Chapter 12

Bloomie

@bloomie

Parking mein-

Rathore: Rawte!! (no response) Rawte!!

Arjun use glare karta hai: Kya Hai?

Rathore: File Do Mujhe!

Arjun: TUMHARE ISSE KOI LENA DENA NAHI HAI!!

Rathore: Ye Case Is Team Ka Hai Aur Is Team Se Judi Har Baat Se Mera Lena Dena Hai!!!

Riya ko kuch samaj mein nahi aa raha ki ho kya raha hai. woh Shree ko whisper karti hai.

Riya: kya hua?

Shree bhi silently reply karta hai: Arjun sir ki wife ka jisne murder kiya tha uska case hai lekin, apparently Vikram sir ka plan Arjun ke gale nahi utar raha hai

Riya: kaisa plan?

Shree: pata nahi

Riya: tum log kuch bolte kyun nahi?

Shree: Rathore sir se keh sakte hai lekin Arjun sir ke saamne kaun muh kholega?

Riya Arjun aur Rathore ke war of words ko dekhti hai. woh aage step karti hai.

Riya(dono ki taraf question direct karke): kya hua?

Rathore sigh karta hai. Arjun willingly use file de deta hai. ye dekhkar sabki aankhein fat jaati hai. Riya file khol kar use padhti hai aur fir Rathore ko de deti hai. Arjun use glare karta hai aur Rathore Arjun ko. Rathore bhi file padhta hai aur Intelligence ki paayi hui lead aur potential plan ko realise karta hai.

Rathore: problem kya hai tumhari? Seedhi si baat hai, ek kadi se dusre tak pahunchna hai…that’s it!

Arjun: That’s It? Ek Nirdosh Ladki Ki Zindgi Ke Saath Khelna Tumhe Seedhi Si Baat Lagti Hai?

Rathore taana maarne waala hai par use pehle Riya bolti hai.

Riya: Arjun sir, humare paas resource hai, Vikram sir ka ishara ek potential plan ki taraf hai par iska matlab ye toh nahi ki hume wahi plan follow karna hai? aap dono toh aise behave kar rahe hai jaise nadi ke aar ya paar jaaya ja sakta hai lekin ye nadi nahi chouraya hai jaha par kisi bhi direction mein jaaya ja sakta hai

Arjun aur Rathore dono ka man kuch had tak shaant hota hai. She had a point.

Rathore: kaise?

Riya: ab woh sochna toh aap dono ka kaam hai, dimag lagaiye. Koi na koi raasta toh hoga na?

Rathore sigh karta hai: pehle office chalo, mujhe coffee ki zaroorat hai. (Arjun ko dekhkar) tum aane waale ho?

Arjun koi jawab nahi deta. Rathore irritate hokar mutter karte hue chala jaata hai. Team bhi relief hoti hai ki kam se kam kuch waqt tak khatra tal gaya. Rathore ke jaane ke baad Arjun bhi apni car ki taraf jaata hai. ye dekhkar team bhi disperse ho jaati hai.

Sakshi as usual Arjun ke paas jaati hai. Shree backseat par baitha hai. Sakshi passenger seat ka darwaaza kholti hai lekin woh khulta nahi hai. woh Arjun ko dekhti hai jo sirf aage road ko dekh raha hai. woh darwaaza kholne ki koshish karti hai par nahi khulta hai. woh haar kar backseat ka darwaaza kholti hai.

Sakshi: Shree us side par jao

Shree: kyun?

Sakshi (whisper): are mujhe Arjun ke directly peeche nahi baithna, main use dekh nahi paungi, tum khisko

Shree apni eyes roll karke shift hota hai. Sakshi uski jagah par baithti hai. itne mein Riya aati hai, ye mehsoos karke Arjun central locking mein se passenger seat ka lock khol deta hai. Riya aasani se darwaaza kholkar baith jaati hai. Sakshi aankhein faad kar dono ko stare karne lagti hai. Shree kisi tarah apni hasi chupata hai. Arjun car start karke office ki taraf le jaata hai.

ETF office-

Arjun seedhe apne cabin mein chala jaata hai. Rathore use ignore karke team ki taraf mudta hai.

Rathore: Riya…(warmly) humara introduction toh ho gaya par (team ki taraf dekhkar) I’m not sure agar…

Riya: nahi…I mean, hum sab mile the us time but

Rathore nod karta hai aur use team se introduce karwaata hai: ye ammunition expert Mrs. Ayesha Rathore, my wife (Riya smile karti hai) ye forensic expert Liza D’cruz, Tech head Shree, Commando Chandrakant Patil jise hum sab Chotu kehte hai aur crime reporter Sakshi Anand

Riya(confused): crime reporter?

