Dhaula Kuan

DJ's Mansion.

Zoya tiptoed towards their bed and slid back into the warmth of Loki's arms as he snuggled her close to his chest. As Loki buried his face in her soft tresses, she smiled happily.

Suraj Chacha was right about one thing though, she admitted grudgingly. No matter what Loki says, he still can't be trusted to go against his big brother or even his mother. She had to do this on her own and get them out of this rut. The sooner they are back in New Jersey, the happier she will be. Her Dad assured her that the case against them had been nullified to a great extent and he would definitely find a way to get them back to Jersey safely. But first, they need to get out of this hell hole. Would Loki hate her for doing this behind his back? But what choice did she have? Every time she came up with ideas to solve the muddle they were in, she was silenced and compelled to listen to boring and sentimental arguments. She had enough! It was time to take things in her own hand now, and make sure Loki toes her line, just the way he used to, back in Jersey.

Zoya's agitated mind finally slumbered to a peaceful lull.

****.

Safe House, New Delhi.

"... while all this is going on, DJ would be too busy protecting his men, and I will take out Loki. All you have to do is be my look outs and warn me about..."

As Sharmila and Monty heard Victor's plan, their faces turned anxious.

"What! Victor, are you sure about this? This is too dangerous," Monty began to protest, but stopped himself as he watched Victor's hardened face.

"If you are not willing to be part of this, it is fine by me." Victor said curtly before turning his gaze towards Sharmila. But to his frustration, he found her looking down, rubbing her arm tenderly.

Victor's anger diffused and a sickening feeling erupted inside. He should not be relying on these two rookies for his plan. They both have already suffered enough. Especially Sharmila.

But now that he opened up to them, they won't leave him alone. Perhaps it is time to get into his old self. The cold and ruthless agent is always a safe option. It would be best if he did this alone or with the help of... his thoughts were interrupted again by Monty.

"When did I say that? But to do something so dangerous on our own without any backup, is too risky. That's all. What is the guarantee that..."

The rest of the words never left Monty's mouth as Victor thundered, "What is the guarantee? There never is Monty! This is what we have to deal with everyday in our jobs. We plan meticulously, and take risks and if things don't work as per our plans, then we need to ensure we have alternatives to fall back on. Wasn't it too risky when we had to get Tanvir in that Dhaba? Or Gulshan in the warehouse? Still, I did them on my own or at least attempted to do on my own till you guys started butting in. I don't want to hear any more objections. I can do this alone."

Sharmila realised it was time to intervene as she watched Monty's face turn red.

"Of course they were risky. Which is exactly why we are wondering why you want to attempt this Victor? Where is plan B or C for this? And to think that you are going to put your family... " Sharmila's firm voice faltered as Victor moved closer to her and she saw the streak of the hitherto ruthless agent back in him.

Victor gulped and looked away as Sharmila's eyes searched his face eagerly.. He took a deep breath and smiled, even if it didn't reach his eyes.

"You guys don't have to keep reminding me that Loki is my family." His sardonic remark added to Sharmila's frustration.

"Hahaha very funny!!" Jishu clapped from behind, making Victor wince.

How could he forget Jishu's nosy habit of listening to everything he said.

"You know Victor, most people don't know how funny you can be.... it is one of your hidden talents." Jishu moved closer to Victor and wrapped his frail arm around Victor's broad shoulders.

"Jishu please stay out of this." Victor rasped, and moved away from him towards the stairs.

"Oh really? Since when did you get to boss me around like this? I am not your junior like these two poor souls who are trying their best to be helpful, even after everything you put them through."

"To call Sharmila just a junior to Victor would be an insult to her." Anosha joined them from the kitchen, and smiled sweetly at a flustered Sharmila, before turning towards Monty. "And Monty... Monty has been nothing short of an angel, who helped all of us during this ordeal. Get off your high horse Victor!" Her casual tone failed to fool him.

