After all these, Abhijeet had accompanied Daya to the party. But the whole road, from their house to the party venue, was spent in total silence, in total wordless condition. It was not a new thing for Abhijeet, but he was surprised to remember that once upon a time, they had so much words, so much feelings, so much thoughts to exchange that their way seemed to be small. The way used to end, but not their words. And today, the road was seemed to be endless. They were same, the car too was same but nothing was like before.
Perhaps it was the time which had changed!
Being sank within these random thoughts, Abhijeet did not understand when did they reached the hotel. The party had already begun, with Abhiansh as the host. Seeing Abhijeet entering the party place, an oblique smile appeared over his lips, but he covered it immediately and continued to do his work.
The party was arranged in the roof top of the hotel, with a magical environment of half light and half darkness in it. There were separate sections of food and drinks for the guests, along with a light smell of hard drinks floating in the air. Abhijeet was feeling himself to be different and alone like an abandoned island there. Was this really his place? Why had he come here? Could he term Daya or the CID Mumbai team as his own?
He was sitting in a comparatively darker corner, all by himself. He could see his team members engaged in chatting with glasses and plates in their hands. He had already met them and exchanged a formal hi hello. He had met with Purvi too, but had not talked with her much. Not due to Daya's objection, but he himself was not feeling any urge to talk much tonight.
Something was pricking inside him. The broken glass piece inside his heart was pricking continuously, giving a tremendous pain every time. Whenever he was seeing Daya was talking and laughing with Abhiansh, his conscience was asking him what was his place between this? He was feeling anger over his own decisions. Why had he changed his decisions and come here?
Amongst this, the two hands of the clock were traveling at their own speed and rhythm. After some times dance began in the party. Different couples of different ages were dancing in the dance floor, but Abhijeet was sitting silently at his own place, even though he had got dance proposal of some lady cops already. He was not interested at all!
But he had to give his interest as his sharp eyes noticed a particular incident was going on in the opposite corner where he was sitting. Even in the semi dark condition, he could notice that Abhiansh had drunk much! He was totally in drunkard condition, full dizzy! But still...
He was standing in the just opposite corner where Abhijeet was sitting. He was not alone, but a girl, clad in black top and blue jeans, was also present with him. Abhiansh's eyes were glowing exactly like the eyes of a ferocious carnivorous, consuming the girl through the gaze of his cunning eyes. His left hand was grabbing the girl's waist tightly and his fingers were roaming on the girl's waist like a cold, slippery reptile. His another hand wad roaming over the girl's body like the tentacles of an octopus. The girl's face was painful, her expression was clearly telling what was happening was not happening with her permission. She was getting suffocated.
Abhijeet stood up in tension and looked around for Daya, but he was not seemed present anywhere. He once again looked towards that corner. Abhiansh's hands were not grabbing the girl's body tightly and his whole body was heaved on her body. It was nothing but pure molestation!
Abhijeet could not resist himself now. A crime was going on in front of his eyes and he could not witness it silently. He rushed to the corner, pulled away Abhiansh from the girl and threw him down, directly on the dance floor.
All the music and dance of the dance floor stopped within a moment and for a moment, it seemed that, the flow of time stopped for a moment. All were stunned to watch Abhiansh's lying body and Abhijeet's angry red face. Abhiansh himself was the first to come out from the stunned condition, he stood up and shouted in rash...
Abhiansh: how dare you! Are you out of your mind? How can you do this to me? Itni himmat? Mujhe itna bada insult karne ki himmat bhi kaise ki tumne?
Abhijeet's voice was calm and firm now as he said...
Abhijeet: tum wahan, is corner mein kya kar rahe the woh maine apni aankhon se dekha hain... chee! Tum jaise gande insavoio CID mein rrehne ka koi haq nahin hain...
Abhiansh: kisne kaha tumse? Wahan kuch nahin chal raha tha...
Abhijeet: maine apni aankhon se dekha hain Abhiansh... jhooth mat bolo...
