Chapter 4

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 4 [NOCOPY][MEMBERSONLY]

Jaipur city-

The team barges into Rajesh’s house and finds his father reading a newspaper with his cup of tea.

Father: kaun hai aap log? Aur aise kaise ghuse chale aa rahe hai?

Rathore: ETF, hum Kanika ke khoon ke silsile mein aaye hai

He flares up: Kanika se humare koi vaasta nahi hai

Hearing him shout, Rajesh comes into the courtyard.

Rathore: party ki raat tum kaha the?

Rajesh: kaun hai aap? Kaunsi party?

Shree: jis raat Kanika ka khoon hua us raat ki party

Father: Maine Kaha Na Humara Kanika Se Koi Lena Dena Nahi Hai!!!

Arjun: toh fir aapka beta Mumbai mein use jhagda kyun karne gaya tha?

Father(angrily): tum Mumbai gaye the?

Rajesh falls at his feet: mujhe maaf kar dijiye…mujhe laga ki shayad woh maan jaaye bas isliye

Riya: kis cheez ke liye maan jaaye?

Rajesh: woh meri patni thi

The team exchanges glances in shock.

Chotu: patni? Woh teri biwi thi? Toh fir, uska boyfriend? Aur kisi ko pata kaise nahi ki woh teri biwi hai? (he threatened him) sach-sach bata warna…

Rajesh: main sach keh raha hun, humari shaadi bachpan mein tay ho gayi thi, 2 saal pehle humne shaadi kar li lekin Kanika padhna chahti thi lekin woh waha se kabhi waapis hi nahi aayi

Rathore: fir toh bahot convenient hai tumhare liye use maarna

Rajesh: nahi! main sach keh raha hun, maine use nahi maara, us din use jhagadne ke baad main waapis aa gaya tha aur dobara use phone bhi nahi kiya, main samaj gaya tha ki ab woh, woh waapis nahi aayegi, aap kisi se bhi puch lijiye, main us waqt Jaipur mein hi tha

Rathore(sternly): abhi toh jaa rahe hai lekin zaroor padi toh waapis zaroor aayenge

Reaching another dead end, the team left.

Riya: kahani mein toh twist aa gaya, sir, I think hume uske ghar waalon se fir se milna chahiye, shayad woh is baare mein kuch bata sake

Rathore: ha, waise bhi yaha tak aaye hi hai toh khaali haath waapis jaane ka koi matlab nahi banta

They reached the ancestral haveli of Kanika. There were quite few people there since the mourning was still going on. After all, it had barely been 2 days since Kanika had died. Her photo was put up on a table. It was garlanded. A pile of flower petals was in front of it. A diya was kept on the side.

Lakshmi Devi: aap log yaha?

Rathore: ek baat kehni thi aapse, darasal…

A girl came out into the hall just then: maasa woh…

She stopped on seeing company.

Lakshmi Devi: ye meri choti beti Kiran hai, ye log ETF se hai (her gaze fell on a light) ye din ke samay light kisne chalu ki? Beta zara band kar do

She silently lowered her head and pressed a switch. The fan switched on. The petals flew away to reveal a pink scarf. The ETF stood rooted to the ground

Kiran: oh sorry!

She quickly switched both of them off.

Lakshmi Devi: kahiye Rathore ji

Rathore comes out of his trance, at a loss of words.

Arjun takes charge: Kanika ka khoon Rajesh ne kiya hai

Lakshmi Devi: Rajesh ne? kabhi socha nahi tha ki woh aisa kar sakta hai

Rathore collects himself: ji, humne socha ki aapko inform kar de, hum case band kar rahe hai

Lakshmi Devi nodded: ji

He nodded. The team rushed out, not making a sound lest anyone hear them. Arjun drove out of the premises.

Shree: sir woh scarf! Iska matlab ki khooni ghar mein koi hai aur woh Kiran hume uske baare mein batane ki koshish kar rahi thi

Arjun: koi nahi uski ma

Chotu: kaise sir?

Arjun: beti ne Aatmahatya nahi ki, uska khoon hua hai, ye sunkar itna feeka reaction? Maana ki shak tha fir bhi zara sa bhi shock nahi laga, ab samjhe ya samjhau?

Chotu: par kyun?

Riya drops the bomb: Joy ki wajah se! Kanika ka pati tha, use chod kar woh Joy ke saath thi, woh bhi toh gayab hai

Rathore: Dammit! Pata nahi woh zinda hoga ya nahi?

Riya: nahi sir, definitely zinda hai. agar unhone use Kanika ke baad maara hota hai aur uski laash mil jaati toh dono cases ko link hote hue waqt nahi lagta. Woh aisa risk kabhi nahi lenge

Arjun: exactly! Woh humare case band karne ka wait kar rahe the, Shree! Lakshmi Devi aur ghar ke baakhi logon ke call records aur phone location dono par nazar rakho! Wahi hume Joy tak pahuncha sakti hai

Rathore: aur Riya…

Riya(typing on her phone): properties dekh rahi hun sir

Rathore(impressed): oh, ok

Shree: sir! Lakshmi Devi aur uske bete Hari ka phone move ho raha hai. Arjun sir main aapko directions deta hun.