Victor groaned inwardly as he let off a long sigh and turned around to face all of them, hoping his posture looked casual and relaxed enough.

"Look..." Victor began

"Oh we are... and you look as handsome as ever, even in your grumpy mood. Am I correct Sharmila?" Anosha made sure her face was devoid of any expression as she faced the already flustered agent.

"Anu shut up and listen to me." Victor growled, cursing himself to be at the receiving end of his clever friends.

"Yay!!! The real Victor has finally come out!" It was Jishu's turn now. But no one was laughing anymore.

Sharmila exchanged a worried glance with Monty before turning her gaze back to the man they still feared, in spite of working closely with him all these days, and who at the moment seemed ready to explode.

As much as she admired the ruthless and brave Victor whose loneman missions were legendary, she didn't want him to go back to that phase again.

Not when he had just begun to open up to her as well as other team members, and trust their judgement. If they put too much pressure on him, he might withdraw into his safe shell. It was time to take a step back and be patient .

She took in everything, right from his flushed face to his rigid body posture and waited.

Victor fisted his hands momentarily before loosening them.

"Jishu, please don't make this more difficult for me than it already is. I mean no disrespect to you or Anosha but I was just... " he raked fingers through his thick hair before turning to Monty.

"I am sorry Monty, I shouldn't have lost my temper. You both are too new in the job to be going on such dangerous missions and I fully understand that. Trust me, I can do this on my own and I will too. And as Sharmila said, I will make sure I have alternative actions in place in case my plan does not work out. I was only..."

"But Victor I want to help and so does Sharmila." Monty protested loudly.

"What is the alternative ? Why are you so reluctant to share it with us? You should know by now that we are never going to let you do this on your own. Victor please..." Sharmila spoke softly.

Their eyes met briefly before Victor turned his face away.

"Because.. Because I don't like it very much. I would rather not go that route at all if I can help it. But, if I have no other choice..." The desperation in his tone made Sharmila forget all the frustration that was bubbling up inside her till then.

"Victor, spill the beans! NOW ! Whether you like it or not, we ALL are going to help you come out of this, understand?" Jishu declared.

As if to symbolise the ultimatum in Jishu's voice, Victor's phone beeped and he quickly checked the message. His brow cleared and he took a long breath and exhaled, as if coming to a decision.

"Fine then. In case we fail in our first plan, we will try this other method. And when I am done explaining, you will know why I hate it."

"Everything is fair in love and war Bro.." Jishu tossed a cushion at Victor as he sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him, inviting Victor to sit.

But it was Anosha who joined him on the couch while Sharmila and Monty occupied the lounge chairs.

Victor remained standing. He pushed his hands deeper in his jeans pockets as he scanned all their eager faces and began to talk.

Two days later...

5 PM,

Delhi Cantonment Police Station

Dhaula Kuan.

ACP Mihir Tiwari was trying hard to control his jubilation and look nonchalant, as he discussed the pending cases with his team of Sub Inspectors and Constables. Finally, his dream of catching the notorious don DJ was becoming a reality. Ever since he got transferred to Dhaula Kuan, he had been itching to catch that bastard. But most of his colleagues as well as superiors were under DJ's thumb and made sure that his name or record never even entered any police files. He is simply referred to as the Bhai!!! His name never crosses the lips of his colleagues. He is the white elephant that everyone knows but never dare to talk about.

He wondered, again for the umpteenth time, how the Intelligence Bureau got to know about DJ and built a case strong enough to arrest him from his "Adda"

Well, he was not complaining!! Ever since he got a call from Mohsin Khan explaining how IB wanted to join hands with his local team to arrest DJ, he was on cloud nine. And then to get a call from the big man Ajit Doval himself was just an icing on top. He knew what a precarious situation he was right now in. To keep this operation secret till the last moment so that none of DJ's henchmen get a whisper of it, and still be able to mobilise a team ready is going to be like walking in a minefield.

But still, he was glad to do everything he can for this to be a success.

