CHAPTER 25:
"Nice to meet you Sakshi"
But Sakshi came in for a light hug leaving others shocked.
"Pleasure is all mine Aisha."
She left the hug. She itself felt a bit embarrassed. But now she was trying to mask it.
Ais: tum kafi emotional tho nahi hue?
Sa: sorry yaar. Aise lag rahe the koi friend se mil rahi ho. you remind me of someone.
"of course you remind me of him… your love…"
Ai: its ok. We are going to be friends. So no problem at all.
Sam: ok team lets settle down. Aisha, help Sakshi about the works over here. Sakshi feel free to ask any doubts. Now you are a part of this team.
Sa: thanks Sameer.
All were a bit taken aback. But none showed it.
Aisha and Liza showed her around.
Ai: wo hai Rathod sir ke cabin, aur wo Aman sir ke…
yani Arjun Rawte ke cabin.
She was silent.
Ai: kya hua? Aise kya dekh rahe ho uss cabin ko?
Sa: kuch nahi. Bas aise hi.
Sr: sorry to break the news ladies… there's a new case.
Sa: lo.. I'm your lucky charm guys. Mere athe hi case!! Superb.
They go to the hall for briefing. A boy was kidnapped by a group of goons, who asked for the ransom money. After getting the money, the parents find the boy's dead body. They were on their way to the spot in SUV.
Aman: tho fir kidnapping ke bare me pehle kyu nahi bathaya? Ab jab death hua hai, thab jaake police mien inform kar rahe hai.
Sam: the parents were threatened with the kid's life. Wo log dar gaye the. isliye wo jo paisa mange wo dene ko thaiyar thi. Lekin jab paise diya thab unhe unke bete ke laash mila.
Ai: patha nahi kab log humpe viswas karne lagege? Agar thode pehle batha diya hotha tho shayad ye sab nahi hothe.
Sa: logonke man me abhi bhi dar hai Aisha. kuch logone apne harkathonse aisa dar paida kiya hai ke, unhe ab sabse dar lagthe hai. chahe wo police force kyu na ho!!! aur meri kaam hai iss dar ko thode bohot dur karna. Sabke dar tho nahi mita sakthe, lekin jo mujhse hoga wo mien karungi.
Sam: thanks Sakshi. In fact I was not sure if we actually needed a journalist among us. But now you make me rethink about it.
Sa: thanks for being honest Sameer. I hope to keep up to your hope.
They reach at the spot.
Liza: sir, death sirpe war ke wajah se hue hai.shayad hathapayi bhi hue hai. shayad ye bacha bhagne ke koshish me thi. death time is almost by 6 am.
Sr: aur inke parents paisa 9 30 am ko diya tha.
Aman: iske matlab, wo log isse mara aur fir randsom ke mang bhi kiya. Jab bache ke zinda hone se usse nahi mile, tho maarkar paisa mang liya. So disgusting.
Sam: aise din me ye sab hotha hai!!!
More investigation was done. Sakshi was a silent spectator of these. She was observing how the team was coming into the conclusion. She could hear Arjun's voice in ears. This is a team worth working with…
She was happy with her decision to work with them.
After some initial enquiry and and talks with the family and checking of the records, a name comes forward. Bittu Sharma.
In the conference room:
Sam: Bittu Sharma. Ek naam jo bachonke kidnap se judi hai. wo bachonko uthathe the aur fir unhe bheeg mangne pe laga dethe the. kuch saal pehle usse ek case ke silsile me hamare team hi usse pakad liya tha. Hope you remember him well team.
Sr: ye wahi hai na sir, jo un bachonko handicap banakar bheeg mangne lagathe the?
Sam: ha wahi, par ye ithne jaldi bahar kaise nikal gaye?
Aman: in sab rackets ke hath bohot upar thak jathe hai Rathod.
Sakshi looks up to Aman. "Rathod?? Yani Sameer is in the way letting himself move forward. Good."
Aman: aur iske saath wo bahar bhi aye, ye koi badi bath nahi hai.
Sak: Sameer, kya iske bailing ke bare me khabar nahi mil sakthe? Jaise kisna bail kiya and all that?
Sam: mil sakthe hai. lekin credibility kithne hai, ye tho nahi keh saktha.
Sak: ye case kithne saal purana hai?
Ais: almost 3 years back.
