It's Complicated

Chapter 1

'Abhijeet yaar mujhe nahi khani ye dawai' said Daya.

'Daya chupchap dawai kha le. Ek toh tune hospital jaane se mana kar liye aur aur medcines bhi nahi kha rahe ho' said Abhijeet.

'Tumhe pata hai Abhijeet mujhe doctor ke paas jana pasand nahi' said Daya.

'Haan haan sab pata hai. Meri jagah agar tumhari girlfriend ya biwi hoti na toh abhi tak kha liya hota tune chupchap' said Abhijeet.

A moment later, the door bell rang. 'Is waqt kaun ho sakta hai? Raat ke sade dus baj gaye' said Daya.

'Main dekhta hoon' said Abhijeet.

Abhijeet opened the door. 'Shreya tum yaha?' he said in surprise.

'Haan... main actually Daya sir se milne aayi thi' said Shreya awkwardly.

Daya came into the living room. 'Kaun hai Abhijeet?'

'Shreya aayi hai' said Abhijeet.

'Kaise hai aap sir?' she asked.

'Main thik hoon. Par tum is waqt yaha kya rahi ho?' asked Daya.

'Sir bas aapse milne aayi thi' said Shreya averting his eyes.

'Par tumhare paas toh gadi nahi thi na aaj? Toh itni raat ko aayi kaise?' asked Daya.

'Auto se aayi' she said.

'Kya? Par kya jaroorat thi ye sab karne ki? Itni raat ko auto se kyu aana tha tumhe? Mujhse to kal bureau me bhi mil sakti thi na tum? Aur Abhijeet hai na yaha mera khayal rakhne ke liye? Aur ab yaha se jaate waqt auto nahi mili to?' Daya asked in a loud voice.

Angry tears welled up her eyes. She was worried for him and instead of thanking her for coming to visit him, he was shouting at her.

'Daya itna gussa kyu ho rahe ho yaar? Wo tumse milne aayi hai aur tum chilla kyu rahe ho uspe?' said Abhijeet, voicing her thoughts.

'Sir agar aap ko mera yaha aana pasand nahi hai toh main chali jati hun yaha se' said Shreya curtly

'Maine aisa kab kaha? Tum ladkiya na hamesha galat matlab nikalte ho! Mujhe tumahri chinta ho rahi thi bas' said Daya angrily.

'Directly to kuch nahi kaha sir aapne. Par aapke kehne ka sirf yahi matlab ho sakta hai' retorted Shreya.

'Ab tum dono bas karo. Shreya andar aao' said Abhijeet shutting the door behind them.

Without another word to any of them Daya went inside his room.

'Shreya please uski baaton par dhyan mat do. Pata nahi itna gussa kyun ho raha hai wo.' said Abhijeet.

'Mujhe sab pata hai sir' said Shreya sadly.

'Chodo wo sab. Chalo andar baithte hai' said Abhijeet.

The three of them sat in his room in silence. Finally Abhijeet said, 'Shreya tum coffee logi? Main hum dono ke liye banane hi wala tha'

'Sir aap baithiye. Main banati hun coffee' said Shreya.

'Nahi. Tum baitho Daya ke saath. Main aata hoon' he said.

At the door Abhijeet signalled at Daya to talk to Shreya. Daya nodded softly.

'Shreya ek kaam karogi? Wo Daya haat pe choti si chot hai uspe jara band aid laga dena please' said Abhijeet.

'Jee sir' said Shreya. She grabbed the first aid kit from the drawer.

'Haath dikhayiye' she said.

Daya forwarded his hand. There was no hesitancy as she dabbed at his wound and applied a band aid strip on it. He watched her in silence.

After some time he spoke, 'Wo mere kehne ka matlab tumhe hurt karne ka nahi tha' said Daya.

'It's okay sir. Main aapse naraz nahi hun' said Shreya.

'Main bas pareshan ho gaya tha. Kuch jyada hi overreact kiya maine. Tumhare parents nahi hai na yaha?' he asked.

'Nahi wo Amhedabad gaye hai kuch dino ke liye. Par aap meri fikr kyun kar rahe hai sir? Main ek CID officer hun. Khud ko protect karna aata hai mujhe' said Shreya.

'Wo pata hai mujhe. Par iska matlab ye nahi ki tum raat ko akeli ghumo' said Daya angrily.

'Sir Main -' she began.

'-Coffee ready hai' said Abhijeet breaking off their heated conversation.

