CHAPTER 21
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Arjun and Sakshi reached the destination... the others would reach in 10 minutes... suddenly his heart felt a weird anxiety... he felt he had to say something.. he felt scared.
"Bolo Arjun kya bolna hai?" Sakshi asked
"Tumhe kaise pata ke mujhe kuch bolna hai?" Arjun asked
"Biryani aur cutting chai ke elava main tumko notice karti hoon.. I thought you had to tell me something..." Sakshi smiled, hiding away her emotions again.. she felt weird today as well.
And she realized that she had to behave normally... else she was giving pain to both of them...
"Sakshi" he spoke softly, he held her hand and said "Par main toh tumhe tumhari choodiyon ke elava aur kuch nahi jaanta... yeki tum ne mujhe jaan ne nahi diya..uss din main tha tumhaare saath...par tumhare aason aur bhai ke jaan ne ke beghair aur kuch bhi nahi jaanta, aur tumhari yeh behaviour" he looked into her eyes... the love and devotion for him still reflected, it was too much to handle, he looked away!
"Shaayad tumhe jaan ne ki abhi zaroorat nahi hai Arjun... meri files dig up karke kuch nahi milne waala!" she smiled, he looked at her amazed
"Publicist nahi, yeh skills ek Investigative Reporter ke hi hote hain!" taunting at his previous comments, he felt good, this is the Sakshi he knows...
"Tab agar aisi introduction deti toh tumhe bohot pehle se pasand karna shuru karta." He smiled
"Toh tum mujhe pasand karte ho?" the words slipped out of her mouth...
He heard that... he sighed... softly cupping her face he said, she lowered her gaze "Sakshi look at me... please yeh sab mat karo... main ek toota hua aadmi hoon... tumhari aankhon ke tanhaayi main mein sahara nahi de sakoon ga... you are a very beautiful girl Sakshi... you deserve someone special... you deserve to be someone's first love... tumhe..."
He couldn't continue as he saw her big doe shaped eyes looking straight at him...reading his soul... "Baat kya hai Arjun? Aise kyun keh rahe ho... wait tum darre hue ho!" Sakshi said.
He was shocked to see her read into what he feeling rather than listening to his words...
It started drizzling, she escaped from his hands and she skipped around like a child enjoying the rain
"Darro mat...jo hona hai, wohi hoyega! Pata hai ke meri looks irresistible hai!" she laughed, but then said in a sober voice
"I don't want anything from you Arjun... I just respect your work, and admire you... aur main hamesha safe rahoongi! Kyunki jab mujhe chot pohochti hai toh tumhe bhi kuch na kuch hota hai, it's vice versa... apne aap ko theek rakho main bhi theek rahoongi! It's not your job to know ke mere mann main kya jaa raha hai.. I just want to be your friend, nothing more and surely nothing less! " she smiled as she rested her head against a pillar... with the droplets of rain going down her pretty face
He gripped her hand tighter in confirmation... he felt relieved to see her chilled attitude back... maybe finally he found a friend... softly subsiding the strange feeling.. wait didn't he have that feeling months ago?
"Sakshi tum sab kuch chupao... main usse bahar toh laake hi rahunga... I need to know about you.. tumse nahi kyunki zakhm ke upar ek churi chalana jaisa hoga... par waqt aa gaya ke main jaanu ke tumhe itna bhi kya pressure hai..."his mind thought when suddenly he remembered something.
"Btw thanks, uss din taaki main Rathore ko hug kar sakoon, brilliant planning, coffee girake aur bracelet atkake!" Arjun smirked,
"Haha! Brilliant planning meri hi ho sakti hai! Maine bas woh kiya jo karna chahiye tha! Though am sure Sam bhai ab achchi khaasi neend main honge Ayesha ke sapnon main! Aur main yaha apne neend ke band bajaaye tumhare saath khare hone mai!" She chuckled
"Achcha aur mujhe lagta tha ki Miss. Sakshi Anand ko meri company pasand hai! Wait accdg to someone mere saath time pass karna yaani ke koi jail ke sazaa se bura!" Arjun arched up his eyebrow pointing out to what she said that day;
"Muh band, maine sab sun liya tha! Tumhari timing ghalat hai Sakshi, I end up hearing everything you say!" he said closing her mouth shut.
