Chapter 3

Ranjeet thoda surprised feel karta hai ki woh bina koi complaint ya koi paper check kiye aa gaya par dikhata nahi hai. on the other hand Riya shocked hai. usne apni cheekh rokne ke liye muh par haath rakha hua hai. Ranjeet aur uske officers Arjun ko le jaate hai...

Police Station-

Arjun lock up mein hai. thankfully uske cell mein koyi aur criminal nahi tha. However it could also be due to the reason he wasn't a normal criminal. The cells were all lined up. There was minimum lighting on the floor. Inmates could barely figure out the difference between night and day owing to the complete absence of windows.

Despite being in lock up, the only fact he was worried about was the girl in his house. He could only hope and pray that she focused on keeping herself like till she had done now and not get in the hassles of freeing him. His thought process was broken by a familiar voice.

Sameer: Arjun!!!

Arjun looked up to find the team except Sakshi standing worriedly on the other side of his cell. He stood up and walked to them.

Arjun: bolo

Sameer(exasperated): Tum Lock Up Mein Ho Aur Aisa Jawab De Rahe Ho? KOI FIKAR HAI YA NAHI TUMHE??

Ayesha: Sameer is tarah chillaiye mat, (turning her focus) Arjun sir, Sameer sahi hai. ab hum kya karenge?

Arjun: Bhabhi ye sawaal aapko aapki dost se puchna chahiye

Shree: are sir, Sakshi toh abhi tak office aayi hi nahi seedhe police station gayi. Woh toh aapke khilaaf complaint thi isliye us Inspector ne commissioner sir ko phone kiya aur commissioner sir ne Rathore sir ko aur Rathore sir ne...

Arjun: I figured that Shree thank you!

Sameer(angrily): then figure what you are going to do now as well!!!

Arjun: usme sochna kya hai Rathore? Sakshi ke paas koi sabut nahi hai jisse woh apna ilzaam saabit kar sake

Liza: sir aap pakka sure hona? Warna...

Sameer: tumhare saath- saath ETF bhi problem mein pad jaayegi

Arjun apni eyebrow raise karta hai: Rathore tumhe exactly kis cheez ki fikar hai?

Sameer: shut up Arjun! Tum ache se jaante ho ki main kya kehna chahta hun...(gehri saans lekar) Sakshi news media mein hai, isliye is baat ki koi guarantee nahi media ko kaunsa aur kis tarah ka masala milega. Maine Vishwas (commissioner) sir se request ki hai ki pehle woh internal inquiry kare aur fir maamla court mein jaaye

Arjun: inquiry kab hai?

Rathore: kal

Arjun nod karta hai: theek hai, ab tum log yaha se jao aur apna kaam karo

Chotu: nahi sir hum nahi jaayenge

Liza: ha sir hum aapke saath hi rahenge

Arjun(sternly): main picnic nahi mana raha hun ki tum logon ko yaha rehna hai

Rathore: par Arjun, tum akele...

Arjun: Rathore tum toh dimag ka istemaal karo. Yaha Ruk Kar Kya Ukhaad Loge Tum Log? Baahar niklo aur ho sake toh pata karo ki us ladki ke dimag mein kya chal raha hai

Rathore: fine! Hum jaa rahe hai but take care of yourself

Arjun nod karta hai.

Ayesha: take care sir

Arjun: hmm

Liza: bye sir

Arjun: bye

Chotu: apna khayal rakhna sir

Arjun nods lightly annoyed

Shree: sir...

Arjun: I KNOW SHREE!! NOW GO!!

Shree bichara chup ho jaata hai. sab baahar ki taraf jaane lagte hai.

Ayesha(tensed): Sameer, hume kuch karna hoga

Sameer: mujhe pata...

Achanak ek ladki usse takraati hai.

Ladki( dheemi awaaz mein)/Sameer: sorry

Woh apna dupatta sar ke upar se aur bhi zyaada kheench leti hai. isse pehle ki Sameer aur kuch kahe ladki andar bhag jaati hai.

Shree: ye aise kyun bhaag gayi?

Sameer: kya pata? Chodo! We have important things to look after.

Sab nod karke office ki taraf nikal jaate hai is hope mein ki shayad woh koi saboot dhundhkar Arjun ko chuda sake. On the other hand woh Ladki police station ke andar jaati hai. lekin cells ki taraf jaate hue, ek havaldaar use rokta hai.

Havaldaar: kaha jaane hai madam

Ladki(apna chehra continuously chupate hue): woh mujhe...mujhe (use samaj mein nahi aata ki sach kahe ya jhut)si... mere...mujhe Arjun ji se milna hai

Havaldaar: kaunsa? Woh Shastri chawl waala bevda?

Ladki jaan jaati hai ki havaldaar kisi aur ke saath confusion kar raha hai par: ha...wahi!

Havaldaar: theek hai...ja!

Ladki sar hila kar andar chali jaati hai. woh cells ki line mein dhundhte dhundhte Arjun ke cell tak pahunchti hai. woh apna dupatta adjust karti hai ki uska face dikhe.

Ladki(relieved): Arjun sir!

Arjun turn hota hai(shocked): Riya?

Riya jail ki salakhon ko pakadti hai: sir...aap theek haina?

