I AM SO SO SO VERY SORRY for the super late update guys! I am feeling guilty and very sad. But Life came in between and yaar honestly updates had to take a back step for a few days.

Thank you so much for all the reviews guys. I am still knee deep in tests and exams and some other stuff so forgiving me for this small acknowledgement. I can't also promise for a hurried next update because i'll be staying in hostel for a few weeks more so sorry in advance for that as well. I'll try getting back with a update next week...but no promises.

now,

Guys, from this chapter a new phase is starting. Because now most things would be in past. With only few in present. So if at any point you are confused regarding the timeline the story is taking, please lemme know, alright.

Also i am assuming when Abhijeet sir re-joined CID in 1999 he was 28 years old then.

Chapter 12 : last strand

Year - 2007

Acp sir residence.

One after another, sheets of glossy paper were being flipped, sometimes having a minute to rest, sometimes many or few times none. Some sheets had drop shaped marks over them, some were too worn while some still looked as new as of tomorrow.

Some reminded of times like those of the dark gloomy skies before the rain while some reminded of the times like those of beautiful summer mornings. They all were there, whether too worn or too dark to see, whether too brightly coloured or not at all bright, but there, and all of them important and beautiful and weaving a movie of life together.

An old figure sitting straight backed on a comfortable yet worn looking plush chair bent a little forward and after caressing the old yellow edged paper for the final time for that moment began to move it back to it's rightful place, in a plastic sheet, inside an old thick album.

He kept the album, which till now rested on his lap on the table and tipped his head back to take a sad resigned sigh. He heard a noise from behind indicating him the arrival of his friend but stayed like that not having enough energy to acknowledge his friend at this moment. He closed his eyes again and tried to relax.

He heard soft footsteps, the sigh of the couch near by him, a sound from the table from something being placed there, then papers flipping and at last the sigh. He was still not in any mood to open his eyes though, so he waited, like he suspected his friend was waiting patiently too. That endless supply of patience.

At last being tired of the silence and soft sipping noises and the urge to take a sip of the tea himself, he opened his eyes, looked towards his buddy seeing him still engrossed with the album and picked up his own cup of tea with...

" mujhe abh bhi yakeen nahi hota kabhi kabhi..."

He noticed his friend stiffening for a moment, only for a moment, a few seconds if counted, but his eyes has had years of practice and they knew when and what to notice. It was an all known, ever known, confirmed reaction to this topic. The beginning of it anyways. He also knew what words came next...

" salunkhe...humari duty mein yeh sabh..."

Salunkhe couldn't help glaring at his buddy, he said in straight tone...

" humesha yahi se shuruwat hoti hai yeh baat pradyuman, aur bina baat poori hua tum chale jate ho...aaj main short mein kehta hun( pradyuman flipped the sheet of album again, this time much slower like anticipating yet dreading the next question)...hume abh bhi nahi pata uss bache ka kya hua...VISHWAS ki aakhri nishani ka kya hua...(he sat straighter, his gaze on his buddy still, after all these years suspicious of what those eyes and brain hid in their depths.)

Pradyuman looked up, now closing the album and keeping it back on table, he fixed his unwavering gaze on salunkhe... " tu mera jawab janta hai salunkhe, itne saalon mein mera jawab badal nahi jayega...koi khabar nahi, kuch nahi, koi saboot nahi...aur kya bataun main tumhe...hum usse mille nahi salunkhe...VISHWAS ne kabhi bataya hi nahi kaun ya kahan...na naam na kuch aur...yahan tak kabhi bachpan mein bhi nahi milwaya...ussne usse protect karne ki koshish ki thi salunkhe...(more softly) pata nahi kar paya bhi ya nahi...

The door bell rang signalling them what today was really about and ACP sir glanced towards his friend while standing and left the place first with... " kya pata shayad aaj woh humare hi beech ho? "

Acp sir took a small breath after moving out of the room, even after all these years, the statement hasn't become a truth for him, he has not forgotten the facts, the living examples, the documents, every bit of information or every link may have been cleared from the existence but still...he can't accept a lie he himself tells his friend every year again and again. And salunkhe's ever growing understanding of his ways and lies and twisted brain never has helped the matter.

He stopped in the hallway leading to his sitting area, calming his mind. Some Days, like today, the lies felt much heavier than ever before that all he could think was about , letting everyone KNOW. To just tell them the truth. But during those days, like he did now, he stopped and took a breath and thought about the man he had made the promise to. His mind reminding him of the consequences of telling that truth, of all the fears and issues that had led to that one lie.

Year : 1997

Location : University of World Sciences - Banglore.

