Author's Note -
Heyo! Back again everyone... With the next chapter of Unseen Tales. Go on and read. Thanks to all who reviewed and thanks to the silent readers as well...
Abhijeet - Chale?
Daya nodded slowly and got up from the chair in the waiting room.
Abhijeet - Nervous?
Daya shook his head in a small no and followed Abhijeet inside the room.
Kartik was sitting on his chair behind the large desk in his white and blue cabin. The room was bright but not overly lit. A single closed door stood in the right wall and a set of couch sat beside the left wall.
As Abhijeet and Daya entered Kartik arose from his chair and greeted them with a wide smile...
Kartik - Aayiye aayiye sahab aap hi ka intezar tha (to Abhijeet)... Good morning Daya...
Daya smiled at him and so did Abhijeet. Any other time he would have given a sarcastic reply to his tease but at the moment even if Daya wasn't he was surely nervous as to how this would go.
Abhijeet - Good morning...
Kartik - Good morning Daya ke liye tha!
Abhijeet - Kartik!
Kartik - Acha acha theek hai. Yeh khadus wali shakal mat bana good morning accepted.
Abhijeet rolled his eyes at his silly friend and Kartik added...
Kartik - (gesturing to the seats in front of his desk) Come on take a seat... Daya...
Shaking his head Abhijeet took the seat for himself in front of Kartik's desk while Daya followed him. Meanwhile, Kartik cleared his desk a little by leaving nothing but a single open notepad and a pen in front of him.
Then he shoved away the smile from his face and asked sternly...
Kartik - Chalu kare?
Daya - Ji...
Kartik - Toh kya khao ge?
Daya - Ji?
Kartik - Ha bhai... Bolo kya khao ge? Garma garam chai samosa chalega?
Daya - Its ok... Mujhe kuch nahi...
Kartik - (sighing) Chalo koi baat nahi. Ajj lagta hai breakfast kar hi nahi pauga mai. Maine socha tha tum dono ke saath karuga par tumhe toh kuch khana hi nahi hai...
Daya waited for Abhijeet to say something to his friend. However Abhijeet spoke nothing. Letting him handle the situation himself...
Daya - Agar aap chahte hai toh...
Kartik - Aree nahi nahi. Koi baat nahi. Mai baad mai dekh lunga. So ha start karte hai... Daya... Tumhara naam kya hai?
Daya - Sorry?
Abhijeet - Seriously? 'Daya' tumhara naam kya hai?
Abhijeet couldn't help interrupting this time!
Kartik - (biting his tongue) Wrong question. Sorry aadat hai na... Dusra question puchta hu. Tumhari age kya hai?
Daya - 25...
Kartik scribbled it down on the notepad.
Kartik - Kya karte ho?
Daya - CID officer hu... Shayad...
Kartik - Shayad?
Abhijeet - CID officer hi hai
Kartik glanced at Abhijeet meaningfully who nodded.
Daya - Waise woh receptionist ne bahar jo form diya tha uspe yeh sab likha hai maine.
Kartik - Ha usne woh form diya mujhe. But I'm lazy in reading.
Daya - But aap sab kuch phirse likh rahe hai...
Kartik - Ha toh lazy in reading not in writing. Dono alag alag hota hai na!
Daya opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again shrugging.
Kartik - Aur ha please Daya tum mujhe yeh aap bulao... Mai toh khud tumhe aap nahi bula raha.
Daya - Lekin...
Kartik - Aree bhai itni izzat ki aadat nahi hai mujhe... Kyu Abhijeet? (winking)
Abhijeet chuckled and nodded understanding well that Kartik was actually trying to get Daya comfortable by asking the usual questions that Daya would not be uncomfortable answering. The silly jokes he was cracking was also for the same reason.
Daya - Ok... If you insist...
Kartik - Good! So ek kaam karte hai. Itne dheere dheere questions puchne se acha hoga tum khud hi apna bio data dedo. Short mai. Jo bhi tum apne bare mai batana chahte ho.
Daya - Ji... Woh...
Kartik - I can assure you of confidentiality. Tumhari koi information iss cabin bahar nahi jayegi yeh mera wada hai. Aur agar tum chaho toh mai Abhijeet ko bhi bahar bhijwa sakta hu?
Daya glanced at Abhijeet for once and then shook his head. Abhijeet had almost got up from his seat to move out considering Daya would not trust him in these matters but then Daya said...
Daya - Nahi Kartik. It's ok.
Abhijeet sat back in his chair in small smile. Happy that finally Daya felt little comfortable with him...
Daya - Toh biodata... Mai born Mumbai mai hi hua hu... Phir Shimla chala gaya tha. Schooling wahin hui. Engineering ki hai IIT Delhi se aur phir CID join karli as sub inspector...
