Author's Note -
Based on early era of CID... Have read some really amazing stories here on FF based on that era. And i couldn't help writing this one. Go ahead and read...
*Set in 1998 - 99 era, Beauro*
It was late at night and everyone was busy in their work... Better say busy in wrapping up the work for today by doing the last remaining bits before leaving the beauro. ACP sir was busy on a phone call in his cabin... While the other officers seemed to be impatient to go back home after having a long and tiring day. But there were two officers who weren't interested in packing up... One was screwed to his computer screen while the other was busy fidgeting with the pen in his hand. His forehead clearly showing lines of worry. While Abhijeet was still busy in work, Daya was looking at him unsure about something... Abhijeet noticed his gaze upon himself but ignored it, now concentrating on the file in front of him. But when after a while Daya didn't look away Abhijeet turned towards him with a 'What' expression? Daya looked a bit startled and in an attempt to cover up he started looking here and there and in the same his pen fell down from his hand. Abhijeet nodded in a no and again got engrossed in his file. While Daya after getting settled again started looking at the open file in front him. Although he wasn't reading anything but he pretended as if it was the most important thing of the world.
About after 15 minutes ACP sir came out of his cabin after disconnecting the call. He looked at the empty beauro and then at Abhijeet and Daya who were still working. He went near Abhijeet and said...
ACP - Kab tak kaam karne ka irada hai Abhijeet? Already 11 baj chuke hai. Chalo ab ghar jao tum! Baki kaam kal kar lena...
Abhijeet - Sir bas thodi der aur... Yeh abhi ho hojayega. Iske baad chala jauga mai...
ACP - Tumhara 'abhi' ek ghante se pehle toh aane nahi wala (he said with a dejected smile and then moved towards Daya who was still busy staring the file) Daya tum kabtak nikloge?
Daya - Sir abhi thodi der mai...
ACP - Abhijeet ke saath jaoge? As always? Kal subah jaldi aana hai tumhe phir bhi late tak ruke hue ho!
Daya - Nahi sir... Mai chala jauga na
ACP - Acha theek hai mai bhi wait karta hu phir... Tumhare saath hi jauga!
Daya - Nahi nahi sir! App please jayiye... Woh Abhijeet sir abhi thodi na niklege (he said in a rush and soon after realising what he said he looked down embrassed)
ACP - Tum dono ka kuch nahi ho sakta! Manne toh wale ho nahi tum... Ruko uske saath!
Saying this he took some steps ahead to leave and then came back again towards Daya's desk and said in a serious tone but very softly...
ACP - Agar Abhijeet ne tumhe ulti file padte dekh liya na toh phir mai bhi tumhe uske gusse se nahi bacha pauga!
Daya looked at the file in shock and realized that it was indeed kept upside down and he was pretending to read this from so long! He turned red embrassed and then turned the file in the right way while ACP sir left silently with a bright smile on his face. He was the only one who knew that he was witnessing building of a great bond... The bond which will one day inspire people around...
The time passed at its own pace... Soon the clock struck 12:30 and at the same moment Abhijeet shut down the computer... Hearing the sound Daya rose from his place... Ready to leave as Abhijeet was gathering his things. Abhijeet looked at him but without saying anything started walking towards the exit as he didn't like Daya waiting for him everyday but this stubborn man won't listen. Soon they hurried down the stairs without actually saying anything to each other... Daya's bike was in service center and Abhijeet's car was in the garage as while chasing a criminal it was wreaked and needed repairing. It was past midnight and there was no chance of getting any cab or rickshaw now... Meaning, they had to walk home tonight.
A sweet punishment it was. Today was a chilly night... It had been raining an hour ago and now with all the humidity around the temperature had fallen considerably. Putting his hands in pocket Daya was walking besides Abhijeet. A stony silence prevailed between them. They had no topic to talk about. It was a deserted road and there was no one to be seen at this time. Except for the noise of some crickets and frogs nothing could be heard. For some it was a scary environment and for some it was beautiful... Walking under the blanket of twinkling stars and some silver lined clouds... Under the moonlight illuminating your path ahead... In the pleasently cold climate... With sweet scent of wet soil filling your nostrils. Could this walk get any better? For duo no!
