Chapter 24

Arjun turns: hume inhe chodna hoga

Rathore: WHAT? Kya bak rahe ho?...

Arjun: agar Altaf tak pahunchna hai toh inhe apna kaam karna hoga

Rathore: hum aisa risk nahi le sakte Arjun, we don't know unke taraf par aur kya bacha hai

Arjun sighs and pulls him to the side: Rathore! Humare itna kuch karne ke bavjud inke paas abhi bhi transportation aur jis tarah se baat kar raha usse ye saaf ki koi bada haath hai, ho sakta hai ki Raana khud ye sab kar raha ho...this could be our only chance!

Rathore: but Arjun...

Arjun(angrily): Kabhi Toh Mujh Par Vishwas Kar Lo Rathore! You Think I Want To Blow This Up? Tum Jaante Ho Bhi Raana Ka Pakda Jaana Kitna Zaroori Hai Mere Liye?

Rathore(sadly): toh batao mujhe...kyun zaroori hai?

Arjun stares at him for a few seconds. It wasn't long before the past haunted him again

Arjun: Forget About It! Tumhe Jo Karna Hai Karo!

He walks away leaving a dejected Rathore behind. Rathore hung his head in disappointment mv "What have I done? Maine use itna dur kar diya ki ab woh apni pareshaani bhi mujhse share nahi kar sakta?

ETF had rounded up all the drugs and remaining men. Most of them were dead. Arjun was silently watching from a corner, trying to calm his anger.

Chotu: ab kya sir? Altaf aur Raana ko kaise pakdenge?

Arjun(sternly): Apne Chief Se Kyun Nahi Puchte?

Uski annoyance sunkar sab alert ho jaate hai aur glances exchange karte hai. Ayesha mentally groan karti hai, "ab kya ho gaya in dono ke beech?

Tabhi Rathore Jagga ko laa kar waha aakar announce karta hai.

Rathore: Chotu, tum aur back up ke kuch log inke saath shaamil ho jao. Jaha ye le jaata hai waha jao aur jo kehta hai karo. Us jagah par nazar rakho aur jaise Altaf aata hai hum notify karo.

Arjun shock hokar use dekhne lagta hai. Rathore bhi use dekhta hai.

Rathore(lightly smile karke): Altaf kab aane waala hai? kuch andaaza hai?

Arjun abhi bhi shock mein hai lekin Jagga dar ke maare repeat karta hai.

Jagga: kal raat ko

Rathore: toh theek hai, tab tak hum bhi thoda aaram kar lete hai, kyun Arjun?

Arjun trance mein nod karta hai. Rathore Jagga ko Chotu ke hawale karta hai. team sab round up karti hai aur Jagga, uske kuch admi, Chotu aur back up ke kuch officers ko ready karti hai.

Rathore Jagga ka gala pakadta hai: yaad rakhna Jagga, agar thodi si bhi hoshiyaari ki toh (uske maathe par gun point karke) seedhe upar pahuncha dunga, samjhe?

Jagga fearfully nod karta hai: jaise aap kehte hai waise hi hoga.

Rathore nod karta hai aur fir Chotu ko gesture karta hai. Chotu, Jagga aur consignment lekar do tempo mein chala jaata hai.

Rathore stretch karta hai: chalo ghar jaate hai! raat ko aanewaala haina, dopaher tak report karna sab.

Shree(tired): thank you sir

Rathore: aaram bhi zaroori hai Shree, warna kahi aisa na ho ki show down ke time hi sab behosh ho jao

Sab hasne lagte hai aur office ko skip karke directly ghar jaate hai.

Rathore's car-

Ayesha: kya hua aapke aur Arjun sir ke beech?

Rathore: kuch khaas nahi Ayesh, thoda sa...(uske phone mein message aata hai) check karo na

Ayesha nod karke Rathore ke pocket se phone nikalkar check karti hai.

Ayesha(confused): Arjun sir? Thank you? Kyun?

Rathore: reply kar do...I'm sorry

Ayesha: I'm sorry reply mein likhu?

Rathore: yup

Ayesha: you do realize log thank you ke baad your welcome kehte hai?

Rathore: do you realize you are the wife of one of the most abnormal people on the planet?

Ayesha: point taken!

Woh Arjun ko message kar deti hai par...

Ayesha: sir reply kyun nahi kar rahe hai?

Rathore sigh karta hai: woh nahi karega, woh abhi tak mujhse naraaz hai

Ayesha: toh fir thank you?

Rathore: tum thaki nahi kya?

Ayesha(gusse mein): of course thaki hun, aapko mein koi robot dikhti hun?

Rathore: wahi toh main keh raha hun, thak chuki ho na? toh kyun humari complicated katha sun kar dimag kharab karna hai tumhe?

