Cold Love (14 page)

Crossing
Dams - Bridging Barriers

Riya can’t sleep after the nightmare and
kept tossing and turning in her bed. She gets out of bed at 6:30am, and picks
up her phone to message Arjun.

“Hi. Are you awake? Will you be at
school today? Can we catch up please?”

She moves around the room impatiently at
a brisk trot, getting ready for the day ahead. There’s a response on her mobile
in a few minutes. It reads-

“Hi. I have some work in the morning and
then need to be at the headquarters in the afternoon. Should we catch up at
Puja’s engagement party in the evening?”

“Ok no problem”, she types, “I may visit
the school for disabled children near Bhatsa dam in the afternoon. But I can
change it if your schedule changes. Please let me know. See you in the evening
otherwise. Bye.”

When she goes downstairs to the living
room, she finds her dad surfing the channels on the wall-mounted TV. Mr. Saxena
sees Riya coming, and extends his hand to her.

 “Come beta.” Riya holds the extended
hand and sits next to him, as they both listen to the news reporter on the TV.

“A special military court in India has
given its verdict against the ISI lieutenant general this morning. He has been
found guilty on all the charges raised by the Indian Government, namely that of
murder, drugs and espionage.”

“Oh my God! We won?! Let me call Arjun.”

“His phone is not accessible beta. I
tried as well. Kamla tells me that Arjun went to work very early in the
morning. Guess he wants to wrap up everything quickly before the engagement
party later in the evening.”

“Ok Papa. I will speak to him later
then.”

Varun turns on the volume of the TV
instead as the news reporter continues on.

“We have with us retired Colonel
Mohammad Ayub from Pakistan and political think tank member Ayub sahib first
tell us what impact it will have on the international community?”

“We still maintain that the charges are
false and …”

 Varun quickly surfs through other news
channels.

“The international community is in
turmoil as diplomats figure out their interpretation of the allegations against
the ISI lieutenant general being proved true. Will the Indian government
undertake a diplomatic offensive after this result? Now the Indian people want
to see results and the whole world is taking note too! The time to act has
come. Is this landmark verdict an official confirmation of Pakistan as a rogue
terrorist state? Will Indian diplomats be able to use this victory as an arm-twisting
exercise with Pakistan? Will India convince Pakistan to shut down its terrorist
camps? There are many questions and unknowns but whatever happens from now on,
the Indian intelligence service and diplomats do have a reason to celebrate
because of the verdict today.”

Just like millions of Indians, Varun is
eager to hear about this development, to know if this incident will help to
establish lasting peace and stability between the two countries. Or perhaps…
this may lead to a backlash of violence and a further outbreak of terrorism?

 Suddenly Puja walks into the room and
Riya springs up to greet her friend.

“Hi Puja…look we have got the court
verdict in our favor too on your auspicious engagement day!”

“I know! Isn’t it great? But hey, how
was your evening? Arjun came so late and then left early morning that I
couldn’t speak to him.”

“Miss Liar! You are asking me about our
party?” Riya asks sarcastically, pretending an air of annoyance at Puja’s lie
last night.

“Oh! So you know about it?” Puja exclaims,
“I am so sorry, my dear friend, that I lied to you a bit yesterday. But you
didn’t share your truth with me either.”

“What truth?”

“That you love Arjun… C’mon now don’t
you dare dodge me any further. I know you very well since we were children.”

The girls gossip for an hour as Riya
shared all the details of the party. They express their anguish, awe and
excitement. They hug and shriek as Puja senses that Riya is deeply in love with
Arjun.

“So tell me Riya,” Puja asks her
directly, “Have you told Arjun that you love him?”

 “No I haven’t!” Riya can no longer lie
about her feelings to her best friend.

“Why not? Are you shy?”

“No. It’s not that. There is something
else… I just cannot tell Arjun!”

“What something else? Oh! C’mon Riya!
Gone are the days when girls waited for guys to make the first move. … Today,
girls do not lag behind guys in anything…And this includes courtship and
romance my friend.” They giggle and smile at each other. “Anyway listen, I have
to run, so much work to do for the evening. I’ll see you later tonight!” 

