Chapter 8

Arjun: Rathore dimag mat khao mera, kya kaam hai seedhe-seedhe bolo warna mujhe aur bhi kaam hai. bye!

He closes the door...

Sameer: WHAT THE BLOODY?!?! RAWTE!!!. He repeatedly rings the doorbell again.

Arjun opens the door: What? Stop Annoying Me! And attempt to close the door again

An exasperated Sameer keeps his foot in between: Fine! Bol Raha Hun Ruk!...ETF mein koi ghus gaya tha

Arjun's eyes show a flicker for a second but that was enough for Sameer to know everything

Arjun(pretending to be shocked): kya?? Kaun?

Sameer fills him in all the details to intimidate him: pata nahi, but watchman ke description ke hissab se wahi aurat thi jo court mein aayi thi...wahi aurat...in fact woh police station mein bhi thi

Arjun is getting anxious with Sameer's every word but controls his expressions: police station?

Sameer: ha the first day, I bumped into her, tumse koi milne aaya tha kya?

Arjun: mujhse?...nahi toh

Sameer: hmm...chalo theek hai, hum pata karne ki koshish karte hai

Arjun: kyun? (Sameer looks at him, as he covers up) I mean ki usne kuch churaya kya?

Sameer: nahi ched chad toh dikhayi nahi di, par koi risk nahi le sakte na, upar se woh tumhare aas-paas aise ghum rahi hai, you could have one more psycho lover for all we know

Arjun: hmm...that's it?

Sameer: ha...abhi ke liye, agar kuch pata chale toh hume batana

Arjun: sure

Sameer: waise tumhe kya lagta hai?

Arjun: kis baare mein?

Sameer: nahi...kaun ho sakta hai? ya kaun karwa sakta hai...in case?

Arjun: mujhe kaise pata hoga? Bye!. And attempts to close the door again but...

Sameer: Arjun ruko! (he glares at him) us din...jo maine kaha tha... it wasn't the way you thought it to be...main tum par bharosa karta hun...

Arjun(mockingly): really? Aisa lag toh nahi raha tha...aur waise bhi pehli baar toh hai nahi right?

Sameer: Arjun! Maine tumse sirf isliye pucha kyunki woh footage asli thi, I thought ki shayad woh kisi aur din ki ya fir context kuch aur ho aur usne aadhi adhuri clip dikha kar tumhe fasaya ho, that's all

Arjun: ho gaya?

Sameer sighs: ha

Arjun: good bye! And closes the door.

Sam shakes his head and leaves. Despite Arjun's cold behavior he was sure of one thing now, Arjun knew the lady and was trying to hide it...from everyone, but why? And who was she? he didn't know.

Inside-

Riya comes out of hiding: kya chal raha tha?

Arjun: humara jhagda

Riya: kuch naya bataiye na

Arjun(confused): what? Tumhe kya lagta hai? hum humesha jhagda karte rehte hai?

Riya: ha

Arjun: shut up! aur mujhe ye batao ki tumhe Intel se kya pata chala, ab main baahar aa gaya

Riya: batati hun.

Riya saare evidences aur reports lekar aati hai.

Riya: Intel ke mutabik us gang ka leader koi Raana hai

Arjun(sochte hue): Raana...? Naam suna hua toh lagta hai...par kuch khaas pata nahi hai

Riya: ha Intel mein bhi uske baare mein zyaada information nahi hai, jo bhi hai, gang ki hai...naam toh suna hi hoga...hotlist mein hai...lekin woh kaun hai? kya hai? kisi ko kuch bhi nahi pata

Arjun: tumhari shakal itni utri hui kyun hai?

Riya aankhein faadkar use dekhti hai: itna bada don mere peeche pada hua hai, udas na hou toh kya karu? Naachu?

