SS2 (V) - Pg 9 Updated Oct 23 - Page 5

😕Late evening…

There was no one in the school… There was the watchman alone, drinking tea and chatting with a chai wala…. Watching their conversation it looked like a regular occurrence…. 😳

Vishal: (Walking towards them) Are waa! Is mausam me ek kadak chai ka mazaa hi kuch aur hai… Bhaiya mujhe bhi ek pila dijiye…

The chai waala grinning poured him a cup of tea… Vishal paid the chai waala and he left for his rounds…

Watchman: (Looking at him thinking🤔) Aap, kal aaye the… Pooch taach karne…

Vishal: (Taking a sip) Ji… Aaj bhi aaya hoon pooch taach karne….🤓

Vishal looked into his cup of tea… But sideways noticed the composure of the watchman slipping… He acted as if not noting and the watchman glanced nervously towards the school… Last time Vishal met the watchman he didn't seem like this, but today… He guessed the watchman would be on the defensive side…

Sure enough…

Watchman: Lekin ab school me to koi nahi hai… Main bhi kuch der me chala jaaonga…

Vishal: (Surprised) Matlab raat me school me koi nahi hota?❓

Watchman: Ji raat me school me kisi ko hone ki kya zaroorat hai… Main bhi bachchon ke liye reheta hoon… Subah jaldi aa jaata hoon…

Vishal: Matlab roz aap hi yahan pehle hote hain aur aakhir me jaate hain?❓

Watchman: School ki chaabi mere paas hi hoti hai… Isliye…

Vishal: Mmm…. Aapka bhi achcha kaam hai na? Mera matlab bachchon ke saath ghul milna… Aapko, yahan ke teachers ko…

Watchman: (Smiling😊) Waise to ye such hai… Bachchon ke saath waqt bitane se… Samay kaise beeththa hai pata hi nahi chalta…

Vishal: Aap yahan kitne saal se kaam kar rahe hain?❓

Watchman: Ji… Aath saal se… Yahan mera ek dost kaam kar raha tha aur main ek company me kaam kar raha tha… Vo company ka diwala nikal gaya aur mere dost ko uske bete ne kaam karne se mana kar diya tha… Uski tabiyat ke liye… Tab se main yahan hoon…

Vishal: Are waah, matlab aapka rishta is school se aur yahan ke teachers se bahut achcha hoga…😉

Watchman: (Smiling with pride😛) Bahut achchi tarah se…. Bachchon se bhi… Sabko main bahut chahatha hoon…. Nanhe nanhe hain…. Unse baat karna, unki harkoton ko dekhna… Kabhi kabhi pareshaan kar dete hain, lekin bachche hi to hain…

Vishal: (Smiling) Sahi kaha…. Bachchon ki harkatein hoti hi aisi hai… Khud bhi bahut seekhte hain aur hume bhi bahut sikhatein hain… Aaj kal ke bachche to teachers ko bhi sikha dete hain…

Watchman: (Laughing😆) So to hai…. Aur jab sikhane waale ka umar kum ho to khud bhi bachcha ban jaata hai… Yahan jitna mujhe bachchon ko sambhaalna padta hai utna mujhe Rathi ko sambhaalna padta hai… Baap re vo to us bachchon ke saath mujhe itna satati hai… Lekin dil ki bahut achchi hai… Bachchon ke saath bahut achcha naata hai uska…. Khaaskar us Niyati ke saath…

The watchman stopped suddenly realizing he must have said very much… Vishal did not show any reaction to this, but became alert at Niyati mention…. The watchman looked at Vishal and seeing no reaction relaxed a little thinking he must have missed the mention….

Vishal: Such to hai kaaka, jab umar kam ho to bachchon ko hum asaani se samajh lete hain, kyunki humara bachpana abhi tak humse door nahi hua hota hai…

The watchman smiled vaguely but did not continue the conversation…. Seemed like he sensed the direction of the conversation…. But still Vishal continued….