A lean man of average height, standing over a slightly raised platform, started his lecture on Electromagnets. His strong and confident baritone carrying over the massive hall filled with few but brilliant and most sincere of the minds. The words having new meanings and new theories and unknown, unheard ideas before, rising the curiosity of the young adult students he taught. The Pictures and the words running behind the man managing to snatch only a few glances as the man himself garnered most of the attention.

It's not unusual for the students to hear a teacher with so much attention, but it's unusual for a class of 19 year olds to sit straight backed through a lecture of 1.5 hours without a squeak with the exception of the few raised hands here and there. But it's highly expected of the students by this man nonetheless. The words always recited among the students, sometimes with humor and sometimes with respect...

" I am not going to ask you to hear me, nor pay me any respect or attention, but i am just going to ask all of you to sit straight backed in my class while i am rambling stuff you don't understand but should try to. So, will you?"

That day they had seen what the man in front of them was capable of. The man had emptied the classroom of half of it's populace within 10 minutes, without stopping once in his lecture. His eyes carrying out all his orders for him.

" MR . Niketan, I think you would like to share with us all what you are thinking about?"

The young man looked towards his teacher who was turned towards the desk where a small bullet resided. He didn't knew enough yet to describe it himself. But he was sure his teacher could even tell when it was created and by whom?. It Had not been long before the whole university had caught on the man's fascination with guns, riffles, bullets and as some of them liked to call, everything that required speed to kill. It was not something that the university was impressed by though. Added benefits for the students nonetheless.

" Yes, Mr . Niketan, we all are waiting."

He stood up from his place remembering that one lecture at the right time. His Teacher's eyes now focused on him. He replied softly, well rehearsed with the routine like every other batch mate of theirs...

" Nothing important than the lecture sir. Sorry sir. I'll see myself out."

The man just looked at his face without replying and said after few minutes while turning back to the small structure on his desk.

" Sit down Mr . Niketan. And pay attention."

He could hear the hoots and teasing in his ears before he even sat down. The whole class in smiles as it's not a common occurrence, but it was often enough that they all knew the soft heart of the man in front of them despite the hard exterior.

The class got over after half an hour and everybody dispersed out as it was the lunch hour. Niketan had some books to return to the library so he took his leave from his friends and went in that direction after deciding the rendezvous point.

He was passing by the front of their main gate when his eyes fell on the two men in conversation with the gate keeper. One of the men showed his badge to the security man and on paying attention Niketan realized the man was a CBI officer from his badge. He took a step back but couldn't move his gaze away.

What these men were doing here? Niketan knew that as a institute serving as the main supplier of the scientists for military sciences, they got police officials and Military officials coming in their campus day in and day out but never without any notice as these visitations required the students to behave themselves and that required previous notifications. His gaze caught on the officials eyes as both entered the campus and Niketan backed up, immediately leaving the spot.

He didn't discuss this with any of his friends but when he saw the same two men coming out of Professor Shekhawat's room he couldn't help but ask the man about it, so he gathered some courage and reined his scattered brain a bit before knocking boldly over his professor's cabin door.

Before hearing the " Come in" though, he could make out the sounds of drawers opening and closing and of shuffling papers, if he paid enough attention to it which he did. Sometimes he suspected why the professor taught them these things but then he realized the importance of observing your surroundings when the small general, yet the most important of questions left them all scattered and their professor in smiles.

So he stood straight and paid attention.

He got inside the cabin after hearing permission and saw the man sitting as eloquent and straight backed as ever. His eyes with those rare specks on his nose focused over some papers in his front. It was an usual sight if one ignored the too much formality of it. If one wasn't looking for something amiss within this room. Which Niketan was. And he caught the slight tension in those shoulders and the nervous turning of pages in those fingers. He caught the red mark already on the papers signalling that there was nothing more left to do with them except hand them over to their criminals.

Niketan didn't initiate the conversation himself. He waited for his professor's attention to turn towards him first.

It took the professor, as Niketan guessed it, 2 minutes to bring himself to face his student because it was only after that much time that Niketan heard the hallmarked calm, casual yet a commanding tone ask of him...

" Yes, Mr . Niketan, what can i do for you?"

Although, thinking now when faced with that unwavering gaze and those fiery eyes, Niketan realized that he had perhaps miscalculated his own courage. Because that no nonsense gaze stuttered him to a stop before he had even uttered a word. But he was curios, and sometimes he did agree with the idiom that curiosity kills the cat. He said strengthening a little...

" SIR..I..I recognized those men...( he stopped seeing the man still visibly and his eyebrows draw up in confusion, curiosity and perhaps concern) i mean...main sir...maine aaj unn logon ko dekha tha front gate per...(slowly) i saw their badges..."