Sakshi stiffened... did he hear what Ayesha told her? That she lov... no.. no
"Arjun, dekho Ayesha aur sab log aa gaye.. Chalo main unko bulaata hoon?" she was about to go when Arjun gripped her wrist...
Her changing expressions snapped something in Arjun and he had remembered to ask her few questions which he ought to have asked earlier
"Sakshi, woh log yaha aa rahe hai... Par ek baat mere samaj main nahi aayi... bas ek cheez poochna chahta hoon... kyun aayi ho ETF main.. aur tumhare papa..tum sona kab shuru karogi? raat ko 2.30 i called and u were awake?." Arjun said
"Sir we're here! Boliye ke kahan se attack shuru karen?" Ayesha asked
Sakshi slowly freed her hand from Arjun's grip and whispered to him "Baad main interrogation, aur main tab sona shuru karoongi jab tum bhi sona shuru kardo, ab chalein, jiss kaam ke liye aaye the - Mr. Cutting Chai!" saying so she walked into into the warehouse with Chotu...
Arjun smiled again at her comment...but he felt restless...today he wanted to speak to her... his heart was telling him to step back...
All this was noticed by Ayesha... "Finally Arjun sir ko thodi samaj aa rahi hai yeh baat... waqt door nahi jab aap Sakshi ko shaayad apnaayenge... aur usse pehle Sameer ke saath dosti nibhayenge... woh aapko maaf kar chuka hain... bas tum dono ki ego beech main fasa hai!" Ayesha thought while proceeding with Arjun to the warehouse.
While Arjun thought of only one thing "Don't love me Sakshi...cause I am afraid that I might not be able to protect you... main jiske paas jaata hoon who mujhse door..." he left his thoughts to rest.
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" Verma, abhi ke abhi Mission A ko abort karo, abort it RIGHT NOW.. Mission B, I can't handle alone... kuch gadbad hai... I need you here, Verma are you clear?" Kapoor called
"Kappy coming in 5 minutes..at the moment trapped... wait I'll just set this up and come right now...Done I'm coming right now..." Verma exchanged the device and came running to Kapoor's destination.
"What happened Kappy?" Verma said sat on the floor, tired of the exhaustion taken up to reach here...
" It's just &%*$, *^&$%@..." Kapoot started opening the book of profanities again...
And that meant that something was seriously wrong...
Verma quickly got up... forgetting all the tiredness... immediately reached up to Kapoor and said "Kappy... yaar kya hua? Chill first... kya hua... Sikandar..."
"Yes Verma... didn't you hell realize that it's been three months... and other than checking our background - jo usse obviously kuch nahi mila - Sikandar ne koi bhi kadam nahi liya hum tak pochne mai!" Kapoor said in one breath...
Verma understood the gravity of the situation... "Yaar first take me exactly where we need to go, waha le chal.. brief me everything on the way..."
Verma's mind started racking immediately... as they sat on the bike, with Kapoor driving... Verma accessed into Sikandar's interface to search for any further information... going behind four months when Ashish Pratap (the etfian in delhi who died, currently sam is in his place)... Verma's eyes became wide with shock to look into their research details...
"Shoot, Kappy, Pratap ke marne ke baad sirf teen mahine woh log humare baare main dhoonde... phir toh Sikandar ne zyaada kuch jaankari nahi liya... yeh uska style nahi hai!" Verma said tensed
"Verma... woh aisa kar raha hai kyunki hum uske target hai hi nahi... iska matlab ki ab uska target hai... Arjun Suryakant Rawte"
"nahi...poora Mumbai ETF" Verma said grimly...
"Exactly... latest information se pata chala ki uss D'cruz ke waha koi postman accidently gaya tha... jab pata chala ki ghalat ghar main gaya toh exactly yeh kaha"
"Sorry iss ka andaaza nahi..." the postman said
"Koi baat nahi...aap jaaye" Liza's voice said
"Dua aappe rahe! Bhao ke kasam... pichle baar subah teen se chaar ke beech gaaliyaan mila tha ee toh fikar ke maare marrgaye the hum" the postman said..
"Verma, woh Sikandar ka aadmi tha... uska ek ajeeb tareeka hai... marne se pehle hamesha ek letter ya kuch toh bhejta hai victim ko... kehte hai ki apna naam aur katl hone ka waqt batake jaata hai... maarne ke samay bohot imaandari dikhtata hai...mujhe kuch samaj nahi... just take this and try to decipher Verma... i'm going to the base right now to alert our informers..." Kapoor said driving faster...
