A/N Just remember what I said earlier. Its a fictional place, not India. I hope most of your doubts are solved in here. Feel free to ask questions.
Also, updates will be slow but not as slow as this long gap I'd taken hopefully. Anyways, hope y'all like this chapter.
A hard blow landed against his stomach and Daya stumbled back a few paces. If his opponent was quick, he would be able to land another hit, but he wasn't. It gave Daya the chance to go with the motion and take a few steps back when another punch was thrown his way.
Shuffling, he put his weight on one leg and spun as the other guy jumped in with a solid punch. The movement so sudden, his opponent missed and stumbled while Daya elbowed him in the back, right on the spine and knocked him down with a powerful kick.
Daya licked his bloody lip from one of the previous hits, his face concealed beneath a dark mask as he looked at him. That was when his phone started vibrating in his inner jacket pocket, and Daya gritted his teeth. Not the right time.
Jumping a few feet away, Daya managed to take out his phone. His eyebrow raised when the name under which he'd saved Abhijeet's number flashed on the screen. However, it was enough time for his opponent to recover, his own built akin to Daya's and face contorted in a snarl.
Immediately, Daya swipped the green button and placed the phone back in his jacket, after putting it on speaker.
As the guy began advancing on him, Daya yelled with his chin thrusted downwards, "Call karne keliye bahot bura waqt chuna hai tumne. Koi bahot important kaam na ho toh call kato."
His enemy was randomly throwing punches that had no combination or style. Though they were wild, and it was all Daya could do to protect himself by taking the hits on his arms. They were shielded by iron and leather clasps and were hence absorbing the impact.
"Kaha ho?" Abhijeet spoke after a brief silence.
"Mission."
Another pause.
When the hits lost a little power, Daya took hold of one of the other guy's fists and pulled him towards himself, headbutting him under the chin. Now, he began advancing on his opponent, but unlike the other guy, Daya knew exactly where to damage.
He attacked the other guy's throat and wasting no time, embedded a knife in his shoulder. While the man was hunched over in pain, Daya kicked him across the face, sending him to the floor once again.
"Ugh, thought you'd do better than that." Daya huffed, placing his knee on the guy's back, who was now flat on the floor, moaning in pain. He then pulled out the handcuffs in his pocket and put them on him.
"Done." He kicked the guy in his sides as he said it, making another painful hiss escape him. Harshly, Daya pulled the guy up from his collar and was about to leave the place when he remembered Abhijeet was still on call.
He tutted, annoyed, but took his phone out anyways, letting go the half-conscious man he was holding up, who dropped to the floor with a thud.
"Bolo jaldi." He could already imagine Abhijeet rolling his eyes when he said that, the man seemed to do that a lot.
"Ek ghante mein office pohoch sakte ho?"
"Haan."
"Aur kon hai tumhare saath?"
Daya swept a glance around the vacant under-construction building and said, "Koi nahi. Siwaye.." He glanced at the man curling in on himself and knew Abhijeet understood when he heard him hum.
"Good. Tumse ek zaruri kaam hai mujhe. Jaldi aana."
Daya groaned. "Agh, don't tell me it's another assignment. Iss hafte ki dusri hai meri, aur abhi yeh hafta khatam hone mein che din baaki hai."
He heard Abhijeet chuckle from the other side. "Assignment hi hai but immediate basis pe kuch nahi karna. Tum bas aajao phir batata hun. Aur suno, piche ke gate se aana.
Daya's brows furrowed at the unusual instructions but he nodded. "Theek hai." He cut the call and hoisted his target up, jerking him by the shoulder when he tried to squirm.
...
The back entrance of their organisation could be distinguished as a separate building which was aligned with their main building. It had a different staircase structure that skipped the first four floors and lifts that didn't have those numbers at all. The first four floors were mainly for banquets, parties, conferences and formal meetings. The next two floors were available but had a warning board of *not entry* perched over their entrances. Even the fifth and sixth lift buttons were crossed out.