Ayesha shaant ho jaati hai: ye bhi sahi hai. (woh head rest par sar patak kar seat recline karti hai) acha main so rahi hun, jagana mat, utha kar le jaana

Rathore disbelief mein sar hilata hai: ha kyun nahi, aur koi hukum maharani?

Ayesha( bina aankhein khole): maharani nahi, sirf rani. Maharani ko bahot kaam karna padta hai aur waise bhi aapke papa zinda haina? Abhi se unki jagah lene ke Khwab dekh rahe hai, bad manners!

Rathore(shocked): My Goodness! Ayesha! (road par dekh kar) tum so jao yahi acha hai hum dono ke liye

Arjun's house-

Arjun ghar ke baahar break lagata hai. 1 baj gaya hai. Riya so gayi hogi ye sochkar chabi se darwaaza kholta hai. woh jaise hi darwaaza kholta hai, Riya seedhi baithti hai.

Riya: Arjun?

Arjun use TV dekhta hue dekh kar confuse hota hai: Riya, (darwaaza band karke) tum soyi nahi ab tak?

Riya: nahi, woh aapne kaha tha na ki koi aakhri jagah hai toh maine socha ki...kya hua waha?

Arjun aakar uske paas baithta hai. use ajeeb lagta hai ki woh chaar din baad ghar aaya aur Riya itna feeka response de rahi hai.

Arjun: thoda complicated hai, waha ek aakhri consignment ki taiyaari ho rahi thi. Waha ke admi ko humne pakda toh usne kaha ki Altaf kal maal lekar desh ke baahar bhagne ki taiyaari mein hai.

Riya: kaise?

Arjun: wahi...sea route. Koi pahunchi hui private company hai Sea and Seal. Jab bhi unhe emergency aati hai toh woh wahi se supply karte hai. (sigh karke) humne jaal bichaya hai, ab dekhte hai

Riya: hmm

Arjun use dekhe jaa raha hai lekin Riya use nazre milana avoid kar rahi hai. woh apne aap ko aur nahi rok paata aur uske kandhe par comfortingly haath rakhta hai

Arjun: tumhara chehra itna utra hua kyun hai?

Riya: nahi, woh thak gayi hun

Arjun: Riya maine tumse pehle bhi kaha hai tum mere saamne jhut nahi bol sakti

Riya finally apni nazre utha kar use dekhti hai: aap naaraz hai mujhse?

Arjun(confused): main kyun bhala naaraz hone laga tumse?

Riya(tearfully): woh...Chetan...aur...

Arjun samaj jaata hai ki uske dimag mein kya chal raha hai

Arjun: oho Riya, main tumse naraaz nahi hun (use tightly hug karke) I was just worried. Agar tum pehle bata deti toh hum kuch chakkar chala kar un laashon ko chupa dete ya fir aur kuch karte. Police tak baat chali gayi, woh toh acha hua unhe koi sabut nahi mila warna agar woh log tum tak pahunch jaate toh? Tum waise bhi off the record sab kuch kar rahi ho, baakhi sab toh theek hai lekin teen logon ki jaan gayi, ye chupaana bhaari hai, bas isliye.

Riya(low voice): main unhe maarna nahi chahti thi, mujhe khud nahi pata ki maine aisa kyun kiya? Mere haath apne aap hi sab kuch kar rahe the, sab itna jaldi ho gaya ki mujhe kuch samaj hi nahi aaya

Arjun uske forehead par kiss karta hai: it's okay Riya, tumne self defence mein unhe maara hai par kisi ko pata nahi na tum ho? Main jaanta hun tumne jaan-buchkar nahi kiya. In-fact jab tak us Deshmukh ne  time nahi bataya tab tak mere dimag mein aaya bhi nahi ki tumne aisa kuch kiya hoga. Par ek baat bolu? (Riya nod karti hai) jaise bhi maara ho tumne, unki laashein dekhkar mujhe bahot maza aaya (Riya aankhein faad-kar use dekhne lagti hai) are aisa kya dekh rahi ho? Ab woh meri girlfriend ko itna sataye aur uske bajay woh unki itni berehmi se jaan le-le toh mujhe toh maza aayega na? tum na aise hi thokti raho sabko.

Riya disbelief mein apna sar hilata hai. unknowingly uske chehre par muskaan bhi aati hai

Riya: aapse zyaada violent insaan maine zindgi mein nahi dekha

Arjun uski muskaan dekhkar khush hota hai: thoda sa aur muskura do?

Riya ki smile automatically badh jaati hai. woh Arjun ke kandhe par sar rakhti hai.

Arjun: ye hui na meri Riya waali baat. Aur use kiss karta hai.

Somewhere else-

A man is sitting on a comfortable arm chair when his side-kick enters the room and sits opposite him.

Man: Raana, maine sab pata kar liya hai. humse humara business kaun cheen raha hai, kaise sab kuch!

