Chapter 12

Morning, 9.00am, ETF conference room.

All settled at their respective places, including Sonali. Shree & Rathod was narrating their experience of last night.

Arjun : (leaning on his chair) Ok, the blue shadow hold you by your neck, then?

Shree : (turned red)...then Sir?... you mean after I screamed?

Arjun : Haan... then?

Shree : Aapne to khud hi dekha na sir? Toh...

Arjun shook his head and asked the same question to Rathod.

Rathod : Then I fell down...

Sonali : Ek minute... you fell down over him first , then you get up ...to how you could fell again?

Rathod : (shooting fireballs from his eyes to Shree)...Main gira...utha.. isse touch kia... aur iss bewkoof  ne chikhna shuru karr dia, upar se laath maarke mujhe phirse gira dia... maine isse kahan vi ke main hoon...par isnee suna hi nahi... Upar se kuch strange bol raha tha...shayed Bangla tha...

Arjun : Kya bola isne?

Shree : Sir maine kuch nahi bola...I mean... It was nothing..( he didn't wanted to tell anyone what he blabbared in fear).

Arjun : So what? Ek bar hum sab vi sune...bolo.

Shree remained silent.

Aisha : Koi nahi... hum recording sun lete hain... it would me much clearer.

She played the footage...and Shree's red face become dark, while all except the ACP's were staring at him ith a suppressed smile.

Chotu : Shree, teri bakwaas to samajh main nahi aa raha...yeh kaunsa mantra chant karr raha hain  tu?

Saakshi : Arre chotu... Wait. ..is mantra ka meaning avi pata chal jayega...Shree tum kya bol rahe tha woh aab clearly bolo. ...in hindi or in english..(Shree remained silent)...agar tum nahi bologe toh bhi hume pata chal hi jayega, soch lo... ( but still Shree was mute)...Sonu?

Sonali : Haan. Shree keh raha hain... (she listened to the recording and starts translating it with it). [recorded lines are in brakets]

 ( Amake kheyo na baba voot, chere dao) Don't eat me Mr. Ghost, let me go.. ...

( ami asustho choto chele) I'm a weak, little boy..

( amake khete ektuo moja lagbe na) I won't even taste good to you...

(pet kharap hobe) You'll have stomach problem...

( Khete hole Arjun sir ke khao) eat Arjun sir if you really want to...

(kintu hazam korte parbe na bole dilam)... but I'm warning you that you can't  digest him...

( Charo pleeezzz...)...

Hearing his pleading scream, Sonali can't control her laughter anymore...She start laughing loudly, and others joined her except Shree and Arjun. One was silent into embarrassment, while another turned around with his chair that no one could see his face.

Rathod was first to control his laughter and observing his team with great amusement... How they find entertainment in this serious work, he looked at Chotu who was about to ROFL, Saakshi, Sonali was just like freshly opened champagne bottles erupting bubbles continuously, and Aisha was shining like a chandelier with millions of lights. He saw his second in command who turned around to hide his expression, he was dam sure his friend was smiling, and finally Shree, who was looking down due to embarrassment.

He decided to rescue his tech expart from the whole team, so he growled loudly.

Rathod : Stop it... we are at work.

All stopped at once but Sonali. She was having a big time to control her laughter, while Saakshi was looking at her friend in relief.

Arjun turned around and Asked Aisha about the torch Shree found in the mansion.

Aisha : We've found fingerprints on it, it was Dayal's.

Arjun : Matlab baki dono ka troch vi mansion main milega... Dead bodies ke pass koi torch nahi tha.

Aisha : Sir they were not killed at the driveway, we didn't find any clue there... the corpses were placed there deliberately. As we found our first clue inside the mansion, we may find more insinde... may be they were killed inside the mansion.

Chotu : But Sir, that mansion is dark inside... No power...& it's difficult to find anything in that darkness... why don't you reconnect the power line?

