Chapter Eighteen
In lounge.
All were present except Fernandez & Rathod. Sen & Banarjee joined them. As they settled, Veenita came with their coffee, and served everyone except Rao. Aiyar picked up his coffee & served him, he thanked her, making a grim face to Veenita.
Rao (Veenita) : Fernandez and Rathod ar working on some case files..they'll join us later.
Ansari : Where's Khan?
Rao : He's out... aaj Doctor ke saath appointment hain...
Sen : Anything serious?
Rao : nop...regular checkup ...tumhara kab hain?
Sen : Next week..
Rao (Veenita) Accha.! Mera vi hain..dono saath chalenge, ok?
Shree was surprised a bit, because she never goes out with others except Rao. No matter what, that couple always stick to each other.
Sen : With meee? why? Rao saath nahi aa raha?
Rao (Veenita) : Nahi..aaj se main iske saath kahin nahi jaungi!
Rao : Really? Someone pinch me please! Aiyar! Check my pulse...& my ears also...maine sahi suna na!
Rao (Veenita) : itna drama karne ki zaroorat nahi...kal toh khud hi keh rahe the na, mera babysitting karna tumko accha nahi laagta...toh yahan aur vi log hain mere khayal rakhne ke liye. What say, Ansari?
Ansari : Anything for you, yaar!
Rao : Oy! Tu friend hain..friend bane reh..sharam nahi aata tujhe? Mia-biwi ke beech main bolta hain?
Ansari : Main bas aapi friend ko support kia..
Rao : Haan...karo..tumlogone hi isko sarr pe charake rakha hain...jhelna toh sab mujhe padta hain na!!
Shukla : Correction, rao..hum log nahi..hum toh friwends hain bass masti karte hain...lekin vaaw deke aapni sarr pe to tumne charhaya na...aab tumse aapni biwi nahi saamhaalta toh...
Roa : Saalon! Karo karo...iski tarafdaari karo..meri friend aa jaye na toh tum sabki hawa nikal degi... Aur Ansari, tum..shadi karlo..phir pata chalega..aaj subha se ek cup coffee naseeb nahi hua..
Aiyar : Banake toh laayi hain...
Ansari : Lekin serve toh kisi aur ne kia na!( he winked)
Sen : Oh! Toh iss baat pe aap dono...
Rao : woh baat nahi hain..
Aiyar : Toh kya baat hain?
Rao (Venita ) Kuch nahi! (scolded Rao through her eyes) mujhe kuch reports digitize karni hain...Banarjee..I need your help...mere lappy main kuch connectivity problems ho raha tha..
Banarjee : Yup, let's go.
They left to the R&D section.
Ansari : Kis baat pe phir aap dono shuru ho gaye?
Rao : Nothing...it's just..
Shukla : Plz Rao, we all know you..you've always accompanied Khan for his health checkup..& today you missed it...kuch toh serious hain!
Rao : Kuch nahi ...
Shukla : Arre friends se kya chupana...bolo na!!
Rao : (flared up)Tum log sirf Veenita ki friend ho..mere nahi... (inhaled sharply & calmed down instantly)..choro... bohot hogaya personal baatain... Sen...
Sen : Kaam ki baat sirf mujhse hi kyun shuru hota hain!( made a face)
Rao : Informers ne kuch hotels ka naam dia hain...kuch bookings suspicious hain...dekhlo.
Sen : Main!!
Shukla : I'll do it...Sen will see the phone calls...
Rao :OK.
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Karan halted the car in front of his garage, and he was evidently surprised. He & Simi rushed inside and found the place deranged, only a chair, on which Arjun used to sit was remain entire, and Di was sitting on it, waring Arjun's jacket. Arjun and Anjali a sitting on a tire, and Arjun was besmearing antiseptics on her bruises.
Karan : Yeh kya hua!!
Di : tere garage ka satyanash!
Simran : Di..tum thik ho!
Di : Haan..chal ghar...I've to change.
Karan : You are hurt Di! Aab ais..
Di : plz..chang hi toh karna hain..aur yeh dirt vi clean karna hain..phir le jaan jaahan jaana ho..Simi! come.
She tried to get up..but this time Arjun didn't let her, he picked her up into his arms and asked Karan to drop Anjali at her home.
Karan : Ok..you guys be ready...I'll come back in a minute. Come anjali.
