Heyyy guys again late hogya na...par Iss baar maafi ke taur pe ek bohot bada chapter hai...hoping you like it.
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Obsessed with Shreya : Sorry to keep you waiting this time also. But Its definitely a long chapter. I guess the longest one I have ever written. Do tell you what you feel...
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Razia - Thank you Razia for you constant love and support...
So guys lets move with today's social Seekh. This chapter is based on trust soo...
The thing is - You don't know untill you know. Sometimes we find things by going through it. Sometimes we find out things after a period of time passes. Sometimes people show their true colors after they get used to you. Sometimes it takes time for you to realize that the person is quite different form what you expected. Sometimes it takes a few miscommunication to set certain things straight. Sometimes the person you love changes your perspective about everything.So here's the thing...you gotta do it. You gotta try no matter how many times you fail. You gotta live no matter how times you die inside and You gotta trust on love no matter how many times you get your heart broken.Because knowing is better than wondering. Waking is better than sleeping and the worst failure, even the worst beats the hell outtanever trying...
CHAPTER 10 : YOU GOTTA TRUST ME...
Shreya was nervous was an understatement. She was constantly fidgeting around. Changing clothes , changing hairstyles and what not. Actually today Daya was going to pick her up and both of them were going to have a sort of double date with Tarika and Abhijeet. And though Shreya had met Abhijeet, but it wasn't one the best first meets to be specific. And what Daya used to describe them in his talks he was a kind of strict brother to him. He had used very nice adjectives for Tarika. She was patient, polite. She was smart and understanding like no other. But Abhijeet seemed liked an elder brother who was strict, liked rules and very very serious man. " Kya kar rahi hai Shreya ? Aise toh Daya ane tak tere kapde bhi nahi decide honge !" Shreya said to herself as she looked at the time. She then finally decided to put on some dress and get ready.
And she was right. It was not even 10 minutes when she heard the door bell. A smile crept on her face as she beamed with happiness at the thought of Daya.
That Pyaar me butterflies wali feeling. Haa bas wohi same.
Shreya looked at her face and at least made herself presentable and then proceeded to open the door. Without looking at who was standing at the door Shreya said , " Daya bas 5 mins. Mera ho hi gaya hai. Bas thoda baki hai !". Shreya said and was about to go back to the bedroom when she felt that there was someone other than Daya at the door. A lady was standing at the door. She had a good height and a pleasant personality. A warm smile was present on her face that was the most welcoming smile Shreya had seen in ages. Her outfit was completely western. It was greyish blue colored button down shirt and navy blue colored denim jeans. To complete her outfit she was carrying a black tote bag. But in all this the most stand out thing was her curly hair. They were the most captivating.
" Jii ?" Shreya asked. " Hii. Me Tarika !" Tarika said as she put out hand to shake it with Shreya's. Then it dawned upon Shreya. " Oo Tarika Ma'am. I'm sorry. Maine pehchana hi nahi aapko !" Shreya said as she welcomed her inside. " Are koi baat nahi !" Tarika said. Shreya then looked behind her if any other people were present but it looked like she was alone. Tarika took a notice of this and said, " Woh actually Daya aur Abhijeet kisi case me fase the. Unki toh chutti hona almost namumkin hai !" Tarika said. And suddenly all the happiness from Shreya's face vanished away. She desperately wanted to meet Daya today. Last week was hectic for him and hence both of them couldn't meet. Or lets say even couldn't call. The conversation was just over the messages. Khana kha liya ?, Ghar pe safe ho ?, Baki sab thik ?, Kaka kaki all okay ?... only these things.
" Par Daya,Abhijeet nahi hai toh kya hua ? Hum dono toh hai. Maine socha hum hi mil lete hai !" Tarika said trying to cheer her up. " Haa sure !" Shreya said immediately changing her mood. " Idhar Aao!" Tarika said motioning her hand to call Shreya near. " Kya hua ?" Shreya asked. " Jaise Daya btata hai na...Bilkul Waisi hi cute ho tum. Bohot sweet ho yaar !" Tarika said making Shreya blush. " Ye Daya bhi na kuch bhi batate rehte hai ! Aap baithiye me coffee lekar ati hoon !" Shreya said.
And the next hour was spent chatting about the professions. Their education, their colleges and their careers. Tarika seemed like a good women. She was smart and had too much respect for her education. " This coffee was amazing." Tarika said as she put down her cup. Shreya just smiled.
" Waise Shreya ! Bohot ho gya ye Tarika Ma'am wagre !" Tarika said trying to cut down the formal tone in between them. " Matlab ?" Shreya asked. " Achcha chodo ye ! Tumhe pata hai CID me nayi nayi ayi thi. Abhijeet se pehle Daya se dosti hui thi meri !" Tarika said trying to open up to Shreya. " Really ?? that's hard to believe !" Shreya said. " Are fir nahi toh kya ! Abhijeet ko tum mili hi ho. Kitna angry young man hai woh !" Tarika said. That made Shreya laugh. " Pehle mujhe bhi yahi laga tha. Par baadme samjha ki gusse ke piche fikr chupi thi unki !" Shreya said as she remembered that day. " Bohot samajhdaar ho tum Shreya !" Tarika said giving a small smile. " Uss din tumne Abhi ke liye jo bhi kiya. Uske liye bohot bohot shukriya !" Tarika said again.
