Page 157 of The Circle of Exile
“I went there on a peacetime visit for cultural exchanges. When I was invited to visit their mosque, and Dilshad Khan was going to accompany me, I agreed. I carry discretionary powers with me even when I am on pre-approved itineraries abroad.”
“Was your security consulted about the visit?”
More like threatened.
“Yes.”
“Did you visit the Nagar Jami Masjid between 12:30–13:00 hours on that day, Chief Minister Kaul?”
Atharva could feel the collective held breaths of the room. Zorji, though, was relaxed.
“If I say I did not go, Zorji, then I am opening myself up for a lifetime of fear. Any time something crops up, I will go back to check if it isn’t this.”
“That’s the way to keep your office, Atharva. A CM who lied under oath, proactively worked to hide a non-cognizable offence on his self on a foreign, hostile land — that’s a CM saying goodbye to his office.”
“It can’t be the only way.”
“What do you want to do then?”
“I want to not have a mark on my back. Or Iram’s back. If ever this is resurrected, Iram’s journey to Nagar is potentially resurrected.”
“Yes,” Atharva answered.
If the room had been eerie earlier, now it was a graveyard.
“Chief Minister Kaul,” Lieutenant General Sharma leaned forward. “To clarify on record, you said ‘yes’ when asked if you visited the Nagar Jami Masjid between12:30–13:00hoursspecifically.”
Atharva felt grateful for this fraternity. Wherever you went, whatever you did, even if you were strangers, they always stood up for you.
“Yes, Lieutenant General,” Atharva agreed. “I said yes.”
His grim mouth tightened further under his moustache. Justice Thakur, though, looked half enraged but schooled her expression well.
“Were you on site when three low-intensity missiles were targeted around the structure, Chief Minister Kaul?”
“Yes, Justice Thakur.”
“Then is it safe to say that the target was you?”
“My client is here to answer questions to the best of his knowledge, not give wind to assumptions, Justice Thakur,” Zorji interrupted.
“My question is to the best of the CM’s knowledge, sir.”
“Your question is to get the CM’s thoughts on a matter that is, at best, conjecture.”
Justice Thakur wound down. But her questions turned more pointed.
“Where were you when the first missile went off?”
“A few feet away from it.”
“The second missile?”
“The same.”
“The third?”
“The third was an explosive. I am not sure where it went off because there was already smoke and stampede.”
