Thanks allot everyone for reading and reviewing the last chapter.

I am sorry for the late update, but my schedule has been erratic this week.

About chapter, this one marks the end of a phase and beginning of another phase guys so all the doubts and confusions you have still remaining. Just mention them.

Enjoy reading guys.

Eleventh Chapter : long awaited...or not?

He was going to sacrifice his own friendship to save Abhijeet his.

Abhijeet couldn't really hear any words but he could clearly see it in Acp sir's eyes when the man looked back towards him and Daya and freddy before getting back to whispering that last reply to his buddy. Abhijeet felt his heart constricting with the sheer grip of his guilt and remorse at the sight of Salunkhe sir's fixed pained gaze on ACP sir and then the trembling of his hands in Acp sir's grip as he turned his face down. The next smile and short laugh made Abhijeet close his own eyes briefly.

Salunkhe sir gave a short brief laugh once again, filling the already tensed environment inside the four claustrophobic walls of bureau with more scare and pain.

Abhijeet finally heard something, the voice pained and concerned but determined...Abhijeet could feel that determination flickering with the increasing concern and scare and he would really like it to extinguish for once. And he was not being selfish. Opposite may be.

" Salunkhe..."

The man pushed his buddy back, this time with a warning of no return in that push which Acp sir grasped but didn't intend to obey. It was those words really which made Acp sir's stance back off that little step...

" nahi pradyuman...please...(mockingly imitating his buddy) tu samajh...humare haath mein...(chuckling in same weary tone now unavoidable in his words) humare ya sirf...(focusing his intense and red gaze on Abhijeet now) tumare haath mein nahi, pradyuman? haan..."

Abhijeet saw Daya strengthening defensively beside him and when wanted to say something to calm his buddy, realized he really had no words other than two now. So he heard quietly as Daya protested on Salunkhe sir's pointed accusation... " sir aap please har baat par Abhijeet ko doshi nahi theh rah sakte..woh kuch keh nahi raha toh aap..."

The mocking tone, still having that tinge of anger and weariness but now gaining strength again as suddenly realized that there was something that could be done still. That could still allow him to salvage his friendship later if he so wanted, that gave him the little loophole to afterall forgive his buddy some time later.

" OHO...Kuch keh nahi raha...(angrily) bahot meherbaani kar raha haina kuch na kehke? Ya sirf apne khud ke boye huye beejon (seeds) ko seenchta dekh raha hai...(towards his buddy) kyun pradyuman? tum dono... ya sirf Isska faisla hai yeh? (softly) khair tumse toh abh kya hi kuch poochna..."

Acp sir tried again, this time more forcefully, trying to end it here, at this point where the topic not escalated any further and to a point he did not wish it would... " Salunkhe maine kaha na...

His buddy interrupted him, calmly and with his tone strongest than it had been ever before, he asked politely though... " Abh ABHIJEET khud batayega ki sach kya hai...woh khud batayega ki woh natak kar raha hai ya phir nahi...(softly, either everyone present there at that time knew what that tone entailed, what the answer would mean for everyone from there on) Batao ABHIJEET...main janna chahta hun...tumhare ACP per abh mujhe bharosa nahi raha...ya kaho woh jiss liye tumhe bachana chah raha hai uss per..."

And Acp sir closed his eyes as he can't go any further from here.

Abhijeet realized that Salunkhe sir was deliberately (even though unknowing of the far reaching consequences of it) leaving a fate in his hands now. The fate of Acp sir's and his friendship, the fate of Daya's and his own friendship too and the fate of this case and all of their future and he realized he wasn't ready.

He wasn't ready to either save his family and run again. He wasn't ready to leave them and save them. He wasn't ready to lie and he wasn't ready to face the truth.

So he stood there and said nothing.

Daya moved out of the hospital room feeling his cheeks turned red after seeing ACP sir standing outside the room with a smile on his face though his eyes looking as tired as they always did since Abhijeet was kidnapped, he downed his head and heard a teasing tone from his senior as...

" kya baat hai DAYA...Abhijeet ko daant diya aaj toh tumne...(praising as well as teasing) itni himmat toh bhae abh tak mujhme bhi nahi..."

Daya turned his head down as a small smile appeared on his face enjoyed by Acp sir allot and said in low tone... " kya sir aap bhi...(smilingly) abhijeet sir abhi bhi aapki har baat waise hi maan jate hain aur nahi aapke saamne awaz uthate hain jyada...(complaining tone) mujhe toh daantte hi rehte hain bas..."

Acp sir laughed hearing the complaining tone of his young officer feeling the care behind it, he glanced inside Abhijeet's room and after seeing his closed eyes said softly..." lagta hai so gaya hai Abhijeet...main shaam ko hi millunga abh isse..."

Daya too glanced inside and nodded his head while now both started moving away from room towards exit and he informed worriedly... " haan sar mein dard tha inke shayad...(sadly) maine kaha bhi sir ki doctor ko bula deta hun magar sir chidh gaye..."