Abhiansh; accha? Itni badi party mein kuch galat chal raha tha aur tumhare siwa kisi ne nahin dekha? Koi aur gawah hain? Kya saboot hain?
Abhijeet was about to say something when a lady voice came from behind as...
Voice: maine dekha hain kya chal raha tha wahan! Main bas madad karne ke liye jaa hi rahi thi ki Abhijeet sir aa gaye... makn dekha hain... main hoon gawah...
Abhijeet turned a bit, only to find that Purvi was standing behind him. A sharp smile appeared over his lips as he said...
Abhijeet: lo... gawah haina... ab batao Abhiansh... kya safai doge?
Abhiansh(in rage): tum Abhijeet ki aankhon mein acchi banne ke liye us cheez ki gawahi de rahe ho jo kabhi hua hi nahin... (to Abhijeet)... tumne mujhe dhakka deke neeche gira diya? Actually tum log aise hi ho... classless insan! Pata nahin kisne tumhe CID mein le liya hain... dimagi mariz... apna ilaaz karwa lo tum... hallucinations hone laga hain tumhe... par nahin, jis insan ne apne maa tak ko kha gaya usse aur umeed bhi kya kiya jaa sakta hain?
Abhijeet's face became dark in embarrassment and humiliation. He could see that the party had paused and the guests had gathered around them to witness the argument. Even some of them were smiling also. The curious gazes of the unwanted onlookers were making him more embarrassed. But, though he was not in the state of replying, Purvi spoke up in angry yet firm tone...
Purvi: Abhijeet sir se is tarah baat karne ki himmat bhi kaise ki tumne? Yeh mat bhoolo ki hum unhe bohot acchi tarah se jante hain... aur yeh bhi jante hain ki woh kabhi jhooth nahin bolte... tum ek ladki ko molest kar sakte ho, aur unhone iske khilaaf awaaz uthaye... is mein unki to koi galti nahin hain... aukat kya hain tumhara inke saamne? Abhijeet sir ke khilaaf kuch kehne se pehle ya unse badtameezi karne se pehle zara khud ki shakal ko sheeshe mein dekhke aayiye Mr. Abhiansh!
Purvi spoke out all these within a single breath. Abhijeet was looking towards her proudly with moist eyes. She was a real friend. A true one!
But perhaps Abhijeet or Purvi none knew what was waiting for them in future. When all of these incidents were going on in the party, Daya was not present there. He had gone to attend a phone call. But as he returned, the thing he noticed first was the messy condition of Abhiansh and the thing he first heard was the last two sentences spoken by Purvi. He could not imagine how a mere junior officer like Purvi gained the courage to speak such rudely with his friend. His brain became warm in anger within a single moment. He had tolerated much, now it was the time to sort out all these. He came front and shouted in Purvi, without even knowing what had happened actually...
Daya: tumhari itni himmat! Tum apni ek senior officer se aise baa kar rahi ho? Baat karne ki tameez nahin hain tum mein? Bohot dino se tumhari bohot nakhde bardash kiye hain maine, just because tum Abhijeet ki dost ho... lekin ab aur nahin... tumhe CID mein lena hi humari sabse badi galti thi... lekin main ab us galti ko aur continue nahin karunga... Get Out From Our Party! Right Now!
Daya said all these venomous words within a single breath which made both Abhijeet and Purvi stare towards him in complete shock! But now Abhijeet did not silent anymore. He said in a brave and firm tone...
Abhijeet: ek minute Daya... koi natejee se mein pahunchne se pehle dono paksh ki baatein sunna bhi zaroori hota hain... tumhe nahin maloom ab tak kya hua hain yahan... tumhara woh dost, Abhiansh, ab tak ek ladki ko molest kar raha tha... agar main waqt par use hata na deta to shayad kuch bada hadsa ho chuka hota ab tak... lekin tumhara dost apni galti man lene ki wajai humse zuban chala raha hain... isliye hi...
