Chapter 13

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 13 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Arjun holds up his hand making her stop: Use patane ke liye meri bali chadhana zaroori tha? Rathore tumne ise meri supari dekar bheja hai? 

Riya glares at him……………………..

Rathore smirks: nahi toh, ab lag raha hai di hoti toh acha hota, waha cover up bhi ho jaayega aasani se, kam se kam bhoot toh dikhna band ho jaayenge mujhe

Vikram rolls his eye hearing their banter mv “ye dono, dost bane ya dushman, aas paas waalon ka jeena haram karke hi chodenge!”

Arjun grumbled: kuch information mili bhi ya nahi?

Riya: sir iska naam Babloo hai, Koliwada ki Gulaal basti mein rehta hai aur Arjun sir, aap sahi the, ye log Naxal nahi hai, maine Jagdish Karle ka naam liya toh ise toh ye bhi nahi pata ki 3 mahine pehle uski encounter mein maut ho gayi

Rathore: matlab ye wahi Babloo hai jisne deal ki thi, Shree! Chotu ko phone karke address par bhejo, dekho kya pata chalta hai

Vikram: lekin agar ye log Naxal nahi hai toh inhe Ranade kyun chahiye? ye log kis maksad se aaye hai yaha?

But no one had the answer.

Rathore: jo bhi karna hai 3 ghante ke andar karna hoga, ho sakta hai ki inka plan Ranade ko bachana nahi, balki use maarna ho.

Arjun: ye firse kisse baat kar raha hai?

Rathore looks at Shree. He nods negatively.

Shree: ye call minister sir ko nahi kiya gaya.

Rathore: tum logon ko kuch sunayi de raha hai?

Riya: nahi sir, par sir ye bahot shaanti se baat kar raha hai aur ji-ji kar raha hai

Here the call ends after a few minutes.

Leader: ae chalo sab ko ek-ek karke bhejo

One of the gunned men grabs a guy from the hostages and brings him in front of the leader.

Riya: ye kya kar rahe hai?

Rathore: kya hua?

Riya: pata nahi

Arjun and Riya observe as the leader asks him a few questions. After a few minutes he is let go and the man sitting next to him is sent.

Riya: aisa lagta hai ki ye log…

Arjun: puch tach kar rahe hai

Rathore: what? Lekin kyun?

Shree: sir I feel ye Ranade sirf ek diversion hai, ye asal mein kisi aur ko pakadna chahte hai

Vikram: toh fir pakad kyun nahi lete? Aise kyun?

Shree: sir shayad unhe hi na pata ho ki woh kise dhundh rahe hai?

Rathore: aise kaise ho sakta hai Shree?

Shree: sir main toh bas option de raha hun

Rathore sighed: theek hai fir bhi, ye log dhundh kise rahe hai? kaise pata chalega?

Arjun: pakde jaane par

Rathore glared at the speaker as if it was Arjun himself.

The interrogation continues.

Riya leans to whisper: sir, maine zindgi mein kabhi bhi balance sheet tak nahi dekhi, mujhe sirf law aur criminology aata hai, main kya bolungi?

Arjun: Kabhi kisi economist ko baat karte suna hai (she shakes her head) Commerce student?

She shook her head again. Arjun rolled his eyes.

Arjun: TV pe annual budget dekha hai?

Riya: Ha lekin kuch pale nahi pada

Arjun: Toh in logon ko kaise padega?

Riya takes a deep breath and nods. Soon it was her turn. She glances at Arjun in worry who blinks his eyes to assure. Babloo comes ahead to take her to the leader, gesturing the other guy to stay.

Leader: kya name hai tera?

Riya: Sonali Bose

Leader: kya karti ho?

Riya: economic researcher hun

Leader: matlab?

Riya mv “come on Riya you can do this”: matlab dekho, market mein do cheezein hoti hai, ek demand aur ek supply. Toh jab demand fluctuate hota hai toh supply fluctuate hone lagti hai aur jab supply fluctuate hoti hai toh demand fluctuate hota hai. jab demand ki wajah se supply fluctuate hoti toh alag factors hote hai aur jab supply ke wajah se demand fluctuate hoti hai toh alag factors hote aur jab ye demand ke factors aur supply ke factors fluctuate hote hai toh Gross Domestic Product…

Leader: ha! ha bas hai, ja!