Verma heard and re-heard... "Kappy bike rukh... right now... get off... gimme a piece of paper and pen right now..."
Without questioning Kapoor handed over those things..
Verma quickly wrote down the dialogues of the postman...
Sorry iss ka andaaza nahi... Dua aappe rahe! Bhao ke kasam... pichle baar subah teen se chaar ke beech gaaliyaan mila tha ee toh fikar ke maare marrgaye the hum!
"Got it Kappy!" Verma said, eyes wide in shock.
"But I didn't Verma!" Kapoor exclaimed...
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At the warehouse... half an hour before
As Sakshi entered the warehouse she felt a wave of nausea hit her... the old warehouse... the drug packets strewn here and there... she paused for a few minutes recalling the most tortured day of her life...
Flashback
XYZ Hotel - Delhi
"Ashi meri baat sun... I am telling you meri dost jo hai na... Arrey Shefali who works for the crime branch idhar... she has told me about a drug shipment here... hum bhai ko batate hai... I am sure it will help him... infact it's one of the biggest drug lord - Rehmaan ka consignment..." Sakku said jumping up and down the hotel bed...
"Sakku... yeh sab theek hai... par don't you think we should speak with the DIG as well as some of the police forces... kya hum akele hi sab kuch karenge?" Ashi asked warily..
"Arrey Ashi don't fear... main hoon na... be like Kapoor - fearless aur brave!" Sakku said excitedly...
"Offo! Kapoor haan... bada Kapoor Kapoor kar rahi hai, jaise koi superhero ho!" Ashi laughed!
"If you ask me, personally I feel Verma is more talented - hai na?" she nudged Sakku
"So sweet! Mere liye Kapoor always seems talented aur tere liye Verma!" Sakku laughed, rolling on the bed...
Suddenly a msg came on their phone "Tum dono theek tarha se pohoch chuke ho?"
"Haan mummum... kuch der baad sightseeing ke liye jayenge!" Sakku replied
"Yeh kya... tune mummum ko sach nahi batayi?" Ashi asked fitting into track pants and a loose shirt...
"Mummum hume bhai ke mission pe help karne deti?" Sakku asked... hoisting her hair into a ponytail...
"Ab next stop kaha?" Ashi asked
"Your favorite, Verma and Kapoor!" Sakku winked
"Samajgayi!" Ashi laughed and walked out with Sakku...
(From that day they kept on informing Samrat about whatever little bit of information they received...)
"Arrey meri officer - tum dono ko itni jhanjat lene ki kya zaroorat thi?" Samrat laughed hugging Ashi
"Aur waise Sakku kaha hai? Waise teri mummum kaisi hai?" Samrat asked fondly ruffling Ashi's hair
"Sakku toh u know... ek jaga main kab beith ti yeh ladki! Meri mummum to ghar main theek hai, tera biwi Maya ka pata nahi!" Ashi winked
Samrat pulled her cheeks and grinned "Sakku jaisi ban gayi tu! Acha ab mujhe jaana hoga Soya Factory main... lagta hain Rehmaan ka last order hai... DIG ke saath encounter main javunga... actually I didn't want DIG to accompany, par mera great junior - Arjun... he snooped around aur ab DIG toh pakka mere saath hi jayega!"
"Sochta hoon ke Sakku ko Arjun se aur teri aur Sameer ke saath shaadi karwado!" he chuckled knowing very well that how much his sis's hate the concept of mariage!
"I'll take some people as well... aur haan tu ya Sakku mat bhatakna.. madat ki hai par yeh shayad dangerous ho!" Samrat kissed her on the forehead and left.
"Bhai - tumhe pata bhi nahi hai - ki asli madat toh Kapoor aur Verma kar rahe hai! Yeh sab hone ke baad... unse milwaungi mai" She smiled at the thought and waited for Sakshi...
After 15 minutes Sakku came running to Ashi
"Kya hua Sakku?" Ashi asked concerned looking at a horrified Sakshi.
"Ashi... Verma's info... Soya Factory main koi dealing nahi hone waale hai... all the officer men of bhai are missing...aur Rehmaan khud aa raha hai!" Sakku said
"What? " Ashi asked perplexed... then suddenly "Matlab ki..."
"Haan...Matlab ki it's a trap!" Sakku said shocked...
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