Chapter 14

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Bloomie

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Part 14 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

They did not have a case the next day and hence worked on the paperwork for Mangesh’s stint. Shree, Chotu and Riya were in the conference room.

Shree: waise Ri tu hume party dene waali thi na, kya hua?

Chotu: ha, dekh hum pehle hi keh rahe hai, agar tu ne is baar koi chalaki ki na toh acha nahi hoga

Riya groans internally mv “in dono ko time pass ki cheezein hi yaad rehti hai kya?”

Riya: are main de dungi

Shree: kab degi?

Riya: maine kaha tha, weekend par

Chotu: weekend aa gaya

Riya: oh… weekend aa gaya?

Chorus: ha!!

Riya: uh… main, deti hu na, dungi

Chotu: kab? Kaha? Kitne baje? Kiski?

Riya: uh…woh uh main, maine sab kuch plan karke rakha hai, tum tension kyun lete ho? (looking at her report) are iska kya karna hai? encounter likhna hai ya accident? Main Rathore sir se puch kar aati hun, ok?

Before they could ask anything else, she ran out of the room with the papers.

Shree: ye sach mein puchne gayi ya fir bhaag gayi?

Chotu lifts his shoulder: tension mat le re, aaj toh use pakad hi lenge, ghar hi nahi jaane denge

An evil grin comes on their faces.

Arjun was reading a random case file at his desk when he saw Riya come there in a hurry. She looks back to see if they were following her. She heaves a sigh of relief and sits on her desk, opposite to Arjun. He gathers the boys were probably troubling her with something again.

Riya continues writing her report.

He breaks the silence after a few minutes: Riya?

Riya: ji sir?

Arjun: kal tum aur commissioner sir jhagda kar rahe the aur tumne kaha thi ki tum 3 mahine record room mein thi, chakkar kya tha?

Riya: uh woh…

Arjun: agar tum comfortable nahi ho toh…

Riya: are nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai. Actually main Bandra ke ek police station mein thi yaha se pehle. Us waqt Inspector thi and jo station in-charge tha, SI Chawla woh, well he wasn’t a very clean man. ek hit and run ka case aaya tha. jab humne investigation ki toh pata chala ki woh humare area ke MLA ki car hai jo uska beta chala raha tha, us raat.

Arjun: un dono ki setting ho gayi?

Riya: ha, and see choti-moti baatein alag hai but this was murder. Usne hume kaha ki MLA sir ki gaadi uske ek din pehle hi chori ho gayi thi aur isliye hum charge-sheet file na kare aur case band kar de. Maine DSP sir se complain kar di lekin cash tha toh proof nahi tha, us Chawla ne mujhe hi fasa diya ye kehkar ki main usse badla lena chahti hu aur defame karna chahti hun kyunki mujhe pata chala gaya tha ki woh mera promotion cancel karne waala tha

Arjun: use bhi toh proof chahiye hoga? aise hi tumhare DSP ne tumhe demote kar diya?

Riya: DSP ne baat maan li kyunki mere paas proof nahi tha. toh main commissioner sir ke paas gayi. Fir pata nahi kaha se Chawla ne promotion cancel karne waali application par pehle ki date daal di. Unhone ne bhi mera vishwas nahi kiya. Maine forensic jaanch ki maang bhi ki lekin woh nahi maane aur unhone mujhe demote karke research desk mein daal diya. 2 mahino tak toh main itni gusse mein thi ki pucho mat! fir maine socha, ki aise gussa karke koi faayda nahi hone waala, ya toh haar maan kar baith jao ya fir koi dhanka plan bana kar unhe expose karo. fir maine sting plan kiya, camera pehen kar Chawla ke saamne royi, gidgidayi aur uska ego satisfy ho gaya, usne maan kar kaha ki woh MLA ke saath chakkar chala kar firse mujhe meri post dilwa dega aur warn kiya ki main dobara kabhi uske raaste na aau. Main footage lekar seedha commissioner sir ke paas gayi aur woh suspend ho gaya! mera atka hua promotion bhi ho gaya par Vikram sir ne kaha ki main thode din research desk mein rahu, tab tak woh mere liye ek achi si posting dhundh lenge aur fir main yaha aa gayi

Arjun: fit hota hai

Riya: matlab?

Arjun: tumhara tareeka, tumhari personality ke saath…. draamebaaz

Riya giggles: acha? Aur kya pata hai aapko meri personality ke baare mein?

Arjun: kyun tum nahi jaanti apne baare mein?

Riya: jaanti hun par, kabhi-kabhi dusre ke nazariye se dekhna bhi acha hota hai

Arjun: ye tum apne pyaare se Shree aur Chotu se kyun nahi puchti?

