Tag: fiction

The Empty Chair (Part – II)

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Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5

Contd From Part I

He hadn’t realised at the time that it would be their last talk. Now, standing here in her absence, her words felt heavier, their meaning more profound. He walked over to the chair, resting his hand lightly on its back, the wood smooth and cool under his palm. For a moment, he let himself imagine she was still there, her soft voice calling him “beta,” her eyes full of understanding that needed no words. But reality tugged him back. She was gone, and the chair was only a reminder of what was missing.

At the other end of the room, Meena, Nani’s youngest daughter, was busy in the kitchen, her hands moving with practised ease as she prepared the dishes her mother had once made with love. Every ingredient, every spice she added brought with it a memory—Nani’s hands guiding hers as a young girl, teaching her the secret to the perfect biryani, the way to fold the dough for samosas just right. She had always been Nani’s shadow in the kitchen, learning not just recipes but the unspoken language of family that food could convey.

As Meena stirred the pot of curry, her thoughts drifted back to the last meal she had cooked with her mother. It had been a quiet afternoon, just the two of them in the kitchen, the soft clinking of utensils the only sound. Nani had been frail then, her movements slow, but her mind sharp as ever. She had insisted on supervising, even though her hands could no longer chop or stir with the same energy.

“Food is love, beta,” Nani had said, her voice soft but sure. “When you cook for your family, you are giving them a piece of your heart.”

Meena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, brushing away the tears before anyone could see. She didn’t want to cry today. Today was about remembering, celebrating, and honouring the legacy her mother had left behind.

As she finished preparing the dishes, Meena caught her reflection in the kitchen window and saw her mother’s features on her own. She remembered how Nani used to stand there, watching the world outside, her thoughts distant but always returning to her family. The reflection, now hers, made her pause for a moment—was she living up to the love, patience, and wisdom Nani had shown?

The sound of laughter pulled her back to the present as the family gathered around the table. One by one, they took their seats, a mix of old and new generations, each with their own stories, memories, and hopes. Yet, despite the bustle of conversation, there was an unspoken acknowledgement of the empty chair, standing quietly at the head of the table. It wasn’t just a chair anymore; it had become a symbol, a reminder of the glue that held them together, even in her absence.

For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence, as if no one knew how to begin without Nani’s familiar presence to guide them. Then, softly, it was little Rhea, the youngest of the grandchildren, who broke the silence.

“Why is Nani’s chair empty?” she asked, her wide eyes looking up at her mother, Priya.

Priya smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair from Rhea’s face. “Nani isn’t with us anymore, beta, but we keep her chair here because she’s still with us in our hearts.”

Rhea frowned, her small brow furrowed in confusion. “But I miss her. Can’t she come back, just for tonight?”( TO BE CONTINUED)

Rajat Chandra Sarmah 

Guwahati , Assam , India 

23/10/2024

The Front Page Frenzie (part -III)

Part III

As Amrita and Anand delved deeper into their investigation, the stakes grew higher with each passing day. The discovery of their suspect’s close ties to their Editor sent shockwaves through. Now they have doubts about who they can trust within their ranks. Amrita and Anand knew they had to tread carefully. They couldn’t risk tipping off their suspect or their Editor to their suspicions. Every move had to be calculated, and every word was chosen with care.

But as they continued to gather evidence and follow leads, they faced unexpected obstacles at every turn. Witnesses disappeared, evidence was tampered with, and misinformation was fed to them to mislead. Threats against their lives grew more frequent and more sinister. Despite the mounting danger, Amrita refused to back down. She knew that the truth was within reach, and she was determined to see justice served, no matter the cost. When they thought they had uncovered the extent of the criminal network, unexpected revelations turned the investigation on its head. The investigations further lead to other crimes too not only with missing girls, but also with illegal weapons, drugs, and counterfeit currency.

The discovery sent shockwaves through their spine, revealing the true extent of the criminal network they were up against. It seemed that their suspect was involved in far more than just human trafficking, and the implications were staggering. Amrita and Anand were forced to reevaluate their assumptions and pursue new leads, knowing that their lives were on the line with each step they took. But with each new revelation, the truth remained elusive, slipping through their fingers like sand.