No, Abhiansh did not let him complete his words, but said in anger...
Abhiansh: Abhijeet please... bohot der se tumhari faltu bakwas sun raha hoon main... har cheez ki ek limit hota hain... haan, main gaya tha us ladki ke saath wahan... usse kuch baat karni thi mujhko... lekin iska matlab yeh to nahin ki main use molest kar raha tha... main ek police officer hoon, aisi ghilona kaam karne ke bare mein soch bhi nahin sakta kabhi... (to Daya)... tum aisi middleclass insan ko yahan kyun laye ho Daya? Mujhe bulake insult karne ke liye... kisi ladki se private mein kuch baat karne use molest karna nahin hota... main to tumhari bachpan ki dost hoon... tum batao, kya main kisi ko molest kar sakta hoon? Actually Abhijeet ko aisi party ki adat nahin hain isliye use yeh sab lag raha hain... mujhe to lagta hain ise hallucinations ho raha hain... yeh uski metal blockage hain... tum please sahi faisla lo...
Now ACP sir, who was watching all these silently till now, spoke up...
ACP sir: ek minute Daya... hume shayad sabse pehle us ladki se baat karni chahiye jiske saath Abhiansh tha.. kahan hain woh?
The girl came out from behind and asked in calm tone...
Girl: jee poochie kya poochna hain aapko?
ACP sir(in soft tone): beta tumhari naam kya hain?
Girl: Natasha...
ACP sir: accha Natasha... zara yeh batao, yeh jo Abhiansh haina, kya usne tumhare saath kuch gakat kiya? Mera matlab ki kya koi badtameezi ki? Tum samajh rahi ho na kya kehna chahta hoon main...
A sharp smile appeared over Abhijeet's lips as he looked towards Purvi, who was looking at him too, both exchanged a meaningful glance and then again concentrated back on the words of Natasha. But Natasha's reply was enough to made them shock enough. She said...
Natasha: nahin sir... Abhiansh sir ne mere saath kuch badtameezi nahin kiya... woh to actually mera haal chal pooch rahe the... I was just shocked, jab Abhijeet sir ne unse is tarah behave ki... unhone mere saath kuch galat nahin kiya hain... he had NOT molested me sir... balki woh to mujhse puri izzat se pesh aa rahe the... sorry Abhijeet sir, aapko koi galat faimi huyi hain... yeh just ek misunderstanding tha...
For Abhijeet, it was more than a bolt from a blue. He felt a if a lightning had crashed on his head with this reply. He just managed to utter, that also in an extreme shocked tone...
Abhijeet: Natasha madam! Jhooth kyun bol rahi hain aap?
Natasha: nahin sir! Main jhooth nahin bol rahi hoon... kya koi ladki apni izzat ko lekar jhooth bol sakti hain bhala...
Purvi: dekhiye madam... hum dono ne apni aankhon se dekha hain is Abhiansh ko aapki... dekhiye aapko darne ki zaroorat nahin hain... agar tum kisi davav mein ho to...
Natasha: madam please... main kisi tarah ki koi davav pe nahin hoon... Abhiansh sir ne mere saayh waqai kuch nahin kiya hain...
Both Abhijeet and Purvi exchanged an extremely confused look with each other while Abhiansh said...
Abhiansh: ab batao... ab kya kehna hain aap dono ko... senior inspector Abhijeet aur inspector Purvi? (To Daya)... dekho Daya, main ab aur is party mein nahin reh sakta... already kaafi beizzati ho chuki hain meri yahan... main jaa raha hoon...
Abhijeet and Purvi both were too shocked to react but they were unaware that it was just the start only. This time ACP sir himself spoke again, and this words made them shocked again...
ACP sir: ek minute Abhiansh... tum kahin nahin jaoge... Abhijeet, maafi mango Abhiansh se...
Abhijeet looked towards him with wide open eyes and then said in stunned yet complaining tone...
