Chapter 4: INVESTIGATION STARTS
Recap: their conference room, arjun remembers sakshi's cutting chai and Shree scared to ask Rathode for gadget upgradation
Rathode asks Arjun "Rawate ab tu bata tujhe kya pata chala hai?"
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Arjun gives Shree a pendrive and says "Shree ye projector se connect karo."
The screen displays pictures of a few famous and rich businessmen and politicians who are now in power.
Pointing to the screen Arjun continues "Yeh woh log hai jo suddenly bahut amir ban gaye ya sudden power mein aa gaye hain. Aur mujhe lagta hai inme se kuch log zaroor Sikandar ke saath mile huve honge."
Rathode frustratingly scolds Arjun "yeh kya keh rahe ho Rawate. Inn logon ne mehnat bhi toh ki hogi yahaan tak pahunchne ke liye or phir inke khilaf hamare paas koyi saboot bhi to nahin hai."
Arjun understands his situation and says "Rathode yeh tu bhi jaanta hai ki inn mein se kuch log sikandar ke saath shaamil hain."
Rathode goes to say something but Arjun interrupts "Haan jaanta hoon chief ho tum aur kuch unch nich ho gayi toh tujhe jawaab dena padega toh sun."
He continues pointing at one picture "yeh hai Rahul Jain mashoor hotelier. Iske 4 saal mein chaar 5 star restaurant ke branches khule hain. Pehla restaurant isne chaar saal pehle khola tha bina koyi loan liye. Iska family background bhi bohot strong nahin hai. Paapa ek engineer the aur maa housewife. Dono ke paas itne paise nahin honge ki woh ek aalishaan sa restaurant kholega. Phir itne paise aaye kahan se. Pehla restaurant kholne ke baad utna profit ho nahin paaya ki agle saal woh dusra branch kholega aur har saal mein ek naya branch. Business bhi thik thak hi hota hai. Lekin sabse zyaada business uska club ke zariye hota hai. Shaayad wahan pe drugs ka illegal supply hota hai. Aur uske liye college students wahan jaate honge supplies ke liye clubbing ka clubbing drugs ka drugs."
Shree then asks Arjun "Phir wahan pe kabhi raid kyun nahin pada? Kisi ko shaq nahin hua?"
Rathode then answers "Nahin shree aisi baat nahin hai. Poore department ko pata hai lekin iske saath shaamil hai Mr. Abhay Nagarajan (points at another photo) MLA hai woh uss area ke jahan pe uska pehla branch hai. Iss liye jab bhi koyi raid karne jaata hai wahaan ya kisi aur area ke restaurant mein khaali haath hi aata hai. Woh MLA usse paison ke sahaare chup kara deta hain. Ab humein yeh pata lagana hai ki kya Rahul ke account se Abhay ke account mein paise jaate hai ya nahin."
To which Shree very naively asks "Lekin sir isske liye toh hume permission chahiye na?"
Both the ACP's glare at him
Rathode then answers Shree's naive question "Shree agar hum yeh permission ke saath kar rahe hote toh hum yahaan nahin HQ mein baithe hote."
Shree gets embarrassed and says "Right sir mein abhi bank statement nikalta hoon."
Arjun in a stern voice scolds Shree "Shree Kolkata mein kiske under kaam kiya tha??"
"ACP Shikha Ghosh ke under. Kyun?" Shree answers with a quivering voice
"Kaunse laptop se karoge Shree??" Arjun asks in a serious tone expecting him to understand.
Shree points at the department laptop and then realizes
Arjun then uses his punchline "Samje Ya Samjhaun!"
"Sorry sir woh aap ke saath aise kaam karne ka koyi experience nahin hai." Shree embarrassingly answers.
Rathode then asks him to calm down and says "Thik hai ab jo bhi details humein chahiye woh tum likhte jao aur jab tumhara laptop upgrade ho jaye phir details nikal ke dena."
Shree affirmatively says "Thik hai sir!"
He takes a pen and paper and notes down.
Arjun then points at another photo and continues "Yeh hai Mr. Robin D'mello mashoor businessman jiska tours and travels ka business do saal pehle start hua aur utna acha nahin kar raha lekin paison ke mamle mein Zara bhi dikkat nahin hai. Yeh paise isse kahan se aa rahe hain yeh humein pata lagana hoga toh iska bhi bank details nikalo Shree."
Shree notes whatever is needed.
Arjun continues "Yeh hai Aashif Siddqui (pointing at his picture) mashoor industrialist jisne che saalon me bahot se berozgar logon ko kaam diya hai. Aur logon ki maane toh yeh bahot acha kaam bhi kar raha hai. Lekin."
