"Good morning, Mr. Sinha. How are you feeling now?", the doctor greeted with a small smile.
"Better!", replied Mr. Sinha as he rubbed his wrinkled dorsal right hand with shivering left-hand fingers.
The doctor noticed his actions minutely and said, "Doesn't seem like you are feeling better. Are you nauseous? Or, in some discomfort?"
"I am feeling uneasy, maybe. Something is not feeling right inside me. I couldn't name it or explain it, but something seems terribly wrong. I have this tingling sensation in my extremities, then I have this unusual discomfort in my abdomen. To be honest, I feel better than how I felt during my captivity. But I don't feel good or happy or energized, which is unlike me." While Mr. Sinha said all this, a slight fear of the health scare that might be waiting for him could be seen on his face.
"Oh! That's quite normal.", the doctor shrugged off his patient's worries. He continued, "Captivity and the harsh conditions that one is subjected to while in a hostage situation generally have lingering symptoms and the ones that you are mentioning are the most common ones. So, that's a good sign. But we will have to keep you under observation to be sure about the non-development of PTSD."
He wrote something on his pad and added, "Also, the CID team that rescued you is waiting outside to have a talk with you. I wouldn't have had allowed them to meet you today but since the members out there have been in the situation that you were a hundred times before, you will feel better conversing with them. Telling your things and answering theirs while listening to what advice they have for you would surely ease you out and relax your nerves. Also, being affiliated with Cid, I know them personally and they are nice people. Don't shy away from telling them all the things in detail."
"All seems good as of now. I don't think that there's any need to change the frequency and dosage of your medicines. So, yeah! Have a good day. Will meet you in the evening.", said the doctor as he signed the patient sheet.
"You too have a good day, doctor", Mr. Sinha smiled before slumping against the cushion.
Mr. Sinha sat in an alerted position as he saw two young men entering his room.
"Good morning, sir.", the two greeted him.
"Good morning! If I am not wrong you two are from the CID team that rescued me, right?"
"Yes sir. I am Inspector Fredericks, and he is Senior Inspector Daya, from CID, Mumbai.", Freddy introduced themselves.
"Oh! Feels amazing to meet my saviors. So, Mr. Daya, you lead the team that extricated me?", questioned the businessman.
"Oh no, no! I was a part of the team. The team leader for this mission is out with the doctor completing some formalities. He will be here in a while. Till then, let me just tell you that we aren't here for an interrogation. We are here for just getting to know the details of all that conspired so that we can make a strong case and win the court battle.", said Daya with utmost professionalism.
"I understand that.", Mr. Sinha spoke while nodding his head.
"Also, if you want to hire an advocate or reach out to your personal one before talking with us, you have that constitutional right as well.", informed Freddy.
"No. I think I am good. I am a certified lawyer myself, btw.", the man smiled as he revealed his educational background.
Just as Daya was about to say something, Abhijeet entered. Mr. Sinha was taken aback to see him there. But soon after, his face stiffened, his muscles tensed, and his teeth gritted.
"Why is he here? Is he behind all this?", he questioned in a jiffy, actually subconsciously.
"I am Sr. Insp. Abhijeet, CID Mumbai, sir. I think you are mistaken.", Abhijeet smiled plainly as he introduced himself.
"And he is the one who led the team to get you out of the hell that you were in.", added Daya.
"Got it. Thanks, Mr.", Mr. Sinha hushed it up.
Abhijeet gave him a dry nod and then said, "So then, let's start."
He opened the case file that he carried with himself, scrutinized it for a few seconds, and then questioned Mr. Sinha looking into his eyes, "Mr. Maanik Sinha, you went to a corporate party of your own enterprise, and then disappeared, as per the statement of your wife goes. Would you like to elaborate on what exactly happened that night?"
"Sure! So, as planned, I attended the corporate party which was to appraise the senior management of my company. I wasn't feeling well from a day before and was feeling dizzy at intervals, but since it was an important yearly meet in the guise of a party, I decided to keep aside my health issues and attended it. During the party, my condition deteriorated and by the end of it, I was feeling nauseous, and light-headed, beyond limits. I told one of my bodyguards to accompany me to the washroom and told the rest to wait for me near the lift as I would be headed straight home after that. But after I went inside the restroom, I just could not keep control over myself and went into syncope maybe. Everything went blank and next time I opened my eyes, I was in this dark room, tied to a cold iron chair with metal strings.", Mr. Maanik told.
"I see. What is the name of your bodyguard who accompanied you and for how long has he been working for you?", questioned Abhijeet squeezing his eyes.
"His name is Afzal Sheikh and he is a new lad in my team. But, he is way better and stronger than the ones who are safeguarding me for a decade now.", answered Mr. Maanik.
"Yet, he couldn't save you from the kidnappers. Or, maybe he was one of them. How did you recruit him?"
"He helped me during my car accident two months ago. I gotta know that he was in the search of a job. He had been doing the job of a bouncer in Nagpur earlier but since he shifted to Delhi, he was unemployed. So, I offered him the job of my bodyguard. He went up the ladder quite fast and he was soon my best and inside the inner circle."