Daya vaguely remembered Kabir mentioning that it was where the usual staff worked. Those that worked for the baby products business.
When he got into the lift, Daya straightaway pressed the 10th floor. First things first, he dumped the 200 pounds live weight he was carrying in the hands of the warden, securing his payment, then took the stairs to Abhijeet's floor.
Getting the permission to enter, Daya walked inside the cabin and found Abhijeet worriedly talking over his phone while his gaze was fixed on his laptop screen. When he saw Daya, he gave him a small, strained smile and turned the laptop screen to him.
Daya's confusion soon dissolved into a quiet mask of indifference, though there was a strange intensity in his eyes as he kept his focus on the screen.
The screen was showing the live footage of their conference room, the table surrounded by a few people Daya didn't recognise and those that he did. Kabir, Arjun, Mr. Pradyuman and a few officials Daya remembered from the night he had debriefed Zikri's business before the Mishti mission were present. There were a few guards standing around who again Daya recognised from their own organisation. All of them facing one man Daya knew better than he did any other in that room. Zikri.
Zikri who was twirling his slightly grey beard in his fingers, wearing a particularly nasty smile over his scarred face. His one good eye glancing from one person to another as they spoke, the other closed - decorated by a huge scar which Daya knew to be his own handiwork.
"Yeh yahanpe kyun hai?" He asked quietly.
Abhijeet scratched his forehead with his thumb. "Humne deals cancel ki na? Uska hisab mangne aya hai. Humne Subin ki payment kar di thi, inn logonko kuch nahi diya."
"We don't owe them anything." Daya grumbled.
"I know." Abhijeet said. "Aur hum dene bhi nahi vale. Jaha tak unhe pata hai _kisine_ voh papers jala diye. Lekin yeh kaam humne hi kiya, iske unke paas koi saboot nahi hai. Jahan tak unhe pata hai, nuksaan teenon ka hi hua hai."
"Toh phir voh kis baat ka hisaab mangne aae hai?"
"Tum jaante ho Daya." Abhijeet said, tiredly. "Unke paas proof na ho lekin shak humpar hi hai. Voh bas yeh baat sabit nahi karsakte."
"Oh. Par iss sab mein mera kya kaam?" Tumne mujhe yahan kyun bulaya hai?" Daya asked after a moment.
Abhijeet looked at him. "Kya tum Zikri ke saamne jana chahoge?"
"What?"
Abhijeet grimaced. "Tum abtak apna chehra chupate aae ho. Kisiko malum nahi ki tum humare saath kaam kar rahe ho. Par Zikri abhi bhi tumhare piche hai. Agar tum chaho toh hosakta hai hum use pakad le."
Daya stiffened. His expressions closed off and he scrutinized Abhijeet. "Tum aakhir mujhse chahte kya ho?"
"Aisa kuch bhi nahi jisse tum khatre mein pado." Abhijeet answered calmly. "Mai bas chahta hun ki tum Zikri ko blackmail karo."
Daya didn't know whether to scramble away from Abhijeet or to politely ask him 'what the fuck'. He chose to simply stay quiet and let the latter explain.
"Dekho Daya, humare kaam mein har kisika koi na koi khaas admi hota hi hai. Aur hum jaante hai ki tum Zikri ke baremein bahot kuch jaante ho." He looked at Daya pointedly. "Use malum hai tum kitne khatarnak ho sakte ho. Usne tumhe jaane nahi diya tha. Tum use dhoka dekar bhag aae ho. Aur voh abbhi tumhe dhund raha hai. Mai bas chahta hun ki tum use ek call karo, ek dhamki do. Tumhe chup karane keliye voh bahar zarur aaega."
Daya watched him silently before his lips twisted into a crooked smile. "You want to use me as a bait?"
"It shouldn't surprise you."
"I'm not. But this is the reason why you even brought me in this organisation in the first place, isn't it? Why you were so interested."
Abhijeet stayed silent. Daya snorted. "Tum log kabse nazar rakhe hue ho mujhpe? Aur mujhe kabhi pata kaise nahi chala."
