FF: Khamoshiyaan... (chap 37 page 133) - Page 30

CHAPTER 13:

Its 6 pm. For the first time Rathod was waiting to call it a day. After the call in the morning from someone truly unexpected, he has been looking forward for the evening. And in between came a case, that took his day time and as he wished they could wrap up before being late. Every time he used to remain with his team during the paper works. But today he said his team to complete the works as he needed to go. He was leaving in a hurry that amused the team.

Sr: ab inhe kya hua? Aaj sabere se kafi different behave kar rahe the. Na kuch zyada dammit, na dant…

Liz: kyu daant miss kiya tune??

Sr: are aise nahi, but still he was different today.

Ch: wo, tho hai, ab inke man me kya ab ye hi jaane.

Liz: Sree, Aman sir ka kuch patha chala? Kab arahe hai wo?

Sr: kuch saaf nahi kaha. May be soon itself.

All go back to their work.

***

Rathod was driving remembering the morning event.

"good morning Sir…"

His eyes were wide open. There was no need for a second guess. "AISHA??"

With some hesitation, "yes sir. Its me"

Sam: God… Aisha kaha the tum? BTW kaha ho tum abhi?

Ais: Mumbai me hu. Ghar pe.

Sam: what? Tum Mumbai me ho? aur ab bula rahe ho mujhe?

Ais: kal sham ko hi ayi hu. Socha aapko disturb na kare.

Sam: ek minute Aisha, ye formalities kab se shuru hue? You can call me Sam, when not on duty. You have the permission for that.

Aisha smiles at it. "of course, yaad hai mujhe sir."

Sam: lo firse…. Ok wo sab chodo. Lets meet. Bolo kaha milege? Sree, Liza aur Chotu hai yaha office me. Mien bathatha hu.

Ais: nahi sir, not now. mujhe thode aur time chahiye.

Sam: aur kithna time Aisha? And for what?

Ais: patha nahi sir, but before I see them, I need to be ready.

Sam: tho fir ye phone kisliye the?

Ais: I thought I could speak to a friend sir. Kafi din hue hai kisise baath karke.

There pain in her tone. He could feel it.

Sam: its ok Aisha. Ek dost ke jagah mien yaha hamesha tha, aur rahege bhi. Bas tumhe kuch kadam aur badhana chahiye.

Ais: I know sir. I'll try soon.

Suddenly she hears a knock on other side, and the Sree's voice. "sir, comm. sir on line"

Sam: ok mien araha hu.

Ais: aap jayiye. I think it's a new case.

Sam: ok, but aaj case ke baad mien araha hu, tumhare ghar pe.

Ais: ok. Bye sir.

Sam: bye.

He was driving ahead towards her home. A place which he and Arjun had selected for the after marriage days. The days long back had some sweet and bitter memories. But the bitter days with Arjun were the most painful ones. The way they looked out for each other along with the loathing, was a hard to understand situation. The bitter past of Arjun was not only bitter for Arjun but also for Sam. The only difference was that no one ever got much glimpse of his hidden feeling. The temperature between them used to increase with such intensity, that both had a hard time to control it. And the people who suffered with them were the team. There used to be a terrified look in Sree's eyes. Aisha was always the silent spectator of the glares between the two hot heads. Chotu would stand without blinking his eyes. Liza owing to the works at the lab missed much of this. Though she had a good track of tension zone.

But then it started to melt. Arjun was going back to his life… and when did it began?? No one knew. Maybe there was something in the silence that prevailed over the long rides for the cases. May be it began on the first day of their fight. Maybe on the numerous times when they saved each others lives. Maybe it was when they started to respect each others past and feeling without questioning them. Maybe Sam had it missed all through.

There was a time when Aisha was missing, and she was missing due to a small miscalculation done by the team, or rather by Arjun himself. 3 days of violent search… 3 days of agony masked by utter arrogance at no one particular… 3 days of sleepless night… Sam remembered it as if it happened yesterday.

The days they searched for her… and at the end of the day someone was so merciful enough to send a video CD showing her kept tied in a room. She looked pale due to high fever. They could hardly see her breathing. A voice over came. "kuch bhi ho… dum hai apke officer me… pichle 2-3 din me sirf do glass pani liya hai. wo bhi isliye kyunki hum usse zinda rakhna chahthe the. Ab ACP… hamare mange pure kardo warna… kal sham ko apko apke officer tho mil jayenge, magar uss waqt na aap, na apke bhagwan usse pehchan payege. Tho kal sham thak ka samay hai apke paas."

The video froze at her pale face.

The whole team was also frozen on her face. The silence was hurting everybody's ears. Arjun looked for the first time, rather after a long time… devastated. But he was the first one to wake up too…

Arj: Sree, focus on the clock hanging on the wall. There is some reflection on it.

Sree zoomed in and then amazed at the keen observation. There was a faint reflection of a big cardboard box.

Sr: sir, it reads AXIS Co. aur saath ek logo ke bhi nishani hai.

Sree started to search for it. They found a group that used the logo and located their godown. Though it was a wide guess, they had to search 2 godowns simultaneously to prevent the leaking of the news.Arjun, Sree and a few men in one godown. Sam, Chotu and team in another. And they wide search did have some results too.

