PART 2:
Coehlo was with the newspaper after his morning walk. His eyes went through the main headlines first. After going through the main news he went into the other pages. In one such page was interesting news were a police officer was caught for his wrong deeds. The one who took charge of the case was a local inspector and the outcome was a huge one. Somewhere he knew something was missing. He called up a number and enquired. He knew his gut feeling was true. There was a presence of an intelligent being behind the work, who had seen something the line of sight. And he could never miss it by any cause.
He kept back the paper and sipped his tea. But he couldn't help himself from thinking.
A few weeks back, he had met him in a lane. It had taken a lot of pressure from his side on phone to convince him to meet once. At last he did come in a bang on time.
The man who was in front of him was very different of whom he had remembered. He did have the same attitude and vigour. But clad in a casual dress completed by a leather jacket, he felt many a thing have changed around him.
He walked in, and almost gave a nod with, Jai Hind Sir'.
"Ye sab kya hai, Arjun?" he didn't even flinch in that question.
"its me sir, just me. Arjun"
"acha? Aur kya mein iss Arjun ko pehechantha hu?"
"iss Arjun ko koi pehechane ya nahi, mujhe farak nahi padtha sir. Aap bas mujhse milne chahthe the. isliye agayi. Now may I know why?"
The words were haughty. It had arrogance with a lower notch. Coehlo knew it was unworthy to speak in a high tone to this man; it will only make him run away faster.
He mellowed down a bit.
"dekho Arjun. Tumhare gussa bewajah nahi hai. Jo department ne there sath kiya hai, uske baad aise reaction dena, its acceptable from you. Par kab thak? Akhir kin kin ko saza doge tum?"
"kin kinko... ye tho nahi patha... par ab yahi meri zindagi hai"
"tho tum wapas nahi aaoge?"
"kaha wapas aana hai sir? Wapas uss department me, jaha mera ab kuch bacha nahi hai. Jispe viswas karne keliye ithni badi saza mili? Nahi sir, don't expect me anything now. Jo wada aap deke mujhe pehle wapas bulaya tha... wo bhi ab kaam nahi karega. Kyunki der se hi sahi, ithna tho meri samajh me aya hai ke, jo uss wardi se hosaktha tha, usse kayi guna zyada uske bina bhi kar saktha hai. Ab na koi protocol hai, nai koi zimedari, na kisiko jawab dena hai, aur na koi sawal karega. Ab yahi meri duniya hai sir. Aur ab aap uss Arjun ko bhool jayiye, usse shayad ab aap kabhi nahi milege."
He had waited for a moment and then walked out to the jeep and drove away.
And now he knew where Arjun was, still he could do nothing. If anything that he knew was that, even though how much Arjun denied it, there was the still old Rawte inside him. The one who would never cease to sit back when something goes wrong. But what worried him were his methods. Even when bound by the system he used to care for nothing. And now his path will be ruthless too.
Only if he had someone to guide him... someone to stand by him and say no... someone... like a guardian angel...
***
It was another day start when Arjun came back from the jogging. Karan was completing his work on the car that had come last evening. He heard a "good morning Shera..." but as usual ignored and went it.
The garage had front portion which was work related. To the inner side were 2 rooms, initially decided to be stock rooms but modified to bedroom.
The night after crossing Karan's path... the one that gave nothing but emptiness, he found himself facing Karan again. "ab kaha jaane ka plan hai?"he hadn't answered that and was moving forward when he heard Karan's moan as he tried to walk with the injured lag. The same injury that was caused by his gun. He had held his hand to support Karan. And thats when he said "mere garage me jagah hai. Agar kahi aur nahi jaana hai tho, waha rukh sakthe ho."
At first he had declined it and walked away after dropping him at his garage. But in the coming days of knowing Karan, he shifted to that place. It was not comfortable, but somewhere there was peace. Not the one that was soothing, but something that he needed very badly. Karan never probed to his area when he wished to be alone. He was a fun loving guy, a harmless flirt. But there was much inside him that made Arjun wonder about him.
His room had a bed and a table. He had a small almirah where he kept the valuables which were his laptop and some money. His dress and necessities. He kept everything light as he knew someday or other he may have to move again. To stay put somewhere was not his cup of coffee.
Simran or Simi for short. A talkative girl, who stayed in a single room upstairs that, was along with garage. He had wondered at first why would a girl stay away from a family and that too at such a place where the security was minimum.
When asked to Karan, he had given the strangest words that had ever come from his mouth. "Shera... har kisike naseeb me wo sab nahi hothe jo wo chahthe hai ye jiske wo haddar hai. Hai kuch uske zindagi me bhi... jiske wajah se usse ye kadam uthana pada. Jab pehli bar mile thab mann nai kiya ke usse raste me chod du. Uske hassi pe math jaana, wo tho actress banne ki koshish me hai. Aur training khud ke zindagi se hi mili hai..."
Arjun knew there was much hidden behind her and Karan too. And that Karan was not only a guardian angel for her, he had felt something more than that to her. There is not a moment when they don't fight. But if she is not seen even a moment more than expected, he gets worried.
They had reminded him of 2 people... who fought like cat and mouse and still cared...
Sree and Liza...
Arjun heard a knock at the door and saw it was Simi. "kya hua?"
"kuch nahi Arjun. Kal rath ko hath pe chot laga tha na? bandage..."
He raised his hand and stopped her. There was bandage already on it by himself.
