Page 48 of Chasing Hope

Just then Ethan’s face paled at Aarav’s announcement. Aarav’s voice sounded solemn. ‘Someone’s prayers have saved you, man.’ Ethan’s heart thumped and an image of his grandmother from the previous day ravaged his memory. For some unfathomable reason the skin on his forehead warmed as he imagined her tracing the sign of the cross.

‘I will now give you an injection – nothing much, just some local anaesthesia – to numb the surgical site, so that we can tend to the wound with you being more comfortable, and also aid me in doing my job. Then we can start the procedure.’

‘We?’Hope and Ethan said together. Fuck, this was turning out to be a nightmare.

Aarav thrust a pair of suture scissors in Hope’s hands. She stared at them as if he had handed her an explosive. ‘As I begin with the muscle and wound repair, I’ll indicate where and when you will have to cut the suture material, so that I can move to the next stitch.’

Hope fretted. ‘I know next to nothing about surgeries. I haven’t even watched a single episode ofGrey’s Anatomy.’ Aarav hooted and pecked her on the cheek.

‘Relax. It’s my first time too. We will improvise as we go along.’

Ethan smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation. ‘Hey, man, can you give me something that’ll knock me out cold? I don’t want to hear you guys plotting my murder.’ The dogs from the kennel at the back barked and Ethan grinned remembering Phoenix. Strange, how he was thinking of everyone who had meaning in his life.

‘Wish me luck.’ Ethan mumbled as Aarav injected him. Slowly, the intense pain reduced to a dull ache.

‘I love you.’ His heart fluttered at Hope’s whispered word.

Who knew chasing Hope would change the course of his entire life?

Ethan closed his eyes and allowed his mind to relax, reminiscing about the old days. Happier memories faded in. They were in the church. His mother’s beautiful smiling face, clear as day, bore into him. She enveloped his palm as they gazed up at the statue ofkindness, compassion and benevolence.Peace unlike anything he’d felt before consumed him, pulling him into its restful embrace.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The camera took a long shot of the hard-news-show set as the breaking news –“Himesh exposed in trafficking scam”– scrolled across the television screen. At the two-second countdown beep, Ethan took a deep breath and adjusted his lapel mic. A mere few hours earlier Ethan was shot, and now he was delivering the most important news of his life.

‘A whopping 230 crore has been recovered in cash today from CM candidate Himesh Choudhary’s home in Mumbai. Gold, silver, property documents and other seizures in this raid are enormous, unbelievable in fact.Himesh’sproperties in Delhi, Pune and Bangalore have also been sealed. Raids are underway to ascertain the extent of illegal wealth he has stashed in his other properties.’ Ethan’s dialogue was cut short as footage of the police raiding Himesh’s various properties screened on the television set.

In the camera shot, Ethan appeared his usual composed self. But underneath the black business suit his heart pounded.

They finally did it!

The son of a bitch would pay for every last crime he committed.

Ethan's eyes locked with the camera. He did not need to check the teleprompter for the script. He knew everything there was to know about this scandal. To his viewers it was just another news broadcast. But for Ethan, this was the defining moment of his career.

‘In the run-up to the Maharashtra elections this massive raid has led to a political showdown as the ruling party alleged a Jan Seva Party link to Himesh’s illegal activities. That has led to questions in this election season on whether political patronage helped the scam king amass this kind of unthinkable wealth over the years.’

Underneath his desk, Ethan extended his leg as the ache in his thigh intensified. This ache he felt was nothing compared to the pain that reflected in the eyes of those innocent girls. The girls he rescued along withhis team. Come to think of it, Ethan couldn’t have done it all alone. It was a team effort. A commendable effort by each one of them.

Thanks to the outstanding gallantry of Hope and her friends, the rescued girls had been moved to a safe house where they were being tended to for any physical and mental trauma. The intel Ethan had shared with the commissioner of police was sure to help relocate the girls back to their homes. For the less fortunate ones who were mercilessly sold off by their family members, Father Pinto had offered to provide them shelter in an orphanage run by the church.

‘It is my service to the Lord,’ Father had said. Afraid for him, Hope had cautioned him of the dangers of going up against Himesh. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid…?’ Grateful, Hope had wept into the phone as Father read a verse from Psalm 27.

Ethan’s pulse sprinted as events of the hours gone by flashed before him. How much had changed overnight. His entire life had flipped over. That sacred decision taken by the man of the cloth helped Ethan to take the first step towards restoring his faith in God. That, and the fact that he was still alive. Strangely, the realisation did not come to him as a shock. Neither was Ethan rattled by the revelation that there was a higher power at play here. He learnt that guilt accomplished nothing. It stood in the way of his seeking a happy future. For the rest of his life, he would proudly wear his scars as a reminder of his former personage. Oddly enough, in that moment Ethan made peace with the truth. However dreadfully unfortunate his mother’s passing was…

It was not his fault.

Admission of the gospel truth led to the next course of action. If Ethan had a cape he would have hung it up. All the same, with a heart full of love and peace. One by one, Ethan folded and placed his Masked Man identity in his mother’s favourite church dress. He lingered over the olive-green eye mask – the coloursignified perception, empathy, and humankind.

Unapologetic tears rolled down his face. Tears of relief for all the lives he was fortunate to have saved over the years.

He had so much more to live for. With a slight tremble in his hands, Ethan gently wrapped the bundle of his sacred belongings. Hope, Phoenix and he looked on as the soothing waves of the sea swept away his past in a welcoming embrace.

Hope stood alongside him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

‘Your mother left too soon. But her loving memories will forever stay with you.’ Ethan enfolded her in his arms and the great pang around his heart eased. Hope pressed her lips to his. Ethan breathed in her scent and a hot uprush of love and gratitude filled him. ‘Give yourself time to heal. One day you will look back and I promise it won’t hurt so much.’

‘You are the best thing I never planned. Hope, I love you so much it scares me.’ Ethan’s voice was a hoarse whisper. Running his thumb over her soft lip, he gazed into her loving eyes. Hope captured his face and her grin was full of subtle charm.

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