"Kyunki hum tumpe nazar nahi rakh rahe the." Abhijeet stated. "Hum nazar uspe rakh rahe the. Aur hume pata chala ki tum uske escort ho."
Daya stared at him.
Abhijeet stared back. "When you left him, humne tumhe hire. Isi wajah se, ke tum uske karibi admi the. Hume uske baremein jitna ho sake, utna janna tha. Aur uske baad.." he trailed off, giving Daya a meaningful look.
Daya looked away. "Voh log hoshiyar hai, Abhijeet. Tumhe lagta hai voh tumhare iss plan mein fasenge?"
Abhijeet's lips curved and there was a mad glint in his eyes. "There is a way, Daya. Tum jaante ho, nahi?"
Daya gave him a long look. "Tumhe kaise pata ki mai jaanta hun?"
Abhijeet smiled grimly. "Voh admi apne dushmanon ko aise hi chodta nahi hai, Daya. Aur uske saath gaddari karne valon ko toh bilkul hi nahi. We hired you for a reason."
"Tumhe toh mere baremein bahot kuch pata hai." Daya's smile tightened, his fingers twitched. "Then what about why I left, huh?"
"Nahi, Daya." Abhijeet answered firmly, knowing what Daya was hinting at. "Usmein humara koi haath nahi tha. Haan bas tumhe voh phone..tumtak bas voh khabar humne pohochai thi. Baaki jo bhi hua usmein, humare usmein koi haath nahi tha."
Daya looked at him for another long moment before sighing and nodding. It had been years after all. He didn't particularly feel sad about it anymore.
When Zikri had picked him, a promise was made. That Daya was never to go back to his old life. A small area with makeshift homes. He didn't, however, know that Zikri had wiped out the entire area right after Daya had become fine at his work.
'To cut ties with the past', he would say, 'to leave no clues', he would say.
Daya didn't know Zikri had shown his violence even there. Not until one day, after years, he'd received a call that told him about it. He'd checked then for himself and found no one he knew present there. He wasn't close with them. But still they were people he knew.
He knew Grandma Lila and her spicy curry, he knew Jai and his obsession with paints, he knew little Hira and her handmade doll.
He wasn't close to them, not particularly attached, but he knew them. And he didn't know what Zikri had done to them. Whether they lived or died.
Worst part was, on confronting him, Zikri hadn't even denied doing it. Quite the opposite. He bragged about it. He'd sent away the ones he didn't need, took in those he saw a "spark" in as he would say, and the ones who showed defiance, he'd finished them off. That was when it had hit Daya what he was doing. That was when he made the decision to. Because finally he'd realised that he'd been following the wrong man all along.
"Daya?" Abhijeet's concerned voice brought him back from his thoughts.
Daya took a sigh. "Dekho Abhijeet, mai yeh karne keliye tayar hun. Par tumhe mujhe batana padega ki yeh akhir chal kya raha hai." He said gesturing at the laptop screen.
Abhijeet took a deep breath but nodded.
...
Mr. Pradyuman was sitting infront of Zikri, answering his questions with practiced patience. His tranquility so unlike the tensed atmosphere in the room.
Kabir was continuously glancing at Arjun in intervals, aware of the way his friend was glaring at Zikri - face cold and body rigid. But Kabir knew the battle that must be going on within him, and he was afraid Arjun would lose it. It was concerning him more than Zikri's mere presence.
"Lekin yeh deal cancel karne ki zarurat kya hai?" Zikri's spoke in his deep, raspy voice. "Agarwal jail se choot gaya hai. Voh vapas apne kaam par lag sakta hai."
"Dekhiye, hume bhi yeh deal cancel karne mein koi dilchaspi nahi hai." Mr. Pradyuman calmly replied. "Magar kisine voh papers chura liye. Ab jab unka research hi nahi raha toh voh aage kaise yeh vaccine bana sakte hai?"
Zikri gave him a piercing look at which Kabir noticed Arjun clenching his fist.
