Chapter 14

Bloomie

@bloomie

Arjun apne bedroom ki window ke paas khada hai. uske man apne hi khayal bun raha hai. tabhi uska phone bajta hai. Riya ka naam dekhkar woh relief feel karta hai.

Arjun: hey!

Riya: you okay?

Arjun: ya…I guess…kind of

Riya: khaana khaaya?

Arjun: huh…uh…na..nahi

Riya abruptly rukti hai(calmly): kyun?

Arjun: kuch bhi karne ka man nahi kar raha Riya. Mere samaj mein nahi aa rahe ki Vikram sir ek bachi ko kaise mohre bana sakte hai? main badla lena chahta hun par ek nirdosh ko zindgi bhar ke liye traumatise karke nahi…hum mein aur un mein farak hai aur woh farak yeh hai ki humare andar insaaniyat hai aur agar main aisa kuch kar bhi dun toh Roshni mujhe kabhi maaf nahi karegi. Main itna matlabi nahi ban sakta Riya

Riya: aap itni tension mat lijiye, hum dekh rahe haina dusra angle? Sab ho jaayega

Arjun: I hope (Kuch pal silence) waise tum ho kaha? Narvekar ke saath thi na?

Riya: ha bas abhi ghar aayi, bhabhi ne promotion ki khushi mein party di

Arjun smile karta hai: nice…maza aaya?

Riya: ha….Arjun sir?

Arjun: hmm?

Riya: aapko Roshni ki bahot yaad aa rahi haina?

Arjun: jise bhula nahi use kaise yaad karu Riya?

Riya: akela lag raha hai?

Arjun koi jawab nahi deta. Riya samaj jaati hai aur call kaat deti hai. Arjun ko kuch samaj mein nahi aata par dimag par zor nahi deta. Woh phone side par rakh deta hai. 15 minute baad uske ghar ki ghanti bajti hai. woh chouk jaata hai.

He looked at the watch and wondered who it could be at that hour. Suddenly his mind flashbacked to the conversation he had with Riya. A wild guess transpired in his mind. He rushed to the door and opened it.

A smiling face greeted him. He was shocked to see her there. She raised her eyebrows seeing no visible reaction from him. Arjun nodded in negative and hugged her tightly. No words were spoken yet both knew exactly how the other was feeling.

ETF office-

Shree and Riya were ready with the information the next morning. They started as soon as the two ACP’s entered the conference room.

Shree: Sir, Jasmine DAV International school mein 10th std mein padhti hai. School shehar mein kaafi reputed hai. It is a boarding school, Jasmine bhi wahi rehti hai. According to school records woh ek influential NRI Industrialist ki beti hai jiski wajah se do armed guards humesha tainat rehte hai, uske aaspaas jo obviously Pathan ke admi honge.

Riya: saare school staff ke records clean hai. I think agar hum directly kisi teacher se deal kare toh andar ghus sakte hai. In case of anomaly, sabse pehla shak principal, Mr. Devraj Patil par hi jaayega so it would be wise agar hum unhe isse baahar rakhe

Ayesha: ghusne se kya context hai tumhara?

Riya: I was thinking teachers but peons ke option bhi khule hai

Ayesha(amused): peon?

Riya smile karti hai: just a thought, peon kaafi low key rehte hai par ha, us role mein Jasmine ke paas jaana aasan nahi hoga. I mean koi student peon ke paas kyun jaayegi?

Liza: teachers sounds good but agar hum sab jaayenge toh aise suddenly itne saara staff change hone se Pathan ko shak ho sakta hai.

Shree: isliye humne socha ki do log jaa sakte hai, we have a candidate also (papers mein dhundhte hue) ha! Anurag Mehra aur Priti Mehra. Dono husband and wife hai. Anurag Biology aur Priti maths padhati hai. agar husband and wife dono saath mein change ho kisi bhi kaaran se toh shak nahi hoga.

Riya: un dono ke records bhi humne check kar liye hai. they are clean. Normal husband and wife hai, upper middle class…no strings attached

Ayesha: ek doubt hai, hum un dono ko toh samjha denge lekin bina principal ki madad ke andar jaayenge kaise? I mean itna reputed school hai, job vacancies par toh log tut pakdenge.

