THE INVINCIBLE SHADOW: THE SECRET

With terror occupied her mind and concern for safety of her boyfriend, she drove back as fast as she could. Yes, she was sure that SIGMOIDs conversation with her was just a threat to stop her but she just couldn’t take the risk.

Parking the car underground, adah ran swiftly to the closest elevator and went to the 24^th floor. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat down to her knees, massaging them with her hands, she realized that she could hear her throbbing heartbeat…..taking a long breath, she rung the bell twice…

“adah, where were u man, ur parents , I seriously tell u, they are so clingy, they have called atleast 50 times….cant u tell them …..” sam began complaining, interrupting his old monologue that he used to repeat every single day she returned from work…she bluntly cut him and demanded

“did something unusual happen while u were cracking the sigmoid today?” panting heavily she asked

“adah? Whats the matter…u seem really tensed” he tried to comfort her

“damn it! Show me your emotions after…just tell me….did anything happen while u were working on the sigmoid??” she absconded

SAM, an ethical computer hacker and the only guy who ever came close to adah….he was great at his job ranging from hacking the most potential info, and one of the best in his field. Gregarious by nature he and adah hit off from the beginning….though adah was always against office romances, they did not have much trouble as most of the time sam worked from home.  They were perfect for each other , understood each others needs, desires, problems and thus were blissfully happy since the last 4 years….however problems recently started brewing between them….time issues ,loyalty were slowly draining their relationship which led to their breakup 2 months back. Though not as lovers, they stayed friends sharing the same apartment …..their friendship was stronger than their love…even if it was adah who was usually cold and emotionless who broke off…sam secretly still had hopes for “them”.

“no….nothing…u are talking about cracking into sigmoid? Which has 5 protection layers! And out of which just 2 have been opened loose……now will u tell me what the hell is going on?” he was confused as he had never seen adah reacting this way..even during the Mumbai terror attacks ,she kept her calm…ADVERSITY WAS ADAHS FORTE and today it seemed a little shaken.

“SIGMOID TAPPED MY RADIO WAVES AND WARNED ME TO STOP DRILLING INTO HIS SYSTEM ELSE MUMBAI WILL  HAVE TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES” she told him but not about MR INVINCIBLEs personal threat towards sam…she knew he would freak out which would affect the work of opening the sigmoid all loose and SHE WOULDN’T WANT THAT.

“are u serious” sam was paralysed hearing this

“yes sam I indeed am….so now it would be better if we all pull up our socks..its high time now” she tried to maintain her composure

 Sam drifted a little closer towards adah….held her hand and looked gravely into her eyes..he knew adah would  never show her emotions openly and now when she needed someone to comfort her , she will pretend to be as courageous as never before. Holding her hand he softly whispered.

“adah….i know you can” . for a second even the “witch” forgot that they were no longer in a relationship..slowly leaning towards his chest…she rested her head on him and tried to relax in his warmth. She knew she could always rely on him and the softness he offered her during such times was unmatchable. Closing her eyes they were gently hugging each other when…….Suddenly a beep from sams computer started to ring so loud that it made adah realized that she was being vulnerable….collecting herself up she said.

“sam, whats that beep?”

Sam smiled ….”adah…congratulations the 3 and 4 layer have been cracked” he grinned

FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS, adah thought

“great….crack the 5 layer too  before i eat u up alive” she got back being the rude bitch

“don’t eat me up…there is some pasta left..its in the microwave..warm it and eat it up” he was well aware that adah wouldn’t have eaten a single morsel since morning

“yeah..whatever” she dragged herself to the kitchen , leaving sam smiling to himself.

MR DIXIT CALLING….HER PHONE FLASHED

Jumping over the counter , she answered it “yes sir”

“adah I need u to come to the headquarters immediately” saying just this much, he hung up even before adah could ask what was it.

Threatening sam to open the 5 layer by tomorrow , she ran to her car and drove as quickly as she could to the HQ OF INDIAN CRIMINOLOGY DEPT…as soon as she approached the gates..she entered her personnel code and went in. in the wee hours of dawn, adah wondered, what the matter could be….

‘COME THROUGH THE BACK DOOR, ADAH…8765 IS THE CODE FOR THE BARGATE’ mr dixit sent her the text msg.

She was granted access as soon as she entered the 4 digit code

“weird” she thought as mr dixit never calls her such late “must be some emergency “ she thought however some doubt began to hover in her head….the hazy air…the pitch black atmosphere…something was just not right.

 And he back door was only used for entering into places which could be only accessed by the chairman and president of the ICD…

“adah?” she heard mr dixit’s voice

Turning around she saw him …..he was being different adah spotted it immediately..his face was all pale..his shoulders quivered….this man was the pillar of icd …she sensed it right from entering the HQ that something grim was going on

“sir..is everything alright?” she enquired

“follow me adah” and he led her to a place which was all dark,a rancid smell made her cover the nose..she could hear some strange clanking noise…it was a bit spooky.

“nitrous oxide and ammonia” he said sensing the pungent smell.

 They entered a huge room….mr dixit switched on the light and made adah SEE HIS MOST PROTECTED SECRET EVER……..IT WAS THE SIGMOID ITSELF!!