Her mind: "is case ke beech me hi Arjun ke ek aur chehra dekhne ko mila tha. Jab wo bache ke dead body mile the… thab wo bohot gusse me the. Sree ne bathaya tha ke uss police officer ke harkath se Arjun kafi naraz bhi the. aur fir jab wo case complete hua… thab sare bachonko unke mutti se mukt kiya. Par jo sabne miss kiya shayad mujhe dekhne ko mila… wo unke pain ko mehsoos kar rahe the. un bachonke dard me apne dard bholaa rahe the. un bachonko ke halath ke zimedar hum sab the. bheeg mangne wali bachonko bheeg deneke bagair, unhe madad karthe… tho shayad wo log kabhi uss zindagi nahi jilethe. Arjun sabko aur apne apko in sabke doshi keh gaye…aur…"
"Aisha?? kaha kho gaye ho tum??"
Sree voice brings her back. She looks at everyone who was watching her.
Liza: you alright? Kabse sab tumhe bula rahe hai. kya hua?
Ais: sorry. Kuch nahi...bas wo…
All left the metter floating. They could guess her thoughts. But Sakshi… she was watching her intendly.
There was a glittering in her eyes when she was thinking. It went to a painful one… to a missing one. She was not so bad in guessing Aisha's mindset too.
Sak: kya kuch purane information se is Bittu ko follow kar sakthe hai? I mean usually they have a pattern in working. You must be aware of it.
Sam: sure, we are going for it. Sree Aisha purane files me se kuch information milne ke koshish karo.
Sak: in mean while I'll try to help you too.
Aman: kaise??
Sak: even mere pass informers hai Aman.
She gets up from the chair and goes to her cabin. And types a message to Aryan. "Bittu Sharma. Kuch yaad aya?"
She too goes to her files and other informations she have collected in child abuse. Maybe it would come handy.
A message beeps in. "child abuse case?"
She smile. "not bad…"
A beep: he back? Lokhande park ke paas ke mill. Uske purane adda. may have left it now. try somewhere closer to the port. That's his way.
Sak: ok. Will see to it.
She walks in.
Sr: sir, iske adda tho Lokhande park ke paas ke mills the. (Saksh smiles). Par wo abhi band hai. tho use trace karna hoga.
Aman: use that mobile call that the parents got.
Sr: do calls aye the. ek kidnap ke 5 ghante baad aur dusra, randsom money keliye.
Sak: kya inme se koi bhi kisi port ke paas se hui hai?
All look at her with surprise.
Sr: ha...ek… port ke kuch kareeb se hai. par tumhe kaise patha?
Sak: mere… ek informer ne bathaya… may be that's his way…
Sam: you are right. Bittu usually kids ko pani ke raste lathe the. your informer is good.
Sakshi smiles. "wo tho hai!!!"
Aman: par hum uthne jaldi decision nahi lena chahiye. Koi bada move lene se pehle hame unke movement notice karni hai. agar Sree, Sakshi aur tumhare soch sahi hai, tho ye port ke paas wali location unke adda hosakthe hai. we need to watch it out well.
Sam: exactly. Let's move in groups. Chotu activate your informers. We should get all the information ASAP.
Ch: yes sir.
He moves out. Aman is paired with Sakshi and Sree, while Sam with Aisha and Chotu. They can't move casually by the port. But Sakshi can. She takes on her job and moves about the port along with Sree. The both looked like a couple who is just having a leasure time.
Sr: waise pairing achi hui hai.
Sak: wo tho hai.
They move about and find Chotu's informer who passes them with the information about the port. Mean while Aman and Sam goes in search of the possible hide out locations. Aisha had to keep them connected and was monitoring the movement. After a while they meet back at the hall and discuss the parts. They coud confirm the location of the adda. They come to a decision and decide to get to there by next evening as they needed some more supporting facts and also they needed to save maximum number of kids with them. They call it a day.
They were back in the SUV.
Sam: so tumhare ghar kaha hai Sakshi?
Sak: ghar nahi. Lodge. Mien lodge me rahthi hu. Ravi Lodge me. Yahi aas paas hai.
She looked at each face reading the well. "they miss you a lot Arjun…"
Sam was first to wake up. "lodge?? Lodge kyu?"
Sak: kaam bhi kuch aise thi, ke ghar basane ke time nahi mila. Aur uss lodge me kuch hai… kafi sukoon milthe hai.
Aisha looked away from everyone. It's getting harder every day now. Sam and Aman were watching her.
They reach the lodge. Aisha was looking out at the lodge.
Sak: good night everyone. See you tomorrow.
Aman: good night. Bye.