Abhijeet: maafi mangu isse? Kyun mangu maafi jab main galat nahin hoon... aapko lagta hain main jhooth bol raha hoon? Kyun bolunga jhooth main?
The humiliation he faced from Abhiansh had not hurt him that much as the words of ACP sir hurt him. Those words directly hit him inside his heart. He could not believe that his father figure chose Abhiansh to trust over him. But the final blow was yet to be received which he got immediately from Daya's words. Daya said in iron hard tone...
Daya: Abhijeet, sorry bolo tum Abhiansh ko... abhi ke abhi... dekho tumhe shayad koi misunderstanding hua hain... isliye please tum koi aur scene create mat karo... sorry bol do Abhiansh ko aur yeh mamla yeh hi khatam kar do...
In reply of this, Abhijeet became stunned for some moments in front of all. It meant that his words did not have any value for anybody. They had seen him since so much years and yet they chose Abhiansh's words to be trusted. They told him to bent down. They told him to say sorry without any fault, and that too to a person like Abhiansh, a molester! The pain inside his heart was decreasing automatically and a strength, firmness was taking his place. He now put his fiery eyes on Daya's eyes and then said in a firm and strong tone...
Abhijeet: aur agar main sorry na bolu to? Phir? Mujhe bhi CID se nikal doge? Ya phir apni zindagi se?
Again! His buddy again said "no" over his face. He could not accept a plain mistake. Daya just managed to utter...
Daya: Abhijeet please... mujhe aur hum sabko maloom hain ki tum Abhiansh se thoda... lekin uske liye please tum use is tarah mat phansao... tum jante ho na aaj mere liye kitna khas din hain? Aur main to Abhi ko bachpan se janta hoon... woh aisa kuch kar hi nahin sakta... usne sahi kaha hain, tumhe shayad koi misunderstanding hua hain, yeh koi bada issue nahin hain... hum samajhte hain, ki galti insan se hi hote hain, tumse bhi ho gaya hain... ab is baat ko abhi khatam karo... sorry bol do tum Abhi se... koi tumhe kuch nahin kahega... hum is baat ko bhool jayenge... aur waise bhi... tum hi kehte ho na ki apni galti manke sorry bol dene se koi insan chota nahin ban jata... aur tumhare is misunderstanding ke wajah se main apni itni acchi dost ko nahin kho sakta Abhijeet... sorry!
Abhijeet listened to Daya's words with calm face, for the last time. Today he was finished! Totally finished! All of his feelings, his pain, his love, his anger, his affection had ended totally! He had nothing to achieve back! He had nothing to lose! He just smiled painfully and then said in iron hard firm tone...
Abhijeet: chinta mat karo Daya... mere wajah se tumhari zindagi par koi asar nahin padega... aur na hi koi dost door jayega tumse... kyun ki main khud aaj tumhari zindagi se door jaa raha hoon aur saath mein in CID walo se bhi... kyun ki jo log sahi galat ka farq nahin pehchante, unhe shayad CID mein rehne ka koi haq nahin hain... aur main in below qualified logo ke saath karne ko meri izaat, meri kabiliyat ki khilaaf samajhta hoon... aur shayad iske baad tumhare is dost ko CID mein kaam karne se koi problem hogi... kyun ki jiske wajah se use problem tha, woh to khud door jaa raha hain... aur haan, jis CID mein ek molester ka jagah hota hain, us CID mein kaam karne se mujhe ghin aayegi... main jaa raha hoon Daya... lekin ek baar yaad rakhna... sachhai ko koi zyada din tak dabake nahin rakh sakta... ek na ek din yeh sach to bahar aa hi jayega... lekin us din shayad bohot der ho jayega... pehle jaisa kuch bhi nahin rahega... na tum, na main aur na hi yeh CID! Sorry tumhare special party ko itna kharab karne ke liye... acche se rehna...
