Chapter : 20

Tum Agaye Ho , Noor Agaya Hai

Abhijeet's house...At 11.00 p. m.

Phone conversation between Abhijeet and Tarika...

Abhijeet : " Kaisi ho jaan ? Kaal iss waqt tum meri kitni kareeb thi, aur aaj kitne dur ho . Kuchh accha nehi lagraha hai ."

Tarika : " Mujhe bhi . Mujhe tumse aur dur nehi rehna, ABHI. Kuchh dino ke baad mujhe 2 mahine ke liye Delhi jaana parega for training to join CID. Laut tehi humari shaadi ho jayegi , aur mai hamesha ke liye tumhare paas reh sakungi ."

Abhijeet : " Mujhse to sabar hi nehi ho raha. Ye Pandit ji ne shaadi ka date 3 mahine baad ka rakhke bohot Na- insaafi kiya hai mere saath. Tarika , tumne Daya se kya kaha hai ? Bechara muh latkaye ghum raha hai. Mujhse keh rahatha ke mujhe tumhare saath kuchh waqt bitana chahiye , humesha cases ke bareme na sochke , tumhari bareme bhi sochna chahiye ."

Tarika bursted out laughing...

Tarika : " Tum iss bareme maat socho. Maine kaal phone pe firse uski taang khichi . Wo abhi tak ye sochke pagal ho raha hai ki , mai Goa kissi ladki k saath gayi thi , ya ladke k saath."

Abhijeet : (Smiling) " Kyun bechare ko satati rehti ho ? Darr ke mare mujhse ye bhi nehi bol paa raha hai ki , tum Goa gayi thi . Jaan , tumhe dekhne ka bohot dil kar raha hai . Kal shaam ko coffee shop me milogi ?"

Tarika : " OK . Mai 6.00 p. m. tak pohoch jaungi . Tab tak free ho jaoge na ?"

Abhijeet : " Pata nehi . Mai tumhe phone karke time batadunga. Good night , Jaan ."

Next day...At CID bureau...11 a. m.

ACP : " Abhijeet , mujhe abhi abhi khabar mila hai ke, border me Smuggling ka ek khatarnak racket chal raha hai. Aaj raat ke 3 baje koi bohot bada deal honewala hai . Tum turant flight pakar ke border ke liye nikaal jao . Kuchh bhi karke iss racket ke mastermind tak pohochna hai tumhe. Mai tumhe sare details de deta hu. Ek baat hai beta , ye mission bohot khatarnak ho sakta hai. Tumhe dhyan se kaam karna parega . "

Abhijeet : " Aap chinta maat kijiye papa. Mai sare information lekar hi aunga . Aap mujhe details de dijiye . Mai Abhi nikaal tahu ."

Abhijeet calls Tarika to tell her that he's going for a mission.

Abhijeet : " Tarika , mujhe achanak ek mission ke liye abhi nikal na parega. Kab tak lautunga kuchh keh nehi sakta. Tum apna dhyan rakhna ."

Tarika : " ABHI , yu achanak mission ! Kab lauto ge pata bhi nehi...Koi khatra to nehi hai na ? "

Abhijeet : " Mission pe khatra to hota hi hai . Tum fikar maat karo . Mai rakhtahu. Mujhe abhi nikal na hai."

Tarika : "ABHI , par tum..."(Abhijeet cut the call)

Tarika thinks with tension..." Phone cut kar diya. Pata nehi mujhe itni ghabrahat kyun ho rahi hai ! Kuchh thik nehi lag raha hai . Maat jao ABHI."

Abhijeet left Mumbai for the mission.

Tarika called Daya in the evening...

Tarika : " Daya , ABHI mission ke liye chala gaya ? Wo waha pohoch gaye kya ? Unse baat huyi tumhari?"

Daya : " Toru relax ! Ek saath kitna sawal puchhogi ? BB mission ke liye dopaher kohi nikaal gaye hai. Pohoche hai ki nehi , pata nehi . He is not allowed to contact anybody right now. Waise , tum itni ghabrayi hui kyun ho? "

Tarika : (with very tensed voice) " Pata nehi Daya. Par mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai. Aisa lag raha hai jaise , kuchh bohot buda honewala hai. Mujhe unki bohot chinta ho rahi hai , Daya."

Daya : " Toru , BB isse bhi bohot khatarnak missions akela handle kar chuka hai. Tum tension maat lo. Usko kuchh nehi hoga . Mission khatam hotehi wo sahi salamat tumhare samne hoga ,dekhna. Filhaal mai tumhare ghar aa raha hu .BB tumhare liye ek gift chhor gaya hai . Mujhe hukum diya hai ke mai , wo gift tum tak pohocha du. Tum gharme hi raho , mai aa raha hu."

Daya went to Tarika's house and sat with Tarika in her bedroom.

He gave her a large beautiful shopping bag and a very nice card.

Daya : " Mujhe nehi pata ki isme kya hai . Saathme ek letter bhi diya hai. Tumko pehle letter padhneko kaha hai . Phir card padhke gift kholneko kaha hai."

Daya handed over the letter to Tarika.

Tarika read the letter...

