Chapter 19 (installment 2) :

Conference room, ETF

Aisha & Chotu entered. They saw Rathod buried his head on the table. Aisha took a mug of coffee and put it beside his head. That sound made him raise his head. He looked at his team members and gestured them to sit.

Rathod : Guys, we have a situation...

Aisha : We have an idea about it, sir...Shree told us.

Rathod : Then I don't have much to tell you. We have to make a plan. Aisha, activate your contacts, I want to know about NC's activity in these smuggling thing. What is he dealing, with whom; I need a solid clue to take him into the books. And Chotu, What about the docs?

Chotu : My contacts confirmed that NC went to meet some sailor in that lodge. His name is Nakul, the second officer of a ship, named Mermaid; it's from Cout d'ivoire port. Main shipments were coffee and timbers. In addition, today Vipul delivered some boxes there.

Rathod : So they are exchanging something.

Chotu : Sir, another thing, Mermaid's captain, his name is T. Apte.

Rathod : Put a tab on him. Monitor all activities in the docs, especially on those who involved with Mermaid. Alert the naval securities, this ship shouldn't leave this port without our permission, but keep it secret that we're looking into this.

Chotu : Right sir. (& he left.)

Rathod : Aisha, Shree pulled out NC's contact details. Check it, if you know some of them. You've been undercover for so long, you must've known some of them & their whereabouts.

Aisha : Ok, sir. (Her phone buzzed, she picked it up, listened to the other end and cut the call)...sir, MP Bose is back. Should I...

Rathod : No, We'll meet him. Come. Where's Rawte?

Aisha : In his cabin, saakshi went to talk...

Rathod : Is she nuts!! Why didn't you stop her?

Aisha : We tried, but woh sunti kahan?

Rathod : Hmm, & Sonali?

Aisha : Saakshi told she went to NC's place.

Rathod : Again??

Aisha : She likes going there... & she'll go Jay's home then. Today Jay's relative will come to receive the corpses...

Saakshi stopped outside Arjun's cabin and tried to figure the situation out behind the closed door. She turned the knob and found it unlocked, she took a deep breath and stepped inside as silently she could.

The scenario inside the cabin is disastrous. As if some tornado had just visited the place. She didn't find Arjun at his usual place and started looking around. Finally, she found him beside his file cabinet sitting on the floor, buried his head between his knees.

She took cautions, small and almost silent steps towards him; he didn't even reacted when she settled beside him and looked at him keenly. His confounded form made her little more courageous and she took his injured left hand into her hands and started remove the glass pieces from his wound.

Arjun pulled away his hand from her hold with a jerk and straightened up.

Arjun : (Shouted in anger) WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? DID I CALL YOU?

Saakshi : (in very cold tone) I've to tell you something, sit down.

Arjun : I DON'T WANNA HEAR ANYTHING, LEAVE. NOW.

Saakshi : but I've to say, plz sit.(she patted the void place beside her).

Arjun : SAAKSHI, GO AWAY. LEAVE ME ALONE.GO.

Saakshi : Nop. Sit.(she again show him that place)

Arjun : TUMKO EKBAR BOLU TOH SAMAJH MAIN NAHI AATI? LEAVE OR ELSE YOU'LL SEE THE WORSE OF ME. SAMJHEE YA SAMJHAUN?

Saakshi : ho gaya? Now Sit (she seemed determined).

Arjun : SAAKSHI?!

Saakshi : Why you are waisting time, yaar? Do minute saanti se baithke mere baat sunoge to kaan phat nahi jayga tumhara. Aur I know, mere saath tum kuch ulta sidha nahi karr sakte, itna nehi gire ho aab tak. Now come here, and sit. (she pointed the place through her eyes)

Arjun never felt so helpless in his life. Moreover, somewhere inside, he knew he could not help obeying her right now. So, he let out a sigh and sat back in that place.

Arjun : Bolo jo bolna hain.

Saakshi : Phle yeh pakro (she offred him a small glass containing his favourite cutting tea)

Arjun : I don't want it.

Saakshi : Le lo, maine poison daala hain.

Arjun passed her an "you are impossible" look and took the glass.

Arjun : Jaldhi bolo aur jao yahan se.

Saakshi : Rehne nahi aayi hoon, haath do.

Arjun : Nahi.

Saakshi tried to pull his injurd hand forcefully, but Arjun didn't allow her, he pulled his hand away.

Saakshi : Arre, haath do mere baap, first aid dena hain; raakhi nahi baandhungi.

