Chapter 39

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 39

Arjun smiled and bent down. Riya is confused. Her expression turned to delight when he came back up with a parcel and placed it on the table…………………………

Arjun: toh ye lo

Riya grinned and rushed to his table: kya hai (opening the paper bag) ye poha jaise kuch lag raha hai

She removed the box and placed it down before opening.

Riya: kanda poha!

Arjun removed plastic spoons from the bag and passed one to her.

Riya: kaha se?

Arjun: canteen se

Riya: lekin menu mein toh nahi hai

Arjun dipped his spoon and took a bite. Smirking, he winked at her. She looked at him in shock.

Riya: aapne banaya?

She hastily took a bite. Riya moaned as the poha melted in her mouth. It was definitely the flavour of his hands. She threw her head against the headrest. Savouring the morsel, she opened her eyes and turned to him.

Riya: aapko pata bhi hai ki aap kitna acha khaana banate hai?

Arjun: tum jitna react karti ho utna toh nahi

Riya: sach mein (her eyes moistened) aapne mere liye banaya

Not wanting her to get emotional again, he refused.

Arjun: ji nahi! mujhe bhook lagi thi isliye banaya fir socha tum shayad bhuki pyaasi hi aaogi toh thoda zyaada bana deta hun

Riya giggled silently: waise aapko waha khaana banate dekh sab shock ho gaye honge na?

Arjun: nah! Us time sirf ek do log hi the, safayi kar rahe the toh maine unhe ghur ke muh band rakhne ko kaha

Riya laughed: of course!

Back at the Police Department’s record room, the rest of the juniors were having a terrible time. They had barely slept at night, searching for records till 2 a.m. and then showed up again at 7 in the morning. Their eyes were swollen red and baggy. Their bodies ached. Their heads, somehow even more so. Yet they hadn’t even properly searched one row of shelves.

Liza curses under her breath: ye sab sirf ego ki wajah se ugh! Itne time agar files maintain ki hoti toh ye naubat hi nahi aati

Shree had collapsed on the floor reading or rather skimming through files on the lower rungs. Only he knew how much his brain was actually registering.

Shree whined: wahi toh main kabse keh raha hun yaar! Lekin koi sunta hi nahi meri!

Liza shut the file sending dust into her nose: main (she sneezed) excuse me!

Shree: God bless you!

She sat on her knees: oh Specky! Main sun rahi hu

Shree: sachi?

Liza: sachi!!

Shree: Lizard!

Liza: Specky!

Shree: Lizard!

Liza: Specky!

And they threw their arms around each other like they were long lost lovers.

Chotu walked towards: are Shree!

His jaw fell to the floor on seeing the two of them hug each other. They separated.

Shree spread his second arm: aaja mere bhai aaja! Aaj se hum kasam khaate hai ki kabhi bhi record room ko unorganised nahi rakhenge!

Chotu jumped in and joined the hug: Ri!!!!!

Shree: Chotu!!!

Liza: Specky!!

Hearing their shouts, Ayesha and Sakshi hurriedly came there.

Ayesha felt like her head would blast. If any other misery decided to greet them, she would die. Their own record room was so much smaller and easier to keep track of. If only they had, Riya wouldn’t have had to shut everything down. More importantly, they wouldn’t have been dying in this hell hole.

Sakshi: tum teeno kya kar rahe ho?

They broke the hug and sat on the floor.

Liza: main ab aur nahi seh sakti

Shree: main toh sehne ke baare mein soch bhi nahi sakta

Chotu: ab sirf ek hi raasta bacha hai

Sakshi rolled her eyes: agar tum teeno ne firse Riya ka naam liya na toh…

Shree: are yaar, how stubborn can you be?

Sakshi: uski wajah se hum yaha sad rahe hai!

Liza: uski nahi, humari wajah se! Ayesha tu hi kuch bol yaar, chal na please, waapis jaate hai, usse maafi maang kar kissa khatam karte hai

Ayesha(sternly): nahi!

Chotu: lekin Ayesha…

Ayesha: hum list nikale bagair usse maafi maangne nahi jaayenge

The trio took a second to process what she said.

Sakshi: What?! Tum... tum! Usse maafi maangne ki baat kar rahi ho??

Ayesha sighed and collapsed on the floor, pulling the band that held her hair in a pony to let her tresses loose.

Ayesha: face it Sakshi! Riya sahi thi, ye kaam bhi utna hi important hai

Sakshi: mujhe yakeen nahi ho raha ki tum aisa keh rahi ho!!

Ayesha: stop screaming, mera sar fat raha hai

Chotu: chalo kam se kam tere andar toh akal aayi

Shree: but list nikaalne ki kya zaroorat hai? kaise nikalenge? Hum toh abhi wahi fase hai, sab kuch dekhte-dekhte toh band baj jaayegi

Ayesha: punishment mili hai toh puri toh karni padegi aur rahi baat kaise ki toh mere paas ek raasta hai

Shree, Chotu and Liza: kya?!

Ayesha: jo teen chaar files mein contract killers the na? unka serial number code, BN se shuru hota hai, toh hume bas jaldi-jaldi woh files dekhni hai

Liza: that’s perfect! Agar sirf covers dekhne honge toh hum aasani se dekh lenge aur fir bande ka naam note kar lete hai

Ayesha: yes! Let’s split, Shree tum apne tab mein type karo, hum chaaro, chaar rows mein jaakar check karte hai, jaise kuch milta hai hum tumhe awaaz lagayenge

Shree: done!

Sakshi fumed but the majority was decided. There was nothing that she could do, if there was one thing that she hated was losing. She promised herself that she would get back to Riya one way or the other.