Rathore: don’t ask

Sakshi muh banati hai

Riya(apni hasi control karke) : as you wish

Rathore: aur team, Senior Inspector Riya Mukherjee ab se tum logon ki nayi monitor hai

Sab use confuse look dete hai.

Shree: kya sir?

Riya: ha, monitor matlab? Hum school mein thodi hai?

Ayesha raised her eyebrow: Sam aapko koi sadma toh nahi laga na?

Rathore: abhi tak nahi, lekin lagne waala zaroor hai aur Rawte ke paas toh tum log jaoge nahi toh chain mein agla number toh  Riya ka hi hai. meri maano toh pata kar rakho use

Sab haste hai. itne mein Riya ka phone bajta hai. woh excuse karke side mein jaati hai.

Rathore: Ayesha, ek coffee la dena

Ayesha: ha laati hun

Rathore: koi pending work ho toh jaldi khatam kar lo aadhe ghante baad shuru karte hai

Chotu: ji sir

Dusri taraf-  

Riya apna phone answer karti hai.

Other side: Riya, pahunch gayi?

Riya: Amod sir sach-sach batana, kya aapko pata tha ki mera transfer ETF mein hone waala hai?

Amod sigh karta hai: maine hi waha karwaaya hai

Riya(confused): what?!?

Amod: maine bahot koshish ki tumhara transfer rokne ki lekin Vikram sir maane hi nahi.

Riya(amused): hmm, bataya unhone mujhe ki aap unka dimag kha rahe the

Amod hasta hai: ab kya karu? Aur koi raasta hi nahi tha, fir unhone mujhe ek list di jisme se maine ETF ko chuna

Riya: aap pehle hi bol dete, kal kitne aansu bahaye maine aapko pata hai?

Amod: pehle isliye nahi bataya kyunki mujhe khud yakeen nahi ho raha tha ki main sach mein tumhe Arjun ko saunp raha hun. Anyway, ab pahunch gayi na boyfriend ke paas?

Riya blush karti hai: ha….thank you

Amod: Riya, ek baat kaan khol kar sun le. Maine ye sirf tere liye kiya hai, mera Arjun se koi vaasta nahi, tum samaj rahi hona?

Riya: ji, aapne meri baat maani ye kaafi hai. I’m sure aage chal kar aapko bhi un par vishwas ho jaayega

Amod: dekhenge, chal bye! Take care. aur ha, waha jaa kar pehle hi din hospital mein bharti mat ho jaana

Riya: very funny

Amod: I know, bye!

Riya: bye!

Call disconnect

Riya apna phone rakhkar aaspaas dekhti hai, sab conference room mein baithe hai. woh Arjun ko dhundhne ki koshish karti hai. ek desk holder ko rok kar.

Riya: are suno, Arjun sir kaha milenge?

Ladka: Arjun sir shayad cabin mein honge, straight jaa kar left

Riya: oh, thank you

Ladka: welcome

Riya us direction mein chali jaati hai. woh darwaaze par knock karti hai.

Andar se: come in

Riya enter karti hai. Arjun khidki ke paas khada hai. woh Riya ko dekhkar firse khidki ke baahar dekhne lagta hai.

Riya uske paas jaati hai: aap naraaz hai mujhse?

Arjun: nahi Riya, darasal tumhare aane se pehle Rathore se thodi behas ho gayi thi

Riya: case ko lekar?

Arjun use face karta hai: ha bhi aur na bhi (cracked) use aaj bhi yahi lagta hai ki Naina ne meri wajah se…

Riya places her finger on his lips: shh!! Sambhaliye khud ko, ye waqt kamzor hone ka nahi hai

Arjun tightly clasps her hand with his and composes himself.

Arjun: nafrat karta hai woh mujhse Riya…main kaise yakeen dilau use ki…ki mera intention Naina ko hurt karne ka nahi tha. main sapne mein bhi aisa nahi soch sakta. Main toh use jaanta tak nahi tha!!!

Riya: aapko kuch karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Agar unhe samajna hota toh bahot pehle hi samaj chuke hote. ( after a short silence) chaliye ab mujhe ye bataiye ki plan mein kya problem hai

Arjun(incredulously): kya problem hai? Riya problem hi problem hai….Vikram sir chahte hai ki hum Pathan ki beti ko use karke Sikandar ke baare mein pata kare. Unhe lagta hai ki agar uski beti ko hum pakad le, use torture kare toh Pathan majburan sab ugal dega aur main ye nahi chahta ki mere badle ke liye koi nirdosh kuch bhi sahe

Riya: zaroori toh nahi na ki uski beti nirdosh ho

Arjun(surprised): kya keh rahi ho tum?

