CHAPTER 3
A/N: Thank you viewers for your such an encouraging support.
Aditi, big thanks for raising these questions. I would really love to answer such questions which I may not be able to clear through the story. As for your first question, I have portrayed Tanishka as a child with extraordinary abilities which gives her a certain amount of maturity (please note that there may be times when she behaves immaturely) about a lot of things, especially things that are related to detection as she has inherited them from her parents. You may surely find many such extraordinary children in and around the world. This is one part of the reason. The second part is that there are many terrorist organizations in the world which recruit and brainwash children of 12 -13 years. So it is my point of view that if the defence ministries of all the nations try to recruit such extraordinary children (only if the children themselves and their parents are interested) then a lot of destruction through the terrorist activities and other activities too can be destroyed. I may not be precise in expressing my views. I am not so good at it. So please understand.
As for your second question, the answer will be revealed through the story only. So just hold your breath and wait for it.
Here's the next update. Enjoy reading.
Recap: ACP and Daya were talking about Abhijeet and drifted back to an incident 5 days ago.
Flaskback:
It was a bright day at the CID bureau as the team was welcoming their beloved Abhijeet sir back. In a shootout that had taken place a week ago, Abhijeet had been shot in the leg and the bullet had caused a crack in his bone. Due to this he was on a full one week bedrest and even after returning he was not allowed to undertake heavy work liking chasing, climbing etc. which meant only desk job at bureau. Living with a strict doctor and an over-protective brother had given him no choice but to accept the advice with a long face.
Just when all the team members were asking about his health, DIG sir entered the bureau.
DIG: "Kaise ho Abhijeet?"
Abhijeet: (bit confused) "Thik hu sir."
DIG: "Good. Pradyuman, tumse kuch baat karni hai. Zara…"
ACP nodded and both of them headed towards his cabin.
Daya: "Boss, lagta hai kisi ke liye mission hai."
Abhijeet: "Mujhe nahi lagta. Mission hota to HQ se ACP sir ko letter aa jata and woh hume batate. Yaha toh DIG sir khud aaye hai. Matlab jarur kuch aur hi masla hai. Waise Rajat abhi ek hafte ke liye mission pe gaya tha na? Kahi uske bareme kuch toh nahi? "
Purvi: (instantly) "Nahi sir woh toh kal raat ko hi aa gaye the. Aur aaj ACP ne unhe chhutti di hai."
Seeing all the team members giving her naughty glances Purvi blushed and downed her head with embarrassment. All of them laughed at her antics. But then why DIG sir was here? All of them were getting tensed with each passing moment as they could see that ACP sir was damn angry at whatever DIG sir had told and on the contrary, DIG sir was quite calmly trying to make ACP understand the things. After about half an hour, both of them came out. ACP sir was looking red and agitated while DIG sir was serious.
ACP: "Pankaj, Salunkhe and Tarika ko phone karo aur unhe foran bureau aane ke liye kaho. Sir (DIG sir looked at him with least interested look) kya aap waakayi me yeh karna chahte hai?"
DIG: "Pradyuman, hum pichle aadhe ghanta se isi baat par behes kar rahe the. Aur maine tumhe waise bhi apna faisla hi sunaya tha, permission nhi maangi thi. And my decision is final and irrevocable until and unless Abhijeet and Tarika deny it."
All the team members turned their attention towards Abhijeet who himself was looking confused at that sentence. Soon enough, Dr. Salunkhe and Tarika entered. Both shot a confused glance at ACP who just averted his eyes. This made them to turn their attention towards the new comer that is DIG.
DIG: "Abhijeet, Tarika, meri baat bilkul dhyaan se aur bina koi sawaal kiya suno. Meri baat ho jaye phir tumhe jo sawaal jawaab karne hai woh kar lena, thik hai? (both nodded confusingly) Good. Abhijeet, ek hafte pehle tumhe HQ se ek mission diya jaanewala tha. Ek gang jo drugs, organs and child trafficking karta hai use pakadne ke liye. Tumhe saath STF ke 4 officers aur (he paused and look around at every face) tumhari beti Tanishka jaane wale the. Chuki tum khud the mission par isliye mai tumhe yeh baat tumhe pehle nahi batayi. Par ab tumhari medical condition dekhte hue tumhe mission par nahi bheja jaa sakta. Isliye tumhari jagah dusre officer ko bheja jaa raha hai jo IB me kaam karta hai. Khair yaha baat tumhari nahi tumhari beti ki hai. Tanishka ko mission par bhejne ke liye hume tumhari permission ki jarurat hai. Let me tell you Abhijeet, is mission par use kisi bhi kisam ki koi takleef ya problem nahi hogi. Use kisi shootout me bhi part nahi lene diya jayega. Darasal us gang me kuch 16 – 17 saal ki ladkiyaan bhi shamil hai and Tanishka ko unhi me include kiya jayega. Use sirf 4 din ke liye disguise me us gang me ghuskar uske addo and jagaho ki info nikal ke waapis aana hai aur phir baaki kaam team sambhaal legi. Mai bata du us gang me humara ek officer already planted hai so use waha koi problem nahi hogi. So kya tum… is sab ke liye permission dete ho?"