Arjun smile karta hai: mujhe koi problem nahi hai, waise bhi maine kabhi tumhe naachte hue nahi dekha

Riya uske comment ko ignore karti hai: aur ek aur baat, (hesitating) main...aapko uh batana bhul gayi...mujhe pata thi

Arjun: Riya kya aaj tak kabhi bhi tumhe sahi time par sahi cheez batani yaad rahi hai? kuch naya batao

Riya: umm...woh jo laashon ko bheja jaata haina? Woh zyaadatar Imperial Shipping Services se bheja jaata hai, unki branches Surat, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam aur Kolkata mein hai.

Arjun use glare karta hai: aur ye tum mujhe ab bata rahi ho?

Riya: sorry

Arjun disbelief mein sar hilata hai: acha toh ye batao ki inki shipping sirf inhi shehron se hoti hai?

Riya: nahi sir, aur bhi kuch hai par Imperial in sab mein hai aur majorly inhi mein se hota hai

Arjun: hmm...aur kuch hai jo tum...bhul rahi ho?

Riya: filhaal toh nahi...yaad aayega tab bata dungi

Arjun sochne lag jaata hai. Kuch pal baad

Riya: sir? (Arjun use dekhta hai) ab aage kya? Mere toh kuch samaj mein nahi aa raha aur mujhe bali ka bakra banna avoid karna hai warna bhagti hi nahi

Arjun smile karta hai: Imperial Shipping's se hi shuruwat karte hai but hume official rehna hoga...aur ek kaam karte hai, aaj raat waha jaakar check kar lete hai, agar officially jaate waqt kuch mila nahi toh problem ho sakti hai

Riya: par officially kaise?

Arjun: woh sab tum mujh par chod do, tum bas raat ke liye ready rehna

Riya nod karti hai...

Din dhalta hai. Arjun aur Riya dono taiyaar hokar Dockyard jaane ke liye ready hote hai. dono Dockyard pahunchte hai. raat ka samay hai isliye zyaada log nahi hai. mushkil se pure area mein 4-5 log honge. Entrance ke paas dono rukte hai. waha ek watchman hai lekin chain se so raha hai.

Riya(whispering): isliye crime rate kam nahi hota hai...useless!

Arjun: filhaal toh yahi humare kaam ka hai

Riya: point!

Dono dheerese aage jaate hai, Riya Arjun ki lead follow karti hai. Arjun dheerese gate kholta hai. Gate halki awaaz karke khulta hai lekin Watchman bina disturbance sota rehta hai. dono andar enter karte hai aur Watchman ki nazar ke baahar chale jaata hai.

Woh Imperial Shipping Services ka Godown dhundhne lagte hai. Cargo containers ki wajah se zyaada dur tak nahi dekh sakte lekin wahi unhe cover bhi provide kar raha hai. almost aadha ground dhundhne ke baad unhe Godown milta hai.

Riya: yaha toh taala laga hai

Arjun: obviously Riya, humare liye khula thodi rakhenge

Riya: par ab kya karenge, agar taala tod diya toh unhe pata chal jaayega

Arjun: hume taala todne ki zaroorat nahi hai, iska number dekho...157! saare cargo containers par unke company ke numbers likhe hote hai

Woh paas ke ek container ke paas jaakar uske handles se chain nikalta hai. Arjun darwaaza kholta hai. dono andar jaate hai. dono side par crates lage hue hai. normal cargo hi hai. woh baahar aakar firse chain laga dete hai.

Arjun aur Riya split hokar alag-alag containers check karte hai lekin 10-15 containers check karne ke baad bhi unhe kuch nahi milte. Dono ek dusre ki taraf dekhte hai. Arjun ki nazar aaspaas ghumti hai, tabhi use dikhayi deta hai ki thodi dur par, wahi 157 hai lekin us paint ka color alag hai. Arjun uski taraf point karta hai. Riya nod karti hai.

Dono us container ko khol kar andar jaate hai. Arjun ka shak sahi nikla. Andar coffins pade hai. woh ek coffin ko kholta hai. usme ek 19-20 saal ki ladki ki laash hai. Riya cringe karke nazre fer leti hai.

