Chapter 56

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 55 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Vikram placed his phone on the table thoughtfully mv “ab ye kya naya chakkar hai? Riya bina kisi ko bhi bataye kaise chali gayi? Woh reckless ho sakti hai lekin careless? Nahi… not a chance” ………………………

Back at ETF, Arjun was in similar thoughts. Thinking something, he goes to Shree’s station.

Arjun: Shree!

Shree looked up from the call records: ha sir?

Arjun: between you and me, understood?  

Shree: uh ha sir, kya hua?

Arjun: Riya ka phone trace karo

Shree: what?

Arjun glared at him.

Shree: karta hun sir (he dives into his laptop) sir, sab theek haina?

Arjun: I hope so

He decided to remain mum. A result popped up on his screen. He reads out the address.

Arjun cursed mentally: woh uska ghar hai, ugh! Shree! Phone records dekho toh, aakhri call, message kuch bhi?

Shree: ha sir ek minute… Sir aakhri call lagbhag 11 baje Rathore sir ko gaya hai, uske pehle 7:43 ka message hai, aapke phone pe

Arjun sighed. It was the one when she texted him she reached home. As he tried to find further possibilities, Liza arrived.

Liza: Spe

Her voice died down seeing Arjun. He rolled his eyes at her and went back to his cabin.

Shree: ha lizard

Liza: woh post-mortem ho gaya isliye, tum pareshaan kyun lag rahe ho?

Shree: pata nahi…

Liza: huh? Tumhe pata nahi tum kyun pareshaan ho? toh fir pareshaan kyun ho?

Shree: break laga yaar, I mean ki Arjun sir, ajeeb behave kar rahe hai. unhone abhi-abhi mujhse Riya ka number trace karwaya aur toh aur uske call records bhi

Lizard: Riya ka? Kyun? woh toh commissioner sir ke kaam se gayi haina?

Shree: main bhi wahi soch raha hu. Rathore sir ne kaha toh sahi. I mean ha uska phone off hai lekin bol kar toh gayi hai fir woh number kyun trace karwa rahe hai

Liza(thoughtfully): Specky kahi Arjun sir waise type ke toh nahi?

Shree raised his eyebrow: kaise type ke?

Liza: abhi kal hi unhone bola na ki Riya unki girlfriend hai

Shree: ha toh?

Liza: toh kahi aisa toh nahi ki woh koi psycho obsessive type ke boyfriend hai?

Shree stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again.

Shree: are yaar! Damn it! tu aisi cheezein mat ghusa mere dimag mein

Liza: are possibility hai, suggest kar rahi hu

Shree whined: ab toh mujhe sach mein tension ho rahi hai. Arjun sir… ? sach mein?

Liza: dekh, I know woh kaafi moralistic hai lekin agar aisa ho toh I… I won’t be very surprised. I’m sure he means well but shayad unke past ki wajah se?

Shree sighed and dropped his head on the desk. He looks up after a few minutes.

Shree: Lizard hum dono ek main baat bhul rahe hai

Liza: kya?

Shree: yahi ki woh Riya hai, use har type ka insaan handle karna aata hai aur agar sir thode se bhi waise hote toh use do minute bhi nahi lagenge unke haath-pair todne se

Liza nodded in agreement: ya you’re right, shayad main kuch zyaada hi soch rahi hu ye saari laashein dekhkar

Shree: are bol mat re, kitna saara paperwork baakhi hai pichle cases ka. Aur Vikram sir hai ki case pe case diye jaa rahe hai

Liza: ha, upar se meri toh ATS ke saath bhi formalities chal rahi hai, saare evidences wagera double check kar rahe hai. Samaj mein nahi aata hai, unka dekhu, post-mortem karu ya fir purane post-mortems ki reports likhu (she sighed) anyway, tu sir ko bula, main conference room mein jaati hun I think jo weapon use kiya hai woh humare liye ek acha clue hai

Shree nodded.

Conference room-

They all settled in for Liza’s analysis.

Chotu: Rathore sir kaha hai?

Ayesha: pata nahi, jab hum laut rahe toh unhone kaha ki woh ek informer se milne jaa rahe hai

Arjun: kis liye kuch kaha?

