Chapter 18

Arjun: kya hua Shree?...

Shree: woh...(uski aankhein fir bhar aati hai) humne jab Raghu ki interrogation ki toh hume un saare doctors ke baare mein pata chala jo unke saath kaam karte hai aur abhi news bhi aayi sab pakde bhi gaye, in fact 3-4 encounter mein bhi maare gaye aur un mare hue Doctors mein se ek woh...(cracked) Xora waala doctor tha, Ri...Ri ka tha (Arjun ko ab samaj mein aata hai ki jab woh aaya toh teeno udas kyun the aur Sameer ne uske saath jhagda kyun nahi kiya) toh bas...uski yaad aa gayi (control karke) woh...aakhri waala din yaad aaya na toh, dil bhar gaya thoda warna dukhi nahi hota...sir? (Arjun presence mein aakar uski taraf dhyaan deta hai) kya aisa ho sakta hai ki woh Doctor corrupt tha isliye woh Ri ko nahi bacha paaya? agar koi aur doctor hota tha toh kya woh humare saath hoti?

Arjun ko jawab dena bhaari pad jaata hai. use samaj mein nahi aata hai ki kya kahe?

Arjun: kya ho sakta tha ye toh hone ke baad hi pata chalta Shree aur jo ho chuka hai ye hum badal nahi sakte

Shree understandingly nod karta hai: aap sahi keh rahe hai (gehri saans lekar) aur waise bhi woh isse better jagah par hai haina sir?

Arjun mv "filhaal toh woh isse worse jagah par hai, par fir bhi ha mein sar hilata hai.

Chotu unhe bulaane aata hai: Sir! Shree! Time ho raha hai

Arjun Shree ki taraf check karne ke liye dekhta hai. Shree positive reaction deta hai.

Arjun: ha chalo!

Teeno court room ke andar jaate hai.

Dusri taraf-

Court mein hi, Sakshi Saxena ko milti hai. woh Saxena ko dekhkar confuse hoti hai. uske chehre par thapad, sar par chot aur black eye hai.

Sakshi: ye kya haal bana kar rakha hai tumne apna? Kiske saath maara-maari kar rahe the. Kuch nahi toh apni umar ka toh lihaaz karo!

Saxena: woh...kal raat der tak office mein tha. toh ghar jaate waqt raaste chor ka gang mil gaya unhi ki den hai

Sakshi apni eyes roll karti hai: whatever! Dekho Saxena! Kuch bhi karo! Lekin aaj Arjun khula hokar court se baahar nahi jaana chahiye! Aaj ke aaj is case ko khatam karo samjhe tum! Arjun ko mujhe thukraane ki saza main dilwa kar rahungi!!

Saxena: ha...ha...main ku...kuch karta hun

Sakshi: handwriting expert ko toh humne pata hi liya hai, uska saboot jhuta saabit hone ke baad judge ko use saza deni hi hogi! aur koi sabut bhi nahi hai uske paas...(gusse mein) ab use pata chalega ki Sakshi ko thukraane ka kya anjaam hota hai!!!

Saxena: ha...hume chalna chahiye, court ka waqt ho raha hai.

Woh dono bhi andar jaate hai. opposite side par ETF, Arjun aur unka vakil toh hai hi. Sakshi Arjun ko glare karti hai. Arjun ko pichli raat yaad aati hai. uska gussa firse aasmaan chut ta hai. woh apni fists ball karta hai. Sameer ye dekh kar uske kandhe par haath rakhta hai.

Sameer: Woh jaan buchkar tumhe bhadka rahi hai. tum shaant raho, aur case par dhyaan do.

Arjun surprise hokar use dekhta hai par fir nod karta hai. Sameer use paani deta hai. Arjun pee kar apne aap ko shaant karta hai.

Arjun: Shree, tumhara laptop bag mein hi haina

Shree reflexively apne sling ko check karta hai: ha sir

Arjun: mujhe uski zaroorat ho sakti hai

Sameer: Arjun...Best of Luck!

Arjun(weirdly): thank you? Mv "ise kya Riya ki itni yaad aa rahi hai ki mujh par lagaya ilzaam bhi bhul gaya?

Ayesha: sir...

Arjun: Bhabhi chill! Aaj chut jaunga okay?

Vakil(confused): aapke paas koi aur sabut hai? kyunki (ETF ko dekhkar) inhe toh aur koi sabut nahi mila

Arjun: sabut bhi hai aur case ki aakhri tareekh bhi

Vakil uska confidence dekhkar choukta hai lekin sawaal nahi karta after all woh ACP Arjun Rawte hai.

Tabhi Judge ke aane ki announcement hoti hai. sab apni-apni jagah par chale jaate hai. ETF audience mein, Vakil apni kursi par, Arjun katgare mein.

Judge aata hai. sab uthte hai. uski seat lene par baakhi sab bhi baith jaate hai. Saxena ke paseene chutne lagte hai.

