Chapter 244 - A monster.

A monster.

He really did not know how he had come from being a hero who served the country with pride, to become someone who felt like a monster.

The file had every last bit of evidence he had against himself and his other partners and clients who are part of the syndicate. He had photos, doc.u.ments, and voice recordings. And the background checks they did on their clients. Everything Shreya was looking for.

"Why are you giving me this…?" Shreya asked. She did not really want to pat his back and console him or something…

"If you read it, you will know that you will be able to recognize some of the biggest names in the country there. I would never make it into the legal system alive if I brought them this. I want to come clean… I am done with this whole thing… I am tired and I am not really looking forward to making another Naren out of all this shit… So, you just fit the bill. You are desperate for the information I have and if it were you, I probably have a better chance of actually making it to a trail. I will testify everything… You will be able to get justice for your dad and mom too…" Abishek answered earnestly.

"Why should I believe you? What if you were just laying down a trap for me?" Shreya asked skeptically. After all, a man his age doesn't suddenly come to the realization that he had been doing wrong…

"You can check every last detail in the files… And while you do it, you can put me in some corner and observe…"

Shreya took out her phones and called Pritham and Akash over… Of course, they were right there beside her in a matter of minutes panting and puffing.

"What happened?"

"What did he do?"

Both asked anxiously standing in front of Shreya giving Abishek an ugly look.

Abishek gave them an amused look showing his palms out indicating that he was innocent.

"Nothing… he did nothing. I need you guys to go check these out… a quick one is enough for now…" Shreya said handing them over the files and the hard drive. Be careful…" Shreya said pointedly before handing the hard drive over to Pritham.

"I know. I will be careful…" Pritham said solemnly and went out.

Once they left, Abishek looked at their back thoughtfully. In all the years he had worked, he never had this kind of comradeship since he left the army… he never had people he could depend on. Partly because he could not trust the work he was doing and secondly his guilty consciousness always prevented him from exposing it.

"You trust them!" Even though it was a statement, there was this tinch of question mark in the end.

"Of course, what's the point of having people around you if you are not going to trust them?" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders. And he could clearly see that Shreya was not saying this just for flaunting but she really meant it.

This confidence to trust in people probably came from being morally right… this reminded him of the time when even he used to trust in people.

"You know when we started all this… we actually had good intentions…?" Abishek said with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy in his voice. His face actually looked worn out and aged…

"Look, if you are going to start your life history and geography, I am going to need coffee… or else I will end up snoring away and you will be talking to tables and chairs," Shreya said with a very straight face and actually called up to deliver her some coffee first.

Abishek let out hearty laughter at that. He really liked Shreya… and if only he hadn't done what he did to her parents, maybe they could have actually met in more normal circ.u.mstances and maybe even had a relationship.

"If we have only met in different circ.u.mstances… maybe we could have had a better relationship you know?" Abishek unconsciously said his thoughts out loud.

But before he could continue, Shreya interrupted him and refused him coldly, "NO… There is no way we would have ended up on the same side regardless of what happened to my parents. The minute you decided to do this business, we are bound to be on the opposite sides. Nothing is ever going to convince me to accept killing innocent people for money… Maybe we wouldn't have even known each other."

She was more exactly Mother Teresa… Shreya had her share of darkness… but she wouldn't abuse it for money or power… they were not worth it as far as she was concerned… NO amount of money is ever going to be worth a person's life for her.

Abishek looked up at her with very complicated eyes.

This moral compass that Shreya has now, there was a time when even he had it… just as stubbornly as her… and somehow it all went away so gradually that even he did not know how?

A few minutes passed in silence when Srinivas came in with the coffee.

Shreya took it eagerly and gave him a grin and said, "Thanks… I have been dying for one…"

Srinivas just ruffled her hair as he always did without adding anything.

But just as he turned around Shreya stopped him.

"Hey, wait. You can leave now for the day… I know… you can save the lecture actually. I am pretty sure I am going to be stuck in the office for the night… But even if I need to go home, I will take Vicky with me!" Shreya uttered without really giving him a chance to say anything at all.

Srinivas quietly stared back at her. She knows he was wondering why she was doing it and she gave him the reason after a pause.

"Check up on her will you… don't leave her alone. She did not seem her usual self when she left my office. I am worried…" Shreya mumbled hanging her head down. Even though she said she was not going to care about her, somethings are just out of her control. Maybe she can be cold to her on the face, but she did not know how not to care.

Srinivas knew she was talking about Zeenath without her having to point out. So, he just smiled and pecked on her temple and said, "See you tomorrow…" He then left the room without turning back.