Page 153 of The Circle of Exile
“I did. An attempt was made on my life. Not only the CM of Jammu & Kashmir but his entire convoy. That’s an act of war. I buried it and worked proactively to erase any and all traces. That’s…”
“Treason?”
“No, but it is failure to report a cognizable offence with national implications, and negligence of constitutional duty at the highest level. Not to mention obstruction of intelligence workflow and deliberately sabotaging India’s counter-terror ecosystem.”
“But not treason.”
“No, not treason. I did not do anything against my country.”
Good. The worst wasn’t true.
“So then, this can be salvaged…”
His mouth pressed into a thin line. “Let’s be optimistic.”
“Atharva.”
His mouth remained grim, tight. Then he finally sighed — “I spoke to Yogesh Patel, among others.”
“What did he say? He can help you, right? He commands the Central government…”
“He is caught in the firing alongside me. Today, the opposition at the Centre is going to rattle the Parliament because their alliance partner here did this. His hands are tied as well. I am potentially open to a parliamentary ethics probe, and possibly a CBI or NIA investigation into wilful suppression of terror intelligence to start with. But all of this can be slowed down in the machinery. What can’t be slowed down is the media campaign that Momina Aslam has unleashed. She has been planning this for a long time.”
“You were trying to protect me and she hit you.”
“Don’t say it like it’s your fault!”
“But it is! What was I thinking? How could I go? Leaving all this, you, not even thinking that I am not justyourwife but the Chief Minister’s wife… the things I made you do…”
“Iram.”
“Hmm?”
He couldn’t lean in but his eyes sharpened, searing into hers — “You and I are not different. She hit you or me, it’s the same.”
She stared at him.
“You were caught in an impossible place. You were a human, not a goddess on a pedestal. We made it back safe, we will make it out of this too. Ok?”
“We will,” she leaned forward because he couldn’t, quietly pulling her seat towards him. Their hands clasped tighter. “I am here. I am with you. Whatever happens, whatever the inquiry or probe, I will do as you say.”
“No.”
Her eyes widened.
“You are not part of this inquiry. Never utter it out loud again. You were in Ahmedabad, with Ada. Tending to her after she fell ill with chickenpox. You. Were. Not. There. With. Me.”
She did not like it.
“What did I say, Iram?”
She gritted her teeth.
“Iram.”
“That I was not there with you.”
“Good.”
