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Part 7:
Shivaji Shinde Office:
"Tum yaha kya kar rahe ho?!" He questioned.
"ETF walone bulaya. Aarav ke bare mein poochne." Sujit Anand swing in chair
"Aarav ke bare mein?! Case mein Aarav ka naam kahi nahi hai. Phir case re-open mein woh kaha se aagaya." He spelled in astonishment.
"Case re-open?! Mujhe toh kaha gaya ki Aarav ke bare mein jaane ki koshish kar rahe." He cleared.
"Itne din se band padi kahani shuru kyun ho rahi hai?!! Isse shuru hone se pehle katam karna padega." He declared.
***
ETF office: Conference Room:
Sameer entered sliding file on the table, "Purana case hai. Preliminary investigation shuru karna hai."
Arjun opened file, "Yeh!!" He looked at Sameer, "Yeh case hum nahi lenge."
Sameer says,"Home-minstry se order hai. Waise hum case take up nahi kar rahe hai. Sirf preliminary investigation karenge. Agar humein laga ki case re-open karne ki zaroorat hai toh."
"Zaroorat nahi padegi." He interrupted. "I am not taking up this."
"Arjun. Yeh kaam hai. Tu chaho na chaho karna padega." Sameer said. Arjun got up and left from there.
Sameer exhaled, "Shree sare records and witnesses ke bayan nikalo. Aisha Chotu kaha hai?"
"Sir woh abhi tak aaya nahi." Aisha informed.
"Shree usse inform Karo. Ask him to meet witnesses. Chalo Aisha." Sameer pulled his gun and they left from there.
***
Somewhere in Mumbai:
Arjun stood in between dried leaves of a garden staring at house before him. It is locked for years. Further clues of Sujit Anand must be found here. Reasons for his lies and may be clues for further steps. He has gut feeling that, he will find some potential evidences. He walked to door trying to find the way to get in. He broke the lock when a neighbour appeared to stop him.
He is 60+, tall and lean, "Kaun ho tum?! Yaha kya kar rahe ho!"
"I am Arjun, from ETF!!" He showed his ID to him.
"Police. Phir se!!" He displayed shock.
"Phir se?!" Arjun presented his questioning face joining his brows.
"2 saal pehle yaha har din police aate tey. Bahot dard se guzre tey ghar wale." He said.
"Kyun?! Kya hua?!" He enquired.
"Mujhe itna zyada nahi pata. Uss samai mein bimaar rehta tha. Isi liye aas pados se itna mil julta nahi tha. 2 saal pehle yaha ek aurat aur ek Chota bacha rehte te." He said trying remember.
"Bacha?! Kaun?! Kis ka?!" Arjun enquired.
"Mujhe itna kuch yaad nahi. Ha, iss ghar mein ek bai kaam karti thi woh abb humari ghar mein kaam karti hai. Aap chahe toh usse pooch sakte hai." Hearing this, Arjun patted himself for following his gut.
***
Shinde Villa:
Lady tied in delegant saree, aging 55 offered coffee to Sameer and Aisha. They politely denied and Sameer started his query, "Aap apke bahu ke bare mein kya kehna chahtey hai?!"
"Sakshi aur Suraj ka arranged marriage hua tha. Sakshi ko mein ne he pasand kiya tha. Mein yakeen nahi kar sakti ki woh aisa kuch kar sakti hai. Woh ek dusre se bahot pyaar karte te." She said.
"Kya Sakshi apne pati ko property ke liye maara hai?!" Aisha questioned.
"Mera apna saga baeta mara hai. Par mein nahi maan sakti ki Sakshi maar sakti hai, woh bhi paison ke liye bilkul nahi." Mrs.Shinde said confidently.
"Uss samai aap kaha pe te?!" Sameer quizzed.
"Shaadi ke baad hum sirf ek saal indono ke saath te, mein aur mere pati teerd yaatr pe gaye te. Uske baad hum America chale gaye te. Woh business expand kar rahe te. Humare waha jaaneke kuch din baad Suraj bhi aagaya tha." She conveyed.
"Aapka koi pota-poti hai?!" Aisha questioned.
"Woh..Nahi!!" She denied with a pause.
"Aap Shivaji Shinde, yaha ka MLA ka maa hai na?!"
"Ji. Woh mera chota baeta hai. Suraj ko jaan se bhi zyada chahta tha. Case se releated sare procedures usi ne kiya hai." Mrs. Shinde replied.
***
Arjun and Sameer phone conversation:
"Arjun go and meet Sakshi. Mein aur Aisha seeda wahi aarahe hai" Sameer instructed.
"Mein ne kaha, mein yeh case nahi le raha hoon." Arjun was stern.
"Don't give me that crap. We need you in this case. Job tere marzi se nahi chalega. Meet me there in 10 munites." Sameer said and disconnected call. Arjun tortured his jaws.
***
Open Jail: Sakshi's Cell:
Sakshi searched that small cell for the 100th time. Where did his potrait go. She didn't care about aching hand. She didn't have anything from morningm she sat depressed scanning her cell wishing that it is not in hands of Nidhi. She turned her eyes to cell gate which was opened for Arjun who entered.
"Aap yaha kya kar rahe hai?!" She questioned.
"Badd kismati se mera kaam tujhse juda hua hai. Nahi toh mujhe tumhari shakal dekhne ka koi shock nahi hai. Ginn aata hai tujh jaise aurat ko dekh kar." Arjun say in disgust.
Sakshi gulping down his biterness, "Mujhse kya kaam hai?!"
