CHAPTER 23
He stared back at her... time seemed to stop... he didn't have any answer... his eyes went to a small chain she wore.. his eyes widened.. this chain had belonged to her... the only person whom he could not save in his entire career...
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It was three years before... he had just lost Roshni... he finally decided to visit her... knowing that his senior too was in Narcotics case... for a permission... to access Sir's past records
"Arjun... aao.. woh office ki haalat... it's just not in place..." a young woman of early 30's moved around the area getting the place cleaned...
Well she was not supposed to be in this office... but she apparently knew the IG Veeransh Anand... and this was one of their main offices... Samrat sir was here as well... this was like the Anand's second home... but he barely knew much about their family... right now it didn't matter much to him... he needed to transfer the gold mine of files - especially of narcotics - over here... the DIG too used to visit this place... it was his orders for Arjun to come here...
"No ma'am in sab ki zaroorat nahi hai, waise kya main Maya bhabi... Maya ma'am se baat kar sakta hoon " Arjun spoke, to get her rid of the embarrassment...
"Please aap ma'am matt bulaye... bhabi hi bulaye... acha lagta hai..." she said and ordered the peon to get a glass of water...
Arjun's eyes widened... she was Maya bhabi... of course! He looked at her carefully.. her pale face... tired and lost eyes... the forced smile... and moreover the simple cotton white salwar kameez she wore... yet nothing hid her beauty... he smiled... remembering of Roshni - and he felt as if he was pierced with a knife... again...
"Arjun... do sit... Samrat aapke baare main bohot kehta tha... aap aur Samsher..."
"Sameer.." he politely corrected
"Haan.. Sameer, right... tum dono uske favorite juniors ho... matlab the" she said softly and tried to control her tears...
"Waise tumhari shaadi hone waali thi na?" Maya said quickly changing the topic and getting the files from the cabinet..
"Ho gayi..." he said grimly
"Oh Congratulations" she said turning to the other side controlling her tears...
" Par woh margayi... someone murdered her..." he said... his voice cracking
The files fell from her hand... Arjun immediately got up and helped her in collecting files...
Her eyes brimmed with tears... so did his... no need of hiding cause both had faced with same pain... both of their lovers had died...
"Am sorry..." she croaked out
"No Bhabi... I am sorry..." he said,
She quickly wiped her tears and said "Waise Anand sahab yaha hai... files lene ke baad aap unse mil lijiye ga..." she smiled and was about to leave when she saw his head on the table... he seemed to be crying..
"Kya baat hai Arjun..." she asked
"Woh... Roshni..." was all he could say...
"Usse bhoolne ke koshish mat karo.. utna hi dukhega... aaj bhi mujhe Samrat yaad hai... jaise maine usse kal hi dekha ho... humare shaadi ke sirf do hafte hue the... Anand sahab hoke bhi nahi the... par unki ghalti nahi thi... tumhe pata hai.. bohot saare sapne dekhe the humne... duniya ghoomna... apni nanad ki shaadi karwaana... bachche paalna... sab adhoora reh gaya... che mahine ke liye gaya tha... par woh che mahine kuch zyaada hi lamba ho gaya... itna lamba ki bas poori zindagi ab uss 6 mahine ke anth din tak sochti hoon..." she looked away at the window
Arjun froze... none of them had barely gotten a chance to be with their loved ones... sach main bohot saare sapne adhoore reh gaye... but she was the ACP's wife... irrespective of everything she still managed to help him... he was proud...
He took the files "Thank you bhabi..." he half smiled..
"Bhabi bulaaya hai... bhai jaisa manti hoon tumhe... thanks bolne ke zaroorat nahi hai..." she smiled back
He nodded... like an older sister, he felt...
He was about to meet IG Anand when suddenly he heard one of the doors break...
He immediately took out his gun and stood alert...
Then he heard a lady's voice screaming... "Bhabi!" his mind screamed and he ran downstairs throwing the files away... there was a sudden attack at the house.. and damn, no one was there to aid him...
He immediately went into Samrat sir's room and fortunately bhabi was safe... he pulled her out and rushed upstairs to walk into IG Anand's room... there was an emergency exit room... but then he heard some footsteps... all masked men...
Arjun and Maya hid in the corner... when they heard a gunshot... a man yelled out... the leader of the troop walked around.. finding for something... then he seemed to disappear...
Maya's eyes were wide with fear - she knew the voice too well... it was Anand sahab's! No.. she couldn't loose so much... tears brimmed out...
Arjun noticed that and realized... they had shot Anand sahab... he cursed under his breath...
Slowly they both stood up... they were behind a pillar... he silently instructed Maya to move on the left hand side and he walked out on the right... the shooter being righty, if even there behind them would shoot him... Bhabi would be safe...
Then they both turned around and a gun fired.. and Maya fell on the ground.. the bullet pierced right through her heart... blood gushed out...
He was too shocked to even scream...
An error in judgement! Damn!
He immediately ran to her to see the shooter in black mask confused... bet he didn't expect a lady... Arjun shot at him... it hit his arm but before Arjun could catch him the shooter ran away...
