Chapter 53: chapter 53

The aftermath of Azad's unveiling weighed heavily on Kaushal's shoulders, leaving him to grapple not only with the implications of his involvement with Crimson Dagger throughout the Leh's operation till last night but also the shattered relationships it had left in its wake. As the web of lies slowly unravelled, the bonds that once held trust and connection among friends seemed damaged.Neha, Kaushal, and Karan found themselves at the army mess, catching a coffee break, the air thick with the stress of the recent revelations. Karan, struggling to comprehend the twists and turns, questioned Kaushal about his initial silence regarding Gulmohar's true identity.“I didn’t understand, Kaushal. If you were after Gulmohar and then Gulmohar was murdered, why didn’t you tell me that when my contacts gave this person’s name as Gulmohar?” Karan was perplexed.Kaushal, burdened by regret, explained, “Because if I did, I wouldn’t have known who Gulmohar was. Also, I thought this was a common code name; there may be more Gulmohars out there in Crimson Dagger. It was my mistake to not rely on my guts and go behind the information shared by our fake informant and this Gulmohar aka Azad. Also once I doubted that I was behind a wrong Gulmohar.”Neha, recognizing the toll this revelation had taken on Kaushal, offered her support, “Don’t worry about all this, Kaushal. I think we have come out of it in time, and I am very sorry for not trusting your instincts earlier.”“No, no, don’t apologize. I know how complex this whole Crimson Dagger affair is. To be honest, I too would have believed Gulmohar until Col. Prakash was identified as Azad. Since I know Col. Prakash personally and couldn’t make any sense of these linkages, I was deeply perturbed when he became the epicentre of the Crimson Dagger operations. He is my mentor, Neha, and I couldn’t just sit idle, feeling guilty about my incorrect investigation. Hence, I only had to fix this problem.”Neha reassured Kaushal, her hand on his, “Don’t punish yourself anymore; you have done a great job. Take some rest!” They stood, and Neha gave a warm hug to Kaushal, a fleeting moment of solace amid chaos.Karan, respecting their need for a moment, left them to spend time together as he retreated to his office. Meanwhile, Kaushal, despite the support from Neha, found himself haunted by the aftermath of Azad's revelation, not only in the professional realm but also in the personal relationships that had become casualties of this intricate game.The following evening, the silence in Kaushal's quarters was disrupted by the ringing of the phone. He hesitated before answering, realizing it was Sheetal on the other end of the line. Her voice was cold and lacked the warmth that once existed between them. “Kaushal, we need to talk.”“Okay, I will come to your place!” Kaushal cut the phone and drove to Sheetal’s bungalow, a sense of an upcoming confrontation settling over him."Sheetal, I..." Kaushal began, his words faltering as he faced the palpable tension between them.Sheetal cut him off with a sharp look. "Don't. Don't even start, Kaushal. I've had enough of your explanations and justifications." The pain in her eyes was evident, and Kaushal felt the weight of his unwitting contribution to it."Sheetal, I never meant for things to turn out this way. You have to believe me." His plea was genuine, but Sheetal's bitterness was real.Sheetal laughed, her laughter lacked the joyous notes he once knew. "Believe you? After what you've done? Do you even understand the magnitude of the confusion you dragged me into? I started doubting my father, how could you do this to me, Kaushal?"Sheetal's eyes burned with accusation. "You were part of the team that took my father into custody, Kaushal. You knew what they were accusing him of, and yet, you stood by, playing the silent accomplice. How could you?"Kaushal's expression faltered, guilt surfacing in his eyes. "Sheetal, I didn't have a choice. It was a military order."Her voice turned sharp, laced with anger. "What about your principles, your loyalty to those who once trusted you? Father was a mentor to you, and you betrayed him."He sighed, the weight of his choices settling on his shoulders. "I know it's hard to understand, but I thought I could make a difference from within the office rather than supporting you at that time, I know it sounds so foolish right now but I thought staying away from you, I could uncover the truth and bring justice."Sheetal shook her head in disbelief. "Justice? You were part of the system that betrayed its own. You were complicit in destroying lives being part of Crimson Dagger; you knew they were manipulating events, but still, you stayed loyal to them. You left me alone, shattered in my loneliness, how can I trust you again Kaushal?"The room fell into a heavy silence, the accusations hanging between them. But Sheetal wasn't finished. There was another layer to this tangled web of emotions."And Neha," Sheetal's tone dropped, a mix of sadness and anger. "How conveniently you found solace in her when the world around you crumbled. Did our relationship mean so little to you that you sought comfort elsewhere?"Kaushal, now fully aware of the consequences of his actions, struggled to find the right words. "Sheetal, it's not as simple as you think. Neha and I found support in each other during a difficult time."Sheetal's eyes narrowed. "Support? Or a convenient distraction? While father suffered, while the truth was buried beneath layers of deceit, you were finding 'support' in Neha's arms.""Sheetal, I never intended to hurt you. I thought I could fix things and make them right. But I see now that I was blinded by my pursuit."Sheetal, her anger giving way to profound sadness, rose. "Kaushal, you've lost more than you realize in this quest for justice. I hope one day you find redemption, but I can't be a part of this journey. Please go; I don’t want to see you anymore!"Kaushal had no words to fill his mistakes; his head dropped, and he left the place, his heart hurting with the unfathomable pain of losing the love of his life. Only one question loomed in his mind, will he ever be able to redeem his place in Sheetal's heart again?~~~~~