Now Shreya was arranging lounge chairs for both of them in her balcony. It was early evening. And a cloudy one. The sky was was in the shades of orange and violet with gray colored cushions of cloud scattered around. Tarika sat on one of them while Shreya took the other one. " Man...these chairs are comfortable !" Tarika said. Tarika was observing the high rises of the city when she heard Shreya say. " Daya Waise toh kam baat karte hai lekin Jitna bhi baat krte hai usme aapka aur Abhijeet sir naam lete rehte hai. Ek baar nahi kayi baar. Mujhe jyada nahi pata Aap logo ke barime lekin bas itna janti hoon ki aapke bina Daya adhoore hai. Aur itna janne ke baat bhi agar me uss din jo hone wala tha woh hone deti toh Daya ke samne ane ki himmat bhi nahi rakhti!" Shreya said with a genuine voice.
And Tarika was just so happy on listening to her talk. Kaki had really really searched a perfect girl for Daya. She then completely turned to face Shreya and held her hands. " Daya Abhijeet ke liye chota bhai hai. Jaan Bhi de dega woh Daya ke liye. Even Daya bhi wohi karega. Bohot kam log ye rishte ko samajh pate hai. Tumne bohot jaldi samajh liya !" Tarika said directly looking into her eyes. " Itna mushkil bhi nahi tha." Shreya said. Tarika then pursed her lips and said. " Agar Daya ke zindagi me humari aehmiyat pata hogi toh tumhari bhi aehmiyat ka andaja hogahi Tumhe?!". And that's made Shreya blush. " Haa woh...!" Shreya said something broken as she had nothing to say at all.
" Samajh nahi ata na ekdum se ? Yaa fir accept karne ko time lagta hai ki Haa...shyd mujhe bhi pyar ho raha hai !" Tarika said. Shreya knew whatever she was saying was correct. But she didn't know how to open up to her. " Daya bhi bilkul aisehi shant baithta tha. Jab tumhare barime baat chedte the me aur Abhijeet !" Tarika said trying to help her through this emotion. Shreya became a little conscious on hearing that. They did actually talked about her and Daya. " Matlab ?" Shreya asked. " Tumhe pata hai maine na tab Daya ko kya bola tha ?" Tarika asked not exactly answearing what Shreya was asking. " Kya ?" Shreya asked. " Yahi ki pyar hona koi abnormal chiz nahi. Toh tum Pyar ke naam se na dara mat karo. Just go with the flow !" Tarika said. " Sahi hai na Shreya ?" Tarika asked just to note what Shreya was thinking this whole situation.
Shreya just bit her lower lip as if trying to avoid the conversation. Tarika thought that maybe she wasn't ready to have this kind of conversation with Tarika yet. Afterall she was still very new to her. No matter how many times Shreya had heard about Tarika and Abhijeet from Daya but this was kinda their first official meeting. " Waise aap aur Abhijeet Sir kaise mile ?" Shreya asked trying to continue the topic that Tarika had left behind.
Daya bilkul thik kehta hai...apne barime baat krna bilkul pasand nahi...topic aisa change karegi ki samne wale ko pata bhi nahi chalega...
" Hum ? Bharosa nahi hoga Tumhe! Hume toh Daya ne milaya !" Tarika said. " Seriously?" Even Shreya was shocked on hearing that. " Haa ! In sense ki me Abhijeet ko janti thi. Aisa nahi hai ki ekdum anjaan tha. Abhi sath me kaam krte hai toh itna toh ek mek ko Jante hi the. Par Daya me mujhe asli Abhijeet se milaya !" Tatika said. Now Shreya understood what Tarika was talking about. " The bravest man I have ever seen. And yet the most compassionate one !" Tarika said making Shreya more familiar with Abhijeet.
" Bas yahi samjho ki jo Daya ne mere liye kiya tha...bas wohi uske liye kar rahi hoon !" Tarika said. " Ji ?" Shreyabasked again full of questions. " Shreya !" Tarika said and then took a long pause. " Daya jo bate khudse bhi nahi karta woh Abhijeet aur mujhse krta hai !" Tarika said. Shreya again became a little conscious on where the topic was going. " Aur me janti hoon ki woh tumhe kitna Chahne laga hai !" Tarika said. Shreya just smiled on hearing that.
" Daya is a good man Shreya. Perhaps one of the best. Tumhara bohot khayal rakhega. Aur kabhi sath nahi chodega." Tarika said. " Janti hoon. Woh bohot Achche insaan hai." Shreya said as she got up from her place. " Woh tumhare liye tayar hai Shreya ! Lekin sawal ye hai Shreya ki kya tum ye zindagi ke liye tayar ho ?" Tarika asked. Now this was not Shreya had expected that they would talk about.
Kis chiz ke liye tayar ? Shreya ko samjha hi nahii...