Rathod : I've talked with the power authority... They'll do it ASAP.

Arjun : Then delay it.

Rathod : Why?

Arjun : I think there is a secret power supply... If we reconnect the main power... we cannot detect it... & evidences bhi tempered ho sakta hain...we cant take the chance.

Rathod : Evidences waise bhi tempered hogaya Rawte... We left the door and we found it closed last night, Saakshi left the film on the floor & the box open but when you both saw it again, it was closed and films were neatly arranged again... all the rooms are clean... I bet we will not find even a fingerprint there.

Shree : Sir but woh kitchen area?

Rathod : Haan that was little strange...Kitchen area was dirty and humid.. as if it was closed for many days.

Aisha : Iska matlab wahan jo koi vi hain woh kitchen area use nahi karta hai...

Chotu : Vooton ka kitchen main kya kaam...woh to kaccha hi sab khate hain na.

Arjun : (irritating ) Haan ...lekin saaf-safayee zaroor karta hain... cheezain sameete hain...darwazain par tel lagata hain... woh sab kuch karta hain jo ek normal insaan karta hain...hain na Chotu?

Chotu : (pouting) but Normal insaan kisiko darata nahi hain... (whispering) aapko chorke.

Arjun : Chotu, tumko jo kaam dia tha...

Chotu : I'm going sir.

He left.

Arjun : Haan Rathod... Shree ne jab tumko laath maarke giraya, phir kya hua?

Rathod :  Then you people came...and someone poured water on my head (glaring at Aisha & She looked away)...actually over our head and we found everyone around us...

Saakshi : And all the anxiety, apprehension, fear...whatever... it was gone, right?

Arjun, Rathod & Shree just nodded to her.

Shree : How did you know that?

Arjun : She was also there, with us, remember?

Rathod : Yeh kaise confirm kia Saakshi?

Saakshi : Mera darr to tab hi gayab ho gaya jab maine tom dono ko struggle karte hue dekha, phir dekha Sameer Shree ko hila raha hain, phir dekha Arjun bhi bare maze se in dono ko dekh raha hain. That means tum dono vi normal ho chuke the, aab sirf Shree ko hosh main laana tha, jo Aisha ne kaar dia... I just added 2 & 2.

Shree : Haan... jab Aisha ne mujhe nehlaya tab jaake pata chala main aise hi gala faar raha tha... but that fear was real...I'll never make fun of you in this matter... I promise...Mujhe toh yaad karke hi darr lag raha hain...

Arjun : Ok then... toh we'll go there tomorrow morning...for full inspection... Shree, take rest for today ...

Shree : I'm fine, sir...

Arjun : I haven't finish yet Shree, Sonali ko NC ke ghar drop karo...and appoint some white dressed officer in that area. They'll keep an eye on NC & his peoples activity, and also monitor Sonali's sequrity.

Sonali : I don't need sequrity...

Rathod : & We can't take any chance, unofficial hi sahi...but you are a part of the team now, & we can't take chances with our team members. They're for backup...just in case anything happens.

Arjun : Aisha...

Aisha : Haan sir, I've completed the list of Yatin's close peoples...they're too many...I've issued summons for them, they'll start coming from tomorrow. Saakshi & I will handle them.

Arjun : Ok, Saakshi, come to my cabin in 5 minutes.

He left the conference room.

Sonali : Yeh hamesha aisa hi hain yah koi special occasion hain?

Rathod : Nahi...yeh aisa hi hain.You tell me, how are you?

Sonali : Aaj bohot maza aaya... thanks.

Shree : Do char din raho... aur vi maza aayega...

Sonali : haan haan kyun nahi, aab chalo... we're getting late. Sasha... Tu aaj vi meri yahan rahegi na?

Saakshi : Haan.

Sonali : Then I'll pick you up...on the way to home.

Saakshi nodded positively. Sonali & Shree left, Saakshi also got up to meet Arjun.

...

