And I'll try to fix you
Chapter-7
*Flashbacks*
United Airways
Flight: Dubai to Washington DC
Riya woke up startled from her sleep and found she's sleeping on Arnav's shoulder. Poor lad was having a tough time sleeping in that crooked position. She tucked him under the blanket.
Everyone was sleeping in their respective seats. She glanced behind and saw him sleeping too. She stood up and walked towards the loo. She was shivering badly.
Two seats behind were Arjun and Roshni. She stopped nearing them. Roshni was sleeping peacefully on his chest and his head was out of the head-rest. She smiled at their sleeping forms.
She had switched her seat with Roshni so that Roshni could sit with Arjun. And, she was glad she did it.
She picked up the pillow and slowly put it under his head and kept his head in a comfortable position. She couldn't help but ruffle his hair after she did that.
In less than 20 days, Arjun and Riya had become best of friends. They were inseparable unless yes, Riya made him spend more time with Roshni as she knew Roshni liked him.
Arjun was the warmth Riya could feel in her heart and the bond what this two shared was something neither of them depict clearly.
Trembling in cold, she walked away but only to be held by him. Arjun was a light sleeper and had woken up a while ago. He tugged at her hand and cuddled it.
"hey bella amiga" He whispered, making her kneel beside him. A playful smile adorning his lips. Riya grinned at his antics.
"hey bello amigo." She replied, shivering. Arjun was quick to notice her quivering voice. He sat up straight, forgetting that Roshni was sleeping on his chest.
Roshni groaned in her sleep. Arjun put her head back to her seat and tucked her under a blanket. He found Riya shivering badly.
"Kya hua?" he asked her, worried. "Thand lag rahi hai. Bohot thand." Riya managed to speak out.
He took out his jacket and made Riya wear it quickly, rubbing her palms. They walked towards the pantry and Arjun brought a hot steamy cup of coffee. Riya took it. Arjun ran back his seat. By then some other friends had awoken and joined Riya. Soon enough, Riya found the warmth back.
Arjun came back with 3 or 4 more blankets and covered Riya with them.
"Oyee.. I look like a puddle!" Riya joked.
"You are an adorable puddle shonu." Arjun told her, hugging her. Others joined them and Riya was crushed between them, laughing.
*Flashback Ends*
Riya smiled at the memory. She sifted on her chaise lounge and hanged on to his coat, taking in his cologne. Davidoff Cold Water, she mused. Kuch cheeze kabhi nehi badalti hai.
The care his eyes showed that day, she could still see them in his eyes today. Her heart screamed out to her to believe in it but her mind stopped her.
She hugged the coat tighter and a tear drop rolled down, kissing her cheek; feeling that old warmth.
ETF headquarters
"Pihu, ek 8 saal ki ladki kal shaam se gayeb hai." Rathore briefed in. "Kyuki woh famous businessman Krishnakanth Gajedhia ki beti hai, department ne yeh case ETF ko soupi hai."
"Shree, tum office mein hi ruko and trace karo." Rathore instructed Shree. Shree nodded.
As they were about to leave, Riya came in. She had been resting for last 3 hours and got sick of it.
She wanted to come with them which everyone said a big no to. But after a good 5 minute squabbling, Riya finally made Rathore to take her with them.
Riya hopped into the SUV with Rathore, before Rathore even could make her go to the other SUV with Raute.
"In dono ka kuch nehi ho sakta" Rathore thought, rolling his eyes.
------
"kal main khud usse School chodke aayi thi. Phir jab usse lane ko gayi thi, woh school mein nehi mili." Devika, victim's mother, told between her sobs. Krishnakanth put his hands around her to calm her down. Their son, Punit, 16 years old, stand on the door, giving his mother a look, which Arjun figured was disgust.
Punit was tall, like his father and had black eyes. He resembled so much like his father. Arjun looked at Pihu's picture. She resembled nothing to her father or mother. Quite strange,eh!