Puja walks out, really happy at the turn
of events for her best friend. Riya is finally on her own to think through all
that has been said. She knows that Puja is right- girls no longer lag behind
boys in any field these days. In today’s fast world, one really needs to reach
out or risk being left out. But life is not so simple. A strange sense of
uneasiness grips her as she considers the ramifications of what has happened
over the last few months. Life has changed for her ever since Arjun came into
her life…But why does life have to be so complex? Why cannot we be kids again?
A life without hassles, of sheer pure friendship and love… without the
unnecessary complexities that bar us from seeking happiness. Amidst her
feelings of uncertainty, Riya continues to pack for her school and for the
disabled children’s school visit later in the day.

Meanwhile Arjun is back at the
department headquarters. Obviously, he can feel the same love in the air that
has gripped Riya as well. But he realizes he cannot afford to get carried away,
because once his Mumbai mission is over, he cannot be sure which part of the
world he will go to next. The evening with Riya at the party, the romantic time
under the moonlit skies … it’s been all so refreshingly beautiful, but he
shouldn’t take it for reality. The next call for duty may see him in another
part of the world, with love evaporating into thin air. While Arjun is lost in
his thoughts, his mobile rings.

“Hey Krish! How are you buddy?!...
Thanks. Yes, the court verdict is a big step forward.” He pauses to listen
attentively, “Yes go on … What? A bomb?... Oh ok. You have contacted the squad
already? …Bhatsa dam? …Let’s hope it’s a false alarm and the squad can take
care of it. All right, speak to you later.”

It is likely that ISI has decided to
respond to the court verdict through another mischievous endeavor. The Bhatsa
dam in Thane is a strategic site as it provides water supply to almost a
quarter of the city. A disruption to Mumbai’s key water supply can lead the
city to chaos. Although the bomb squad will answer the call, Arjun realized
that, coincidentally, Riya was planning to visit the school for disabled children,
which was in the slum areas close to the spillway of the dam. Arjun immediately
decides to drive to the dam as well. By the time he arrives, a bomb squad is
already in position, just as Krish had promised.

An officer walks over to Arjun, “Sir! This
area is secluded. You cannot go ahead.”

“Hello Officer,” Arjun whips open a
badge showing his identity. “Arjun Sinha. Executive Head of the Strategic
Intelligence Wing, RAW.”

The officer salutes him, “Captain Ravi
Singh, Sir! In charge of the squad.”

 “Any signs yet of the bomb yet?”

“No Sir! Our sniffer dogs have searched
the entire area around a radius of about two kilometers but nothing yet. Looks
like a hoax, Sir!” 

Arjun thinks, “Krish has provided the
information… his intelligence is never wrong.” He looks around, across the vast
extents of water on one side, a large picturesque dam and green forests below.
His view meanders to the sky and to the top of the dam wall. He pauses to think
for a moment and immediately starts climbing the iron railings swiftly up to
the dam. In a few minutes he reaches the top of the rail and starts walking
across. After walking a few meters, he spots a black object lying at the far
end.

Meanwhile, after her class at the
children’s school ends, Riya leaves the slums area just below the Bhatsa dam
and strolls up the hills towards the dam. She has been on top of this dam
earlier and it was a worthwhile trek for the beautiful view. Moreover, she
needs a moment to herself to think through all the emotions and ideas swirling
like a storm in her head. She is wearing a beautiful white ethnic salwar suit
and repeatedly clings to her dupatta that is blowing along in the strong
breeze. She spots some movement at the top of the dam and starts walking
swiftly.

In the meantime, Arjun has covered a
third of the path across the narrow edge. He can feel the strong breeze
whooshing around him. When Riya reaches the top of the stairs she immediately
spots Arjun at the top of the iron railings on the dam.

“Arjun!”

“Riya! Wait for a second.” Arjun
immediately responds.  

“Arjun! What the hell are you doing?
Come down now!”