Judge: handwriting expert ko bulaya jaaye.

Handwriting expert witness box mein aata hai.

Expert: your honor, jo handwriting us card se mili woh Miss Sakshi ki handwriting ke saath match nahi karti

Sakshi smirk karti hai. Arjun apne gusse ko control karta hai. sab shock hote hai lekin sabse zyaada hyper honewaala tha...

Sameer (apni jagah se uth kar): BULLSHIT!! YE JHUT HAI!! WOH HANDWRITING SAKSHI KI HI HAI!!!

Judge apna hammer tap karta hai: order! Order! Aap apni jagah par baith jayiye aur adalat mein maryada ke antargat shabdo ka prayog kijiye

Sameer protest karnewaala hai lekin Ayesha use zabardasti bitha deti hai.

Ayesha (angrily whisper): chup-chap baith jayiye!!!

Sameer: are par woh jhut bol raha hai

Ayesha: agar aap chup nahi rahe toh judge aapko baahar fek dega, Arjun sir ne pehle is baare mein soch liya hoga, unhe handle karne dijiye

Sameer chup hokar baith jaata hai.

Judge: aap jaa sakte hai (expert respectfully bow karke jaata hai) Defence apni daleel pesh kare.

Vakil uthta hai aur bow karta hai: thank you your honor... Lekin isse pehle ki woh aage kuch bole Arjun use interrupt karta hai.

Arjun: your honor agar aapki ijazat ho toh aaj apni daleel main khud pesh karna chahunga.

Judge vakil ki taraf dekhta hai. par Vakil kya bolega? Use khud nahi pata ki Arjun ke dimag mein ka chal raha hai.

Judge sigh karta hai: ijazat hai

Arjun: main Sakshi se kuch sawaal puchna chahta hun

Judge: ijazat hai, Miss Sakshi Anand witness box mein aayiye

Sakshi Saxena ki taraf dekhti hai aur glare karke look deti hai "sambhal lena sab kuch!

Saxena kisi tarah nod karta hai. Sakshi witness box mein aati hai.

Arjun aur Sakshi dono teekhi nazre exchange karti hai.

Arjun: tumhare hissab se maine Valentine's day ke din badtameezi ki thi right?

Sakshi cautiously nod karti hai.

Arjun: sar mat hilao, Sakshi jawab do

Sakshi: ha

Arjun: kitne baje?

Sakshi: what?

Arjun: kitne baje maine tumhare saath badtameezi ki thi?

Sakshi: uska is sabse kya lena dena?

Judge: jo sawaal pucha jaaye uska jawaab dijiye

Sakshi jawab dene se hichkichati hai.

Arjun: yaad nahi? Koi baat nahi...approximately bata do, atleast subah. Dopaher. shaam toh yaad hoga na?

Sakshi: hum...hum us ladki ke false alarm ke baad waapis office aaye tab...lunch ke baad, yahi kuch 4-5 baje honge.

Arjun: toh mujhe ye batao ki tumne complaint file karne ke liye agli subah tak wait kyun kiya?

Sakshi: ky...main...woh...main upset thi! Maine nahi socha tha ki (aansu laate hue) ki tum...tum mere saath aisa kuch karoge...mujhe...mujhe samaj mein nahi aa raha thi ki main kya karu? Main wahase bhaag kar seedhe ghar chali gayi. Ek baar...ek baar ke liye toh laga ki chup hokar resign kar lu...lekin fir...fir mujhe khayal aaya ki agar main chup ho gayi toh kal tum kisi aur ke saath wahi sab kuch karoge...isliye maine tay kiya ki main complain karungi!!

Arjun: hmm, toh ye sab decide karte hue tumhe kitna waqt laga?

Sakshi: ye kaisa sawaal hai? woh Saxena ko glare karti hai

Arjun(firmly): mera sawaal hai, jawab do

Sakshi kisi tarah khud ko control karti hai: der...der raat ho gayi thi aur fir subah maine complaint ki

Arjun: toh fir mujhe ye batao ki Miss Sakshi ki tumne CCTV ki footage baraamad kab ki? Aur maine delete kab ki?

Sakshi ko chodo, Judge bhi confuse ho jaata hai.

Judge: kya matlab hai aapka Mr. Rawte?

Arjun: your honor! Der raat tak Sakshi ne complaint karne ke baare mein decide nahi kiya, aur decide karne ke baad woh seedhe subah police station gayi, waha complaint file ki aur police ne mujhe arrest kiya aur court ki peshi tak main office sirf ek baar gaya tha internal enquiry ke waqt aur tab bhi police waalon ki nazro ke saamne tha. matlab saaf hai ki maine footage usse pehle delete kar li thi aur agar Sakshi ke paas footage hai! jo usne internal enquiry ke dauran dikhayi! Toh usne mere delete karne se pehle nikalni chahiye thi, am I right Sakshi?

