Chapter 05
Malhar examined the movements of the cleaners for two days and realised how everything Kalyani said till now was absolutely right. No one exept the cleaners AKA terrorists were going inside the lab. He was thanking kalyani in his mind because it would have been really difficult for them to actually find these terrorists if Kalyani didn't dare to reveal about them.
Malhar thought of calling Kalyani the next day as it was late in the night.
Next day:
Kalyani was sitting in the canteen having her breakfast as she didn't have the heart to make anything. She has unknowingly been waiting for Malhar's call but obviously she couldn't do anything about it. She even thought about asking him about the progress of the case via messages but texting also felt really awkward. Malhar finished his morning meal and called her as he himself was kind of interested in calling Kalyani too! Though he had convinced himself that the reason behind it is the case being so intriguing. He finally dialed her number and Kalyani instantly answered the call and the conversation started like-
"Hello"
"Hello main Malhar bol raha hu"
"Ji boliye Mr. Rane"
Malhar made a sour face listening to her calling him "Mr. Rane" but he didn't start the old topic again as they had important things to discuss.
"Mujhe aapki madat chahiye thi ek kaam ke liye."
"Haan boliye."
"Actually tum sahi thi, wo log terrorist hi hain"
"To aapko aaj tak mujhpe bharosa nehi tha?!" Kalyani said in a little louder voice expressing her amusment
"Maine aisa to nehi bola na!!"
"To kya bolna chahte hain aap?"
"Main ye bolna chahta hu Kalyani ki tum bilkul sahi thi aur wo log hi terrorists hain. Aur ab hume jald se jald unke plan ka pata lagana hoga aur unko arrest karna hoga."
"Ji"
An awkward silence takes over and she then starts
"Toh......mujhe kya karna hoga?"
"Actually Kalyani main tumhe ek chip doonga kya tum usse wahan ye file mein fit kar paogi? Actually main khud hi jaana chahta tha but by chance agar kisiko shak.."
"No no i can do it. Koyi problem nehi hogi aap fikar mat kariye."
"To fir aaj main aajau chip dene?"
"Par aaj toh college mein annual function hain. Aaj kab lagayenge?"
"Par isse zyada der toh hum afford bhi nehi kar sakhte"
"To fir theek hain aaj function mein hi karte chip ko fit"
"Theek hain main aajaunga."
"Haan aap chip de dena aur samjha bhi dena ki kahan rakhna hain."
"Okay"
Kalyani kept an alert eye and within a few minutes those terrorists were asked to clean the area near stage again as Kalyani spilled some sprite there. And there she called him.
"Wo log abhi nehi aayenge bohot der tak, abhi main set karti hu chip"
"Tumhe kaise pata wo nehi aayenge?"
"Arreh aise kaam bigada hain unka ki ab toh programme start hone tak cleaning hi karenge" Kalyani chuckled and Malhar smiled too even though he didn't express.
She was on the call through Bluetooth and when she hidingly entered the lab he said through the call, "ceiling mein kya dekh rahi ho?"
She got muffled and said "aapko kaise pata chala?!"
"Police wala hoon na" he said in an innocent voice.
"Wait yahan toh maine hi camera fit kiya tha jo aap abhi dekh rahe honge bahar. Kitni pagal hu main."
"Haan ye to sahi kahan" Malhar murmured with a smile.
"Ab uss left side ke door ke peeche se ladder lao aur cabinet ke saamne set kardo."
Kalyani did accordingly and Malhar could see how much problems she was facing as the ladder was anyway heavy, plus she was wearing a saree. After putting all her energy she succeeded to set the ladder and brought the chip out of her potli bag which she had attached on her waist.
"Dheere se chado, gir jaogi!!" Malhar said with care.
"Nehi bas heels haina isiliye zara dikkat ho rahi hain."
"Haan bas thoda sa aur"
"Haan pohoch gayi."
"Ab uss box right pe dekho, haan uss sticker ke neeche iss chip ko attach kardo."
She did accordingly and said "huh finally ho gaya"
"Ab dhyaan se utr...." Malhar couldn't complete his sentence when she said "mujhe utarne mein bohot darr lag raha hain!!!!"
"Shaant ho jao Kalyani, bilkul shaant. Dheere dheere, ek leg neeche fir doosra."
She was coming down the way he said her to.
She was almost on the ground but suddenly her hand collids with the container of liquid Benzene and it falls down. Kalyani jumps and moves aside instantly but a little amount of Benzene got in contact with her hand. Her pallu got marks of Bengene. She almost screamed in pain as she was feeling a burning sensation on her hand.
Malhar who was seeing her setting the chip since the beginning started running towards the chemistry lab as soon as he saw that incident taking place. He kept saying in the phone "Kalyani tum theek ho?"
He reached in front of the floor but there were so many people that he had to wait for a few minutes to actually hide from people and enter the lab.
He runningly goes near her and hold her hand in his.
Kalyani got shocked and said "Aap kyun aaye? Agar kisine dekh liya to?"
