Chapter 14 - The Punchline

Dear Readers

Let me start by thanking you for your kind words of support, PMs, emails and skype messages. 

As a fan of the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, I plan to adhere to the principles of Gandhigiri and remain silent on the baseless accusations. Don't make the mistake of assuming my silence for weakness. Take it as my way of infusing some decency into madness. 

And just as Munna Bhai would famously say, I repeat after him - to my detractors, "Get Well Soon." 

SJ

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“She’s sleeping. I’ve given her medication to calm her, she should be able to get a few hours of sleep.” Sasi walked out of Khushi’s bedroom and announced to the eager set of eyes waiting outside. ASR was on the phone barking instructions to secure the perimeter of the property and install motion-sensor lights and security cameras.

“Kevin, I will call you back.” He disconnected the call.

“Hows she doing?” he asked Sasi.

“She should be good for the next few hours.” ASR nodded and peeked over Sasi to check on khushi. She was fast asleep.

“I will stay with khushi tonite.” Garima got up to be with Khushi.

“I will be right outside the room, if you need anything.” ASR added and excused himself to make a few calls.

“Kevin, hi, so what the hell just happened? Any leads on who was hawking the house?” he paced the foyer. Kevin’s voice was tired and impatient.

“Not sure, we are making our usual contacts with informants. Should be a few hours before we get any thing worth sharing. How about you? Did Dr. Gupta talk about the Sabres?”

“Yes, he did. Listen, I need you to contact Interpol to get some data on a certain Sarah Schwab. I will email you over the details later tonite. And I need you to clear our meeting with Joseph Isaacson.”

“The curator of Field Museum?” Kevin asked with rising curiosity.

“Yes, I have some information he might be able to help me sift through. Send the best detail here, things just got fucked up. I can’t let anything happen to Khushi.”

“ASR” kevin’s voice changed its timbre to worry.  

“Yes” ASR snapped impatiently

“Don’t get involved too personally. Remember, you are walking on thin ice here, don’t make me pull you off the case.”

“Is that you speaking as my boss?” ASR stopped pacing and asked

“Its me speaking as a friend.”

“Got it.” He snapped the phone shut and walked back to the family room where the family was gathered to commiserate.

“Ok, Dr. Gupta, and everyone here. I want no one coming in or leaving the house without notifying one of the agents stationed outside. I want no more phone calls, no more invites and no more confusion. If anyone has any objections or reasons they cannot follow these rules until we find out what happened to Chameli and what Khushi saw, speak now.” ASR’s authoritative voice boomed in the space.

Payal sniggered as she watched the FBI agent impose restrictions on her. She wished she were back in school, the partying would have been much more fun that remaining cooped up in the house for the unforeseeable future. Shyam was gritting his teeth, his silent phone vibrated stubbornly demanding his attention. He had to be out of the house but he had to make sure he spoke to Khushi before he left. He needed a few more hours before he was ready to answer his phone and let the calling party know his decision.

Chameli’s death had changed the atmosphere for the worse. ASR knew it was an act of warning to him and the agents that despite their best efforts, the mafia was never too far away. They were on to the FBI when they wanted and where they wanted, right under the FBI’s nose. The more ASR thought about it, the more incensed he felt at the violation. He had to make sure Khushi was safe first.

“Yeah about that. Can I have a word with you Agent Raizada.” Shyam piped in from the large couch he was sprawled on, “Alone.”

ASR did not like the sound of that. He watched Shyam’s body language with growing irritation. His hunch told him If there was a man with an agenda, it was Shyam but FBI sweeps on the man had come clean. Dr. Shyam Jha, chief surgeon of ER at one of the most prestigious hospitals of the country, was a rising star. The man had an impeccably clean life, stellar career records, no police charges, not even a parking ticket, an engagement with Khushi that seemed tailor made for fairy tales, and it smelled too good to be true. In fact, he was so squeaky clean that ASR had an ominous feeling about the man. He had to be hiding something.

“Sure, lets take it outside.” ASR was itching for a showdown and he found the perfect opportunity.

The two men got out of the house and stood in the snow on the patio. Shyam was building up a slow burn and wanted to throttle ASR for throwing a wrench in his plans. His eyes bored through ASR with unconcealed hostility.

“I am the future son-in-law of this house. So, as a person who is concerned with the security of the family, I have a right to know everything you know so far.” He laid it out as simply as he could for ASR.

“Oh really? FBI is not in the business of sharing information with anyone beyond protocol. I’m not here for your Kumbaya moment, I’m here to do my job.” He bit back, not trying hard to hold back his anger.

“Then do your job damn well, motherfucker!” Shyam’s temper bubbled through at last.

ASR’s ears turned red and the itch in his palm became unbearable. 

Shyam didn’t know what hit him. ASR connected a strong punch straight to the man’s nose.

