Hello pankhas.. Back with the next Chapter.. 😊
I know, you're all very confused and intrigued! 😉 Hope the next one clears out some bits.. 😊 There's no Pereira or the case in this one.. 😊
Should be able to post another one before I head out on a tour.. 😊
Hope you like it.. 😊
Chapter 5
"Unhappy memories are persistent. They simply refuse to leave us alone.
The memory of being unhappy has the power to hurt us long after the fact.
We feel the injury anew each and every time we think of it."
- Cameron Dokey
Candolim, Goa
They ate their dinner, in silence, with their thoughts trailing on different paths.. Rosy still hadn't gotten over Karan's last words..
They brought back fond memories of her childhood; she must've been a toddler, when her mother had caught her humming a tune..
And since then had begun the rigorous training sessions.. Her mother had been an accomplished classical singer back then and had taken over Rosy's grooming personally.
Also, the fact that her parents were estranged, meant that she got to spend more time with her mother than her father.. Though her mother had remarried and had a family of her own, Rosy could never connect to them..
Not that she hated them; but she couldn't overlook the fact that she was and would remain an outsider amongst them.
To her, her father meant the world.. She would often run away from her mother's house to meet him and had tortured him with her recitations of the revered Bhakti Geet..
She chuckled as she recollected him playing the harmonium while she sang an abhang by the Warkari Saint, Sant Namdev.. Amrutahuni god.. Naam tujhe deva..
Initially he had laughed at her accent.. Now that wasn't her fault; being born to a Hindu and a Catholic parent wasn't in her hands..
She had struggled to pronounce a few words in the beginning.. Yet, today, she could proudly recite bhajans and abhangs exactly the way he had taught her to..
He was a social activist and an intelligence officer himself.. She had inherited his courage and fearless determination.. He had taught her to hold her head high no matter how adverse the situations would get..
A single day hadn't passed when she hadn't missed him.. She wouldn't have joined the force if he had been around; she chuckled as she recollected him being overtly protective of her..
Yet she knew he would've been proud of the officer she was today.. Maybe even of the woman that she was about to turn into..
Years later, singing hadn't merely been a hobby or an art, to her it signified many things.. She had often been told by her dear ones that she could reach into their souls and bring forth exquisite emotions in a calm and soothing way..
She threw her head back against the couch and reflected back on the days when she had thoroughly enjoyed singing.. Music was the only thing she had ever been passionate about..
Now that she thought of it, it was a pity that the same showcased her own vulnerability..
And tonight, Karan hadn't been entirely wrong, when he had seen through her.. However, she couldn't afford to reveal her true self; neither to Karan, nor to anyone else.. A lot was at stake; she couldn't afford to risk it.. Not now, when she was a few steps away from stepping into the lion's den; when she was so close to unearthing the truth..
Karan found her lost in thoughts and couldn't help but wonder what it was that distinguished Rosanna, the apparently confident and suave woman from the vulnerable and probably innocent girl within her..
He wasn't a person who knowingly trespassed into people's private spaces; however, something about her had intrigued him since they had met.. He saw her poking at the empty plate with the fork and held her wrist..
Rosy's eyes opened wide and she jerked her hand out of his hold, "I.. Main woh.."
Karan shook his head, motioned to her plate and offered her another serving of rice.
She nodded in negative and grinned, "The lady in red can't afford to eat so much, Karan.. I need to stay in shape, right?"
He saw her wink at him and was left tongue-tied yet again..
Few minutes later, she was crouched on the floor in front of her iPad while Karan gave her a few directives..
One moment back, he was typing away furiously on his smartphone and turned to her a while later,
"I've fitted a spycam right outside your door and have linked it to both our cellphones.. We can't afford to risk it; since he owns this place, right.."
Rosy glanced at the deserted corridor in the screen and nodded..
She walked to the window with a glass of wine and leaned against the glass frame,
"Waise Karan, apne baare mein kuch batao.. Yeh, aise, ladkiyon ke peeche hi saari umar bhaagte rahe ho ya koi special mili?"
Karan chuckled and settled next to her, eyeing the sea,
"Special.. You mean woh jisse Ishqwala love ho.. Nah! Ab tak toh nahi mili.. Lekin khoj jaari hai.."
She rolled her eyes and handed him a packet of strawberries,
"Humsafar dhoondhkar nahi milte, Karan.. Bass mil jaate hain.."
He bit into a strawberry and glanced at her.. And saw her smiling genuinely for the first time ever..
Khopoli, Raigad, Maharashtra
The signboard on their left read 'Khopoli 0 Km'..
Rathore turned to his team and saw an array of emotions etched on their faces..
Shree was busy on his IPad trying to track the suspected driver's location, Chottu yawned and looked around for sign of someone so they could ask for directions to Mangal's house..
Ayesha, however looked lost..
