Shakthi exited the room and walked over to the guy at the desk and spoke to him in an irritated tone. He demanded why he had been misinformed. The guy was taken by surprise. He regained his composure and replied politely that they caught this man when he had escorted Shweta towards the check-in. They knew this was not the man and they were still looking for Pankaj.
Shakthi slammed his fist on the desk and went to the room at the left. Shakthi knew he didn’t have the time to make the captured man talk. It would take at least an hour before he breaks up and starts talking. Shakthi went back to the guy at the desk and apologized for his outbreak. He then asked him who was in-charge of the situation. He was told Mr. Menon was the one he had to approach.
Shakthi ran downstairs and scanned the area. He felt his left belly. His gun was missing! He remembered where it was and cursed the Airport guys. They hadn’t let him take it in the plane when he had boarded the plane at Chennai.
The Airport was mostly empty. There was not much activity in the inside. Outside though was pretty busy with people waiting to see their loved ones arrive. He walked out. He knew he had to scan every face in the crowd. He knew the face alone didn’t matter. He had to look for anything out of place. Any reaction in the face, any hasty movement, any over exaggerated reaction or anything else that was not normal. He walked slowly, observing everything around him. Everything appeared normal. Where was Pankaj? He was supposed to be there. If he was not there, then who was supposed to travel with Shweta? Was it the guy who was caught along with her? Shakthi was beginning to feel bad about this. Had his instincts misled him?
He didn’t want to give up. He wanted to be absolutely sure Pankaj was not here. He continued searching. He went to the car park. There were quite a few cars. He looked into every one of it as he walked past it. He didn’t find anything there either. He returned back to the lounge. Shakthi spotted a lot of police in disguise trying to monitor everyone inside the lounge.
He went over to one of the chairs and sat down. He wanted to get back his thoughts. He knew he could not afford to relax. Still he wanted a minute for himself. He closed his eyes and thought of nothing. It was interrupted by a nasal voice crackling through the speaker over head, announcing that the check-in for the Mumbai bound flight would end in five minutes. He turned around and saw a group of tourists rushing to the check-in at the last moment. He was beginning to feel he had made a mistake. Pankaj was not here. But he was able to rescue the girl at least. He felt happy about that.
Shakthi remained seated. He was beginning to feel restless. He stared at the balcony railing above him. He saw a couple leaning against it. The young lady’s ear ring was visible to him even from this distance. He was not able to see it clearly though. He squint his eyes to get a glimpse of its shape. As he did this, another shape came to his mind. The ‘trishul’! He had seen it some time back. But where had he seen it? He remembered seeing it just a few moments back but it hadn’t struck him when he saw it. Where was it? After fighting for some time with his brain, it came to him. He had seen it when he was in the car park. He had seen it through the front windscreen of a car. It was a sticker stuck to the windscreen at that car’s back. He then remembered Shiva’s description of the car that had attacked Shweta and him. Was it a coincidence? Was it another car carrying the same sticker? A renewed hope filled Shakthi’s mind. He suddenly felt confident that his instincts hadn’t misled him. He ought to find Pankaj here. He WAS here. Shakthi sensed it.
Shakthi slammed his fist on the desk and went to the room at the left. Shakthi knew he didn’t have the time to make the captured man talk. It would take at least an hour before he breaks up and starts talking. Shakthi went back to the guy at the desk and apologized for his outbreak. He then asked him who was in-charge of the situation. He was told Mr. Menon was the one he had to approach.
Shakthi ran downstairs and scanned the area. He felt his left belly. His gun was missing! He remembered where it was and cursed the Airport guys. They hadn’t let him take it in the plane when he had boarded the plane at Chennai.
The Airport was mostly empty. There was not much activity in the inside. Outside though was pretty busy with people waiting to see their loved ones arrive. He walked out. He knew he had to scan every face in the crowd. He knew the face alone didn’t matter. He had to look for anything out of place. Any reaction in the face, any hasty movement, any over exaggerated reaction or anything else that was not normal. He walked slowly, observing everything around him. Everything appeared normal. Where was Pankaj? He was supposed to be there. If he was not there, then who was supposed to travel with Shweta? Was it the guy who was caught along with her? Shakthi was beginning to feel bad about this. Had his instincts misled him?
He didn’t want to give up. He wanted to be absolutely sure Pankaj was not here. He continued searching. He went to the car park. There were quite a few cars. He looked into every one of it as he walked past it. He didn’t find anything there either. He returned back to the lounge. Shakthi spotted a lot of police in disguise trying to monitor everyone inside the lounge.
He went over to one of the chairs and sat down. He wanted to get back his thoughts. He knew he could not afford to relax. Still he wanted a minute for himself. He closed his eyes and thought of nothing. It was interrupted by a nasal voice crackling through the speaker over head, announcing that the check-in for the Mumbai bound flight would end in five minutes. He turned around and saw a group of tourists rushing to the check-in at the last moment. He was beginning to feel he had made a mistake. Pankaj was not here. But he was able to rescue the girl at least. He felt happy about that.
Shakthi remained seated. He was beginning to feel restless. He stared at the balcony railing above him. He saw a couple leaning against it. The young lady’s ear ring was visible to him even from this distance. He was not able to see it clearly though. He squint his eyes to get a glimpse of its shape. As he did this, another shape came to his mind. The ‘trishul’! He had seen it some time back. But where had he seen it? He remembered seeing it just a few moments back but it hadn’t struck him when he saw it. Where was it? After fighting for some time with his brain, it came to him. He had seen it when he was in the car park. He had seen it through the front windscreen of a car. It was a sticker stuck to the windscreen at that car’s back. He then remembered Shiva’s description of the car that had attacked Shweta and him. Was it a coincidence? Was it another car carrying the same sticker? A renewed hope filled Shakthi’s mind. He suddenly felt confident that his instincts hadn’t misled him. He ought to find Pankaj here. He WAS here. Shakthi sensed it.
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