"ok... agar antiseptic chahiye tho isme hai..."she placed a box and went back. He quickly freshen up and went out. Karan and Simi was already with their plate of food.
"oye yaara, puchna bhool gaya... aaj hamare sath bahar chaloge?"
"nahi, aaj class hai. Shaam ke session hai.Tum log jao."
"koi bath nahi, uske pehle chale?"
"nahi... tum log jao..."
They knew it was end of discussions and resumes the food with tv on.
He went out after food to various places. Though he was no more in the system, still he had a good network. The men and women who reported him, who were more than his informers. He had people from different walks of life. He needed to have update from various sources, as he didn't have the department backup. And he never wanted it back too.
Afternoon he went to the school. His class was scheduled at 3 till the end of the class hour. His bunch of kids was ready in their uniform and so was she.
He had an extra care to her which was a very subtle one. She didn't like special consideration. So he needed to be careful with her.
At the end, class was over and the students returned. But she stayed back.
After arranging the room back in order he turned to her who was sitting on a bench with a box in her hand. "ye kya hai?"
"bathathi hu Mr. Arjun. Pehle yaha baitiye"
He enquired again for which she showed the seat nearby her. He sat down waiting. She placed back the box on the bench and took his injured hand in her hand. She had a good look at the bandage which was already in a very bad condition. She eyed him with bit anger. "kisine sahi kaha hai. Jack of all trades jaisa koi nai hai. Aise bhi koi bandage lagathe hai? Kafi time se mein dekh raha hu. Ye aapne hi kiya hai na?"
He gave a mild smile and that was her answer. She opened the first aid box and removed the bandage and started cleaning it with the cotton dipped in antiseptic. His hand flinched a bit and she blew on it lightly. And then putting back the medicine and bandaged it back perfectly. After letting her finish it he looked at her hand work.
"kafi achi training mili hai aapki mumma sa. Good job Einstein."
"maska math lagayiye. Thode bohot apne khayal rakha kijiye. Koi superman nahi ho"
He smiled again. It was only she got to see his rare smile.
"ready hojao. School bus athe hi hoge"
"aaj mujhe ghar drop kar sakthe ho?"
He took a moment. "koi problem tho nahi. Par..."
"fikar math kijiye. She won't mind. Mein bath karungi unse."
He nodded agreeing and she went off to change her dress to uniform. He accompanied her to the class, and then to the staff room where she went to the classteacher to get back her mobile. It was her routine. She always kept her mobile switched off with her mam in the morning and took it back in the evening. She had obvious reason for it and the school management did agree on it too.
Arjun spoke to the bus driver for her and took her in his jeep. The ride was silent. She switched on her mobile and called a number but none picked it up. "mumma firse busy hai." She types in a message for her. Arjun was used to it now. Her mom has to work till late and there was none to take care of her at home. So she was given permission to use the mobile. After typing she turned to him. "apke laptop me kuch problem tha na?"
"haan. Kabhi hang horahe hai. Aise kafi time se hai"
"aur aap abhi thak usse kisiko dikhaye nahi"
"zaroori nahi tha. Hamesha koi bhi system related problems tha thab..." he stopped abruptly. She caught it too.
"mein dekhu?"
He leans back and gives his bag to her. She opens the laptop. "password?"
"kyu? Khud dhoond nahi sakthe?"
"ho sakthe hai. Par bathaoge tho asaan hoga."
She turns the lap to him and he types in between his driving. She has a quick look. The wallpaper was the ETF logo. She looked at it for a while and then to him. He was concentrating on road.
She looked at the folders. "aapke memory kuch zyada hi bhare hai Mr. Arjun. Isiliye hang horaha hai"
Her words had double meaning and he did catch it too. He didn't reply.
"kabhi kuch memories delete karne se koi problem nahi hoga."
He still didn't say anything.
"aap abhi thak kuch delete karne ke koshish nahi kiya na?"
He turned to her after braking the car. They had already reached infront of her home.
She gave a smile and turned the screen to him. "mere matlab hai... ye file dekho. Kafi bade hai. Usse 2-3 jagah pe bhi save kiya hai. Ab aise rakhoge tho zyada space use karenge. Aur system slow down hojayega."
"hm..."
"agar ek rath ye mere pass hai tho mein thode bohot sort out kar dunga"
He knew she could. But there were contents which were too much for a little girl. "nahi mein hi sort kar detha hu. Aur kuch delete bhi kar dunga. Thanks."
She smiled and got out of the jeep. She was ready to go when he called back.
"Anjali... sahi kaha hai... kuch memories ko delete karna acha hai. Par aise bhi kuch hai, jo kabhi delete nahi hoga"
She knew much about him from these days.
"agar delete nahi kar parahe hai, tho koi bath nahi. Usse wahi rehne dijiye. Bas bar bar khulke math dekhiye. Kyunki wo sare bath aapko khud patha hai."
He was feeling good to hear such mature thoughts from her.
"agar chai banana janthe ho tho ayiye. Mujhe abhi bhi pathe aur sakkar ke amount me confusion hai. Mere liye tho cornflakes hai."
He knew that was her version of welcome home.
"sometime later... because your mumma still don't like me coming to see you. Aur tum unhe naraaz math karna. Bye"
She nodded and he drove away. Through the rear view mirror he could see her watching till he was away. It was warmth that he had always felt beside her. Her words did carry the care she had for him. He knew she knew much about him. It was not that tough for her to gather it.
But he needed to keep his distance from her. Because he had given his word to someone... her Mumma.
Book Talk
Shiv Shakti
22