"We are from ETF." She heard voice behind Arjun. She look over his shoulders. She saw two new persons in her cell. From past few days, her life is filled with strangers intriding her past. She realized 'we' implying Arjun in the team. "Aapka case re-open karne ka orders mila hai. Hum yaha aapse kuch poochne aye hai?" Sameer said.
"My case!!! Kyun?!" She sounded worried. "Nahi!! Meri case re-open nahi hoga. Mein ne apne pati ko mara hai. Mujhe yaha gutt gutt ke marna hai." She looked agitated. "Jao tum log yaha se. Mujhe koi baat nahi karni."
***
Open Jail: Outside:
"Ajeeb ladki hai sir. Bachne ka zariya mila toh, kud baag rahi hai." Aisha expressed.
"Ajeeb toh hai. Guilty feel kar rahi hogi ya Nidhi ka shak sahi hoga. Proof ko alag rakh ke uske character dekhenge toh, koi yakeen nahi karega ki isne maara hai." Sameer added.
'Iska behaviour. Natak kar rahi hogi. But aise natak se usse kya milega?! Kya pata dimaag mein kaunsa naya chaal chal rahi hai. Shayad nahi. Arjun keeping emotions aside you should think like an responsible officer. Abb tak Sameer ne jo kaha, Sakshi ko dekha toh lag raha hai ki, kuch gadbad hai. Kuch choot raha hai.' Arjun analysed.
"Arjun chalo. Chotu is waiting with full story of the case. We should leave." Sameer said.
"Sameer. Mein Aarav ke bare mein jaane ke koshish ki pehle step pe tha and you pulled me back. Now I have to go. I have to meet that maid." Arjun sounded irritated.
"Arjun listen, I know Aarav ka case important hai. He need help. But yeh pehle important hai. Yeh katam hotey he hum Aarav ke bare mein enquiry karenge. First let us wrap up this case. Duty comes first. Tu mujhe samjata tha?! Tujhe kya hogaya!!" Sameer said placing hand on his shoulder.
'Pata nahi. Aaj kal dimaag dil se haar raha hai. Itne saal baad kisi mein apni chavi dekh kar kuch zyada he attached ho raha hoon. Sameer is right. Work comes first.' Arjun convinced himself.
***
ETF Conference Room:
Chotu made a map of case on glass board and occupied chair near Shree taking breath of relaxation, "Football bana diya hai yaar. Ek baar Sameer sir kick maartey hai ek baar Arjun sir. 2 din se idar se udar goom raha hoon."
Shree giggled, "Ek aur kick ke liye taiyar hoja. They are coming." Shree said looking through glass. Chotu held his head.
Aisha, Sameer and Arjun occupied seats, "Chotu files?!" Arjun asked. This is his first step towards case which he denied to take till now.
30 minutes after case study Sameer spoke summarising the case, "Suraj Shinde ka murder September 2013 ko hua tha. Jab waha police pahonchi uski patni Sakshi Shinde ke pass revolver thi and usne kud confess kiya tha, that she killed him. Sakshi ke haath se ek revolver baramath hui. Unlicensed gun. Iss incident ka koi chashmadeet gava nahi. Maut raat ko hua tha and police subha pahoncha. Case se related persons:
1. Shivaji Shinde - present MLA, victim ka bhai
2. Navroj Patel - Business Partner
3. Kishore Shikawath - Shivaji ka dost
4. Suraj ke parents - jiska na bayan liya gaya, na involve kiya gaya.
5. Maid and watchman
6. Sakshi ki maa aur bhai
"Intrestingly Sakshi ka bhai aur koi nahi Sujit Anand hai." Shree stated.
"Sujit Anand. Aarav ke case mein enquiry kiya. Woh?!" Arjun questioned to confirm. Shree nodded."Sakshi ke maa ke saath koi bacha rehta ta. Woh bacha kaun tha?!" He added.
" woh Sakshi ka bacha toh nahi, jiske bare mein Nidhi baat kar rahi thi?!" Aisha added her query to list.
"Bacha hota toh Sakshi ke maa ke guzarne ke baad, uske baete ke saath hona chahiye?!" Chotu made a point.
After few clicks on keyboard Shree spoke, "But uske pass koi bacha nahi hai?!" Took a pause, "And sir, according to his phone location woh Shivaji Shinde ki party office mein tha."
Arjun fell back in silence twirling his pen amid his rough greased fingers analysing and trying to sort the answers, "Iss purane murder case mein ek missing case dikhayi de rahi hai." He pulled himself front, "Iss case ke officers kaun te?!" He questioned.
"Raghu aur Meenakshi." Aisha replied.
"Unhe hatake dusre officer ko lagaya gaya hai." Shree added.
"We should talk to officers handling case." Sameer said.
Arjun says, "Humein Meenakshi aur Raghu se bhi baat karna chahiye and ek aur baat iss bache ka mystery ko suljana hai. Agar hai toh abb kaha hai aur chupaya kyun jaa raha hai usse. Woh inn 3 saal ke baad bhi danger mein toh nahi."
***
Pre-cap:
"Chodo mujhe. Chodo." Aarav yelled struggling in hard grip.
**
Sakshi took the bottle and unfolded paper, 'Aarav ko zinda dekhne ke liye tumhe marna padega. Yeh tumhari zindagi ka aakhri swaad hai. Zehar.'
**
"Dono mein se koi nahi bachna chahiye." Evil smile spread on his face.
***
Thanks for reading. Please do like and comment.
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