JAAN , Tumhe mai apni bachpan ka ek chhota sa yaad bhej raha hu . Bachpan me iske saath bohot khela karta tha mai . Tum bhi thodi der mera bachpan jee lo . Uske baad in sabko reha kar dena . Kisiko luksaan nehi pohochna chahiye. Ye saab mera dost hai , aur aaj se tumhari bhi . Kamre ke lights off karne ke baad gift nikalna . LOVE U , JAAN...Tumhari ABHI.

Tarika opened the card and saw something written in Abhijeet 's handwriting...

... HAJAARO TAARE...HUMARI CHAND KE LIYE...

Tarika turned off the lights and took out the gift . Daya and Tarika both were astorned looking at the gift.

It was a medium sized glass jar full of glistening firefly insects. The whole glass jar was shining as like thousands of stars were glistening.

Daya and Tarika were looking silently towards the jar for sometimes.

Suddenly Tarika turned on the lights and bursted into tears.

Tarika : " Daya , mera ABHI mujhe laa do. Wo mujhse dur kyun chale gaye ! Unhone kahatha phir kabhi mujhse dur nehi jayenge . Mujhe kuchh accha nehi lagraha hai . Unko laa do ,Daya . Plz unko laado."

Daya kept his hand on Tarika's head. His eyes also became teary.

"Pagli kahiki ! Iss tarah se koi rota hai ? BB ko pata chala ke tum itni royi ho , aur wo bhi mere samne , to wo mujhe bohot daantne wale hai . Mai keh raha hu na yaar , BB sahi salamat tumhare paas laut kar ayenge . Thoda intezaar karlo plz. Aur ha! Bilkul nehi rona. Mai chalta hu. Take care."

10 days passed away . There was no news of Abhijeet . He didn't contact anybody. Nobody in the bureau could contact him either. Daya tried his best to get any news of Abhijeet . But in vain. He got vanished.

In last 10 days, Tarika used to visit 'Mandir' everyday . She was broken . Daya and Shreya tried to console her . But nothing could made her calm. She forgot to smile. She used to gave up her meals most of the times.

After 2 more days...Abhijeet's house...

Pradyuman and Sheetal's room...

At 11.30 a. m...

Sheetal :(with teary voice) " Mere bete ko apne itna khatarnak mission pe akela kaise bhej diya ? Mujhe kuchh nehi sunna hai , kuchh nehi jan na hai . Pradyuman , mujhe mere bete ko laa do . Kahi se bhi , kaise bhi muje mera ABHI chahiye . 2.5 mahiney baad mere bete ki shaadi hai . Kya beet rahi hogi uss bachchi par ! Uski Agni pariksha to jaise khatam hi nehi ho raha . Ye dono aur kitna sahenge ! Aap kuchh bhi karke mere ABHI ko laa diziye. "

Pradyuman kept his hand on Sheetal's head and tried to console her.

"Himmat rakkho , Sheetal . Wo mera bhi beta hai , mera jigaar ka tukda hai . Usse kuchh nehi hoga . Mera beta SHER hai SHER ! Is duniya me aisa koi paida nehi hua jo usko luksaan pohocha sake."

Suddenly Pradyuman's phone started ringing...

Pradyuman : " ACP Pradyuman here."

Man : " ACP sir , Mai Lucknow , CID se Abhijeet ka dost Shamsher bol raha hu . Abhijeet bohot jakhmi halat me aaj raat mere paas aya tha . Ek pen drive dekar aap tak pohochane ko kaha hai . Uske baad wo behoos ho gaya ."

ACP: "Abhijeet kaisa hai ,Shamsher ? Wo iss waqt kaha hai ?"

Shamsher : " Sir , aap...plz...aap... khudko sambhaliye. Abhijeet ki halat bohot naazuk hai .Usko 3 goliyan lagi hai . Lucknow memorial hospital se hum usko air ambulance me Mumbai city hospital shift kar rahe hai . Mai bhi uske saath araha hu . Hum 1 ghante me city hospital pohoch jayenge. Aap jaldi pohochiye."

Pradyuman rushed to Daya's room with tears in his eyes. He knocked the door loudly. Daya immediately opened the door.

Daya : " Kya hua papa ? Aap itni ghabrayi hui kyun hai ?

Pradyuman told him everything . They didn't tell everything to Sheetal . She was only informed that Abhijeet was found. Daya , Shreya and Pradyuman rushed to the hospital .

On the way , Daya called Tarika...

Tarika : " Kya hua Daya ! ABHI ka koi khabar hai ?"

Daya : " Toru , ABHI city hospital me hai . Usko...usko...usko goliyan lagi hai. Tum jaldi hospital pohocho."

Tarika couldn't hear the last line of Daya . She fainted with a thud ! Tarika's mom rushed to her room hearing the noise and found her unconscious . Blood was oozing from her forehead . Her mom sprinkled water on her face .

Tarika regained consciouness , hugged her mother and bursted into tears. She said ,

"Mumma , mera ABHI ,mera ABHI...Mujhe city hospital le chaliye mumma. "

She cried out loudly..."ABHI...ABHI..."

End of the chapter.

[ Kya Tarika ko apna ABHI mil jayega ?Ya phir kismat ko kuchh aur hi manjoor hai !]