Arjun : Uski zaroorat nahi...

Saakshi : Soch lo, gun generally isi haathse chalate ho na?

Arjun starched his left hand to her.

Saakshi : Good boy. ( she smiled & started cleaning his wound) Waise tumko gussa kis baat ka aaya?

Arjun remained silent.

Saakshi : You know Arjun, Anger is a good thing. My dad always used to say Sasha beta, anger is the biggest weapon of human being, given by the nature, but most of us waste this boon, or misuse them & it becomes our biggest weakness. So save your anger and use it in right time, right place, right circumstances and on the right person.

Arjun : Achcha , aur jab aapne aap pe gussa aata ho?

Saakshi : Khud pe gussa nahi, disappointment hota hain. Aur dono main bohot pharak hain. Tum batao, tumko actually kispe gussa aaya? NC, Aziz, Sameer, Sikandar ya phir khud se? Main bataun? Tumko halath pe gussa aaya. Sabko aata hain, mujhe vi aata...but you have to wait, for the right time.

Arjun : And you know when that right time will come?

Saakshi : Patience is bitter but it's fruit is sweet. Shikaar ka pehla usul hain, have patience, & wait for the best opportunity. Sabar karna sikho, Arjun. Yehi sab ke liye sahi hain. Mujhe dekho, ya phir Sonali ko. Agar hum dono ko nahi to Sameer ko dekhlo. Bechara kitna calm rehta hain, tum toh phir vi varas nikal lete ho, but he? He also lost his friend, right. But he never uttered a word.

Arjun : He doesn't understand me, Saakshi. If he does, he didn't stop me.

Saakshi : He does Arjun. He cares for you. And somewhere he's afraid that he cannot afford losing you. He doesn't want to lose another close one. That's it.

Arjun : But I can take care of myself.

Saakshi : Laagta toh nahi hain; (Arjun raised an eyebrow) yeh kaise hua? (picked his bandaged left hand to his eye level) A 5-year-old kid is better than you.

Saakshi smiled at the stunned Arjun and about to stood up, but Arjun pulled her back.

Arjun : I want to ask you something. How can you behave like this? You and Sonali, both lost someone close. I saw her crying, I saw her getting emotional, but you?

Saakshi : Mujhe kya hua?

Arjun : I overheard you & Shree in the morning.

Saakshi : Remember what I said you, "We cannot throw our all afflictions off... But we can try to fight or ignore them". I just ignored.

Arjun : Is that so easy?

Saakshi : nop, but it's not that hard at all. Look Arjun, we lost someone, but that doesn't stop our lives. Life goes on it's own way. Agar kisike jaane se zindgi khatam ho jati, toh hamara saans vi usi waqt rukh jaata. Aisa toh nahi hua na? Jab koi hame chorke jaata hain na, sirf humko hi dukh hota hain, baki logon ka kuch nahi jaata, woh sympathy dikhate hain, aur aapne aapne life main busy ho jaate hain. Toh phir apna dukhra gaake duniya ko kyun bore karna?Aur doosri baat, hum kavi akela nhi hothe hain, koi na koi hume mil hi jate hain, jo hamare apna bann jata hain, ya phir hume apna mante hain. Hum koi haq nehi banta ke hum unko dukhi kare. Isiliye, apna dard apni dil main aur smile face pe leke ghumne me hi samajhdaari hain. Samjhe ya samjhaun?

Arjun : Kya smile se dard kam hota hain, saakshi?

Saakshi : pata nahi, aur dard ka kya hain Arjun. Dard sirf ek ehsaas hain. Manoge to bohot gehra hain, nahi manoge toh kuch nahi.

Arjun : Kya dard ko ignore karna itna aasan hain?

Saakshi : Tum to Vagwaan ko vi nahi mante ho na? Toh phir dard ko kyun nahi?

For the first time Arjun looked into her eyes with a new eye, he never thought of this Saakshi, he suddenly realized he did't know her, she was someone else inside, very different from the girl he saw everyday.

Saakshi : (waved her hands in front of his eyes) Oh hello, kahan ho?

Arjun : Hmm...

Saakshi : Waise, accha tarika nikala tumne, apna cabin renovate karawne ka. Next time mujhe bi bula lna, saath milke tornge.

Arjun : HuH!!

Saakshi : (stood up) Chai khatam ho gaya ho to bahar aa jao, yeh case solve nahi karna hain kya?

Arjun : Tum jao, I'm coming.

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