Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34:

Aisha… looking for Arjun… ab??

Jacob: Ajay, tell her to come tomorrow. Kaho ke hume decide karne ko thode time chahiye.

After cutting the call, he dialed Varma's number.

Jacob waited till Varma took the call.

Va: hello kya bath hai Jacob? At last mere yaad agaya tumhe?

Ja: abhi nahi tho kab yaad ayega mujhe?

Va: matlab?

Ja:jo bath mien tumhe kuch saal pehle warn kiya tha, wo ab ho rahe hai.

Va: I didn't get you.

Ja: Aisha… ye naam yaad hai?

Va: of course. Kya hua?

Ja: she is here. Hospital me ayi hai. And she wants some answers.

Va: kya usse kuch patha hai? What does she want?

Ja: usse bas un dino ke purane files dekhna hai, just to see if he was admitted in the hospital. What should I do? Abhi filhal Ajay ne unhe kal ane ko kaha hai.

Va: this was to happen anyway Jacob. Let's not get to her way. Abhi hi kafi der hua hai. give her the files tomorrow.

Ja: should I say about him?

Va: nahi. Arjun ye nahi chahtha hai. Just give her the files for now.

Ja: ok I'll say it to Ajay.

Va: how is she?

Ja: meine dekha nahi hai. She met Ajay at hospital.

Va: ok keep me informed.

***

Ajay told Aisha to come the next day. She didn't have a choice other than that. She thanked Ajay and left the hospital.

She went back to the hotel room. There was nothing to do till next dayz. She stayed back in the room with a blank mind till evening. Then she thought of taking a ride. Changed to a simple salwar, she went around the city. And at the end she still reached the same spot. The cliff.

The night was still young and apettite had already left her. But she fed herself with the small snack she had bought on the way.

She stayed back at the silent cliff for a long time. There was no tear, no guilt, nothing left. She was just missing him… and that's all…

***

Mumbai:

Sakshi was a bit worried. Where was Aisha gone? How near or far was she? Hows it going to end?

Hurting each other yet again? Or feeling each other's strength as always?

Everyday was getting tougher for her.

The team did not miss her worries either. The usual bubbly girl was a bit dormant. For others, they thought is was because she was left alone. Liza took the first step to her.

Li: you alright?

Sa: hm… yeah I'm fine. (she plastered a smile)

Li: jhoot math bolo Sakshi. Kya hua?

Sa: kuch nahi Liza.

Li: kahi tum ye tho nai soch rahe hai ke hum tumhe maaf karege bhi nahi.

Sa: you have all rights to be angry with me Liza. And I don't blame you. But I'm waiting for the day when you will forgive me.

Li: it was not that easy Sakshi. Especially Sree. You have seen him how close he is to Aisha. Tho socho how close he must be to Arjun sir. Maana ke wo khule aam tho nahi kehthe, but he did respect him a lot. So for all of us, it was really tough to get going those days. Tumhe shayad patha nahi hoga ke Rathod Sir, Aisha aur hum sab kaise seh liya tha…

Sa: I can understand Liza. Isiliye mien aap sabse maafi bhi mangahai.

Li: I can forgive you Sakshi. Maybe Sree and Chotu need some more time.

Sakshi agrees to it. "ek bath puchu Liza? When did Aisha leave ETF after that incident?"

Liza takes a deep breath. "us hadse ka sabse bada sadma Aisha ko hi hua tha…. I just cant imagine what she went through"

Sa:can you tell me what actually happened?

Liza took a while to compose herself and nodded.

The blast... that did numb everyone for a while. It was Aisha who reacted first. She began to run to the burning flames. Sam woke up just in time and held her back. It was really tough to hold Aisha longer.

Sam: Aisha… hosh me aao. You can't go there.

Ai: chodo mujhe… Arjun…!!!

She was held back by Sam and Liza, while Sam asked Sree, Chotu and few more men to go forward. They couldn't trust Aisha that time. The burning flames did the maximum damage. It took more time for them to go ahead. At last Aisha was successful in getting out of the hold and move towards the region.