At Arjun's unusual pause Rathode asks "Lekin kya Rawate?"
To which Arjun replies "Yeh kaam to de raha hai. Lekin kuch log jo iske under kaam kar rahe the woh achanak se gayab ho jaate hai."
Shree then adds his point "shayad unhe kahi aur kaam mil gaya hoga."
To which Arjun disagrees and says "Nahin Shree aisa nahi ho sakta. Agar kahin aur kaam mil raha hota toh Aashif Siddqui inke gharwalon ko har mahine paise nahi de raha hota. Yeh kuch aur hi chakkar hai."
Rathode connects the dots and understands the whole matter "Chakkar mere samajh mein aagaya hai Rawate. Main kuch mahine pehle Mumbai ke kisi exhibition mein security ka incharge tha. Tab maine Robin or Aashif ko ek dusre se baat karte hue dekha. Bade ache se baatein ho rahi thi. Mujhe khatka kyunki donon ke professions alag hai. Ek businessman hai toh dusra industrialist. Toh maine paas jakar sunne ki koshish ki tab maine suna ki Aashif Robin se keh raha tha "Mere packages ko safely baahar pahunchane ki zimmedari teri hai" aur phir woh log apne logon mein mil gaye. Tab mujhe laga ki parcel ki baat ho rahi hogi. Lekin mujhe ab lag raha hai ki woh aise berozgaar majdooron ke shareer ke andar drugs fit karake baahar bhejta tha. Aur unke baahar jaane ka intezaam Robin kara ke deta. Kuch log zinda waapas aa jate or kuch pahunchte hi mar jaate. Iss liye unka kuch pata nahin chal raha tha aur jaise unnhone promise liya unke pariwar ka khayal Aashif rakh raha hai monthly paise dekar."
Arjun agrees with Rathode saying "Ho sakta hai. Toh iss sab kaam ke liye Aashif bhi Robin ke account mein paise daalta hoga! Toh unn donon ke bank details nikaal kar dekhna padega!"
Shree notes this down and replies "Yes Sir"
Arjun points at another picture and continues "Yeh hai Peter Saldhana Deccan Mines ka owner. Isske under aat saalon se gold diamonds aur baaki saari kimti patharon ki mining hoti hai. Unmein se aadha woh official kar dete hai aur baaki aadha woh smuggle karke unche daamon mein baahar bechta hai. Iss mein Robin ya uske jaisa koi aur bhi shaamil ho sakta hai."
Rathode adds "Yeh sab humein details nikalne ke baad pata chalega."
Shree notes this down too.
Arjun points at others photos and continues "Yeh bhi MLA Abhay ki tarah inn sab ke gunaahon mein parda dalte hai. Paise khilakar ya maar dalke. Yeh sirf inka kiya dhara nahin ho sakta. Kyunki agar tum sab dhyaan se dekho toh pata chalega ki inn 4 ki business bhale hi utna achaa na jaa raha ho lekin paison ki kami nahin hai kissiko. Illegal kaam karte hai par kabhi pakde nahin jaate kyunki yeh ministers parda dal dete hain. Aur inke aise growth se pehle kuch aur log thhe lekin ab unka koyi pata nahin. Yeh sab aat-das saal se chal raha hai."
Rathode then replies "Haan yeh sab koi aur chala raha hai. Yeh paanchon toh bas katputliyan hai. Inki dor sirf ek insaan ke haath mein hai. Aur kiske haathon mein hai, yeh bhi hum ache se jaante hai."
Arjun just takes one name "SIKANDAR.!"
Rathode adds affirmatively "Right. Aur agar hame yeh sab band karwana hai toh humein Sikandar ko maut ke ghaat utaarna padega."
Arjun now with full determination says "Aur woh bhi bohot jald hoga." Then continues "Tum abhi hamein detail mein batao ki team ke baare mein tumhe kaise pata chala."
Rathode now takes a deep breath to compose himself "Haan. Woh 3 mahine pehle maine ek drug peddler Rashiq ko pakda tha teen logon ke murder ke jurm mein. Toh tab usne mujhe warning diya tha ki main usske jaise hazaaron ko jail kara sakta hoon lekin uske boss ko choo bhi nahin sakta. Gusse mein maine uss se poocha ki aisa kya hai uske boss mein jo hum use pakad nahin sakte. Toh usne kaha ke 6 saal se mere officers uske kabze mein hai aur maine unhe chudaya bhi nahin. Kaisa chudda sakta kyunki uske hisaab se iss duniya mein bhagwan ne sirf ek hi Sikandar banaya hai. Aur uss ko koyi kuch nahin kar sakta yeh bolke usne zeher khaakar aatmahatya ki."
