Chapter 4

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

Woh tension mein bagal ke cell ke kaidi ko puchti hai

Riya: yaha jo admi the woh kaha hai

Kaidi: usme mujhe kya milega?

Riya frustrate hoti hai. khud ko control karke smile karti hai. hairpin se uska cell kholkar andar jaati hai. kaidi khush ho jaata hai. use lagta hai ki woh use bhaagne mein madad karegi. Riya normally uske paas jaati hai aur fir achanak...

Riya uske kandhe par haath maarkar use platform par pin karti hai. isse pehle ki woh kaidi kuch bole ya kare uske gale par Khanjar lag jaata hai.

Riya:  seedhe- seedhe jawab de ki Arjun sir kaha hai warna aisi nas kaatungi ki na awaz niklegi na jaan itna tadap-tadap kar maroge ki maut ko bhi tujh par daya aayegi

Kaidi (ghabrakar): batata hun, batata hun

Riya use gale ke peeche se pakadkar seedha karti hai: bol!

Kaidi: woh unhe inquiry ke le gaye hai

Riya mv(surprised) "inquiry? Iska matlab, ho sakta hai ki...court mein jaane se pehle hi is sabka hal nikal jaaye...hey bhagwaan tera laakh-laakh shukar hai, bas woh ladki jhuthi saabit ho jaaye toh saara maamla hi khatam

Kaidi ko chodkar Riya baahar jaakar cell firse band kar deti hai. ab woh kaafi had tak relieved mehsoos kar rahi hai. internal inquiry hai matlab Arjun ko apni baat kehne ka mauka bhi aasani se milega aur pichli baar ki tarah shayad Rathore bhi madad kare. Isi soch ke saath woh ghar jaati hai.

ETF office-

ETF team including Sakshi apne lawyer ke saath, Vishwas, ek DCP aur ek ADGP present hai. teeno senior officers ek table par baithe hai. Arjun aur Sakshi literally opposite ends par khade hai. Sameer aage khada hai aur baakhi ki team silently peeche khadi hai.

The juniors were in a fix. They knew much better than to question Arjun's character. He barely looked at any lady. On the other hand Sakshi looked traumatized, she wouldn't accuse Arjun in such a manner for just an unrequited love. The matter was too serious.

Vishwas sighs. The case was shocker for him. He had blind faith in his officer but unfortunately could do nothing more than place an internal inquiry to give him a chance to prove himself right. Anything else would have resulted in nothing more than Women Rights Activists protesting outside the headquarters courtesy of the fact Sakshi was well connected in high places, it was a matter of surprise that the news hadn't leaked into the media yet.

Sameer clears his throat: sir?

Vishwas snaps back to earth: hmm...so? Let's start...Sakshi?

Sakshi is grief-stricken with tears: woh...Valentine's day ke din, main...main Arjun ke paas ek purane case ki details lene gayi thi...tabhi...tabhi usne mere saath. And she bursts out crying

Vishwas: okay...umm, Arjun?

Arjun as usual is in full ignorance: usne mujhe propose kiya, maine mana kiya

Sameer balls his fist at the careless one-liner. The three officers exchange glances among them.

DCP: tum dono ke paas apne statements prove karne ke liye kya sabut hai?

Arjun: CCTV, Dustbin

ADGP: dustbin?

Arjun: maine uska diya hua card dustbin mein feka tha

Vishwas gestures Sameer.

Sameer nods: Shree footage! Chotu dustbin check karo!

They nod and get down to their chores. Shree logs into his system and connects it to the projector. Opening the archives, he searches for the videos but...

Shree: SIRR!!!!!

Sameer: what?

Bouncing off of his seat: sir! Arjun sir ke cabin ki footage kisi ne delete kar di hai.

Not a word breathes out of anybody

Ayesha(stunned): Shree, theek se dekho

Shree: maine dekha Ayesha pure din ki footage gayab hai

Sameer: AISE KAISE KOI BHI FOOTAGE DELETE KAR SAKTA HAI??? SECURITY SYSTEM KA ACCESS SIRF ETF MEMBERS KE PAAS HAI!!!

Shree: ha sir par...

Lawyer: usme itna chaukne waali kaunsi baat hai? Aapke second-in-command bhi toh ETF officer hi hai. unke liye kaunsa mushkil kaam hai footage delete karke apne gunaah ko chupaane ka

Sameer is about to blast but...

Arjun: Shree! Sirf mere cabin ki footage nahi hai?

Shree: ha sir! Aapke camera ki pure din ki footage gayab hai.

Lawyer: dekh liya sab ne...

Vishwas: dekhiye Mr.?

The lawyer corrects the alignment of his coat: Saxena! Advocate Saxena!

Vishwas (slightly annoyed): jo bhi ho! Chotu ki raah dekh lete hai...

Tabhi Chotu almost bhagkar aata hai

Chotu(worried): SIR!!! Dustbin!! Dustbin mein kuch nahi hai

The ground seemed to sway from beneath everyone's feet.