Daya was still a bit nervous about something. He wanted to say something to Abhijeet but he couldn't gather courage. He brushed aside this thought for a moment and started thinking about a way to start a conversation... He knew Abhijeet would not be starting with anything from his side and it had to be him to start talking. He thought for a moment in search a good topic but he didn't find any. Just as when he was going to give in he thought 'What's a better topic than work, to talk to a workaholic man!'... So Daya started talking about today's case...
Daya - Sir... Kitni buri tarah se mara tha na uss Rohan ko!
Abhijeet - Hmm woh bhi sirf paiso ke liye... Kaise koi iss had tak gir sakta hai yaar!
Daya - Ha na... Dost tha woh Rohan ka. Dosti tak ki kadar nahi ki uss Vijay ne! Bas business hatiyane ke liye apne bachpan ke dost ka khoon kar diya!
Abhijeet - Iss duniya mai kisi ko kisi ki dosti ki parwa nahi hoti. Bas fayede ke liye dosti ki jati hai. Bas jisse apna kaam nikalta ho woh dost... Aur jaise hi apna matlab katham dosti katham
Daya - Sir aisa nahi hai. Ha kuch log hote hai aise lekin sab aise nahi hote sir... Ajj bhi sachi dosti exist karti hai
Abhijeet - Karti hai na! Sirf khaniyo mai. Reality mai nahi. Jis zamane mai log apne bhai, apne pariwar ka khoon kar dete hai, kya koi kisi se dosti nibhayega!
Daya - Sir aisa nahi hai! Dosti iss duniya ka sabse khubsurat rishta hota hai. Kyuki wahi ek rishta hota hai jo hum kudh chunte hai. Jo koi dharam, jaat, paisa nahi dekhta... Sir yehi toh ek rishta hai jisme koi expectation koi ummed nahi hoti... Bas bina kahe ek dusre ki baat samjh lena hi toh dosti hai... Kisi ki galtiya, kamzoriya jante hue bhi uske saath zindagi bita dena hi toh dosti hai sir...
Abhijeet - Aur tumhe lagta hai ki bina kisi expectation ke koi rishta chal sakta hai? Bachcho jaisi bate kar rahe ho tum... Dosti sirf ek illusion hai, reality nahi!
Daya - Aise toh har rishta ek illusion hai sir... Jise mil jaye usse uski kadar nahi aur jise na mile uske paas kuch bhi nahi (he said lost in his own world)... Sir illusion iss zindagi ko chalte hai sir. Rishte, dosti ki kimat usse puchiye sir jiske paas woh hai hi nahi...
Abhijeet - Bhai iss illusion mai mujhe rehne ka koi shok nahi hai! Mai apni asliyat se kush hu! Mujhe aise kisi khubsurat khwab mai nahi rehna jo agar tut jaye toh insan hi bikhar jata hai...
Daya couldn't believe what he heard... He didn't believe in friendship, in relations... He believed in nothing! A tear formed in his eye but denied to fall down in front of Abhijeet. No! He won't accept it! His forwarded hand of friendship won't be held by him... He didn't believe in it... He didn't believe in him! He stopped walking and said slowly...
Daya - Sir apka dosti par thoda bhi vishwas nahi hai? (He asked with slightest ray of hope in his eyes)
Abhijeet felt something different in this question. It wasn't normal... He stopped walking in his path and turned to face Daya. Daya's face expressed a way too many feelings... Abhijeet could figure out none. The moonlight was not providing enough light for Abhijeet to see his teary eyes. Abhijeet turned back again towards the path and started walking. Saying it as he casually... He didn't know it wasn't casual for Daya...
Abhijeet - Nahi. Bilkul bhi nahi!
Daya's eyelids couldn't hold back the tear anymore and it fell straight on the ground... Into the small puddle of water on the road. Wiping off his eyes Daya started walking again... With increased pace this time.
