Chaalbaaz #ReadersChoiceAwards Completed G

Chapter 25

Part 26 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

She froze. Rathore and Ayesha glanced at each other in worry. He promptly stood up. He extended his hand to place it on her shoulder. Coming to her senses, with fury in her veins, she stamped out the interrogation room………………………..

Rathore(worried): oh no! Ayesha ab kya?

She scolds in answer: maine pehle hi kaha tha mat chupaaye, ab jaldi chaliye

The duo rush after her leaving a confused Tarun behind.

Conference room-

Arjun felt like banging his head. Sakshi was leisurely irritating him. How he wished to run into his cabin but he knew she needed the details. Even if it was a few paragraphs, it would reduce the burden on others. He cursed Rathore for landing him in a spot.

Just then, the door burst open. Arjun was relieved to see Riya but the next second he was taken aback at the anger on her face. She marched right in front of him, making him stand up.

Arjun: kya hua Riya?

Her eyes shot daggers at him as she scrutinized his body. Her brain finally registered the anomaly she had failed to notice earlier.

Rathore and Ayesha came running with worry stamped all over their faces. His gaze turned to him in a question. Before, they could communicate, he felt her touch on his neck.

Riya harshly swiped off the concealer from his injury.

Arjun winced: aah!

His hand reflexively went to his wound to soothe the pain. He hadn’t even registered what happened when she screamed at him.

Riya: AAP PAR SANJAY NE ATTACK KIYA THA?!!?

Arjun was stupefied. How the hell did she come to know of it? The others were shocked to see her shivering in anger.

Riya: JAWAB DIJIYE!!!

Arjun: Riya woh…

Riya: HA YA NA DAMMIT?!!?

Arjun: ha lekin…

Riya: How Could You?!!? ITNA BADA JHOOT KAISE BOL SAKTE HAI AAP MUJHSE?!?!

Arjun: nahi Riya main..

Riya ran her hand through her hair in frustration: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!!! Pucha Tha Maine Aapse! PUCHA THA KI AAP MUJHSE KUCH CHUPA RAHE HAI YA NAHI!!!

Arjun opened his mouth to protest but was cut off

Riya: BUT YOU LIED TO ME!! JHOOT BOLA AAPNE MUJHSE!!! I TRUSTED YOU GODDAMMIT!!

Arjun’s heart pained at the accusation: Riya main sirf..

Riya: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!!?

Arjun: please meri….

Riya: KUCH NAHI SUNNA MUJHE!!!

He tries to hold her hand to pacify her but she throws it away.

Riya: DON’T TOUCH ME!! Kisne Haq Diya Aapko Mere Saath Khelne Ka??

Arjun desperately tries to justify himself: tum galat samajh rahi...

Riya: Itna Badi Baat Chupane Ke Baad, Mujhse Jhoot Bolne Ke Liye BHI EXPLANATION HAI AAPKE HAI PAAS?! Pehle Mujhe Guilty Na Feel Karne Ke Liye Kehte Hai Aur Firse Usi Mod Par Khada Dete Hai…. YOU ARE THE WORST MAN I’VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!!!

Arjun froze momentarily as his brain registered the words she just threw at him while Riya stormed out of the office.

Worst man? She thought of him to be lower than Shree? His chest turned heavy and hollow. All he ever wanted was to keep her safe and happy. The only reason he had lied to her was because he didn’t think she was in the right frame of mind to take the stress. She didn’t even bother to listen to what he had to say. But his Riya had never been like that. She always trusted him. Why not now?

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he mechanically retreats to his cabin.

Sakshi collapsed on her chair: oh my god! Ye sab kya tha?

Ayesha(tensed): ab kya hoga sir?

Rathore: I… I don’t know Ayesha, maine, maine Riya ko itne gusse mein kabhi nahi dekha

Sakshi(suspiciously): tumhe pata tha iske baare mein?

Rathore sighed: ha

Ayesha: dammit! Arjun sir ko subah hi Riya ko bata dena chahiye tha, toh ye naubat hi nahi aati! Ugh!!! Agar sir khud batate toh woh zaroor samajti, ek toh unhone sach chupaya aur upar se use baahar se pata chala

Rathore rubbed his temple: aur woh bhi us, Tarun ke muh se

Sakshi: guys, I feel Arjun bhi thoda hil gaya hai, jis tarah se woh abhi gaya hai

She stops abruptly. The trio exchange worried glances. Thinking something, Rathore goes to Arjun.

