Chapter 32

Sameer(shocked): kyun?...

Arjun: she thought ki, (he stopped thinking it was a little personal) chod na tu woh sab, maine use mana liya. Hum kal milne hi waale the tum logo se (he sighed) aur us waqt mein koi risk nahi lena chahta tha, ETF se agar by chance bhi baat baahar chali jaati toh bahot problem ho jaati aur (softly) meri taraf se agar kahu toh main...thoda selfish bhi ho gaya tha (Sameer raised his eyebrow) main bas is baat se khush tha ki woh mere paas hai, maine tum teeno ke baare mein nahi socha. Agar woh nahi hoti toh ab tak main shayad jail bhi pahunch gaya hota, I was just happy to have her all to myself for a while. Acha laga kisi ka saath paa kar. Aise saathi ke saath reh kar jo aankh band karke mujh par vishwas kare. Jo dil khol kar mujhse pyaar kare. Aur jise main apni saanson mein basa lun.

Sameer comfortingly put her hand on his shoulder: aur is sab ke bavjud tune (cracked) Ayesha ko bachane ke liye...tu sab kuch kurbaan karne ke liye taiyaar ho gaya?

Arjun: Sam...

Sameer: Arjun agar Riya ko kuch ho jaata na us wajah se toh main...

Arjun hugged him seeing him fall into a guilt circle: are paagal hai kya? Kitna emotional ho raha hai tu

Sameer: aur tera kya? Tu khud apne dil ko firse todne ke liye raazi ho gaya? Firse Riya ko khone chala tha?...woh bhi mere kaaran?

Arjun too teared up a little as he recalled the moment, he didn't know how to answer him. After all, Sameer was right. Only he knew how much his heart had suffered to make that decision. There was silence between the two of them for few minutes.

Arjun patted his back: bas yaar Sam, shant ho jaa

Sameer parted from him: Arjun, I'm so sorry...

Arjun: Sam...

Sameer: nahi Arjun bolne de mujhe please...(he hung his head) Riya ki jaan is kadar jaa sakti thi, ye sochkar bhi meri ruh kaanp uthti hai aur maine itne saalon tak tujhe Roshni ki maut ka zimmedar thehraya. Tu waha uske saamne tha, tune khud use marte hue dekha...tujh par kya beeti iska main andaaza bhi nahi laga sakta, I was so wrong (he punched the counter in frustration) How could I have been so blind? Ab sochta hun toh lagta hai jaise main...jaise mere andar dil hi nahi tha...main itna bereham kaise ho gaya Arjun? Kaise apne dost ka dard nahi dekh paaya?

Arjun comforts him: jo hona tha woh chuka hai Sam, beeti baaton ko yaad karke apna dil mat dukha. Aur mujhe sab yaad dila kar dard mat de. Sikandar ka kissa khatam ho chuka hai. Riya safe hai. humare saath hai. tujhe ehsaas ho gaya aur maine tujhe maaf kar diya Sam. Ab...agar...ab agar tu aise baar-baar mujhe sab yaad dilayega na toh main apni, main apni maafi waapis le lunga...ha keh raha hun main!

Sameer chuckled amidst his tears: what did I do to deserve a friend like you?

Arjun(sarcastically): nothing (Sameer raised his eyebrow) kisne kaha tu mujhe deserve karta hai?

Sameer rolled his eyes: mujhe tera murder karna hai

Arjun: kyun bichari bhabhi ko jail jaa kar Badnam karna chahta hai?

Sameer: tu aur teri bhabhi milkar ek din mera dimag kha jaoge

Arjun: idea bura nahi hai

Sameer: Arjun!!!

The two laughed as they walked out only to find that team was in their own world. They were laughing and joking forgetting about the world around them.

Sameer: kitna waqt ho gaya inhe aise dekhkar

Arjun: hmm, par ye bache ke bache hi rahenge

Sameer: acha hai, humari tarah nahi hai

Arjun looked at him: uske liye unhe woh sab sehna hoga jo humne saha hai, aur woh main nahi chahta

Sameer nodded. Just then...

Liza: are ye dono bhi aa gaye

Riya mv "ye ajeeb hai, dono itne der tak ek saath the aur jhagda nahi hua? Kuch toh chut raha hai, pata karna padega.

