Chapter fourteen
Karan-Arjun came back after a while and found nobody at Garage.
Karan : Sab kahan gaye?
Arjun pointed at Di's house. Simi was retiring from the balcony, maybe she went to inform others about their arrival.
Thy went inside to meet the girls.
Inside the house, Di & Anjali was eating pizza and giggling, while Simran came in with milkshake and water.
Simi : I saw you people coming. Kya mila?
Karan : Arre matt puch! Mukharjee is a dead rich! Unke liye waise 10-12 car kuch nahi...that's why police didn't heed you ,Di.
Di : Hmm...bass kuch cheez clear hona baki hain...karan I need your help.
Karan : bol..
Di : Accident spot pe chal..batati hoon...
Arjun : Wahan aab kuch nahi milga, Disha.
Di : Bass kuch cheez confirm karna hain...(looked at Arjun's quizzical face) Don't worry..main car se utrungi nahi...
So after 10 minutes, Karan's Jeep and another bike zoomed to the accident spot.
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Arjun stopped near the cliff, Karan stopped beside him.
Simran : Beautiful place...
Karan : Haan...aur zyada traffic vi nahi hota..isiliye mujhe vi yahan aana accha laagta hain..
Di : Same here...
Arjun : Now what's your plan?
Di : Pehle asli jagah pe chalo, batati hoon...
Arjun : But...
Di : start the car..I'll ask you where to stop.
Arjun started the jeep and passed the turn, the he moved ahead, when Di asked him to stop.
Di : Yahan main giri thi.. woh jo bush hain uski paas..
Sh got down from the jeep and stood at the place. She gestured karan to com at the place with his bike.
Karan : aab kya hain?
Di : Tu yahan ruk. Arjun 80 km/h pe tujhe paas karke accident spot pounchega...Angel, Arjun ke saath raho aur time measure karna.
Simran : Isse kya hoga?
Di : ( ignoring Simi) Karan, Arjun tujhe pass karne ki 10 minutes baad tu 20km/h pe bike start karega...aur aage ki turn pe jaake speed 60km/h pe le lena...usi speed pe Arjun tak paunchna.. thik hain?
Simi : What are you upto, Di?
Di : Simi..tu stopwatch leke uss turn pe khari ho ja..karan tujhe pass karte hi time measure karlena, ok?
Simran : But tum actually kya karna chahti ho?
Di : Who karte waqt dekh lena..aab sab aapni aapni position lelo. Angel, karan ka final timing bi tumhe record karna hain, ok?
Anjali gave her a thumbs up.
After they finished the mock drill, Arjun came back to pick Di up. He saw her talking over the phone. She finished the call and took the passengers seat.
Di : Tumko kitna time laga?
Arjun : 4 min.
Di : Aur karan ko?
Arjun : 17 min.
Di :hmm.
Arjun : Kya?
Di : Now I know how this accident was staged.
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Rathod was retired from work and got up with an eye to go home. He reached in the lounge, when he saw a illumination upstairs. It surprised him a bit, because as far he knew the rooms there are not in use. Director was out of the town, chief wasn't around and the conference room...they don't use it for some faint reasons & everyone kept that topic away. His curiosity increased and he climbed up the stairs, to see the person inside that room.
He stopped at the closed glass door and read the nameplate. Which surprised and amused him simultaneously. "Farhaad Khan, Chief of administration". So this is that so called chief's assistant...and that's why he has the authority to talk into the matters. Rathod thought for a second and knocked. Khan's voice gave him permission and he entered the cabin.
It was a well set cabin, with a large secretariat table at centre and some wall cabinets. Khan was sitting behind his table and working on his computer. He welcomed Rathod without looking at him.
Rathod : (settling down) You sit here? You didn't tell me...
Khan : Didn't felt necessary...you were going home?
Rathod : Hmm..you?
Khan : I'm staying up tonight.
Rathod looked around, and was dwelling upon asking his question, while Khan spoke up.
Khan : You want to ask something?
That made Rathod almost jump out from his seat. Khan smiled at that.
Khan : I know you have a long questionnaire, but now I can only advise you to wait for the right time...you'll come to know everything.
Rathod : I was thinking about the case... Khan...can you give us the source's name...plz.
Khan : Sorry Rathod, I can't. I've promised...& I can't break it...
Rathod : Is it the same lady who informed you about the UC agent hospitalized? (Khan stopped working and stared at Rathod) I just guessed... From the day I'm here I felt something happening here... you always show up with some path breaking leads..but most of the time you stay inside the office.(khan was about to say something but Rathod cut him between)& I felt most of you know something and are trying to hide it from me...you guys have chose me as your acting chief...& you all hide things from me...Just tell me one thing Khan, are you all have problem working with me..because I'm feeling out of place here...this team...you didn't accept me as team member!
Khan : (shutting down his computer) someone sounds frustrated. (smiled) Wanna have some drink?
Rathod : No thanks..I don't drink...
Khan : I was talking about cold coffee, peoge?
Khan didn't wait for Rathod's answer, he moved to another corner of his room, opened his small freezer and brought out a jar, poured two mugs and gave one to Rathod. Then he moved to the back door and gestured Rathod to join him.
It was the balcony outside Khan's cabin...there was arrangements for two people to sit there. Khan took a stool and gestured Rathod to take another.
Khan : it's outside the office..a little personal place...& you are the first person to come here in last four years. Only she used to come here...when she was...( he blinked his eyes)let it be.