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Rathod was waiting for Rao near a road side tea stall. He has done his bit of investigation and send the findings to Rao, who replied "wait for 10 minutes, I'll be back in 20" but its almost 28 minute & Rao didn't show up. He was looking around, sipping his coffee, when he saw an antic dealer, sitting with a boy of early twenty's and discussing something. It was an argument more than a discussion. That boy looked frustrated, and that dealer was upset with him, may be he was threatening the boy. He ignored that spoiled brat and concentrated in his coffee.
Sombody patted his shoulder & he looked up.
Rathod : You are late.
Rao : Nop..I'm just in time...I said wait for 10 & I'll be back in 20..total makes 30 na? see the time...I'm here within 30 minutes, sharp.
Rathod : You are impossible!
Rao : I know...my Mrs. also says that. anyways...( he gestured the vendor to bring coffee) worked enough for today..now we can relax for some time na?
Rathod : hmm..found anything?
Rao : yup...set some watchers...if intelligence report is right, then we'll be lucky.
Rathod : We have another task in hand...case 1035...
Rao : Don't worry...I'm all set with my planning...bas meeting place confirm ho jaye...Khan's informer didn't call na..
Rathod : If you don't..
Rao : what are you ant to ask? About that Informer?
Rthod : No..khan told me...her name is Devil... weird nic name..
Rao : (smirked)She is more than weird, Rathod..ek number ki shaitaan hain...
Rathod : Yup I heard...She was in I &E...you saw her na?
Rao : hmm...those days...best days of my life...Anand sir & Dirctor Banarjee ka naak main dum karke rakhte the hum...specially Devil..but aapna kaam itna efficiently karr leti thi ki unhone kuch bolte vi nahi...lekin hum sab phas jaate the. She was a disaster..but puri team ki jaan thi who.
Rathod : Aisa kya hua ki she...
Rao : (sighed) purani baton se sirf purane zakham hara hota hain Rathod...jo vi hua..nahi hona chahiye tha... specially Farhaad ke saath...
Rathod : Farhaad?
Rao : Khan... he still loves her...inspite of knowing she won't return, he still does...Anyways...let's return...and Rathod yahan aas paas koi flower shop hain kya?
Rathod : Huh?
Rao : Meriwali ke liye hain...subha se nakhra karr rahi hain..manana toh padega na!
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Arjun put Disha down on her bed. She was under sedation. Doctor bandaged her fresh wounds..and checked the old ones...those werr not that bad, because of the bandage. Karan asked the doctor to give Di sedatives as she won't take rest, and doctor agreed, he gave her high dose of painkillers, antibiotics and Sedative.
Simran tucked the bedsheet neatly around her. Arjun was standing near the window. Karan was sittind near di's leg.
Karan : Chalo..aab kuch der ke liye shanti mill gayee!
Arjun was thinking about the whole incident, he was recalling the attack he saw..& Di's condition...how she jumped to save anjali..then rolled under that shutter, as if she does it everyday..and the most pricking thing is..he felt something at the back of her neck...a mettalic thing...and his training & experience says...but how is it possible? She is a civilian!
Arjun : Karan? Di ke paas gun hain kya?
Karan : Haan...uski dad ki gun...but tu suddenly gun ke bare main kyun ?
Arjun : Nothing..come, let's go...teri garage ki haalat vi sudharna padga ..
Simran : Are you twe gonna stay there at night? (to karan)tera toh pata nahi..sadakchap hain..kahin vi reh lega... Lekin Arjun? Tum aapne room main kaise jaoge? Staircase toh toot gaya na?
Karan : Aur koi option hain?
Simran : Guest room hain yahan...main ready karr deti hoon...
Arjun : Let it be Simran..we'll manage..you take care of Disha. Come Karan.
They left.
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Karan and Arjun was trying to figure out the damage that car did to their garage.. the gate was half crushed, a wall had a deep fault, and the lower half of the staircase is broken.. they have to climb like monkeys to reach upstairs.
Karan was moving broken things aside..to clear a place to sit,Arjun also was helping him, while they heard a honk. They looked at the car and Arjun was shocked. That car returned!
The driver came out, it was another man in drivers uniform.
Drivr : Yeh garage ko kya hua?
Arjun : ( held that man by coller) Kya hua!! 2hrs before this car did this..& you are asking what happnd? Bol!! kyun kia yeh hamla?!