" Being with a cop isn't easy Shreya. Abhi Tumhe shyd Daya ne jyada kuch dikhaya bhi nahi hai. Aur shyd bataya bhi nahi. Lekin tumhari duniya ya koi bhi normal insan ki duniya uski duniya se bohot alag hai. There are going to be countless number of sleepless lights. Kabhi Koi mission rehta hai. Kabhi koi case solve nahi ho pata. Aur Jaan ka khatra to humesha bana rahega...Sirf Daya pe nahi tumpe bhi. I have to be alone on most of the nights when I feel like I need Abhijeet the most. You have to sacrifice a lot Shreya. And most importantly you have to be happy and smiling while doing that !" Tarika said exposing the reality of their lives.
Now Shreya's face fell a little. Maybe Daya was playing down about his job for a bit. Or maybe he'll slowly ease her into it. She didn't know what Daya had in mind. But then she was only sure for about one thing. " Ek baat bolu ?" Shreya said sitting down not looking towards Tarika. " Haa bilkul !" Tarika said. But then suddenly Shreya thought that maybe she was opening up a little bit too much. Maybe oversharing a little. She used to think a lot even before talking about somethings to Daya. And now why she felt so easy talking to Tarika. She had met Daya numerous times but this was her first meet with Tarika.
Ye kya ho raha hai yaar..
Tarika immediately understood what was going on in Shreya's mind. So without wasting a moment she was besides Shreya and then to make her feel more relaxed around her she put her hand around Shreya's shoulder. Just to make her feel welcome towards her. " Daya humare liye bilkul humare chote bhai jaisa hai. And agar Daya ke zindagi me tum itni aehmiyat rakhti ho to mujhe toh chod hi do. Lekin tum Abhijeet se milogi na , usne to Tumhe ekdum Sir pe chadhake rakhna hai. Bas yuhi samajhlo ki tum ane ke baad Daya ke laad khatam. Tumhe bilkul apni choti behen banake rakhega !" Tarika said that was a little shocking for Shreya. Do people really cared for each other like that. Seriously ??? This much ???
Shreya then looked towards Tarika. " Mujhe...Mujhe adat nahi hai aise rishto ki !". And just hearing that Tarika's heart broke into million pieces. " Thoda darti hoon. Par Daya ke sath rehke Achcha lagne laga hai. Daya mujhse ekdum alag hai. Ekdum confident. Ekdum relaxed. Jaise duniya ka koi bhi problem ho thik ho hi jayga unse. Abtak aisa lag raha tha ki bas jii rahi thi lekin Daya ke sath rehke aisa lagta hai ki me khush bhi reh sakti hoon. Simple hai na , Kuch logo ke bas sath rehne se hi sab kuch thik hojata hai !" Shreya said.
Tarika just beamed with happiness. How couldn't she ? After hearing what all Shreya had said, How couldn't she ?. " Waise ek baat batau Tumhe ? Ki Daya itna confident kyu rehta hai ? Itna relaxed kyu rehta hai ?" Tarika asked. Shreya just raised her eyebrows as she didn't knew the answer behind that. " Because use pata hai ki kuch hua toh uske piche log khade rehte hai. Me hoon, Abhijeet hai, ACP sir hai. Abhi toh tum bhi ho. Just knowing that somebody is with you no matter what happens is a different kind of feeling altogether." Tarika said and suddenly Shreya felt enlightened. " Bas yahi batane ayi thi Tumhe ki chahe kuch bhi ho jaye. Tumhare piche hum khade hai. You are not alone anymore. We are a family. And family means no one gets left behind." Tarika said.
Shreya was about to say something when suddenly Tarika's phone rang. " Haa Abhijeet ! Salunkhe Sir bula rahe hai ? Haa bas nikalti hoon me. Don't worry !" Tarika said. Tarika then looked towards Shreya and said, " Mujhe nikalna hoga !". Shreya just smiled and replied, " Its okay !". Tarika then out of no where gave a very small side hug to Shreya. " Hum jald hi milenge. And welcome to this madhouse !" Tarika said which made Shreya feel so happy that she couldn't put it in words. Tarika left soon after.
It felt like as if She had made peace with her demons and the chaos in her heart had settled flat. And maybe for the first time in a very long while Life was smiling back at her and welcoming her home.
( Next Morning )
Daya sat on the dining table and picked up the toast that Abhijeet had just served him. He took a bite and chewed it like it was some leather jacket.
Ye Tarika jaldi ake Nashta kab banayegi...
Daya thought as he looked at the breakfast in front of him. " Abhi. I'm not sure but bread toaster se bahar nikalne ke baad crispy ya hard hoti hai." Daya said as he looked at the much flexible piece of bread. " Are bhai gluten free bread nahi hoti hogi. Ye nahi ho rahi hai toh. Khao bhai. Jyada sawal mat pucho !" Abhiheet said.
Adat lagale beta...Shreya ke sath bhi yahi haal hone wale hai...
" Haa Waise thoda jam lagane ke baad thik lag rahi hai. Achchi hai !" Daya said biting it. " Fir ! Khamakha takleef dete rehte ho !" Abhiheet said as he drank his cup of tea. But he literally spit it out after the first cup. And that threw Daya into laughter. Daya was laughing so hard so so hard that even Abhijeey couldn't controll himself and smiled at him. It was such a long time he had seen Daya laugh like this.