Riya: Arjun sir, aksar log khandani business mein join ho jaate hai. uski beti bhi toh involved ho sakti haina?

Arjun: Riya she is 15 !!! Padha nahi tumne?

Riya(taken aback): umm…nahi utna detail mein nahi padha. (suddenly) ek minute iska matlab Vikram sir chahte hai ki hum ek nabaalik bachi ko 3rd degree de taaki hum uske baap ko mentally torture karke information nikal sake?

Arjun: ha!

Riya(confused): where did he leave his moral compass?

Arjun bechain ho jaata hai: mujhe nahi pata Riya, mere kuch samaj mein nahi aa raha hai, main kya karu? kaise karu? Main…

Riya use shaant karne ki koshish karti hai: hey! Hey! Calm down, koi na koi raasta nikal jaayega okay? We’ll figure something out. Hum yaha tak pahunche hai toh aage bhi chale jaayenge

Arjun: kaise?

Riya: aap bas apne man ko shaant rakhiye, mujhe pura yakeen hai, sab ho jaayega, trust me, hmm?

Arjun gehri saans lekar sar hilata hai.

Conference room-

Rathore sabko brief karta hai. Sab brainstorm karne ki koshish karte hai ki kaise bina bachi ko use kiye woh log aage badha jaaya sakta

Ayesha: uski biwi kaha hai?

Rathore: kaunsi biwi?

Sab confuse hokar use dekhte hai.

Chotu: kaunsi biwi matlab? Kitni biwiyaan hai uski?

Rathore: shut up Chotu mera matlab hai ki uski biwi kaha se paida ho gayi?

Ayesha: oho sir, agar uski beti hai toh biwi bhi hogi na? aise hi aasmaan mein se toh nahi tapki hogi na?

Riya: aise jalhaad ki beti hai wahi sabse badi ajeeb baat hai, khud ki beti hone ke bavjud dusro ki betiyon ko bechta hai, bloody hypocrite!

Shree: ha, ajeeb toh hai…kahi Intelligence ki lead galat toh nahi?

Riya: ho bhi sakti hai, intelligence reports mein discrepancy ki range 0 se lekar 100 % tak vary karti hai, you never know.

Rathore: guys! Humare paas is waqt aur kuch nahi hai, toh ye discrepancy agar 0 par rakhe toh hi behtar hai

Arjun mv “galat na ho toh hi behtar hai, itne mahine se maine galat lead ka wait nahi kiya.”

Liza: toh hum biwi par the

Sakshi: par uski biwi ko kaise dhundhenge hum? Atleast ye toh pata hai ki ye Ladki kaha hai. hume sirf uske guards ko bypass karna hai. jab Pathan ko pata chalega ki uski beti humare kabze mein hai toh woh apne aap hi baahar aa jaayega.

Ayesha: hum ek 15 saal ki bachi ko traumatise nahi kar sakte Sakshi, what’s wrong with you?

Sakshi: it’s the only option we have!

Chotu: agar hum dur se us par nazar rakhe toh? Pathan kabhi na kabhi toh uske paas jaata hoga na?

Rathore waved him off: too time consuming, I think the wife is a better angle

Shree: me too, but kaise pata karenge, report ke hissab se toh woh ladki sirf guards ke saath rehti hai

Arjun finally bolta hai: Riya pata kar sakti hai

Riya use unsure glance deti hai fir Rathore se file request karti hai. kisi ko kuch samaj mein nahi aata fir bhi Rathore use file forward karta hai. Riya ek do baar saari information go through karti hai. woh sochte hue pen tap karti hai. kuch der baad.

Riya: ho jaana chahiye

Sakshi(jealous): tum kaise kar sakti ho?

Riya: research karna hi mera kaam hai, (uthte hue) main aati hun, (woh jaane ke liye turn hoti hai par fir) are woh mujhe aap dono mein se kisi ek ka letter chahiye, government records access karne ke liye

Rathore: su..

Arjun: tumhare paas access hai Riya

Riya confuse hoti hai par fir use yaad aata hai: are ha, promotion ho gaya mera,(sheepishly) bhul gayi….aati hu.

Woh file lekar baahar ek desk par baith jaati hai aur immediately system mein log in karke apna kaam shuru kar deti hai. woh teen chaar databases cross check karne lagti hai.

Riya mv “ye kya? Naved ka naam toh kahi par hai hi nahi”…………………………