Chapter 20

Suzie

@etfr

PART 39

Riya was about to fell in deep sleep after her mother went back to her room but suddenly she heard a screeching ringtone of her cellphone, she tried to ignore it to sleep but she couldn't and her heart started feeling restless. She stretched her hand and recieved the call without opening her eyes.

"Hello! May I speak to Riya ma'am?"

"Hello! Shreya, it's you! How are you? Any progress on the lead about those stalkers?" Riya spoke on her phone with slight lazy voice.

"Ma'am, can you please make sure that ACP Rawte isn't anywhere alone and in danger?" Shreya asked urgently.

"What do you mean? Shreya baat kya hai? Saaf saaf batao?" Eyes flew open as Riya felt her heart beating loudly. Shreya took a deep breath and said "Ma'am, woh stalkers jis gang ka hissa hai, woh gang mere ek partner ne join kiya hai, usse pata chala hai ki ye gang Mumbai aur Pune jaise bade sheher mei kaafi active hai. Aur maine unke digital devices se pata kiya hai ke Mumbai ke 2 log unke target list mei hai, ek NGO activist hai woh currently desh ke bahar hai lekin dusra target ACP Rawte. They have been following him since you guys reached Mumbai as I found latest photos of Arjun sir in and out of ETF headquarters."

"What!?" Riya asked in a breathless voice. "Ma'am, mai abhi undercover hun isliye police headquarter se direct help nahi le rahi hun. So you take the precautions and keep Arjun sir away from danger for the time being."

Sitting up, Riya held the side table to stable herself as she felt dizzy before asking "Do you... uh.. do you know the details about when and where they are planning to k..k..kill him?"

"I don't know the accurate location. But my colleague mentioned that they are going at some hill on the way to the sea port." Shreya said, before adding "Ma'am, is everything alright? Should I contact commissioner sir?"

Riya took a deep breath to sooth her dried throat as she tried to calm herself and said "No, don't risk your mission. I'll take care of this. Just provide leads about that activist and Arjun to commissioner sir, gradually as you pass the information."

Riya tried to call Arjun and others but no one answered, then she called Sakshi and walked out after picking up her purse and hired a taxi.

...

Seeing her eyes fluttering, Sakshi exclaimed "Ayesha dekh, Riya ko hosh aaraha hai!"

Both of them surrounded Riya, waiting for her to open her eyes which she did. Riya blinked her eyes a few times before looking at them confused. Then came a dull body-ache followed by the flashes of last night. She remembered how she got Shreya's call and how she drove a truck to reach Arjun but... She couldn't help him or so she thought. Lastly, she remember hearing a shout for Arjun sir and a loud thud.

'What happened? Am I in hospital? But why?' Riya thought as she gained concious, remembering something her eyes widen as she hurriedly placed her hands on her stomach. "Mmm...my baby!!? Is.. is it alright?" Worried Riya asked in a raspy voice.

Ayesha pat her arms to assure her "Calm down! Baby is fine. You had internal bleeding but baby is fine and safe right now. Doctor said you've to be more cautious and should not exert yourself physically or mentally."

Riya felt her nerves soothing at her words but she clutched Ayesha's hand tightly and asked "Arjun!? What about Arjun? Kahan hain? Why is he not here? He... He.. he is fine right..? Nothing... happened to him, right?"

Ayesha blinked her eyes assuringly as she said softly "Riya relax, he.. he is not here because his treatment is still going on. He is a strong man and that truck filled with mattress saved him. It's just that he was shot na and also had a concussion on his head which is why he isn't awake yet. But don't worry he'll be alright."

Actually doctors said that his head injury was the reason why Arjun isn't awake yet. Even though those mattress prevent his fall from such a height but  the force of his fall had intensify the head injury. The back of his head was earlier injured as one of the smugglers hit an iron rod but when Arjun fell, the force on his head caused internal brain injury. So he is comatose and doctors said that these 36 hours are crucial for him. If he didn't gain consciousness within the time then he might fell into coma for unpredictable time. 

Ayesha couldn't let Riya know these things otherwise she might panic which isn't good.

Listening to her words, Riya tried to calm herself down but the anxiousness didn't go away as she continued to frown in worry.

To divert her mind away from Arjun, Sakshi asked "waise Riya, tum wahan kaise pohunchi? It's wasn't like first dangerous case Arjun was dealing with so, why were you there?"

"One of my friend gave me lead on how some gang is planning to kill Arjun, they have been following him even when we were in Kerala. I just came to warn Arjun to be careful but there was sudden pain in my belly and...." Riya stopped as her restlessness increased suddenly. She asked worriedly "....Arjun pakka theek hojayenge na? Unhe kuch nahi hua hai na?"

Her sudden question made Sakshi and Ayesha to look at her feeling as if she knew something bad is happening. Sakshi tried to remain calm and said "Ofcourse! Tum bhi na Riya. Sameer aur Chotu is there by his room so no one is gonna attack Arjun at all."

Ayesha said "Haan. Let me tell them about this too, so that they wouldn't let in anyone suspicious." 

She picked up her phone and text Sameer ''How is Arjun sir? Has something happened?'' To which a reply came as "His oxygen level is dangerously low and his brain isn't responding to the treatment."

"Aayu what should I do?" Another text followed, Ayesha felt her heart ache but tried not to show it on her face.

"Riya, doctor abhi kisi ko bhi Arjun sir se milne nahi de rahe hain. But said he will be fine after sleep. Unhone kaha hai kal tak Arjun sir ko ICU observation mei rakhna hai without any disturbance." Ayesha said as she pinched and twist her shirt sleeve tightly.