"Aaplog kuch bhi kijiye par meri beti ko sahi salamat bapas le aayiye." Krishnakant pleaded.
"Aap log pareshan matt hoyiye. Hum puri kosish karenge ki who jald se jald mill jaye." Rathore assured them.
"Mrs. Gajedhia, aaj subha jab Pihu school gayi thi, how was she dressed?" Arjun asked all of a sudden, all looked at him surprised.
"Of course, woh apni school uniform mein thi." Devika replied.
"haan, par there must be something...like usne aapni baal kaise banayi or something?" Arjun asked, again surprisingly.
"woh...woh.. I don't remember!" Devika replied hesitantly. Unexpectedly, Punit left the room in haste. Arjun went behind him.
Arjun went near Punit's room and knocked on the door. Hearing a mumbled 'Come in', he walked in.
Well, one typical teenager room with posters of his favorite band hanging on the wall and disheveled clothes lying all around!
But what caught Arjuns eyes are some pictures in on his wall. One thing Arjun was sure, Punit loved his sister but he was hiding something too. Punit was sweating profusely under the hot cops gaze and the way his body language was proposing, he was addicted to drugs.
Drugs! That's it! (Mentos Moment)
"aapko kuch puchna tha?" Punit asked. Arjun looked at the kid with scrutinizing eyes. If his intuitions were correct, Punit had something to do with his sister's disappearance.
"Tumhari aur tumhari behen ki beech kaisa rishta tha?" Arjun asked Punit, crossing his arms over.
"I love my sister." Punit replied back with attitude.
"I know you do." Arjun calmly replied and left the room.
Closing the door, Arjun called Shree,
"Shree, mujhe Punit k baaremein saari information chahiye. Jald se jald."
"Sir, ek ransom call aaya hai." Neha informed him.
"Hello." Devika spoke up in a croaky voice.
"teri beti mere paas hai. Bachana hai toh raat 8 baje 50 lac rupiya leke purani talaab k paas wale gudaam pe a jana. Aur haan, ETF ne agar hoshiyari ki toh..*they hear Pihu cry in pain*"
"nehi...usse kuch matt karna." Krishnakanth cried out.
And the kidnapper disconnected the call.
-------
ETF Headquarters
"Sir, aap sahi thhe. Punit ki social networking profiles hack karke yeh pata chala hai ki woh drugs lete hai." Shree stated.
"Pata tha. Uski room mein jo tasveere thhi unmein se ek ladke ko maine khud ek rave parti mein drug bechte huye dekha tha." Arjun said.
"Aur ek baat sir, 4 mahine pehle punit aise hi kisi rave party mein se pakra bhi gaya tha. Lekin MLA k beta hai so jald choot gaya." Neha pitched in.
"So, sayed abhi uske parents usse paise nehi dete honge and frustration mein aake usne apni hi behen ko kidnap kar liya?" Arjun said, twirling the pain between his fingers.
"Pihu punit ki real sister nehi hai." Riya said, all of a sudden, entering the discussion room.
Arjun, not able to resist, asked in amazement,
"Tumhe kaise pata?"
Riya looked at him and thought, "always the tone of a surprise."
"I noticed. So, I went to Pihu's room and found her hair in her comb. Then I tricked both of Mr and Mrs Gajedia and took some of their hair." Riya stated.
"Oh yes, I saw you do that." Rathore uttered in amazement.
"Guess what? Pihu Mr Gajedia ki asli beti nehi hai but yes, Devika is her mother only." Riya said, taking a sit next to Shree.
"Good job Riya." Rathore praised her. She offered him a smile back. Arjun was impressed, not that he wasn't always...Duh!
"Sir, tab toh shaq ka sui Mr Gajedia ki upar bhi jaata hai. Kya pata this is his way to get rid of her. After all, MLA hai, aisi baatein agar samne aa gayi toh uski election pe bhaadi parega." Chotu said.