Arjun: acha? Hum yaad bhi hai tum logon ko?

Shree: nahi sir, sorry! Lekin aaj aap dono ki koi value nahi hai

Riya: Shree!

Shree: are seriously, haina Rathore sir?

Sameer: ha Riya, sahi toh keh raha hai woh. Anyway I hope tumne story nahi bataiyi unhe, warna repeat karni padegi

Riya: kaunsi story sir?

Sameer: are tum zinda kaise ho?

Chotu: haila! Hum woh toh puchna hi bhul gaye

Sameer: kamaal ke ETF officers ho tum log

Ayesha: Sameer humare paas common sense hai

Sameer(incredulously): isme common sense kaha se aayi?

Ayesha: woh doctor ne kuch locha kiya hoga na?

Riya: I'm impressed

Ayesha(cheerfully): thank you!

Arjun suppressed his giggles as the rest looked at the duo with wide eyes.

Chotu: matlab us doctor ne kuch locha kiya tha?

Riya: ha aur fir uske haath ke nishaan se maine use pehchaan liya...

Shree: woh tattoo

Riya: ha wahi, aur main waha se bhag gayi, kyunki mujhe laga ki woh gang toh khatam ho gaya tha but apparently...

Ayesha: woh kuch zyaada hi complicated tha

Riya: exactly

Sameer sighed: fine! (muttering) why do I even bother? (aloud) late ho gaya, kal sabko office report karna hai, aur case humare hi raha dekh raha hai

Chorus(except Arjun): KAL?!?!!?

Sameer: ha aaj chutti le li na?

Liza: lekin...lekin kyun? Aur kaunsa case?

Sameer: Riya ke ilawa sabko report karna hoga, kyunki use toh pehle officially zinda hona padega. Hume Chetan, Javed aur Babu ke kattil ko bhi pakadna hai.

Chetan's name struck Arjun and Riya like lightening. Riya started fidgeting with her hands. Sweat beads formed on her forehead.

Shree: par sir use kyun pakadna hai? criminal hi toh hai

Sameer(firmly): Shree, it's a murder aur hume use solve karna hai. ye humari responsibility hai chahe woh criminal ka ho, ya fir kisi aur ka!

Riya's body tensed with every word that spilled out of Sameer's mouth. Arjun shot her one look and it was enough for him to understand she was freaking out. Riya was looking down at her feet avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Arjun: us case ki investigation nahi hogi

Sameer(surprised): excuse me?

Arjun: you heard me, uski investigation nahi hogi

Sameer: Arjun please, mujhe tumse argument nahi karni. Tum apni duty ko kaise un-dekha kar sakta ho? (he turned to Riya) tum hi samjhao ise Riya

Riya cautiously looked up: woh...sir...main...

Arjun: Sam! Uski investigation nahi hogi kyunki mujhe pata hai ki woh kisne kiya

Chorus: WHAT?!?!

Sameer(shocked): tumhe pehle se pata tha?

Arjun: ha, mujhe pata tha

Sameer recalled the urgency with which Arjun had snatched the file from Deshmukh and shook his head in disbelief. He should've known it then.

Ayesha: kisne kiya sir?

Arjun took a deep breath. He looked at Riya from the corner of his eyes. She was in the verge of a breakdown.

Arjun: Sameer dekho, us waqt situation aisi thi ki mu...

Riya(softly): maine

All eyes turned to her in shock: WHAT?!?!!?

The three boys felt the ground beneath them sweep away. It was Riya? The girl who could barely shoot? She killed three people with such ruthlessness?

Ayesha(impressed): wow! You're really good! par tum aise sar jhuka kar kyun baithi ho?

Shree: Ayesha ek minute! Riya, you can't do that, ye baat hum sab jaante hai agar tum kisi ko bachane ki koshish kar rahi ho toh...

Riya's eyes moistened: nahi! Un teeno ko...maine hi maara tha. main...

Arjun went forward and held her hand: Riya relax! Tumhe jhut bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai, (Riya looked at him in surprise) Sameer, maine unhe maara hai

Sameer: ab tum shuru ho gaye? Unki maut 25 tareekh ko hui thi woh bhi Pune mein aur us waqt tum humare saamne, court mein the aur woh bhi solitary confinement bina phone ke so...you might want to change the excuse

Shree(bewildered): Ri, kya sach mein tune, tune unhe maara?