'Aap ekdam fit aur fine lag rahe hai sir' said Shreya.

'Haan. Kyu nahi lagunga? Abhijeet ne itna khayal jo rakha hai mera' said Daya.

'Meri taarif bohot ho gayi Daya. Jaldi se coffee pi le. Aur haan ye mat sochna ki meri taarif karne se tum bach jaogi. Medcines toh tumhe khani hi padegi' said Abhijeet laughing.

'Abhijeet yaar' said Daya making a face.

After coffee, Shreya said, 'Sir main chalti hoon. Good night. Apna khayal rakhna'

'Ab jaogi kaise?' asked Daya.

'Main chod dunga' said Abhijeet.

'Dekho ab bechare Abhijeet ko jaana padega tumhe chodne' said Daya.

'Sir ye kya laga rakha hai aapne? Maine kaha na aapse mere liye kisi ko aane ki koi jaroorat nahi hai! Maine manage kar lungi' she said angrily.

She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the room.

'Daya kya problem hai yaar teri?' asked Abhijeet.

'Problem meri nahi uski hai. Har baat pe gussa ho rahi hai' said Daya.

'Maine ghar tak chod deta hoon use. Hum kal milte hai. Aur haan wo dawai khane mat bhoolna' said Abhijeet.

'Boss meri taraf se use sorry bol dena. Aur haan use ghar chodne ke baad mujhe ek message kar lena please' said Daya.

'Haan tum fikr mat karo' said Abhijeet.

O-o-o-o

Later that night, Shreya couldn't go to sleep. Tears strolled down her cheeks. But they weren't due to sadness. They were hot, angry tears. He had hurt her so badly. How dare he? 'Nahi ab bohot ho gaya! Ab ye sab main aur nahi seh sakti. Ab mujhe ignore nahi kar sakte Daya sir! Mujhe unse baat karni hi hogi!' she decided wiping her tears.

O-o-o-o

The next day passed smoothly. Both Daya and Shreya continued acting as if nothing had happened. A case came up and it kept them busy the entire day. Shreya was unusually quiet. She had something on her mind. Late that evening, when everybody was leaving the bureau, Shreya approached Abhjeet's desk. 'Abhijeet sir mujhe aapse kuch jaroori baat karni hai.'

'Haan bolo' said Abhijeet.

'Nahi yaha nahi. Kya hum kahi aur jaa sakte hai?' she asked.

'Thik hai. Mere ghar chalega?' asked Abhijeet.

'Thik hai. Aur haan iske baare me kisi ko mat batana please.' She paused for a moment and then said, 'Daya sir ko bhi nahi'

O-o-o-o

Once they were alone in his house, Abhijeet asked 'Kya baat hai Shreya?'

'Sir aaj jo main aapse kehne wali hun uss baat aapko shayad bohot bura lagega. Par mere paas aur koi option nahi hai. Kyunki main ab ye bardaasht nahi kar sakti' she said.

'Saaf saaf batao baat kya hai?' said Abhijeet.

'Sir aapko pata hoga ki main Daya sir ko kitna pasand karti hoon. Par unhone apne dil ki baat aaj tak nahi batayi. Aur mujhe lagta hai ki kahi na kahi aap jimmedar hai in sab ke liye' she said.

'Kya? Kya bol rahi ho tum?' said Abhijeet looking shocked.

'Haan sir aap unke liye bohot important hai. Aap unke liye dost se bhi badhkar hai. Mujhe aapki dosti ke koi problem nahi hai. Aapko pata hai to aap Daya sir ke liye sabse bada weak point hai. Aur isi baat ka aap fayda utha rahe hai.' said Shreya.

'Tum kya soch rahi ho? Mujhe kuch pata nahi chal raha!' said Abhijeet.

'Sir I am sorry agar main bohot rudely baat kar rahi hu par mujhe lagta hai ki aap Daya sir ke shubhchintak banne ka sirf natak kar rahe hai. Asal me aap nahi chahte ki wo khush rahe...'

' - Shreya bakwaas band karo' said Abhijeet in outrage.

'Sir meri baat abhi tak khatam nahi hui. Please pehle meri baat sun lijiye' she said.

Abhijeet kept quiet but he the anger inside him had reached the boiling point.

How could she even dare to talk to him like that?

'Aisa kya kiya maine Shreya jisse Daya ko dukh pohocha hai?' asked Abhijeet.