Arjun’s cabin-

He was standing at the window looking out into the horizon with his hands on the sill. Her words kept ringing in his ears.

“YOU ARE THE WORST MAN I’VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!!!”

Silent tears rolled down his cheek. A shiver went down his spine as his body stiffened. He still couldn’t fathom that Riya had said something like this to him. His Riya!

The door of his cabin opened. Hearing the sound, he wiped his tears and turned his face. On seeing Rathore, he looked back outside. Rathore stood beside him silently. He gazed out the window.

Rathore: I have been a jerk, haven’t I?

Arjun raised his eyebrow.

Rathore: I didn’t realise ki tum Riya se pyaar karte the until the day we saved her. Tera dil firse tut gaya aur main pehchaan hi nahi paaya

Arjun smiled bitterly: Ab kaha zyaada farak padta hai

Rathore: Rawte please don’t do this, tum dono ek dusre se pyaar karte ho. Please is tarah misunderstandings beech mein mat aane do. Main tum dono ko aise nahi dekh sakta

Arjun: Main uska gussa sehan kar bhi lun Rathore lekin agar use lagta hai ki uske dard ki wajah main hu, toh main ye nahi seh sakta, uska ilzaam nahi seh sakta main

Rathore: Rawte lekin…

Arjun: don’t bother me, jao yaha se

Rathore: Rawte…

Arjun: Jao Rathore!

Sameer sighs, understanding it was futile to talk to him. At Least for the moment. They were both hurt and very well had the rights to be. But no way in hell was this a solution. He walked back to the conference room in his own thoughts. What worried him was the consequence of the events. There was a very high and probable chance of both of them slipping back into their dark corners. Their demons were ready to engulf them. Riya would fall back to the void that Shree had created for her while Arjun would be the same heartless, lifeless person following Roshni’s death.

Ayesha and Sakshi looked at him expectantly as he walked in.

Sakshi: Sameer?

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see them waiting for positive news. He sighed and sat on his chair nodding negatively.

Sakshi: toh ab kya hoga?

Rathore: mujhe nahi pata Sakshi, lekin jo bhi hoga, acha nahi hoga

Ayesha: sir Riya aise chali gayi, kahi kuch…

Rathore is horrified for a moment. Quickly composing himself, he gathers his thoughts.

Sameer: tech department mein Kajal se kaho ki uska phone trace kare, immediately!

Ayesha nodded and rushed to move out. The door opened just then and she collided with Liza entering the room. Not bothering for a sorry, she ran out.

Confused, the forensic expert looked around the room. Something was wrong, very wrong. She could feel the tension in the atmosphere. Slowly taking her seat, she asked.

Liza: sab theek hai?

Sakshi(tensed): nahi yaar! Sab gadbad ho gayi!

Liza gasped in surprise as Sakshi filled her in on what happened. Her heart sank at the prospect of the two staying apart for good. Unconsciously, tears rolled down her eyes mv “pata nahi kiski nazar lag gayi hai humari team ko, pehle Shree, fir Riya, uska bhaag jaana, hum sabka kidnap hona aur ab Arjun sir aur Riya alag… nahi, nahi aisa nahi hona chahiye! (she clasped the crucifix locket around her neck) please God! Un dono ke beech ye misunderstanding jaldi door kar do! They deserve to be happy after all this, please!”

The rest of the day passed in the same silence. Arjun didn’t come out from his cabin and neither did Riya return. She did not even answer Rathore’s calls or revert to his messages. The only relief he had that her phone was traced through the route to her home. He called the day off and let the others go home.

He was walking out of the elevator with Ayesha when his phone rang. He quickly fished it out hoping it would be Riya’s. He frowned seeing Ranjeet’s name flashing across. Composing himself, he answered.

Rathore: Jai Hind sir!.... ji! Main aata hun (disconnecting) mujhe commissioner sir ke yaha jaana hai

Ayesha nodded wordlessly. Rathore sighed and drove towards headquarters.

Riya’s house-

She had thrown herself on the bed as soon as she entered the house, crying against a pillow. She had been completely oblivious to her surroundings, unintentionally missing Rathore’s calls and the message alerts on her phone. Tired because of all the stress, she unconsciously fell asleep.

A gunshot resonated. Arjun fell to the ground in a pool of blood.

Riya woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Her gaze darted around only for her to realise it was her bedroom. She filled out a glass of water from the jug on her side table and gulped it down hurriedly. Replacing the glass, she lay down properly, adjusting her pillow by the headboard. Pulling up her blanket, she closed her eyes again.

