An Imperial Affliction

Chapter 12- Facing the past is a good thing

Sometime, facing the past is a good thing. It shows you how far you have come.

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Sometime, the world just hates you. There is no apparent reason for this, a bad hair day, stumbling on your feet in a room full of people, saying insensible things, meeting someone you would rather not . . . shit happens.

ACP Mukherjee was struggling with her fate in the bad-day-the-world-hates-me category, as she along with rest of team entered a fancy looking bar for interrogation a victim's whereabouts. Apocalypse.

"The slogan should be for this place - Party till the world ends." the crime journo chimed in, keeping her voice low.

"Why, beautiful, that is exactly the motto of this place." A man, no more than in his mid thirties, dressed perfectly in white shirt and jeans, with a flirty smile and too much gel in hair, replied, appearing out of nowhere. Almost every men rolled their eyes, and Second in command Rawte was vaguely interested as ACP Mukherjee groaned beside him, frowning at her.

"ETF." Sameer took out his ID, "we are here for interrogation of a girl, who attended your annual party. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course." the man grinned brightly, no fear or hesitation that law enforcement was on his steps for interrogation, "always at your service."

"This is exactly the moment I realize I dislike Mr. Too-much-gel." Chotu whispered to Shree beside him, to which the IT head chuckled, covering it with cough. The man's eyes were on them, and even though he knew nothing, he winked, earning a WTF look from Sameer.

When the man's eyes fell on ACP Mukherjee, his smile vanished and eyes widen, then came a choked disbelieve, "Ri Mukherjeee! Is that you?!"

Almost everyone turned to look at the person, for starters, she and someone with winks and flirty smiles and perfectly iron shirts and too much gel? So not match. Secondly, an owner of bar? Another non-match. Thirdly, what's with the nickname?

ACP Mukherjee looked as if she would like nothing but to leave, or punch the man (it's always so hard to tell with her), instead she looked right back to the man, as usual, with a wry smile and sarcasm, "Oh yeah, that's all me."

"OMG!" the man exclaimed, taking steps toward her so fast and invading her space that Rawte had to jump so he won't collide with him. The man totally missed the murderous look on his face or stunned expressions on others as he asked, "It's been so long! How are you? Where were you? What happened to your wardrobe? Why you are with them? Are you with the girl?"

She continued to give him the look, "Work. Let's catch up later." which totally said that's not gonna happen, like, ever. The man seemed to understand that tone.

"Don't think just because it's been years I will forget that tone of yours." he frowned, then grinned, "well, it's good to see you. You look so much more se . . . " he never completed as she interrupted.

"Work." she repeated. The man nodded, but then frowned again.

"Wait, you with them?" he was surprised, and it's the understatement. Beside them Rawte finally had enough.

"Why do you think she is with us, then?"

The man looked back and forth between them, apparently her linked with ETF is unfathomable to him. then he gave up, "I am so going to find out about it." to which ACP Mukherjee rolled her eyes, dismissing the conversation.

ETF found a dead body some 4 KM away from the bar, the tattoo of the bar on the girl's wrist. She was sexually assaulted, and drugged, which are usually the factors in these type of cases. But the thing was, the drug found in her system, it was not regular one. It was a curious mixture on chemicals, on which Liza working as the Team interrogates in Apocalypse, searching the place and asks people around.