'Aap directly toh kuch nahi karte sir. Lekin indirectly unhe emotional blackmail karte hai. Aapko shayad dar lagta hai ki agar koi ladki unki jindagi me aaye to apki friendship pe asar ho jayega Isliye aap nahi chahte ki unki zindagi me koi ladki ho. Ab kal ki hi baat dekhiye na sir. Sab Daya sir ki haalat itni kharab thi tab unhone aapka haath padka tha. Wo aapko rokna chahte the. Main thi waha uss waqt par unhone mujhe kuch nahi kaha. Aur uske baad aapne jaan bhujkar Purvi ko unke saath bithaya naa ki mujhe' said Shreya.

'Aisa kuch nahi hai! Maine jaan bhujkar kuch nahi kiya. Aur Daya tumse aise behave karta hai uska dosh tum mujhe kyun de rahi ho?' demanded Abhijeet.

'Kyuki sirf aap jimmedar hai iske liye!' Shreya yelled.

'Shut up! Main aur kuch nahi sunna chahta! Chali jao yaha se isi waqt!' said Abhijeet.

'Nahi sir main aaj nahi jaanewali. Aapko yaad hoga na sir jab meri galati ki wajah se ek mujrim ki maut ho gayi thi aur tab Daya sir ne meri side li thi. (Episode CID Giraftar IV) Tab kya kaha tha aapne? Ki agar meri jagah koi aur hota toh kya Daya sir unhe bhi maaf kar lete jaise unhone mujhe kiya tha?' she said.

'Haan toh? Uska kya?' he asked.

'Kyu kaha aapne aisa? Kyunki Daya sir ne mujhe itni aasani se maaf kar diya ye aapko pasand nahi aaya. Unki life me mai bhi utni hi important hu jitne ki aap ye aapko accha nahi laga' she said.

'Kisne kaha ye sab tumse? Kaha ki baat tum kaha le jaa rahi ho?' said Abhijeet.

'Main sach keh rahi hun sir. Aapko Purbi toh yaad hogi na?' she asked.

'Purbi? Haan' said Abhijeet wondering what was coming next.

'Aap agar bhul gaye ho toh main aapko yaad dila doon ki Purbi aur Daya sir ka rishta bhi aap ke wajah se hi toota tha. Usne aap ke upar shak kiya tha aur Daya sir ne unka rishta tod diya tha.' said Shreya.

'Ek minute! Daya ne ye decision khud liya tha. Maine bohot samjhaya tha use par usne nahi mana' said Abhijeet.

'Sir aapne Purbi se kaha tha ki aap Daya sir ko uske paas wapas lekar aayenge. Toh batayiye sir aaj wo dono saath kyun nahi hai? Kyunki aapne kabhi try kiya hi nahi un dono ko kareeb lane ka' said Shreya.

'Ye tumhe kaise pata? Kya tum jaanti ho Purbi ko?' he asked.

'Wo sab important nahi hai sir' said Shreya softly.

'Shreya aisa kuch nahi hai. Maine koshish ki thi un dono ko saath lane ki. Par nahi ho paya. Main Daya ke liye sirf accha hi chahta hoon' said Abhijeet.

'Sir mujhe bohot afsos hota hai. Main Daya sir ko bata bhi nahi sakti ki unka sabse bada enemy unka dost hai' said Shreya.

'Shreya tum batao main kya karu jisse tumhe yakeen ho jaye ki main Daya ka dushman nahi hun?' asked Abhijeet.

Shreya smiled.

'Sir Transfer le lijiye CID Mumbai se' she said.

'Kya?' asked Abhijeet surprised.

'Sirf jaane ki kalpana se aap itna dar gaye? Pata hai mujhe aap aisa kabhi nahi karenge! Aap ke liye toh sab aasan ho gaya ab toh. Jab ye sab Daya sir ko pata chalega tab wo me mera muh bhi nahi dekhenge. Aur aap phir ek baar jeet jayenge. Par ek baat main aapko bata dun... Mujhe Daya sir se alag hone ka dukh jaroor hoga par aapka asli chehra maine pehchan liya iski khusi sabse jyada hogi. Main umeed karungi ki Daya sir ko apka ye asli chehra jald se jald pata chal jaye' she said.

'Shreya enough! Bohot sun liya maine. Get out! Aur ainda mujhse aisi baat karne ki himmat mat karna varna anjaam bohot bura hoga' said Abhijeet heatedly.

'Jee sir. Jaa rahi hu main' said Shreya with a satisfied smile.