As a tactical move, they stopped their activities for some time and almost daily met the Editor on one pretext or another as a strategy to send a message that they were now not very much interested in their mission. Rather than bringing in the name of the businessman in some other context and praising him, they tried to get some leads from the Editor and waited for the Editor’s response to evaluate the relationship of the businessman with the Editor. As they raced against the clock to gather evidence and build their case, suspense hung heavy in the air. Every moment felt like a ticking time bomb, every encounters a potential threat to their safety. But amidst the chaos and danger, they prayed for—a possible breakthrough that could blow the case wide open. With renewed determination, Amrita and Anand pursued their lead with all the tenacity and grit they could muster, knowing that failure was not an option. But as they closed in on their target, they found themselves facing their most dangerous adversary yet—a ruthless criminal syndicate with ties to politicians, businessmen, and even maybe members of law enforcement. The depth of corruption and depravity they uncovered was staggering, and they knew that they were in over their heads. In a dramatic showdown that would determine the fate of their investigation, Amrita and Anand decided to meet their adversaries for some casual interviews to understand whether they were in the right direction. With the weight of their lives and countless others hanging in the balance, they knew they could not afford to fail. Armed with nothing but their courage and conviction, and Aarav with his camera, they faced down their adversaries with steely resolve, determined to see what they could extract from the horse’s mouth. They were blindsided by a shocking betrayal that left them reeling. As the dust settled and the echoes of their struggle faded into the night, Amrita and Anand found themselves grappling with the fallout of their harrowing ordeal, their faith in themselves and each other shaken to the core. Yet amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one thing remained clear—no matter what challenges lay ahead, Amrita with Aarav and Anand would face them together, united in their pursuit of truth and justice. As they looked out at the city skyline, bathed in the golden light of dawn, they knew that their journey was far from over and may not even touch yet the right track and the kingpin of the whole business. The suspect businessman may be only a pony on the board. Yet amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one thing remained clear—no matter what challenges lay ahead, Amrita, Aarav and Anand would face them together, united in their pursuit of truth and justice. As the trio Amrita, Aarav and Anand continued their investigation, the trail seemed to grow colder with each passing day. Despite their best efforts, they found themselves facing a wall of silence and resistance at every turn. Witnesses refused to speak, evidence vanished without a trace, and potential suspects slipped through their fingers like smoke. But just when they thought they had hit a dead end,— a certain incident that happened that gave them some promise to unravel the mystery once and for all.

  Acting on a tip from an anonymous source, they began to dig deeper, without anyone knowing it and following the breadcrumbs of evidence wherever they led. Their investigation led them to a luxurious penthouse overlooking the city skyline, where they encountered a figure from their past—a respected figure in the society with doubtful ties to the criminal underworld as they come to know. His smooth demeanour and charming smile belied the darkness that lurked beneath the surface, and Amrita couldn’t shake the feeling that he held the key to unlocking the truth. They tried to drag out whatever information about this gentleman and his history including his family and relatives. They checked all their pieces of information from the data bank in the chronicle and also enquired from people who were earlier associated with him, his past and present housekeeping staff, mali etc. One interesting thing that came out of this investigation was that he is presently living with his third wife and no one knows or has spoken about his first two wives. All his children are outside the country for study and hardly come here. He also very rarely stays here and he has big properties everywhere. Nobody spoke out anything about the nature of the business he has except that he has an import-export firm registered in his name. His third wife remains here with a large supporting staff. Pressed his staff and once friends did not give much answers, they were met with nothing but denials and deflections. It seemed that their suspect was determined to protect his secrets at any cost, and the more they pushed, the more dangerous their investigation became. Amidst the tension and uncertainty, Amrita found herself grappling with her doubts and fears. The weight of the investigation bore down on her shoulders like a heavy burden, and she began to question whether she had what it took to see it through to the end. Aarav and Amrita found an old coffee shop and waited there for some coffee. Their main intention was to observe the penthouse and how to enter there with high security at the front gate. They just go on drinking coffee and carefully listening to the other visitors who seem to be working there in the penthouse. But they did not succeed. Aarav with his Architectural background tried to imagine the layout of the penthouse and probable entry. They left without any visible success but they got the idea that this penthouse had a lot of things to hide. A few days later Aarav drew a sketch of the probable layout of the penthouse and again visited the cafe. It seems that some people were becoming curious to see them and talked in a hush-hush manner. At that time one person came inside the cafe fully drunk and shouting something looking towards the penthouse. Aarav and Amrita understood that there may be something serious going to happen the next day and some foreign visitors were expected.