It was completely devastated… there was no one left… other than a burning car, that was just an exoskeleton now.

"Arjun…" she screamed at a heart breaking tone. All knew he was not there. But she kept searching as a maniac. All looked onto their best officer who has just lost everything in her life…

"Aisha…" all tried to call her back, trying to put some sense in her head. But in vain. She kept on searching. Each of the member were just in a position, that they lost not just one, but two of their own over there. A hope for getting him alive seemed to be thinning. But none acknowledged it.

Sameer was getting afraid now. Aisha should stop now. Before she lose herself.

"Aisha…" he held on to her upper arm. But she didn't acknowledge him. "Arjun…" that was the only word that came from her lips, eyes still searching for him.

"Aisha… look at me. Hosh me aao. We will find him. But control yourself"

But no… she didn't listened. She was trying to loosen his hold.

"AISHA…" he called out again. And then the trance broke. Her eyes were blank for a while. She looked around to gather the situation. Her breathing was hardly visible. All were just lost to say something.

"Aisha…" this time, Sam's voice was a whisper. She turned to him. A lonely tear at last found in position in a corner of her eye. "Sam…." Her voice was more a sort of a plea…

"Sam… please bring him back… please… please…" he felt her heavy. She was slidding down. Soon all gathered around Aisha who has fainted onto Sameer's arms.

Liza let out a sigh. Her throat was heavy. Sakshi placed a hand on Liza's shoulder. "I'm sorry Liza. I should not have asked you"

She nodded negative, had a glass of water and composed herself. "nahi Sakshi. You should know, what actually happened that day. Thab shayad tumhe patha chalega ke sab tumse upset kyu hai."

Sakshi kept on looking at Liza. This girl seemed different from the one who used to harass Sree. She is so different.

Li:are you ready to hear more?

Sakshi nodded.

Li: us din ke baad sab kuch badal gaya.

Aisha was taken to the vehicle and then to the temporary office where doctors were waiting for her.

Sameer and team started the search for Arjun. With the help of locals, they studied the terrain.from the information they gathered, it was tough to get anyone alive.

They located some remains of Siva at a distance. That increased the terror.

They searched day in and out. Even at nightfall Sameer didn't stop the team to stop the search. Liza, Sree and Chotu had seen him angry before. But this avatar was new to them.  They were frightened to go in front of him. The pain of losing one…no two of his best officers, who were more like a family to him, suppressed beneath the chief's face… it was terror on loose.

The men worked many days together. But the end was negative.

Though none were ready to acknowledge it, they were losing hope.

In between Aisha's condition was terrible. She joined the team the very next day, ignoring Sameer's orders. She was too hell bent now. All saw her working nonstop. She stopped talking. She stopped even the interactions. She was silent. But all knew better. This was the silence before the storm.

The high officials reached down to the place. Search was extended to the nearby locations, check post, hospitals… but result was again negative.The officials made their verdict.

ACP Arjun Suryakanth Rawte: Missing in Action.

They asked the team to come back to Mumbai. Sameer asked for some more time for his team to search for Arjun. But orders were orders. By the time Aisha came to know about the verdict, the storm had taken up completely. She was lost…

They took her back to Mumbai. Aisha started to confine herself inside her home. Never getting up. Never speaking to anyone.If the team was broken by Arjun missing, they were shattered to see her condition.

All took their initiative to bring her out. And that day it happened too…

Sameer and Sree had tried to call her all the day long. None answered. Due to the case, they were not in a state to visit her. Every moment they were tensed for her. At last when the case was solved the team rushed to her home. The door was ajar. They went in.

Inside the home, in her rocking chair was she… her face was beyond recognition. Sleep deprived and fatigue had taken its toll too…

Liza went and sat opposite to her on her knees. She held Aisha's hands. "Aisha… ye kya hal banake rakhe ho? why didn't you answer the call?"

They were not sure if she heard her. Liza cupped Aisha's face and forced her to look at her. "Aisha…"

"wo ayega…"

That line had all the loneliness and pain accumulated in it. Liza was shocked would be an understatement. She looked at Rathod for help.