Riya: hum unke through hi recommend hokar select ho jaayenge. Term ke beech mein principal zyaada dhyaan nahi dega. Uska staff kam nahi padna chahiye warna school ka result down ho jaayega

Rathore: theek hai toh, yahi final hai. hum mein se do log Jasmine ki school mein teachers ban kar jaayenge. Fir dekhte hai waha ki situation kya hai….toh! (team ki taraf dekhkar) kaun jaayega? Kise Maths aur biology ache se aati hai?

Sab glances exchange karne lagte hai.

Arjun: main jaa raha hun

Sakshi almost jump karti hai: mujhe maths aata hai!! main padha sakti hun

Arjun sharply retort karta hai: Bilcul Nahi!!!

Sakshi: Sameer main kar sakti hun

Arjun (angrily): Tumhari Jaise Untrained Liability Ki Mujhe Koi Zaroorat Nahi Hai!!! ETF Mein Ho Isi Baat Ka Shukar Manao. Mere Kaam Mein Dhakal Andaazi Karne Ke Baare Mein Sochna Bhi Mat, Samjhi Ya Samjhau?

Sakshi: Sameer…

Sameer: Sakshi, tum nahi jaa sakti. Agar kuch gadbad hui toh fas sakti ho (team ki taraf dekhkar) aur koi?

Shree: computers sir, algorithms tak theek hai lekin waisa waala Maths nahi aata

Chotu: main..

Rathore: tumhe nahi bhej sakte… Liza, biology?

Liza(horrified): nahi sir, main nahi padha sakti main toh apni choti behan ko bhi confuse kar deti thi. Use nahi padha paayi toh itne saare bacho ko kaise padhaungi?

Chotu chup ho jaata hai. Rathore Ayesha aur Riya ki taraf dekhta hai.

Ayesha: main Arts student hun sorry!

Riya: Biology theek hai

Rathore relief hota hai: theek hai toh Rawte! Tum maths teacher ban jaana aur Riya, biology

Sakshi Riya ko gusse mein dekhti hai mv “uff! Ise hi jaana tha Arjun ke saath? Acha hai kam se kam woh us Crime Branch ke ACP ko date kar rahi hai. (fir achanak) are nahi, agar is mission ke chakkar mein woh aur Arjun kareeb aa gaye toh?”

Rathore: Shree! Riya tum dono ID’s banao, is baat ka dhyaan rakhna ki kuch bhi chutne na paaye. Unke school ke eligibility criteria se perfectly match honi chahiye. Zaroorat pade toh zyaada recommendation letters bhi bana lena

Dono nod karte hai. Achanak Riya ko kuch yaad aata hai.

Riya(tensed): Arjun sir aap kaise aayenge?

Arjun apni eyebrow raise karta hai

Riya: mera matlab, Pathan aapko pehchanta hai, ho sakta hai uske admi bhi pehchane

Rathore irritate hota hai ki woh aisi baat ko nazar andaz kaise kar sakta hai: Tum Jaante Ho Pathan Ko?

Riya: of course jaante hai, aur Pathan us admi ki shakal zindgi mein kabhi nahi bhulega jisne use apahij kiya hai

Sab is baat se shock hote hai.

Rathore: APAHIJ?

Riya: ha taang tod di thi inhone uski

Arjun: use bhaagna nahi chahiye tha, uski haddiyan kamzor hai toh main kya karu? aur waise bhi woh mujhe nahi pehchaan paayega

Rathore: Shut Up Rawte! Hum Itna Bada Risk Nahi Le Sakte! Tum Waha Nahi Jaoge!!

Arjun equal gusse se reply karta hai: Main Jaane Waala Hun And That’s Final! Agar Tumhe Problem Ho Rahi Hai Toh Main Apne Tareeke Se Chala Jaunga, Mujhe Koi Farak Nahi Padta!!! Samjhe Ya Samjhau!

Rathore chillane waala hai lekin fir apne aapko shaant karta hai: theek hai! tumhe jo karna hai karo! Lekin agar kuch gadbad hui toh yaad rakhna nuksaan tumhara hai mera nahi!!!

Arjun(sarcastically): mere nuksaan ki tumhe kab se chinta hone lagi Rathore?

Rathore: bilcul bhi nahi hai, isliye jaane de raha hun

Arjun: honi bhi nahi chahiye

Rathore: kabhi hogi bhi nahi

Riya mv “oh God! Mujhe yaha apne muh par control karne ki saqt zaroorat hai!” woh Arjun ko guilty look deti hai lekin Arjun aankhon se ishaara karke kehta hai, ‘not your fault.’