Saxena: koi baat nahi! Mere paas sabut hai

He fishes out a pen drive from his coat's pocket and gives it to Shree. Shree looks at his chief. However, he could do nothing except nod. Dejected Shree accepts the pen drive and inserts it into his computer. The projector beams to life. The screen flashes Arjun sitting in his cabin. As if Arjun's evidence not turning up wasn't a shock enough, Sakshi had turned up with a video footage. The footage was hazy but only slightly, mostly owing to the fact that it was camera recording.

Sakshi knocks and enters.

Sakshi: Arjun! Mujhe Mukesh ke murder par article likhna, tum mujhe thodi details de sakte ho.

Arjun willingly gets up and walks to the front near her: sure! Kaho kya jaanna chahti ho

As Sakshi starts with her questions and Arjun starts answering, he subtly moves his hand to her waist, shocking her.

Sakshi: Arjun, what are you doing?

Arjun caresses her cheek with another: I have barely started

Sakshi tries to free herself from his hold: Arjun! Please stop it!

Arjun pulls her closer: nope!

Sakshi(struggling): Arjun stop!! Mere Dil Mein Tumhare Liye Koi Feelings Nahi Hai!!

Arjun: feelings? (taking a step back) feeling ki kise padi? Mujhe toh sirf tumse matlab hai

Sakshi pushes him away with renewed force(tearfully): YOU'RE DISGUSTING ARJUN!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! And runs off

The screen turns blank.

Arjun (impulsively): KYA BAKWAS HAI YEH?? MAINE KABHI ISE HAATH TAK NAHI LAGAYA!!!!

Saxena: ha woh toh dikh hi raha hai sabko

Sameer: YE POSSIBLE HI NAHI HAI DAMMIT!! HUM SAB NE SAKSHI AUR ARJUN KA JHAGDA DEKHA AUR SUNA THA JAB USNE ARJUN KO PROPOSE KIYA!!!

Saxena: aap sab toh inka hi saath denge

ADGP: ye sahi keh raha hai, hum sabut ko ignore nahi kar sakte

Arjun(shocked): but sir...

ADGP raises his hand to stop him: tumhe ab jo bhi kehna hai sab court mein judge ke saamne kehna... And(standing up) ACP Arjun Rawte you are suspended till the decision of court.

Sameer and the team try to protest but to no avail. Arjun is to be sent back to the lock up.

Saxena: aur chinta mat kijiye commissioner sir, is tape ki forensic report bhi aapko court ki pehli tareekh ko mil jaayegi.

The team glares at him. Arjun is taken away. Later, Vishwas sides upto Rathore.

Vishwas: Sameer!

Sameer: Sir! Arjun nirdosh hai

Vishwas: main jaanta hun Sameer lekin Saxena ne jo sabut pesh kiya hai uske baad...it's going to be tough, aur agar forensic report...

Sameer: par sir agar report tamper ki gayi hogi toh?

Shree: sir woh toh hum abhi check kar sakte hai

Vishwas: kaise?

Shree: sir, jab woh pen drive maine computer mein lagayi tab maine use chupke se copy kar di thi

Sameer immediately hugs him: I Love You Shree!!!!!!

Shree smiles sheepishly: thank you sir! I love you too sir!

Vishwas glances at Ayesha who barely bats an eyelid. Shree gets on his job and uploads the video onto his software. Unfortunately, their troubles were far from over.

Shree: SIRRR!?!?!?!?!?

Everyone jumps at his voice.

Sameer: kya hua?

Shree(shocked): SIR!! YE VIDEO ASLI HAI!!!!!!!!

Chorus: WHAAATTT?!?!?!?!??!?!

Ayesha: Kya Bakwas Kar Rahe Ho Shree! Theek Se Check Karo!!

Shree: maine theek se hi check kiya hai, koi bhi morphing ya fir editing nahi ki gayi hai

Liza(tensed): par aisa kaise ho sakta hai?

Chotu: ha, hum sab yahi par the, aur hum sab jaante hai ki aisa kuch bhi nahi hua... bina case ke Arjun sir toh kisi ko bhi aankh uthakar bhi nahi dekhte, Sakshi hi peeche padi rehti thi

Shree: woh toh mujhe bhi pata hai lekin...

Vishwas: Shree, tum firse check kyun nahi karte, shayad kahi kuch chut gaya ho

Shree checks again but...receives the same answer

Sameer(worried): sir ab kya karenge? Maine toh socha tha ki agar unki report tampered hogi, aur humari asli toh contradiction ke basis par hum Arjun ko benefit of doubt dila sakenge lekin yaha toh...

Vishwas: mujhe nahi pata Sameer...mujhe bilcul nahi pata. Case fast-track par hai, pehli hearing kal hai...tum logon ke paas waqt bahot kam hai

Sameer nods as the commissioner leaves...