Shravan stepped into his father's study. ..He was still trying to come to terms with his father's death. ..His father's murder,he corrected himself. His face flushed with anger. ..

  He had got the news on the same day when suman was handcuffed at Maitri. ..He was shattered and the word wouldn't describe how did he feel. ..

   Ramnath was shot at his forehead. ..the bullet had been travelled to the other side. .

Shravan shook his head , his body was  trembling not less than a earthquake. ..

    He overlooked the study. ..it had been ransacked. ..completely it was a  mess;books and files had been scattered all over the ground but none of the other rooms seem to have been disturbed. .it seems they were searching for something specific. ..something they thought was in the study. ..

   The strange thing is, nothing had been stolen except ramnath s laptop. ...

   There were so many questions in Shravan's mind. ..

The killer  had breached the security without  any obvious sign of break in. ..in this case,did papa already know him. .?

Why  he always chose to live in this secular farm house. .? Did he work for any secret mission. .? If it's, why he didn't share it with me. .?

  "Papa. .."

Shravan cried out loud to see the chalk  markings that were done by the crime dept. ..He softly touched the floor and talked to the mark.

" Papa. ..I hadn't even talked to you when I saw you last time. ..I didn't touched you. ..I didn't hugged you. ..I miss you papa. ..I became an orphan now. ..no one is there with me. ..you're the sole boat in my oasis. ..i miss you papa. .."

   He mumbled repeatedly and lounged at the floor. ..His world swirled into darkness. ..

'Papa '

In his mind he reached for him. For just a moment, in the oasis of his memory, shravan was with him. .He was twelve  years old. ..

" Papa... papa. .one day, I will be an officer like you. .."

The kid shravan imitated ramnath. ..

" haan beta. ..I wish the same. .."

" I am scared of the army recruitment process. ..will I get through. .? "

Ramnath laughed beside him. ..

" Beta. ..if you don't, then who will. .listen. .you've all the powers in your genes. ..the thing is , you had to find out. ."

Shravan   looked him amused. ..

" I already have. .? "

Ramnath held Shravan's hand ...

" yes. ..you are inbuilt with the qualities of a commando. .."

His eyes flashed back. ..

Satisfied shravan grinned. .. hugged ramnath and ran away. ..

  Shravan's eyes let down fresh set of tears. ..His father had been equally playing his mother's role too. ..ambitious, gentle yet strict approach. ..Always, they had been discussing about the patriotism and national security. ..He never thought himself apart from his duties. ..

  A form of guilt exasperated shravan. ..He thought that he had failed to safeguard his father. ..

  He recalled his sudden demise, his neck vein pulsated to recall his brutal murder. ..

   Of course, ramnath had been the headlines of many news channels, describing in their own way. .the local police personal arrived and forensic procedures were done. ..

  Shravan had little time to recover from the shock. ..He had performed the funeral rites that  morning, which was attended by very few people. ..

     Shravan was at feeling of lost. ..He was brought back by the mobile ring. ..it was a private call. .

  He took the call baffled  ..

" hello. ..shravan malhothra here. .."

His voice was feeble. ..

" home minister. .here "

Shravan's body stiffened at once. ..

He stood up steadily. .

" sir. .."

"  sorry boy, I knew how it would feel to see your father murdered. ..so sorry for that man..."

Shravan couldn't hold his tears. ..

" sir. .."

Despite of his best efforts, his voice cracked. ..

" shravan. ..I want to disclose a secret with you. ..ramnath was my bestie and he was under a secret mission. ..i can't tell you everything over phone. ..for now, I appoint you to take over his duties. ..this would be a chance to find his murderer. ..I will meet you shortly. .."

" my pleasure sir. .."

Shravan felt asif his veins were infused with new energy. ..

" you  could be anywhere in the world, I won't let you live. .."

Shravan punched the table, outrageous. ..

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     Suman was officially lost. ..her dream of having her own family came true, and at the very next second it was broken into pieces. ..she even didn't know the reason why she had been pointed as a criminal. ..

She didn't bather much as she felt alive only because she breath. ..her world with ocean and micro organisms had vanished and she was in a prison. ..the truth killed her ruthless. ..

Her wish to die under ocean had been turned to die as a traitor. ...

A traitor. .?

  The word  almost tossed her. ..she didn't want to die with the name. ..she had been living for the country. ..

The fighter mode rose up. ..she wanted to talk with someone. ..she badly needed a chance to explain her voice. ..

But, she was in a secular cell where no one allowed to see her. ..

  Suman looked around. ..her hands were free. ..to take a note, it wasn't like a normal prison, it resembled like a medical unit. ..a bed at the corner and a study table at the side. ..a militant nurse visited suman at intervels and checked her vital signs. ..her right leg was secured with a splint to minimize movements. ..

     " Miss. Suman Tiwari. ..you had to undergo a surgery to take off your tibia fixation. ...we need a guardian's signature in concent form. ..Mr. white, of your department would arrive soon to see you. .."

The nurse informed suman monotonous. ..she left without bathering her to answer. ..

" Mr. white. .?"

Suman's  expectations to speak with someone who really cares about her descended down. ..

Mr. white, was one of her directors in charge at the nanotechnology lab when she was acquainting physics at the begining of her career. ..

One day, he tried to misbehave with suman and she gave him a tight slap without bathering the consequences. ..ofcourse, he didn't disclose until now. ..

"But, why he's coming to meet me. .? Yes, who will come for this poor orphan who had been stamped as a traitor. .?as I  told, my life is a mystery and who cares if I die. .."

Her  lips curved into a sad smile. ..

She didn't mention her  orphanage anywhere  as she didn't want to disturb the other dwellers. ..she thought to meet someone at her department , and Mr. White's arrival was  unexpected. ..

    " suman Tiwari. ..."

Mr. white laughed mysteriously. ..

Suman hung her head in deep sorrow. ..

" you slapped me on that day. ..right. .?"

He touched his cheeks asif he remembered her slap even then. ..

" so, he came for revenge. .."

Suman stood silent. ..

" tell me one thing, you are not a type of ordinary girl. ..no greed on money. ..promotions. ..physical company. ...none of them. ..but, how you got to the terrorist group. .? "

He paused, suman didn't even looked at him. ..

" leave it. ..that's not my headache indeed. ..they told me that, if the surgery hadn't done faster, you will be blown. ..I mean, you're loaded with the detonator I guess. .."

  Suman looked up swiftly and she now understood the point. ..

" suman. ..leave the past. ..there's no one to sign in the consent form for you. ..without the signature, they won't do surgery. ..let's go for   a deal. ..i will sign for you... as a  favour, what would you give me instead of my timely help. .?"

He smiled disgusting, looked into Suman's eyes eagerly. ..

Suman looked up with firing eyes. ..

" I  dont mind to die with the name of traitor ...never, ever thought to use a woman's weakness. ..this would be a lesson for you until you die. ..."

" thuuuud. .."

She slapped him hardly ...

Her eyes were staring at him with tears, still ablaze. ..

" well said  suman. .."

Suman turned to the voice. ..her face bloomed at glee for the first time,  after three days ....

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Hello friends, yea, I had been late. ..so sorry for that. ..and hope you like this chapter. ..let me know your views. ..do have a good read. ..don't forget to vote and comment. ...

Thankyou @Remose10578 for reminding me for the update. ..the thing is, I was caught up with weather and I felt sleepy because of the medicines. ..that's why it took time. ...

Thank you guys for your patience. ..let's hook up for the second phase which I think you will like it. ..

I would love to hear from you. ..vote and comment. ..

Love,

Arulpirai. ..