Bhagwan kare tumhari aur Shreya ki jodi humesha salamat rahe...
" Lao boss. Tumse nahi ho raha kuch ! Me banake deta hoon !" Daya said as he took the cup from Abhijeet and went inside the kitchen. Though Daya was not an expert cook he was a pretty great one. From beverages to snacks to diet food and last but not the least simple Indian meal, he could do it all. And as rightly said within 10 minutes he was out with a steaming hot cup of tea. " Are Waah! Kya subah hai aajki. Aaj mujhe chai banake mil rahi hai." Tarika said as she got down the stairs. Daya just smiled and poured some hot tea for Tarika also. " Kaha thi yaar tum. Boss ko toh ek bread ka toast banana bhi nahi ata !" Daya said drinking a sip. Tarika pursed her lips and smiled a little. " Bola hoga jarur gluten free bread hai. Toast nahi hota krke !" Tarika said knowing Abhijeet all well. " Haa of course. Aisa kabhi hota hai kya !' Daya said. " Abhi... Bread andar daalne ke baad toaster on bhi krna padta hai !" Tarika said making everyone of them laugh.
" Waise kal Shreya ke sath aapki mulaqaat Kaisi thi ?" Abhijeet asked. " Are Haa! Kaisi lagi ?" Daya asked. " Tumhari baat nahi hui Shreya se ?" Tarika asked. " Nahi kaha hui. Kal der Raat laute aur aaj uski early morning shift thi !" Daya said. " Are tum baat batao na !" Abhijeet said trying to make everyone come to the point. " Bohot Achchi ladki hai Daya. Simple aur innocent." Tarika said. " Thodasa free hone ke liye time leti hai. Lekin koi baat nahi. Har kisika apna nature hota hai !" Tarika said. Daya just smiled. Finally things were going like he wanted them too. " Achchi baat hai bhai. Jaldise fir koi dinner plan karo. Hum bhi mil le use !" Abhijeet said and got up from his place. " Me tayar hoke ata hoon. Fir nikalte hai bereau ke liye !" He said and left Tarika and Daya alone.
Tarika then picked up all the soiled utensils and proceeded towards the kitchen. Daya just looked at her from behind. Yeah he knew Shreya was simple, innocent and a bit reserved but this wasn't what he wanted to hear from Tarika. He knew Tarika very well.
Tarika ne toh ek najar me hi Shreya ko upar se niche tak padh liya hoga...
So Daya went from dining area to kitchen and stood at the door. " Kya hua Daya kya sunna hai tumhe ?" Tarika asked. " Are ? Hadd hoti hai. Itna kaise kya insan ko padh leti ho tum ! Tumhe kaise pata ki mujhe tumse kuch sunna hai !" Daya asked on awe. " To be very honest ! Kaisi lagi Shreya ?" Daya asked. " kam baat krti hai. Hai na ?" Tarika asked. " Haa. Par fir bhi pehle se bohot jyada open up hoti hai." Daya said. " Pata nahi kuch bhi btane ke pehle ya samjho madat mangne ke pehle 100 baar sochti hai. Aisa nahi hai ki uske pass kuch chupane wali baat hoti hai. Use bas lagta hai ki samne wale ko takleef kyu !" Daya said drinking his tea. He had been really struggling with that one issue. Shreya wasn't free with him for the things that she would need.
" Tumhe patab ai Daya , Some people are not good at asking for help because they are so good in being the helpers. Throughout their life they have experienced an unbalanced give and take. So when anything happens their usual instinct is I'll handle this on my own. The self reliance is all they have known." Tarika said standing taking support of the counter. " Tumne sahi pakda hai Daya. Uske pass chupane ke liye kuch nahi hai. Lekin aisa hai ki abtak uske pass btane ke liye bhi koi nahi tha. Tumhe pata hai jab maine Sirf mera , Abhi ka aur tumhara rishta describe kiya and just said ki you are so welcome in this, usne kya kaha ?" Tarika said remembering the conversation. " Kya?" This intrigued Daya as even he had told her about their relationship a million times. " Usne kaha use aise rishto ki adat nahi !" Tarika said making Daya a little sad. Maybe what Tarika had said weeks ago was totally correct. Maybe he had Abhijeet and Tarika to lean on. But who Shreya had ? Not everyone was as lucky as him to find a family like this at work.
" Me baat krta hoon usse !" Daya said as he turned around to leave for bereau. " Nahi." Tarika said to the retreating figure. " Matlab ?" Daya asked in surprise. " Batao mat. Jatao. Use jatao ki kuch hua toh tum ho. Hum hai. Aur ek baar nahi baar baar. Use trust krne me time lagega Daya. Toh tabtak Tumhe jatana padega. That's why ekbaar nahi baar baar. Thoda tum Uske sath open up hue toh Achcha rahega. Tell her your fears, your insecurities just so that she is comfortable in sharing hers. Relationship Aise thodi hota hai ki ek hi insan dusre ko bol raha hai batao batao. Tum khud bhi toh batao aur fir uski bhi suno. Hai na ?" Tarika said. This was totally an eye opener for Daya.