With this clue, Amrita and Aarav decided to enter the penthouse secretly the next day and tried to find out how they could enter the complex. They observed the main gate security and found it very strict. Only vehicles with some particular logo were allowed in. There is no alternative but to enter the place through the main gate. Aarav, Amrita and Anand had a detailed discussion and decided to go in by capturing a vehicle with the logo which will bring the guest there. Anand also took the help of one of his close friends who was in the army and may be required in case of any eventuality. As planned they Stopped one of the vehicles with the logo a few kilometres away from the penthouse and without any problem. Used Chloroform handkerchiefs in their mouth, they did not expect these people will come to their senses in the next 2-3 hours. They took their captured guest to their vehicle and the vehicle left on the road going towards a jungle area not visible from the main road. With the vehicle with the Logo, they entered the penthouse without any check as soon as it was dark.  Anand was lying on the ground behind a bush to see any abnormal movement and to warn Amrita and Aarav. The army person was in the vehicle so that in case of an emergency they could immediately move out. 

Aarav with his secret high-resolution photography items and Amrita went up through the pipes to the third floor taking cover of darkness where they were anticipating something sinister going on. To their horror, they found around 15-16 young girls were tortured and threatened to follow orders. As they reached the third floor, they were met with an eerie silence that sent chills down their spines. The air was thick with tension as they crept along the hallway, their senses on high alert for any sign of danger. Using their equipment, they managed to capture footage of young girls/women being tortured and coerced into following orders by the suspect and his associates.

The scene was horrifying, and Amrita felt a surge of anger and determination to bring the perpetrators to justice. The foreign guests were in and may have started bidding for each girl. But just as they were about to make their escape, they heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. With adrenaline coursing through their veins, they ducked into a nearby room and held their breath, praying that they wouldn’t be discovered. Meanwhile, on the ground, Anand kept a watchful eye out for any signs of trouble. His heart raced with anticipation as he waited for Amrita and Aarav to return safely from their mission. As the minutes ticked by, Anand’s anxiety grew with each passing second. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and he feared the worst for his colleagues. Back inside the penthouse, Amrita and Aarav held their breath as the footsteps grew louder, inching closer and closer to their hiding spot. Sweat dripped down their brows as they waited for the inevitable confrontation. But just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the footsteps passed by without incident, and the coast was clear once more. With a sigh of relief, Amrita and Aarav made their escape, their hearts pounding in their chests as they raced back to safety.

As they regrouped with Anand on the ground, they shared a silent moment of gratitude for their narrow escape. But amidst the chaos and danger, a deeper bond was forming between Amrita and Aarav, one that went beyond their shared mission for justice. As they looked out at the city skyline, bathed in the soft glow of dawn, they knew that their journey was far from over. But with each new challenge they faced, they would face it together, united in their pursuit of truth and justice, and perhaps even in their blossoming romance.

In the meantime, there was loud shouting by the security as a few of the guests were missing though all the vehicles were coming. Without losing a second all four left the place and out of the gate. Fortunately, no one was following them. At the locations where they left the guest, they shifted the guest to the vehicle and taking their vehicle they left through a jungle road without headlights on and reached their place of safety. By that time, the sun God started showing up and all were relieved from the horror of the operation. 

The next day as soon as they reached the office the Editor asked Anand to his room and asked what he was doing. Anand understood that the Editor was already informed by these people and Anand had to lie, about some other matter where he was working. The Editor did not say anything and only said ok.