Chapter 9

Part 9 [NOCOPY][MEMBERSONLY]

Rathore sips from the mug mv “iske haath ki coffee aaj bhi waisi hi hai” A smile forms on his face.

Arjun gives Riya her mug surprising everyone further. Rathore raises his eyebrow mv “kahi Arjun ke andar toh chudail nahi ghus gayi hai?”……………………….

Riya politely refuses: Thank you sir, par main ek din mein sirf ek cup coffee peeti hu, in cheezon ki aadat nahi lagni chahiye na

Arjun: Waste mat karo, ek din mein kuch nahi hoga

Riya: Waste kyun hogi sir, Chotu haina?

Rathore: TUM YAHA KAYA KAR RAHI HO?!?!

All heads turn to him.

Riya: sir? aap aise kyun….

Rathore jumps from his chair: Shut Up!!! Has Na Band Karo!!!

Riya: sir main kaha…

Rathore shouted at the ghost behind her: I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT!!

He removes his gun, shocking the others. Riya is terrified seeing it pointed in her direction.

Shree: sir aap kya…

Rathore: TUMHE SAMAJ MEIN NAHI AATA???

He loads his gun. Shocked, Arjun pulls Riya to him, crashing her in his chest. She screams as a bullet whizzes inches away from her into the wall. She holds onto him for dear life.

Shree and Chotu rush to contain him.

Rathore struggles to break free: Leave Me!! Is Chudail Ko Chodunga Nahi Main!!

Shree: sir aap kya bol rahe hai? waha koi nahi hai sir!

Rathore continues to scream: WOH CHUDAIL HAI WAHA!!!

Chotu: sir koi nahi hai

Rathore: TUM SAB PAAGAL HO! WAHA CHUDAIL HAI!!

Shree: sir waha kuch nahi hai, please shaant…

Rathore tries to push them off but Chotu was strong enough for him: ANDHE HO TUM LOG!!!

Arjun cradles the shivering Riya and blasts on him: WAHA KUCH NAHI HAI, MAINE TUMHARI COFFEE MEIN DRUG MILAYA THA!!!! GUN CHODO APNI!!!

Rathore freezes: kya?

Shree and Chotu stare at their mugs in horror.

Arjun grits his teeth: TUMHARE ANDAR THODI SI BHI AKAL HAI YA NAHI?! OFFICE KE ANDAR GOLI CHALANE KI KYA ZAROORAT THI?!?! AGAR KISI KO LAG JAATI TOH!?!

Rathore comes out of his trance: main… main… (he looks again in the direction but the ghost had disappeared) drug? (Shree and Chotu let go seeing him calm down) Tumne Coffee Mein Drug Milaya Tha?!?! RAWTE TUMHARA DIMAG KHARAB HO GAYA HAI?!!? Kyun Kiya Tumne Aisa?

Arjun glares at him: Agar Meri Baat Maan Li Hoti Toh Nahi Daalta, Chudail Drugs Ki Wajah Se Hi Dikh Rahi Hai!!!

Rathore: You’re Just Impossible!!!

Arjun: You’re The One Firing Bullets!!

Rathore: You’re The One Who’s Pulling The Trigger!!

Riya shifts. Sure that she was better, Arjun loosened his hold on her.

Arjun(calmly): chu kar toh nahi gayi?

She shakes her head: thanks

Rathore mellows down on realising what happened.

Rathore: I am really sorry Riya, mera dhyaan bas us par hi tha, I didn’t realize ki tum…

Riya: it’s ok sir, main jaanti hu aapne jaan buchkar nahi kiya bas achanak hua toh thoda dar gayi

Rathore holds her shoulder: are you sure, you’re fine?

Riya smiles: ha sir, main theek hun (he nods) Arjun sir, Shree aur Chotu ko bhi chudail dikhne waali hai kya?

Arjun: sirf ek mug mein tha

The boys let out a breath they didn’t even know they were holding. Rathore mumbles curses very much audibly to the rest.

Riya removes the tension from the atmosphere: kaunsa drug tha sir? aur aapko kaise pata chala?

Arjun: ek hallucinatory drug tha, jab tum log fort gaye the toh maine apna blood test karwaya (turning to Rathore) jo tum logon ko nahi karwaana tha!