Acp sir smiled again while daya continued in same irritation... " halanki sahi hai...woh doctor bhi najane kaisa hai...sir ke saamne hi aise aise faces banate haiki bas..." he realised his irritation and talking going much so apologised hurriedly to his senior as... " sorry sir main...

Acp sir shaking his head and dispersed the apology while saying in soft tone... " main doctor se hi mila abhi...unka kehna hai yeh headaches normal hain kyunki Abhijeet apne brain ko jyada use karne ki koshish kar raha hai...pressure de raha haiki kuch yaad aajaye...aur waise bhi usski medical history mein frequent headaches ka zikr hai...". Daya took a sigh and nodded. He had known that his senior suffered very frequent headaches and especially during tough cases as he tended to completely forget himself and get involved in a mystery, a puzzle. He doubted if his senior really lost his memory forever he would ever be able to forgive himself or forget the man he had come to learn so much from even from the few months of working together.

And that reminded him of something.

Daya asked bit hesitantly to Acp sir as both buckled themselves once inside the vehicle... " Sir main aapse kuch poochna chah raha tha...(Acp sir looked towards him in question so he continued hesitantly) sir woh...aaj abhijeet sir unnki family ke baare mein pooch rahe the...(Daya felt Acp sir body language becoming stiffened and he wondered why? but yet continued in shameful tone now) magar sir mujhe unnki family ke baare mein kuch bhi maloom nahi tha...(explaining) aapne kaha tha ki aap dekhlenge toh main...

Acp sir nodded his understanding and when he was contemplating to tell daya at least few things his phone started ringing and after checking the caller ID he whispered towards Daya with a perfected fake sigh although he really felt anxious about the call... " DCP..."

He talked for a few minutes replying only for short stretches and hearing more while Daya concentrated on driving and checking up on Acp sir expressions and words to catch the seriousness of the matter. Acp sir said OK and cutting the call said to Daya hurriedly...

" Daya mujhe bas yahin utar do..."

Daya confusingly followed his senior's orders as feeling the hurry and anxiousness in his tone, he asked as he brought the vehicle to a halt.. " sir sabh kuch theek haina?". Acp sir nodded and got down the car while telling Daya to head to bureau and take care of cases along with others and informing them about his arriving later. Daya nodded still feeling tensed on Acp sir hurry but this time asked nothing. He slowly started the car wondering what all that had been about.

...

...

Same voices, screams, shouts, scenes...yes scenes, cut and clear faces and fading visions of someone very dear to him and this time he could recognize and understand everything with a certain clarity he wouldn't even have liked to have. He opened his eyes similarly with a jerk but this time he did not heave his body up as this time around, a different weight settled itself on his chest producing a hot searing pain in his heart as if someone had pierced it with a hot knife. He knew he had himself been that someone and the pain along with the memories of that moment brought painful tears in his eyes. He looked around himself knowing where he was and why but that did not lessen the pain instead just reminded him of his own failure.

He shouldn't be here, he didn't deserve it, no...it should have been...it should have been his...father.

He took in his surroundings as the tears kept falling down from his eyes wetting his cheeks, he wiped them harshly from his face closing his eyes tightly as more tears escaped from behind the covers, and he just knew, that till now it had been visions and probable hallucinations or dreams that had been plaguing him and his sleep and now it would be his own actions, his own guilt that would lead to those restless sleepless nights he didn't deserve anyway. He didn't deserve seeing the next day arising with bright rays of sun...he didn't deserve any of this.

Not seeing anyone around he got up from his bed and after removing the few attached devices from his body like the heart monitor which he also had to switch having experience of it shrieking loudly when it found no beats to detect, he stepped down and headed out the door, it was dark outside due to night time but he knew he needed some fresh air and night light to regain his composure now, he wished that it would have been better after all, if he would have had the pleasure of not remembering this for his whole life.

He moved out of the hospital and in the small park attached quite easily due to the silence in the hospital and the less night staff apparently. He strolled for few minutes, staring at the grass as few salty drops slipped down his eyes to replenish the moisture in it. In his life, he had never learned to cry, to be weak, it was considered a crime even to cry or to show weakness, but he couldn't help but feel that weakness sink in his heart and body now. He didn't knew how he should react when he was the only one remaining to answer questions of their department, to answer what happened to others? He wasn't sure he had enough strength to face all those tears, those sad crying broken faces, that pain. He closed his eyes tightly and stood there itself for few moments. He was also not sure whether he wanted to reveal anything. He was not sure he wanted anybody else to have a part in this pain, to share this pain with him. He didn't knew whether he wanted this or not, whether he had wanted his memories back or not? He sighed, too preoccupied with himself to gather two men standing behind him keeping watch having already informed their senior about this little anomaly.

He was feeling weak now, apparently the sedative he had been administered with earlier hasn't worn off completely yet, he found a bench almost at the end of the park and went their with wobbly legs to sit down. He took a deep breath and glanced around after taking a seat on the uncomfortable hard bench, yet it was a small comfort only, his eyes having a lost expression in them. He would not want those criminals to escape but he was worried he would reveal the information to someone who WOULD make sure exactly that and that's why, he still was confused whether he should reveal he had regained his memory or not? He trusted ACP sir but he didn't want to risk him or himself now by placing a call at this hour of night which would ensure his enemies that he had something to tell, to reveal after all. He was sure they were keeping a watch on him and already knew about his bout with amnesia. He wondered again about the bliss of having to forget everything and anything about this case, these few days or months, the less anyone knew about these days, the better.