Kartik - Okay... (Taking a deep breath) Family ke bare mai kuch...
Daya - (cutting him off) Ji nahi. Mujhe meri family ke bare mai koi baat nahi karni.
Abhijeet tried to interfere but then thought better of it. Leaving Kartik to decide for himself.
Kartik - No problem. Well, family ke bare mai nahi toh apne bare mai... Tumhe kya pasand hai kya nahi... Hobbies kya kya hai...
Daya - Piano baja leta hu...
Kartik - That's great! Kabhi sunana bhai hume bhi.
Daya nodded smiling and Kartik asked again...
Kartik - Aur kuch?
Daya - Kuch khaas nahi...
Kartik - Ok then. Tum bahar intezar karo mai 5 min Jeet ki khabar leke isko bejhta hu...
Abhijeet - Oye? Kya bolna chahta hai?
Abhijeet pretended to be shocked even when he knew Kartik only wanted to talk about Daya.
Daya - Ho gaya? (Surprised it was done so quickly)
Kartik - (casually) Ha! Aur baat karni hai kya? I won't mind...
Daya hurriedly shook his head and got up from his chair. He hadn't expected it to be this comfortable and quick. Happy that it was done he moved out from the cabin closing the door behind himself. Immediately Abhijeet turned to Kartik...
Abhijeet - Ha toh Kartik... Kya baat hai? Kya problem hai usse aur theek toh ho jayega na woh?
Kartik - (smiling) Sabse pehle toh you relax. Itna tensed toh Daya nahi tha jitne tum ho. Tumhe admit nahi karna mujhe for panic attack! Lo pani piyo...
Abhijeet gulped down a few sips of water from the glass Kartik had forwarded and then said...
Abhijeet - Ab toh bolo!
Kartik - (sighing Kartik nodded) Difficult case hai...
Abhijeet - Kyu? Problem zayada serious hai?
Kartik - Pehli baat toh usse jo hai woh problem nahi hai. Aur yeh baat uske samne galti se bhi mat bolna.
Abhijeet - Ok sorry. Par case difficult kyu hai?
Kartik - Kyuki bhai tumhara dost difficult hai! Woh apni problem share nahi karna chahta. Aur jaisa tumne mujhe bataya tha woh akela rehta hai iss shehar mai. Toh hume case history milegi kaha se. Jab tak hume cause nahi pata chalega hum treatment kaise karege!
Abhijeet - Mai usse puch kar dekhu?
Kartik - Mujhe nahi lagta woh tumhe bhi batayega. Pata nahi shayad uski kuch belief hai jiski wajh se woh bolna nahi chahta...
Abhijeet - Mai jab usse dosti karne ki koshish kar raha tha tab usne ek baar kaha tha ki usse sympathy nahi chahiye.
Kartik - Ho sakta hai wahi wajh ho. Koshish karuga mai usse open karwane ki... Tumhe uske bare mai kitna pata hai? Uski life ke bare mai jo bhi ho? Shimla mai kaha tha... School life kaisi thi kuch bhi?
Abhijeet - Shimla ke bare mai toh mujhe kuch nahi pata par yeh pata hai ki woh waha bhi apne parents ke saath nahi tha. Actually uski maa ki maut ho gayi thi jab woh kareeb 4 saal ka tha. Uske pita ne hi uski maa ka khoon kar diya... Uske baad kuch mahine woh orphanage mai raha. Ussi waqt actually hum usse mile the... Aur phir woh Shimla chala gaya... Kismat usse wapis yehi le aayi humare paas...
Kartik - Tum uske Shimla ke relatives ko contact kar sakte ho? Matlab jiske bhi saath woh rehta tha... Uski family? Aise cases mai family ka support bohot important hota hai.
Abhijeet - Humne koshish ki thi. Jab usne suicide attempt kiya tha we tried to reach them. Badi mushkil se maine hi uske ghar ka number dhunda tha par jab ACP sir ne call kiya toh kisi admi ne uthaya aur kaha ki woh kisi Daya ko nahi janta marna ho toh mar jaye... Mujhe toh itna gussa aaya ki...
Kartik - Hmm... Speaks a lot about him. Phir bhi agar tum kisi aur ko dhund ko dhund sakte ho toh. Koi bachpan ka dost yaa aisa kuch...
Abhijeet - Ok. Mai koshish karuga...
Kartik - Aur ha... I would like to know in detail about the phase when you knew him in his childhood. Tumhe shayad ache se yaad na ho toh tum ACP sir ko le aana if possible...
Abhijeet - Ha woh toh waise hi aane wale the. Par unki meeting aa gayi toh...
Kartik - Ha koi baat nahi. Agli baar le aana...