Her face fell: are sir please, naam mat lo

Arjun(surprised): I thought you were friends

Riya: ha sir par uh…woh

He waits for a few seconds but she remains silent.

Arjun(concerned): sab theek haina?

Riya: ha waise toh theek hai, woh kya haina, us din maine unhe promise kiya tha ki main unhe weekend par treat dungi birthday ka aur

She sighs deeply.

Arjun: firse peeche pad gaye?

Riya nods.

Arjun: tum seedhe se mana kyun nahi kar deti? Aaj agar bach bhi jaogi toh kal waapis peeche aayenge

Riya: mujhe treat dene mein problem nahi hai mujhe bas, I don’t… mujhe celebrations family ke saath pasand hai aur unke bina, chahe kitne bhi dost kyun na ho, it’s, (looking down) it’s not the same thing

Arjun sees tears in her eyes. His fist clenched, wanting to punch those two for bringing them in her eyes. Above that, he could feel the loneliness that she was feeling. How would he not know the importance of a hand that held yours in a crowd?

Riya composes herself: agar aap comfortable ho toh ek baat puchu?

Arjun comes out his thoughts: ha?

Riya: aapne kaha tha ki Pathan ke upar koi hai, lekin kaun?

His breath caught in his throat as the knife stabbed his wife again. He doesn’t respond, lost in the memory. Riya notices sweat beads on his forehead. She ponders over her question in worry. She hadn’t meant to hurt him.

Riya: ek baat kahu aapse?

Arjun snaps back to reality. He looks at her quizzically.

Riya smiles: aapko pata hai mujhe aapse baat karna kyun acha lagta hai? (he maintains the expression) kyunki aap baatein isliye sunte hai ki main apni feelings bol saku, na ki isliye ki aap sawaal kare… maine suna toh tha ki aap ek ache officer hai lekin yaha aane ke baad mujhe ye pata chala ki aap ek ache insaan bhi hai

Arjun scoffs: acha insaan? Tum mujhe jaanti kitna ho Riya, ki ye keh sako?

Riya: jaan ne ki zaroorat nahi hai mujhe, insaan ki fitrat uski harkato mein dikhti hai aur main aapse pehli hi keh chuki hu ki aapka mukhota main ache se pehchanti hun

Arjun: tum kuch nahi jaanti Riya aur na hi mujhe pehchanti ho

Riya smiles: main pehchanti hu Arjun sir, sirf isliye nahi ki aapne court ke baahar apni biwi ke pyaar mein ek criminal ko peeta balki isliye kyunki main in jazbaaton ko pehle dekh chuki hun, jo mukhota pehen ne par majbur kar dete hai, isliye bhi kyunki maine bhi uska istemaal kiya hai (his eyes widen) aur rahi baat jaan ne ki toh main usi din jaan gayi thi jis din aapne mujhe terrace par chadhaya tha. Mere pair ke fisalne se pehle hi, aapke dare hue chehre ko dekh kar

Arjun stares at her in shock. She looks back in amusement. His face mellows down, unsure of what to say or how to react. His eyes dart back towards her and they lock with each other.

Boy: saab chai!

They come out of their trance. Riya digs back into her file. He nods for him to come in. She feels heat in her cheeks.

Riya mv “ye kya ho raha hai mujhe? Mujhe sharam kyun aa rahi hai?”

Arjun sends him off after paying. His gaze goes back to her as he takes a sip. He squints seeing red on her face mv “is that… ye, Riya… blush kar rahi hai? (his heart jumped in its place) what the hell? Main kyun khush ho raha hun itna? Chai par dhyaan de Arjun.”

The day passes quickly. Shree and Chotu try to search for Riya when she takes a long time. Chotu saw her working on the desk. They were about to call out to her but one glare from the second- in-command and they did not dare step into the room.

So, they thought they would catch her when it was time to go home.

Riya was walking out when they managed to corner her.

Chotu: oye! Khabardaar jo aaj kahi bhaagi hai toh

Shree: aur nahi toh kya aur din bhar kya us khadoos ke saath baith gayi thi?

Riya: are kaam kar rahi thi

Shree: obviously Ri, kaam hi kar rahi thi, woh kaam hi dega karne ko, thodi tere saath gappe ladayega?

Riya faked a smile mv “well gappe toh woh lada sakte hai”

Chotu: ab chale yaar, bahot bhook lagi hai

Riya: huh? ha… uh kyun nahi?

Shree: great! Kaha le jaa rahi hai tu hume?