Maybe after sharing a bit about himself, he would feel better too. Afterall Shreya could also be a good listener.
Daya thought to himself. " Kya hua ?" Tarika asked as she cleaned the messy counter that Abhijeet had made. " Nahi kuch nahi bas.. !" Daya said dumbfounded. " Yahi soch rahe ho na ki usko kuch kuch bate kaise batau. Woh kaise react kregi !" Tarika said correctly reading Daya's mind. " Abhi samjha Tumhe uska point of view. Jab tum itna soch rahe ho toh woh kitna soch rahi hogi. And its but natural Daya. Afterall woh in sab chizo ke liye nayi hai." Tarika said. And now it dawned upon Daya what exactly Shreya was facing.
Tarika tum sahime great ho yaaarrr...
" And dont worry , She's a good listener. Shyd in bato me thoda patience test kre tumhara but afterall some people are worth waiting for !" Tarika said making Daya realize some more things. " Hmm... I'll work on it." Daya said as both of them walked out. " Daya, ek honest opinion du ?" Tarika asked. " Haa bilkul !" Daya said as both of them waited for Abhijeet. " Bohot seedhi ladki hai. Uske man me kuch nahi rehta. Aur Rishto ki bohot aehmiyat krti hai." Tarika said. " Haa ye toh sahi kaha tumne Tarika." Daya said. " Toh ye bhi janlo ki aisi ladki dhundh ke bhi nahi milegi. Bohot khush naseeb ho Daya tum!" Tarika said that made Daya rise to a new level of happiness.
(Bereau)
Today was a comparatively quite day at bereau. They had a case reported 3-4 days ago but thankfully due to the sleepless nights of all the officers it was solved very easily. And that meant filing day today. And Daya hated that.
Abhijeet then put his head up which was constantly in the files or computer. He then looked at the watch. It was lunch time. He then got up in order to ask permission when suddenly ACP sir came outside and called out for him. " Abhijeet ! Andar ana jara baat karni hai !" ACP sir said and went inside immediately. He then looked towards Daya. " Kuch gadbad ki hai kya tumne ?" Abhijeet asked Daya. " Nahi boss maine nahi kiya kuch !" Daya said clearly stating his side. He then looked around at his fellow collegues if anyone had committed any blunder and Abhijeet needed to sort that thing out. And none of them said anything.
Kamaal hai. Aaj kya baat krni hai ??
Abhijeet thought to himself. He then straightened his blazer and went towards the cabin. " May I come in Sir ?" Abhijeet asked and ACP sir motioned him to come inside. " Kya baat hai Sir ?" Abhijeet asked as he sat down in front of his mentor. " Haa woh aaj headquarters jana hai. Daya ko bhejo mere sath. Tumhari jagah." ACP sir said. " Thoda samjha dena usko kya karna padta hai waha. Ekdum blank nahi hona chahiye !" ACP sir said again.
Now Abhijeet understood what the matter was. ACP sir wanted to talk to Daya alone. And in normal times Daya would keep Abhijeet in between them. It was always like...
Boss sambhalo jara...
So that's why ACP sir had made this arrangement. " Jee me samjha deta hoon usko sab !" Abhijeet said and started walking out. He held the held door and stopped in tracks. " Sir woh Daya aur Shreya... !" Abhijeet said something incomplete. " Haa Unka kya ?" ACP sir asked. " Sab thik hai waha ?" ACP sir asked. " Haa Sir. Sab Achcha hai !" Abhijeet said. " Toh fir ?" ACP Sir asked. Abhijeet then thought for a moment.
Jo bhi karenge sahi karenge. Baap hai Abhijeet tera tu bhi kya sochra. Krne de unko Daya se baat. Ulta 2 chizo me datenge to shahabzada seedha toh bhi ho jayga.
" Nahi Sir kuch nahi. Me samjha deta hoon usko sab !" Abhijeet said and walked away.
( Parking )
Daya tapped the stearing wheel of his car as he waited for ACP sir. He was humming a song that was being played on the radio.
Jaane Kya dhundhta hai ye mera dil...Tujhko kya chahiye Zindagi...
Daya's head made movements in sync with song and his fingers played the steering wheel like a fine instrument. Suddenly he felt someone literally thump their hand on the car window. Daya saw who it was and stuck out his tongue when he saw ACP sir standing just outside. Immediately he turned off the song and opened the door. " Sorry Sir !" Daya said as his boss sat besides him. " Sorry. CID to dheere dheere majak banta chala jaa raha hai !" ACP sir said with a strict tone. " Abhijeet se baat hui tumhari ?" He asked again. Daya then remembered the talk he had with Abhijeet.
Jab tak ACP sir kuch bole na tab tak wahape muh nahi kholna. Jo chahiye woh file dena. Saboot ya evidences ke barime kuch pucha toh humare pass sabka thikse record hai. Kisika mange toh de dena.
Abhijeet had given a butt load of instructions for him to remember. " Haa Sir. Sab samjha diya usne !" ACP sir said. And with that Daya started the car.