Rathore had often caught her stealing glances at Arjun through the rearview mirror and that had surprised him slightly..
As far as he knew, Arjun and Ayesha barely even interacted with each other.. Now that he thought of it, he realised that they had both maintained a strictly professional relationship..
Arjun wasn't the kind of guy who meddled into other's affairs and it would be foolishness to expect even an exchange of greeting from him..
However, he failed to understand why Ayesha pretended to be one when she wasn't as shy and reserved..
He had often come across Shree, Chottu and Ayesha bickering over a game of cricket or sharing lunch..
It seemed as if Ayesha would coil back into the shell, when it came to Arjun..
He heard the car-lock click open and saw Arjun stepping down.. Shree and Chottu had joined him followed by Ayesha..
It wasn't easy for him.. There had been a phase in his life, when he had longed to return back to this place.. And now that he had, he couldn't wait to get out of there..
Memories of times spent in the town, flashed in his mind..
The house.. the garden.. the school.. the dam.. the bustling marketplace.. the temple and their secret hideout..
These memories were jabbing at his conscience..
He clenched his eyes shut and a pair of mischievous eyes teased him..
Toh aakhir tum aa hi gaye.. Mr. A..
His tongue rolled over his lower lip and he looked away..
Those memories had never left him.. And he knew, they wouldn't until he breathed his last..
He stepped away from the team and stood under the shade of a majestic tree;
He had successfully managed to bully the girls and grabbed the bat from the younger one..
Busy basking in the glory of his supposed win, he had failed to realise that they were nowhere to be seen..
Two girls tapped his shoulder and before he could turn around, he had landed on the floor..
His mouth fell open at his feet tied together and heard giggles behind him..
He spun around and saw Rathore eyeing him suspiciously, "Baat kya hai? Kabse bula raha hoon tumhe, Rawte"
He blinked his eyes and shook his head; he was losing it already..
He walked back to where the team stood talking in hushed tones..
Shree and Chottu complained about mosquitoes and the eerie silence prevailing around them..
Ayesha's mind, however had drifted into the past.. Her eyes fell on the same tree and the empty space in front of it,
Having taken revenge, they stood with their hands on their hips, laughing their heads off at the sight of Arjun's tied shoelaces..
Their friend fell on the ground landing on his back and cursed them.. She winked at her partner in crime and both girls had sprinted in the direction of their car hiding behind Inspector Gupte..
He had finally caught up with them and what had followed had been a daily occurrence in their home..
She felt a palm on her shoulder and turned back to find Shree's narrowed eyes staring at her..
She shrugged her shoulders hiding the little girl behind a fake smile, "Chalein, Shree?"
They had left their car in a motel near the highway lest the culprit be alarmed..
Rathore finally realised that it would take them a lot of time to nab Mangal, if everyone stuck together.. He split the team into two; Ayesha and Arjun had ended up together..
Ayesha nodded her head and followed him as he led her into the familiar narrow lane leading into the village.
She stole glances of him every few minutes, trying to read his thoughts.. She probably had misjudged him.. His face showed no signs of discomfort; yet..
They passed the now deserted school building and both heads turned to the left, even as they halted in their tracks..
Bunking classes.. physical training sessions.. cricket and football matches.. being caught by the teachers.. kneeling in the hot sun upon being punished, sharing lunches.. pulling legs.. tending to wounds.. hoisting her on his shoulders much to her annoyance.. her feeding him ice-cream and him smudging it on her nose..
Ayesha was the first one to break free of her thoughts.. She hadn't spent much time at the school since her parents lived in the city.. She had however, made it a point that she'd spent every vacation at Khopoli with her uncle, cousin and their guest..
The guest.. She looked at him through the corner of her eye and saw him gazing intently at the school gates.. It brought back fond memories of her..
She ran towards Ayesha wrapping her arms around her neck, while her parents and Arjun looked on amused..
The girls were meeting nearly after a year.. Their joy clearly reflected in their eyes..
None could tell that they weren't real sisters but first cousins.. They both loved each other dearly.. No outsider was allowed in their private conversations; neither their parents nor the new boy..
She hated to do this, but the clock was ticking.. Besides, she had to get done with the case; their home was calling out to her..
Arjun heard her clear her throat and shook his head, walking away; attempting to push the memories in a far corner of his mind..
Chottu and Rathore barged into Mangal's house and caught him unaware.. He had put up a fight initially; however, a blow from Chottu had made him blurt out the truth.. He admitted to have driven the couple back to the wedding venue on the insistence of the groom's brother..
Rathore had arrested him, while Shree was arranging for a transport back to the motel.. Having asked Chottu to inform Ayesha and Arjun about the recent development in the case, the team headed back to the highway..
Ayesha looked at his retreating back and wondered if he was reliving the same memories as well..
She wasn't sure if they affected him in the same way as her.. A lot had transpired ever since he had first set foot into her uncle's house..