Riya: woh… uh maine… socha tha ki… tum, ki tum dono ko na uh…

Arjun: Riya!

The trio jump in startle.

Riya: ji sir?

Arjun: maine tumhe Mohan ka pata nikalne ko kaha tha, nikala?

Riya mv “kaun Mohan, kaunsa pata?” : uh… aap (her peripheral vision caught the boys) mil gaya! mil gaya sir, aapne jo pata bola tha woh mil gaya (removing her phone) main aapko message (he glares at her) uh ha, (forcing a giggle) main lekar jaati hun aapko waha

Arjun moves away towards his SUV: chalo!

Riya gives the boys pity looks.

Shree: are yaar ye khadoos…

His voice is interrupted by loud honks from Arjun’s car.

Riya runs: aayi sir, good night guys!!

She sits in the car and he speeds off. She heaves a sigh of relief.

Riya: you’re a lifesaver! Thank you!!

Arjun(firmly): sirf aaj!

Riya: ha, ha don’t worry, kal toh waise bhi Sunday hai, aur maine is weekend kaha tha toh Monday ke baad toh offer invalid ho jaayega na?

Arjun shakes his in disbelief: tumhara kuch nahi ho sakta

Riya laughs: aap toh aise complaint kar rahe hai jaise aap bahot flexible hai aur girgit ki tarah rang badalte hai

Arjun glares at her. She winks in response.

Arjun: tumhe mujhse thoda bhi, zara sa bhi dar nahi lagta?

Riya: aap baar- baar kyun puchte hai? maine kaha tha na ki aap rakshas nahi hai?

Arjun: acha? Aur agar kisi din sach mein tumhe kha gaya toh?

Riya: toh woh aapka problem hai, aap cannibalism ke liye jail jaayenge, bharosa karne waala nahi, todne waala gunehgaar hota hai but I’m pretty sure, ki aap mere saath aisa kuch nahi karenge

Arjun: kya main jaan sakta hun kis khushi mein?

Riya: well, for one mujhe meetha khaane ka bahot shauk hai

Arjun: toh?

Riya: toh ye ki main bhi bahot meethi hu aur mujhe khaane se na, aapko diabetes ho jaayegi

Arjun nods in disapproval: diabetes ka pata nahi, lekin mere kaan zaroor pak gaye ye bakwas joke sunkar

Riya giggles: dekha sirf sunne se, socho, aap mujhe kha jaayenge toh aapke shareer ko kitna nuksaan hoga

Arjun: Riya please shut up warna mujhse accident ho jaayega

Riya straightens herself: yes sir!!

Arjun grips the steering wheel mv “ye nahi sudhregi”

He drops her home. 

Riya removes her seatbelt: thank you sir, good night!

He nods. She opens the door and is about to step out when…

Arjun: Sikandar

She stops and turns to him. He was looking straight ahead.

Riya: mujhe aap par pura vishwas hai, ant mein jeet aapki hi hogi

His head jerks towards her. She gives him a warm smile and climbs down. He watches as Riya enters the gate and walks down the garden path. She turns from the porch to look back once. Her cheeks turn pink again. She opens the door and enters.

Her words ring in his ears.

“ant mein jeet aapki hi hogi”

A warm feeling erupts his chest. Arjun lets out a deep breath. He chugs down half a bottle of water to calm himself before driving away to his lodge.

Monday-

Rathore: team! Ek case hai, mere dost ki maa, Kalki Devi subah se gayab hai, unki beti ki ghar par sagayi hai, chaaron taraf function chal raha hai and bahot saare guests bhi hai. isliye usne request ki hai ki hum bina unke pata chale investigation carry forward hai, waha guests ban kar jaaye

Arjun outright refuses to be part of the circus: mujhe ye sab nahi pasand!

Rathore glares at him: toh mat aao!

The rest of the team prepares to leave for the haveli.

Kalki Devi’s home-

Rathore introduces his team to his friend, Sumit and the rest of the family that comprises his wife, Zainab, an elder brother and his wife and a younger brother and his wife. The daughter Kinjal was to be kept out of the loop as well.

Kalki Devi was last seen at around 6:30 am in her room by Rishab (the younger son). No one else had entered or left the room before or after that. The team spread in different directions in order to find clues.

Back at ETF-

Arjun was sitting in a chair in the conference room reminiscing his wife.

“duty pasand ya na pasand par depend nahi hoti ACP sahab”

“Duty zaroorat par depend nahi hoti”

Arjun mv “ugh!! Ye saari auratein kya ek hi jagah se Ph.D karke aati hai?”……………………..

bloomie2020-11-16 06:26:15

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