"Agarwal abhi zinda hai, Pradyuman sahab." Zikri spoke.
"Yah toh aapki yadaash kamzor hai, yah aap apna dimag ghar bhulkar aae hai." Arjun said with a sardonic smile, and everyone tensed, while Zikri looked at him in cold fury. "Yeh research Agarwal ne apne aap nahi kiya tha. Uske saath che aur scientists the. Do ko toh Agarwal khud upar pohocha chuka hai. Teen farar hai aur ek ko toh aapne hi.." He waved vaguely in Zikri's direction, averting his gaze when Kabir glared at him.
"Aap log mujhe pagal mat samjiye." Zikri sneered. "Voh documents apne aap aise hi gayab nahi ho sakte."
"Humare log bhi unhe dhundne mein lage hue hai." Kabir said in anger. "Nuksan sirf aapka hi nahi hua hai, humara bhi hua hai. Samjhe aap?"
Zikri slammed his fist on the table, taking everyone by surprise and abruptly standing up. "Maine iss research mein crore-o rupae lagae hai, samjhe tum? Mujhe mera paisa chahiye, bas!"
Arjun stood up too, looking straight at Zikri and spoke in a chewing tone. "Toh kya humne liye hai aapke paise? Nuksan humara bhi hua hai. Paise humne bhi lagae hai."
"Arjun." Mr. Pradyuman called warningly.
Zikri smirked angrily, looking from one person to another. "Sab samajta hun mai. Aap sab mile hue hai. Lekin aapne galat aadmi se takkar li hai." He pointed at them, hatred swiming in his one good eye. "Walia se kehna uske din bhar gae hai. Ek-ek ko dekh lunga mai."
Mr. Pradyuman snorted. "Jitna tumne kiya hai, usse aur zyada tum kya karoge, Zikri? Tumhara hathiyaron ka dhanda ab bhi humari wajah se chal raha hai yeh bhulna mat tum."
Zikri gave him a dark glare. "Tum achi tarah se jaante ho mai kya kar sakta hun, Pradyuman." He looked at Arjun meaningfully, who barely controlled himself from lashing out thanks to Kabir's hand on his shoulder. "Mujhe uksau mat. Bahot bhari padega tumhe. Aur vaise bhi," he smiled, "unn papers ke saath saath humari agreement bhi khatam hogai hai. Ab dekhna mai aage kya karta hun."
Saying so, he turned around and stormed off, followed by his many men.
Arjun too jerked away Kabir's hand that was still on his shoulder, and without looking at anyone left the room saying, "Mai zara aya."
...
Daya frowned at the screen. "Yeh usi agreement ki baat kar raha hai kya, voh ilake ki?"
Abhijeet nodded, worriedly. "Haan. Kuch saal pehle humare boss Walia ne, Subin ne aur Zikri ne milke ek project mein apne paise daale the. Ek vaccine ke development mein. Jiska head Agarwal tha. Jaise hi voh vaccine banti, Agarwal use hume bechne vala tha. Phir hum unhe dusre deshon mein bech dete. Of course, illegally. Inn teeno ke hi underworld se bahot ache samband hai." He said scratching his forehead.
Daya's frown deepened. "Usne hume yeh sab toh pehle kabhi nahi bataya."
Abhijeet snorted. "Daya ek waqt tha jab yeh teeno ek saath kaam karte the. Lekin phir aapsi anband aur ek dusre ke kaam karne ke tareeke ki wajah se, inn teeno mein darar pad gai. Phir inhone apne aap ke hi independent business shuru kiye. Tabhi yeh vaccine ke project mein paise lagae the. Aur usi mein ek aur agreement bhi sign ki thi."
"Ki yeh teeno ek dusre ke kaam mein dakhal andazi nahi karenge. Na hi kabhi ek dusre ke ilake mein apna business chalaenge." Daya concluded it for him.
Abhijeet gave him a long look before nodding. "Haan. Mutual cooperation."
