RESONANCE by AJAY Read Free Book Online

live peacefully. But everything changed, as painful memories that had lasted with Shalim for many years came back, "Why did the Hindustānis cut Pakistan into two pieces?"
    Finally, Shalim reached the place from where he had started. He drove to the Digital Colour Lab one more time, collected the cassettes, memory disks and DVDs and returned to Jolly Grant Airport. The late night connecting flight from Delhi to Mumbai was running behind schedule. So, as soon as he boarded a Jet Airways flight, its deep leather couch was enough to cuddle him into a dreamless slumber.
    Next morning, Shalim Amār Khan met the owner of Crest Telefilms Entertainment Ltd in Filmistan, Mumbai. He handed over the script and media contents to the owner and instructed him to leave one soundtrack blank. This, he said, would be mixed afterwards. He paid up an upfront amount of fifty thousand dollars after the owner promised to get everything ready within six months.
    During a long solitary walk in the bylanes of Linking Road and S.V. Road, Shalim Amār Khan stopped at a few places. From Andheri to Bandra, he paused to appreciate the humble Jarimari Temple as well as the ostentatious Bohra Mosques. Within a distance of a few thousand yards, the imposing St. Peter's Church stood close to the unpretentious Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara.
    "Which one is more true -- unity in diversity of culture or diversity in unity of religion?"Shalim wondered and checked into the luxurious Orchid Hotel, near the domestic Airport.
    There was no direct flight from Mumbai to any city in Pakistan. Therefore, his natural choice was to reach Lahore via Dubai.
    Tired, he hit the bed and slept like a log.

FBI at JFK
    Suite 241, Building 75 at JFK International Airport, New York is a busy office of the FBI Resident Agency. Special Agent Robert McLean received hundreds of requests from all over the globe every day. An untiring man and ever willing to oblige, he had earned rave reviews from intelligence agencies around the world. His penchant for anonymity had made his task easier.
    Robert Mclean stood glued to the television, absorbing every detail of the Mumbai attack. His uncanny ability to analyse a complex situation was set in motion. He firmly believed that learning the tricks, tacks and tactics from one's opponent and using the same stratagems, plot and strategies against the opponent was a truly successful way of conducting a counter-terrorist operation. His mantra was to turn the tables on the perpetrators through the perpetrators themselves.
    The same afternoon, Robert McLean got a call from Siddhartha Rana. In the past, both of them had coordinated to solve transnational crimes. Siddhartha Rana gave him the telephone number of Aban Shah Malik and asked Robert McLean to get Aban's complete profile from the FBI database and also do a background check at Cornell. "Aban is travelling by the PIA flight from Lahore tomorrow and will be landing at Terminal-4,"said Siddhartha.
    "Don't worry, Sid. My agent will tail him and try to find if he has something interesting up his sleeve."Robert McLean was prompt as usual.
    "That won't be easy. He will be meeting the daughter of the Indian Ambassador. If she accompanies him, you need to watch out for diplomatic protocol."
    "Our airports officers frisk even cabinet ministers, if it's a question of our national security. The children of diplomats hardly enjoy any privilege."
    "Try to keep things as low key as possible. It would be good if it's an undercover operation."
    "Wait a minute, Sid. For an undercover operation, I'll need a formal official request from your government."
    "I'm stuck in Mumbai and so it won't be possible for me to go to Delhi and get formalities done."
    "I understand, but I can't be of much assistance. We cannot carry out any undercover operation unless we have sufficient reasons to justify it. If our congressional representatives and senators, so much as sense something, they will simply go public and attack us. In