He knew that two of his Sub Inspectors are completely trustworthy and so are two other Constables. Mohsin and Sunil from the IB will be there too along with some back end support. IB were also trying to get Anti Terrorist Squad involved to get their commandos to join the operation, but they were still waiting for clearance. As Ajit Doval wisely said, if a six man front end team backed up by four other IB agents and commandos from ATS can't arrest DJ safely, then the whole operation might be aborted all together.

He went through the motion of listening to updates on pending cases from all the team members before calling an end to the meeting.

He casually asked his trusted Inspectors and Constables to stay back and then swiftly explained the plan of action. He sighed a breath of relief once they all agreed to join, and more importantly, not let this information get out to anyone else in the police station.

He told them all to go home, have an early dinner and sleep to be back at the station at 3am

*****.

7PM

Safe House, New Delhi.

"Yes Di. Please listen to me just once and don't go anywhere. Don't you have packing to do? I know it is very hard to stay confined to a place but we don't have much choice right now, do we?" Sharmila heard Victor's pleading voice as she walked towards the kitchen which was filled with the mouth watering aromas of Chinese herbs and spices. He was busy stirring the gravy for the Gobi Manchurian Curry in the hot pan while speaking over his mobile tucked in between his shoulder and ears.

She signalled to him and took over the stirring so that he could speak freely.

He thanked her with his eyes and walked away towards the backyard as he spoke again,

"Give the phone to Maa, I have something to say to her."

As Sharmila added the fried balls of Cauliflower into the gravy, she was at least glad of one thing. Even if she got stuck on an deserted Island with Victor, she had nothing to fear. He would make something edible and tasty to eat out of any ingredient.

The last few days were nothing short of a bliss for her, both on a personal as well as professional front. She knew that not one single day with Victor would be anything less than extraordinary and she was right.

She and Monty had spent most of their time listening to Victor's tips and suggestions to improve their sleuthing skills as well as developing strategies to know about the weaknesses and strengths of their potential enemies. But it was their stolen moments in the night that filled up her heart with content and craving for more. That first kiss was nothing... Her face reddened involuntarily and she knew it had nothing to do with the steaming pot in front of her. She lowered the flame of the stove and gulped down a glass of water.

She was pragmatic enough to know this was a temporary bliss before Victor moves to a different safehouse, if they fail to catch DJ and his gang soon. Keeping her selfish interests aside, she felt really happy when Doval Sir informed them that a new safehouse had been arranged for Victor's family. But Victor being Victor, insisted that he will be moving them himself instead of taking help from the agency, once they finish their operation of arresting DJ.

And Tonight was the night!

Their team was finally going to Dhaula Kuan to arrest DJ. Sharmila sighed inadvertently. She knew that keeping her identity as Misha secret was crucial, but what was the point? It is not like Loki or Zoya would be going back to the apartments any time soon. But still... she had to obey orders and stay put in the SafeHouse, while everyone else was going to risk their lives in the operation.

The back of her neck tingled. How does this guy manage to enter a room so stealthily, she wondered. Her being extra sensitive to his presence was certainly helpful, but damn!

"You will be joining the team very soon, don't worry." He spoke in a low voice, as if he knew what was going through her mind. Even though he was a foot or so away from her, his presence and words made her feel warm.

She took her time, turning off the stove and checking on the Curry and the Fried Rice.

As she turned to face him, and a small smile spread on her face unknowingly.

"I know it won't be long but I feel anxious thinking about you, and I mean all of you!"

Victor's eyes lit up before his face turned placid again.

"If we do arrest DJ today and we get to interrogate him, I want you to join me. I can teach a few techniques on how to extract information from reluctant sources, although my methods are not strictly official." He added wryly, and Sharmila shook her head with a chuckle.

"I bet they are not... No thanks, I would rather do things my own way."

****.

2 AM

Delhi Cantonment Police Station

Dhaula Kuan.