Ayesha: nahi sir, bas itna kaha ki aata hun thodi der mein, tum log dekho tab tak

Arjun rolled his eyes and continued to sip from his glass. His thoughts churned for Riya instead of the case.

Somewhere else-

A girl was lying on the floor. Her hands were pulled behind and tied up. A man enters the room with a bottle of water in his hand. He studies her unconscious form. Sighing, he pulls up a chair in front of her. Uncapping the bottle, he takes a little water in his palm. He gently sprinkles it on her face.

Her eyes twitch. Moaning, she tried to move only to realize that she had been tied. She starts panicking. Her eyes shoot open. The ground beneath her gave away.

Riya: Rathore sir?!

Rathore: hi

Riya: aap? Aapne… Aapne, lekin kyun?! What the hell is going on? Aap... aap Sikandar ke saath hai?

Rathore: oh shut up Riya, bakwas mat karo

Riya: toh fir kyun? speak up Dammit!

Rathore: kyunki mere paas aur koi chaara nahi hai! tum Arjun ke saath nahi reh sakti!

Riya: Wha… aap, aap kya keh rahe hai?

Rathore: tum Arjun ke saath nahi reh sakti Riya, main tumhe uski jaan khatre mein nahi daalne dunga

Riya: main? Main kyun Arjun sir ki jaan khatre mein daalungi?

Rathore: directly nahi

Riya: what the hell are you talking about? For god’s sake saaf-saaf boliye!

Rathore leans forward: tumhari wajah se Arjun Sikandar ke kareeb pahunch raha hai aur agar aisa hua toh Sikandar use maar daalega aur ye main nahi hone de sakta

Riya: aap toh Arjun ko… (realising something) ek minute, you know about it. You know what happened! toh fir aap Arjun sir ko kyun blame karte hai? kyun itne saalon tak unhe akela….

Rathore(angrily): kyunki akele woh kamzor hai! woh bhale hi jitna one man army banne ki koshish kare, jaanta hun main use! best friend hai mera, akele woh kamzor hai. use bharose ki zaroorat hai aur tum use woh de rahi ho. tum use taaqat de rahi ho!

Riya: jab aapko sachayi pata hai toh kyun nahi chahte ki Sikandar pakda jaaye? Kyun nahi chahte ki use apne kiye ki saza mile?

Rathore: woh jiye ya mare, I don’t care lekin Arjun jiye ya mare, usse farak padta hai mujhe aur apna vaada nibhaunga fir chahe mujhe uske liye kuch bhi kyun na karna pade!

He stands up to leave but she interrupts.

Riya: vaada? ( he curses himself) kaunsa vaada? Kiska?

Rathore: Roshni

Riya: Roshni? Aap, aapko uske baare mein bhi pata tha? fir bhi aapne Arjun sir ko dhoka diya? How could you?!

Rathore punches the wall near her ear: ha pata tha! sab pata tha mujhe! Jab Arjun ko Sikandar ne pakad liya tab usne mujhe bataya lekin apne pyaar ke liye usne meri baat nahi maani, mere aane se pehle hi nikal gayi aur fir? fir Sikandar ne use maar diya! Mere haathon mein dum toda usne! Agar main nahi pahuncha hota toh Arjun bhi mar jaata! Vaada Liya Tha Usne Mujhse Ki Main Arjun Ko Kabhi Bhi Sikandar Ke Paas Na Jaane Du! aur maine wahi kiya lekin us Raghu sir aur tumne milkar sab barbaad kar diya

Riya (fearfully): Ra… si..

Rathore: jab mujhe is baat ka ehsaas hua toh maine tumhara transfer karne ki bhi koshish ki (banging the wall) but that damn commissioner wouldn’t listen!!! (gritting his teeth) aur na hi main openly tum dono ke khilaaf kuch kar sakta tha kyunki use meri reputation aur team ke upar power kam ho jaati jo meri mushkile aur bada deti

Riya stares at him in disbelief: You are an idiot! Can you even hear yourself? Aapko lagta hai ki mujhe Arjun sir se dur karke aap unke badle ki aag ko bhuja denge?