He came up and shook her. She repeated her words as if in a trance.

He knew this was the beginning of the end. Either he should end it here straight away, preventing a calamity, or wait for an unknown time. He took the first option.

"hosh me aao Aisha… wo wapas nahi ayega…"

All looked at him, except her. He looked at others and tried to emote what he was trying to do. They knew that there was no other option.

"Aisha… can you hear me? Suno... Arjun ab wapas nahi ayega…"

"no… wo wapas…" she started to whisper. But he stopped it middle.

"he is dead Aisha. wo wapas nahi ayega. Agar hothe tho wo abhi hamare saath hothe…so try to understand. He is dead…"

"no…"

"yes Aisha…. wo ab kabhi wapas nahi ayega… he is …"

He felt a slap on his face. "dost kehthe ho apne aapko, aur unhe maarne wale ho? how could you do it Sam?"

There was a fury in those eyes. He preferred that fury than the silence that was going to kill her.

[my note: this was an extention of a chapter written long back. Hope you still remember it]

Sakshi: fir?

Li: fir wo ussi din hum sabko dur jaane ko kaha. Aur uss din mien kabhi nahi bhoolega Sakshi. Never in my life, I'll forget it.kyunki ussi din, pehli bar mien Rathod sir ko puri tharah toot the hue dekha. Wo  puri tharah se toot gaya tha. Na uske paas unke friend tha, aur na uss friend ke wife. We saw him crying for the first time.

Sakshi could feel the pain in the tone. She could feel the day, as if happeneing just now. She waited for Liza without poking her.

Li: next day Aisha office aya. We were shocked to see her. She was the old Aisha, but not the same at the same time. wo seedhe Rathod sir ke cabin me gaya. Kafi time ke baad wo bahar nikli. We saw her. Wo bas humse smile kiya aur chali gayi. Fir do saal thak uske bare me kisiko kuch nahi patha tha.

Sa: you didn't ask Sameer about it?

Li: yes we did. Wo uss din bhi bohot bure hal me the. he just said one thing. 'Aisha is leaving ETF. Sabse bye bola hai.and have asked all never to try to contact her.' Sree was ready to track her out. But Sir ne saaf mana kardiya. Aur kaha ke ye ek order hai. Never try to contact Aisha, unless she tries to contact you. Uss din ke baad kuch mahine pehle hi wo wapa aya hai.

Sakshi was silent.

Li: shayad ab tum hamare situation samajhne lagi hogi.

Sa:yes I can and now mien dilse sorry keh rahi hu. You have every right to be angry with me. And I'll wait for the time that you forgive me.

Liza smiled at her. Sree peeps in. "Liza, Rathod sir bula raha hai"

She nods and goes to meet Rathod leaving Sakshi alone. She was picturising everything.

"Arjun… tumhe patha nahi hai ke tumhe sab kithne miss kiya hai. I wanted you to come back. But now I dread the day wen you come back. How are you going to face them? How are you going to answer their questions? Agar ithne saal tumne dard saha hai, then trust me, that will be nothing compared to what you are going to suffer"

***

Next day Aisha walks to Ajay's cabin.He welcomes her with a smile and asks to sit.

Aj: I got permission from above. Aapko 3-4 din ke reports dikha saktha hu. Hope it will help you.

Ai: thank you so much sir.

Ajay hands over her few files. "ye wo files jinme un 3-4 dino me admit kiya hua patients ke details hai."

He saw her taking the file with a trembling hand. She was just looking at those.

Aj: you may take your time.

He said pointing at the sofa. She moved to that place. She started with file dated 14^th, the day of the blast. She opened after a silent prayer. She went through it. Then next… then next…

Ajay by that time knew the story from his father. He was closely observing her.

Her face changed from anxiety, tension, fear…. Then sadness…again helpless….

Because he knew that she didn't get her reply from those files.

Aisha was again at the dead end. They were 3 men admitted on 14^th and 15^th together. One Mr. Pathmanabhan, next Mr. Aryan Varma. And the end an unknown man, who was dead.