The Forgotten Gateway

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  Chapter - 4

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  After Effect

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  By Bishwadeep Mukherjee

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  Darkness had descended upon the city before twilight itself, shrouding the sky in a blanket of thick clouds. Ishika Banerjee had left her office slightly earlier than usual. Given what had happened, it was only natural that everyone's spirits were dampened.

  Bhaskar Sharma, the Project Manager of the Lunar Mission, was unequivocal in his stance: an investigation was imperative. He insisted the police must be informed, and if necessary, even the CBI should be involved. Riyan agreed with Mr. Sharma’s judgment.

  Tomorrow, the police would arrive at the office. An inquiry would begin. No one could say how long it might last.

  But what exactly would the investigation be about?

  Mr. Sharma and Riyan were convinced that the fire hadn’t been an accident. It was likely orchestrated.

  But who would do such a thing—and why?

  It wasn't the first time Stellar Nexus was attempting a lunar mission. They had completed several in the past.

  So, why this time?

  Could it be that someone didn’t want this mission to succeed?

  Or was there someone who harbored ill will against Ishika herself?

  Could it be that someone couldn’t bear the fact that she was chosen as a mission captain for the first time?

  That her professional rise had ignited someone’s jealousy and rage?

  The question returned again and again to the same haunting refrain: why?

  Among so many staff members, finding the perpetrator would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

  The police had to be involved.

  Ishika lived in Behala, Kolkata, on the 20th floor of a high-rise apartment building. Though Stellar Nexus provided residential quarters for their staff, she had chosen to stay at her late father's apartment. After his passing, she lived there with her mother—until six months ago, when her mother too departed this world. Now, she lived alone.

  She unlocked her apartment’s number-locked door and stepped inside. As her feet touched the floor, pressure sensors embedded beneath the tiles triggered the lights, illuminating the stylish, modern flat.

  Tossing her bag onto the living room sofa, Ishika sank into its embrace.

  Before leaving the office, she’d noticed a news OB van approaching as she exited the gates. Clearly, the media had caught wind of the incident. Not wanting to speak to anyone, she had left swiftly.

  She felt the urge to turn on the massive TV mounted on the wall. She wanted to see what the news channels were saying. What had transpired after she left?

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Just as she reached for the remote, her phone rang.

  With a sigh of mild irritation, she looked at the screen—no name, just a number. She answered.

  “Hello?” She said.

  “Hello, ma’am. Am I speaking to Miss Ishika Banerjee?” Came a woman’s voice.

  “Yes, you are. Who’s this?”

  “This is Maria Collins from News X. I arrived at your office earlier today, but you had already left. We couldn’t get your byte. May I take it now?”

  “I’ve already reached home, Miss Collins,” Ishika replied.

  “No problem, ma’am. We can do the byte over the phone.”

  “No, ma’am. I’m not in the right frame of mind right now. I’ll speak to the media tomorrow.”

  She hung up, left the remote untouched, and walked into the kitchen.

  Opening the refrigerator, she pulled out a can of beer and walked onto her balcony, where a single-person swing swayed gently. Sitting down, she took a few sips and gazed at the shimmering lights of Kolkata below. Rain had begun to fall. Watching the city drenched in silver, Ishika smiled faintly.

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  “I don’t know why, Riyan, but I have a terrible feeling about this mission of yours,” Said Shipra, serving food at the dining table.

  Riyan emerged from the washroom, sat down, and began eating.

  Shipra continued,

  “You’ve been a part of several Stellar Nexus missions before, but I’ve never felt such an ominous vibe. Ever since you mentioned the indefinite expedition to Kanchenjunga, I haven’t been able to sit still. Something feels off... like a storm is brewing. Today, you narrowly escaped a disaster. Doesn’t that say something about the days ahead? Everyone needs to tread carefully now.”

  Riyan replied calmly,

  “Shipra, are you becoming superstitious? That’s what your words sound like.”

  “I don’t believe in superstition, Riyan. But I do believe in good times and bad times, in omens—both auspicious and inauspicious. And we should heed them.”

  Smiling faintly, Riyan said, “Isn’t that just superstition in a different form? Listen, Shipra. Whatever is destined to happen, will happen. That fire near the launch pad was a man-made disaster. It has no bearing on my Kanchenjunga mission.”

  Shipra flinched.

  “Man-made disaster? What do you mean?”

  After a moment’s pause, Riyan said, “Someone set that fire deliberately.”

  “Who?” She asked.

  “Do you think I know that already? If I did, I’d have handed them over to the police by now. But whoever it was clearly couldn’t tolerate Ishika’s rise. This was her first mission as captain. Someone wanted it cancelled—and they succeeded. She looked utterly broken today. I felt so bad. She had worked so hard for this. I don’t know when the next lunar mission will be, but whenever it is, I will make sure she’s the captain again. No one else deserves it.”

  Shipra looked at him sideways, saying nothing. They ate in silence for a while.

  As they got up from the table, Riyan added,

  “I don’t know how long this investigation will take, but I have to go to Kanchenjunga. Whether others go or not.”

  Shipra protested,

  “What’s the hurry? Kanchenjunga isn’t going anywhere. It’s stood for thousands of years and will stand for thousands more. If you leave Bengal now, you’ll only land yourself on the police’s suspicion list.”

  “That’s absurd,” Riyan countered.

  “The whole of Stellar Nexus is under my command. Why would I sabotage my own organization? What would I gain from it?”

  They had reached their bedroom by then. The house staff began clearing the table.

  “I don’t know what you’d gain or not, Riyan,” Shipra said. “But something about all this doesn’t feel right. I have this nagging sense that—”

  “Forget all that,” Riyan interrupted, lighting a cigarette.

  “Leave that rubbish aside and listen to what I’m saying,” Riyan’s voice grew firm.

  “Our trip to Kanchenjunga is strictly confidential. Not a whisper of it must reach the media. And don’t let it slip on your channel either.”

  Shipra looked at him with a hint of feigned irritation, eyes narrowing slightly. But she said nothing.

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  The rain had started pouring in earnest now. Indrajit had gone to the market on his way back from the office and was drenched by the time he returned. Stellar Nexus had arranged residential quarters for their staff and their families, and Indrajit lived there with his parents and younger sister.

  His father had worked for the railways and had recently retired. His mother was a homemaker. Indrajit's only sibling, Indrani, was in her second year of college.

  Returning home, Indrajit placed the groceries neatly in a corner before heading into the washroom. His phone lay on the bed in his room. Just as the bathroom door clicked shut behind him, his phone began to ring.

  Indrani, who was nearby, rushed toward the sound. She thought perhaps someone familiar was calling and hoped to answer before it stopped. But when she looked at the screen, it was an unknown number.

  She didn’t pick up. Instead, she simply waited and informed her brother.

  Once out of the washroom, Indrajit dialed the number back. After a brief pause, he spoke just one sentence—calmly, yet with a subtle gravitas:

  “Congratulations, and best of luck for your next step.”

  To Be Continued...