Sakshi: lekin...

Arjun: toh ab mujhe ye batao...ki tum shock mein thi. Incident ke baad agar tum ghar chali gayi, aadhi raat tak complaint karne ke baare mein decide kiya toh tumne woh footage kab retrieve ki? kyunki naturally, us din office se nikalne ke baad jab main enquiry ke liya aaya tab tak toh woh footage tumhare paas pahunch chuki thi. Jo apparently maine delete kar di thi. Isn't it obvious maine office  se nikalne se pehle footage delete ki hogi? aur agar footage delete ho chuki thi toh fir tumhe kaha se mili? Agar woh footage tumhare paas hai iska matlab tum mere footage delete karne se pehle waapis office aayi thi!

Sakshi: nahi! Main...

Arjun: lo maan liya maine ki footage maine delete ki thi. Maine tumhare jaane ke turant baad footage delete ki thi!!! Toh Miss Sakshi mujhe ye bataiye, baakhi ke din ki footage kaha gayi? Main future footage toh delete nahi kar sakta right?

Sakshi ke hosh ud jaate hai. uske paas koi jawaab nahi hai. woh desperately Saxena ko ghurti hai.

Dusri taraf ETF mein excitement shuru ho jaati hai. Sameer Ayesha ka haath pakadkar squeeze karta hai taaki uske muh se cheekh na nikle par...

Sameer:  AB JAWAB DO SAKSHI!!!

ETF aur Arjun dono use amuse hokar dekhte hai.

Judge use firse warning deta hai: order! Order! Aap apni jagah par baith jayiye warna agli baar mujhe aapko court se baahar nikalna hoga

Ayesha angrily mutter karti hai: Sameer! Control yourself!!

Rathore horrified hokar baith jaata hai. Arjun disbelief mein sar hilata hai.

Shree, Liza aur Chotu ko whisper karta hai: waah! Arjun sir chut jaayenge aur ETF Chief Court se baahar jaayenge...aaj ka din toh sunhere aksharon mein itihaas ke panno mein likha jaayega

Liza: idiot! Judge ne warning di hai, tumhare kaan pak chuke hai kya?

Shree: are Lizard abhi toh Arjun sir ne batting shuru ki hai, aur pehli ball mein sixer! Aage kitne chouke chakke honge aur Rathore sir cheer na kare aise ho sakta hai kya

Liza aur Chotu dono giggle karte hai. Ayesha teeno ko glare karte hai.

Ayesha: Sameer kya kam hai? tum teeno toh khud ko sambhalo!!!

Teeno chup ho jaate hai.

Sakshi kuch nahi bolti. Uske paas bolne ke liye kuch hai hi nahi lekin Arjun continue karta hai.

Arjun: number two, jab maine supposedly tumhe harass kiya toh tum rote hue baahar chali gayi...according to the footage. Toh tumne office mein kisi ko kyun kuch nahi bataya? Chup chap ghar chali gayi? Chalo chodo! Footage ke hissab se toh tum Ganga baha rahi thi fir bhi kisine tumhe nahi dekha? Agar maan bhi le kisi ke tumhe puchne se pehle tum nikal gayi toh us kisi ne Chief ko inform kyun nahi kiya? ETF office toh humesha bhara hua rehta hai. aisa toh ho hi nahi sakta ki kisine ne bhi na dekha ho. Atleast 50 desk holders rehte hai main hall mein aur exit! Sirf ek hai. of course unless tumne service entrance use ki ho...par jaha tak meri common sense hai koi bhi upset' ya fir traumatize' hokar regular route ke bajay alternate raasta nahi chunega jo ulti disha mein ho and jo koi use na karta ho.

Defence Vakil apne aap mein muskura raha hai aur ab shaanti se apni jagah par khada hai. case ab unke haath mein aa chuka tha

Arjun: number 3! (mock karte hue) main ACP hun bevkuf nahi ki main tumhe ek hare-bhare office mein assault karu aur fir tumhe waha se bhaagne du. (apne arms cross karke) toh Miss Sakshi...mere sawalon ka jawab dijiye. Sab aapka hi wait kar rahe hai unless of course...aap firse upset ya shock ya trauma mein chali gayi hai

Sakshi ka gala sukh jaata hai: paani..

Judge nod karta hai. ek lady constable, lawyers ke table se ek glass Sakshi ko deti hai. Sakshi ek hi jhatke mein pura glass finish kar deti hai. woh glass lady constable ko firse de deti hai. Court mein pin-drop silence hai.

Finally Saxena apna muh kholta hai. woh apni seat se uthta hai.

Saxena: Your honor! Main kuch kehna chahta hun

Judge: Ijazat hai

Saxena: your honor! Main apne ek gavah ko bulana chahta hun jo is waqt courtroom ke baahar khada hai

Judge: ijazat hai...