Shree: but sir, abhi toh aapne coffee mein milaya toh fir waha par drug kaha se aaya? Kyunki Riya ne toh kuch khaaya nahi…

Chotu: are lekin agar usme drug hota toh hume fort ke baahar hi chudail dikh jaati, jaise Rathore sir ko kuch seconds mein dikhi

Arjun: exactly! Drug us fort mein hi hume diya gaya, presumably waha jaha par Riya ko chudail dikhi aur uske baad humare pahunchne par bhi. Riya ne kal raat kaha ki use chudail ke chehre ke cut par khoon dekh kar dar laga lekin meri yaadasht mein khoon nahi tha…

Rathore: khoon toh mujhe bhi dikha tha

Shree: nahi sir khoon nahi tha, sirf cut tha

Chotu: ha mujhe bhi khoon nahi dikha

Arjun: drug ki wajah se hallucination ho raha tha, us watchman ne hum sabke dimag mein chudail ka chehra chipka diya tha isliye jab chudail dikhi toh hum sab ko ek jaisi dikhi bas, Rathore aur Riya ke man mein normally ye baat hai ki cut hone par khoon hoga lekin hum teeno ko woh nahi dikha kyunki humne is baare mein socha hi nahi ki uska chehre ka ghaav fresh ha ya nahi ab samjhe ya samjhau?

Rathore: iska matlab woh caretaker mila hua hai

Riya pipes in: ha sir, main bhi kehne waali thi, main apne informer aur records se pata kiya, pichle saal woh chori karte hue pakda gaya aur jail mein tha, kuch mahino pehle hi chuta hai aur tab se ye naukri kar raha hai

Shree: par sawaal ab bhi wahi hai ki drug humare shareer mein aaya kaha se?

Arjun gathers his thoughts: dhua

Chotu: dhua?

Arjun: chudail dikhne se pehle Riya aur campers, dono ko dhua dikhayi deta tha, ho na ho us dhue mein hi davai milayi hui hai, woh log kisi machine se, us dhue ko chodte honge jo aasani se ek jagah se dusri jagah le jaayi ja sake

Riya: but sir, hume waha koi saboot nahi mil raha, in logon ko hume range haathon pakadna hoga

Rathore: toh fir chalo, is caretaker ka peecha karte hai. ab wahi apne maalik tak le jaayega hume

The team nods and heads back to the fort, this time making sure to stay low. The caretaker arrived at his usual time. Around 10 pm, a van comes. A man steps out.  2-3 goons follow. The watchman leads them inside.

On the other hand, the team starts tactfully surrounding the place.

The men are led to an inner chamber. The watchman shifts the grass and soil. He opens a sewage lid to reveal another room hidden safely. They get inside. Three people were already inside, who were working there. The room was filled with laboratory equipment. In one corner, packets were piled up.

The team exchanges glances and reaches the entrance of the room.

Rathore: yaha kaunsi chudail ban rahi hai?

Shocked, all eyes turn to them. A man promptly pulls out his revolver. Arjun jumps in, shooting at his hand. The team follows.

Caretaker: tum log?!

Rathore: khel khatam! Haath upar karo!

As they rally the people, Riya examines the equipment.

Riya: sir!! ye log ecstasy bana rahe hai, (gazing at the packets) kam se kam 50 lakh ka maal hai

Rathore grabs the caretaker’s caller: chori se seedhe drugs? Ab lamba andar jaayega (throwing him to Chotu) lekar chalo sabko!

The local police are called in. The case is transferred and everyone gets busy in the formalities. It takes them almost another hour to get it all wrapped up.

Shree grabs Riya much to her discontent: kaha bhaag rahi hai tu? Itni kya jaldi hai?

Riya: main… nahi toh, main kyun bhaagungi bhala?

Chotu: acha, toh subah se kya kar rahi hai? ekto bola bhi nahi ki tera birthday hai aur ab bina treat diya jaa rahi hai.

Riya: are raat ke 11 baj rahe hai, mujhe neend aa rahi hai, kal bhi nahi soye theek se, upar se ek ghante mein birthday khatam, main tum logon weekend par treat dungi ok, bye!

Before they could protest any further she slips away from his hold and runs to the SUV.

Arjun had watched the entire interaction. After the conversation in the afternoon, he gathered maybe because of missing her family, she wasn’t too keen on celebrating. He heads to the parked cars in his own thoughts. He felt like doing something for her but what could he do?

Riya was going to sit in the passenger seat when he called out.

Arjun: Riya

She turns: ji sir?

He walks up to her. Unable to find the right words he puts his hand in his pocket and removes a red clip. Riya lights up. A warm feeling engulfs his chest.

Riya: meri pin!

He places it in her palm. She immediately opens her hair, pulling them on a side and uses the rose to pin the opposite side.