“Riya just go! I’ll explain everything
later.”

Riya rushes towards the railings of the
dam.  “Arjun! Come down! Now!... Else I’m coming up.”  Arjun ignores her and
continues walking.

“Arjun! I am not joking!”

As everyone looks on, Riya suddenly
starts climbing the railings. Arjun walks faster, crosses a narrow stretch and
is and is just about 3-5 meters from the bomb. By that time, Riya reaches the
top of the railings and started walking on the ledge.

“Riya, please do not come further,”
Arjun calls out to her. He kneels down to look at the bomb that is within his
grasp. A little screen on the bomb shows the digits counting backwards– “28,
27...”

He starts to work on the bomb quickly.
Meanwhile Riya is a third of the way through the narrow stretch. Arjun works
quickly, cuts a red wire and immediately throws the bomb down to the team,
waiting and ready to accept the catch.

“Riya, just stop there… don’t move. I’m
coming back.” Riya stops immediately, almost mid-way in the narrowest stretch
of the walk. A strong breeze sends her dupatta fluttering. For the first time,
on her climb to the top, she looks down the dam, and sees large spans of water
on one end and a raging torrent of water flowing off the edge of the high dam
down to the abyss underneath. The height of the dam and the flowing water
falling down such heights make her head spin; she feels as if she will lose
consciousness. Arjun rushes over and grabs her that very moment. Her dupatta is
about to fly off in the strong breeze, but Arjun manages to grab it as well
just on the tip of his finger, and carefully pulls it back to wrap it around
Riya.

 “Riya! Riya!” Arjun shakes her, holding
her tightly by her arms. She regains consciousness, looks down again and clutches
Arjun strongly burying her head in his shoulder.

“Riya! Listen to me!” he holds her face
in his hand, “Look, put your feet on top of mine. Close your eyes and just hold
me tight. Trust me. I’ll do the rest. Do you understand?!” Riya nods yes vehemently.
She dares to peep over Arjun’s shoulders to look at the water pouring down from
the height into the gorge down under. Beautiful stretches of water on one side
of the dam and a picturesque gorge with roaring waters on the other end would
have made a scenic view from any other part of the dam.

Riya and Arjun move nervously in each
other’s embrace, a step at a time, past the narrow stretch and then gradually
towards the edge of the rail. Arjun goes first down the iron stair, with Riya
following him, as Arjun shields her on the way down the iron ladder. They
eventually reach the bottom safe and sound. Riya comes running across and hugs
Arjun tightly.

 “Arjun! Oh my God!”

“Are you ok?” Arjun pulls her away and
suddenly shouts at her, much to her surprise “Are you crazy? Why did you come
up there, Riya?”

Riya is taken aback and looks at the
bomb squad, who were observing their descent from the dam with concern.
However, on hearing Arjun raise his voice, they have dispersed to give them
some space. They are now crowding around the bomb, to analyze it better.

“Are you out of your mind!?” Arjun cries
out, “What if something happened to you Riya?”

“Yes! I am crazy! What about you Arjun?
Tell me…what if Kamla aunty saw you there? Do you ever think about anyone
else?” Tears roll down instantly from her eyes. “Why did you go up there Arjun?
You don’t care about anyone!”

Arjun immediately lowers his voice upon
seeing her tears.

“Riya look. It was… it was… just a bet.”
He points feebly towards an agent.

“A bet? Are you out of your mind? … Bet?
What if? Are you?”

Arjun tries to pacify her, holding her
arms as Riya struggles to articulate herself in disbelief. In despair, she
shrugs off Arjun’s hands and starts walking, extremely disturbed and visually
disappointed. Arjun follows her for a few steps but returns immediately to the
bomb squad. He wishes he could pacify Riya but there were more urgent matters
to address first. Inaudible discussions continue as he gives instructions to
the bomb squad. After a quick scrutiny the bomb squad confirms that the bomb
was a dud. The work of an amateur it seems. The squad continues a routine
search with sniffer dogs and magnetic equipment for another half an hour before
proclaiming the area safe.