The visit to headquarters was dull and boring. It just consisted of answering some of the senior officials. And then ACP sir introduced Daya to some of the senior officers. Some files and some videos and everything that seemed boring to Daya. He heaved a sigh of relief when they were free to go back.
Yaar Abhi ye Headquarters ke kaam mujhse nahi hote...Next time se tum hi sambhala karo inko..
Both Daya and ACP sir started the car when ACP sir said, " Lunch kiya tumne ?". Daya just nodded negatively and said, " Nahi sir Abhi Jake karunga !". " Aaj sath me karte hai !" ACP sir said and he asked him to drive to a nearby restaurant. Daya did accordingly and drove to a good restaurant nearby.
( Restaurant )
" Are Sir aap !" The waiter said as he saw Daya entering. " Table for 2 lagana jara !" Daya said and the waiter ushered both of them inside. Uptill now the lunches and Dinners with ACP sir were kinda formal one. Kam masti majak and more of discussions. And Daya expected nothing more today. They placed their orders and soon their food arrived.
" Waise kisi Shreya naam ki ladki ka naam bohot sunne me araha hai itne me !" ACP sir said directly jumping onto the topic. Daya's hand which was playing with the fork stopped all of a sudden. " Haa Sir woh... !" Daya said a little flustered. " Kaun hai Shreya ?" ACP sir asked. Now Daya didn't know what to say. " Da...Da...Achchi dost hai sir meri !" Daya said a little panicked. " Achcha Dost hai ? Mujhe Abhijeet ne kuch aur hi btaya tha. Khamakha pareshan tha me. Chalo ye bhi thik hai !" ACP sir said.
Ye bhi aaj game lene ki mood me the...
" Nahi sir. Dost matlab woh waisa nahi hai... !" Daya said trying to cover the situation. " Pyar krte ho Daya ?" Now ACP sir asked this straight forward. Once more. Daya just took a deep breathe and said, " Haa Sir!". It was a big thing for him too. Just days before he had confessed this thing to himself. And now confessing this thing in front of ACP sir was another big moment. " Serious ho ye mamle me ?" ACP sir asked again. " Haa Sir. Ekdum serious. Koi masti nahi Iss baar !" Daya said immediately. " Hmm ! Agey ka kya socha hai fir ?" ACP sir asked. " Agey ka ?" Daya didn't know what the question was or what he was supposed to answer. " Agey ka Matlab pyar ke baad shadi wagre krne ka kuch irada hai ?" ACP sir asked. Daya literally coughed up the soup that he was eating. " Duniya se bahar ki baat nahi kar raha me Daya !" ACP sir said. " Nahi sir woh mujhe laga ki shadi se pehle aap jara Shreya ke barime puchoge. Direct shadi pe hi agye aap toh !" Daya said confused. " Shreya Achchi ladki hai. Pata hai mujhe !" ACP sir said with confidence.
Daya looked with surprise at his mentor. How did he come to know so much about Shreya. " Kaka kaki se baat hui meri. Itna bhi anjaan nahi rehta me tumhare aur Abhijeet ki zindagi ko lekar." ACP sir said clearing Daya's doubt. This made Daya's respect for ACP sir increase all the more. " Anyways. Ek Ladki ki zimmedari lene ki baat kar rahe ho. Kabhi iske barime socha hai ?" The elder man said in a fatherly tone. " Majak wagre sab side me Abhi. Aur kuch hua toh Abhijeet tum sambhal lo. Ye bhi band !" ACP sir said with a authority. " Sir ladki se pyar karta toh itni sari chize kaise badal jaygi ?" Daya said.
" Daya koi tumhare bharose aa raha hai ab. Okay ?" ACP sir said raising his eyebrows. " Yes Sir !" Daya replied like a obediently. " Age difference ke mamle koi issue nahi hai na ?" ACP sir asked again.
Kise pata tha ki itne sare sawalo ke jawab dene padenge.
" Sir Waise kabhi directly baat nahi hui abtak but I'm sure ki agar kuch hota problem to baat hojati thi." Daya said. " Sirf apne direction se hi socho tum. Kabhi usko pucha hai ki use kuch baat krni tumhare barime, ya age difference ke barime, tumhare job ke barime ? Kabhi usko tumhare job ke khatre ke barime btaya hai ?" ACP sir asked again. Daya just put his head down and nodded negatively. " Yahi keh raha tha me ! Majak masti kam aur thoda socho. Agar serious ho ye rishte ke mamle me toh us diirection se sochna shuru karo !" ACP sir said.
The whole conversation during the lunch time got heavier by the minute. ACP sir made Daya realize things that probably he had never thought himself and he felt grateful for that.
( Evening )
Daya and Shreya sat cozily in Shreya's couch. They had dimmed the lights and were watching some movie on television. 2 large Styrofoam cups lay in front of them on the table. Daya had came directly from the bereau. And while on the way he had called Shreya and asked if she needed anything. And very cutely she had replied that ," Daya, cold coffee pine ka mann kar raha hai !". Daya almost smiled at her pleading voice. Maybe what people were worried about most - their age difference, Daya was loving it a little too much. Because maybe he didn't always need that maturity around him. He just needed someone that could make him smile. And perhaps Shreya was doing it the best.