It wasn’t long before she squinted in her sleep.

A man’s laughter echoed in her ears. She lay on the floor in front of him. Frightened out of her wits, she tried to move but was unable to. Her body was paralysed.

Shree: tum meri ho Riya, only mine! See!

He pointed to a distance. A lifeless Arjun was on the floor covered with injuries. Blood covered his body. His eyes, wide open and staring at her.

Arjun: tumne mujhe maar diya

Riya’s eyes widened in shock. Shree stalked her. She opened her mouth to scream but no voice came out. He leaned on her to kiss her.

Riya sat up straight with a jerk: ARJUN SIR!!!!

She was shivering badly and panting. Sweat dripped from all over her body. She rubbed her temple. It felt like someone was hammering her head. An unholy feeling washed over her body. She clutched herself tightly trying to remove those flashes from her mind. The air felt so thick that she choked upon it.

A murmur escaped her lips: nahi… (tears rolled down her eyes) Arjun sir… nahi…

She brought her legs to her chest and dropped her head on them.

Next day-

Barring Chotu and Riya, all the juniors were in the conference room. Rathore entered and they greeted him with a wish to which he responded half-heartedly.

Rathore: Riya aayi hai?

Liza: ha sir desk par hai

Rathore sighed in relief. Thank god! Atleast she came to office. It would be easier for him to keep an eye on her.

Sameer: use aur Rawte ko bula kar lao

Liza stands up to obey. She returns after a few minutes to announce that they are coming.

Sameer nodded. He walked up and down. Soon, his gaze fell on his two officers arriving in the room courtesy of the glass walls. He could easily notice how lost they were. Both of them! They were not even aware of the other’s presence. In the same state, they unknowingly caught the door at the same time.

Arjun and Riya looked up to see the other person. As soon as their gaze met, they looked away, pulling away their hands sharply from the handle.

Riya gritted her teeth and pushed open the door, entering in. Arjun followed after she took her seat.

Sameer: ok team! Kal commissioner sir ne bulaya tha, pehli baat toh ye ki hume is case ka paperwork kal tak submit karna hai aur dusra ye ki, woh hume ek naya technical expert appoint kar rahe hai

So what if Shree was a criminal? Although the team had gotten used to seeing him with the tag, they weren’t exactly ready to see someone else on the team. To be more precise, someone replacing him. Would they be able to accept him as one of their own? Would they be able to look at him the same way they did to Shree? Or worse yet! What if they started seeing Shree’s shadow in the new guy? What if they were never able to trust him completely?

Sameer glances at his watch: aaj se hi join karnewaala hai, so aata hi hoga…

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Sameer: come in

A 22 year old entered the conference room. He was wearing a T-shirt and cargo pants. A backpack hung over his left shoulder.

Sameer: Vivek?

The boy smiled: yes sir!

He removed an envelope from one of his multiple pant pockets and handed it over. He saluted him.

Vivek: Technical Expert Vivek Asthana reporting on duty!

Sameer nodded as he read the appointment letter. He places his hand down and straightens.

Sameer: ACP Sameer Damsingh Rathore, ETF Chief (Vivek nodded curtly), your second-in-command (gesturing to Arjun) ACP Arjun Suryakant Rawte

Vivek gulped. He had heard of the fiery ACP. Nevertheless, maintaining professionalism, he saluted him. Arjun did not as much as nod in acknowledgement.

Sameer introduced the others: Encounter specialist Ayesha Kapoor, Research Specialist Riya Mukherjee, Forensic Expert Liza D’cruz and Crime journalist Sakshi Anand aur commando bhi hai, Chandrakant Patil but he is on medical leave

Vivek was confused on seeing the journalist but remained mum.

Sameer: Ayesha, ise kaam samjha do tab tak tum log jaldi se report taiyaar karo

They nodded and set to work. Ranjeet spared them from a new case since they needed to work on the report.

Vivek did not receive a very warm welcome. One reason being that the team was conflicted between him and Shree. The other being, they were worried for Arjun and Riya. There was more or less silence among them. They were talking only and if required. Vivek was already dreading his posting. Did everyone always stay completely serious at ETF? Though the others were elder to him, they weren’t oldies. He tried to strike a conversation with Liza but was shut off albeit rudely. After that, it was probably best for him to stay silent till he got around the workings of the team..............................

bloomie2020-07-24 06:15:20