Arjun: Riya ladki ki laash hai, tumhe hi dekhna hoga

Riya use pleading look deti hai par Arjun jawab mein use ek choti knife deta hai

Riya: please...mujhse nahi hoga

Arjun silently uske haath mein knife thamata hai. Riya unwillingly laash ki taraf turn hoti hai. uska haath kaanpne lagta hai. woh dheerese dusre haath se chaadar hatathi hai. ladki ke pet par surgery ke nishaan hai. Riya chaaku ko stitch par rakhti hai. woh Arjun ki taraf dekhti hai par Arjun muh ferkar khada hai. woh man mein curse karke knife ko press karti hai. uske paseene chut rahe hai.

The blade cleanly slices the skin causing blood to ooze out and spill on her hands

Riya ki almost cheekh nikalti hai: AAhh...Arjun!

Arjun turn hota hai. Riya immediately uske seene mein apne aapko chupa leti hai.

Arjun(consoling): Shh!! It's ok main hun na

Riya(whimpering): bahot ganda hai...mujhse nahi hoga

Arjun: ha Riya par ye sab ruk jaaye isliye hume karna hoga na? (Riya koi jawab nahi deti hai, Arjun use shoulders se pakadkar apne se dur karta hai) tum kar sakti ho Riya, tumne dekha tha na ye log kaise hai? bacho ko bhi nahi choda...kya tum chahti ho ki koi aur 13 saal ki ladki ka yeh hashar ho? (Riya negatively nod karti hai) toh phir tumhe ye karna hoga...(uske face ko cup karke) hmm??

Riya apne andar ki saari himmat juta kar laash ki taraf firse jaati hai. uske haath abhi bhi thode kaanp rahe hai lekin woh us cut ko bada kar leti hai. woh uske ghaav ko kholkar andar haath daalti hai and as expected use plastic ke packets feel hote hai. Riya ek packet ko pakadkar baahar nikalti hai.

Riya(softly): dekhiye

Arjun turn hokar dekhta hai. woh kareeb jaakar use smell karne ki koshish karta hai.

Arjun(angrily): kitni Ghatiya quality ka plastic hai, packet ke through bhi cocaine ki smell aa rahi hai...aise toh thode disturbance par leak bhi ho sakta hai...bas***ds!!! (woh Riya ko apna handkerchief nikaal kar deta hai) clean up the blood, firse chaadar odh dena, hopefully humare aane tak koi check nahi karega

Riya halke se nod karke, jaisa kaha gaya waise karti hai. Riya coffin band kar deti hai aur apne haathon ka khoon bhi jitna ho sake utna saaf kar leti hai. baahar aakar Arjun firse chain laga deta hai aur dono firse sote hue watchman ko uthaye bagair ghar chale jaate hai.

Arjun's house-

Arjun apne room mein hai. woh Sameer ko call karta hai.

On the other hand Sameer apni neend tutne ki wajah se irritated hai par Arjun ka naam dekhkar alert ho jaata hai ya fir ye kahu ki thoda ghabra jaata hai. woh koi nayi musibat mein nahi fas gaya yahi pray karte hue phone utatha hai.

Sameer: ha Arjun

Arjun: Rathore mujhe ek urgent warrant chahiye

Sameer: warrant? Kiske liye?

Arjun: Imperial Shipping Services...kal Dockyard par raid maarni hai

Sameer: par kyun?

Arjun: waha kuch illegal chal raha hai

Sameer(sarcastically): really mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha, mujhe laga tumhe koi courier karna hai

Arjun: shut up!

Sameer snaps back: Then Give Me Proper Answers!!!

Arjun: Jitna Kaha Jaaye Utna Karo!!!

Sameer: Chief main hun Arjun, Bhulo Mat!!!

Arjun dukhti nas par haath rakhta hai: ha pata hai mujhe SIR ki aap Rathore hai!!!

Sameer: Arjun Tum Us Baat Ko Isme Mix Mat Karo!

Arjun: mix main nahi tum kar rahe ho ACP Rathore!!!

Sameer: FINE! TUMHE JO KARNA HAI KARO!

Aur call kaat deta hai.

Arjun frustrate hota hai...