Rathode's voice cracks. He realizes it and again takes a deep breath. He then continues
"Gusse se aur shock se main kuch nahin kar paya. Phir mein Record Room gaya aur wahan pe Ayesha Liza Sakshi Chotu ke case ka record open kiya. Tab maine padha ki uss mein se kisi ko pehchanna namumkin tha. Haddiyon ke tukde tukde ho gaye the. Aur Arjun bas yeh keh raha tha ki uski aankhon ke saamne uski team mar gayi. Phir maine zyaada socha nahin aur laga ki Rashiq jhooth bol raha hai aur main zyaada soch raha hun.
Phir ek din meri mulaqat Dr. Chaya se hui Forensic Anthropologist. Maine uss se ek favour maanga ki woh apne private lab mein jo hadiyan evidence room mein thi usse ek baar test kar sake. Uss hadiyon ke sample se jab DNA liya aur officers database se match kiya toh kisi ka bhi Ayesha, Chotu , Liza ya Sakshi ke saath match nahin ho raha tha. Aur unme koyi bhi hamare team ka nahin tha. Phir maine woh evidence chup chaap evidence room mein rakh diya."
Arjun and Shree are shocked at this revelation as Sameer was the one who would never do something unethical no matter how correct it was.
Rathode continues "Phir maine ek aur baar case record khola aur pada. Tab tumhare baare mein likha gaya tha ki tum khud ko sambhal nahin paa rahe the aur tum sharaab ke nashe mein the. Jo blood sample unhone tumhara collect kiya woh bhi tha wahan preservatives ke saath freezer mein. Toh main woh lekar chala gaya private lab mein blood test karne. Tab pata chala ki tumhe hallucinating drugs diya gaya tha jisse tumhe wahaan humaari team dikhi. Zyada pata nahin chal paya ki kya tha kyunki frozen blood utna effective nahin hota. Toh mujhe sab samajh mein aa gaya. Aur maine tumhe call kiya." He stops.
Rathore again adds "Yeh sab sabki nazron se chupaakar karne mein time laga. Toh haan yahi sab hua."
Shree and Arjun who are still in a state of disbelief look at each other.
Shree then asks Rathode "Sir aapne yeh sab apne usulon ko side rakh ke kiya?"
Rathode sighs and answers "Karna pada Shree jab sab ne jhooti report banayi thi aur Rawate ko fasaya apne hi team members ke murder mein jo hua hi nahin. Mujhe laga ki behtar hoga mein yeh sab aise hi karun."
All just stay silent for a while remembering how everyone from politicians to senior police officials were against Arjun and without any tests told that ETF is no more. That was a shattering for everyone. After that Shree stayed in Kolkata doing the same boring work, Rathode went underground to collect Sikandar's details for Arjun and Arjun tried to get the guilty punished. After handing over the details Rathode joined the headquarters. Arjun resigned. And none of then were happy.
Shree realizes that the silence has to be broken now and says "Sir woh mujhe bhuk lagi hai.. yahaan kuch khaane ke liye hai kya?"
Rathode comes out from his thoughts and says with a low voice "Haan pantry mein kuch biscuits honge leke aa."
Shree then offers them beverage "Uske saath main chai aur coffee le aaun?"
To which Rathode replies "Thik hai. (pauses for a while) Ruko mein bhi aata hoon."
Shree feels a bit nervous and says "Main bana lunga sir."
Rathode replies to him saying "Pata hai main bas refresh hone ke liye aa raha hun."
Arjun realizes what time it is and says "Subah ke 3:00 baje hai. Tum donon ko ghar chale jaana chahiye."
Rathode and Shree don't want to go home now and Arjun also doesn't want them to go. Knowing about their team has made them happy and sad. Happy that they are alive and Sad because they are suffering from 6 years.
Rathode comes out from his thoughts and says "vaise bhi 3 baj chuke hai ghar jaake kya karunga. Yahin Ruk jaata hun. 6 baje chala jaunga."
Shree too joins in "Haan sir main bhi yahi soch raha hun."
Arjun passing a faint smile say "Thik hai."
Everyone stays back. They sit together but no one talks. All are remembering the ETF. The fun, laughter, care which would surround the office and them was now not there anymore. It felt empty. Life felt empty. They couldn't wait to get the team back safely and restart their Force. But after all this can they restart? No one knew the answer to that. But they knew one thing that no matter what, they will get back as a Family and Friends.
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Karu: Hey guyss! Hope you liked reading this. I know it didn't have fun moments and it was a lot focused on the investigation part. It was even emotional towards the end. But that's what I felt like. They were a Family. If they can't be a Force they will always stay a Family. Please tell me if you liked it. I love getting feedbacks.
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