In Arjun's Cabin

Arjun was looking into the documents Sonali gave them on his laptop. Saakshi knocked & then entered. Arjun gestured her to sit.

Saakshi sat and waited quietly, which is quite unusual for Her and Arjun also.Arjun closed his laptop and found Saakshi engrossed in to her on world.

Arjun : Thinking about yesterday?

Saakshi : haan...nah... why have you called me?

Arjun : I asked something yesterday, about Jay...

Saakshi : Oh..woh ? You know the answer, don't you?

Arjun : I want to hear it from you.

Saakshi : (sighed)...well, funeral avi baaki hani toh...aur meri dekhne ya na dekhne se situation to nahi badlega, hain na?

Arjun : That's not the answer Saakshi... tum dono main kya problem thi jo tum ek baar vi uska ghan nahi gaye... He was your friend, not he?

Saakshi : Yeh information to galat hain ACP... I visited there after his death...just didn't stay for long... Sonali was fainted ...to main usko ghar le gayee...Jay doesn't need me anymore, Arjun, he's dead. And I can't leave Sonali alone, at least I can try my best for her. (smiling) Nahi to mere marne ke baad Jay mujhe nehi chorega. Aur kuch?

Arjun : Ek baat batao, Tum dono aise indifferent kaise behave karr sakti ho? Specially Sonali, I can feel her through and through.. ...I know how it feels when we lose someone...but she ...

Saakshi : seems very normal. We cannot throw our all afflictions off... But we can try to fight or ignore them, right? Les Masquex'Arjun, ek tumne pehna, aur ek humne. That's all.

For the first time Arjun felt he saw some glimps of different emotions in her eyes...but before he could figure it out... Saakshi left his cabin.

...

In SUV, Shree & Sonali were going to Sami's Resident.

Sonali was giggling inwardly... putting her hand on her mouth, while Shree was shooting murderous glances to her.

Shree : Sonali, plz stop it, yaar. It's not funny.

Sonali : Yah...it was..(and just burst into laughter).

Shree : Haan haan... Haso ...aur haso... Mujhe laga tha kit um meri state se ho to meri saath doge... lekin tumne to meri hi utar dii..

Sonali : Aab maine kya kia... sirf tumhari baton ko translate hi to kiya na.

Shree : Kyun, tum to mana vi karr sakti thi...

Sonali : tumhe kya laagta hain? main mana karti to translation nahi hoti? For you kind information Mr. Sen, Saakshi ko bi Bangla aati hain, agar main translate nahi karta toh woh khud hi karr deti...aur main to sharif larki hoon jo word to word translate kia... usne aapni special remarks vi add karti, phir tumhara pura satya naash  ho jata.

Shree : Aab jo hua usse zyada aur kya hota? By the way, tum dono kaafi achchi friends ho...

Sonali : She's my first friend after Jay. Duniya kii 2nd inssan hain yeh jisne mere scar se nahi dari...she's always there when I need someone ...like an angel... Hey stop here !!

Shree : (stopped the car) What? Yahan? Kyun?

Sonali got down fron the SUV and walked to his window.

Sonali : Aage dekho (She pointed forward to the entrance of Swami's resident) ... I'll walk...main nahi chahti koi tumhe yahan mere saath dekhe... tum jao aab.

Shree shrugged. But something dropped on the bonnet which made both jumped. It was a white pigeon.

Sonali : Lo kisiko toh khabar ho hi gayee... Main chalti hoon.

Shree called her from back.

Shree : Tum yahan kab tak rukogi?

Sonali : Pata nahi...kyun?

Shree : Zyada time nahi loge... toh I can take you back.

Sonali : Thanks... But you can go, I'll call driver to take me home.  See you tomorrow.

Shree sighed and turned the SUV...with a grouch on his face.

...
How was it?

P.S. Responses are decreasing day by day... that means story is becoming boring... Should I stop it here or continue updating?