first team and his first job. He had been in awe with all his team members and couldn't hide it from his face. He had definitely mellowed down compared to his initial days, yet he had been having trouble to consider himself an equal to his team members. His task was to provide information on the victims and the suspects, filter the details and present them to his team. Handsome but shy, he had always been the centre of jokes for Sagar. Yet, Sagar was the one he felt comfortable working with, with whom he didn't feel too intimidated.

"Are you ready, Prince?" asked Sagar. The door opened.

"Good morning everyone," wished a sweet voice. "What have we got?"