Chapter 46

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 46 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Shree closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Turning to both seniors, he narrated what had actually happened at the factory. Ayesha stood rooted to the ground. The ACP’s were livid. Sakshi clenched her eyes with her face down. She could feel everyone’s heated gaze on her. Her mind raced for excuses. As Shree reached the end, Arjun became furious. She was the reason Riya had to shoot someone in the head again! He balled his fists. If looks could kill he would have murdered her ten times over by now………………………..

Rathore gritted his teeth: Sakshi! Maine Tumhe Back Up Ke Saath Rehne Ki Permission Di Thi!!!

Sakshi: Sameer I…

Rathore: Shut Up! Tumhe Andaaza Bhi Hai Ki Tumhari Wajah Se Kya Ho Sakta Tha? Tumhari Jaan Toh Jaati Hi Saath-Saath Shree Bhi Khatre Mein Pad Gaya!!

Arjun: HAD HOTI HAI LAPARWAHI KI! Maine Tumse Pehle Hi Kaha Tha Ki Isse Waha Le Jaane Ki Koi Zaroorat Nahi Hai Fir Bhi Tum Nahi Maane!

Sakshi: par…

Rathore: Sahi Keh Raha Hai Woh! Tumhari Wajah Se Pura Mission Fail Ho Sakta Tha!

Arjun: Maan Lo Woh Terrorists Hote Toh Kya Hota? Ek Second Nahi Lagti Unhe Trigger Dabane Mein! (Turning To Shree) Aur Tum! Tumne Pehle Jhoot Kyun Bola?

Shree fumbled for words: sir, woh uh… Ri...

Rathore: Riya?!

Riya looked up in exhaustion: waha ki investigation puri karna zyaada important tha, problem solve ho chuki thi

Arjun: Problem Solve Nahi Hui! Aur Tab Tak Nahi Hogi Jab Tak Ye Yaha Rahegi.

Sakshi froze at the meaning of his words. Before she could say anything, her nightmare came real.

Arjun: Sakshi Is Team Ka Hissa Banne Laayak Nahi Hai! Ise Yaha Rakhne Ka Matlab Roz Landmine Par Chalna Hai

Rathore agrees: main aaj hi commissioner se…

Sakshi(tearing up): nahi! please, Arjun, Sameer I, mujhe ek mauka do please, I …

Rathore: MAUKA? TAAKI AGLI BAAR SACH MEIN KOI MAR JAAYE? YOU ARE IRRESPONSIBLE, IMMATURE AND SELFISH!

Sakshi: I didn’t mean to! Sach mein, please! Mujhe sach mein laga ki mission pura ho gaya tha

Arjun: Kisne Kaha Tha Tumse? Kya Hum Mein Se Kisi Ne Kaha?

Sakshi: nahi lekin…

Arjun: Trisha Wahase Communication Ki In-Charge, Usne Kuch Kaha?

Sakshi: nahi…

Arjun: THEN HOW DARE YOU ASSUME IT?!

Sakshi: Arjun I…

Arjun: Let Me Tell You One Thing Miss Anand, IS TEAM KE HAR EK OFFICER KI KEEMAT TUMSE ZYAADA HAI, SAMJHI YA SAMJHAU?

Sakshi: main…

Arjun: Tum Journalists Kabhi Bhi Humari Problems Nahi Samjhoge!

The statement brought back memories of Xora to Rathore and Shree. The only thing it did was to raise their temper. Even though Rathore was resenting Riya and Arjun, his morals had not shifted. He clearly remembered how that damn journalist had tried to make a scene out of Riya’s involvement while she was fighting for life.

Rathore: ise kuch bhi bol kar koi faayda nahi Rawte! Save your breath! Ye saare ek jaise hi hote hai! (glancing at his watch) sir ghar jaane ke liye nikle usse pehle mil lete hai

Arjun nods.

Sakshi: nahi! Sameer, Arjun please, I promise aisa dobara kabhi nahi hoga. Please! Ayesha, Shree, maine sach mein jaan buchkar nahi kiya

But the other two hung their heads. Riya just stood up and went to her cabin. She needed a little alone time.

Sakshi: guys please, Sameer…

He stops her by putting up his hand: Mujhe Kuch Nahi Sunna! (turning to the others) tum log ghar jao, Rawte meet me down in 10.

Sakshi continued to protest but the ACP’s left. Ayesha stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Ayesha: I am sorry Sakshi but this is really serious. Orders flout karke kisi aur ki jaan khatre mein daalna….

