Chapter 50: chapter 50

In the aftermath of the battle against Col. Prakash, Neha found herself grappling with a range of emotions. The victory was sweet, but the scars left by the unseen war ran deep. As she sat in the mess of Leh’s cantonment, she couldn't shake the feeling of being broken.Kaushal, too, seemed weighed down by the burden of his recent endeavours. The once-determined spark in Kaushal’s eyes had dimmed, replaced by a weariness that mirrored Neha's own. He didn’t know how to face Sheetal, his fiancée, Col. Prakash’s daughter. The echoes of the unseen battle lingered in the air, a constant reminder of the price they had paid for unravelling the top-most secret.Neha stared into her coffee, the swirling patterns reminiscent of the chaos they had just overcome. She planned to give Kaushal a visit as it was a lot to digest all these developments on her own. She messaged Kaushal, and he agreed.When she travelled to meet him at Kaushal’s home, he sat across from her, his silence speaking volumes. Finally, breaking the quietude, Neha sighed, "We did it, Kaushal. Azad has been unveiled. But why does it feel like we're the ones who are broken?"Kaushal looked up from his coffee cup, his gaze distant. "Maybe because we are, Neha. This battle took more from us than we anticipated. It's like we fought a war in the shadows, and now the shadows won't let us go."Neha nodded in agreement, "I thought exposing Azad would bring closure, but it feels like we've opened a new chapter of uncertainty. The outcome is confusing, and the scars have deepened."Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Karan. After the victory, he was happy and seemed relaxed, unlike Neha and Kaushal. Karan took a seat, acknowledging the heaviness in the air."Victory comes at a cost. We dismantled Crimson Dagger, I have saved my would-be wife, but the repercussions are far-reaching. The system is shaken, and we must now ensure it rebuilds stronger."Neha looked at Kaushal, a mix of gratitude and exhaustion in her eyes. "What now? What's the next battle we have to face?"Karan leaned forward, his voice low, "The aftermath is as crucial as the battle itself. We need to ensure that the truth prevails and that accountability is not just a word thrown around. It's time for healing, rebuilding, and setting the foundation for a more transparent future."Kaushal nodded, "But can we trust that the system will change? Or are we destined to be trapped in a cycle of deception and manipulation?"Karan’s gaze was steady, "Change is slow, but it's possible. We've planted the seeds; now we need to nurture them. And it starts with individuals like us, who refuse to be broken by the shadows."The changed tone of Karan and his confidence raised suspicions in Kaushal’s mind. Why was he so relaxed, just because he saved his would-be wife from the accusations of Crimson Dagger’s involvement? Or was there more to that story?“I am not sure about this outcome; I still don’t believe Col. Prakash is behind it. What if this was all planted against him?”"What do you mean?" Karan jumped at Kaushal’s comment.“What do you mean, Kaushal?” Neha was also surprised by this strange point of view.“I think we have been misled, and my hunch is that Gulmohar and our masked informant are the same person. Maybe he only killed our actual informant Vipin and put on this show of trying to uncover Azad’s operations, and then setting up Col. Prakash into all this?” Kaushal was thinking out loud.“I think you are going crazy because he is your father-in-law, and now you are cooking up this conspiracy!” Karan chuckled.“No, Karan, I am serious, and he is not my father-in-law yet, but my gut feeling says I might be right!” Kaushal stared at Karan.“Okay, fine Kaushal, I guess this outcome has disturbed all of us. Let’s just take a break, how about we watch a movie together?” Neha tried to change the topic as she sensed the air heating up with Kaushal’s strange theories about conspiracies and probabilities.Their victory felt hollow, and Kaushal found himself caught in a whirlwind of self-doubts, army inquiries, and scrutiny. The ugly truth behind Crimson Dagger and its boss had been exposed, but the aftermath was a storm they hadn't fully anticipated.Neha took leave for a few days from her Leh duties and stayed close to Kaushal. One evening, as they walked through the lawn next to the quarters, Neha felt a heaviness in her chest, a weight that threatened to drown her in the sea of military judgment. Sheetal, Col. Prakash’s daughter, was her close friend, and her memory suddenly flashed.Kaushal, sensing her distress, took her towards the mess. "Neha, it's overwhelming, I know. But I think you should support me in my quest to find more truth about my conspiracy theory. I have found something more."Neha looked at him, a mixture of frustration and vulnerability in her eyes. "I thought exposing the truth would set us free, but it feels like you have become a prisoner of our actions. Get over it Kaushal, we will know the result soon; let the judiciary do that job of finding the real truth."Kaushal sighed, "Unfortunately, I don’t trust anyone except you, Neha. That’s why I need your support to get through this last piece of the puzzle. Why would Col. Prakash become Azad? Something is wrong. I know him personally; I think we should meet him because I found out that even Col. Rathore was present in those places where Col. Prakash visited, and we may be wrong in our deductions!""What are you talking about, Kaushal? Now I feel you becoming paranoid and crazy. If I knew exposing the truth was going to break you like this, I would have never initiated?"Neha traced the rim of her coffee cup, "I don't know, Kaushal. Whatever the truth, I am not interested in starting another investigation on Col. Rathore now; it’s a double-edged sword. If we prove Col. Rathore is guilty, even then it won’t set us free; we will feel more exposed and vulnerable. Maybe it’s better to forget all this and just do our job."Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Karan, who had been a victim of Azad’s schemes. His eyes held a mix of gratitude and resilience. "I heard what you both said. You might feel broken now, but you've given people like me a chance to rebuild my life."Neha looked at Karan, a flicker of hope rekindling in her eyes. Perhaps, in the broken pieces, there was an opportunity for something new to emerge. Neha nodded a quiet determination in her eyes. "We'll rebuild, Karan. Not just ourselves but the system we fought so hard to expose. The broken pieces will become the foundation for something better."But Kaushal knew he was alone in his quest to know the truth behind Col. Prakash’s involvement. He decided to stay quiet and not discuss his mind unless he had something concrete, and that’s when he planned to meet Sheetal.~~~~~