Riya nodded slightly as hearing her words still didn't make her restless heart ease but she tried to ignore it and asked "You guys didn't react much when I said someone is trying to kill Arjun? Tum sab ko pata hai?"

Sakshi answered "Sab kuch tou nahi pata tha but thora idea tha since Aunty called Shree and we got to know about Shreya.." 

"What? How do you know about her? Oh my God! Her mission? Oh no!" Riya reacts as she thought Shreya and her mission got exposed.

"Relax Riya! We didn't let her get exposed. Don't worry. Oh let me grab us all something to eat. Maine subah se kuch bhi khaya nahi hai aur baby ko bhi bhook lagi hogi. Waise I'll see ke Shree aur Liza aaye ya nahi." Ayesha got up from her chair making excuses as she went out to check on Arjun. She is very scared what if something happened to Arjun Sir? What will they do? How will she manage Riya with her condition? How will she support Sameer? He's already heartbroken having lost one of his best friend but if something were to happen to Arjun Sir then....? Ayesha gasped at her thoughts as she tried to calm down.

She took out her phone and messaged Shree about Riya and Arjun's condition as well as what not to say to Riya. She also asked him to buy something healthy for Riya to eat. Then she pushed open the door of ICU room.

There, she saw Sameer sitting by the door of patient's room where Arjun is lying unconcious, while all the machines around him were showing some stable signs. Ayesha sighed putting her hand on Sameer's shoulder.

Slowly, he raised his head and saw her. Sobbing slightly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and started crying as doctor's words rang in his head.

"If patient have not responded within 24 hours then he might be paralyzed for life or worse if his brain didn't receive needed oxygen at all. Please be prepare yourself and pray for miracle."

"Ayu kya karu mai? Agar Arjun ko kuch hogya tou mai kya karunga? Riya ko kaise sambhalunga? No, no, mai apne ek aur dost ko aise nahi kho sakta, no!" Sameer asked as his shoulder shook.

Ayesha didn't say anything to comfort him as sob choked her. She always knew with Arjun's personality his ending would be something similar with him dying for his duty but she didn't expect it to be now of all time, she don't want it to be now. She really don't want to imagine a day and ETF without Arjun sir and his earth-shaking theory to solve, without his silent care and worry, without his angry glare but respect for others. She have always admired Arjun as a brilliant cop but now she felt like loosing a brother whom she can always rely on whenever she need. Even when Riya was undercover and he was in his hot-headed angry man phase, he never disrespect them and always supported them to workout a solution even when they themselves felt defeated. His trust on them while taking risk himself. Where will they find a senior like him? where will she find a brother like him?

After few minutes passed, tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to calm Sameer down, praying to God again and again. Again, She said "Sameer, relax. Nothing will happen to him."

"Nothing will happen to whom, Ayesha?" A voice came from behind them, shocked Sameer and Ayesha broke the hug and turned to see Riya standing with support of Chotu while Shree held her IV bottle beside her with teary eyes.

Ayesha and Sameer felt their voice choked as they tried to gulped down the sob. They tried to calm down as Ayesha tried to make an excuse "Huh! Woh Riya, Sam ke cousin ka accident hogya hai abhi phone aaya tha usi ke liye kaafi pareshan ho rahe the."

Riya looked at them blankly and exclaimed "Oh!"

Her heart felt restless so she hurried her steps but her legs felt weak, Chotu held her shoulder. Riya requested softly "please take me inside."

All of them understood she didn't believe their words. So Ayesha inhaled a deep breath and came near Riya "Riya here, wear this suit then I'll take you in."

Riya stared at Ayesha and she helped her wear it. Ayesha started speaking while helping her "Actually, Arjun sir ko abhi hosh nahi aaya hai anaesthesia ka effect kaafi strong hai, doctor ne kaha hai raat mei jaag gye tou theek warna he'll wake up in the morning only. Come, I'll take you in."

Ayesha's words had the desired affect as Riya's tensed shoulder and alert eyes relaxed. Sameer turned his head away to hide his tears, while Shree and Chotu tried to hold their sob. Ayesha stilled her heart taking a deep breathe and supported Riya as they entered inside.

There, unconscious Arjun lying on bed surrounded by machines. Riya sobbed seeing him pale and weak, she held her abdomen as she drag her feet near her husband. Her heart broke seeing white bandages on his head, arm and upper torso. She slightly touched his injured arm before holding his cold hand trying to gain comfort. Suddenly she started feeling weaker and dull pain of her belly started getting intense, she gasped and her tear fell on Arjun's finger. Controlling her pain, Riya held his face and kissed on his eye before whispering softly "Arjun, it's hurting alot. Please wake up and hold me na. Tell your baby to not hurt me and be careful!"

Her tears fell on Arjun's cold palm as she held onto. Suddenly the machines started beeping loudly, Riya gasped as she looked at the machines worriedly. Ayesha's eyes widened as she rushed to support Riya. Hurriedly, Sameer stood up and shouted "DOCTOR!!" Shree ran out to call the doctor while Chotu came near Riya and said "Ri, tu bahar chal." Riya shook her head in protest as words stuck in her throat. Chotu did not listen to her as he dragged her out of the ICU and brought her back to ward.

While machines were beeping loudly and ICU ward was chaotic, no one notice the fingers moving and eyes rolling behind the eyelids. 

To Be Continue...