He turned away to leave as soon as he finished what he had to say. The door was just the opposite of where he was standing. He stepped towards the door, to leave everything; his job, his dear people, his ever known environment, his world! Daya was just staring towards him with reaction less face, he was too stunned to believe that Abhijeet left his job just for a stupid matter! He left him! Was this really a misunderstanding or an excuse to start everything afresh with Purvi?
Abhijeet had taken some steps towards the door when he heard ACP sir's voice from behind as...
ACP sir: ruk jaao Abhijeet... tum galti kar rahe ho... tum bohot badi galti kar rahe ho...
The words directly hit Abhijeet's heart. He stopped and closed his eyes tightly for a moment to calm down his emotions. Then he turned towards ACP sir, who too was looking towards him, and said in a firm, strong and brave tone...
Abhijeet: nahin... main galti kar raha tha, itne saalon se... aap logo se, Daya se pyar karne ki galti... lekin aur nahin... aaj maine woh galti sudhar liya... jinhe meri pyar ki koi kadar, koi izaat hi nahin hain, jo mere saath itne saal beetake bhi yeh nahin samajh sakte ki main kya kar sakta hoon aur kya nahin, unhe pyar karke main khud ki beizzati nahin kar sakta aur...
He turned away and then walked away from the party as fast as he could. He went away from the suffocating environment, and perhaps from Daya also. But today, his steps were brave, strong and firm. Today, for the first time, he was able to give respect to his self respect above the scare of being alone! He would be able to live alone, but not without self respect, not anymore, he knew! A fine line of tear had rolled out from his left eye, he just wiped it away smoothly. Today he did not have any hesitation to cry in front of them, they were nothing more than a stranger to him!
Purvi once took a glance of every spectator's face and then followed his hurt friend slowly. Daya kept watching them. He could not take even a step forward. Had Abhijeet really ended everything? Had Abhijeet really left him? Who was the reason behind this? Purvi... or he himself? The question once peeped inside his brain as he kept standing in midst of the crowd, totally silent, totally alone!
It was almost a month for Daya of being alone today and during in this period, his whole world had changed. He had realized or better to say that time itself had made him realized that how it felt to be alone. Actually in that cursed day, it was the first time he had consumed alcohol intentionally. He had drunk so much that ACP sir and Abhiansh had to bring him home in total unconscious state. He had not understood the condition of house then but at the very next morning, when he got ready for going to bureau, his breakfast was not ready on the table. The house, too, was totally silent!
A sudden realization had hit him and within a moment, he rushed to Abhijeet's room, only to find the vacant bed, empty wardrobe and the lifeless room!
He really left him! Why did he do this? He had just asked to say a "sorry" to Abhiansh, how brutally he had hit him. He created a big issue of that small matter! Why did not he understand that Daya had got back his friend after so many years! Why he was so jealous? Could not he keep his ego aside and say a small "sorry" to Abhiansh? If he could not also, what was the need to leave their house? This was their dream house, they both had decorated it together. Each and everything of this house was planned by both of them?
Did not Abhijeet value all these emotions and memories anymore? Or whatever happened yesterday was a nothing but utilization of the opportunity? Purvi, only she was now more precious for Abhijeet. Perhaps Abhijeet too was searching for an opportunity to leave the house, which he got yesterday.
For the first time in life, he could feel a sudden and big tear ball was getting stored in his eyes. With this he was feeling a tremendous anger also. He felt that his surroundings were getting more and more darker with the passing moments. He just rushed out from Abhijeet's bedroom.
Reaching to his own bedroom, he just began to pull out everything he got in hand, showpieces, pillow, books, bedcover, the table lamp, and threw them away on the ground, breaking them into pieces. Abhijeet had left him for the sake of a girl, he could not accept this!
He could not digest his anger even after breaking all these also, he really needed to forget all these. If Abhijeet had cut away the ties, why would he try to maintain it? He just rushed to the cabinet of his room and opened it. There were plenty of official files arranged there. He just grabbed them tightly! Yes! Work! The addiction of work would help him to forget all these.