Riya(arranging her hair): theek hai? (he nods) thank you so much!!! Aapko pata hai ye meri favourite clip hai, (sheepishly) mujhe toh laga aap waapis hi nahi denge

Arjun: baad mein dena bhool gaya

Riya raises her eyebrow: aap bhool gaye? Interesting… waise ek baat puchu?

Arjun: mana karunga toh nahi puchogi?

Riya giggles: kal firse try karungi

He shook his head: pucho

Riya: aapne Rathore sir ko woh mug kyun diya? Chotu ko de dena chahiye tha, woh dar ke maare hilta bhi nahi

Arjun: maine randomly milaya tha, ittefaq se use mil gaya

Riya: oh, isliye aap mujhe bhi de rahe the, taaki drug waali waste na jaaye (he doesn’t respond) anyway, thank you

Arjun: kis liye?

Riya: mujhe sahi time par bullet ke raaste se nikalne ke liye warna mere birthday par hi death day ho jaata

Her statement riled him up: shut up Riya! bakwas mat karo!

Riya(confused): aap…

Rathore reaches there with the boys.

Rathore: acha hua tum log nahi nikle (he faces all of them) team meri baat dhyaan se suno! Kal subah 10 baje hume court jaana hai Pathan ko lekar

Riya: humne kaunse Pathan ko pakda hai sir?

Rathore: tum nahi thi us, waqt Riya ETF ka pehla case

Shree whispers to Chotu: dekha, usne pucha toh kitne aaram se jawab diya, humne kuch pucha toh kaise ghurte hai

She recollects: oh ha aapne bataya tha, woh trafficker, uh… humare ek ex- serviceman Raghu ji ki beti ko kidnap kiya tha, right?

Rathore: ha wahi…. so kal subah seedhe police station milte, I want everybody sharp at 8!

Chorus: yes sir!!

Rathore: good night! Dismissed!

Shree(horrified): sir please hume sheher tak toh chod dijiye

Rathore: maine mana kab kiya?

Shree: woh… abhi aapne dismissed kaha toh…

Rathore glares at him. He shuts up! Shree heaves a sigh of relief as he walks to the car. Chotu whispers in his ears.

Chotu: sach mein re, hum puche toh gussa, Riya kahe toh pyaar

Shree: is desh ke saare mard ek jaise hai, ladki dekhi nahi ki fisle, chal kuch nahi honewaala humara.

Riya threw herself on the bed when she reached home. She pulls the rope letting the curtain around her bed fall, lighting up the fairy lights on them. Her mind flashes to the time Arjun pulled her away from the path of the bullet to protect her, holding her in comfort till she felt better. A smile appears on her face.

“subah se tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi zyaada tumhari”

She shakes her head mv “lagta hai ACP sir sirf case mein hi nahi, office mein bhi sab par kuch zyaada hi nazar rakhte hai” She recollects him getting angry just a few moments later because she took his tea and giggles mv “bewafa? Ye sir bhi na… ek minute, main itna kyun soch rahi hu? So ja Riya madam, kal subah jaldi report karna hai.”

On the other hand-

Arjun stared out the window of the infamous Ravi lodge. Riya’s happy face plays in front of his eyes. He was glad the clip made her happy again, enough to have her genuine smile back in place.

He knew the day would have been overwhelming for her. First, she was missing her family. Second, she was trying to hide her birthday and then third, Rathore decides to shoot someone that doesn’t exist.

Flashback

Rathore shouted at the ghost behind her: I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT!!

He removes his gun, shocking the others.

Arjun doesn’t register anything after that. The look on his face said it all. He knew exactly what Rathore would do. To his horror, Riya was right in the line of the shot!

Rathore loads his gun.

The click triggers Arjun. He pulls Riya to him, crashing her in his chest. She screams as a bullet whizzes inches away from her into the wall. He hugs her as she trembles.

The thought of her getting hurt burnt a fire in him. She was holding onto him like it was already the end of her life. The fear on her face fuelled him. How the hell could that man be so irresponsible? He blasts on Rathore.

Arjun : WAHA KUCH NAHI HAI, MAINE TUMHARI COFFEE MEIN DRUG MILAYA THA!!!! GUN CHODO APNI!!!

Flashback Ends

Arjun wonders why he reacted so emotionally. It was actually somewhere his fault that Rathore was reacting in such a way then again, he had not thought it would lead to such consequences. Maybe it was guilt or was it something else?

He sighs and looks up at the moon mv “Happy Birthday Riya!”………………………..

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