The breaking news of the attempt-to-murder on the renowned billionaire Karan Luthra was spreading like a wild fire all over the city of joy, Kolkata. He had been in the news for the past few weeks after he had won a huge surplus of monetary grants from the United Kingdom for his efforts behind building his empire of casinos all over India. His friends, foes and customers aka gamblers had been rnning behind his fortune since then, resembling a wild goose chase.

Karan Luthra, the handsome gambler turned casinos' owner, approximately of the age of twenty eight was surviving on ventilator in the City Hospital for the past three days. He had been shot with two bullets, one near his right shoulder joints above the chest and the other on his left limb below the knee. The doctors had been trying in every possible way to help uplift him from the danger while his fans kept their hopes alive for his survival.

Karthik Ghoshal, the head of the
National Security Department
whose headquarters is in Kolkata, had been Karan's well wisher since ages. The only undiscovered truth behind the security head's concerns was the secret profession of Mr. Luthra. Karan had been working as an undercover agent under Mr. Ghoshal for the past four years to unravel many heinous crimes and nab notorious terrorists who threatened to ruin the country's good image.

Mr. Karthik took even a keener
interest to solve the case of the vile gunshots, looking to hire someone honest to unravel the mysteries as well as get Karan cure of his ailments. He somehow needed to save one of his bravest cops and also the imprisonment of the mastermind behind the atrocious crime.

Mr. Karthik had been trying hard to outreach someone who
could nurse Karan during his medical emergency and also fulfill his secret mission. The mysterious case was incorporated into several
loopholes with almost no clues
left behind. The police and the
enquiry team were already on the lookout for evidences whereas Mr. Karthik tried carrying out his own investigation furtively.

The huge media lashed out to
him when he was waiting at the
doorsteps of the city hospital to pay a visit to his ailing secret
agent, falling prey to random
interrogations arbitrarily.

"Sir, you are the security head. What do you think who might be behind the crime?" One of the
reporters shot his question at Mr. Karthik.

"We're not sure and are still in the lookout for the culprit," Mr. Karthik was able to utter only those few words, his pitch low.

"But Sir, we have never seen you visiting anybody personally. You've always sent your officers
elsewhere. Why is it that you are
here for Luthra Sir, and most
probably for the first time?" an
another journalist asked him.

"Do you know him personally?" many questions kept on flying in air to reach his ears.

Karthik was trying hard to avoid everything cleverly and compose everyone by controlling the situation, but disrupted in vain. Public had swam in huge numbers outside the hospital.

"Karan has been my client
since years and holds an immense trust on me. I can't let him be alone during his hard times. No more queries please." Mr. Karthik shook his head in a fit of dilemma.

He paved his way inside taking the permission from the policemen. They had already made arrangerments for a high profile security to guard the hospital against the crowd and prevent other doubtful activities.

Inside the lounge of the hospital,
doctors informed Karthik that they had shifted their patient
Karan Luthra to the intensive care unit and that his condition was critical.

"In any case he is needed to be
saved. We can't afford to lose a
gem like him." Mr. Karthik's face
turned grave.

"How can a gambler be a gem?"
Mr. Karthik heard the families
of other patients speaking to
themselves.

"He owns casinos but that doesn't mean he is a gambler. He has been funding many NGOs and other organisations which are meant for the poor. He runs casinos to drain black money from the rich and to distribute them among the needy." Mr. Karthik snapped at them in his gruff voice.

_________

Later during the day, the doctor
who was handling the case of
Karan paid Karthik a visit
after a long stretch of two hours
and spoke to him ina confined
corner of the hospital's corridor.

"We conducted the surgery
successfully without much
hindrance but the patient is still
sinking. We will keep him under
observation for a few more hours and supply blood if required. Do not panic" The doctor moved inside the operation theatre again.

By the evening, Mr. Karthik
received the permission to visit
his patient. Karan was finally
shifted to the general ward from
the ICU. His health conditions had improved after the fiendish
operation.

He went near the bed of the
hospital ward where Karan had been positioned to talk to him. Karan was lying with his operated foot stretched onto a sling to hold it firmly while the
upper half of his body had been
bandaged carefully.

"Well and good, Karan?"
Karthik asked him while brushing his palm across his loose wrist.

"I don't feel better anyhow, Sir."
Karan tried adjusting himself
on the stretcher.

"Don't try to move in any way.
That won't do any good either."
Karthik shifted the pillow closer to Karan.

After a few minutes of prominent silence, Karthik finally broke it. "Have you seen the one who attempted the attack on you?"

"No I haven't, otherwise he
would have been dead by now."
Karan's stern reply pleased
Karthik. He was not at all disappointed with the confidence that Karan still possessed even after the dangerous attack.

"Compose yourself, boy. It
isn't so easy to get hold of the
murderer. He has been escaping
from the cops for the past one
year. We need to lay a trap to
catch him next time." Karthik
nodded his head, getting worried immediately.

"And how are you going to do
that?" Karan asked him,
furrowing his eyebrows.

"Leave it to me, Karan. Just
know it that I am your well-wisher and I will choose the best thing for you. Recover quickly so that you are out of this dingy place very soon." Karthik gave him a light pat on his arm before walking away.

_________

Seated at the working table in
his cabin early the next morning, Karthik was pondering deeply over something. "I am not sure whether this will be the best plan but I can at least give it a try. I am sure she wont refuse to my proposal."

Reaching for his smartphone in
his breast pocket, he gave a call to someone. He fixed an appointment with the receiver on the other end which was scheduled for the same evening. A pale smile prevailed over Karthik's face as he patiently
awaited for the day's meeting in
great anticipation.

_________

To be continued...

_________

izmaahmed17
Hey! Raushni this side. I remember, once you said that you love mystery and suspense genre.
So here you go with this one.
Hope you liked it.
♥