CHAPTER 1
May, 1997.
I stood there looking at the photographs that decorated the wall. Suryakanth Rawte and Debojit Mukherjee; two best friends, in fact much more than that! I moved closer to the photograph that had man standing alone in an Army uniform, and read the words written below the photograph..
"Major Suryakanth Rawte" it read. I felt sense of pride when I read those three words as my eyes brimmed with tears. "I miss you'"
"Arjun!" I heard aunty call out my name.
"Coming...!" I answered and before I left the room, looked at the photograph one last time.
I went into the kitchen apprehensively, "Aap ne bulaya?"
"Haan beta. Khana tayyaar hain. Jao, fresh up hoke aajao," Mrs. Mukherjee said.
"Ji.." I walked out of the kitchen and turned towards the dining table, to find no one.
"Poonam aur Aman kahan hain?" I asked her.
"Kamre mein honge shaayad? Arjun, ek kaam karo please.. Unhe bhi bula lao.." she said with a sweet smile.
"Abhi aaya.." I said and ran upstairs.
I went to their room and opened the door, "Poonam.. Aman khaana tayyar hain," I said and looked around. I couldn't find them in there.
But, she was there. I frowned, "Bas yahan se bina kisi gadbad ke nikal jao toh acha hoga.."
I didn't say a word to her. She was busy stacking the playing cards one over the other building her palace. She had almost finished it. She was so involved in it, that she wasn't paying any attention to anything around her. I wondered if they were in the garden. I slowly walked past her and opened the balcony door to see if Poonam and Aman were in the garden below.
The unexpected happened. A strong wind blew into the room, knocking her 'just completed' palace down. "I'm so dead!" I thought.
I turned around to look at her. She stood there, her hands over her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. She looked at me with anger in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Riya.. Main nahin jaanta tha ki aisa kuch.." I tried to apologize.
She walked towards me, "Arjun! Tumne wantedly kiya hain na..? Main jaanti hoon! Mamma! Mamma!" she yelled at me as she cried and ran downstairs to her mother. What else can you expect from a stubborn, short tempered, arrogant girl'?
She says I'm all that and even more.
Fifteen minutes later:
"Ab bas bhi karo Ri, galti se ho gaya hoga," Aman said to his sister, as we sat down at the dining table.
She glared at him.
"Haan aur nahin tho kya? Arjun jaanke thodi karega.. kyun Arjun?" Poonam looked at me and then at her sister.
"Tum dono usiki tarafdari karo! Ab tum dono ka dost important hain," she gave them a rude reply.
"Ri.. badon ka izzad karte hain, unki baat sunte hain. Aur hum teeno tho tumse bade hain. Isiliye hamari baat maanlo," Poonam said giggling.
"Acha? Dadi kehti hain bache Bhagvaan ke roop hote hain. Aur Bhagvaan tumse bhi bade hain," she said and stuck her tongue out. "Bhagvaan? Shaitaan behtar hoga," I murmered. "Kya kahan tumne?" she said glaring at me. I just rolled my eyes and said, "Kuch nahin."
" Mujhe nahin khana hain. Mamma main nahin kha rahin hoon," she said and folded her hands.
I looked at Mrs. Mukherjee. She smiled and shook her head. She came to her daughter and sat in the chair beside her, "Riya.. Meri pyaari si gudiya ho na.. Ab Arjun ko maaf kardo beta."
"Usne mujhse maafi nahin maangi hain abhi tak," she said looking at me.
"Maafi? Maine maanga tha!"
"Nahin! Kaan pakad ne nahin maanga tha.."
"Main kyun maangu maafi, kaan pakadke? Tumne meri book phaad di thi.. yaad hain?"
"Woh maine isliye kiya tha kyunki tumne mere bag par paani daldi thi.."
"Daala nahin, galti se gir gaya!"
"Tumhari saari galtiya meri chizon ke saath hi hote hain kya?"
"Kyunki tum hi hamesha mere raaste mein aati ho..!
By now both Poonam and Aman had shut their ears. Mrs. Mukherjee was watching us fight with a smile on her face, "Ab bas bas.. Koyi kisise maafi nahin maangega. Ab chup chaap khana khao.." she said placing the plate of food in front of her daughter.
"Nahin!" Riya was being her usual self. STUBBORN!
Poonam giggled and whispered in my ear, "Meri pyaari behna ki nautanki.." I managed to hide my chuckle.
"Abhi se aise drama queen banegi tho pata nahin aage kaise kaise din dekhne padenge.." Aman whispered and shook his head. Mrs. Mukherjee was pleading her, but she was still miffed.
The twins looked at each other and grinned. Poonam and Aman got up from their places walked towards Riya. They started tickling her and she burst out laughing. "Di! Dada..!"
