Another Half Of Me - Chapter 46

Siddha was sitting inside Dilshad Garden police station, watching James trying to get a confession out of the gang members but none of them even cracked a bit. James came out the lock up exhausted and sweating hard. He shook his head when Siddha looked at him. 

The investigation was going nowhere. It was a complete dead end for them. Getting up from the chair, he went and stood near the window and closed his eyes. Their only hope was the sketch.

A constable came and handed the sketch to James. He looked at it and instantly knew something was wrong. He called the constable and asked him to summon the sketch artist.

Siddha and Rudy stood behind him looking at the sketch but couldn’t recognise the face.

“Remove the beard,” James ordered the sketch artist. The moment he’d seen the face he had realised that the beard was not real. It was a part of a disguise.

Just as the artist removed the beard, Siddha’s eyes lit up with recognition. That’s Harichand Manchanda’s son, Vishal. He angry gaze did not leave the sketch even for once when he said, “We have the crack the gang somehow. Only, they can make him confess.”

Turning away he looked at one of the gang members looking at him. He beckoned James and asked him who he was.

“That’s Suja,” James replied.

The name rang in Siddha’s brain again and again as his eyes burned with anger. Fuming, he looked at Rudy who knew instantly what he wanted.

Closing his eyes, Siddha contained his anger as James took the other gang members out of the lock up. Rudy placed a can of petrol in the lock up and then walked up to Siddha to hand him the matches. As his fingers closed around the match box, Siddha opened his eyes.

Looking right at Suja, he walked slowly towards the lock up as if prowling his prey towards the corner. Once he stepped inside, James closed the door and locked it.

Siddha dragged the fallen chair in front of Suja and sat down on it.

“Do you know how it feels when flesh burns?”

When Suja did not answer, Siddha picked up the can of petrol and poured some on his hand.

Suja stood up and staggered away towards the wall as Siddha flicked one match out of the box. Realising what he was about to do, all the other gang members started to protest loudly.

As the noise increased, Siddha’s anger and irritation reached new heights.

“Shut up!” he shouted gritting his teeth.

He got up from the chair and stood in front of Suja.

“Tell me his name,” he said looking straight into his eyes. But Suja did not say anything but stood there transfixed by the look in Siddha’s bloodshot eyes.

Losing his patience completely, Siddha grabbed the can and emptied its contents on Suja.

He lighted the match and brought it close to Suja’s body. “You will soon find out how it feels when flesh burns.”

Collapsing on the floor, Suja grabbed his feet and begged for his life. Siddha face hardened as he thought about what this man would have done that day if Dr. Sunil had not reached on time. Fighting the urge to throw the burning match at Suja, he finally blew it out. He grabbed Suja by his collar and thundered, “Tell me now before I light another match because if I do then I’ll not blow it off, I’ll burn you.”

Falling down on his knees, Suja poured everything from how they had kidnapped Roshni after the blast to the day they had told the lie of her being dead.

Siddha listened till he finished and then, was about to step out of the lock up when something that Suja said stopped him in his tracks. Turning, he grabbed his collar and dragged him upright.

“What did you say?” he bellowed.

“He knows the girl is still alive. I have told him that before the police took us. He will kill her. You cannot stop him.”

Siddha’s anger erupted violently as he thrashed Suja to the corner and banged his head against the wall. He pinned his head to the wall as his fingers twined around Suja’s throat in a vicious grip. Suja coughed hard as slowly his breathing started to stop.

James and Rudy rushed inside and dragged Siddha away but his grip never left Suja’s throat. Rudy tried his best to loosen it but failed. Then, he dragged away one finger at a time and finally managed to loosen Siddha’s hand.

Suja collapsed on the floor coughing hard as Rudy and James dragged Siddha out of the lock up. Settling his trembling body on the bench, Rudy bend down and looked at his face. Flushed and eyes burning with fury, his face looked like death himself.

“Bhaiji, please, calm down,” Rudy implored placing a soothing hand on his clenched fist.

“Manchanda knows Roshni is alive. He is preparing for another attack. Get her protected. Now!” he thundered as a dreaded thought crossed his mind.

What if he has reached her already?

He fetched his phone from the pocket and dialled Tania’s number.

Not reachable!

He dialled her house phone.

It kept ringing but no one answered.

He dialled Sid’s number.

Not reachable!

Finally, he dialled Roshni’s number with trembling fingers.

Not reachable!

Is he too late?

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