Chapter 41

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 41 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Vikram nods. They give a collective salute and leave. Rathore cursed the commissioner under his breath for sending Arjun and Riya together……………………………

Arjun: Shree! Manik ki jitni bhi information file mein hai sab mujhe aur Riya ko forward karo. Riya, we are leaving now.

She nods. He fishes out his phone and goes ahead to talk.

Rathore, in his thoughts and conflict, follows, leaving the others to tag behind them.

Ayesha: Riya ma’am be careful

Riya(amused): tum mujhe ma’am kyun bula rahi ho?

Ayesha(sheepishly): woh hume pata nahi tha ki aap…

Liza: ha we’re sorry, but aapne hume bataya kyun nahi?

Riya: are, are break lagao pehle toh ye aap-aap karna band karo. maine nahi bataya kyunki main nahi chahti thi ki sirf is wajah se tum log dar kar meri help karo. main chahti ti ki tumhe apni galti ka ehsaas ho

Chotu squinted: hum toh pehle hi aaye the par tune hume bhaga diya

Riya smiles: tum log kaam nahi kiya isliye aaye the ya fir main tumhari dost hu isliye?

Shree and Chotu glanced at each other and then looked at her sheepishly.

Ayesha: lekin fir bhi, main aapko ma’am hi bulaungi

Riya: nahi…

Ayesha(stubbornly): nahi! aap meri senior hai..

Riya: are kyun mujhe aap bula kar budha kar rahi ho, maine kaha na…

Ayesha: nahi, main aapko ma’am hi bulaungi.

Riya: Ayesha lekin…

Ayesha: nahi ma’am, ye mere ethics ke khilaaf hai, off duty agar aap chahe toh theek hai lekin duty par main aapko ma’am hi bulaungi

She was about to protest again when Shree piped up.

Shree: are rehne de Ri, ye bhi Arjun sir ki tarah ziddi hai

Ayesha scowled at him and Riya shook her head.

Riya: acha baba theek hai (turning to Liza and Sakshi) tum dono ke bhi koi strict ethics hai ya fir chalega?

Sakshi forced a smile.

Liza smiled and held out her hand: friends?

Riya shook her hand(giggling): friends

Liza: kya hua?

Riya: Shree ne bhi aise mujhe dosti ki thi, jaise abhi tumne mujhe pucha

Shree: oh ha, woh kya tha uh, doctor ke murder ke baad. Wow! Lizard hum toh ek jaise hai

Liza(excitedly): ha!!

Chotu mv “kam se kam ek chuhe billi toh kam hue!”

Arjun and Riya left shortly after, straight from the headquarters. The ride to Pune was 4 hours. They would reach by late afternoon at the most counting eating breaks.

Riya: Arjun sir, hum nikal toh gaye but hum waha rahenge kaha?

Arjun: dhundh lenge koi lodge

She stared at him in horror. Arjun glanced to her hearing no response. He sighed, remembering who he was with.

Arjun: dekh lo online, jo tumhe pasand ho

Riya fished out her phone and started checking for hotels.

Riya: 4 stars is fine for you? ke 5 dekhu?

Arjun: no star is fine for me

Riya: yuck! Main book kar rahi hun 2 rooms, acha ek din ke liye karu ya do? I mean in case zaroorat padi toh

Arjun: uh, ek ke liye kar lo, zaroorat padi toh extension kar lenge

Riya: ok

Arjun glanced at the road ahead and lifted himself a little to retrieve his wallet. He passed it to her.

Arjun: card mein se deposit bhar lo

Riya smiled: mere paas…

Arjun: Riya kabhi toh bina sawaal kiye meri baat maan liya karo

She giggled and took his wallet.

Riya: acha sir ek baat puchu?

Arjun: agar Shree ke baare mein hai toh nahi

She frowns: par sir aap kyun use baar-baar….

Arjun: I said no Riya

Sighing, she shuts up. A moment later, Arjun reluctantly asks.

Arjun: so kaisi gayi?

Riya: kya?

Arjun: tumhari ice cream date aur kya?

Riya: hui kaha?

Arjun: I assumed kal dopaher tum dono free the, lunch ke baad dikhi nahi thi tum kuch waqt

Riya: ha the toh, par unhone kuch kaha nahi aur maine kuch pucha nahi. main toh intelligence waalon ke paas thi, updates wagera le rahi thi

Arjun: oh

Riya: Arjun sir

Arjun: ha?

Riya: itna insecure hone ki zaroorat nahi hai

Arjun rolled his eyes: main insecure nahi hu! Bas puch raha tha

She giggled, covering her mouth.

Back at ETF, the others worked on a plan to nab the culprits. Shree simultaneously compiled Manik’s details and mailed them to Arjun and Riya.

Riya reads them out to Arjun: so 15 saal ki umar mein usne pehla murder kiya, 2 saal remand mein tha aur fir choti-moti choriyaan, aur drugs mein pahunch gaya

Arjun: typical gunda hai, Pune mein family kaun hai?

Riya: uh remand ke records ke hissab se maa, chacha, chachi aur unke bache. Usne apne baap ka khoon kiya tha

Arjun: kyun?