A smile crept onto my lips involuntarily. I hate her when she is a drama queen. But seeing her smile, I forget how much I'm supposed to hate her!
Present day:
November, 2012.
30 minutes before:
I was on my way back from Pune when I heard my mobile ring, and Poonam's name flashed on the screen.
I answered the call and put the mobile on speaker mode, "Hello.."
"Arjun! Thank god tumne phone uthaya. Kahan ho tum abhi?" she asked. She sounded a little worried.
"Pune-Mumbai highway pe hoon. Mumbai jaa raha hoon."
"Yup.. jaanti thi abhi tak vaapas nahin gaye hoge. Ek favour karoge? Bahut urgent hain!"
"Haan kaho.."
"Riya.."
"Ab kya kiya hain usne? Jahan tak mujhe yaad hain, kal hi aayi hogi na Londonse?"
"Haan aur woh aaj ghar se bhaag gayi!"
"Kya!? Kiske saath?"
"Nahin nahin.. aisa kuch nahin hain! Akeli bhaagi hain. Kal uski shaadi pakki hone waali hain aur aaj woh bhaag gayi.."
"Lagta hain abhi bhi vaise ki vaisi hain,"
"Drama queen," we said in unison.
"Main uski photograph aur baaki details mail kar deti hoon.. Police ko inform kar sakte hain lekin Dad nahin chahte ki koi hungama khada ho. Abhi tak Mumbai nahin pahunchi hogi I'm sure. Woh theek hi hogi. Bas agar kahin dikh jaaye tho'"
"Sirf teen saal hi huye hain Poonam, uske London gaye huye.. Main usse pehchaan paaunga.. Phir bhi ek baar bhejdo. Aunty kaisi hain?"
"Pareshaan! Tum tho dad ko jaante ho, retired Police Commissioner jo hain aur woh commissioner ki beti, bilkul unhi ki tarah.. Unhe Riya ki fikar hi nahin hain! Keh rahe hain ki, meri beti hain. Theek hogi. Aur upar se Dadi tho dad ki haan mein haan mila rahin hain.."
I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I remembered all those years I spent with the Mukherjee family.
"Aunty se kaho ki woh pareshaan na ho. Mein usse ghar wapas le aunga.."
"Maa ne hi kahan ki main tumhe jaldi se phone karke batadu.. Aur haan hum Pune mein hain abhi. Usse Pune waapas lane ki zaroorat nahin hain.. Mumbai mein Maama ke yahan chod do.. Aur Arjun, sorry. Iss pareshani ke liye," Poonam said a little embarrassed.
I was about to say something when she said, "Main aisa bilkul nahin kahungi.. ACP Arjun Suryakanth Rawte. Ek police officer ho! Farz banta hain tumhara.. Aur dost bhi ho hamare.. Itna tho tumhe karna hi hoga.." she said and I heard her laugh.
"Wahin tho soch raha tha main.. tum mujhe achnak sorry kyun bol rahin ho," I said as I overtook another SUV on the highway.
"Vaise bhi agar koi usse pakad sakta hain aur samjha sakta hain tho woh tum ho.. So all the best," the line went dead.
Present moment:
I looked at the photograph in my mobile once again. Poonam had mailed me her picture, giving me all other details.
She didn't change much. The same smile, the same sparkle in her eyes and I guess the same arrogance, the same big fat ego! It's been just three years, how much can she change?
I tried calling her on her mobile. Poonam had mailed me her number, the one she uses in India. The operator said that the customer was out of coverage area or switched off.
"Sirf wahi aisa kuch kar sakti hain," I said to myself. I looked outside the window wondering how I would trace her. Should I call Shree? I looked at the watch. It was around 12:15AM.
I was about to call him when I spotted a girl yelling at a Taxi driver.. It was her!
***
[Riya's POV]
I don't believe this! He said he would drop me in Mumbai and now he tells me he's not even having a stepny to replace the punctured wheel!
"Kya matlab hain tumhari gaadi shuru nahin ho sakti? Stepny bhi nahin hain tumhare paas..?" I yelled at him.
"Nahin ma'am. Stepny hain. Lekin dono tyres puncture huye hain. Agar aap thodi wait karegi tho doosra gaadi aa raha hain," he said a little meekly.
"Thoda wait? Ek ghanta lagega.. ek ghanta! Upar se aadhi raat ko raste pe wait karna hoga mujhe????"
Just then I heard a vehicle stop behind me and a man's voice that said, "Lift chahiye?"
What the hell..? I turned around to say something, but my voice didn't come out after I realized who the man was.
"Arjun!!!"
"Haan. Aakhri baar poochta hoon. Lift chahiye?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. How? Di!!! She must have told him. I rolled my eyes, paid for the cab, pulled out my bags from the cab and got into Arjun's SUV without another word. I had to get to Mumbai first. Rest is unimportant to me right now.