Taking a deep breath yet again to get his lungs filled with fresh air and relaxing his back against the bench, his eyes closed momentarily. No tears, no weakness, no crying, no guilt, no memory loss, no drugs, no alcohol and he was not supposed to feel crappy about the one death in his life that mattered all to him. There was no denying that he would get those criminals punished for what they have done and had been doing all their lives, but he was also not dire to add more people to this, the more the people got involved the more their families, their loved ones did and the more threat the whole ordeal would become to everyone associated.

He won't let that happen again. He was lucky that they had somehow foregone Daya being someone important in his life and had left him out of this, otherwise he is sure he wouldn't have been able to save him. He'll make sure nobody gets involved in this mess further, he'll make sure if he could that HE himself could move out of these peoples life so as to prevent any harm to them.

When he and his colleagues had entered in this mess they hadn't been aware how much of a mess, a death race it was. But now he is aware and he is not going to start this game all over again if it's upon him. If he has to hold the information he has over his department's head to prevent this from going further he will.

Acp sir, Daya, Freddy, Sudhakar, Asha...so many members of HIS team. He won't let them get involved. It's a mess created due to foolishness and naviety of himself and few of his other colleagues and his...his father and he won't let this harm anybody else. This has to end now, here and now even if he has to die for this to happen he WOULD happily give his life. He owes his father at least that much anyway.

In his little world of thoughts and plans and guilt he didn't notice the figure approaching him and when somebody shone light in his eyes suddenly, he recoiled in shock as a small memory barraging against the barriers of his head told him that this was not something good. He looked up hiding his eyes behind his arm while the person using that light as a torture device by any standards realized his mistake and moved it a little away while saying in low tones as if approaching a wild animal.

"sir...aap yahan kya kar rahein hain? I am sorry sir but patients ko iss samaye room se bahar nikalna allowed nahi hai..."

Abhijeet looked up now seeing clearly and recognized the figure as one of the help person's. He looks at the person carefully and silently observing him as feeling he has seen this person earlier somehow. He scans his profile and adding it to the " to be considered" compartments in his brain, says in a apologetic tone while his low voice playing the part of sadness and helplessness he wanted to play...

" i am sorry...main bas...main bas bahot...

The ward boy nodded softly obviously pretending to understand the emotion stepped forward either again stepping back after feeling Abhijeet jerk back from him, he said softly after contemplating the move carefully...

" sir please hume abhi ander chalna hoga...nurse rounds lengi abhi phir problem ho sakti hai...please sir..."

Abhijeet nodded and stood up cursing himself over the slight flinch earlier. You have to be careful Abhijeet not this dumb little bird getting afraid of orderlies. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked in front of the orderly completely ignoring the other person's effort to provide support to him. He realized soon though that if he wasn't well enough, and he was not sure whether he'll be revealing of his returned memory to anyone anytime soon or not, he wouldn't be very well accustomed to hospital corridors right away. So he stopped a little ahead, exuding a small amount of embarrassment and allowed the orderly to grip his arm ( suppressing the feeling of flipping him over and punching him after feeling the calluses in that palm which shouldn't be there in any regular orderlies.).

They reached his room in under a minute and he was settled in his bed yet again in another few minutes. As he drank his water he observed the orderly and realized the man really only scribbling most probably nonsense over his medical chart. He jerked his head and finished his water and laid down comfortably. The orderly after completing a few more basic tests and checking machines left after telling him about the call button.

Abhijeet only nodded pretending to be in sleep already. He could however feel someone's presence around him, watching him, but he wasn't sure whether the presence was here to harm him or just to report back about his condition so he stayed silent and relaxed while pretending to be in sleep or partially in sleep at least. It had the advantage of keeping anyone willing to harm him a little unsure all the time, While he thought about his next step.

He was sure that ACP sir also must have had someone to keep watch on him and that person must have reported back too. But it could be advantageous to him because ACP sir would play this perfectly in a manner where no one else would suspect anything and they would be able to communicate but at the same time, he was too anxious to share anything even with ACP sir, and not because of trust but because he was worried. He couldn't help the sigh that escaped him so he simply turned a little changing his lying posture.

He didn't really know how he moved ahead of this. He could either leave everything and embark on his mission to make those men pay, but at the same time it would also put anyone close to him even minutely, at a danger that he didn't like and if he didn't do that...he wasn't sure of his position at this point.

He calmed his breathing more, he'll have to see what to do next come morning now. Right now even his brain was feeling too tired to think anymore so he silently adjusted himself and attempted to go to sleep.

how was it guys?

Do review to let me know.

Now next update would be next week only. Sorry for that but I have a major test coming this week.

Have fun guys.

Take care.

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