Rathore: Arjun ko kaise handle karna hai ye main ache se jaanta hun aur jab tak tumhare sar se Arjun ka bhoot nahi utarta tab tak tum yahi rahogi

Riya: he will find me

Rathore: he won’t know you’re missing

Riya teared up: kyun kar rahe hai aap ye sab?

Rathore: tumhe sunayi nahi de raha hai?

Riya: aapka ye ghatiya plan? Agar Sikandar Arjun sir ko maarna chahta hai toh woh kabhi bhi baahar aakar attack kar sakta hai, kya logic hai isme?

Rathore: main use kuch nahi hone dunga aur na hi khud khatre mein kudna dunga

Riya: you’re crazy!

He bangs his hand behind the wall, leaning on her and trapping her.

Rathore: try me! (she stares) do you know how it feels? Kaisa Mehsoos Hota Hai Jab Tumhara Koi Apna Tumhare Haathon Mein Mare? Meri Aankhon Ke Saamne Roshni Ne Dum Toda! Mere Haathon Mein Aakhri Saans Li Usne! Aur Arjun Adhmara Pada Tha! Teen Din Tak Woh Hosh Mein Nahi Tha!

Riya: I do

Rathore: you know nothing!

Riya(cautiously): you loved her?

Rathore grits his teeth: I don’t love…. But you’re right, I tried. Par woh us type ki nahi thi, woh aur Arjun ek dusre se pyaar karne lage and I was more than happy for them. Maine usse flirt karna chod kar usse dosti nibhayi, I cared for her as much as I do for him

Riya: ek mare hue insaan ke vaade ke liye aap zinda logon ko barbaad kar rahe hai

Rathore stands up: main unhe bacha raha hun aur tumhare liye bhi acha hi hai, you stay away from him, his demons don’t come after you, you stay alive

He turns to go.

Riya: aur mera kya? ( He stops) You took care of me, aapne mujhse kaha tha ki main replaceable nahi hun, aapne humesha mujhe support kiya…

Rathore answered in a bored voice: part of it, my job. Meri teammate hone ke naate tum meri responsibility ho. Also, I was trying to charm you, well atleast for a few days in the beginning

Riya looks at him in shock.

Rathore: come on Riya, don’t be so surprised. You’re a beautiful woman with brains. Par tum bhi uske jaisi ho, not the type to get into promiscuous relationships. Tumne bhi mujhe attention nahi diya. Toh I let go of you the way I did for her. I took care of you like I was supposed to. Look, I do like you aur mujhe tumhari parvah bhi hai. Tum ek bahot achi ladki ho lekin Arjun ke aage main tumhe nahi tol sakta

Riya mocked a laugh: so you’re fine with the fact, ki Arjun sir mere bina tadpe?

Rathore: he stays alive that way

Riya: aapko kya lagta hai? jab unhe pata chalega ki aapne ye sab kiya toh woh aapko maaf kar denge?

Rathore: pehli baat ye ki use pata nahi chalega aur dusri ye! Ki agar mujhe humare rishte ki fikar hoti toh usse dur nahi jaata

Riya: Rathore sir please, let me go. Hum milkar Sikandar ko hara sakte hai

Turning a deaf ear, he starts walking away.

Riya: aapko lagta hai aap sabki raksha kar rahe hai (he stops) but you’re not! Aap Ek Aisi Ladayi Rokne Ki Koshish Kar Rahe Hai Jo Aaj Nahi Toh Kal Zaroor Hogi

Rathore turns his face: kabhi nahi hogi

Riya: you’re delusional, you need help

Rathore walks off leaving Riya in the room. She throws her head against the wall. A tear streams down her face.

Outside-

Rathore went straight to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of his Old Monk. He didn’t usually drink during the day and especially not on duty but his brain was firing. He still couldn’t get to terms with the fact that he had kidnapped someone, let alone his team member and an officer he adored.

“Vaada karo!”

The voice in his head rang again. He saw blood on his hands. Frustrated, he took a huge swig of alcohol and sat on the floor. The day danced before his eyes as if it were happening right now.

Flashback…………………………..