Riya: main...main pakdi gayi thi, mujhe kuch samaj mein nahi aa raha tha. sab kuch...sab kuch apne aap hi ho gaya. Main unhe maarna nahi chahti thi

Liza: agar maar bhi diya toh kya? Tum waha investigation karne hi gayi thi na? hota hai kabhi-kabhi

Arjun explained: she's not authorized Liza, it is still murder. Woh koi official undercover par nahi thi

Ayesha(worried): toh ab?

Sameer mocked: common sense Ayesha, common sense! She was dead at that time! Aur mare hue log kisi ka khoon nahi kar sakte, (turning to Riya) Riya tum investigation ki chinta mat karo, okay? Hum sab sambhal lenge. Aur raaz ki batau?

Riya softly nodded.

Sameer: woh commissioner haina? Woh Raghu sir ke pakke dost hai aur Raghu sir tumhare Arjun sir ki puja karte hai. tumne toh dekha haina? Sheen ka case? Agar unka bas chale na toh woh Arjun ke naam ka mandir khulwa de (Arjun rolled his eyes) toh agar kuch gadbad hui bhi na toh bhi kuch nahi hoga. Tumhara boyfriend ekdum strategic insaan hai. woh sirf request bhi karega na toh Raghu sir commissioner sir ko order de denge.

Shree: aur agar zaroorat padi toh Lizard bhi toh hai? Kis din kaam aayegi? postmortem ki report thodi idhar-udhar kar denge, tu chill kar re

Riya(relieved): thank you so much!!! Mujhe toh laga main pakka jail...

Ayesha: are aise kaise Jail chali jaogi? Tumne bina kisi ki madad ke itna bada case solve kiya hai, toh kya itna chota maamla nahi sulajh sakta kya?

Riya: main akeli kaha thi? Arjun the aur aap logon ne bhi toh madad ki

Sameer: ek...ek second Riya, tumhare sabuton ke bagair hum Raana tak nahi pahunch aate aur agar us tak pahunch bhi jaate toh Shirke aur Sakshi tak nahi pahunchte, toh tum thoda credit le lo okay? Waise bhi fir tum itni achi gun chalati ho (Riya embarrass hokar neeche dekhti hai) toh na thoda compensate ho jaayega

They laugh but Arjun disagrees.

Arjun: are mere baap ye gun na chalaye yahi acha , tumhe andaza bhi nahi hai isne kitne karnaame kiye hai

Sameer: rehne de Arjun please, hum sab Riya ko ache se jaante hai. Badnam mat kar bichari bachi ko. Kitni pyaari hai, haina?

Riya smiled innocently

Sameer: dekh! Woh toh by chance Chetan ka murder ho gaya haina?

Riya nodded with the same puppy face as Arjun shook his head in disbelief.

Arjun: theek hai, Ab tum log dafa ho jao chalo!

Shree: sir aapne kaha tha ki aap hume nahi rokenge

Arjun: fir report kaun mera baap karega? Time dekho, 2 bajne waale hai

All eyes turn to their watches only to realize he was telling the truth

Chotu whined: Rathore sir, ek aur din chutti dona

Sameer: sorry Chotu main de deta lekin do din mein puri detailed report Vishwas sir ko submit karni hai, fir tum logon ko hi time kam padega

Ayesha: yaar ye paperwork kyun karna padta hai itna, hum case solve kare ya paperwork kare?

Sameer: rules maine nahi banaye Ayesh

Sameer gets up and the rest groan before following. Shree and Chotu hug Riya tightly for a goodbye.

Shree: Jaldi ETF mein aa, fir hum sab masti karenge

Chotu: ha tere haath ki coffee peeni hai

Riya(cheerfully): done!

Rathore too hugged her: take care

Riya: aap bhi sir

Soon after the team left, leaving the love birds alone.

On the way home-

Ayesha: Sameer ek baat puchu?

Sameer: pucho

Ayesha: Riya aisi kyun hai

Sameer(confused): matlab?