Riya: domestic violence

Arjun: hm, (he passed her his phone) andar Inspector Gokhale ka number hai, use ye information bhejo

Riya: ok, uh Arjun sir… password?

She had just held out his phone when he spoke.

Arjun: 1507

Riya(surprised): why are you telling me your password?

Arjun looks at her: insaan par depend karta hai

Riya looks at him, surprised. Arjun shrugged. She obeyed silently but a blush crept up her cheeks. His heart leapt in delight.

Riya: waise ye Gokhale kaun hai?

Arjun: main kuch mahine Pune mein serve kiya tha, old contact. Bharosemand hai, humare pahunchne tak groundwork ready rahega

She nods. The duo reach Pune by 3 and check into the hotel Riya had booked. Freshening up quickly, they go straight to Gokhale’s police station. He salutes on seeing them. Arjun nods.

Arjun: kuch pata chala?

Gokhale: ha sir, maine address nikalwa diya hai. Manik waha hai ya nahi pata nahi.

Arjun: hm, chalo

Gokhale: sir!

Manik’s house was in a low end locality in the midst of a local market. Skipping the police jeep, Arjun, Riya, Gokhale and a constable took a taxi with the constable driving them in. Gokhale pointed to a building whose layout was like a chawl.

Gokhale: waha dusre floor par kholi hai

Riya: ye saara decoration kis liye? abhi toh koi tyohaar bhi nahi

Gokhale: pata nahi madam, shayad yaha kisi ke ghar pe function hoga

Riya: sir, Manik agar personal kaam se aaya hai kahi uske ghar par hi toh kuch nahi?

Arjun: ho sakta hai, Gokhale zara pata karna

Gokhale: ji sir

He looks around and then slips out of the cab. He walks over to a nearby shop under the pretence of buying a cigarette. Gokhale returns ten minutes later.

Gokhale: sir madam ka shak sahi nikla, Manik ke chachere bhai ki shaadi hai aaj rat, yahi aangan mein

Riya: ab kya karna hai sir?

Arjun: utha lenge shaadi mein se, bheed mein pata nahi chalega

Riya: par uske saath kuch log toh honge hi, itna aasan nahi hoga

Arjun: obviously pehle use alag karenge

Riya: kaise?

Arjun glanced at a nearby shop. Riya followed his gaze to see a shop selling cheap traditional wear. She glanced at Arjun, who was staring back at her.

Riya: no!

Arjun: yes!

Riya: they are itchy!

Arjun: tumne unhe haath bhi nahi lagaya

Riya: kapdo ko judge karne ke liye aurat ki kabiliyat par kabhi shak nahi karna chahiye

Arjun: that’s an order!

Riya glared at him. She glanced at the shop.

Riya: fine! Lekin main apne kapdo ke upar unhe pehnungi

Arjun: I don’t care what you do, mujhe Manik chahiye

She cursed him mentally and looked at the shop again sadly.

That night-

There were firecrackers and lighting all around. Riya had slipped a ghaghra over her jeans and tucked her shirt in a way for a blouse. She had then pinned the dupatta to complete her look and have her blend in. Arjun gave her an injection.

Arjun: behoshi ki dava hai

Gokhale: woh aapko upar ke kisi kamre mein hi lekar jaayega. hum peeche ke chawl ki chat se hote hue waha pahuch jaayenge

Riya nods. Taking the syringe from Arjun, she tucked it under her dupatta. She steps out of the taxi while muttering a prayer.

Arjun: Riya!

Riya: ji?

Arjun: sambhal ke

She smiles and nods in assurance before going inside and blending with the crowd. She recognized Manik from his photograph. He was sitting on a charpoy and drinking with his friends. There was dancing going on. There was no way in hell that she was going to go fall on him to catch his attention. The thought alone was too disgusting. So she took the other option. Riya joined in the crowd dancing gracefully and purposely in front of him.

It was his friend whose eye she caught first. He was bowled over by her beauty and just stared at her.

Manik: kya hua re isko? Ae! Baraf de!

He came out of his trance: bhai kya item hai dekh toh

Manik followed his gaze. He stared at Riya with his mouth agape. Riya felt him staring and looked at him enticingly. She winked at him. Manik smirked. He left his glass and walked to her.

Riya felt herself being pulled in his arms. Maintaining her calm, she looked at him mischievously.

Manik: kaun hai re tu? Aaj ke pehle toh nahi dekha tujhe

Riya rolls her eyes and tittered in disappointment: tum baatein bahot karte ho

She turns to leave but he grabs her hand.

Manik: acha? Tu chal toh sahi fir batata hun tujhe ki main kya kar sakta hun

Riya: abhi bhi bas bol rahe ho, huh!

Manik stared at her for a second before harshly dragging her inside. Riya pursed her lips mv “in logon ka ego hurt karna kitna aasan hai.”

He took Riya upstairs and pulled her into a room. Riya stepped away, playing hard to get when he came closer. He grabs her hand and pushes her against a wall. Riya smirks. Manik traps her between the wall and him. He leans down to kiss her………………………….