Vishal: (Smiling😊) Aap to school ke bachche aur bade dono ko bahut achchi tarah se jaante honge naa?❓

The watchman glanced at the school and nodded with no smile… A sadness seemed to engulf him…

Vishal: (Concerned) Kya baat hai kaaka? Kuch pareshaani hai?😕

Watchman: (Sighing) Is school ko band karne ki baat kar rahe hain… Kayi bachchon ke mata pita aake baat karke gaye hain… Dar hai unhe apne bachchon ke baare me… Lekin ye school mera ghar ban gaya hai ab…

Vishal: (Stunned😲) Kya? Lekin kidnap school me to nahi hui thi na?

Watchman: Haan, lekin bachchon ke mata pita is jagah se ab darne lage hain….

Vishal didn't know what to say…. He remembered how he had reacted when Dipika was in the medical store the day before and the words he had uttered… Even though it was just for fun, the shop keeper had become upset about it and Dipika had chided him for saying so…

Thanking Dipika had just paid him when the shop door barged open and Vishal came in…

Looking at Dipika he exclaimed…

Vishal: Thank God! Yahan andar kya kar rahi thi? I told you to wait outside…. (Hand on his chest) I got scared… Ye jagah kidnap prone hai pata hai naa?

Dipika shaking her head looked at the man whose face had gone down… Smiling she said….

Dipika: (Looking at the man) Jagah ko dosh mat do Vishal…. Jagah nahi, log galat hote hain… Thank you!

The man smiled back his response… And Dipika dragged a confused Vishal out with her!

Getting into the car….

Dipika: Kab kahan kaise baat karte hain ye bhi pata nahi... Kya hoga tumhara?

Vishal: (Bewildered) Hello… Ab maine kya kiya?

Somehow he felt responsible… But he couldn't blame the parents for the concern about their kids… If someone had really targeted this place or school, they definitely had to worry….

Watchman: Meri patni paanch saal pehle mar gayi thi… Mere bachche sab ab bade ho gaye hain…. Ab unke bhi bachchein hain…. Vo to mera bahut achchi tarah khayal rakhte hain hi… Lekin saara din main unke saath to nahi reh sakta…. Is jagah me bachchon ke saath rehena man ko bahut khushi milti hai…

For the first time in the evening, Vishal turned fully to face to weary old man….

Vishal: (Earnestly) Aapka ghar bach sakta hai kaaka…

The man looked at Vishal a little guarded knowing, what was coming…. He was getting ready to find an escape route to evade his questions….

Vishal: (Sensing his hesitation😕) Kaaka ye sirf is school ka hi nahi, ek bachchi ka bhi sawaal hai…. Humari deri us bachchi ko uske mauth ke paas bhi le jaa sakti hai…

Watchman: (Shocked) Nahi!!!!😲

Vishal: Phir kaaka, please jo kuch aap jaante hain batyiye….

The watchman looked at the Vishal for a long time…. He glanced at the shool and deciding something turned to Vishal….

Watchman: Shinde memsaab ne Niyati ke baare me kisi se baat karne se mana kiya tha…. Unka dar tha ki school naam badnaam na ho jaaye….

Vishal: Kaaka aapko jo kuch bhi pata hai, batayiye please….

Watchman: Beta such kahoon to mujhe nahi pata ki mujhe kya pata hai… Shinde memsaab ko to apne school ki phikar thi, lekin mujhe such me nahi pata ki main aisa kya jaanta hoon jo main kisi ko bata nahi sakta….

Vishal understood the problem… Mostly people around a crime scene would know things that are related to a crime…. But they never would be able to point it out or consider them worth mentioning because they would never realize its relevance to the issue…..