Abhijeet - Waise tumhe kya lagta hai... Matlab usse kya disorder hai?
Kartik - Abhi maine uske symptoms study nahi kiye toh mai confirm toh nahi bata sakta... Lekin ha preliminary toh MDD lagta hai. Major Depressive Disorder. Par yeh baat usse mat batana. I don't want him to know ki kya disorder hai.
Abhijeet - Ok...
Kartik - Theek toh phir kal milte hai...
Abhijeet - Kal nahi... Weekend ke baad milte hai...
Kartik - Busy ho? Toh sirf Daya ko hi bejh dena?
Abhijeet - Nahi, chahiye toh woh aa jayega par mujhe Shimla jake aane mai 4 din toh lagege!
Kartik - Shimla?
Abhijeet - Ab tumne hi toh kaha ki woh bolega nahi aur case history ke bina ilaj dhundna mushkil hai...
Kartik - Toh tum uske liye Shimla jaoge?
Abhijeet - Ha. (Determined) Bohot kimti hai woh... Uske liye toh jaha zarurat waha jauga. Shimla toh phir bhi bohot paas hai. Waise bhi mujhe pata karna hai ki akhir aisa hua kya hai uske saath jisse mujhse mera dost chin gaya... Marna ho toh mar jaye... Dekh kar toh aau yeh akhir hai kon!
Kartik - Ok... If you wish. Ab bhai psychologist aur police dono hi case history nikalti hai. Toh tum toh isme mahir ho hi. Tab tak mai bhi usse ek do baar aur milkar usse comfortable kar lunga... Waise woh jo anti-depressents par hai woh continue rakhna.
Abhijeet - Ok. See you on Monday then!
Kartik - Sure bye!
Abhijeet got up from his chair and head out of the cabin to meet Daya sitting on the chair and with closed eyes. Patting his arm softly to bring him back from his thoughts he said...
Abhijeet - You fine?
Daya nodded and accompanied Abhijeet outside. The remaining day passed just the usual and after dinner Daya head back to his room while ACP sir and Abhijeet waited in the drawing room to discuss...
ACP - Ha toh Abhijeet kaisa gaya session ajj Kartik ke saath?
Abhijeet - Theek tha sir. Ajj toh sirf introduction hi kiya Kartik ne. Daya actually ab bhi bolne ko tayar nahi hai... Kartik bol raha hai ki ek do baar casually milega Daya se treatment chalu karne ke pehle so that Daya thoda open up ho jaye.
ACP - Hmm...
Abhijeet - Aur sir mai soch raha hu ki kal ki Shimla ki tickets book karlu... Kartik ka kehna hai ki jab tak cause nahi pata chalegi cure kaha se milega... Aur Daya bolne ke liye tayar nahi hai. Agar mai uske family se milke aau toh...
ACP - Sahi hai. Aur apne saath saath meri bhi tickets book karna.
Abhijeet - Sir aap bhi chalege? Mai bhi chutti par hu aur phir...
ACP - Ha Abhijeet par mai manage kar lunga wahin se. Mujhe bhi dekhna hai akhir aisa kya kiya unn logo ne ki humara Daya muskurana hi bhul gaya.
Abhijeet - Ji sir...
ACP - Aur ek baar Adi ko bhi puch lena. Nahi toh woh mera gala pakdega ki mujhe kyu nahi bataya.
Abhijeet - Ha ok mai abhi dad se confirm karke tickets book kar leta hu phir. Packing bhi karni padegi.
ACP - Ha. Tab tak Daya ko bhabhi sambhal lengi...
Abhijeet - Sir Daya ko kya bolege? Kaha jaa rahe hai hum?
ACP - Hmm bol dete hai ki conference ke liye Delhi jaa rahe hai.
Abhijeet nodded and then walked off to do the arrangements. He called Aditya first who as expected wished to accompany so then he booked the tickets for the three of them, packed his luggage and informed Daya of their departure tomorrow. Daya simply nodded and got to his bed and so did Abhijeet.
As the dawn set on ACP sir and Abhijeet set out to drop Daya to Jeet Mansion. Nothing short of ACP sir's order could convince him to stay there for the next three days but when ACP sir used his final card Daya couldn't deny. Even when they were at Jeet Mansion they did not pick up Aditya as Daya would have got suspicious instead Aditya left the house on pretext of his office headquarters and met ACP sir and Abhijeet a little far away from the house. Then they set out together for the airport and took their flight to Shimla.
To be continued...
Author's Note -
So ACP sir and Abhijeet have reached Shimla? Aditya is also accompanying them. What do you think will happen now? What will they find about Daya's past? What had happened to Dhruv all this long years? And do review... How did you like Kartik and the introductory session?