Chapter 24

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 24 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

The sound of water running falls on his ears as he passes the bathroom. He pauses. Arjun turns to the bathroom. The door was ajar. He steps forward to peep in.

There she was, crying under the shower. The ground slips from beneath his feet. He throws open the door and shuts the shower whilst grabbing a towel.

Arjun: Riya!

She looks up at him, still sobbing. He bends to pick her up.

Arjun: Riya, Riya kya…

She drops her head on his shoulder. Arjun freezes………………….

She was crying bitterly. Arjun comes out of his thoughts hearing her sobs. First things first! She was going to catch a cold if she remained like that. He gently separates her from him. Arjun wraps the towel around her and leads her to the bedroom.

She wasn’t much in her senses and let him do whatever he wanted. Making her sit on the bed, he pulls a chair in front of her.

Arjun: Riya?

She doesn’t listen. He cups her face, startling her.

Arjun: Riya! kya hua ?

She closes her eyes, letting her tears fall. He waits patiently for her answer. She takes a deep breath.

Riya(cracked): mujhe headshots nahi pasand

Confused, he opens his mouth to question her further when her head drops. Unable to take it anymore, he pulls his chair forward and hugs her. She cries for a few minutes before coming back to her senses. He slowly separates them and gives her his handkerchief.

She sniffs, wiping her tears with the kerchief. He passes her a glass of water. Riya gulps it down, slowly. She finally manages to compose herself.

Arjun: better?

She nods. Her expression changes and a sneeze takes over her.

Riya: excuse me

Arjun flinches: god bless you

Riya giggles amidst her red eyes: god?

Arjun: tum maanti hona? Main baahar jaata hun, dry yourself warna sardi lag jaayegi

He stands upto leave as she nods.

Arjun stared at the evidence board but his thoughts were elsewhere mv “headshots nahi pasand? Matlab? Agar nahi bhi pasand toh bhi itna ro kyun rahi hai? aisi kya wajah ho sakti hai, koi toh badi baat hai warna woh aise react nahi karegi, emotional hoti bhi hai tab bhi aise react nahi karti, fir aaj kya ho gaya?”

His train of thought was broken by her voice.

Riya: Arjun sir?

He turns. She had changed out of her wet clothes. Relief washes over him on seeing her normal or was it a façade?

Arjun: tum, theek ho?

She gives him a small smile: I’ll be fine.

Arjun: matlab abhi bhi fine nahi ho

She looks up: uh… nahi, woh, thoda time lagega

Arjun: hmm, case?

She nods.

Arjun: 10 saal pehle ki kya history hai?

Riya: koi history nahi hai sir

Arjun: nahi hai? woh yaha aaya use pehle kaha tha

Riya: kisi ko nahi pata, par aapko itni purani history…

Arjun: yaha toh kuch nahi hai, shayad ateet mein hi raaz chupa ho

Riya thinks about it: hmm, main government records check karti hun

He nods.

Riya soon discovers Mahto and his wife’s real identity. To their surprise, the said person was already killed in the same fashion. A body was found, face burnt, fingers cut. A servant had been arrested for the murder.

Riya: iska matlab usne fraud kiya tha, insurance ke paise wife ko mile aur usne Mahto se firse shadi karke, yaha resort mein shanti se jeene lage… Par itne saalon baad, use kisne maara? Woh bhi usi tareeke se jaise use marna chahiye tha

Arjun: definitely someone from the past Riya

Riya: insurance waale toh nahi ho sakte, woh toh police case karte, kisi aur ko Mahto ki identity pata chal gayi thi

Arjun: exactly! Jis admi ko saza hui thi, ho sakta hai uska koi rishtedaar ho?

Riya checks: Arjun sir, ho sakta hai par…

Arjun raised his eyebrow. She opens her mouth to answer when the door bursts open.

Rathore: DAMMIT!!!!

Riya was about to ask him something when Shree and Chotu gesture not to, from behind. She glances at Arjun.

Arjun: rona band karo! lead mili hai

Rathore: kaisi lead?

Riya explains the situation to them.

Shree: matlab, ek hi insaan ka do baar murder hua?

Riya: kind of, on paper atleast

Rathore: toh fir hume…

Riya: sir uh… woh jo admi tha, I mean jo servant jise saza hui thi woh jail se chut gaya hai, use 7 saal ki saza hui thi aur

She holds up her phone to show them his picture.

Arjun takes the phone from her hand: ye admi….. ye toh us din guest lekar aaya tha na resort mein?

Rathore: tum raah chalte logon par bhi nazar rakhne lage ho ab?

Arjun gives him a stern look.

