Page 124 of The Circle of Exile
“30 days?”
“Flat.”
Sherry’s eyes went to her son — “Do you think your mom is L.Y.I.N.G?”
“No, she is very, very S. U. R. E,” Iram stood her son up between her legs and he waved with both his hands, thinking he was bidding goodbye to his Baba because this was his exact position whenever Atharva left for work. She had learnt this from Sarah, to stand him up between her legs on the floor and help him understand balance even if he was just starting to crawl.
Sherry sighed. “As if I can tell you anything else. You had to go and marry the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.”
“Then 60 days.”
“No! Iram, enough. Not a day beyond 30 or I am coming there and snatching your laptop and running away with it.”
She laughed — “You can threaten the CM’s wife just fine. Ok, I’ll email you these three chapters tomorrow.”
Sherry huffed. And a quick goodbye later, her video box disappeared.
“You think we can finish the third chapter today?” Iram turned Yathaarth and nuzzled his nose. He giggled, kicking his legs.
“Let’s try to put you to your nap for that to happen!”
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“Where are you running off to?” Qureshi caught his shoulder after a long session in the Vidhan Sabha. “Come and have tea in my office.”
Atharva glanced at Captain Husain standing amid his security entourage. The man’s face was as blank as ever, but his neck veered to the right. The operation was underway.
“Later. I need to be back at the Secretariat.”
“What is happening?” Qureshi stopped, pushing his arms behind his back. “You didn’t sit with Samar and me for the municipal elections ticket distribution either yesterday. Is there a mission I don’t know about?”
Atharva blinked. And Qureshi understood.
“Right. Ok. I’ll see you then.”
“Is there something urgent?”
“It can wait. Go.”
Atharva turned and thundered down the steps and right into the open car door.
“Status?” He asked.
“8 out of 12 neutralised,” Captain Husain relayed, slipping in beside him as Altaf pushed into the passenger seat.
“Let us reach closer and then flag off.”
“Yes, sir.”
Atharva sat back and waited, quiet, listening to the updates coming to Captain Husain and then loop out as he passed on new orders. The convoy sped down the cleared roads of Jammu City, covering the ten-minute distance between the Vidhan Sabha and the Secretariat in record time. He got down outside his office building and strode in, Zafarji standing up as he stormed past.
“Call Amaal.”
“The anti-terror raid in Kupwara is being telecast live, sir,” Zafarji informed, a rare smirk on his face.
Atharva pushed open his office door — “Please send Amaal, Zafarji.”
The door closed behind Captain Husain and Atharva rounded his desk, taking a seat and reaching for his office line. He dialled Major Banot.