He went back to Maya... "Aap bas rukiye.. abhi abhi main ambulance ko bulaata hoon" he cried while speaking... Maya held his hand "Zaroorat... nahi... waise... marr... Samrat... ke.. paas" she spoke brokenly and she smiled before passing away...
Hot tears burned through... he closed her eyes...he ran around finding for Anand sahab to see his blood drenched body out there...he shuddered back and stopped short...
The files were missing...
He looked at a sign left there...
Suddenly more firing was occurred... he had to run out, by the time he reached back home... panting... when a thing struck him... no one had come to steal the files only... he carefully re-thought of all the actions...
They had come to kill him...
He thought of that man again and his blood shot up his veins... he knew his figures way to well to forget him,
That shooter was none other than Sikandar...
He came back to present when Sakshi's soft palm cupped his stubbled cheek...
Maya bhabi had worn the same chain... he could never forget her... in a span of few minutes she had given him a homely atmosphere... a sisterly, motherly feeling that warmed his heart... and she died...
He looked up to see Sakshi... here eyes had dried up... but there were stains of her tears on her pretty cheek...
"Mummum... meri bhabi bhi marr gayi.."
He remembered that dialogue... " of course..." his mind said... a pang of guilt went up as he saw her care towards him... "kya woh mujhse nafrat karegi jab usse pata chal jaayega ke mere haath tha bhabi ki mauth se..." he thought... "yeh chain agar mila hai... matlab did she see the dead bodies... what all did this girl see?"
For a second he just could not fathom the pain she had gone through... if his situation is this after seeing Roshni's death... had she seen the bodies of her mummum... father (he was alive... but comatose...that's worse) ... he knew this much that Samrat sir had died in the explosion.. "kya usne woh bhi dekha..." his mind stood shocked
Her eyes searched his face... trying to find out what he was thinking... "Kya baat hai?" she softly spoke...
He nodded no "kuch nahi..."... "Inn sab ke baad bhi woh aise logo ki parwah kaisi karti hai..."
"Kuch toh hain Arjun.." she mumbled softly... her delicate fingers tracing his jaw...
"Agar mere wajeh se tumhe kuch khona pada toh?" he asked... his voice shivering...
" Toh shayad vo meri kismat thi... insaan hoon... naaraz ho sakti hoon... par nafrat kabhi nahi karoongi... aur kuch der baad tumse naarazgi bhi chali jayegi..." she looked straight into his eyes...
"Chahe kuch bhi ho?" he asked... disbelieving what she just said...
"Chahe kuch bhi ho..." she mouthed softly...
He was dumbfounded by the girl in front of him...subconsciously his fingers slowly caressed her cheek... wiping the dampness near her eyes... they trailed down to the corner of her lips... her eyes closed... feeling every inch of her alive in those moments... their heartbeats started picking up... he watched her eyes closing... he gave a bare smile...and leaned ahead... feeling her breathing fan on his face...he took in her scent... then he parted his lips to capture hers...
CRASH
Sakshi snapped out of Arjun's hold and stood aside... flushed and trying to control her breathing...
A red Ayesha muttered "Sir... uss section main kuch drugs ke packets mile the toh aap"
"Ok thanks Ayesha... hum abhi aatein hai" Arjun replied with a straight face.
Ayesha had come around to call Arjun sir when she saw them in that close position... she immediately turned around but the damned glass beaker at the corner of the table slipped and broke... though she was undoubtedly happy for the couple forming... she was surprised to see light tears brimming her eyes...
Sakshi was about to leave when Arjun called her, then said " Sakshi...woh, mujhe tumse baat karna hai... ab ke liye tum section 3 check karo aur main section 4 okay?" he asked
"Hmm" she nodded... Arjun actually wanted to speak to her... he considered her... with the sudden happiness bordering at the edge of their lives the two walked away to their respective places... not before giving a glance to each other.
"Arjun tu kya kar raha hai..." his mind asked "Pata nahi" he replied back...
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A young girl of 20's howled in front of a photo...
"Papa ka mauth theek nahi tha Zuber... aise usse...? she cried hugging him hard and burying herself into him...
"Khuda ko bas pata hai yeh kyun hua... par Sanjana suno... agar woh nahi hote toh shayad hum bhi marr chuke hote." He softly kissed her forehead and patted her back, controlling the tears threatening to spill out for the fear to weaken in front of his life... his love... he couldn't let her be weak...
"Main papa ka mauth ka badla loongi..." she said... her eyes red with rage
"Aap nahi... hum teen badla lenge... par un dono ke madat se... beghair woh dono hum kuch bhi nahi kar sakte..." Another young girl spoke
"Aap sahi keh rahe hain.. Sani...humari jaan... ab waqt aa chuka hai un dono se baat karna." Zuber said softly...
"Kaun?" Sanjana asked wiping her tears...
"Kapoor aur Verma" Zuber replied...
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Pati Patni Aur Panga
Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile
Tum Se Tum Tak
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Vasudha
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