Riya: area ke taxi service mein driver hai aur sir, company database ke hissab se woh do-teen mahine pehle hi yaha aaye hai

Rathore: iska matlab ho sakta hai ki usne Mahto ko dekha ho aur use sachayi pata chal gayi

Arjun: is baat ka jawab woh khud hi dega! Riya company ki office se contact karke unse uska pata pucho

She obeys. After finishing the call, she looks upto them.

Riya: sir woh customer ko drop karne gaya hai

Arjun: toh fir chalo, hum bhi dekhte hai uski driving skills

The team moves out. It wasn’t long before they caught hold of him. it was exactly as they had predicted. He had seen Mahto one fine day and realised all that had happened to him. Spending 7 years in jail made him bitter and he vowed revenge the minute he saw him. Therefore, he killed him exactly the same way that he had supposedly murdered him.

Chotu arrests him.

Shree: sir ise saza hogi kya? Humare kanoon ke hissab se ek hi jurm ki saza do baar nahi milti  

Arjun: is baat ka faisla court karega Shree

He nods in agreement.

After handing him over to the local police, the team heads back to Mumbai. It was late evening by the time they reached.

Riya: Shree, Kalki Devi waali report

Shree frowns: ha main deta hun

Riya: aur is case ki bhi

Shree: ha baba

As usual, Arjun was at his desk. A message beeped in his phone.

Riya- please come to the record room

He squints at it. She could have just called him or met him there. Why all the secrecy? Nevertheless, he heads to the record room.

He steps in but it was empty.

Arjun: Riya?

Her voice came from behind the shelves: yaha hoon, please darwaaza band karke aana

Arjun was getting more confused. He closes the door behind him and moves towards the voice.

She was leaning against the wall, playing with loose ends of her hair, waiting for him. She turns to him, feeling a presence nearby.

Riya: hi

Arjun raises his eyebrow

Riya: sorry aapko aise bulaya, woh kya haina ek yahi jagah hai jaha mere ilawa koi nahi aata

She sighs and moves away from the wall, stepping closer to him. Their eyes meet each other’s. Lost in them, Arjun doesn’t even realise that she was only a few inches away. She hugs him. His eyes widened.

Riya: thank you so much, aap nahi jaante aaj jo hua…(taking a deep breath) mujhe use aise nahi maarna chahiye tha but, thank you for your support

She breaks away: bas yahi kehna tha

Arjun: isi liye tumne mujhe yaha bulaya?

She lowers her gaze: uh ha, aap busy the? sorry

Arjun rolls his eyes: Riya tum kar kya rahi ho? (she doesn’t respond, she didn’t know how to) aisa kya kar diya tumne? Jiske liye itna guilty feel kar rahi ho? aur headshot nahi pasand toh maara kyun?

Riya: socha nahi tha maine, aapne kaha ki goli khatam ho gayi aur usi waqt woh admi aa gaya, maine bas reflexively goli chala di

Arjun: toh do second soch kar goli maarti

Riya raised her eyebrow: us do second mein uska trigger dab gaya hota toh?

Arjun(carelessly): toh kya ho jaata? Zyaada se zyaada goli lag jaati ya fir main ma…

Her head shoots up: main aapko marte hue nahi dekh sakti

He stares at her. Their eyes lock with each other. She tears up and looks away. He doesn’t say anything. Silence hung between the two for a few moments. Arjun walks out without saying a single word.

Riya leans against the wall, letting her tears fall. She takes a deep breath and wipes them off.

Rathore frees them early that day, keeping in mind the exhaustion they must have felt while travelling.

Shree heaves a sigh of relief: hash! Arjun sir ne firse sit-ups nahi karwaaye

Chotu: zyaada ud mat, woh kabhi kuch nahi bhulte, kal fir se pakdenge

Shree glares at him: tu mera dost hai ya dushman? Dekh na Ri, ye bhi mujhe ched raha hai

Riya comes out of her thoughts: huh?

Chotu(concerned): kya hua Ri? Khoyi-khoyi kyun hai? investigation ke time bhi dhyaan kahi aur tha

Riya fakes a smile: nahi yaar, woh kal raat ko neend nahi hui na isliye

Shree: kal toh hum resort mein hi the

Riya: ha lekin mujhe nayi jagah par neend nahi aati aasani se isliye

Shree: oh tu dhyaan rakh apna

She nods: tere pair kaise hai ab?

Shree: filhaal toh better hai lekin agar woh samjhe ya samjhau se firse shuru karwaya toh waapis band baj jaayegi

Chotu: aur woh toh definitely bajegi

Riya: Chotu kyun tang kar rahe ho use?

Shree: aur nahi toh kya? Pata nahi sab mere peeche hi kyun padte hai… main bichara

Riya giggles: ab rona band kar, ghar jaa aur mujhe jaane de, bye!

The boys bid her goodnight. 