He drove off faster trying to relieve Aisha from the pain. But little did he know that he could only drive away her body. Her mind was struck somewhere else.
***
His mobile beeped.All dropped me at Lodge. Going for the addatomorrow.
That means they knew she was staying in the lodge. They?? Matlab kaun ho sakthe hai? kahi Aisha…
His mobile beeped again bringing him back.
They miss you too. Esp her.
He smiled. She is good at reading minds now.
He opened the gallery that had the pic that she sent long back. He zoomed to see the eye. Those eyes that were just waiting for him…
***
And there at her home, she turned around in her bed, looking at his side… waiting for him to give his smile… his wish for a good night…
***
The team planned to move in to the location in the evening. The plan was fool proof. She messaged him. Moving in at 8 pm.
A silent beep: careful. It will be tough.
As he predicted it was tough. The place was a fortress by itself. Sam and Aman asked her to say back. But she denied. This is for what she was brought in, to be with the team at the plan of action. But after promising them to keep behind them always the team moves in.
Loads of fights and counter fights occur. She was as if standing in a battle field of a computer game. Fear was natural…but it was masked with concern…
For the team… for herself and also to the unknown kids whose fate rested in their hands. At last fate favored them.
The condition of the kids broke her heart. They were blinded and handicapped. It broke anyone who had a heart…
Later the case was wrapped up. The team was discussing the paper works, while she was typing the case details for the media. After typing it up, he gave a copy to Sameer for verification. He approved it with full heart. She went back to her cabin to finish her personal journal while the other paper works were going inside the hall.
Baali umar… bachpana…. Zindagi ke sabse haseen pal… ek aisa zindagi jo kabhi bhi laut ke na aye… aur uss zindagi me kya kya nahi dekha un bachone… jo nanhe pair har kadam apne zindagi ke aur badhane the, wo hi kaat diya. Jo ankhen iss duniya ke rang dekhne hi wale the…usse hi nikal diya… jo zubaan har khushi ko batna tha…usse bhi kaat liya… kaisa duniya hai ye? Kiske liye jirahe hai ye log?
Ye sab karke kya milega? Paisa?? Akhir kithna paisa chahiye sabko?? Aur isse karege kya??
Un masoom zindagi jeena shuru bhi nahi kiya tha... fir usse shuru hone se pehle kyu rokh diya?
Akhir kaun kaun zimedar hai? wo bache?? Nahi...unhe tho kuch patha bhi nahi…
Wo maa-baap jo apne bachonko bhej dethe hai… ek pet bharne keliye… dusre ke kurbani??
Wo log jo un bachonko lejathe hai?? akhir paisa ke samne jhuk hi gaye ye log…
Ya iss pure samaaj… jo bacho ko bhikari dekh kar bhi kuch nahi karthe??
Sab zimedar hai… sab… mien bhi….
She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Aisha.
Ais: busy?
Sak: nahi bas aise hi.
Ais: (pulling up a chair by her) ok ye lo coffee.
Sak: thanks yaar. I was realy in need for it. just wait for 2 minutes. Mien zara washroom hoke ayi.
She moves to the washroom. Aisha sits back on the chair. She hears a buzzing voice. A mobile was ringing.
***
Arjun wanted to know how the mission went out. She messaged Sakshi. But no reply came. He mobile was in silent mode and she busy working. At first in case. Then typing her report. Then her personal journal. She was so absorbed that she missed the message beeps.
At last he lost his controlled and dialed her number.
***
Aisha saw a name blinking and buzzing. "Sakshi call for you!!!" she said aloud. But no response from the washroom. The buzz stopped.
It began again. Aisha called for Sakshi. Still no response.
The call came the third time. She looked at the ID; "Aryan calling…"
It must be a very important call. Else 3 calls in a row and Sakshi was not coming out too. She decided to tell the caller to wait for a while.
She took the call. It started ringing the 4th time. The phone in her hand sent a special shiver down her spine. She ignored it and touched the green button and placed it at her ear. "hello…"
He was about to burst at Sakshi for not taking the call…. But then he heard her.
Aisha…
He said it in his mind.
She strained to her the voice at the other end. There was just breathing. It felt so familiar. It was close to her heart.
Her heart missed some beats.
He was straining himself to hear her voice again. Please speak…please once more….please…
As if hearing his heart's call…
Ais: hello….
He closed his eyes…feeling her tone soothing his pain at heart… bringing in a new hope… a smile… a wish… a prayer… a life in him…
Anupamaa
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