Ayesha: matlab ki ek taraf woh Sakshi ki baat ko jhuta sabit karne ke liye ETF office tak mein ghus gayi aur ab jab woh Shirke ki beti hai aur hum use frame kar sakte hai toh woh usi ko bachane ke liye Shirke tak ko chodne ke liye taiyaar ho gayi? Arjun sir sahi keh rahe the, us MLA ne itna kuch kiya fir bhi?

Sameer: woh waisi hi hai Ayesha, in fact mujhe toh abhi bhi yakeen nahi ho raha ki Chetan, Javed aur Babu ko usne maara

Ayesha: ha Sameer par fir bhi? Agar gaur se socha jaaye toh Riya ki baat sahi thi, ki kisi ko bhi us gunaah ki saza nahi milni chahiye jo usne nahi kiya lekin Sakshi ne aur kitna kuch kiya, Arjun sir par jhuta ilzaam lag kar unhe Badnam karne ki koshish ki yaha tak ki uski khud ki jaan lene tak ki koshish ki fir bhi woh use bachati rahi. It takes a lot of courage for such morals jab ki woh khud personally involved thi

Sameer smiled: woh waisi hi hai Ayesha, ab kaise hai? ye toh main bhi aaj tak nahi samaj paaya. woh maar sakti hai, lekin she chooses not to. woh bina hichkichaya pitayi karegi lekin goli chalane se pehle sau baar sochegi. It's just how she is.

Ayesha nod karti hai: aap sahi the, woh kuch alag hi hai

Sameer: of course main sahi tha, I'm always (Ayesha passes him a look) except for that one thing I have always been right

Ayesha: better (Sameer laughed, She feels surprised thinking he did not answer her back) kya baat hai? bade khush hai aaj aap?

Sameer: ha Ayesh, main bahot, bahot, bahot khush hun!!! We've missed her so much aur isliye bhi kyunki Arjun ko firse apna pyaar mil gaya...hum ice cream khaane chale kya?

Ayesha (surprised): kya kaha aapne? Ice cream? Is waqt? Kaunsi dukaan aapke liye khuli hogi?

Sameer(disappointed): are ha, is waqt toh kuch bhi nahi khula hoga, hum kal office jaane se pehle ice cream kha ke jayenge

Ayesha(amused): jaise aapki marzi

Arjun and Riya were both tired after the long day they had had. They were lying in each other's arms, ready to fall asleep.

Arjun: maine kaha tha na tumse? Koi tumse nafrat nahi karega?

Riya nodded happily and hugged him: thank you!

Arjun kissed her forehead.

Riya: ek baat puchu?

Arjun: pucho na

Riya: aap aur Rathore sir...

Arjun groaned thinking about the lie he had told the night before: are ha...woh

Riya: kya woh?

Arjun explained the whole story to her leaving out the part that the team had come home the previous night. Instead he told her that it was all at Shirke's house after she left.

Arjun: jab use Sikandar ke baare mein pata chala usne tabhi mujhse maafi maangi par main kar nahi paaya...sach kahu toh mujhe nahi pata tha ki main use maaf kar paunga ya nahi par (taking a deep breath) I couldn't see him the same way I was. Kal uski jo haalat thi, mujhe uske andar khud ki parchayi dikhi Riya aur woh feeling bilcul bhi achi nahi thi.

He looked at her trying to read her expression unsure of she approved of his decision or not but she smiled and kissed his cheek.

Riya: Arjun, aap chahe jo bhi faisla main humesha aapka saath dungi. Maine aapko promise kiya tha ki main Rathore sir se is baare mein baat nahi karungi lekin aapse ek baat kehna chahti hun

Arjun: kya?

Riya: give a second chance Arjun, people deserve one. Main Rathore sir ko jaanti hun, woh bure nahi hai, I'm sure woh dil se sharminda hai. kabhi-kabhi insaan na chahte hue bhi kuch galtiyan kar baith ta hai par chahe jo bhi ho, don't ever give a third one kyunki at that point woh sirf aapka faayde uthayenge. Sirf Rathore sir hi nahi, kisi bhi situation mein, chahe koi bhi ho, aap samaj rahe haina ki main kya kehna chahti hun?

Arjun smiled and cuddled her: ha, main dhyaan rakhunga. Ab tum so jao. We have a big day tomorrow. Vishwas sir ko heart attack dena baakhi hai.

Riya giggled as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms.

The End...