Arjun found Aisha teid up and unconscious on the rough floor. It took him only seconds to free her hands and pull her towards his chest calling her name. The silence that prevailed between them had actually spoken many unsaid words for sure. Because the way that he took her to his chest was the best proof for it. There was moist in those cold eyes. He patted her cheeks calling her name. And after much effort she opened her eyes very slowly… "Arjun…" the very whisper of his name did change all the equations among them. He held her tight to his heart. And for all these, Sree was a silent witness.

What happened was not a big secret for the team. He rushd her to the emergency room in his arms. She was having vey high fever, and fatigue had done its damage too. And outside the door, he stood as a statue.

Sam had seen many unsaid feeling in his eyes before. But he never asked him. Or rather the ego, that was to be gone, didn't allow him. But the man that stood in front of him was once his friend. And Sam's heart said that his friend needed him now. Now… or never. Sam walked towards Arjun and placed a hand on the shoulder. Arjun's usual cold eyes said out something else that day, something that Sam had seen long time back. There was nothing that he could do other than giving him a warm hug. And even those hands around his shoulder were more comforting than any 100 words… that day the equtations among them changed too. And Aisha was a catalyst for that…

He reached the home. It stil had the old warm atmosphere around. He stood at the door and took a deep breath. And then he rang the door bell. The few seconds seemed like ages. And then the door opened. The person in front of him was a stranger… a lady whom he had seen long back…

She was in her cotton salwar with her hair open on her shoulder. A smile that attempted to reach the eyes. A pair of hollow eyes. Yes, she was a stranger…

"hai sir, please come in…"

The sound was the same. She moved aside and let him in. he moved as in a trance. She showed him the sofa, and he took it silently.

She stood there for a while and the seilence was hurting. She went in and brought a glass of water, which he took silently. She sat on an opposite sofa.

Ais: kaise ho aap sir?

Sam found it difficult to answer. "fine. par… kaha the tum? Kyu?? Kyu gaye the yaha se? aur do saal… do saal lage tumhe wapas aneme? Kya wajah the in sabke Aisha? And why did you make me take that promise? Jiske wajah se mien tumhe dhund bhi nahi paya? Please… I need some answers."

Asi: (after some silence) apke har sawal ke jawab mere paas bhi nahi hai sir. Kyu gaye?? Iss sawal ke jawab… aap sab ko patha hai!!!

Sam: kehna kya chahthe ho tum?

Ais: mere yaha jeene ke agar koi wajah tha…wo sirf Arjun hi tha. Aur aap sab ne hi uss wajah ko mujhse dur kar diya. Ya fir ye keh do… ke aap sab ne mujhe wo manne pe majbur kiya. Tho bathayiye sir, kya zaroorath the mere yaha rukhne keliye?

Sam didn't have the answer. The point that she put forward was true.

It was him, or rather them… who said that the reason for her wait was over… and that too, when she was not ready to accept.

He looked down. "Mantha hu ke tum sirf Arjun ke the… lekin yaha aur bhi log the Aisha, jo tumhare pariwar the… hamare team koi pariwar se kam nahi the na??"

She knew this was coming up soon and for that she knew she was guilty.

Sam thought of ending this huge silence that was between them. "tho ye bathao kaha the tum?"

Ais: Allahabad me, ek librarian thi.

Sam: wow, tum ek band kamre me bhi bait sakthe ho? ye mujhe patha nahi tha.

Ais: (smiling) aadat hogayi thi sir. Aur aaj kal iss bheed se dar lagne lagi hu.

Sam: dar?? Aur tumhe?? Ye kabse??

Ais: dar tho hamesha tha sir… par uss waqt… khair… aap kuch khaoge? Meine dinner banaya hai apke liye.

Sam: good. Ok, saath khathe hai.

He goes to fresh up and by that time she arranges the table. The dinner was a simple one, and they were having it silently.

Ais: sir… office me sab…

Sam: teekh hai. wahi purani team… lekin kuch din pehle ek naye member ne join kiya hai…

Ais: naye member?

Sam: (hesitatingly) ha… as second-in-command.

She stops eating for a second and then resumes concentrating on her plate.

Ais: tho kya ab thak…

Sam: nahi, pichle do saal se koi nahi aya tha…

The rest of the dinner went silently.

After that she was washing the plates and he was on the hall. She came back quickly.

Sam: Aisha, tum sabse milne kab arahe ho?

Ais: jaise meine kaha sir, kuch aur din chahiye mujhe. Is shahar me mujhe apne apko fit karni hai. uske baad…

Sam: uske baad tum wapas join kar rahe ho!!!

Ais: no Sir, meine join karne ke bare me socha hi nahi. I'm not sure ke mien uss zindagi me kabhi wapas aapaungi. I won't be able to join back sir.

Sam just looked at her face. "lets see Aisha, kab thak bhagoge tum…"his heart silently.

Sam: ok, tho mien nikaltha hu. Koi bhi zaroorath pade tho bula dena. Aur jab 'wo' time aye tho sabse milne bhi ana.

She nods her head smiling. She walks with him to the door. He was about to go out when he turned back to her.

Sam: kuch tha mere paas, jo tumhare amanath hai.

Ais: kya sir?

He puts his hands in his pocket and brings out something. He takes her hand and puts in there. She opens it slowly. It was a key… Room 121 of Ravi lodge…