"I am sorry to say, Mr. Sinha but this was your biggest mistake. This man was actually behind your kidnapping and his real name is Afzal Inamdar. He used to be your employee and used to smuggle gold along with your garment export but got unexpectedly banished six months back because of his inefficiency at work. Went into a huge loss and wanted to ship his smuggled consignment under your garb to get out of the debt. And, therefore, kidnapped you for completing the formalities that were posing as a hindrance for his illegal activities.", Daya told him.
"Shoot! I never knew that I was nurturing a thorn yet again. Regardless, thank you for everything and this is not my biggest mistake. I did a similar mistake in the past by nurturing someone who took the life of my own son.", he ruefully smiled as tears sparkled in his eyes.
Abhijeet looked at him, sighed, and said, "Mr. Sinha, you will have to come to the bureau once before you leave for Delhi. We have informed your family and they will be here with you within a few hours. Get well soon."
"Also, don't think much about the kidnapping and all. It would just add to your woes. Believe me, if you will see this kidnapping as an adventure that you pulled through, you will feel better from inside.", added Daya.
"The words, Daya. I needed these. Also, what about PTSD? How likely am I prone to it?", asked Mr. Sinha.
"Abhijeet can tell you better about this. He has a history of PTSD.", said Daya. But, to his amazement, Abhijeet was in some other world.
"Abhijeet?", Daya called out loud.
"Haan.", Abhijeet snapped.
"All good?", Daya questioned out of care.
"Hmm! What were you saying, btw?", asked Abhijeet.
"Mr. Sinha wanted to know about PTSD and how likely is it for him to develop it.", Daya spoke.
"Umm! Sir, I do not think that you will have PTSD. Even if you will, with the help of family you will ride through it. So, don't worry yourself thinking about it because you will call it to yourself even if it were bypassing you.", Abhijeet said trying to make him understand.
"Okay!", Mr. Sinha said.
"We will take a leave now. See you in the bureau.", Freddy said, and the three cops left to their workplace.
"What's wrong with you Abhijeet?"
"Nothing yaar. I am a lot tired. I gotta go home."
"Not before you tell me what's going on with you. And tell me aren't you and Mr. Sinha related in some way?"
"No Daya. We aren't related in any way.", retorted Abhijeet.
"What would you gain by lying?", questioned Daya dejectedly.
"I am not lying. We are not at all related. And I swear on that.", replied Abhijeet.
"But there is something. Isn't it?", asked Daya not ready to give up this easily.
"No. You are on a wrong track. Stop thinking useless things. And bye!", Abhijeet drove off his bike without even listening to what Daya had to say.
"I am not weak. I just am fed up with my past coming down to my present. These….", he tried to continue speaking to himself, but he couldn't as he was feeling trouble breathing. He coughed, wheezed, and reached out to the cabinet beside his bed. He dashed against the bed. He cursed himself for being careless enough, tried again and this time got his hands on the MDI. Puffed it into his mouth. His lungs relaxed. He could breathe. He relaxed and lied on the carpeted floor closing his eyes out of tiredness.
"Why God? Why Jay? Why?", he whispered as tears rolled down his closed eyes.
"How are you, Manik?", she cried more as she spoke.
"Not well. Not well seeing you crying like this. Come on now! I am here, with you.", he said as he took her in his embrace.
"I know, but the past few weeks were tough. Winnie also got tensed about you, and me.", she said looking into his eyes.
"Why did you tell Winnie?"
"I don't know. I was frazzled. I blurted out everything to her. She is on her way and will be arriving in India tomorrow.", she replied.
"That's fine. No worries. You need not explain to me this much. I know it would have been really tough on you. On the brighter side, at least we will get to spend a few days with her now. My baby! She must be worried. Leave her a message that I am fine.", he said.
"Sure, I will. But tell me first what's bothering you so much?", asked Mrs. Sinha.
"Nothing Kriti. I was just thinking of the kidnapping. Afzal cheated me and it brought back some not-so-good memories.", he sighed.
"I understand. But you don't have to think of Afzal and that boy. They both are mere illusions. Things happen. You feel dejected, but life has this amazing characteristic of bouncing back even before the human thinks to.", she said to him while rubbing his shaking hands. She added, "Leaving the gloominess aside, I am more than happy to have you back."
"Manu, don't you ever miss him? He was the apple of your eye. Don't you ever feel like meeting him or getting to know about his wellbeing?", he asked with utmost seriousness and a hint of guilt in his eyes.
"No. I don't feel anything for killers. I miss my baby though who died because of him.", she sobbed.
He just looked at her and then fixed his gaze at the ceiling. Things have changed. And probably there's no turning back.
Author's Note:
Hello guys! First, apologies for the delay.
Second, I know this is one filler of a chapter and you all might just not be much interested in this one. But this was needed to move forth the plot that I have in my mind.
Third, a lot of you might even guess what's coming or happening. When I re-read, I realized that it would have been better if things were more mystic. But this is what I came up with and will try to improve upon the mystery part in the future. I have got to do a lot of work on that. And I mean it.
Fourth, will be waiting for the reviews.
Bye! Have an amazing weekend!