Raana: speech maarna band karo Altaf aur batao ki kaun hai? jisne firse humari business ki band baja di hai. itne safe methods laane ke bavjud ye dusri baar, humara nuksaan hua hai, pichli baar toh sirf ek ring tak police pahunchi thi par is bar?

Altaf: ACP Arjun Rawte

Raana: Arjun Rawte? Ye...ye toh wahi haina jisne kuch mahine pehle Sikandar ke ring ko khatam kiya tha

Altaf: ha wahi hai

Raana(angrily): Are Sikandar Ne Toh Uski Biwi Ko Maara Tha, Ye Humare Peeche Kyun Pada Hai?

Altaf: ho na ho ye sab us ladki ka hi kaam hai, usne pehle humare ek ring ko khatam kiya, fir us doctor ko chakma dekar bhaag gayi aur ab is ACP ke saath mil kar humare peeche padi hai, par tum chinta mat karo, maine sab soch liya hai. humara ek consignment Jagga ke saath tha lekin woh bhi pakda gaya hai aur ab woh uski madad se hum tak pahunchne waale hai

Raana(shock): kya?

Altaf: ha! dekho Jagga ko ye pata hai ki kal hum desh se baahar jaane waale hai aur ye baat usne unhe bhi bata di hai aur uske kuch officers Dockyard tak pahunch gayi. Waha mere admi hai, usne bataya ki unke kuch 3-4 log hai jo waha nazar rakh rahe hai. hume sirf itna karna hai ki unhe unhi ke jaal mein fasaana hai

Raana fished out a packet of cigarettes and lit one: aur ye tum kaise karnewaale ho?

Altaf: hum puri taiyaari ke saath jaayenge, humare waha pahunchne ke baad unhe apni team ko inform karke, humare khilaaf plan bana kar attack karne ke liye unhe thoda waqt toh lagega aur tab tak main set up kar dunga. Bas tumhe bali ka bakra banna padega

Raana: theek hai, lekin tum unhe fasaoge kaise?

Altaf: woh sab tum mujh par chod do, main kar dunga. us ACP ke muh se ladki ke baare mein bhi pata kar lenge aur fir usike saamne, us ACP aur uski team ko maar dunga...

Raana takes another drag of his cigarette: us Ladki ko chod dena

Altaf(confused): ye tum kya keh rahe ho? Naak mein dam karke rakha hai usne humare!! Aur tum keh rahe ho ki use chod du? Hargiz nahi!! Use toh itna tadpa-tadpa kar maarunga ki maut bhi kaanp uthegi

Raana: main jaanta hun usne humare bahot nuksaan kiya hai, isliye keh raha hun. Use main apne saath rakhunga, uski saza maut nahi, zindgi hogi. aisi zindgi jisse chutkaara paane ke liye woh maut ki bheek maangegi par woh bhi naseeb nahi hogi

And the two man laughed evilly imagining the future plight of the girl who had done so much damage to them.

Next day-

Rathore ke instructions ke hissab se sab aaram se dopaher tak aate hai, Chotu ke siwa kyunki woh aur kuch officers ke saath wahi Dockyard par hai. Arjun aakar seedhe Rathore ke cabin mein jaata hai.

Arjun: Rathore!

Rathore apni file side par rakh kar khada hota hai. Arjun fir choukta hai ye sochkar ki woh kabse us par dhyaan dene laga.

Arjun: kya chal raha hai tumhare dimag mein?

Rathore mv "jo sawaal mujhe karna chahiye woh tum kar rahe ho? : kya matlab?

Arjun(irritated): matlab ki kal tumne meri baat kyun maani?

Rathore: tumhi ne toh kaha tha ki Raana ka pakda jaana tumhare liye important hai

Arjun(taunt karke): really? Ye achanak mere commitments se tumhe itna lagav kyun ho raha hai? pehle toh aisa nahi tha, saabit kya karna chahte ho tum?

Rathore: sirf yeh ki mujhe sach mein tumhari fikar hai, chahe tum maano ya na maano!

Arjun: Apni Fikar Apne Paas Hi Rakho! And Don't Think For A Second That This Changes Anything!

Rathore: Arjun main...

Arjun: Main Achi Tarah Se Jaanta Hun Ki Tumhe Koi Farak Nahi Padta, Agar Farak Padta Hai Toh Sirf Is Baat Se Ki Team Case Solve Kare Aur Tumhare Record Par Koi Daag Na Lage!

Rathore: Arjun Tum Kya Keh Rahe Ho? Main Sach Mein Tumhari Madad Karna Chahta Hun! Main Aisa Kya Karu Jisse Tumhe Meri Baat Par Yakeen Ho Jaaye?

Arjun: Madad Karna Chahte Ho? Isliye Meri Life Mein Taaka-Jhaanki Kar Rahe Ho Right?

Ab Rathore shock hota hai: ma...matlab?...