"Di ne call kiya?" I asked.
"Haan," another curt answer.
I turned towards him. Not even a single phone call in the last three years, not even a single mail.
"Kaise ho?" I asked again. Not that I didn't know how he was, but it's been two years already.
"Theek hoon. Tum?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the road.
"Fine. Kal hi London se aayi hoon," I said trying my best to be nice enough.
"Pata hain. Aur aaj ghar se bhaag gayi," he said.
See.. he was pissing me off now! That comment was uncalled for.
I didn't say anything.
"Maa ko call karo aur batao ki tum mere saath ho. Main tumhe Raghu sir ke yahaan chod deta hoon."
"Excuse me?" I looked at him with an incredulous look on my face. He just can't order me around like that.
"Call karo," he ordered and shoved his phone into my hand.
I shoved his phone back into his hand and said, "Thanks! Lekin mere paas mera phone hain."
I pulled out my phone from my bag, "Damn!"
"Kuch chahiye?" he asked sarcastically looking at my phone whose battery was dead.
I looked here and there and finally said, "Haan. Maa ko call karna hain."
"O really?" he said and handed me the phone.
I dialed my landline number and was about to press the call option, he got a call and I received it accidentally.
"Hello," the guy on the other line said.
"Hello," I said wondering what happened and then I realized that I had received Arjun's call.
"Arjun, tumhare liye hain," I said giving him the phone.
He was driving and so asked me to put it in the speaker mode.
"Hello, Arjun sir?"
"Haan Shree bolo.."
"Sir, Mumbai-Pune highway pe ek khoon hua hain," the guy on the phone said and gave Arjun other details of the case.
"Theek hain Shree, I'll be there," Arjun said and I cut the call.
[General POV]
Riya then called her mother, wondering what explanation she would give..
"Hello Ma.."
Her mother didn't let her say another word and bombarded her with questions.
"Agar kisi aur se pyaar karti thi tho bata deti! Aise ghar se bhaagne ki kya zaroorat hain. Kya mooh dikhayenge unhe? Sharam nahin hain kya?" her mother asked quite angry with Riya.
"Maa! Aisa kuch nahin hain! Main aapko baad mein bataungi. Vaise bhi kal sirf shaadi ki baat pakki hone waali hain, shaadi nahin ho rahin hain! Main wahaan hoon ya na rahoon, koi fark nahin padega.. Isiliye Mumbai mein ek zaroori kaam khatam karke aa jaungi! Agar main aapko pehle bata deti tho aap mujhe kabhi nahin jaane deti.. Main ab Arjun ke saath hoon. Baad mein phone karti hoon.. Bye," Riya said and cut the call before her mother could say anything else.
"Crime scene jaa rahe hain?" she asked turning towards Arjun.
He didn't say anything.
"Jawab tho de sakte ho na?" she said miffed.
"Wahin jaa rahe hain. Tum chup chap gaadi mein baithogi," he said sternly while Riya rolled her eyes.
"Bewakoofi ki bhi ek had hoti hain Riya! Itne raat gaye ghar se bhaagne ka kya matlab hain? Agar tumhe kuch ho jaata tho?" Arjun was now pissed because of her indifferent attitude and blasted her.
"Arjun.. cool down. Okay? Main apna khyal rakh sakti hoon!" she said in an attempt to cool him down.
"Acha? Kaise. Aadhi raat ko.. iss highway pe.. kaise?"
Riya was now angry, "Bhale hi main tumhari tarah ek on duty police officer nahin hoon Arjun, jiske paas ek licensed gun hoga(says sarcastically). Lekin main ek bebas, laachaar abla naari bhi nahin hoon! Aur woh tum bhi jaante ho! Isiliye zyada chillane ki zaroorat nahin hain."
"Poonam ne sahi kahaan. Tum abhi bhi vaisi ki vaisi ho. Ziddi aur bevakoof!" Arjun said pulling the SUV into a barren area to the side of the road.
"Di ne mujhe bewakoof kahan. No way, tumne add ki hogi woh.. Main jaanti hoon," she said pointing her finger at him accusingly.
They had reached the crime scene and Arjun didn't care to listen to another word Riya said. Riya was about to get down the SUV when Arjun stepped back in and buckled the seat belt Riya had just unbuckled, "Maine kya kahaan tha? Yahin chup chaap baitho!"
The crime scene:
"Forensic analyst ke hisaab se maut koi das baje ke aas paas huyi hain. Laash gyaarah baje ke aas paas mili thi uss aadmi ko," Rathore said pointing towards a man who was standing near the ETF car, being questioned by Chotu,"Ek bag mein rakhke pekha gaya hain usse. Iss andhere mein ye black kachra pekhne ki bag kise dikhegi? Agar phekte waqt dikh bhi gaya tho, kisiko shak nahin hoga."