Riya forces a smile and stands up to find Babloo looking at her in awe. He drops her back.

Babloo: aap kitni talented hai

Riya nods with a fake appreciation on her face. She sits back in her place.

The goon picks up Arjun next. He replays the same nonsense of demand and supply and returns. Babloo comes up to Riya.

Babloo: ye kaisa admi hai? isko toh aapki tarah kuch nahi aata

Arjun glares at him.

Riya: uh…woh, seekh raha haina abhi bhi isliye, main sikha dungi

Babloo turns to Arjun: ache se sikhna samjha? Aur zara…(pointing his rifle at him) door baith!

Arjun wished to crack open his skull but did as told. They soon realize that the men were segregating reporters from the group.

Rathore pipes in with new information: guys! Chotu ka phone aaya tha, usne Babloo ke yaha puch-tach ki and guess what, woh ek minister ka gunda hai

Arjun: let me guess, Mangesh Joshi

Rathore: yup, humare pyaare se home minister

Riya looks at him shock: kaise?

Arjun: neta agar zaroorat se zyaada meetha bane toh samaj jaana chahiye ki kuch toh choot raha hai

Riya: toh ye log in reporters ko kyun alag kar rahe hai? sir I think Inmein se kisi ke paas Joshi ji ke khilaaf kuch hoga, election aane waale hai

Arjun: aur sabse zaroori baat ye ki Mangesh Joshi ka pura campaign Naxalwaad ko khatam karne par hai, ye ek teer se do nishaan maarne waala hai, Ranade is a hoax!

Vikram: guys! Guys! Woh minister hai, jo bhi karo soch samaj kar karna

Rathore: aap unhe distract kijiye, hum apna kaam karenge

Shree: sir blueprint aa gaya hai

Rathore: fantastic! Main aur Chotu force ke saath attack karenge, Rawte, Riya tum dono logon ko baahar nikaloge.

He explains the plan to them and the ETF gets ready for action.

At the hotel, the leader along with two others takes the three reporters to a room inside. This left three of them including Babloo guarding the hostages and two men at the entrance of the gate.

Arjun begins(standing up): mujhe washroom jaana hai

Babloo: baith ja chup-chap!

Riya looks at him sadly: please ise jaane dijiye, iski kidney mein problem hai. agar ise kuch ho gaya toh mere upar toh…(whining) mere upar toh aafat aa jaayegi

Babloo: acha? Tum kyun tension leti ho? apun haina? (turning to Arjun) chal!!!

Arjun and Babloo go the washroom. He places his spectacles near the wash basin.

Babloo: ae sun! (he turns) jaldi karna samjha?

Arjun leans on the wall: mere paas better option hai

Before he could understand anything else, Arjun grabbed the nozzle of the gun to hit his gut. He bangs his head against the wall and throws away the rifle to a side. Babloo tries to scream but he covers his mouth and kicks him. He drags him further inside to the last stall.

Arjun grabs his collar: aur ek baat kaan khol kar sun… Woh Teri Nahi Hai!!

He punched him out cold and threw him in the stall. Arjun locks it from outside. He puts on the glasses again.

Arjun: neutralized

Rathore: copy! Hum entrance ke paas hi hai

He looks up and gestures to two men on the opposite building. Two snipers silently take out the men guarding the main entrance.

Rathore: main entrance is clear!

Arjun goes out. He stops at the end of the corridor and peeks in. Riya catches his eyes. He looks at the man in front of her. She nods. Arjun takes aim for the other guy. Riya sits in anticipation. A shot rings out. The man drops dead. Screams erupt. Riya kicks the guy in front of her, dropping him to the floor. Rathore busts in with the team.

She grabs the rifle and easily tackles the man, pinning him to the ground. Riya shoots him in the chest. His body limps as blood spurts out.

Rathore and Chotu move inside with the team.

Arjun and Riya move to evacuating the panicked hostages. The leader and the other two men were easily overpowered.

