Venom : Part 8

'Jesus! This place is even dirtier than the Chamber of Secrets' Raina cried as she entered Dushyant's little apartment. The entire place was scattered with beer bottles and Maggi packets. In the kitchen she spotted used Coffee mugs. Smell of stale food filled the air inside. Raina couldn't spot Dushyant until she entered his room. It was ghastly. Dushyant turned towards Raina, he face expression somewhat resembled the Annabelle doll. For a second, Raina wanted to scream and run away. Suddenly Meera barged inside the room. She was getting restless, Dushyant hadn't cracked a single thing past five days. Enquiry would be soon upon her for the missing data files.

'You fat-boy' she addressed Dushyant rudely. 'Where the f**k is my information!'

Dushyant's face hardened. He was angry but guilty. He should have cracked something by now. He felt the anger inside him but controlled it.

'I have just few net files to be cross examined. I'm sure this Venom of yours has done some mistake' he tried to arouse hope in us. But Meera was not in for a delay or false expectations.

'Look, you better hope you do. We have the best technicians lined up and trusting Raina I gave you this job. If you're not able to do it, I'll make sure your name gets through all the wanted hackers list' she banged her hands on the table in a scary manner. Dushyant was numb and so was Raina. She'd never seen her like this before.

Meera stormed out of the room. Raina gave Dushyant a sympathetic look. He then resumed with his work.

Raina stepped out and found Meera in the kitchen. She was trying to vent out her anger on the fridge.

'Don't you think you were a bit hard on him?' 

'Hard? Raina you haven't seen hard!' Meera voiced raised.

'Don't shout at me. It isn't his fault, she is bloody brilliant'

'I KNOW SHE IS BRILLIANT!' she screamed, 'And you said that fat toad could do it, I trusted you!'.

'Meera, you don't need to calm down'
'Calm down? Calm down! How the hell should I calm down!' she was literally going ballistic, shooting Raina with her frustration.

Raina was trying to be as patient as possible. Things were getting way too messy. Meera put her hand on her forehead and sat on the couch next to her. Raina fetched some water from the fridge.
'I know you're under pressure but you can't it out like this' Raina tried to comfort.
'Give me some time alone' Meera demanded.
Before Raina could answer, Dushyant's laughter and excitement filled the living room.
'I told you I could do it! I told you I could find this bitch!' he bellowed in happiness.
Three of them rushed towards his room to see his breakthrough. Raina and Meera couldn't believe their eyes, they were inside Venom's laptop. Her wallpaper, master trickery. Desktop mostly vacant.
'How did you do it?' Raina asked, bewildered.
'I was going through the case files of South Africa. One of them had been tampered. I checked them, turns out it was hacked. With my magic fingers, I typed in a few instructions and boom! I found an IP address. I ran through it and got into this'
'Are there any files?' Raina asked in excitement.
'Unfornately, nothing we can use. I think she keeps it on external drives. But I got the location where it was last used'
'Where?' asked Meera.
***
"Would you have dinner with me?" It was so easy for him to make Venom live a euphoria. The long hours spent in his laboratory together. She hadn't responded to her father's words when he called and tried to delay every time. She was certain he noticed the changed but for the first time; she didn't care.
As she waited at the restaurant, dressed in her best, she smiled. The feeling was ecstatic. Finally, he appeared, looking as handsome as always. His protruding dimples made Venom smile a little more.

'This is for you' he said while presenting the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. She kept them aside and as he reached for water, she clumsily fetched for the glass. 'No! That's dirty. Here take this'
Dr Narayan or Sai took the other glass. Venom saw her the water streaming down his throat. For the first time, she rejected her father's orders and made her own decision. She asked the waiter to remove the water glass she had poisoned. Her dinner went on to be bliss.

 After finishing, they drove near the coast. On the beach, they both wandered together in solitude. Sai held her hand and took her by the waist. In most circumstances, Venom would kill a person within nine seconds. However, this time, it was him killing her with his presence. He bent towards her head, she stared him. She was nervous but when their lips came together, she forgot about everything. She felt something that she hadn't felt before, still scared to admit to it, she enjoyed her ignorance in those lonely surroundings with him.
***
'Chennai!' Raina exclaimed as soon as she came out of the Airport. Behind her was Meera, struggling with both; the local taxi and map. It was an extremely hot day and Raina stood dressed in hot pants and top. She could spot Tamilian men and women staring at her legs.
'You should have worn something longer' Meera commented.
'And you should've been my mother' Raina sneered.
'Where to now?' she asked.
'I don't know. Dushyant gave me some coordinates. I'll have to Google it'
'Found it. Keep up with the times babe' Raina cockily said.
They hopped onto an auto-rickshaw and showed the driver the address. From narrow streets to main roads, after forty five minutes they reached their destination. It was an old, dingy and creepy building. The one they usually show in horror films.
'Are you sure this is it?' Meera asked.
'I think so. We've got to check first'
They went inside the building and found nothing but an old lift. It had just reached the ground floor. However, nobody came out.

'After you' Meera stepped inside followed by Raina. There was just ground level and basement to go.
Meera pressed the button. Her gun was fastened near the ankle. The lift opened in a fortress like office, cemented walls on either side. A woman was waiting for the lift. Meera stared at her for few moments. Her green eyes and fair skin immediately struck her. The woman too saw her with the same intensity.
'Er..Meera, we should go' Raina called out. The lady stepped into the lift and disappeared.
'Excuse me, can I get some information' Meera asked the receptionist.
'Yes' she replied
'Inspector Meera Ray, Intelligence Bureau' she flashed her ID card and badge.
'Are you looking for Dr Narayan?' she innocently asked.
'Yes' Meera responded in spontaneously. 'May I know where I can find him'
'He shall be back to the lab shortly, please wait here'
And so they did. Raina scanned the place and within minutes she could deduce the whole scene.
'Meera! This Dr Narayan's lab!'
'Yes, I know that'
'No, no. "The Dr Narayan" Dr Ivan's research partner, the one I told you about. Young, bright, scholar on nuclear energy, pioneer in physics!'
'Yes, yes. I remember now'
'Do you get it?'

To be continued.....