Page 49 of Chasing Hope

‘My favourite part of the day is when I get to annoy you. You, Ethan Jacob, make me so happy, and that’s all I need.’ Ethan slid his fingers into her hair and drew her closer. Hope sighed and stepped back into his embrace. A breeze, little more than a whisper, swept over them in a wordless farewell, absorbed in the scent and murmur of the beautiful twilight.

Phoenix barked a final goodbye as the sun emerged from behind the curtain of clouds, in celebration of the start of a new day. The next breath Ethan took felt like the first breath of his new life.

***

‘Let me cut across to our on-site reporter Hope Pereira, bringing us a live update from the scene in question.’ Hope's heart tossed as she cut out the background action. She drew in a long breath as Ethan’s voice flowed through her ear prompter, where only she could hear him. Her vocal codes jammed shut.

‘You got this, sweetcheeks.’ Ethan’s ardent tone gave her the reassurance she sought. Hope managed a small smile. Even at her first live reporting she hadn’t been this anxious. ‘Remember, I’m right here if you need me. I’ll always have your back. Go on, Hope, rip his reputation to shreds. The bastard deserves it.’

Hope focused on the camcorder and nodded at her cue. ‘Sleuths from Central Crime Branch conducted raids on CM candidate Himesh Choudhary’s warehouse and his home in the city where he was allegedly running a flesh trade.’ Her hand shook and she tightened her grip on the mic. The camera took a cover shot of Himesh’s house before going in for a close-up of Hope’s face. She swallowed, fighting back tears. ‘Police said they rescued ten girls, including one Sri Lankan and one Nepali national. Cops seized cash, condoms, and swiping machines from the spots.’

The wrath of the fuming public burned as bright as the scorching afternoon sun. Himesh’s face was plastered across all news channels as a banner ran across the screen with the caption #killcorruption.

Mustering the strength to speak, Hope blurred out the angry mobs gathered around her.

‘Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes which involves violation of human rights through exploitation and coercion. At the time of rescue the girls were heavily sedated and were transported to the main hub through the use of milk tankers. Further investigation uncovered that these girls were being traded for lakhs of rupees to foreign and national individuals for sexual slavery, bonded labour, commercial sexual exploitation and other heinous crimes.’ A pan shot of the surroundings covered the massive crowds ready to burst past the iron gates, behind which hid the culprit.

‘Kill corruption! Kill corruption!’ an uproar of slogans surged through the public.

‘You made this happen, Hope.’ Ethan’s encouraging tone smoothened her nerves. ‘Just look around you. You have the backing of thousands of supporters. The bastard is no longer a threat to those girls. We made sure of that.’

Tears stung the back of her eyes. A deep sigh tore from her chest. The girls were safe. Mahika and Anjana really came through this time, as she knew they would. She would forever be indebted to them for their undying love and support. Amar did more than his bit and for that she was filled with gratitude. And for all the tough boy act, Aarav was quite the softie. He would deny it forever but she saw what she saw. His eyes were wet while he operated on Ethan and more than twice his voice shook with emotions. She loved him for his loyalty. Hope had no words to express her gratitude towards Father Pinto. His resilience to fight for the truth was prize-worthy.

‘Go on, Hope. This is your news to deliver. Show the world that there is nothing that can’t be achieved if one puts their heart and soul into it.’

God, she loved this man so very much. She would pray every night for the rest of her life, thanking God for the life gifted back to him. Overcome with a sudden urge to cry, Hope drew in a calming breath.

‘The accused has been apprehended by the crime branch in the raid. The case of the prosecution is Himesh Choudhary along with Khushi Kapoor, the manager of the warehouse who had carried out the activities on the premises. The accused will now be heard on point of sentence. In the words of the man himself, we will let the law take its course.’

Hope's heart drummed as she watched the iron gates slide open. Law enforcement officials had multiplied exponentially in the last five minutes to curtail the fury of the mob. The current in the atmosphere shot up a hundredfold as police dragged the bastard out of his lair in handcuffs.

Hope’s entire journalism career boiled down to this one life-changing moment.

Every risk she took.

On every occasion she challenged fate.

Every time she looked death in the eye.

It was all worth it!

Without being affected by the storm of public outrage, Himesh’s confident gait did not waver. Her eyes fixed on his face.

Not a trace of remorse.

Not a flicker of shame.

Not an inkling of fear.

Nothing.

His eyes scanned the sea of faces in pursuit to find the source of his downfall. Hope’s breath hitched as he caught sight of her among the massive crowds. His eyes blazed with fury. Hope, on the other hand, felt an acute sense of calm. Peace spread within her, pushing all the anxiety and hatred out of her system. Himesh ground his jaw and snatched his eyes away from her. Hope pulled in a long breath and fisted her cross.

A stupendous roar from the crowds zinged through the air. The police dragged Himesh away before he could meet his fate at the hands of the enraged citizens. After today, so many lives would change for the better now that Himesh’s crimes had come to light. One more scumbag was off the streets.

Hope turned back around to face the camera. A playful smile spread across her face. Her rebellious streak sprang back to life. A brilliant idea struck her.

‘Don’t do it, Hope,’ Ethan warned. Hope’s smile widened. How did the man know every time she was up to something? When it came to her, his telepathy shot off the charts. ‘Goddammit woman, you're so infuriating,’ he grunted, and butterflies set off in her stomach. Hope hadn’t scripted this. Impromptu, she drew the mic closer to her mouth and her voice rose with pride.

‘These criminals were apprehended by none other than Masked Man.’ The crowds within earshot gasped. This information was not to be disclosed to the public. But Hope had to give credit where it was due. A hush fell over the mob. Hope had everyone’s rapt attention. Her heart frolicked like a bunch of toddlers at a birthday party. ‘Making good of his promise Masked Man delivered to us the most sensational news of the decade. A hero to many, he secured the criminals in his trademark style – down on their luck and cable tied. By the time the police got there, Masked Man was off saving more lives. To the enigma out there, I’m sure you must be seeing this. We thank you for your boundless fortitude.’ Resounding applause from the upstanding citizens charged up the excitement in the air. They chanted slogans for the masked man’s courageousness. On that note, Masked Man received a true farewell. Although Hope’s heart was heavy with the awareness that she would never see Masked Man again, she was happy that Ethan had come to terms with his past, and that he would no longer carry the baggage of guilt. Those moments spent with him by the docks under the glistening moonlight would forever be cherished.

‘Jesus Christ, woman, is there a genetic defect with you? Is it congenital? Did your mother drop you on your head when you were little?’

Hope's cheeks hurt with her huge grin while she spoke despite Ethan’s cross talk.

‘This is Hope Pereira, bringing you the latest updates and news from your trustworthy news channel, First Up News.’ The camera faded out on Hope’s face and faded in on the army of jubilant people.

‘Now, that Ethan Jacob, is a royal valediction.’

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