But that day Daya had not understood that addiction was able to give freedom for some counted minutes only! It's nothing but a mirage, which always disappeared within moments. As soon as the dizziness ended, the old pains grabbed back heart. The old memories stayed near the heart, like a strange bundle. One could never forget the pain in any condition, neither in sleep nor in awakened state, neither in loneliness nor in addiction of work. He perhaps would never be able to understand what Abhijeet meant in his life, if he was not compelled to return in empty house now! He would never have been able to understand the value of human in his life if he did not have to stay with furnitures nowadays! He was compelled to break in every second of his life; when none waited for him in the dinner table now, when nobody rang him if he was late to return home. Once upon a time, these factors always made him irritated, but when he lost them, he could easily understand what they really meant. Whenever he saw the empty desk, placed exactly opposite of his desk in CID bureau, he really missed that person who had demanded nothing but some time for himself from him!
He could recognize loneliness in it's new form, he understood what was difference between being alone forever and losing somebody. He could identify his mistakes easily, which he was unable to see when Abhijeet was present in his life! The old incidents made him nostalgic, though unintentionally!
Was it really wrong that a place had created in Abhijeet's heart for Purvi? Was not it his mistake somewhere? In that black day of Shreya's accident, Abhijeet had requested him many times to listen to him, but he had ignored him. Was not this a big mistake? Purvi had helped him, so why not he would be soft towards her? Yes he had met Abhiansh after many years, but was not it reasonable for him to return home early some days, instead of spending time with Abhiansh everyday, and to spend some memorable moments with Abhijeet too? If he had thought about him a bit more, would this situation had arisen? Had he considered Abhijeet as taken for granted? He was there, he would be there surely... perhaps this type of thought had entered into his brain. Perhaps, the mental distance had started to increase since long. A gap had been created which Purvi had occupied easily!
The pain was eating him from inside, he could realize this easily. All the past memories always roamed inside him, increasing the pain every time. His nights were sleepless. But still, he could not made a phone call to Abhijeet. If he had left him within a single night, then he had nothing to say. And he himself at least had no mistake that night!
Yes, he still believed that he did not have any mistake that night. It was just a misunderstanding of Abhijeet for which he created such a big blunder! But perhaps Abhijeet really needed to reason to leave. So he could leave him so easily. They had fought several times before also, but Abhijeet had never left him. But this time... he left! For Purvi!
His days were passing away with extreme melancholy and with this belief that he was not wrong! Dark days! Not a single ray of light was not present anywhere. What was present was nothing but a pain, a grief! Days where no excitement arose in a thrilling life threatening case, no attachments felt for any innocent victim. Days where he just felt that in the crowd of people, the main person was absent. Abhijeet was nowhere. Days where he had not refreshment hours for himself. No night puts, no restaurant meals, no movie nothing. The old days had lost between the thousands miles of lightyears. Whose responsibility, whose mistake... no body knew. But everything had scattered badly... had met a sudden and abrupt end!
That day, he was driving the car and was thinking all these. ACP sir, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was noticing him, but was saying nothing, for it was useless! It was raining kike like cats and dogs out. The whole city was in the embrace of deep dark back clouds. The smell of rain had the ability to make anyone nostalgic. And perhaps for that reason only, old memories was rising inside Daya's heart also. He was feeling himself so much alone and scattered. What he was in past and what was he now!
At that moment, the red angry light of the signal ahead stopped him suddenly. Daya looked outside. The city was seemed to be hazy due to heavy rainfall. But he did not took more than a single second to notice the incident going on in a restaurant, present at the side of the road. He was just shocked to see the incident and a known face was present there.
END OF THE CHAPTER
So whom Daya might have seen in the restaurant? What was going on there? Where had Abhijeet gone? Will all the misunderstandings even get cleared? Will Abhiansh get unmasked ever? If yes, then how? Will Abhijeet forgive Daya and CID team? Will they ever be reunited? How? Stay tuned to know more.
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