"Phir uss aadmi ko mila kaise?" Arjun asked.
"Uski gaadi ki achanak tyre puncture hua tha aur usne gaadi pe control kho diya. Jaake seedhe uss ped se takraaya. Ussi ped ke paas ye bag pada tha. Apni gaadi ki haalat dekhne ke liye woh utra aur uss bag ko hatane ki koshish ki," he told Arjun, the man's statement, "Iske identity chupane ki koshish ki gayi hain Rawte. Chehra dekho, kitni buri tarah se bigada gaya hain. Na iska Id card hain, ya mobile," Rathore said and was interrupted by Shree, "Sir, Iska naam Rohan Deshmukh hain. Mumbai mein rehta hain."
"Tumhe kaise pata?" Arjun asked. Shree adjusted his specs and said, "Sir, Chotu ko uske coat ke jacket se ek SIM mila hain, jisse ye information mili hain. Uske ghar se pata chala hain ki woh kisi Riya naam ki ladki se milne Pune ke liye nikla tha," Shree was briefing Rathore and Arjun. Rathore was listening to Shree while Arjun was examining the body.
Hearing the name Riya, Arjun was startled, "Kya kahaan? Riya?"
"Yes sir! Pura naam Riya Mukherjee. Retired commissioner Debojit Mukherjee ki beti. Iss waqt uske mobile trace pe rakha hain, lekin switched off aa raha hain."
"Hamein iss ladki ko jald se jald doondhna hoga. Shaayad woh isme involved ho," Rathore said.
"Doondhne ki zaroorat nahin hain Rathore," Arjun said getting up.
The forensic experts took the body with them on the stretcher.
"Kyun koyi jaadu se yahaan prakat hone waali hain kya Rawte?" Rathore asked, his voice filled with the usual sarcasm.
"Jaadu se tho nahin lekin yahaan prakat tho zaroor hogi," Arjun said looking at Rathore.
"Kya matlab hain tumhara?"
"Mera matlab ye hain.." before Arjun could complete his sentence they heard an argument a little away from them.
"Dekhiye ma'am, aap iss laash ko aise haath nahin laga sakti hain," the forensic analyst said to Riya.
"Theek hain. Main isse haath nahin lagaungi. Lekin mujhe iska chehra dekhna hain. I'm sure I know this guy.." she was about to say something when she saw Arjun and the team approach her.
She took a deep breath and walked towards Arjun, "Arjun, mujhe uska chehra dekhna hain please. I'm sure woh mera dost Rohan hi hain!" she said in a worried voice. Arjun frowned, while the rest of the team was shocked. A girl calling Arjun by his first name, that too in such an informal way, which made it clear to them that the two of them were close. Moreover, she identified the victim without even looking at his face.
"Aapko kaise pata?" Rathore intervened.
"Aap?" Riya asked looking at Rathore.
"ACP Sameer Rathore, ETF chief. Aur sawal sirf hum poochenge, aap hamein sach sach jawaab degi," he said, as his returned his ID card to its place.
"Ji, zaroor. Iske haath mein ye jo tattoo hain, Rohan ke haath mein bhi bilkul vaisa hi tattoo hain," she said pointing at the tattoo on the hand that was hanging to a side from under the sheet that covered the dead body, "Main Arjun se milne iss taraf aa rahi thi aur tab ye mere raste mein aa gaye. Tab meri nazar uspe padi!"
"Tum isse jaante ho Rawte?" Rathore asked Arjun.
"Haan, kareeb 12:15 se mere saath hi hain," Arjun said, "Usse pehle Pune se Mumbai jaati huyi ek cab mein travel kar rahi thi. Gaadi kharaab ho gayi thi aur maine isse lift diya tha."
"Aap uss lash ka chehra nahin dek sakti hain ma'am," Shree said firmly.
"Lekin.." Riya tried to protest, but Arjun cut her short, "Nahin dekh sakti ho! Bas Riya. You can't!"
"Ab batayiye Miss. Mukherjee, Rohan aapse milne kyun aane waala tha?" Rathore asked.
"Tho iska matlab.." she rushed back towards the dead body and pulled the sheet away from Rohan's face.
The sight of Rohan's face badly bruised and disfigured beyond recognition, left yet another scar on her memory. Riya who was shaken to the core, closed her eyes and turned away.
Arjun went to her and stood by her side, turning her away from the dead body, "Isiliye mana kiya tha."
He knew she wouldn't be able to forget that horrible sight, never in her life.
She had tears in her eyes now, but she wasn't crying, "Koyi isse itne berehmi se kyun maarega?"
"Woh aap batayengi, Miss Riya Mukherjee," Rathore said as she turned to look at him.
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Edited by ValleryRose - 12 years ago
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