With the rescue done and dusted, the team catches hold of the reporters. A journalist admits that she had proof of Mangesh’s wrongdoings and works with the team to catch him red-headed.

Common room, ETF-

Rathore happily addresses the team: well done guys!! Ek khatra aur tal gaya is shehar se, commissioner sir ne sabko personally thank you kaha hai and especially (rolling his eyes) Rawte aur (proudly) Riya ko. So keep up the good work!!!

Arjun: Riya, IFD se pen-drive ki authenticity ka certificate aayega, dhyaan rahe ki waha koi ched-chad na ho

Riya: kya hua sir? aapko kisi ka murder karna hai? (he is confused) toh fir contract killer se kyun haath mila rahe hai?

He squints at her. She glares at him and storms off! Arjun rolls his eyes and relays the same instructions to Shree. He sits on the couch to watch the news while sipping his tea.

Rathore: volume badha

Arjun doesn’t respond.

Rathore: Rawte! (he turns his head) volume badha

Arjun: mere kaan behre nahi hai

He looks straight again. Rathore glares at him.

Shree and Chotu glance at each other mv “kya hoga in dono ka?”

Despite having his eyes on the news, his mind was wandering elsewhere mv “Riya sach mein naraaz hokar chali gayi? Itni si baat ka batangad kyun bana rahi hai woh? Had hai in ladkiyon ki. Khair mujhe kya? Kare use jo karna hai woh! Mujhe koi farak nahi padta! (His heart contradicts him) ha isliye Babloo par itna gussa aa raha tha…ugh! Man toh kar raha tha ki uske saare daant tod du…meri hai my foot!! Aur woh Pathan? Uski toh…. Lekin ye zyaada naraaz hai kya? Par mujhe kyun itni fikar ho rahi hai? maana ki usne meri help ki, toh kya? Iska ye matlab thodi hai ki main uske aage peeche ghumu? Arjun Rawte kisi ka ehsaan nahi leta, woh meri madad nahi bhi karti toh kya? Mujhe kaunsa farak padta hai ki suspend hou ya na hou?”

“you’re a good guy Rawte, you deserve it!”

“ab maar kar kya faayda? Badla chahiye tha na? pakda usi time goli se uda dete”

A warm feeling envelops his shoulder where she had touched him. Arjun tries to fight all of it off mv “Stop it Arjun!!! Kyun fikar ho rahi hai tujhe itni?”

Arjun: Ugh!! Dammit!!!

He barges out of the room in annoyance confusing everyone else.

Shree: Bihar ki news se inka kya lena dena?

Sameer continues to sip his coffee: chodo, namuna hi rahega woh

Record room-

Riya was entering data into the computer when a glass was placed in front of her.

Riya: main chai nahi piti

Arjun picks it back up and drinks: drug waali coffee piyogi?

Riya stands up: aapke khoon waali piyungi, bana denge?

Arjun(irritated): come on Riya, Rathore ki tarah behave mat karo!

Riya: oh great, pehle mein unki assassin hu aur fir woh khud

Arjun: main bas taana maar raha tha, isme itna bura maanne waali kaunsi baat hai?

Riya: maine aisa kab kaha ki mujhe bura laga?

Arjun stops short: unbelievable! Tum itne time se drama kar rahi thi?

He turns to go. She comes in front to block him.

Riya: main toh drama kar rahi thi lekin aapka kya? (he squints) zara sambhal kar rahiye Arjun sir, kahi baakhi ki duniya bhi aapka mukhota na pehchan le

She winks and starts walking back to the desktop. He grabs her hand and pins her to the shelf. She gasps in astonishment.

Arjun: acha? Toh mukhote pehchan ne ka kaam karti ho tum?

Riya smiles: ab kya karu? research karna toh mera kaam hai, jad tak pahunchna zaroori haina?

Arjun stares at her for a few seconds. Then he rolls his eyes and walks outside.

Arjun: kaam karo apna!

Riya: kaunsa sir? murder? Ya murder solve karne waala?

Arjun turns into the corridor: shut up Riya!

Riya laughs……………………