“Ow!” Shyam screamed as he buckled over, cupping his nose, “You motherfucker, you punched, me Ow! Ow! Ow!" he danced around holding his nose in pain. "Fuck you! Aahh!” he bent over spewing a few more expletives directed at ASR. ASR looked satisfied with his punch, although secretly his knuckles hurt a bit. He leaned over Shyam and whispered.

“Just doing my job. Something I should have done a long time ago.” he smiled in satisfaction.

“You bastard, you will pay for this. Mark my words. Ow!” Shyam winced holding his bloodied nose oozing blood down his chin.

“Is that a threat?” ASR cocked his head and asked, “Because threatening an FBI agent is a misdemeanor.” ASR didn't wait to hear his reply, he wanted the satisfaction of getting the last word in, he dusted a speck of dirt off Shyam's shoulder and left.

“Bastard, motherfucking asshole. This ain't over!” Shyam was quickly running out of his repertoire of swear words.

*****

“Motherfuckers!” ASR swore as he entered his room. It was a complete mess, things had been pulled, thrown, scattered, opened and searched. Incredible!

He punched Kevin’s number.

“Yes, breach in my room. Do you have the box with you?”

“Yes, I do. Good thinking on your part sending it down to the office. I am telling you there is a mole in the mix. ASR, be careful.”

“Yeah, I will. Can you email me the inventory list and photocopy of any notes in the box? ASAP!”

“I’ve got three agents on it. You should be getting them soon.”

ASR knew the game had just gotten worse. Someone killed the poor dog to distract them, and had his room ransacked. Someone who was in the vicinity of the house – but who? The field agents, Sasi, Garima, Shyam, Payal or Molly? The task had just gotten harder for him. It was one thing to fight the outer forces and another to fight a mole.

*****

David put the peroxide on the bite marks.

“Damn you, motherfucker!” Noam spit out as the lotion zinged his wounds.

“The dog got you good. But really, you didn’t have to kill the animal.”

“The bitch deserved to die. And don’t go soft on me? The dog was a necessary distraction.”

“But we got nothing.”

“Nah! But I know where the agent is going next.”

“Where?”

“Time to pay our man Isaacson a visit.”

Noam smiled at the impending meeting with Joseph Isaacson. This was not the first time he had met the man. Twenty years ago, when he had first taken charge of the Sabre account, he had visited Isaacson on the pretense of a historical project for World War Two. He had subtly put the question of the Sabres and its historical significance. The man had been vague then. It was time to call his bluff.

****

Gitu kicked back and relaxed on her couch with a glass of red. NK was working on his laptop next to her and the TV hummed in the background playing latest episode of Dexter.

“So did you get me clearance to visit Khushi? I’d like to spend Christmas with them, they are like family to me.” She asked, feigning distraction to appear casual about her question.

NK’s ears perked. He decided to confuse her with a kiss. Gitu responded but extracted herself soon enough to not lose her train of thought.

“NK! Come on, tell me.” She pushed him away in mock anger.

He got up and stretched his back. He had to find out what was brewing in her head and where she stood on the issue. He wanted to play the fool to lower her guard and figure out her motives.

“Sweetheart, I’m the mood for a nice hot shower, care to join.” He winked.

She was not fooled by it. A chance to romp in the shower, knowing his sexual prowess was an invitation too tempting to refuse. She got up and followed him with a naughty smile.

Later, as the two lay exhausted on the bed, he dozed off. She got up and began tooling around his laptop.

She scrolled through his emails. Most of them looked uninteresting. Then she found what she was looking for. She opened the email and began jotting down the information on a piece of paper. She riffled through other email, searching for key words that would give her a clue about the information she was looking for. 

She was engrossed in transcribing the notes and didn’t notice an annoyed NK leaning on the wall, watching her intently. He cleared his throat.

She panicked and dropped the laptop. She stood up, her face washed in fear and looking every bit guilty.

“What are you looking for Gitu?” he asked casually, ambling over to her with carefully constructed ease.

“N…N..nothing!” she stuttered, crumpling the piece of paper she had in her hand and hiding it behind her.

“Now, now, you know just as well as I do, you are on to something. The question is, are we on to the same thing?”  He smirked with a glint of anticipation.

She wasn’t ready to take the hook. She shook her head in refusal.

“No? Then show me that piece of paper you got.” He took one large stride and had her wrists in his stronghold. She squirmed trying to free herself and clamped her fists tight. Her delicate fingers were no match for his and soon she found her piece of paper in his hands. He read the scratch paper and his face increasingly turned red.

He looked up and found her crying. He dropped the piece of paper and pulled her into a hug.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh sweety. Don’t cry. Why didn’t you tell me before? You should know we are on the same side of the equation. I’m with you. Do you understand?” He kissed the top of her head and gently rocked her to calm her down.