He could see the same pain, the same anxiety, the same love in his eyes now.
"kuch nahi hoga Tarika ko," the doctor continued with his brain full of questions.
Abhijeet nodded, his eyes betraying him. Tear drops fell rolled down his cheeks one after the other in quick succession. It was rare to see him cry.
She was holding on to him so tight… but he let her go. She was still hoping for a happy ending… but he was helpless.
Only if he knew that she was in danger, only if he could go back in time…
"acha Abhijeet ye batao ki Tarika ne tumhe exactly kya bola tha?"
"sir wo – "
"arrey bhaisahab – "
"kya hai bhaisahab?"
"hain?"
"matlb d-do-doctor shabab?"
"that's better…"
"j..ji"
His smile was wry. He missed the glare his beloved Tarika would give him if only she were there.
He missed the playful smile on her face when he obeyed her and apologized to the doctor.
"aap hi toh Tarika ji ko kehtein hain ki mein Buddha hone laga hu – ab iss buddhe doctor ko ek ek line thodi na yaad rehne waali hai…toh tum ek kaam karo, wo lines zara mere phone pe feed kardo."
As quick as his fingers could move, he typed the necessary details on his phone and gave it to Dr. Salunkhe.
tum mujhe bhul jaana… mein kal se lab nahi aaungi – jald hi resignation bhi de dungi…humara saath –
The old doctor stared at his phone for a while with his nose wrinkled.
"pata chal gaya…pata chal gaya – yess."
"toh doctor sahab batayiye na."
"arrey yaar batata hu batata hu…"
"ji…"
"ye bhi pata chal gaya ki date kyu galat hai…"
"toh mujhe bhi – "
"arrey yaar patience yaar."
"s-sorry."
"hmm…toh ye batao ki Tarika ne tumse kitni cheezein maangi?"
"doh"
"aur doh hi kyu maangi?"
"kya matlab?"
"matlab 10 bhi toh maang sakti thi…chaar bhi maang sakti thi..doh hi kyu maangi?"
"ab….ye…ye mein kaise bata sakta hu?"
"nahi pata na?"
"n-"
"nahi pata na? nahi pata na?"
"nahi."
"par mujhe pata hai."
"haan toh batayiye…kyun?"
"kyunki it is a code – forensic doctors ko sikhaya jaata hai ye technique. We have to take the 2nd word of every sentence she said to you."
"tum mujhe kal hi saath"
"exactly!"
"aur date ke hisaab se kal matlab parso."
"bilkul….kal 7 baje wo milegi – but subah ya sham…bas ye nahi pata chal raha."
"sir subah," abhijeet added after thinking for a while.
"kaise? Kaise pata chala?"
"sir usne last mein," his voice choked, "last mein 'I am sorry' kaha tha…toh am se A.M…"
"7 am."
"par wo milegi kaha?"
"wo toh pollen grains hi batayenge."
"toh jaldi kuch kijiye na doctor sahab."
"mein directly lab jaata hu – tum ghar jaake araam karo."
"sir mein bhi lab –"
"bache tum khud araam nahi karoge toh uski madat kaise karoge? Jaao ab ghar jaao."
"ji sir," he agreed.
IN ABHIJEET'S HOUSE:
He glanced at his phone after what seemed an endless battle to sleep.
5.30 am
"a few more hours," he thought. Then he could go to the bureau.
He remembered another 5.30 am morning. The team had just solved a sensitive case and they were taking an early morning snack break before doing the file work. Everyone was there – the Cops, the forensics.
"chal Salunkhe," ACP sahab said as soon as he finished talking on the phone, "DCP yaad kar raha hai."
"arrey yaar…chein se khaane bhi nahi deta."
"khaana mein pack karwake tere ghar bhijwa dunga – abhi tu chal."
"haan bas pakode toh khatam karne do yaar," he forced an entire piece into his mouth.
"ho gaya?"
"hmm hmm," he mumbled with his mouth full.
"chal ab."
"Yaar Daya suno," Abhijeet spoke rather abruptly, "zara bureau chalna – kuch kaam hai."
"arrey par Tarika ji toh abhi bhi yaha hain."
"arrey bhai chal na yaar – urgent hai."
"chalo phir."
Tarika was rather bewildered by the entire act and was trying to figure out what happened when she heard uncontrolled giggling.
She turned to find pankaj, purvi and freddy staring into her phone.
Snatching her phone from them, she found the most unexpected thing:
Forgive these eyes that try to steal a glance,
They are just two victims of unparalleled beauty.
Forgive this heart that wants to steal a few moments,
It is just a victim of oxytocin.
Forgive these lips that want to steal a kiss –
It is just a victim of pleasant memories.
Blushing scarlet, Tarika made up an excuse and awkwardly made her way to the lab.
Who the hell had unlocked her phone?
Only one person knew her password besides herself.
ABHIJEET!
Huh? So he was taking revenge for her teasing that day – about the shayri? Damn… she didn't see this one coming.
She read the message again in disbelief – sure it was embarrassing but it was beautiful too. She didn't know that he could write like this. She read it once again...smiled at "unparalleled beauty", laughed at "oxytocin" and blushed throughout the last two lines.
Little did she know that he was watching her and enjoying it all.
Her phone beeped with another message as doctor Salunkhe entered the lab.
Revenge tastes delicious but you know what tastes better?
She imagined that smirk on his face and smiled to herself.
"oxytocin," she muttered.
"kuch bola tumne?" dr. salunkhe asked.
"n..n-nahi sir."
"Tarika ek minute apna phone dena – mujhe zara Pradyuman ko phone lagana hai."
"ji sir," she handed him the phone.
At the exact worst time, it beeped again.
Yet another message.
"ye Abhijeet ne kaisa message bheja hai?"
Her heart skipped a beat in apprehension as she peeped into her phone.
YOU
Thank goodness.
It was you. Just you.
She put it together and blushed harder…
Revenge tastes delicious but you know what tastes better?
YOU
"p…pata nahi sir…"
"abhi toh lab ke bahar khada tha – ussi se puchta hu."
He called Abhijeet inside the lab.
"Bhaisahab ye 'you' text karne ka kya matlab hai?"
"ab Salunkhe sahab," he smirked at Tarika, "jinhe samajhna tha wo toh samajh gayein."
"kya matlab?"
"matlab sir galati se ho gaya…."
"arrey aise kaise ho gaya?"
"aap bhi til ka taad bana rahein hain"
"acha toh mein til ka- "
"sir," Tarika intervened, "jaane dijiye na..ho gaya hoga galti se."
And the matter was laid to rest.
So guys there you go – an update. How was it? Do leave reviews