Chapter 7

kunchu

@kunchu

PART 7:

Shekhar was in the interrogation room. Say it his sixth sense, it did tell him everything was out of order now. He was ready to face the worst.

Arjun and  Sameer walked into the room and sat facing him. He was already rubbing his sweaty hands and that did give away his state of mind.

Ar: ab kuch puchna hai ya khud keh donge?

She: sir... it was a mistake...I didn't do it...

Sam: bas... jo hua wo batha do... baki hum dekhlenge.

Shekhar gulped and drank water to cool himself. Arjun's eyes were enough to burn him to ashes.

Ar: ab shubh muhurath ka intezaar math karo. Go ahead with it.

She: mujhe patha tha ke Vadhera sir bohot naraaz hai. Unhe patha lag gaya tha ke ye deal dhoke se mila hai. Saturday raath ko hum mile the. wo bohot gusse me the. keh diya ke kal sabere mere iss kaam ke aakhri din hoga. Wo Rawte sir ko wo deal wapas dene wale the. aur mujhe kaam se baahar. Meine unhe samjhane ke bohot koshish ki... par nahi hua. Aur mujhse kaha ke chale jao. uss raath me waha se chale gaye. Lekin fir mien ek aur bar wapas aya. Mere keys wahi reh gaye the. thab meine unke awaz suna. Wo Rawte sir ko call kar rahe the. wo dono agle din sabere wahi villa me milne wale the.

Arjun was getting a clear picture now.

Sh: meien Vinod ko call kiya. Lekin wo mujhe help karne se mana kiya. Mujhe bohot gussa araha tha. Agle din bohot jald mien villa me pohoncha. Socha ke Vadhera sir ko samjha denge. Par nahi hua. Wo bhatak gaya. Mujhe bhi gussa aya... ek do kehke... unke haath utt gaya. Unhone mujhe thapad mara. Patha nahi uss waqt mere dimaag me kya chal raha tha. Bas paas ke table se knife liya aur...

He stopped his words and sighed.

Sh: mien unhe maarna nahi chahtha tha. Wo bas ek accident...

Ar: kisiko maarna accident nahi, kathl kehthe hai. and you did it.

Shekhar looked down. He was guilty. But he was keeping up still.

Sam: Mr. Rawte ko fir tumne bhasaya?

Sh: haan. Unke gaadi ke awaz suna tha. Mien dar gaya tha. Meine towel se knife se mere fingerprint hata diya.

Sam: aur thab Vadhear zinda tha...?

Sh: (with a shudder) haan... par wo bohot kam sanse le rahe the. but he was alive.

He waited in silence remembering Vadhera's pained last moments.

Ar: fir??

Sh: fir mien chup gaya... Rawte sir unhe bachane ke koshish ki. Thab unke finger prints uss knife me reh gaya. Aur fir meine waha aake awaz lagaya. Police aya. Aur fir...

Sam: tumhare kuch galathi, kisike jaan cheen liya. Kisiko ek din ka dard diya. Kisike zindagi se unke pati ko cheen liya. Aur tum kya paya?

There was no answer.

Sam: Chotu... Vinod ko le aao.

Vinod was taken in.

Sam: is galathi me tumhare bhi haath hai. you will face the court too.

Vi: patha hai.

Sam: Sree, Mr. Rawte ke advocate ko bulao. He can take him back.

They were ready to disperse. But all saw Vinod looking at Arjun. Sam left with Shekhar and Chotu.

They stood in silence.

Vi: mujhe patha hai ke aap bohot naraaz hai, fir bhi sun leejiye. Aise apne aapko...

Ar: mujhe mere fikar karna atha hai.

Vi: patha hai. firbhi ek baar sun lijiye. Aapko nahi patha ke aapke baba aapko kithne miss karthe hai. kabhi kuch kaha nahi. Par hum dekh sakthe hai. please ek bar unse bath karlo.

Arjun stood without saying anything. "Chotu take him..."

Chotu came to take him away. Vinod smiled sadly. "bilkul apne baba pe gaye ho. jo bhi hai, wo sirf dil me rakthe ho. kabhi bolthe nahi. Apna khayal rakhna Arjun..."