The lot got back to their feet and searched through with a new vigour. It was late evening when they were able to finish the list. They bundled up in the car, tired due to the lack of sleep and endless work. Chotu put his foot on the accelerator as soon as the road cleared up.

ETF Office-

Riya was in the record room arranging the files she had worked on that day. Just then, Vikas knocked on the already open door.

Riya turns: ha bolo

Vikas: ma’am woh, Ayesha ma’am, Shree, sir, Chandrakant sir, Liza ma’am aur Sakshi ma’am aaye hai, unhe aapse milna hai, yaha allowed nahi haina toh maine…

Riya: ha uh, unse kaho ki mere desk pe wait kare main do minute mein aati hu

Vikas: ok ma’am

He relays the information to the rest.

Liza: lekin uska desk hai kaha?

Ayesha: ha humne itne dino mein use dekha hi nahi

Shree: are uska desk Arjun sir ke cabin mein hai chalo!

Sakshi(surprised): Arjun ke cabin mein? Kyun?

Shree: kyunki…

Riya comes out of the room just then: are tum log yahi ho, chalo andar baithte hai

They quietly follow her to the cabin. Arjun looks up from the file and glares at the lot, except Riya of course. She takes her seat and Sakshi takes the one in front of her not caring for an invitation.

Chotu: Riya…

She stops him by putting up her hand: dekho! Maine tum logon ko kal hi records ki haalat dikha di thi, jab tak woh khatam nahi hoga main system nahi kholne waali agar tum log chaho toh us pile mein apne matlab ki cheezein dhundh lo

Ayesha: nahi Riya, hum toh ye dene aaye the

Riya: ye kya?

Ayesha: woh

She hits Shree’s shoulder. He realises his cue and gives her his tablet.

Ayesha: humne list nikal li hai, waise toh sab cover ho gaye par galti se ek do file chut gayi ho toh nahi pata

Riya stifles her smile: toh ye sab tum mujhe kyun de rahe ho? Rathore air ya fir Arjun sir ko dikhao na, main kya karu iska?

Arjun: kya dikha do?

He asked even though he knew exactly what was going on

Riya: contract killers ki list

He puts the file down and walks to them scowling.

Arjun: about damn time!

He carelessly grabs the tablet and starts reading through.

Liza: uh… Riya

Riya: hm?

Liza: woh hum soch reh the ki… I mean hume sab keh, nahi hum ne decide kiya tha ki, agar tumhe, of course tumhe koi problem na ho toh… we could, like all of us, hum sab mil kar tumhari permission ke saath of course, agar hum tumhari…

Ayesha groaned: Cut it Liza! Riya! we’re sorry we neglected the records, aage se aisa nahi hoga.

Riya raised her eyebrow.

Ayesha: dekho, main sugar coat nahi kar sakti, I get it. We were wrong and (lowering her gaze) we’re sorry for it.

Chotu: ha Riya pakka promise, ye saara mess bhi hum saaf karne mein teri help karenge par please maaf kar de yaar, pleasseeee?

Liza: pretty please?

A wide grin broke on Riya’s face: apology accepted

Shree jumped happily: Ri!!!!!!!

He and Chotu engulf her into their arms. Riya laughs as she is pulled out of her chair.

Riya: are yaar, chutney bana doge kya?

Chotu: chutney? Sandwich? Cheese sandwich?

Shree/Riya: Cheese grill sandwich?

Chotu whined and sat on the chair: mujhe bhook lagi hai!!!

Shree laughed: mere Bheem tune do din upvaas kaise kiya tha?

Riya: kya?

Liza: Chotu aur upvaas?

Riya looked at him in shock: aisi kya aafat aa gayi thi?

Chotu glared at Shree who bit his tongue realising what he said. He looked back apologetically.

Fortunately for them, Arjun was just there.

Arjun: Ho Gayi Tum Sabki Bakwas?

They all straightened with rapt attention. Arjun gave them a deathly stare. He was about to say something when the door of the room opened with Rathore walking in, all his attention in messaging on his phone.

Rathore: Riya ghar jaane ka time ho gaya hai, tum aaj bhi late rukne waali ho ya...

Sensing no reply, he looked up. Needless to say, he was surprised at the presence of rest of the team.

Rathore: tum sab yaha kya kar rahe ho?

Riya: sab ho gaya sir, aur inhone list bhi nikaal li

Rathore raised his eyebrow: sab?

Riya nodded with a giggle: sab

Rathore heaved a sigh of relief: thank god, perfect timing kal subah commissioner sir ne kisi case ke liye bulaya hai hum sabko

Arjun: kya case hai?

Rathore looked down on his phone again: milkar baat karte hai

Shrugging his shoulders, he locked the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

Rathore: so sab log subah 8 baje headquarters pahunch jaana

Ayesha: ok sir (turning to Riya) hum tumhari madad karte hai, kya karna hai?

Riya smiles: abhi rehne do, tum sab thake hue ho aur kal subah bhi jaldi report karna hum kal case ke baad arrange kar lenge

Shree: Ri!!!

Riya: ha?

Shree blew her a flying kiss: I love you!

Riya laughs while Arjun glares at Shree mv “himmat toh dekho iski, sharam nahi aati ladki ko kiss karte hue, ugh! Ab toh ise 600 sit-up’s karwaunga!”

Rathore: toh fir chalo, ab sab ghar jao, kal milte hai

Chotu: But sir, is case ka kya?

The seniors exchanged glances amongst themselves……………………………

Note: I have a bunch of PM's in my inbox, I am sorry I haven't been able to see them. I will have a look as soon as I can.