Rathore team ki taraf dekhta hai: toh theek hai phir, Shree, Ayesha Anurag aur Priti se baat karne ki zimmedari tum dono ki aur Riya, tum apne aur Rawte ke liye nakli ID’s, documents wagera taiyaar kar lo. Chotu! Apne khabriyon ko alert rakho, just in case.

Chorus: yes sir!

Sab log taiyaari mein lag jaate hai. Anurag aur Priti ko ETF bulaya jaata hai.

Anurag: sir hume yaha kyun bulaya hai? hum toh seedhe saadhe teachers hai sir

Rathore: hum jaante hai…

Priti: toh phir hume kyun bulaya hai sir, humse kuch hua hai kya? Humne kuch…

Ayesha: nahi Priti relax! Aisa kuch nahi hai. humne tum dono ko yaha sirf isliye bulaya kyunki hume tum dono ki madad chahiye

Anurag: hum kya madad kar sakte hai aapki?

Rathore: hume shak hai ki aapke school mein kuch illegal activity ho rahi hai

Dono shock ho jaate hai: kya?!?!?!

Rathore: ha aur isliye hum apne do officers (Arjun aur Riya ki taraf ishara karke) aapke school mein undercover aayenge, aap dono ki jagah par. Aapko bas itna karna hai ki Principal se koi bahana bana kar inhe recommend karna hai

Anurag aur Priti dono ek dusre ko confusion mein dekhte hai.

Priti: par sir hume kuch hoga toh nahi na?

Chotu: aap tension mat lijiye, sab hum par chod dijiye. aap humara kaam kijiye aur kahi dur chutti par chale jayiye

Anurag: theek hai sir, agar aap kehte hai toh….aap jaisa kahenge hum waisa karenge

Rathore nod karta hai. Shree unhe do papers deta hai.

Shree: ye official recommendation letters.

Anurag aur Priti unhe padh kar sign karte hai. woh Principal ko phone karke jhut bolte hai ki unke rishtedaar ki achanak maut hone ke wajah se unhe urgent leave par shehar se baahar jaana pad raha hai aur ye bhi kehte hai ki woh khud do teachers bhej rahe hai unhe replace karne ke liye. Principal bhi maan jaata hai. uske baad dono chale jaate hai. ETF ki taraf se puri taiyaari ho jaati hai.

Rathore: Rawte! Riya ab ye case tum dono ke haath mein hai aur ek baat dhyaan rakhna, ki tum log bhale hi bacho se deal kar rahe ho lekin they are a bunch of teenagers who think they know everything. Handle karna mushkil ho sakta hai, be patient. Bade hai lekin fir bhi bache hai.

Riya: ji sir

Rathore time dekhta hai: that’s it then, tum log ghar jaa sakte ho….(sab jaane hi waale hai ki ) are ek second. Riya, tumne ID’s mein kaunse naam likhe hai, hume bhi bata do

Riya: ji sir, main Shivangi Singhania aur Arjun sir, Atharv Singh

Shree ki hasi nikalti hai: Singh aur Singhania, kya Riya aur koi surname nahi mila?

Riya: are kya karu yaar? Google par search kiya, jo upar aaya likh liya

Rathore smile karta hai: never mind, backgrounds theek hai?

Riya: ji sir, full proof!

Rathore: good, jaa sakte ho tum log aur ha tum aur Rawte seedhe school jaana, 2 baje khatam ho jaayegi, 3-4 baje tak office aa jaana

Riya: ji sir

Rathore: dismissed!

Sakshi(as usual): Arjun…

Arjun: Riya!

Sakshi Riya ko silently glare karti hai.

Riya: ji sir

Arjun: tumne backgrounds banaye?

Sab uske sawaal se confuse hote hai, kyunki abhi-abhi Riya ne wahi kaha aur jaate-jaate atak jaate hai

Riya: ha

Arjun: dono ke?

Riya: of course, abhi toh kaha maine?

Arjun: toh fir mera background koi aur learn karne waala hai?

Riya realise karti hai ki woh kya kehna chah raha hai(sheepishly): sorry….(woh apni files kholkar use uski ID proof wagera deti hai)

Arjun(lekar): baitho

Riya firse baith jaati hai. Sameer disbelief mein sar hilata hai aur baakhi sabko continue karne ka ishara karta hai. Sab nikal jaate hai. Arjun papers padh raha hai. Riya silently uske opposite baithi hui hai. Sakshi dono ko ghur rahi hai………………………