Both walked silently, switching roles between the ETF officer and the broken individuals that they were..
Ayesha answered her phone and was in a dilemma.. They were being called back..
Arjun, however hadn't ignored her stolen glances.. He preferred to ignore them for the time being..
What was he going to say to her? Was he expecting her to strike a conversation with him?
Because, nothing was the same..
Neither was she the bubbly and fiery girl, he had known nor was he the kind-hearted and compassionate teenager anymore..
She glanced at him; there were a couple of things to be done before she could head back..
One, she needed to pay a visit to their old home..
Two, she needed to know if ACP Arjun was still the Arjun she had known 15 years back..
Because, if he was, their mission was at a risk!
Ayesha looked around and realised that a couple of minutes and they would be home.. A blend of excitement and pain pooled in the pit of her stomach..
She could still back out if she wanted to.. He hadn't asked her to follow him; he was free to go wherever he pleased..
Yet, a part of her wanted him to witness the sight that she had, years ago.. Remnants of the sight, she corrected herself..
She needed to know how if the memories riled him up as well..
A pretty face flashed in her mind and the anger and helplessness seething under her skin threatened to reveal themselves..
She had stopped a few feet behind him and he stood still as well, not turning back yet..
Ayesha clutched her phone tighter; a shudder ran down her spine.. And the next minute, she was choking..
She stepped away from him and rested her head against a stone wall.. She could feel her nerves throbbing, blood was pounding in her ears..
Her parents charred bodies, her uncle's tortured one and her cousin's white, lifeless face flashed in front of her shut eyes..
She smoothed her fingers over her throat; her breath had quickened..
And just when she had thought, she was going to breakdown, her phone buzzed..
She glanced at the caller id and her lips parted on their own to speak.. To her shock, no words left her lips..
She gently squeezed her neck and ran fingers through her hair furiously, forcing the words out, "Hmm.."
Rosanna glanced at Karan barking orders into his cellphone and rolled her eyes waiting for their partner to answer..
She needed to be informed about the current proceedings..
Having reconfirmed that her cellphone wasn't being tracked, she slipped in another SIM card and had dialled Ayesha's number..
She hadn't heard from her in the last two days; anxiety and exasperation having got the better out of her, she had finally decided to voice out her concerns..
Rosy looked at her phone screen and realised that the call had been connected..
She patiently waited for Ayesha to scold her for having risked it; however when none of that happened, she raised a brow and whispered,
"Hey Ayesha. It's me.."
Ayesha's soft 'Hmmm' fell on her ears and her eyes shot up; she instantly knew something was wrong..
She walked away from Karan and stood in a corner of the room, "Tum theek ho?"
A tear rolled out of Ayesha's eye and she gulped; those three simple words had strangely soothed her..
She felt as if she mattered to someone.. All was not lost; there were people who still cared for her.. She wasn't all alone..
With her insecurities and pain slowly subsiding, she managed to gather her voice, "Ro.."
Rosy looked at Karan and turned away,
"Ayesha, is everything alright? Where have you been? Do din ho gaye; naahi koi phonecall hai, na koi khabar.."
Ayesha saw a pensive Arjun sitting on a stone few feet away from her and walked away from him, "Khopoli.."
Rosy's eyes widened in shock,
"What?! What are you doing there? Ayesha, how many times have I told you? Why do you do this to yourself?"
Ayesha shook her head and breathed in fresh air,
"Shh.. We're here for a case.."
That seemed to have calmed her down and just when she was about to sit on the rocking chair, something struck her.. She clutched the phone with both hands,
"Wait! Case matlab?"
Ayesha glanced at her old friend, "Hmm.. He's here too.."
Rosy rolled her eyes and sighed aloud, "So.. Have you two spoken yet?"
Ayesha pressed her temples lightly,
"Nope.. And I don't think he intends to.. He's still coming to terms with it.."
She closed her eyes momentarily and realised that she had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she hadn't asked her the reason for an unexpected phonecall, "Ro.. How's it going there? All okay?"
Rosy pressed her lips together; she wasn't sure if she wanted Karan to overhear them,
"Hmm.. sort of.. Bass tum kaam jaldi khatam karke Mumbai laut jaao..
Don't even think of lingering around there.."
Ayesha gritted her teeth, flustered.
"But Ro.. I have to.. Bass ek aakhri baar.."
Rosy balled her fists at her stubborn partner,
"Ayesha, no! Purane zakhmon ko kuredne ki koshish mat karo.. They'll hurt even more and leave behind ugly scars.."
Ayesha rolled her eyes, letting her words sink in,
"Take care, Rosy.. I'll talk to you soon.."
Rosy held her head,
"Toh tum nahi maannevali.. Fine.. Do as you please. But please take care of yourself. And I'm just a phone-call away, if you need me.. You know that, right?"
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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