As the team of ACP Tiwari and his men began picking up their guns, bullets and bullet proof vests from the station officer Vikas Mishra, the sleepy and somber atmosphere in the station suddenly changed. ACP Tiwari's mobile buzzed, and noticing that it was a call from Mohsin Khan, he gave brief instructions for the whole team to assemble in the parking lot and walked away to answer the call.

Vikas Mishra noticed that the Sub Inspector Prashant filled out the register but left the mission details blank.

"What is all this hush operation about Saheb?" He eagerly asked, only to be stonewalled by the SI and his constables.

"Mishra ji, we can't say anything right now. When we handover the guns back, I will fill up the whole thing." Prashant curtly replied and left the station, leaving Vikas Mishra in a slightly resentful mood.

****

3 AM

DJ's Mansion.

Even though the air conditioner in his room maintained the perfect temperature, DJ found it hard to sleep that night. He tossed and turned for a long time before he got up. When he was young, his mother would always give him a warm glass of milk on a restless night like this, and that would make him fall asleep immediately. His mother knew how to make him feel better, no matter how stressful he was. She would redecorate his room or buy things for him even before he knew he needed them. She protected him as much as she could from the wrath of his father and had always been his pillar of strength. As he grew older, he took on the role of protecting his family but to his mother, he was always her Dhanno. To think that she plotted against him and Loki all along, to help Victor escape in Goa was still hard to believe. But it was the truth. And no matter how bitter the truth is, he had to accept it.

DJ closed his eyes and took a deep gulp.

Perhaps she felt obliged to help Victor as she cared for his family and her daughter!! The very thought of his sibling agitated him so much that he began to pace the floor. No... Don't go there, he tried to control his distracted mind, before coming to a still in the middle of his room.

DJ tiptoed to his mother's bedroom and opened the door slowly. As he watched her mother sleeping peacefully, he felt content. No matter what their differences are, he would always protect her and she would always take care of him. With a smile, he walked back to his bedroom and lay down on his bed, feeling at peace.

3AM

Outskirts of Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi

Three bullet proof vans entered the ring road while the fourth van turned into the bus lane as they slowly made their way into Dhaula Kuan.

ACP Mihir Tiwari and his team were in one of the vans while Mohsin and Sunil in the other. The Commandos in the front van were leading the way.
Sub Inspector Prashant along with a team of constables were in the fourth van which turned towards the bus lane to enter the sleepy suburb from the back end.

As Mihir watched the deserted roads through the tinted windows from the back of the van, the radio in their van crackled and Victor's voice came through.

"All set guys? The CCTV footage from the Ring Road gives us all clear. Just hundred metres ahead, take a right turn and then proceed for another block before turning left. We have a blind spot there in a small lane as there are no CCTV cameras but once you go a little bit further, we have complete visibility"

"Thanks Victor, everything seems okay here." Mihir replied back.

After driving for a few minutes in the decided route, their driver suddenly halted their Van as they entered the small, blind lane.

"Why did you stop?" Mihir snapped, but their driver mutely pointed to the sight in front of him.

The Van carrying the commandos also had stopped ahead of them.

As his eyes moved in the direction pointed, his eyes were filled with shock and he became speechless.

The radio crackled again, making the constable next to him almost jump.

Sub Inspector Prashant's anxious voice confirmed his worst fears.

"Mihir Sir, I can't believe what I am seeing right now. Is it ...?

"Yes Prashant, I think we all are in the same situation."

******** 

^====================^

Apologies once again for the long delay in publishing the update.. I have no excuse to offer except to say I almost lost the motivation to continue. This story is so so dear to me even though it never had much readership like the romance novels I wrote before. But many readers who were with me in the beginning, encouraging me to continue left it halfway or recently.

Writing is hard and lonely vocation. You need every support you can get to keep writing.

And I hope to do that and finish this story which has reached its climax now.

To all few lovely readers who still love this book, Keep reading and thank you for sticking with this story. Deeply grateful to your love.

Sesi