"Arreh tumne apna haat dekha hain?? Pata bhi hain ye kya hain?"
"Kya?"
Malhar picked the container and said "yes I was right. It's liquid Bengene"
Kalyani's eyes grew big and Malhar rapidly pulled her towards the washbasin and washed her hand with soap and water thoroughly. He then goes further and cleans the two three drops that were spilled on the floor so that it doesn't spread in the air. He comes to her then.
"Tum theek ho?? Bohot jal raha hain? Aur thoda paani mein rakhna hain haat?" Malhar said with tension visible on his face.
"Main theek hu aisa kuch neh...." her words got cut as he continued
"Aur kahin pe lagi hain? Aur kahin burning sensation ho raha hain?"
"Haan peir mein zara sa..."
Malhar didn't let her complete but went to the wash basin. He brought his handkerchief out and soaked it into the water amusing kalyani. He then bent down and started wiping exposed part of her feet as the covered part can't be in contact with Bengene.
Kalyani got numb and blank for a second and the next second she got her composure back and almost panicked saying "AAP YE KYA KAR RAHE HAIN MR.RANE!!!!"
She also sat down stopping his hands but he was adamant.
"Kalyani ab ye mat bolna ki peir chune se koyi chota ho jaata hain ya kisika apman ho jaata hain. It's for medical reasons and main toh bas tumhari madat kar raha hu.
"Par aise..."
"Par war kuch nehi..."
Kalyani couldn't resist but go aww on the cuteness of the Acp of this city.
"Itna cute Acp bhi hota hain kya kisi sheher ka! Kitne sweet hain ye!!" She thought in mind.
"Tum abhi ke abhi ghar jao aur kapde badlo aur nahalo. Wearing this saree is not safe."
"Par Mr. Rane mera toh abhi performance hain! Inn sab mein main to bhool hi gayi! Abhi tak toh performance ka time bhi ho chuka hain."
"Performance?"
"Haan aaj I have a singing performance."
"Toh wo jaldi khatam karke ghar chalo"
"Chalo matlab?"
"Tumhare saath ye sab iss mission ki wajah se hua. Tum abhi meri zinmedari ho toh jaldi se performance khatam karke ghar jao."
They both went to the auditorium separately and saw that the programme had already started. Malhar sat in a corner and after 4/5 minutes Kalyani's name was announced. He got extremely excited and unusually nervous which even he doesn't know why.
She came on the stage and started singing. Her eyes were unintentionally finding only one face and his eyes were stuck on hers. She finally found him and the lyrics went like
"Koi Bandhani joda odh ke
Baabul ki gali aaun chhod ke
Tere hi liye laaungi piya
Solah saal ke saawan jod ke
Pyar se thamna, dor bareek hai
Saat janmon ki yeh pehli tareekh hai
Dor ka ek main sira
Aur tera hai doosra
Jud sake beech mein kayi tadap hai na"
And her song ended as well as their eye contact which they both didn't had any idea about..
The function ended and they walked separately for a minute then got into the jeep so that no one sees them together as their mission should be kept very personal.
In the jeep
"Accha gaati ho tum" Malhar said after some moments of silence
"Thank you" Kalyani smiled.
"Saare friends tumhare kitna cheer kar rahe thhe. Turant nikal aayi tum, kuch sochenge nehi wo?" Malhar said as their conversations got comfortable.
"Mera koyi dost nehi hain."
"Matlab?"
"Matlab main yahan sirf padhayi karne aayi hu Mr.Rane. Aur mera bas wohi maksad hain. Mere saare classmates bohot acche hain and I respect them all par ab iss naye sheher nayi jagah mein kisi pe bharosa karke usse dosti karu itni himmat nehi hoti aur lagta hain ki itna time bhi nehi hain. Bachpan se mere bohot dost rahe hain par zindagi mein aage badne ke liye saare attachments peeche chodhke aana pada mujhe. Ab naye dost banane se darr lagta hain."
Malhar felt the sadness in her voice and tried to divert the topic.
"Fir toh wo sab tumhare fans thhe, itni taaliyan baja rahe thhe"
Kalyani smiled listening to him and they reached after a few minutes.
"Thank you so much Mr.Rane. Aaj maine aapka bohot kaam bada diya."
"Welcome...aur Tum jaldi jaake ye sab change karo."
"Hmmm" said Kalyani as she turns to leave.
"Kalyani" Malhar said abruptly.
"Waise tum mujhe Malhar ya fir Malhar ji bhi bol sakhti ho par ye Mr. Rane bohot ajeeb hain!!"
"Haan this sounds better..." Kalyani said smilingly.
Kalyani reached her apartment where she lives and Malhar goes to the PS.
Malhar was a turmoil about why he said so much to her and why he asked her to call her Malharji. He feels as if he is behaving way too weird but his mind says that it's his first case with someone who is not professional so he is just being careful and protective. Not thinking much he got ingrossed in his work.
Kalyani came out after talking shower and picks her phone. Going to the call log, she changed the caller name from "Mr.Rane" to "Malharji" and smiled.
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