female voice rang out in the room. It sounded totally out of place in the muted murmur of Sunny Bar.
‘So, is this what you do in the mornings, Inspector Virkar?’ Raashi looked down at him, an amused smile playing on her lips.
She looks very different from her TV show persona
, thought Virkar as he took in Raashi’s appearance. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a smart but plain T-shirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her face seemed devoid of make-up. In the dim light of Sunny Bar, it looked like she wasn’t wearing her sky-blue contact lenses. Virkar couldn’t be sure, but her eyes looked dark and were shining.
He was at a loss for words. Raashi’s sudden appearance and her amused smile made him feel like he had been caught with his pants down. He looked around and saw the grins plastered on the men’s faces and heard some hushed sniggers. Whispered comments like ‘Pakda gaya!’ and ‘Ab toh iski dandi gul!’ were heard around the bar, adding to Virkar’s acute embarrassment.
Virkar was still trying to compose himself when Raashi sat down across from him saying, ‘Normally, at this time I do yoga, but maybe I should give this drinking-in-the-morning thing a try.’ Virkar’s glanced suspiciously at her sling bag and her hands. Noticing this, Raashi held them up and said, ‘No spy cameras, Inspector. I’m here in an unofficial capacity.’
What is this Hunterwali after now?
Virkar’s mind was racing but he managed to maintain a deadpan expression. ‘I’m off duty,’ he said perfunctorily. Raashi nodded and added in a sympathetic voice, ‘And also off the case, I know…’
Virkar’s lips curled with sarcasm. ‘Thanks to you, madam, thanks to you.’
‘But I did say good things about you…’
Virkar’s eyes bored through her. ‘Yes, among all the bad things you said about the police department.’
Raashi flinched. ‘I thought I was doing my job. As it turns out, I overstepped a line when I placed the spy cam in the ACP’s office. The channel bosses have asked me to go on a long leave,’ shrugged Raashi.
‘Then what are you doing here? You won’t get any sympathy or further information from me,’ hissed Virkar.
Raashi blushed. ‘I…I…followed you to…express my regrets. You’re a brave man, and I’m sorry that my actions have caused you trouble. I’d like to make amends.’ Her voice had a sincerity that was not lost on Virkar.
‘Looks like following me has become your life’s mission,’ he retorted, looking her in the eye. The unflinching transparency with which she returned his searching look made something shift inside Virkar.
‘Look, just give mere mortals like me a few moments of peace when we can drown our regrets.’ He sat back, relaxing his tense muscles for the first time since he had seen her. Raashi lowered her eyes but made no move to leave. For a while both of them sat in silence. Finally, Raashi reached into her sling bag and pulled out a mini voice recorder. Virkar sat up and eyed her suspiciously. Raashi pressed a button and suddenly Colasco’s dying words filled the air between them. ‘Hurry…tracing…tracings ward.’ Raashi lowered her voice and said, ‘Like you, I believe that there is a clue in these words. I’ve played it over and over again, but haven’t been able to come up with anything.’ Raashi pressed a button and Colasco’s words began playing in a loop. Virkar and Raashi bent their heads forward in complete concentration, listening to the muffled desperation in Colasco’s voice. For a while Virkar didn’t say anything, but noticing Raashi’s earnestness, he finally spoke up. ‘After watching your show last night, I realized I couldn’t just step away from the investigation.’ Raashi didn’t say anything but the look in her eyes indicated that she wanted him to go on talking. Virkar cleared his throat. ‘I went straight to Colasco’s Slum Baalak Suraksha office and was there all of last night going through his
‘So, is this what you do in the mornings, Inspector Virkar?’ Raashi looked down at him, an amused smile playing on her lips.
She looks very different from her TV show persona
, thought Virkar as he took in Raashi’s appearance. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a smart but plain T-shirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her face seemed devoid of make-up. In the dim light of Sunny Bar, it looked like she wasn’t wearing her sky-blue contact lenses. Virkar couldn’t be sure, but her eyes looked dark and were shining.
He was at a loss for words. Raashi’s sudden appearance and her amused smile made him feel like he had been caught with his pants down. He looked around and saw the grins plastered on the men’s faces and heard some hushed sniggers. Whispered comments like ‘Pakda gaya!’ and ‘Ab toh iski dandi gul!’ were heard around the bar, adding to Virkar’s acute embarrassment.
Virkar was still trying to compose himself when Raashi sat down across from him saying, ‘Normally, at this time I do yoga, but maybe I should give this drinking-in-the-morning thing a try.’ Virkar’s glanced suspiciously at her sling bag and her hands. Noticing this, Raashi held them up and said, ‘No spy cameras, Inspector. I’m here in an unofficial capacity.’
What is this Hunterwali after now?
Virkar’s mind was racing but he managed to maintain a deadpan expression. ‘I’m off duty,’ he said perfunctorily. Raashi nodded and added in a sympathetic voice, ‘And also off the case, I know…’
Virkar’s lips curled with sarcasm. ‘Thanks to you, madam, thanks to you.’
‘But I did say good things about you…’
Virkar’s eyes bored through her. ‘Yes, among all the bad things you said about the police department.’
Raashi flinched. ‘I thought I was doing my job. As it turns out, I overstepped a line when I placed the spy cam in the ACP’s office. The channel bosses have asked me to go on a long leave,’ shrugged Raashi.
‘Then what are you doing here? You won’t get any sympathy or further information from me,’ hissed Virkar.
Raashi blushed. ‘I…I…followed you to…express my regrets. You’re a brave man, and I’m sorry that my actions have caused you trouble. I’d like to make amends.’ Her voice had a sincerity that was not lost on Virkar.
‘Looks like following me has become your life’s mission,’ he retorted, looking her in the eye. The unflinching transparency with which she returned his searching look made something shift inside Virkar.
‘Look, just give mere mortals like me a few moments of peace when we can drown our regrets.’ He sat back, relaxing his tense muscles for the first time since he had seen her. Raashi lowered her eyes but made no move to leave. For a while both of them sat in silence. Finally, Raashi reached into her sling bag and pulled out a mini voice recorder. Virkar sat up and eyed her suspiciously. Raashi pressed a button and suddenly Colasco’s dying words filled the air between them. ‘Hurry…tracing…tracings ward.’ Raashi lowered her voice and said, ‘Like you, I believe that there is a clue in these words. I’ve played it over and over again, but haven’t been able to come up with anything.’ Raashi pressed a button and Colasco’s words began playing in a loop. Virkar and Raashi bent their heads forward in complete concentration, listening to the muffled desperation in Colasco’s voice. For a while Virkar didn’t say anything, but noticing Raashi’s earnestness, he finally spoke up. ‘After watching your show last night, I realized I couldn’t just step away from the investigation.’ Raashi didn’t say anything but the look in her eyes indicated that she wanted him to go on talking. Virkar cleared his throat. ‘I went straight to Colasco’s Slum Baalak Suraksha office and was there all of last night going through his
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