Riya goes home with mixed emotions and throws herself straight on her bed. Her head was spinning. The day had been mentally exhausting for her. She let the curtain fall and closed her eyes drifting into sleep.

Arjun looked out the window of his lodge. The emotions in her eyes haunt Arjun mv “ye tumne kya keh diya Riya? (sighing) nahi, ab aur nahi… main tumhara dil nahi dukha na chahta. Acha yahi hoga ki main tumhe aage na badhne du.”

However, neither of them were aware of what was about to follow. His resolve was about to come crashing down like a pack of cards.

Next morning-

Arjun wakes up groggily. Yawning, his hand shuts the alarm clock. His gaze moves to the photo frame on the bedside. Roshni smiled back at him.

A knife stabs her!

Arjun sits up with a jerk. Sweat beads cover his forehead as he pants mv “ye kya? subah-subah… (he takes the photo frame in his hand, a sinking feeling erupts in his chest) mujhe aisa kyun lag raha hai ki aaj kuch bura honewaala hai?”

He sighs mv “aur kya bura ho sakta hai? tum toh chali gayi mujhe chod kar”

Brushing his thoughts aside, he prepares to get ready for office.

ETF-

Chotu and Shree were talking in the common room when Riya arrived.

Riya: good morning!!!

Shree: good morning, tere haath mein kya hai?

Riya smiles mischievously: guess karo

Chotu sniffs the air: meetha!!!

Riya laughs: are waah mere Bheem!!

Shree: kya? Tu khaana laayi hai?

She removes a dabba from the bag with two spoons. Chotu lunges towards it. She laughs. He hurriedly opens the tiffin.

Shree screams in delight: MISHTI DOI!!!

Chotu (confused): kya?

Shree digs in without bothering to answer. Chotu glares at him and starts eating, not caring what it was. Riya chuckled seeing their eagerness.

They wiped the box clean within two minutes.

Chotu: waah Ri! Maza aa gaya, lekin ye tha kya?

Riya: Mishti doi, Bengali mithai hai

Chotu: oh, par kabhi suna nahi

Riya: ha waise toh traditional hai lekin baahar baakhiyon ki tarah famous nahi

Shree: are yaar, tune toh maa ki yaad dila di, woh har tyohaar par banati thi, aur humesha hum bacho se chupa kar rakhti thi, fir bhi hum na dhundh kar puja se pehle ki khatam kar dete the

Chotu: lekin ye bahot kam thi, by the way aaj achanak kaise?

Riya: aise ki, Shree bichara exercise kar raha hai aur maine tum logon ko treat bhi nahi di na, mujhe khaane ka man kiya toh socha ki tum dono ke liye bhi le aati hun

Chotu: kal zyaada lekar aana, itne mein kuch nahi hoga

Arjun and Rathore enter just then. The commissioner had called them for an urgent meeting in the morning.

Rathore: kya lekar aana hai Chotu?

She was about to answer when Chotu did.

Chotu: sir woh Riya mithai bana kar laayi thi lekin khatam ho gayi

Shree(dreamily): mujhe toh ghar mein mummy ke pakwan yaad aa rahe hai (he hugs her in excitement) Dammit Riya! I love you, samjhi ya samjhau?!?!

She bursts out laughing as Rathore looks on in amusement. Shree immediately leaves Riya, seeing Arjun glaring at him. He bit his tongue realising what he said.

Shree: woh sorry sir

Rathore: ok enough! (coming to work mode) team kal Dushere ke mele mein ek gole waale ki wajah se 25 logon ko food poisoning ho gayi lekin! Tests karne par pata chala hai ki paani ke andar ek naya strain hai, it’s not normal contaminated water

Riya: naya strain as in?

Arjun: virus

Riya: water-borne virus?

Rathore: ha, this is still under the wraps, ye baat public mein nahi gayi hai, panic create nahi hona chahiye

Shree: but sir is mein hum kya kar sakte hai? virus ke liye toh scientist chahiye

Rathore: you’re right Shree lekin unka kehna hai ki ye virus natural nahi hai, man-made hai (The trio look at each other in shock) hume shak hai ki ye kisi ne jaan buchkar kiya hai but we don’t know for sure yet, hume pata lagana hai, threat hai toh use rokna hai aur…

His cell phone interrupts them

Rathore: Jai Hind sir… nahi sir(he points towards the TV, Shree hurriedly switches it on) What?!?!... hum dekhte hai sir!

Call disconnect

News anchor:  aaj subah Dharavi ki basti aur Shastri chawl mein aaye hue sarkari tanks ke paani se log bimar pad rahe hai, hazaron ki taadat mein log hospital’s mein bharti ho rahe hai aur maut ka aakda ab tak 1500 ke paar ho chuka hai……………………