He felt the man still and then release a breath. Those eyes captured his own before speaking...

" Yes, Mr . Niketan they were CBI officers. They had some work and they wanted to talk it out personally without creating (pointedly) any disturbance with the on goings here and with the students so they had decided to make the visit unannounced. (with clear dismissal) Is there something else Mr . Niketan you would like to ask of me? Perhaps the questions of your next surprise test?"

Niketan knew a dismissal of a subject when he saw one. And obviously as he well knew and as his teacher had intended the mention of the test derailed all his thought process from the suspicion in his head regarding the presence of those men in Proff. Shekhawat's office because the man was not known to deal well with the authorities. Although, the set in those shoulders prompted him to say softly...

" sir, if there's any problem, we trust you sir and respect you, even prakash ( Niketan observed those shoulders relax a bit). You must know that. We'll be there always to help you."

The man looked up, and niketan realized it was not allot he had seen the man look so conflicted before saying anything before this moment. So he continued to gaze softly and confidently towards his professor and heard after a few moments a low answer of... " Thank you." before the louder and stricter... " Now please if you will Mr . Niketan."

Years and years later, Niketan would realize that he didn't remember every memory of his university days, he didn't remember every comment from every teacher or all of the fun he had had in those days. But he would remember this one day because after that day he wouldn't ever see his favorite teacher ever again.

It's a shame, he would think, that he trusted the man who abandoned them all. Without any reason, without any prior information. Just the change of the face that they looked forward to seeing in that class. Shame really.

Location :

CBI office

Delhi

" What did he say?" a strong but a tone strung with exhaustion asked as the two casually dressed men entered inside the highly secured room in the everyday building where the nations guards carried out their works.

The two men looked at each other and then at the man and in his sleepless eyes. One of them answered with mutual agreement, his voice steady and cautious... " Sir he...he looked at us and said no. We hadn't even shown him our badges. (A fond smirk made it's way over the man's lips making the other two men feel self conscious a little until the man waved his hand dismissively signalling them to continue) He wouldn't talk to us at first, (slowly) not until we mentioned what you had told us to It certainly got his attention...

The older man backed away from the spread out sheets and maps and notes he had been working on and focused his entire concentration on the two men, his voice not masking the hope he felt blooming in his chest even though his next words were... " BUT?"

" He said he didn't want anything to do with him."

The man sighed, his hands clenched tightly in fists in order to reign in the anger and his irritation over the stubbornness passed in genes of some people. He wished love and respect had passed too.

But he realized this was all speculations, all hopes and dreams and dreams were never meant to be fulfilled.

So he turned on his chair silently, back to the work he had been doing early, his posture and silence commanding the order for the other two officers to leave.

But the time the officers had spent with the man in these few years allowed them to stand and ask a query that they didn't realize the man himself didn't have an answer to...

" Abh kya karenge sir? humare paas koi aur option nahi hai...hum log woh messages...

The glacial look on the older man's face made the two officers fall silent instantly. It's not a look they saw very often as the man was mostly known for his calm attitude although a quick temper. But they needed to say what they thought because this was very much as much their mission as it was of their senior's. They looked at each other, talking in silent gestures.

"out with it and then out of the room" The older man's sharp and rude tone made them flinch and clench their fists. But it was an order now so..

" sir...Mr. Shekhawat, we don't know why you even wanted him in sir? we have all the cryptographers, best ones at that we could ever need but you wanted that man only, he has a degree in physics sir. He is a man of science not of military or police or i doubt even of courage.."

"OFFICER"

The loud tone paused the man and the older man visibly took a deep breath as the officers looked on before replying in a more cool and straight tone now...

" there are reasons that i can't yet disclose to you officer, not in these quarters nonetheless and it would be kind of you to not to indulge in this gossip and focus on the task given. (the officer wanted to object with something more, but the other man grabbed his wrist signalling a clear no). I am not asking for your blind trust officer, but some decisions i have to make and consider because i have my own reasons. Do you doubt me officer?"

" NO SIR.." both officers replied immediately. Working with the man already a rare and special chance for them.

The older man nodded and turned back towards his work once again dismissing the officers with a small nod of acknowledgement and gratitude.

Both men came out of the room locking it behind securely and stood there for a few moments. One of them asked in confusion and irritation...

" i don't know sir uss aadmi per hi kyun itna focused hain, i agree he was smart and clever but clearly ussme police join karne ka courage hi nahi hai phir bhi..."

The other man remained silent for a few seconds before replying softly... " i...i don't know.."

A/N

Hope you enjoyed the chapter guys.

Thanks a ton for all your reviews on the last chapter.

Please do read and review this as well. You have a week at the least.

Take care guys.

Sorry again for late updates.