Shreya wasn't worried about what criminal did he catch. Or what drug deal he stopped. She was everything his work wasn't. Funny, Childish and Relaxed. It was very soothing to Daya. Daya was onto his own thinking about this only when suddenly he heard Shreya's voice. " Daya ye green wale ke pass superpowers kahase aye ?" Shreya asked. " Hmm ?" Daya asked. " Are ye green wale ke pass superpowers kahase aye ?" Shreya asked again. " Lab me experiment hue the na woh scientist ke !" Daya said as he lowered the AC temperature.
Shreya then snuggled a little closer to Daya and rubbed her face on his upper arms. Daya adjusted the quilt around her so that she would feel less cold. He then rubbed his hands on her upper arms to generate some heat. " Okay ?" He asked and Shreya just nodded. They watched the movie for a few more minutes and then Daya got up. " Me thanda pani pike ata hoon. Tumhe chahiye ?" Daya asked getting up. " Nahi.. !" Shreya said.
Daya went into the kitchen to open the fridge. On opening he saw that most of the dinner Shreya had stacked in the fridge.
Isne kuch khaya ki nahi. Aaj toh kaki ne khana bheja tha. Phone pe toh bol rahi thi ki dinner ho gya krke.
Daya then checked for what was actually remaining. Daya then understood why Shreya had eaten so little today. What kaki had sent for dinner was her least favourite. And uptill now Daya had just understood one thing. Shreya was a fussy eater. Just like kid. But Daya now knew how to handle her.
Within 5 minutes Daya came back and kept something on the table. " Ye kya hai ?" Shreya asked. " Fruits hai ! Bhook lagi thi mujhe !" Daya said as he picked up one slice of apple and gave one to Shreya. Shreya didn't like to eat fruits so she just twisted her nose and nodded negatively. Daya then forcefully made her eat it. And then before every slice he was eating he was giving one to Shreya. Let it be forcefully though . " Ho gaya na yaar ! Kitna khilaoge ?" Shreya said. " Moti thodi hone wali ho ye kha kar. Chat pata khana chahiye bas. Fridge me pade pade kharab ho rahe the ye sare fruits." Daya said as they ate the last orange.
The movie then ended and the end credits just started rolling. Shreya switched off the TV and no sooner even before it was completely dark Daya switched on the small table lamp. Shreya noticed it and said, " Thank you !". Daya just smiled. " Kaka kaki ke yaha Jake ke aayi itne me ?" Daya asked as they both got up and stretched a little. " Nahi aap gye the ?" Shreya asked. " Nahi par jabhi bhi jaogi jara shant dimag se jana !" Dayabsaid. " Kyu kya ho gya ?" Shreya asked a little curious. " Woh ACP Sir ne hum dono ke barime baat ki. So you know Kaki...She might a little over excited or maybe over the top for this situation !" Daya said giving her a heads up. " Are yaar. Ab toh unhone puri duniya apne sir pe leke nachni hai !" Shreya said.
" Shreya ?" Daya asked as Shreya was folding the quilt. " Haa !" she said. " Agar kahi kuch problem hai toh bataogi na mujhe ?" Daya asked. " Mujhe kaunsa problem ayega ?" Shreya asked as then picked up the fruit plate and the coffee cups. " Koi bhi Matlab. Tumhare work problems , Tumhari kuch personal baate hongi , Tumhe kisi kuch takleef hongi !" Daya said not specifying or putting a finger on anything. Shreya just smiled and said, " Haa Daya ! Aapko chod ke kisko hi bataungi me !". She said and that and turned around to keep the stuff back in the kitchen. Daya just smiled a little and stopped Shreya by holding her hand. Shreya's eyes scrunched in pain a little. But Daya wasn't able to see it because her back was facing him. He the pulled her back and now made her face him. " Kya hua Daya ? Hath ka sab gir jata ?" Shreya said. She then kept the things back on the table and then again looked at Daya in the eyes.
" Shreya me pichle hafte busy tha kuch hua tha ?" Daya asked. " Umm...Kuch bhi toh nahi !" Shreya said remembering if anything had happened at all. Daya then pinched the bridge of his nose and took Shreya's right hand in his. " Daya kuch nahi hua tha. Kya kar rahe hai aap !" Shreya said trying to get rid of his strong hold. But as if it was even possible. Daya bought her hand up and rolled the sleeves of her hoddie a little up so that her wrist was visible. And there was the truth. There were litte cuts visible all over the wrist. Even some redness and little swelling over the skin.
" Abhi bhi kuch nahi hua tha Shreya ?" Daya asked. Shreya winced in pain as Daya pressed some wounds a little bit. They were not a big deal though. They were nothing Shreya couldn't handle. And over the days Daya had realized that Shreya was not the one who seeked attention over small wounds or injuries or illness. On the contrary she had a habit of playing it down. So if she winced in pain maybe it had been causing a little trouble to her. " Ye...ye woh.. !" Shreya said as her lie was caught red handed.
Ye banda akhir hai toh CID officer hi na...