But Vishal had to talk to the watchman… He needed some information from the school…. Yesterday his interrogation on Mrs. Shinde had led to a dead end… She was not the least cooperative…. She was in her best mode of defense, evading his questions…. And he knew it was waste of time to interrogate her again…

Vishal: Theek hai kaaka… Ab bas mere sawaalon ka jawaab dijiye…. Niyati jab school me thi to ussse milne koi aata tha?❓

Watchman: Nahi beta… Niyati bitiya to bas apne tak sehemat thi… Pehle to baaki bachchon se ghul mil bahut khush raha karti thi… Lekin thode dinon se bahut udaas thi bachchi… Zaahir si baat hai, uske mata pita ka case jo chal raha tha…. Lekin Rathi ke aane se vo phir se khush rehene lagi…

Vishal: Rathi? Vo teacher jo kal bahar bachchon ke saath thi?❓

Watchman: Haan… Bahut pyaari hai… Bachchon ke saath bahut ghul mil gayi… Niyati sirf ussse baatein karti thi… Aur Rathi bhi hamesh uske aas paas thi…. Zyada tar Niyati bitiya udaas udaas hi rehethi thi, lekin Rathi ke saath jab bhi vo waqt guzaarthi thi, bahut khush rehethi thi… Use Rathi itna pasand aaya ki usne ussse apne maa se bhi milvaya tha!

Vishal: Maa! Vasundhara ji se?❓

Watchman: Haan… Vasundhara ko bhi Rathi bahut pasand aayi… Niyati ke apaharan se bechari bahut pareshaan thi… Udaas bhi… Kaam me uska utna dhyaan bhi nahi lagta hai…. Ab to uski tabiyat bhi bigadne lagi hai…. Aaj school nahi aayi bechari….

Vishal: School nahi aayi? Rathi kab se yahan kaam kar rahi hai?❓

Watchman: (Thinking) Hmm… Kareeb teen maheene se…🤔

Vishal: Aapne kabhi school ke aas paas kisi ko dekha hai? Shaq karne jaisa… Ya phir aisa kuch hua jo nahi hona chahiye tha?❓

Watchman: Aisa to na maine kisi ko dekha naa kuch dekha…

If Niyati was close to Rathi she might have said something to her that would give them a lead…

Vishal: Kaaka aapko Rathi ke ghar ka pata maaloom hai?❓

Watchman: Mujhe to nahi pata… Lekin school ke file me hoga…. Ek minute….

Saying the watchman went inside and after few minutes appeared with a piece of paper in his hand…. Taking the paper he saw an address in Dadar….

Vishal: Bahut shukriya kaaka…

Watchman: Us bachchi ko jaldi dhoondh lena beta…

Vishal: (Assuring) Ye mera kaam hi nahi, mera farz hai kaaka… Main ab chalta hoon…

Vishal walked back to the car deep in thought… Troubled thought….. He seemed to be hitting dead ends… He had not gained much talking to the watchman… But he had wanted to talk to someone from the school…. He wanted to eliminate the school as a place which the kidnapper might have stalked….😕

He looked at the address in hand and at the time... It was getting very late…. He debated the idea to talk to Rathi…. But he knew better… Women always felt it not right when anyone wanted to talk to them at night…. Instead he decided to go to the CBI office… Pull out old files of kidnap cases and have a look at them…. Maybe he was missing something, maybe he was off the track… Interrogating the wrong people or looking at the wrong direction….

He knew he would not be able to sleep… Not be able to sleep until Niyati was found… She was the same age as Srishti… And he had seen enough of Dipika's concern for her and Aryan's plight after Pallavi's death to understand Vasundhara's condition…..😒

As he got behind the wheel, the nagging feeling that he was overlooking something stole him again….

Special Squad Interrogation Room….

Aryan: Tumhara naam kya hai? ❓

Aryan smiled a little…. This one was intelligent…. He knew his stuff…. Again fit to be good and bad…. 👎🏼

Man: Sirf Peter!

Peter: Haan… Kabhi kabhi…

Aryan: (Reflecting his reaction) Agar unhe jaan se maar diya to paise kaise milega?❓

Boxer: Itna kiya to ussse aksar milte hoge hi? ❓ Dono Rakesh ke liye hi kaam karte ho….