He navigated Arjun according to their phone location which led them outside the city. They reached the national highway when the dots stopped blinking.

Shree: sir! phone band ho gaya

Rathore: Dammit!!!

Arjun: kaha par?

Shree: yahi Bagrana jaane ke raaste par sir

Riya: Sir! Kanota Dam ke paas unki ek property hai, ho na ho woh log wahi gaye honge! Aage se left ka kacha raasta lijiye

Arjun did as told and increased the speed of the vehicle.

Rathore: Chotu, local police se backup mangwao!

As Arjun drove along the river bank, an unused mansion presented itself at a distance. It was only a few 100 metres away from the tourist area. A number of men were roaming around the place.

Rathore: Guns out!!

He announces their arrival with a gunshot. Arjun haphazardly stops the car and they run out going in different directions. Panic spreads across the men. They try to overcome the officers but they were no match for them. They were easily overpowered.

Rathore and Riya rescued Joy while Arjun ran after the absconding Lakshmi Devi and her son. He shoots in their direction and the tire bursts effectively trapping them. Shree and Chotu round up the other men. The backup arrives and they all get arrested.

Lakshmi Devi stops near them as the constables are leading her.

Lakshmi Devi: aapko bhale hi lagta hai ki aap jeet gaye, bhale hi woh ladka bach gaya lekin ab hum samaj mein sar uncha rakh kar zaroor chalenge

They look at her with disgust but Riya is unable to control herself.

Riya: kaisi maa hai aap? Jis beti ko 9 mahino tak apna andar samaya, paal-pos kar bada kiya, use ek hi jhatke mein maar diya? woh bhi sirf isliye kyunki use kisi se pyaar ho gaya tha? kyunki woh zabardasti ki shaadi mein khush nahi thi? koi maa apne hi bache ko itni takleef kaise de sakti hai? Main bhi ek beti hun aur main apni maa se bahot pyaar karti hu aur aap…

Lakshmi Devi: kyunki izzat se zyaada aur kuch bhi nahi

Riya clenches her fist: use izzat nahi, kalank kehte hai!!

They glared at each other. Rathore gestured to the constable to take her away. Riya looked away sadly. Shree gave Riya a side hug. She smiled lightly.

Arjun observes her reactions. The light moisture in her eyes being a girl herself, the disbelief and anger that someone could be so cruel and the determination of her conscience. One thing he knew for sure by now, Riya Mukherjee was a powerful woman, head strong and high while being considerate as well as tender.

They got on with the formalities with the local police and regrouped.

Riya: Rathore sir, dustbin duty khatam ho gayi

Rathore(disapprovingly): dump yard par

She smiled: jaisa bhi hai ghar hai sir, saaf rakhne ki zimmedari toh humari hi haina?

He smiled(recollecting the stint at Galaxy heights): lekin agli baar saaf karne, aag ki garmi dekhne ke liye haath mat daalna

Arjun rolled his eyes while Shree and Chotu looked on in confusion.

Riya: are sir goli se maut milegi ye toh pata hai, par paudha zeherila hai ya nahi ye toh kha kar hi pata chalega na?

Shree: kya?

They see his confused face and laugh in response.

Rathore(looking at the river): tumne kabhi nadi kinaare, garam jalebiyaan khaayi hai?

Riya: uh…nahi sir

He gestured to her to come along: aao khilata hun

She followed him. Arjun moved away in the opposite direction, wanting to stay alone.

Chotu: mujhe bhi jalebi khaani hai, sir ne hume kyun nahi pucha?

Shree: gender discrimination

Chotu: kya matlab?

Shree: kuch nahi, chal! Hum humari jalebiyaan khud khaayenge! Unhe jaane de ladki ke peeche

Chotu(happily): ha!!!

Mumbai,

Police Headquarters-

A day later, Rathore and Arjun were seated in front of the commissioner.

Vikram closed the case file: good job guys! Mujhe pata tha tum log ise suljha hi loge

Rathore: thank you sir

Vikram smirked: anyway, ek main baat, Riya kaisi hai?

Rathore misunderstands his expression and flares up: Sir Aap Aisa Soch Bhi Keh Sakte Hai? Mujhe Aapse Aisi Umeed Bilcul Nahi Thi!!!

Vikram is confused: what?

Ha punches the table in anger: I’ll Tell You What You…

Arjun(amused): Rathore

Rathore: KYA HAI?!!?

Arjun(calmly): sir feedback maang rahe hai

Rathore(taken aback): aap feedback maang rahe hai?

Vikram: ha… uska pehla case tha na tum logon ke saath?

Rathore is embarrassed but hides it effectively, putting his mask back on.

He glances at Arjun: iske baare mein toh pucha nahi aapne, ek case thoda lamba nahi chal gaya sir?

Vikram ignores his comments: Rathore mere paas aur bhi kaam hai, does she fit in or not?

Rathore glares at Arjun who is unaffected. He looks back at the commissioner.

Rathore: bahot achi hai sir, on and off the field.

Vikram smirks again: very good! That’s great to hear.

Rathore nods but Arjun notices the glint in his eyes. There was something cooking in Vikram’s brain. But what? He didn’t know……………………..