Daya snorted before becoming serious again. "Zikri ne hume sirf iss agreement ke baremein hi bataya tha. Deal ke baremein nahi. Lekin tum toh sab kuch jaante ho."
"Use shayad zarurat nahi padi hogi, Daya." Abhijeet said. "Yeh agreement aur deal gyarah saal pehle ki gai thi. Uske saath saal baad, jab first test complete hua, toh Agarwal ke team mein se kuch log uske khilaf chale gae. Voh khud 60% le raha tha aur baaki logonko 40% mein nipta raha tha. Internal matters ki wajah se unka kaam kuch waqt keliye ruk gaya. Ek din kisi jhagde ki wajah se Agarwal ne gusse mein aakar unmein se ek ko maar dala. Ya aisa dikhawa kiya. Voh chahta tha ki iss khauf mein baaki ke paanch aadmi bhi chup hojae."
Daya shook his head. "Lekin voh usipar bhari pada. Baaki ne chup hone ke wajah apna mun kholne ki dhamki di, kyun?"
Abhijeet sighed. "Haan. Aur ek toh police tak pohoch bhi gaya tha. Ke Agarwal ne use uske pehle upar pohocha diya. Yeh dekhkar baaki ke aadmi aur bhadak gae. Unhone Agarwal ko bura fasaya. Use police ke hawale kar diya. Lekin usse pehle hi Subin ne unn do lashon ko gayab kar diya tha. Voh nahi chahta tha ki uske paise dube. Laashe mili nahi isliye Agarwal ko baadmein chhoda gaya."
"Aur jisne Agarwal ko andar kiya tha, Zikri ne humse usko marwa diya." Daya spoke with furrowed brows, rubbing his chin as if remembering something. "Abhijeet, jisne uss teesre aadmi ki jaan li, voh mere hi under kaam karta tha uss waqt. Zikri ne mujhse hi kaha tha yeh kaam karne keliye. Aur phir jo baki teen hai unhe dhamkane keliye bhi. Halaki mai vahan khud nahi gaya tha. Apne aadmi bheje the."
Abhijeet scrutinized him. "Aisa kya keh diya ke apna mun band karne ke saath saath voh teeno yeh desh bhi chhodkar chale gae?"
Daya looked at him in shock before beginning to laugh. "Voh log uss wajah se bhag gae? Par manna padega. Akhir tak date rahe yeh log."
Abhijeet shook his head in disappointment. "Voh log toh farar hue hi lekin saath hi saath Agarwal ke research ka namonishan mita diya. Sab storage delete kardi. Copies vagera, sab kuch khatam kar diya. Ek mamuli sa sample bhi nahi chhoda. Yah toh apne saath le gae yah phir.." he shrugged. "Bachi thi toh sirf voh original document. Joh Agarwal ke paas thi."
Daya raised his eyebrow. "Agarwal ko jail se chhote toh sirf ek saal hua hai na, Abhijeet? Aur uska aur Mishti ka kya samband?"
Abhijeet huffed. "Mishti Agarwal ki bhatiji hai Daya." Daya's eyes widened on which Abhijeet just nodded, looking tired. "Uss din Agarwal voh papers Mishti ke through Zikri ko dene wala tha. Zikri ne Subin aur hume dhoka diya tha, Daya. Voh hume raaste se hatakar saare paise khud hi hadapna chahta tha. Jaante ho na inn vaccines ki bazar mein kya keemat hoti hai? Hazaro croreon ka profit hojata use."
Silence engulfed them, in which Daya was trying to come to terms with this new information while Abhijeet was staring at the wall in anger.
After a moment, Daya spoke, "Toh phir Zikri ne tumhari family ko kyun maar dala?"
Abhijeet smiled sadly. "Jab Agarwal ko jail hui tab Boss aur Subin ko dar lagne laga ke kahi voh unka naam aage na kar de. Aur voh Zikri ke iss teesre admi ke qatal ke bhi khilaf the. Yeh toh ek reason tha hi. Magar uss waqt humara bounty hunting ka business bhi kafi acha chal raha tha. Humara area Zikri aur Subin ke area se kai zyada badh gaya tha. Manpower bhi zyada thi."