Aryan: Jhooth bolna ek kala hai…. Aata hai tujhe… Lekin jhooth ko pakadna bhi ek kala hai… Aur vo hume aata hai…⭐️

Saying Boxer pressed hard on his shoulder, forcing him to wince…. And bend his spine… But with equal force he sat back again…. Not for nothing he was a muscled man…. 😎

Aryan: Mile ya nahi? ❓

Peter: Mila ya nahi mila… Issse aapko kya? Vo to chali gayi naa…. Ussse to kisi ko ko bhalayi kabhi hui nahi…

Peter: (Whispered) B.. Bobby! Mar...! 😲

Boxer took hold of Peter's upper arm and dragged him with him to the autopsy room…

And when Bobby had gone to jail nine years back for a big crime, he was heartbroken… He had consoled himself saying that he was at least alive somewhere….😔

But a year back they had met accidently in a hotel… He was there to meet a client of Rakesh and she was at the counter arguing with the hotel manager… She didn't have the money to pay for her lunch…. She had argued that her purse was missing… Stolen apparently….

At last she decided to come to Mumbai to try her luck here and that was when Peter met her…. He had pitied her again for his brother and helped her get a job with Rakesh…. The only decent place he knew and he also knew she would be safe when Bobby returned from jail...

But Suman had shrugged him off saying Rakesh loved her very much and no one knew about her past except Peter… And Rakesh was not in a state to investigate her past…

Peter had left warning her and never met her again… 😳

She had come to him a month ago… He was in Rakesh's office to receive his payment when she had requested him to meet him at her home when Rakesh was not there… He had not wanted to go, but again thinking she wanted to be frank with Rakesh and wanted to discuss her options he had gone…😊

Suman: (Smiling sweetly extending a cup of tea) Peeterrr… Kab tak aise ghunda dardi ka kaam karte rahoge… Hamesha ke liye settle hona nahi chahate?❓

Peter:Settle? 😕

Peter stood up angrily to leave not wanting to hear her rubbish but she said…

He glared at her and kept standing…

Suman:(Scowling😒) Haan…. Pata hai… Aati hai ghar me…. Aate hi (Mocking) papa se mamma ki baat karti hai… 😡 Main yahan nahi reh sakti…. Agar Rakesh ko meri sachchayi pata chal gayi, to mujhe maar hi daalega… 😕 Jitna vo apni patni se pyaar karta ussse zyada uske jhooth se ussse nafrat karta hai…

Suman:(With a wicked gleam in her eyes😈) Haan… Main phir se vo battar zindagi nahi jee sakti… Aur iskeliye bahut saare paise ki zaroorat hai… Aur paisa Rakesh ke paas hai…

Suman:Chori kar sakte hain… Lekin Rakesh ek hi jagah me itne saare paise nahi rakhta… Sab kuch business me daal deta hai…. Aur to aur aaj kal uski business ki halat kuch theek nahi hai… Lekin chaho, matlab such much chaho to paise ka intezaam use karna hi hoga naa… Khaaskar jab uski beti ki zindagi ka sawaal ho…

Peter:(Straightening to his full height) Nahi… Kabhi nahi… Maine kaha hoga shayad ki unke parivaar ko dhyaan ke rakhe aur paise wapas dene ka intezaam karein… Lekin kabhi bhi unke parivaar par haath nahi daala hai maine… Agar maine aisa kiya to main hell jaaonga… Jesus kabhi mujhe maaf nahi karta…

Saying he walked to the door… At the door he turned around and looking at her with hatred said… 😡

Peter: (Dabbing his eyes through which tears didn't seem to stop) Humne… Maine aur daadi ne... Socha ki Bobby jail se choothke humse milne aayega… Lekin vo nahi aaya… Kahan gaya pata nahi tha… Maine aur daadi ne socha ki shayad usne apne purane doston ki gali gaya hoga… Lekin maine pooch taach ki, vo wahan bhi nahi aaya tha…. Mujhe shaq tha ki shayad vo Suman ko dhoondhne gaya ho… Lekin Suman ko dekhke aisa nahi laga ki vo ussse mila tha… Lekin ab dono mar…

At the door…

Nodding solemnly Peter left the office, his legs tripping him every few steps… Big muscle man but heart as soft as any soft thing you could think of…..