Tears rolled down her eyes: I didn’t mean to! Shree! I’m sorry but…

Shree: main jaanta hun Sakshi ki tumne jaan buchkar nahi kiya lekin uske consequences kya ho sakte hai ye tum dekh chuki ho. tumhe bina humare bataye waha nahi aana chahiye tha

Ayesha: main bhi undercover officer reh chuki hun, khud ki jaan ko fir bhi khatre mein daal sakti hun lekin kisi dusre ki nahi, it wasn’t even a calculated risk, it was carelessness! Aise offence ke liye toh seedha suspension milega aur tum toh officer bhi nahi ho

Shree: sorry Sakshi but hum kuch nahi kar sakte

Glancing at each other, Ayesha and Shree too left. Sakshi starts biting her nails. She couldn’t just leave like this! She didn’t want to! She had to do something that would make the others trust her again and she had to do it fast!

Arjun’s cabin-

He comes in to find Riya near the window, playing with the loose ends of her hair. She was staring out into the city. His heart sank seeing her pale face.

Arjun: Riya

She turned to him tearfully. Cursing under his breath, he strode forward and engulfed her in a hug. Her tears flowed freely on his shoulder. He stroked her hair softly to help soothe her. He let her cry for a few minutes, keeping in mind that he had to leave.

Arjun: bas Riya, shaant ho jao

He pulled her away and wiped her tears before giving her a glass of water.

Sighing deeply, she sat with a jerk. She hated the memories that kept following her every time her bullet hit someone’s head. She hated even more so that her reflex in emergencies was to shoot straight in the head. Damn the training!

He sat on his knees in front of her and squeezed her hand.

She nods: I’m better

Arjun: I don’t think you are

She smiled lightly: I will be

Arjun nods: theek hai, ghar jao, text me when you reach, ok?

Riya: ha

Arjun cupped her face: main jau? Pakka?

Riya: ha, aap jayiye. Kuch hoga toh call karungi

Arjun: ok, take care!

She blinks her eyes to assure him. He pecks her forehead and leaves with his bag.

Later in the night-

Riya was lying in her bed but sleep was far from her eyes. She was in her parents room for the night, missing them terribly. Staring at the ceiling, she played with the chain around her neck. Her trance is broken by the shrill sound of her phone. Sighing, she checked the ID. It was one of her juniors from the department.

Riya: Ha Devansh?

Devansh: ma’am ek problem ho gayi hai, humari lead compromise ho gayi hai

Riya sat up straight: kya? Kaise?

Devansh: aapne news dekhi ma’am?

Riya: nahi kyun?

Devansh: please check kijiye, India 24/7

Riya: acha ek minute, hold karo

Devansh: ji

She drags herself out of the bed and goes to the living room.

The news rolled. An anchor screamed on the prime time debate. Her jaw fell to the floor. The initial shock is soon replaced by frustration.

Riya: Ugh!!! Ye Ladki! I am going to kill her!! Devansh!

Devansh: ha ma’am?

Riya: sabko call karo aur kaho ki maine abhi isi waqt ETF office bulaya hai, it’s an emergency. Sakshi included!

Devansh: yes ma’am!

Call disconnect

40 minutes later, Rathore walks into the conference room to find Riya pacing up and down angrily.

Rathore: tum kyun itni gusse mein ho?

Riya: Kaha Hai Sab Log? Emergency Ka Matlab Samaj Mein Nahi Aata?!

Rathore(defensively): main, main call karta hun

Just then, Arjun and Chotu walked in. Riya glares at them. Arjun frowns seeing the chain on her neck. He sighs internally.

Arjun: kya hua? Tumne hume…

Riya: Immediately Ka Matlab 40 Minute Hota Hai?!

Arjun explains: khabri se milne gaya tha, dur tha

Chotu gulps in fear. An angry Riya was never good. He mustered up all the courage to say that he was too tired after the continuous hours of work and had fallen into a deep sleep. Devansh had to call him atleast 5 times before he actually responded. Fortunately, he didn’t need to. She was about to blast again when Rathore started talking on the phone.

Arjun: par hua kya?

Glaring at him, she stamped her foot and continued to pace, cursing under her breath.

Arjun mv “achanak kya ho gaya? emergency hai toh bol kyun nahi rahi?”

Within the next 15 minutes, the others reached in front of her. They all looked questioningly at each other but no one had the answer.

Rathore: sab aa gaye, ab bolo bhi. kya hua?

Riya ignored him and turned to Sakshi: tumhari news channel ki prime news kya hai aaj?

Sakshi: what do you mean?

Riya banged her hand on the table. The glass top shook under her fury.

Riya: SPEAK UP BEFORE I MAKE YOU!!

Her tone made everyone flinch. Sakshi gulped in fear. There was fire in her eyes.

Sakshi: woh main, main, main toh bas help kar rahi thi

Riya: Help Kar Rahi Thi Ya Fir Humse Badla Le Rahi Thi?!!?