" Akhri baar puch raha hoon Shreya. Kya hua tha ?" Daya asked. " Haa woh...Woh...us din !" Shreya said a little fumbling. " Kis din ?" Daya asked crossing his hands looking down at Shreya's guilty face. " Tuesday !" Shreya said. " Jis din humari baat hui thi. Aur tumne kaha tha sab thik hai !" Daya said as he remembered the late night call. Shreya then took all the plates and cups from the table and proceeded towards kitchen in order to hide from Daya's gaze. " Daya Aap bhi na khamakha tension lete hai. Woh bas koi chichore ladke piche the bas !" Shreya said literally saying that like it was nothing. Daya's face beamed with anger. Nobody does that to his girl. And surely nobody gets away with it.
" Kya ?" Daya asked in surprise. More of anger than of surprise. Shreya didn't know on whom the anger was. The guys who had hurt her or her who had hurt Daya. This the first time Shreya had seen Daya a little angered. She was so dead scared now that her hands had started trembling. And suddenly some warm water from the kettle fell on her wrist. " Oh shoot!" Shreya said as she started wiping her hands with a clothe. It was not that painful but just burning because the warm water had fell on her injured wrist. Daya saw that and immediately pulled her hands in the wash basin and started the cold water. Shreya fliched at first because of the temperature but then Daya held her hand stable in the running water.
From the side view Shreya looked towards Daya. He was still silent, still angry not saying a word. " Daya woh bas...chodiye na unhone bas hath pakda tha and uss din kach ka bracelet tha toh woh tut gaya. That's why thode cuts hai. Baki kuch nahi !" Shreya said trying to convince him. But Daya didn't utter a word. " Daya...me keh rahi hoon na itni badi baat nahi thi!" Shreya said again but Daya didn't pay attention to those poor souls. He then closed the tap and now wiped it with the clean clothe.
" Kya woh uss din wale hi ladke the ?" Daya asked blandly. " Daya ! Please..lets not go over there !" Shreya said again. " Maine pucha kya woh uss din wale hi ladke the?" Daya asked again in an angry tone. Shreya didn't say anything but just nodded looking down. " Daya...I'm sorry !" Shreya said again. " Yaha baitho !" Daya said to Shreya helping her sit on the kitchen counter. She was a little short for that. He then reached some drawer and pulled out an ointment. He pushed it on his finger and gently applied it on her wrist. It was a burnol sort of cream. Shreya hissed a little. But then Daya didn't stop. He was not in mood now.
" Daya , I'm.sorry na !" Shreya said again. But Daya didn't say anything. Instead he kept the tube and washed his hands. Shreya then literally hugged him form where she was sitting on the counter. Daya at first didn't reciprocate the hug. He didn't want to. But then he just couldn't resist. " I'm sorry !" Shreya said again. And this time Daya just ran his hand on her back trying to calm her down.
" Kuch hojata toh ?" Daya asked a very logical question. " Maine socha nahi !" Shreya said her head still buried in Daya's chest. Daya then pulled her apart and said, " Jara kitabo ke bahar bhi ek duniya hoti hai. Pata hai ??" Daya asked that with a firm grip on Shreya's shoulder. Shreya just nodded as she accepted her mistake. " Ek fone krne me maut aa rahi thi kya ?" Daya asked his anger still not cooling away. " I just... !" Shreya said and than again looked down. " Kya ?" Daya asked a little louder this time. " I just didn't want to bother anyone. Muje laga aap busy honge. Aap nahii... !" Shreya said and the suddenly stopped leaving her sentence in between. Daya then cupped her cheeks and made her look directly into his eyes. " Meri akho me dekh kar kaho. Ki you didn't want to bother me. Ki tumhe laga ki me itna busy tha ki me nahi ata !" Daya said holding Shreya's cheeks tighter by every word.
" Ek baar puch kar toh dekho. Mana har choti chiz ke liye nahi aa sakta. Lekin agar khatre me ho toh ekbaar awaj to laga kar dekho. Pyar karta hoon tumse. Zimmedari li hai tumhari. Sab kuch chodke bhag ke nahi aya toh naam badal dena !" Daya said with so much confidence in his voice. So much love and yet with the attitude of cop. " Next time se nahi hoga !" Shreya said. They were too close to each other now. So close that when Shreya tried to step down from the counter her legs fell on Daya's. And Daya didn't mind. Instead he welcomed her and made her stand on his legs. She was too light for him. And with Shreya standing on his legs he took two steps back. Shreya held on to Daya's both the hands for support. And walking like this kinda made her giggle a little.
Bas yuhi haste raho Shreya. Maine bas yahi awaj sunke khush hona hai..
Daya said to himself. And then Daya collided with the coffee table behind him and that caused Shreya to fall into his embrace again. And she loved it. Not wanting to let go. Always asking for more. Daya then put her locks of hair behind her ear and rested his chin on her head. " Sath dene ka wada kiya hai Shreya. Kabhi aajma ke toh Dekho !" Daya said and kissed Shreya on the forehead.
And in all that darkness the kisses and the hug felt like sunshine, warmth and everything nice.