Daya smiled warmly. "Yeh Rahul, Kabir, Surbhi, inn logone usi time period mein yeh organization join Kiya hoga na?"
Abhijeet nodded wearing a smile too. "Haan. Takreeban teen saal hue honge unn sabko join kiye hue. Agarwal ke bahane Zikri ne jaise iss baat ka badla hi leliya. Lekin uske hathiyaron ke dhande mein bhi hum shamil the, abbhi hai. Hum uske supplier hai. Jiss wajah se voh directly Walia par humla nahi kar sakta tha. Isliye," His eyes lost their focus. "apni dehshad failane keliye uss bhediye ne Walia ke sabse khas admi ko maar dala." He completed with a wet voice.
Daya quietly looked at him. "Tumhare papa."
Abhijeet gulped, looking away but nodding.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the cabin door which startled them both. Abhijeet composed himself before saying, "Come in."
"Abhijeet mai-" Arjun walked in but stopped seeing Daya in the cabin. He fixed Daya with a glare before turning to Abhijeet and saying, "Kuch nahi. Mai baad mein aajaunga."
"Nahi, Arjun ruko." Abhijeet immediately stood up. Seeing Arjun still there, he softened his tone. "Yaar, please..please ruko."
Arjun sighed but remained stoic. "Mai tumhe yahi batane aaya tha ki mai ghar jaa raha hun. Baki kuch nahi."
Abhijeet looked at him in concern. He knew Zikri's visit must have been hard on Arjun. He had seen the way Arjun was acting in that meeting, how upset he looked. So, Abhijeet didn't want to leave him alone.
He looked between Daya and Arjun conflicted but didn't have to make a decision because Daya did it for him.
"Tum jao, Abhijeet. Tumhe Zikri akela chahiye na?" Abhijeet looked at him in surprise but Daya gave him a reassuring smile. "Kabir hai na office mein? Mai usse baat karlunga aaj keliye. Lekin mai use tumhare samne le aaunga. Akele."
He gave Abhijeet a wink just to get under Arjun's skin, making Abhijeet chuckle. Then he gave a mock-salute to a still glaring Arjun and left the cabin, whistling to a tune.
Arjun watched him go with narrowed eyes as Abhijeet closed his laptop and started wrapping his work.
"Tujhe sachmein lagta hai ye yeh kaam kar paega, Chhinu?" Arjun asked, turning his gaze from the door to Abhijeet.
"Aap rehne de, bhaiya. Aapko uspar tabtak yakin nahi hoga jabtak voh uss jaanwar ko aapke samne laakar na khada karde." Abhijeet answered while locking his drawer.
Arjun grimaced. "Hmm. Shayad." With that, he fell silent again.
Abhijeet looked at him and came near him with small steps. Slowly, he placed his hand over Arjun's shoulder and asked, "Tum theek ho?"
Arjun opened his mouth to answer but then jerked his head. "Use dekhkar jee karta hai ki--" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair to calm down himself. "Aaj bhi jaate waqt dhamki de ke gaya hai." He said, staring at the floor. "Suna na tumne?"
Abhijeet shook his head. "Voh kuch nahi karega, Arjun. Tum jaante ho. Walia active nahi hai. Aur uske absence mein iss kaam ki dekh-rekh tum sab karte ho. Voh janta hai. Apna dhanda thodi band padne dega voh."
Arjun looked away. "Mera toh uske naam se hi khoon khaulne lagta hai. Jee kar raha tha ki use vahi ke vahi thok du. Magar.."
Abhijeet tightened his grip on Arjun's shoulder. "Voh bahot jald humare kabze mein hoga, Arjun. Tum please kuch ulta sidha mat karna."
Arjun snorted. "Abhi tak nahi kiya, ab kya karunga?" He shrugged tiredly but after seeing Abhijeet looking at him in concern gave him a small, reluctant smile. "Ghar chale?"