Drivr : Attack! Nahi nahi...there is a mistake..
Arjun : Haan..it's your biggest mistake of your life...returning here with that car..Karan..call the polic...this car attacked Di...
Karan : Haan..uski pehle yeh toh pata karle shera iske piche hain kaun?
Arjun shook that frightened man.
Arjun : Bata kiske kehne pe yeh kaam kia??aur jisko veja tha woh kaun hain?
Driver : (stammering) woh..actually...it's a misunderstanding...let me explain...
Karan : Shuru kar..
Driver : My boss..he sent the car at morning...but my daughter...she is unwell...usko stomachache tha..toh main car se usko hospital le gayee...bina Sir ko inform kiye..wahan doctor ne kahan..ke appndicites hain...& they have to operat immdiatly...so I had to stay there...but car vi yahan laana tha..toh main yahan aa raha tha...raste main medicines lene roka..aur wahan mera ek nighbour mil gaya...Mangesh. He said he'll deliver the car..I should go back to my daughter...toh main car usko deke chala gaya..
Arjun : Accha? Toh aab yeh car wapas tumhar paas kaise aaya?
Driver : woh mangesh..hospital aya..aur kahan ke woh car delivr nahi karr paya..gadbad karr di..garag ki gate tod dia...car pe vi scratches laga lia...aur car mujhe handover karke chala gaya...meri beti aab out of danger hain toh..maine socha deliver karr doon...par yahan toh...meri hi galati hain..uspe varosa karke..uske haaton car vejna hi nahi chahiye tha...aab toh mere Sir vi naaraz ho jayenge...
Karan : Accha thik hain..tum car yahan chor do...
Arjun : Aur mujhe uss mangsh se milna hain..kahan milga woh?
Drivr : Avi toh pata nahi..but he's rgular in sweety bar aftr 11.00pm. I'll take you there. Mujhe vi usse explanation chahiye...itna damage kiya hi kyun usne? Mere job ko risk me daal dia!!
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Rathod was uber-curious now, something happened four years back...& nobody wanna talk about it. There must be something big...khan & Rao...both know it..but they won't say anything..Fernandz...she also refused to talk about the old team...& director..he don't expect him to open up in front of his subordinat na!! he looked at the case file that team solved...they were the best of thir times..like ETF... but hat happened...did their chife took any wrong move that made thm pay..like his team did for Rawte? Or something big? From Fernandez..it's clear that seniors also involved in that incident...
His chain of thought was broken by Shukla. He came with a file.
Shukla : Rathod, Singh..he's no more... we have to call someone to take his place.
Rathod : (Took the file) this boy..Mane..he's good. Call him.
Shukla : Ok..main Singh ka desk morgue main send karr deta hoon.
Rathod : Kyun? Aren't we gonna snd his blongings to his family?
Shukla : Haan...but it'll take time..ghar se koi aayga claim karne ko...aur baaki case fil..informations woh sab ka vi khayal rakhna hoga, upar se kal Mane join karga toh usko vi desk dena padega na?
Rathod : Hmm...but Singh ke samman morgue main? Yeh kaise?
Shukla : In our basement..officially we call it Stores & Archives...but I love to call it the morgue! Saar scraps & old stuff ka godon hain woh!
Shukla left, giving Rathod an important information. Store! ..Rathod's gut feling said he gonna get something there.
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Simran called Karan-Arjun for dinner. And informed that di asked them to stay in her house at night..until the garage was rebuit.
Arjun protsted, but Simran's continuous plading & saying that di'll make her life miserable made him to agree. Simran happily went upstairs to fed Di with that good neqs.
After Dinner, Karan- Arjun went to se Di, who was leaning against the headrest and working on her laptop.
Karan : Yeh kya! Tu rest karne ki wajay..
Di : Bas kuch files dekhni thi...waise call hi kar leti..but garage main mera phone girgaya..mila kya?
Arjun brought out the phone from his pocket..it' was broken as that car ran over it.
Arjun : It's broken...you can't use it.
Di : It's ok..give me that phone...(she streched her hand & winched in pain)..Aargh!
Arjun : Don't move much...And shut down your laptop..you need rest.
Di : Rest!..yah..you're right!
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now..buddies..you know what to do..
Thank you ladies for your feedback. Sorry..Couldn't reply all individually. Stay tuned..and.. Love you too...
Shiv Shakti
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