Sakshi: kya?! Nahi! aisa nahi hai. sach mein! Sameer, main sach mein…

Arjun: Shree news on karo!

Shree obliged. They watched with bated breath as the same news continued to run. Jatin’s sketch was plastered to the screen as the anchor spoke about his involvement in the blast that shook the city.

Riya’s informer had followed Jatin to the chemical factory. Jatin left soon after but the informer had stayed at the factory to gather information. Therefore, they hadn’t yet caught hold of him. They were scouting in the slum area that he lived. Only he knew, who had been on the other end of the deal and presumably the brain behind the blast.

Liza closed her eyes in exhaustion. Ayesha had told her what had happened on field. She wondered how could Sakshi be so stupid as to make such stupidities on the same day. Trust her to mess things up.

Arjun: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!!? ITNI VITAL INFORMATION TUM LEAK KAISE KAR SAKTI HO?!!?

Sakshi: Arjun woh, maine socha ki…

Arjun: JUST SHUT UP!

Sakshi(desperately): mujhe laga ki kisi ke paas uski information hogi toh aage aayega isliye maine…

Ayesha(irritated): Sakshi! Woh Admi Alert Ho Jayega!

Shree: aur ab uske customer ko bhi pata chala gaya hoga toh Jatin ki jaan ko bhi khatra ho sakta hai

Chotu sighed: ab woh kabhi humare haath nahi aayega, kuch nahi toh kam se kam definitely shehar chod kar bhaag jaayega

Sakshi saw the world revolving around her! She had never thought of those possibilities. She had thought if someone gave Jatin’s information then Sameer and Arjun would reconsider removing her from the team and give her a second chance. Unfortunately, it just worsened things. She cursed her fate. Her mind raced.

Riya(irritated): and thanks to you! ab humare paas is case par koi bhi aur lead nahi hai!

Sakshi: I, I am sorry. Main sach mein help karna chahti thi, please believe me I…

Arjun: Dikh Rahi Hai Hume Tumhari Help!

Ayesha rubbed her temple. How could anyone be so stupid? She didn’t even know whether to feel angry or be sorry for her now.

Sakshi: guys please, I really…

Rathore: cut it!

Sakshi: Sameer…

Rathore(firmly): I SAID SHUT UP!

Having no other go, she resorts to silence. Rathore sighed deeply. Now the entire channel was involved. This was not going to be smooth for them.

Rathore: ghar jao sab! We will deal with this tomorrow… subah 8 baje, commissioner’s office!

Arjun: Stop That News Right Now! Warna Tumhe Dismissal Ke Saath Criminal Case Bhi Milega! Samjhi Ya Samjhau?

Sakshi nodded meekly.

Arjun flinched when Riya banged the door of the car. He plugged in his seatbelt as she threw her head behind. He rolled up the windows and switched on the radio. Tuning into a station that was playing melodies, he started driving.

Riya: thanks

Arjun: anytime!

Sighing, she shifts to rest her head on his shoulder. Arjun smiles.

The next morning at the commissioner's office was a circus. Rathore was arguing with the editor of India 24/7 Nitin Deshmukh who absolutely refused to accept their mistake and insisted on letting Sakshi stay. Sakshi was sitting nervously, biting her nails, wondering whether her boss was making things easier or worse.

Vikram’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. He gave in inputs here and there but honestly speaking, he had a lot of other important work. For god’s sake, he was the police commissioner! He had never been very comfortable with the idea of a journalist in the police department since the beginning but damn political pressure. As if they actually cared about the image of the police force? Well, atleast most of them. It was all an elaborate hoax for their own reputation. The only breather for him was that Arjun and Riya were again standing next to each other… again.

Behind them, the team was standing silently, watching the exchange. It had been almost an hour but there seemed to be no respite on either side.

Nitin: … oh please! Ekto aap logon ne humari news bhi cheen li aur upar se meri hardworking journalist ko nikal rahe hai? unacceptable, aap shayad bhul gaye hai officer lekin is desh ka sanvidhaan hume freedom of speech and expression deta hai!

Arjun clenched his fist, he had had enough! He was about to scream when a soft hand held his fist.

He turned to see Riya shaking her head. Gritting his teeth, he looked away.

The tiny exchange did not go unnoticed by Vikram mv “are waah, Riya Arjun ka gussa bhi control kar sakti hai? wow! Beautiful! I love this! Ye Arjun ne ise propose kiya ke nahi?”

Rathore: aap shayad bhul gaye hai ki uske neeche clause two bhi hai, RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM WAALA!

Nitin: yea right, and who are you to decide…

Vikram sighed. This was not good. Even if the department put its foot down and removed Sakshi. It would just lead to the channel creating their own stories and tarnishing ETF. However, they could not keep her either, she had made grave mistakes………………………..