Sharmishtha came down after few minutes. Mr Roy and Rohan were waiting for her down in the restaurant. "Over here," called out Roy. They were sitting at a round table in the right corner. Sharmishtha took the empty seat. "So, can we discuss this trip properly now? You rarely shared any information when your assistant was here. Why do you need her anyway?" asked Roy. Sharmishtha felt a bit uncomfortable. She was not expecting this question. "It's not like that, it's just she has nothing to do with this," said Sharmishtha awkwardly. Roy was about to speak when Rohan interrupted him, "She is not your assistant right? Also, that was not the appropriate answer. By the way, congratulations on the wedding."
Roy almost jumped from his seat. "What wedding?!" he asked in surprise. Sharmishtha did not look much surprised. She grinned at Rohan and replied, "Thank you. It's only been six months. Yes, she is not my assistant. She takes care of me."
"You miss him, right? I bet he is rich!"
Sharmishtha was about to reply but Roy yelled out, "Wait a minute? You got married?" interrupting her.
"Well, yes. It was a small wedding. Both of us have been busy so, we didn't have a reception. You seem surprised."
"Of course I am surprised! You got married!"
"Well, yes I did. What is so wrong about that?"
"Nothing...nothing at all. It's just..."
"What?"
"I thought you didn't quite get the idea of marriage."
Sharmishtha smiled and in a deep lowered voice she replied, "Well, I still don't...you know it's just I am happy. He feels like home you know."
"I would like to meet this guy."
"He said he will be home by this weekend so maybe I will hold a get together so that we all get to know each other."
"Great so he doesn't know about your little trip? Alright, so he is a rich idiot. Nice!"
"Hey! Don't call him that...I mean yes he is obviously but don't you say that!"
"Oh alright, alright. You are the typical cheesy wife you know!"
That comment earned Rohan a smack on the head by Sharmishtha. "Argh! God that hurt!" groaned Rohan holding his head.
"Sure, it did. She is trained in Judo you know. So next time be careful with your words," slammed Roy.
"I didn't know that. Is that why you keep quiet around her? There is no say when she will get mad!" cried Rohan while rubbing the back of his head.
"He is going to get another smack if he doesn't shut up," thought Roy. Roy took a glance at Sharmishtha. She and Rohan continued the nonsensical conversation and Rohan kept getting smacked with each comment he made. She looked happy. She was smiling and laughing...it was different than before. Surely, she was sarcastic as ever. But, today it felt like she was truly enjoying the laughs. She even talked about her personal life and feelings. Roy smiled. "That guy must be something. Sharmishtha speaks so highly of him." thought Roy.
"Alright stop now both of you. We need to focus," said Roy interrupting Sharmishtha and Rohan's ongoing fight.
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Roychowdhury was instructing someone on the phone when his call got interrupted by another line. He looked at his phone it's his wife. He disconnected the line and went on instructing the person. He was using a normal tone as of now, then, suddenly, his voice lowered and deepened as he spoke, "Do you understand? We are going to kidnap her and then I will take care of the rest myself. Make sure nothing goes wrong with it."
"Can't we just kill her where she stands? Kidnapping is a lot of hustle," said a voice from the other side.
"No! Don't kill her. We need to take her alive," said Roychowdhury with a scarier tone.
What a freak! Ajay thought. What would they do with her after kidnapping?! Ajay didn't want to imagine the horror. He knew very well how she would be treated. But, he had no choice. He needed the money and was willing to do anything for it. As far as things concerned he wouldn't get involved in anything after the kidnapping. But, would that justify his deeds? Would that clear him of his crimes? Wouldn't it be enough of a crime just to kidnap her let alone giving her to those pure evils?
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Arjun was just chatting up with Mr Sengupta, the Superintendent of Darjeeling Police. All things concerned, they would need someone from law enforcement for further support. So Arjun headed for an appointment with the SP of Darjeeling after consulting with Sharmishtha. However, the SP seemed to know about Sharmishtha already. Mr Sengupta was welcoming and friendly. He offered to meet in his quarter in the afternoon upon seeking a visit. They were chatting in the back garden. "Would you like some tea? Hina here makes good tea. You will surely like it," said Mr Sengupta politely. "Thank you but I have already had a cup of black tea at the hotel," replied Arjun with a smile.
"How can you refuse tea at Darjeeling? We're world-famous for our tea! If you already had some black tea then try some chai, please I insist," smirked Mr Sengupta then he called Hina before Arjun could answer and asked her to make some chai for both of them.
This was Arjun's third cup today. Wherever he went, people kept insisting on him to have tea. Hina brought two cups of tea and some biscuits in a tray. She put it on the table and left. After taking his first sip, Mr Sengupta said, "Well, I won't be sending any officers with you." This statement was unexpected. Arjun was surprised and wanted to say something but Mr Sengupta interrupted him and went on speaking, "Please hear me out before you make an objection. Sharmishtha has been undoubtedly remarkable in her field of work. But, there's something you need to take into account and that is her constant falling mental health. It went worse after the unfortunate death of her family five years ago. Sometimes, she can't actually differentiate between reality and her own theories. She is on medicines. I don't know whether her suspicions are actually true or just a made-up fragment of her mind. The level of intelligence that she has provided over the few years though extraordinary yet are not enough to chase after anyone."
Arjun couldn't understand a word. He couldn't believe that he called Sharmishtha delusional. He never had any idea about her mental conditions. But, he didn't want him to elaborate on that. It would be better to ask her rather than hearing some mixed up rumours. "So you won't provide any support?" he asked.
"I didn't say that Mr Singh. I said I won't be sending any officers with you. I can't help you officially so I will be sending two of my most trusted men to watch over from outside while you investigate on your own. Sharmishtha and I went to the same high school. She is a dear friend of mine. Personally, I want her to stay away from this case." Mr Sengupta, then, lowered his voice a bit and said, "The people involved with this case are more powerful than you can imagine. Believe me, you won't want to see the hell they have created."
"So you know that she is right then why did you say that she might be delusional?" asked Arjun.
"Well, it's not like that she is completely wrong."
"Then? What is it?"
"Mind is a fickle thing Mr Singh, you will understand soon enough," said Mr Sengupta and put down the saucer.
Arjun seemed unimpressed. He never liked people who speak in riddles. Why he couldn't spill the beans simple? He seemed to know a lot of stuff yet he wished for them to find the truth without helping the investigation. After bidding goodbye to Sengupta, Arjun was setting off to his hotel when he suddenly bumped into a man. He was in uniform. He might be a junior of Sengupta. "Ah! Ajay, what a timing! let me introduce you to Mr Singh here. He is an investigative journalist," called out Mr Sengupta.