Chapter 2A
PB Jewellers, Vikroli.
She barged into the shop with attitude, dressed in the uniform of a cop which she obviously was not.
The elderly shopkeeper
came forward eagerly.
"boliye madam.. kya
chahiye?"
she twirled her baton and
flashed him a cheeky smile.
"Arre! uncleji.. chahiye toh
bohot kuch hai, khair...
hame yeh khabar mili hai
hai ke aapke dukaan mein black money transacations hote hai?"
she bent down
dangerously close to the
poor old chap who started
sweating out of
intimidation. he licked his
lips nervously and replied
in a shaky voice,
"Na! na madam! Aapko
galat fehmi hua hai"
she raised an eyebrow,
'Galat fehmi uncle? raid
karwau phir?"
she asked threateningly
"Arre nahi madam! hum..
hum ye baat aapas me
sulta lete hai ne! rukko!"
he stammered and went
inside the shop.
Once alone, she grinned
out her 32's and mentally
patted her back,
complimenting herself
inaudibly
"Oye wah! simmi! kya
acting kii hai tune! Tu toh
puri duniya me chha
jayegi bilkul."
after a few minutes, he
returned with a few bundles of paper money, but at the very moment the doors swung open revealing three police officers who were unfortunately real.
***
He had returned to the
car hoping that nothing
untoward happened.
Arjun's nostrils flared up in anger at the sight in front..
Here he was perched upon a rock a few feet away from the car, totally
unpertubed, his whole
form shaking to some
music that was obviously
coming out of those
headphones plugged into
his ears.
Arjun went and stood in
front of Karan, almost
towering over him, but
still he was so
engrossed in his laptop to
take notice.
Arjun called him several
times by the name, but it
fell to deaf ears.
Arjun tapped his shoulder,
Karan removed his
earphones, looked up at
him and grinned a big
goofy one.
Arjun frowned at that.
"oye! good morning mere sher! itne savere kahan
chal diye the?"
karan asked, still with that grin plasterd on.
Arjun niether greeted nor
replied but fired the
question in a breath
"itni derh se call kar raha hu, phone kahan hai
tumhara?'
karan knitted his
eyebrows in confusion and again it smoothed as he recalled.
the play of expression on
his face amused Arjun.
"Oye yaar! mera phone to
sasural... i mean jail me hi
chhuth gaya tha."
Karan replied
Arjun looked away, turned and walked towards the car.. not before ordering Karan.
"Chalo, we have work to
do."
***
E-Cafe, Ethan
mall, Worli.
Both men were busy
checking out smartphones
for themselves, and it was
the fifth time that Karan
rejected another brand
new Android handset.
The salesman gave him a
highly annoyed look but
asked in sweetly.
'Sir, bataiye to sahi aapko
kis tarah ka handset
chahiye?"
karan looked at him and
hooked his arm around
the man's neck and
literally dragged the
fellow along a few steps,
which, to outsiders would
seem like a friendly stroll
only Arjun knew better,
and it amused him to see
the sales agent's face, he
contorted his face as if he
tasted something bitter.
"ye kya yaar! Itni badi
dukaan chalate ho, koi
dhang ki cheeze nahi hai
kya! very sad! mujhe tu
intelligent laga tha..khair!"
Karan sighed dramatically
and let go of the man's
neck who seemed all too
relieved to be spared.
"Karan!" Arjun called out
and motioned with his
eyes to hurry up.
After twenty minutes they exited the mall with two new phones for each.
they reached the car and
Arjun was just about to sit on the driver's seat
when Karan whistled,
'oye shera de, aaj teri
dulhan ko mai ghumata
hu, Car keys de, i'll drive."
karan exclaimed.
Arjun smirked, with raised
eyebrows
"tumhe itni mushqil se jail se chhura laya hu kya yamraj ko parcel bhejne?"
Karan's face fell
but after a second, Arjun
tossed the keys towards
Karan, which he deftly
caught..
they got into the car with
Karan at the wheel.
After a few minutes Arjun
glanced at Karan to find
him staring hard through
the windshield, his lips
pursed and all traces of his usual playful smirk
vanished.
"Meri dulhan to tumhe
mill gayi, ab muh latka k
kyu baithe ho?"
Arjun attempted at slight
humour.
Karan threw in a fake half-smile and that was so not Karan.
"Kuch nahi, kisi ki yaad
agayi bass!"
something about his tone
intrigued Arjun..
It felt as if Karan had been
reminded of something
nasty.
Arjun's cop instincts
propelled him to question
Karan but his conscience
forbade him to do that,
for at the moment it
seemed Karan needed
privacy, and he kept mum
to provide that.
But he did make a mental
note to find out all there is to know about his new
partner.
Though Arjun trusted
himself to trust Karan, it
was alway better to do his homework.
ACP Arjun Rawte had had
enough experience to be
betrayed by the people he considered most
trustworthy.
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