He looked briefly and walked away with Chotu.

Arjun stayed back at room for a while. Then composed and walked out. On the corridor he met Nath, who tried to speak to him. But Arjun walked away to the cabin.

Sakshi and Aisha saw it and walked to him.

Sak: its ok sir... agar aap chaho tho unke cabin me ja sakthe ho

Na: no I cant. Wo apne aapko bandh kar chuke hai. aur jab thak wo khud na khole, waha hum nahi ja sakthe hai.

Ai: laghta hai aap Sir ko kafi ache tharah se jaanthe ho.

Na: haan kafi ache tharah se. usse bhi aur unke pitha ko bhi.

He saw Rawte coming out of his detention room. He went to his side. Sameer joined them.

Sam: sorry for the inconvenience.

Raw: its ok. Aap apna duty kar rahe the.

He looked aside and saw Arjun in his cabin standing facing away from them and looking out through the window. His straight torso and tight held fist was well visible to all.

All could see a pair of eyes looking at the son who was very close to him but still far away. Rawte felt a hand on his shoulder. it was Nath. "Chale?"

He nodded yes. He once more looked at the man inside the cubicle and walked away with Nath. All stood watching them leaving. Sam briefly looked at Arjun and then walked to his cabin, leaving Aisha, Sakshi Sree and Chotu together.

Sak: ithne paas hoke bhi ithna dur... aisa kyu hotha hai?

Ais: its not easy Sakshi. Wo Ek baap hai jisse patha hai ke galthi hua hai, par keh nahi pathe. Aur wo ek beta hai, jo shayad apne baba ke pehle kadam ka intezaar kar rahe hai. wo dono ek dusre ke wait kar rahe hai. aur ek dusre ko miss bhi kar raha hai.

Sree: its too complicated guys...

Sak: ya it is...

They dispersed.

Arjun was at the window and saw his father going away in a car driven by Nath. He couldn't go and meet him. Something inside him was pulling him back. He felt a hand on his shoulders. He closed his eyes feeling it, afraid he would miss it anytime when he open his eyes.

"you should have met him Arjun..." he heard her whisper.

"nahi Roshni... unse milne ka himmat nahi hai mujhme..." he said aloud the words that his heart said. He could feel her resting her head on his shoulder. He stood there taking in the moment, somewhere knowing that it was not real...

Away at the half open door... she stood with a heavy heart. She wiped a lone tear and closed the door silently not breaking his magical moment.

He was living in a dream at that moment, where he was opening his heart to Roshni. And Sakshi was not willing to break his heart again, by gatecrashing in that moment. She walked away after looking at Arjun again...

***

In the car Nath saw Rawte deep in thoughts. He drove off to the seaside where the sun was just coming out. Rawte seems to be oblivious to all these.

Na: kyu kar rahe ho aap aisa? Kyu apne aapko usse dur kar rahe ho?

Raw: mien hamesha usse dur tha Nath.

Na: aap duniya se jhoot boliye, mujhse nahi.

He kept silent.

Na: agar fikar nahi hotha, tho Arjun ke shaadi ke din mujhe kyu bheja? Kyu aapke jagah rahke usse ashirwad dene ko kaha? Kyu uske har khabar rakha? Kyu Roshni ke mauth ke baad Arjun ko milne hospital me gaya? Kyu pure rath wahi guzara? Kyu Roshni ke antim sanskar ko dur se dekha? Aur kyu aapke ankhen nami thi? Boliye...

Rawte sighed after a long moment of silence and turned to Nath.

"kyunki wo abhi bhi mera beta hai Nath... mera khoon... uske dard mujhse dekha nahi jatha. Aur mujhe patha hai ke unhe bhi yahi mehsoos hotha hai. yahi duriyan hume paas rakhthe hai Nath. Usse aise hi rehne do"

"mujhe kuch samaj me nahi araha Sir"

"kuch bath unsamajh hi behthar hai Nath... tum nahi samjhoge..."

Rawte took a moment and then walked out to the seaside. Nath knew he wanted this time alone. He drove away after calling Rawte's driver to be at the beach ASAP.