"haan bilkul. Aisa bhi ho sakta hai." Rathore said.
"humari paas waqt bohot kam hai, Rathore." Arjun reminded.
"I know Raute. So, this is how we are gonna do it, Chotu, main aur Raute Mr Gajedia k saath lake house chalenge. Neha tum Mrs Gajedia par nazar rakkho. Riya aur Shree tum dono Punit ka peecha karo."
"nehi. Shree yahi ruko aur teeno ko trace karo. Humhe tumhari jarorat padh sakti hai." Arjun re-ordered Shree.
"Okay team, let's go!"
-------
It was 7.15.
Riya was following Punit's car for a while now. He stopped outside a deserted house, parked his car and walked in.
Riya parked her car a little farther behind and walked in stealthily. She took her gun out and followed Punit. But there was no one in the house. By the smell and look of it, some elder woman lived there. It was neat and clean. A very few furnitures. What was Punit doing here? She thought.
Suddenly Punit turned and Riya raised her gun at him. He got scared and took a few steps back.
"Yaha kya kar rahe ho tum?" Riya asked. Punit thinking for a moment, narrated her the whole story how he and his friends had cooked up with this plan to kidnap his sister for ransom money. He himself had left her in this house with one of his friends mother. But she's not here now, meaning his so-called friends have cheated him.
Riya so wanted to smack this kid but her scold was cut in short when Punit got a message on his phone. Punit showed it to her.
"Get out of here fast." She said, literally pushing him out of the room. She put her Bluetooth on.
"Shree, there's a bomb in the living room, help me find it." She informed him with a calm voice.
----------
Here, Rathore, Arjun, Chotu and some commandos were hiding in the woods, waiting.
They had their Bluetooth on so when Riya mentioned about the bomb, they felt like a lightening had strike them.
Rathore: Ghar mein koi hai?
Riya: No, sir.
Arjun: then get the hell outta there!
Shree: Haan, Riya!
Arjun literally screamed in desperation.
"You are right. I'm leaving." Riya said, running towards the door but then a voice stopped her in a hilt.
"Maa kaha hai?" a sweet, sleepy 6 years old girl came into the living room. She quickly ran towards her but the kid ran away and locked herself in the room. "Sweety, humhe jaana hoga. Please bahar ajao." Riya pleaded. But the kid was adamant not to come out unless her mother comes.
"Riya, what's going on?" Rathore asked, hearing her talk to somebody.
Riya, giving up, started to look around to find the bomb. "There's a kid in the house and I can't get her out!"
"Pick up the kid and get out!" Arjun yelled.
"I can't Arjun!" Riya scowled back. Hadh hai, yaha sirr pe maut hai and yeh abhi tak chilla raha hai.
As if luck was happy on her, she found the bomb in the cabinet under the tv but damn, only a minute left.
"Shree, bomb defuse kaise karte hai?" Riya asked in urgency. "Jaldi bolo only a minute left."
"There might be a cord attached to terminator, if you can pull the right cord off than bomb phatne se ruk jayega." Shree replied.
"But yaha toh 4 taar hai. Kaunsa wala?" Riya asked, trying to figure out this god damn bomb. Only 30 seconds left.
"I am not sure Ri!" Shree voiced out.
"Riya! Meri baat suno"
Arjun said in a shaking voice. But she shushed him off, "Abhi nehi"
Gathering all the courage she had, she pulled off the blue cord.
It was passed one minute and there was no response from Riya.
"Riya?" Arjun asked, hoping she'd answer him back. He was praying, yes, Arjun raute was praying to keep her safe. His hands were getting cold, worrying.
"Riya?" Rathore asked, worried sick.
"You are a very bad girl!" Riya said to the kid who had now chosen to come out of the room.
Everyone breathed in relief. Rathore hid his face on his palms, chotu almost cried out in joy.
"You are a bad girl." Arjun sighed, only to be heard by Riya.
Music Corner
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