Page 112 - Love Story of a Commando

forever but you did not even call me once! Did I not deserve a simple
explanation, even when you were planning to leave me like that?’ I
demanded.
‘Riya! After the attacks, there was a lot of briefing and meetings
where we were called as a team to record our statements, it took us almost a
month. When the public rage and international murmurs died down, we were
tasked with a complete wipe out of the sleeper cell which acted as the local
terrorist thread in the city. The intensity of the attack was not possible
without the extensive reach of local sleeper cells.’ He paused for a moment.
‘You might be aware that it was not just the Taj but the entire city
that was targeted. You would have also heard about a terrorist caught during
the Taj attacks. There was a reason he was kept alive. He provided us with a
lot of information that helped us nab many other people involved. From
renowned politicians, to bureaucrats, to a movie star to a tea stall vendor,
they were all monitored and wiped out silently as and when required.’ He
inhaled deeply.
‘It was Operation Revenge which was fulfilled very quietly, away
from the lenses of international communities. We did many things and raided
many people including foreign diplomats, which is not even allowed by
Indian laws, but we did everything we needed to safeguard the city. The
Mumbai sleeper cell was so deep-rooted that it took us months to locate and
wipe it out from our economic capital. The ministry of home affairs had to
even approve a new regional hub in Mumbai after realizing the reach of the
local sleeper cells. There is a reason that no attack has happened until now.
Everybody is on our radar all the time,’ he said.
I snuggled deeper into his arms and he tightened his grip in response.
‘So? Does that mean you could not even contact me, how do you
justify that?’ I asked.
‘How do you think I could contact you when I was not even sure of
the next minute? I was on a deadly mission, but I knew you were fine.
Sometimes I would sit in the coffee house across your office just to steal that
one glance of you. But I did not want to put you at risk anymore or wait for
me when I was not aware of my own future,’ he said.
‘What? All this while you were there in Mumbai?’ I was shocked.
‘Yes, I was, but I was almost like a ghost in the city while on
mission. But yes, when the desolation would kick in, I would hang around
your office or peep into your apartment through my telescope, I so wanted to
come and hold you tight when you would stare out of your window for
hours,’ he said.
‘What? What? It means all this while you were aware of my mental
state and still did not bother to show up. How come it is fair that you were