Chapter 51: chapter 51

Kaushal was interrogating Gulmohar about Col. Prakash's involvement when he started telling about how it all started.The memories of those fateful days seven years ago flooded back, haunting Gulmohar like shadows refusing to fade.“Seven years back, it all started when I had been selected for the intelligence wing of the military and already served for five years; my promotion was due. One day, I received an anonymous message on my phone. The sender, who went by the name 'Azad,' claimed to know me. He reached out to me, asserting to have an offer I couldn't refuse," Gulmohar explained, his eyes reflecting the weight of the past. "Little did I know that his offer would be tied to a web of deceit that would threaten not only my career but also my life."Kaushal leaned forward, his eyes probing for details. "Why did he target you, Gulmohar? What was his motive?""I ignored the message, as though it may be someone trying to sell a credit card or insurance offer. But for the next few days, I started getting videos of my romantic affairs and a warning to expose me for infidelity, causing a court martial and impacting my promotion. Till then I admit I was a playboy, but the videos just scared the hell out of me, I don't know how he got hold of those, so I agreed to the rendezvous."Kaushal was intrigued, Gulmohar continued, " As I entered the old church, a figure emerged from the left side looking like a father. Surprisingly, the church had no presence. It was Azad, wearing a mask to conceal his identity. He handed me a diary and said that I had to help with some information about names mentioned in the diary.”“He claimed to have a personal vendetta against the government, fuelled by the loss of a close friend in one of their covert operations," Gulmohar continued, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Azad, the masked figure, promised protection and support from Crimson Dagger if I helped him expose corrupt officers within the military."Kaushal interjected, "But why involve you? Why not go directly after the corrupt officers?""Because," Gulmohar continued, "being part of the intelligence wing, I had access to classified information about those officers. Azad needed someone on the inside to gather intel and help execute their plan.""Wait, did Azad mentioned someone named Vipin," Kaushal pointed out. "Who was he, and why was he a threat?"Gulmohar took a deep breath, the seriousness of his words hanging in the air. "Vipin was a member of the intelligence wing, like me. A few years back, Azad warned me that Vipin had started suspecting my involvement and was digging into the Crimson Dagger affair. It was a dangerous situation, and I, out of fear, asked Azad to eliminate him."Kaushal, breaking the silence, asked, "So, Vipin was killed because of your request?"Gulmohar nodded, his gaze dropping. "Yes, but it was not an immediate action. I think Azad let him tail me to find out his roots, and after three years, he was killed suddenly. When I saw the news about Crimson Dagger's exposure, I knew I had to escape Azad's clutches. That's when I agreed to help you all, to bring down the very organization I had unwittingly become a part of."Kaushal, struggling to process the information, questioned, "But why did you agree to help us? What made you decide to turn against Crimson Dagger?"Guilt and regret etched Gulmohar's expression as he confessed, "When I saw Major Ajay's death, I realized that Crimson Dagger's operations were a sham. They were not killing for any good motive like removing corruption but for unrest within the organization. Ajay was an innocent officer; I knew him personally, he was like my brother and was a brave officer. I knew then, I couldn't be a part of it any longer. My conscience couldn't bear the weight of the lives lost and the chaos caused by their covert schemes. That's when I decided to expose Crimson Dagger and bring an end to their reign of deception."Sensing his conflict, Kaushal asked, "What about your crusade, Gulmohar? The loss of your friend that led you to expose Crimson Dagger? But before that, you were involved in sharing classified information to help in killing a lot of people around the world and executing terrorist attacks over the globe. Were you aware of that?"Gulmohar sighed, the pain resurfacing. "Azad's promise to avenge his friend's death was a powerful motivator, but I soon realized that the means he employed were no different from the corruption he claimed to fight against. I couldn't let more lives be sacrificed in the name of revenge."The room fell into contemplative silence as Gulmohar's story unfolded, each word revealing a layer of deception and the convoluted details between shadows and truth.Kaushal, breaking the silence, spoke with a mix of disbelief and empathy, "So, all this time, you were entangled in a web of lies and manipulation. Are you happy that Azad has been caught, Gulmohar?""I want to expose the truth, bring Azad and Crimson Dagger to justice. But I need your help. Together, we can unravel the entire conspiracy and ensure that other collaborators of Azad who orchestrated this web of deception also face the consequences."Kaushal, after a moment of thoughtful consideration, burst out, "You are lying, Gulmohar. Everything you told is a lie."Gulmohar looked surprised by this change of tone. Kaushal's eyes were red with anger suddenly."You are Azad, and Vipin was Gulmohar; it's his code name. You never told Gulmohar about Vipin because Vipin was Gulmohar. You killed him on your own, but now you cannot hide from the media anymore." Kaushal was bubbling with anger."You wanted me to find who was the mole in the Crimson Dagger operations, and then you connected with me. I did the research and found out Gulmohar. But until the day I met Vipin, you couldn't link him to Gulmohar. So, as you watched me meet Vipin, you immediately got him matched with Gulmohar's identity and removed him. But why did you link Col. Prakash in the name of Azad?"Gulmohar, or till now who was pretending to be Gulmohar, started laughing. He was indeed the real Azad.~~~~~