3 and a half minutes Distance

..

"What the hell is this Nikhil? Ek kam dhang se nahi hota tumse..." The second of command of Mumbai CID threw the blue file on table making all the papers scattered on table and floor. His junior jumped in his place with the sudden outburst. "Ek hi kam dobara karwao phir bhi galti? Pura din bas tumhari galti hi sudharu main? Toh case kab khatam karunga?"

"Sorry sir..." Nikhil apologized.

"Sorry! Apne sorry apne pass hi rakha karo. Aur jao... ye details ache se fill karo. Isbar koi galti nahi hona chahiye."

"Ji... ji sir." Nikhil gathered the papers and turned to leave.

"Aur Nikita ke dost Neha usse puchtach kiya?" Abhijeet asked.

"Sir.. main toh ye call details arrange kar raha tha..." Nikhil answered suppressing his urge to talk back to his senior.

"Wah!! Matlab ye bhi nahi kiya!"

"Si-"

"Nikhil..." Daya called him from his cabin. "Jara idhar ana."

Nikhil looked at Daya and then Abhijeet asking for permission to leave. Abhijeet sighed. He could understand Daya was trying to interrupt the warmed up conversation. He raised his hand slightly at Nikhil dismissing him to Daya. Nikhil walked away in fast steps.

Abhijeet went to his cabin with a cup of coffee and relaxed himself on his chair. He had been very rude to his juniors today he knew. He didn't want to but it came out as a result of frustration on himself. With ACP sir out of the city and the high profile case hanging on his shoulder he barely had time to think anything else. And his juniors decided to make all the mistakes of the world today. He would apologize later. May be he would take them out for a dinner after the case. But for now, he really need to be tough. He knew his officers are exhausted but so that he. They needed to solve the case asap.

He started reading the file on his table previously placed by Purvi. Within a minute his brain started fuming in anger. He took a deep breath.

'Relax Abhijeet. It's fine.' He told himself and sipped his coffee. To his bad luck it contained sugar, more than he preferred.

Okay, that was it. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed some relaxation otherwise either he would go mad or make someone mad. He took his mobile and left the cabin. While leaving the bureau Daya tried to call him but Abhijeet walked away in hurry mouthing a soft 'Later Daya' on his way out.

Exactly 3 and a half minutes later he was standing at the threshold of the forensic lab trying to have an overview glance of the inside of the lab. He couldn't stop smiling as he realized the old doctor was not present there right at that moment. It was only her working on her own with some chemical.

Trying to erase the frowns plastered on his face he walked towards the lady forensic expert.

"Arey Abhijeet tum iswaqt? Koi naya sample lai ho?" Tarika asked flashing her charming smile.

Abhijeet's irritation and frustration evaporates within a fraction of second as he felt his frowns smoothens.

Tarika raised her eyebrows in questioning manner watching Abhijeet walking towards her with the same pace he had entered into the lab. He didn't pause, he didn't speed up or slow down. He just kept walking towards her desk and then reached near her walking around the desk.

"Abh-"

And he took her into a cozy hug. Tarika bumped against his chest with his sudden pull. Her hands reached towards his back automatically while his' were around her back. He hugged her like she used to hug her teddy. She could feel his long breathes on her neck and realized he's relaxing himself. She chuckled and hugged him back. She didn't squeezed him as hard as he did. She just let him hug her the way he wanted and kept patting his back.

He broke the hug after a minute or so and took a deep sigh. Tarika smiled at him, a mockingly adorable smile which Abhijeet ignored totally and turned to leave.

"Bye Abhijeet!" Tarika said behind his back with a teasing smile but he didn't turn around.

"Arey Abhijeet.. tum yaha... Arey.. Arey..." Salunke kept calling him as he entered into the lab but he was gone. He turned to his assistant.

"Ye kyu aya tha?" He asked suspiciously. "Kahi tumhe pareshan karne toh nahi aya tha?"

"Arey nahi sir.. wo toh wo pareshan tha isliye aya tha."

"Hein! Toh tumne uski pareshani door kar di?"

"Haan sir." Tarika smirked.

"Aise keisey? Aise kya baat hain case ke bare mein jo tumne mujhe nahi batake ussey bata diya?" Salunke asked with his hands on his hips.

"Nahi sir.. case ke bare mein nahi..."

"Toh?"

"Wo.. jane dijiye sir... wo toh bas aisehi... Ap ye test dekhiye."

"oh haan.. kya result aya dikhao.."

Here Abhijeet entered into the Bureau with a broad smile on his face and called Nikhil with the file.

"Nikhil wo file lekar ao.. main bata deta hu kaha kaha galtiya hain.. tumhe asani hogi "

"Ji? Ji sir.. abhi laya..." Nikhil ran to grab the file not to mention confused like hell with his senior's sudden change of mood.

Daya moved near Abhijeet pretending to read a file.

"Agli baar se etna wait maat kiya karna... tumhara anger bar raise hone se pehle hi Lab ka ek chakkar laga ana boss." He murmured.

Abhijeet gave a tough look to Daya but then broke out into soft laughter along with Daya. That laughter worked as cherry on the top of his favourite pastry for him.

KK: Happy birthday Tarika Ji.