Again a silence prevailed between them. A deafening silence which not even Daya tried to break this time. Suddenly Abhijeet's phone rang. It was a call from local police station to inform him that some man they told to trace had escaped them. Abhijeet started instructing them about what to do next. While Daya started walking some other way in his own trance. Abhijeet didn't notice him and Daya didn't seem to care about his antics. He crossed the road and went to the corner of the opposite side. There was one poor vendor sleeping besides his 'thaila'. He was in deep sleep and didn't seem to notice Daya's presence. Daya removed something from his pocket and kept it near the vendor... And left silently and stood near Abhijeet waiting for him to finish his phone call. But he didn't know that Abhijeet had actually noticed his actions. But he kept silent and continued to talk on phone. As soon as he was done talking they started walking again and reached Daya's house in no time. Daya bid Abhijeet a silent goodbye which was no way him! Abhijeet wondered how this irritating chatter box suddenly turned silent. There was no instruction for him today! Like to take his medicines, not skip dinner etc. There hardly were any days when Daya didn't tell him these things. He would often come to his house to only make sure he didn't skip his medicines and if it wasn't possible he atleast made a phone call. But today!? Even after having a long walk together, such a big conservation Daya didn't tell him anything! This was weird! Really really weird... Soon Abhijeet found himself walking back in the direction of beauro. Why? To only check what Daya put besides that vendor! He wondered why did he even care! It was Daya's choice! Let him do whatever he wishes to! But then he couldn't convince himself to not go there and check... In about 5 minutes he was there and slowly he picked up the thing Daya had kept. It was something wrapped up in a note, tied with a thread. He untied the thread and opened the note to reveal a beautiful shining gold bracelet kept in it. Even in insufficient moonlight it was shining in all its glory. Abhijeet started reading the note...
Dear Abhijeet sir,
Sir kya app mujhse dosti karenge?
Pleaseeeeeeeeeee?
Your's sincerely,
Daya
A small smile broke on Abhijeet's face. This boy was so silly! He couldn't ask him if he would be his friend! And so wrote a note for this basic thing. After asking him to be his friend he wrote 'Your's sincerely'! Who writes please as 'pleaseeeeeeeeeee' in a letter! "Daya does" Abhijeet said! But this was really cute Abhijeet's heart whispered. Abhijeet now understood why Daya was nervous near him the whole day.
Abhijeet (to himself) - Yeh ladka bhi na! Pura pagal hai... Lekin pyara bhi bohot hai (he added with a smile). Aur mujhe dekho! Bichare ko ajj hi keh diya ki mujhe friendship mai vishwas nahi hai. Isiliye itna sad ho gaya tha woh. Bracelet diya bhi nahi mujhe! Yaha chod ke chala gaya!
Abhijeet kept back the gold bracelet near the poor vendor. Daya had already given that to him and he couldn't take this now. But yes he took away with himself the note and the thread... The red little thread that now was a token of friendship from this 'pagal ladka' of his! He tied it on his wrist. His own version of bracelet... The red little thread was now his companion for life... He never removed it! People thought it was sacred, from some puja... But only he knew it was sacred, from his first friend he remembered!
*Next morning*
Abhijeet was wearing a full sleeve shirt and so Daya couldn't see that thread tied on his wrist. It was lunch time and the team was in cafeteria for lunch now. Daya was sitting on a corner table away from the team. A tinge of sadness still visible on his face. He was looking out of the window when Abhijeet came near him. He had now folded the sleeves of his shirt making the thread visible. Keeping his hands on the table he leaned over it. Daya now looked at him... He was a little scared looking at Abhijeet's serious expressions. Suddenly the thread caught his eye and gaze was fixed on it. He wondered if it was the same thread he used to tie the note... When Abhijeet spoke with the same serious expressions...
Abhijeet - Wahi thread hai yeh! Ab mai kya kar sakta hu... Mera bracelet toh kisi ne uss vendor ko de diya! Mujhe toh iss thread se hi kaam chalana padega na ab!
Author's Note -
Maarna mat iske liye... Mai toh waise bhi bhaag rahi hu na. Lekin baki sab review karke hi jana. Byeeeeeeeeeeeee