OS: An Interval

Note: Since CID was not telecast last week, I thought of writing an OS regarding the current situation. This is not written in an intention to hurt anyone. Forgive me if it is a longer one. I have tried my level best to connect with the current situation. Sorry, if the story sounds rude or illogical.

Scene 1: CID bureau

Abhijeet was keenly looking at a file regarding a pending case. ACP was also busy in cross checking some confidential files. Freddy and Pankaj were also busy in tracing a mobile number. Daya, Purvi, Dr.Salunkhe and Dr.Tarika were discussing about some forensic details of a case inside the lab.

Suddenly DCP Chitrole entered into the bureau with a bunch of covers. He was looking so serious. Chitrole stared at everyone and became angry as nobody noticed his arrival.

Chitrole (throwing the covers at Abhijeet's desk and shouted):

Abhijeet!!!

All stood up from their respective places. Everyone got shocked seeing Chitrole...

Daya, Purvi, Salunkhe, Tarika came out from the forensic lab...

Abhijeet: Sir...

Chitrole (in an angry tone): Look at these covers...

ACP: What happened sir? What's there in those covers?

Abhijeet checked all the covers carefully. Each cover had the name of each officer in CID including DCP Chitrole. He passed the respective covers to respective officers and started to open the cover. It contained a letter. Dr.Salunkhe and Dr.Tarika too got their covers. Everyone opened the cover and started reading the letter. Everyone started giving a weird expression.

ACP (in a loud tone): What's all these?

DCP (serious tone): Don't you understand? Suspension order... Disciplinary action is taken on all of you...

Abhijeet (in a sarcastic tone): Then what about you Sir? I saw a cover with your name too...

Daya (in an angry tone): Abhijeet, This is not the time to joke... (To DCP) Why there's a need to suspend all of us?

ACP: Daya, Chitrole finally became a mad. Did you notice one thing? It is mentioned that we are suspended but it is not mentioned that for how many days we have suspended...

Freddy: It means?

Abhijeet: It means this man is trying to fool us with some fake suspension orders...

Pankaj: Yes Abhijeet sir, you are right.

DCP (angrily): Do I look like a joker? I'm serious and I'm not joking. Whatever written in that paper is true. Just now I attended a meeting with some higher officials and ministers and I got scolding on behalf of you all.

Salunkhe: But how can we know if it is a temporary suspension and for how many days?

Every day we are working on high profile cases and we have solved many cases. Why should we get suspended?

ACP: We are working in CID for nearly twenty years and we were never disregarded by our higher officials. Many of our officers have risked their life to save the country and the people.

DCP: If you are in this job without any black mark, it's only because of me. At many instances I have helped you all to sustain in CID.

Abhijeet (angrily): We are sincerely working and will continue to be sincere no matter whatever problems we have in our personal life. Why do you never trust your teammates and blame us for everything that goes wrong? Indeed we are humans and we make mistakes. But we never fail to do our duty. We never let anyone to escape from the eye of law. Please stop judging us.

Daya: Calm down, Abhijeet. Control yourself. (To DCP) Sir, this is totally unfair and this is the limit. Can you please explain what happened in detail?

DCP (serious tone): What must happen? You are not even respecting your senior officer...

ACP: Who said that we don't respect you? Though we have some misunderstandings, we respect you for what you are. Abhijeet, control your emotions. Sir, please tell me exactly what happened.

DCP: I got a call from higher officials and ministers and they arranged for a secret meeting. I thought they will be discussing on a high profile case but they issued these orders. I argued with them for us for an hour. We are charged for not being punctual in case proceedings and our investigation process is not satisfactory for the higher officials. So we are suspended. Whether we accept it or not, we must obey the order.

Salunkhe: It is so silly sir. So far, everything was good. Even now we were dealing a sensitive case. It is a national threat and we are working on this case day and night. How can we leave this case midway and sit in home in the name of suspension?

DCP (in a low tone): I don't have an answer for this. See even I'm confused a lot in this issue. But we have no other way. Order is an order. Not only you, even I got suspended. I will give two hours time. Within that I need all the case files. I must handover the case files to the Joint Director of CBI.

DCP Chitrole left the bureau taking his suspension order. All were looking towards the entrance and gathered near ACP's cabin.

Freddy (in a serious tone): Sir, I don't know how my wife will react for this. How I'm going to face her? Oh, My God!

Abhijeet: Sir, this sounds fishy. How can they suspend everybody in a department? This is something I have never heard before. Someone must be behind this plan sir.

ACP: Some of our officers like Vivek, Rajat, Sachin etc. got transferred due to various reasons but even those officers were sincere in their job till they served as officers in CID.

Purvi: Sir, our team is not just a team, it's a family and we learnt many things here. We learnt the real discipline only in CID. We are respected by people for what we do. People have trust on us.

Tarika: Sir, I am working as a forensic doctor in CID for nine years and I too learnt many things from Salunkhe sir. I feel proud to work with an efficient team. But I couldn't understand one thing. What made them feel like we are inefficient?

Daya: Dr.Tarika, whether we are efficient or inefficient, now that's not the problem. The problem is what we are going to do without our job, which has become our life as well. Once Abhijeet and I were discussing how life would be after retirement. That's different. But this is something quite unexpected.

Pankaj (in his mind voice): How long I was waiting for the vacation. Now I'm going to spend a nice time as we got a vacation (smiles himself)

Abhijeet (looking at Pankaj): Pankaj, I know what you are thinking about.

Meanwhile, Purvi gets a call. After the call, she informs that a person was murdered at Andheri last night and someone has witnessed the murder. But her face turns pale.

Freddy: What happened Purvi? Why are you dull?

Purvi: I managed to say that we will reach the spot. But how can we...

ACP: I will manage to do something. Let us seek the help of the local police. Now all of you collect the case files we were currently working and bring it to my table. After that, all are supposed to leave the bureau. Make sure that everyone has taken everything they own like mobile phone, laptop etc. and all of you must handover your guns. I will personally handover everything to DCP. I will inform you if anything is needed. Hurry up...

After few minutes, Freddy, Purvi, Pankaj, Dr.Salunkhe and Dr.Tarika handover everything to ACP Pradyuman and they leave the bureau. When Abhijeet and Daya are about to leave after handing over everything to ACP, ACP stares at them. Abhijeet and Daya stood for a moment.

ACP (in a gentle voice): Abhijeet, Daya do you have anything else left to say?

Daya: This is something which degrades our self-respect. We never thought of our own life more than our job. This job, this duty has become our heart and soul (gives a glance at Abhijeet) What Abhijeet? What do you say?

Abhijeet: Daya is right. Without CID I am almost dead. But my heart says one thing. Nowadays, our work has just become a formality. I feel like our job lost its own essence. I don't hate the job, but we need some refreshment for our minds. This situation may not be good for us, but this interval will definitely teach a lesson. This suspension cannot kill the officer inside us. This interval may be short or long. But we have the opportunity to prove ourselves that we are worth enough to serve the people. We will fight till the end to prove ourselves.

Daya and ACP Pradyuman nodded agreeing Abhijeet's words. "That's the spirit" said ACP, patting on Abhijeet's back and the trio left the bureau together with a heavy heart.

THE END