Arjun uske haath pakadta hai: Riya main theek hun, par tum yaha kya kar rahi ho?

Riya: mujhse raha nahi gaya

Arjun koyi jawab nahi de paata. Woh bas use dekh raha hai. Riya khud ko control karke waha se hat jaati hai. woh apni hairpin nikalkar cell ke lock ko pick karti hai. Arjun use aankhein faadkaar dekh raha hai.

Arjun mv "ye taale bhi khol sakti hai? police waali hai ya chorni?

Riya andar ghusti hai: chaliye yaha se! dusre end par kaidiyon ka kitchen hai waha se ek raasta baahar jaata hai ration ke liye, hum waha se nikal jaayenge

Arjun: nahi Riya, main aisa nahi kar sakta

Riya uska haath pakadti hai: please sir abhi morals dekhne ka time nahi hai...(tensed) aapka career, reputation, puri zindgi daav par hai. aap khud ek police officer hai please is baat ki gehrayi ko samajhne ki koshish kijiye

Arjun use hug karta hai: main jaanta hun Riya, lekin agar abhi main yaha se nikal gaya toh sabko yakeen ho jaayega ki Sakshi ne mujh par jo ilzaam lagaya hai woh sach hai

Riya irritate hokar usse dur hoti hai: par Arjun sir, agar usne aap par ilzaam lagaya hai toh soch samajkar hi lagaya hoga, uske paas zaroor kisi tarah ka koi sabut hoga! koi rasta hoga!

Arjun: aur ye baat toh tabhi pata chalegi na jab hum aamne saamne honge?

Riya(annoyed): kyun pata karna hai aapko? Agar aap aur fas gaye toh?

Arjun uske face ko cup karta hai: mujhe kuch nahi hoga Riya! Bhagwan ne tumhe mujhe waapis diya hai isliye nahi taaki hum fir juda ho jaaye

Riya(disbelievingly): Aap Kabse Bhagwan Mein Maane Lage???

Arjun(smiling): pehli baar bina kisi ke kahe ya dabaav daale tumhari jaan bachane ke liye prathna ki thi (Riya ki aankhon mein aansu aate hai) aur dekho, aaj anjaam mere saamne hai

Riya(whining): kya timing hai aapki?

Arjun apni jeb se pen nikalkar Riya ke haathon mein likhta hai, Riya confuse hoti hai.

Riya: ye aap...

Arjun: ye mere system ka password hai. aaj raat ko jaana, roz 12 se 1 baje ke beech security software mein updates hote hai tabhi CCTV recording nahi hoti, mere cabin mein jao aur Intel check karo...

Riya(sharply): Nahi!!! Ye sab abhi zaroori nahi hai

Arjun: Riya Tum Kya Chahti Ho? Ki Main Yaha Se Nikal Kar Tumhari Laash Dekhu???

Riya: lekin...

Arjun: Riya please...jao! (Riya koi jawab nahi deti) please Riya...(holding her hands) humare liye

Riya unwillingly nod karti hai. dono aakhri baar hug karte hai.

Riya: apna khayal rakhna

Arjun: tum bhi

Riya baahar jaati hai. dil par pathar rakhkar woh cell kar darwaaza band karti hai. Arjun use ishaara karta hai. Riya apna chehra chupa kar chali jaati hai.

Midnight, ETF Office-

Riya peeche ke gate ke paas hai. waha watchman nahi hai sirf chain aur taala laga hai seal ke saath.  Woh gate ke upar chad kar dusri side jaati hai. service entrance use karke building ke andar ghusti hai. pura office khaali hai. woh stealthily Arjun ke cabin mein jaati hai.

Riya chair par baithkar desktop on karti hai. woh password maangta hai. Riya Arjun ka diya hua password enter karti hai.

Riya(whispering): ye toh ho gaya , ab ise dhundhu kaise? Ek hi ghanta hai, kaha se shuru karu? Kaha se shuru ka...hmm yeh sahi rahega

Woh Intel se apne case ki details nikalti hai. uske through, us case se, related evidences including the logo jo bhi information hai sab nikalti hai.

Riya: ye toh bahot zyaada hai...(watch dekhkar) itna waqt bhi nahi hai.

Uski nazar waha padi ek pen drive par padti hai. woh lekar insert karti hai aur saari information transfer karti hai. log off karke pen drive nikalti hai aur use pocket mein rakh deti hai. kuch idhar-udhar nahi hua ye check karke jis raaste se aayi usi raaste ghar chali jaati hai.

Ghar jaakar woh pen drive laptop se connect karke saari information check karne lagti hai. puri raat Riya usi par work karti hai. jo bhi relevant hai use ek side par karti hai aur apne evidences ke saath compare karke set karti hai. sab hone ke baad.

Riya: oh God! Mujhe Arjun sir ko inform karna hoga

Riya jaldi fresh hokar firse Jail jaane ke liye taiyaar hoti hai. waha police station mein use firse wahi havaldaar milta hai jo uski dressing style aur ghunghat se pehchanta hai

Havaldaar:  Shastri chawl?

Riya nod karti hai. Havaldaar nod karke use andar jaane deta hai. Riya Arjun ke cell tak jaati hai lekin...

Riya(worried): Arjun sir kaha chale gaye?...