Rathod : What happened to her?
Khan : Nothing...she just left.
Rathod : when she'll come back?
Khan : Didn't ask...I've promised I'll never question her, where, when, how, why...nothing...she didn't tell & I didn't asked. You know what a promise means in friendship.
That word friendship hit Rathod like thunderbolt. He knew what a friendship means...but when it breaks...it breaks the people also. But today, he need to know something. So he probed further.
Rathod : She worked here?
Khan : ( offered Rathod a meaningful smile) We used to call her Devil. Was my batch mate in academy..then we joined I&E together... Rathod (late Vikram Rathod, who was replaced by Sameer Rathod) was in W&E and Rao was in his O&S. Anand sir, I mean Major Avinash Anand was our chief...he hated her, but at the same time he depended on her most. Unke hisaab se subha uthke uski chehra dekho toh pura din barbaad ho gaya...aur Devil vi unhe chirhane ka k vi mauka nehi chorti thi (smiled)...She was perfect... in every way...as a lady, as a frind, as an officer, teammate, life saver...shayed isiliye Anand sir vi uski harr prank or shaitaani tolerate karte the( he suddenly became silent).
Rathod : then?
Khan : Then something happened one day...things changed...& I lost her. (Looked at Rathod)Every day I wake up wishing that today she'll return...but in vain.
Rathod : I'm sorry, khan.
Khan : You know Rathod, I have nothing except hope, if I had I would've turned every stone to get my friend back. How unfortunate one I am Rathod... I coundn't stand for her, when she needed me most. I could stop her slipping away...I lost Devil..
Khan lost into his thought...Rathod could see the glittering tears into his eyes in moonlight. He could feel the quiver, the pain into his eyes. Something terrible must happened which made the team stop talking about their chief, or using their own Conference hall. Rathod decided not to dig deeper today...khan seemed hurt...and whatever he said it somehow pierced his own wound also. He excused himself and left that place, leaving Khan alone.
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After Dinner, Arjun & Karan came to see Di. She didn't talked much to them after returning from the mock drill. She went to her room and slept off.
Simi took them into her room, as she din't ant Di to come down with her hurt knee, though today she've rushed much.
Arjun saw di as sitting on her bed, leaning against the headrest & putting a cushion beneath her bandaged knee. She was looking much relaxed in her purple-white floral nightshirt.
Karan took his place on her bed, near her foot, Simi pulled Di's reading chair for Arjun and sat beside karan.
Arjun was looking around Di's room, though he had seen parts of it from his window, today he was sing it properly. Off-white walls, A black wooden cupboard, a small writing table beside the balcony door, and small dressing table bed, a turtle -dove wind chime was hanging on the balcony door and a big window at opposite wall. Each and every thing was placed at its place neatly. For a moment he felt, if those ladies perfume and purse wasn't on that dressing table, anybody would say it's a room of a 60 years old man.
Di : Yeh room kisi buddhe ka lag raha hain na?Arjun?
Arjun startled, how could she knew it?
Di : don't be surprised! Simi dwells in mine...this room was my Dadu's. I love that window..so I moved in here.
Arjun : Tum accident ki baare main kuch..
Di : Haan..karan..tujhe Arjun tak pounch ne main kitna waqt laaga?
Karan : 7 min.
Di : Simi, Karan uss turn tak pounch ne main kitna time lia tha?
Simi : 3 min 15 seconds..
Di : Arjun reached at the spot in 4 min, karan started after 10 min...& your speed was less than Arjun, so you took 3 min's more...that day... it happened similarly. Arjun how much time your jeep needed to roll down from that edge?
Arjun : about 15 seconds..
Di : But you waited for Karan for about 13 minutes, right?
Arjun : haan..so...
Di : (exited) but I saw the SUV was slipping down from the edge when I reached there...before that..when I was at that turn , I heard that hard break...uski baad..I took 3 min 45 sec to reach the spot...but agar usko 15 second main girna tha..toh how can I see it after 3 min 45 sec?
Arjun : So you want to say that SUV was standing there?
Di : Right.
Arjun : Haan..itna der jab ki..it was not an usual accident... First he broke the safety railing...then kept the car into position...closed the windows...set the handbreake and then pushed it off from the edge...
Simi & Karan was all ears of it.
Di : Then bike ki aawaz sunkee chup gaya..aur log jama hone ke baad nikal gaya..sab SUV ko dekh raha tha..koi road pe dhayan hi nahi dia...
Arjun : Aur kisiko pata vi nahi tha SUV ki driver kaun tha...so it gave him a good chance..kahi chupa tha..shaam ko nikal aaya..toh police ne ghar chor aaya...aur usne amnesia ka naatak kia!
Simi : aab jaake police ko bolo...dekhti hoon kaise naa mane!
Arjun : Nop! Avi nahi...we need solid proofs.
Di : You're right Arjun.
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Shree just reached at his doorsteps when a loud honk from behind stopped him, he turned on his toes and a bright flash made his eyes closed. He raised a hand to prevent his eyes from the light and tried to see the man sitting inside the car.
The light was dimmed, and a tall figure from the car, Shree was relaxed sing him, but he was surprised as well, till this date, that man never stopped him this way.
Shree : Sir? You? At this time?
Rathod : Yes...was going home...wanted to talk about..um..it's important Shree.
Shree : Sir, agar aap uss source...
Rathod : sit in the car Shree, we need to talk!
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I'm done with this chapter...no you all know what to do...😳
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