" I have assigned him to love you"

Suman held the bedframe as her feet staggered....

She  clenched her eyes in utter disbelief....In a wink , everything turned to dark...she shook her head and bit her lips...

The days she had spent with Shravan rolled over her mind... Her breath went deeper and she leaned over the wall...

  But....why???

She looked at Neeraj determined....

" Suman... listen to me... don't get tensed... you're not well..."

Neeraj grasped her shoulders securely...

" Papa...do you think I will be hurted even more?!?! I was dead the moment I saw him in that situation...you have murdered me again now...nothing more than that...!!!"

Sarcasm rumbled in her words.....

Neeraj sat beside her...

Stroking her head fondly, he looked into her eyes...

" Beta...I can understand what you are going through with...but, do you believe that I will harm you in anyway...?"

She didn't reply....

Neeraj stood up and poured coffee into the cup... He rendered it to her...

     While she was neglecting him, Neeraj huffed and placed the coffee mug on the side table...

" Suman...if you believe me , join the duty tomorrow and you will get to know everything..."

Saying so, he left the room...

  Suman sat still....

Something had happened!!..I believe papa ...I should know what was the connection he had with Shravan.... I must join the duty to find all the answers...

Thoughtfully, she sipped the coffee...

______________________________________

" Miss Suman Tiwari here by joining the duty sir..."

She told and stiffened to a salute to her higher officer...

  Neeraj accepted her salute with a slight nod....

" Happy to see you miss Tiwari...how you are doing now..?"

" Fine sir...fit enough to handle the case sir..."

" Take your seat..." Neeraj ushered her the chair...

Thanking him, she sat down...

  " Shall we talk alone...?"

He pointed the policemen who were standing outside the room...

Neeraj smiled to her silent...

" .. why don't we have the talk in the canteen?"

Now, she couldn't negotiate him...she was talking with her higher officer...

   Nodding, she stood up...

The canteen was barely crowded as it was morning... Neeraj asked for two coffees and preferred a corner seat...

  "Beta... would you like to have samosa?"

He asked , forgetting the situation..

" Sir... let it be professional...it would be better, if you share the case details "

Suman... you're still angry with me...but, I am your father..and I know how to pacify you...

Neeraj cleared his throat...

" Then, fine Miss.Tiwari...let me handle the  case alone... it's highly confidential and I thought beyond me, you would be next best choice...but I think you are not associating with the parallel investigator...so,I will transfer you to some other case..."

He said, looking her face...

" What...?". She huffed...

"Papa... don't play with my emotions... I need to know everything... everything from the beginning..."

She bored a deadly look at him...

" I know Suman..for that you have to trust me..."

He pleaded softly...

She fought back with the tears...

" Papa....who would I trust other than you...? "

Beyond her best effort, tears filled up her eyes...

He grasped her hands firmly...she could feel his hands trembling...

" Thank you beta... now, it's our duty to know what happened with Shravan..."

She sat straight as though she was ready to listen everything...

     Gulping down the coffee, he began...

" Suman...I think you remember the day when I had secret meeting last time in our home..and you were asking about the new officers... They're ISRO officials...and there the case started..."

"ISRO? How are they involved with Shravan...?"

She was shocked....

" Suman...you have forgotten... Shravan was a undercover techie who was working for ISRO..."

She nodded...

" Yes...I remember..but, he told me that he is going to be appointed in ISRO"

" Yes...that was the open statement to others outside the department...."

" But...why I wasn't informed about this?...and why did you asked him to love me?"

Her investigative mind questioned everything...

" Beta... it's highly confidential which was related to our country's reputation...and , we needed someone to be a bridge between me and the ISRO as we were not in a position to rely on the satellite communication even.... Shravan was the main player in the case and I wanted the first hand information from him...so, I thought a plan of you and his friendship... whenever he came here to meet you ,we had discussed the progression of the case..."

" But... you both met naturally and you had become friends as I have planned...but, the love....it was the unexpected one...which I never thought about"

She hung her head.... He let out a deep breath and continued...

" On that day, he came to our house...he told me everything that he loves you...he requested that he would finish his mission and will resign the job...he wanted to marry you and wanted to live a peaceful life with us"

  She was sitting like an idol so far and she couldn't hold her to hear about Shravan...

He wanted to marry me...! He wanted to live a peaceful life with us...!

She broke into sob....

" Beta...it's not the time to cry.. let's go and meet shravan..."

Meet Shravan?!?!  What do you mean?!?!

She looked him baffled...