The entire bureau was dumbstruck. Tarika was more than shocked. After all, she was a mother. After few moments of silence, everyone started looking at Abhijeet with bated breath. They knew that he would obviously deny as though how much ever they had fought, still Tanishka was not only his daughter but his life. But what he said gave each and everyone present there a deep shock.
Abhijeet: "Sir, kya Tanishka ne is mission ke liye apni razaamandi khud di hai?"
DIG: "Haa."
Abhijeet: "To phir mujhe koi problem nahi hai. Aap use is mission par bhej sakte hai."
DIG marvelled at the way the sharp shine had overpowered the father's emotions. Being in the forces for more than 40 years had given a great ability of reading each and every human and it was this ability due to which he could see that how much that father was controlling himself from bursting out with anger and pain. But still duty was duty. Thinking this he nodded, patted Abhijeet's shoulder and left the place. Everyone took some time to process what had happened. Tarika collapsed on the floor and started crying with voice. Shreya and Purvi were continuously trying to console her but how could that mother be consoled. Other officers including ACP and Daya were looking at Abhijeet painfully who himself had not budged from his place. Seeing Tarika's condition -
Dr. Salunkhe: "Ye tumne kya kiya, haan? Tum khud ek senior officer ho. Jaante ho aise missions me koi kitna hi keh le, jaan ka khatra toh rehta hi hai. Ye sab jaante bujhte hue bhi tum ne us bacchi ko maut ke muh me dhakel diya?"
Abhijeet: (sarcastically) "Woh bacchi nahi hai sir. Apna bhala – bura samajhti hai aur (stressing) apne liye decisions lena bhi jaanti hai."
Dr. Salunkhe: "Personal problems apni jagah hai Abhijeet aur professional kaam apni jagah. Tum kaise use –"
Abhijeet: (shouting) "KYA USNE HUM DONO KO PUCCHNA JARURI SAMJHA? ARE PUCCHNA TOH DOOR USNE TOH HUME YEH BATANA BHI JARURI NAHI SAMJHA KE USE MISSION OFFER HUA HAI. Aap sab mujhe dosh de rahe hai ki maine permission di. Usne bhi toh mission ke liye haa kehke koi mahan kaam nahi kiya hai na. Jaake use sikhaiye na kuch."
Saying this, he left the bureau and building leaving everyone there in tears. He didn't come back after that and since then he was much more quiet than usual.
Flashback ends
Daya: "Sir us din ke baad se Abhijeet ka bartaav hi badal gaya hai. Pehle hi woh dono ek dusre se itne dur ho chhuke hai. Ab aur kitni duriyaan banayenge yeh log? Khair…. (after few moments) Sir, Rajat ne achanak chhutti kyu li?"
ACP: (in low tone) "Woh academy gaya hai. Tanishka se milne."
Daya: (shocked) "Kya? Par Rajat Tanu ko kaise jaanta hai? Use toh yeh tak nhi pata ki Tanu Abhijeet ki beti hai."
ACP: "Rajat Mumbai CID join karne se pehle academy me martial arts trainer tha teen saal ke liye. Usne ek saal tak Tanu ko train kiya hai. Dono kaafi close hai tab se. Tanu toh use "chhote papa" kehke bulati hai."
Daya: (in distressed tone) "Yeh baat Abhi ko pata chalegi to woh naraaz hoga. Usne to Tanu ko jabardasti kar karke mujhe chachu bulaane ko kaha tha. (changing the topic) Waise Tanu aaj mission ke liye nikal rahi hai na?"
ACP: "Haa dopahar tak nikalegi."
Both looked at Abhijeet. Restlessness could be clearly seen from his face. But they couldn't do anything. Both sighed and went to bury themselves into their respective work.
Tanishka had almost packed her essentials. She was just taking things out and keeping them back in to pass her time. Also she was constantly glancing at the watch. Soon she heard the expected knock on her dormitory door. She opened it to find the peon.
Peon: "Rajat sahab aaye hai aap se milne."
She nodded and he went away. She took her bag and went towards the waiting room. The smell of his deo struck her nose as soon as she reached the door of the waiting room. She had always hated it as much as she had hated her father's deo choice. The thought of her father brought a lump in her throat. He hadn't even called nor sent his wishes through any other medium. Had he forgotten her? She jerked her head and saw her chhote papa standing infront of her smiling.
Rajat: "Nervous ho?"
Tanishka: "Nahi. Par aap jarur lag rahe hai."
They started walking towards the main gate as it was already 11:45 and the STF officers were coming by 12.
Rajat: (in concerned tone) "Tanu, mission ke liye haa kehna jaruri tha kya? I mean thodi aur training kar leti toh accha hota."
Tanishka: "Sir, training se sirf knowledge mil sakta hai. Praticals can help us to implement that knowledge. Isliye maine mission accept kiya."
Rajat smiled at her professional tone. He had always admired her for this since their first meet. And that's the reason he always tried to train her more so that he could impart every single piece of knowledge he had. They never realized when they both started sharing an unseen, unknown bond with each other. It was only when he received the joining letter of CID that he saw her crying silently in the far corner of the training ground. She had instantly hugged him when he had placed his hand on her shoulder. And that was the first time she had called her "CHHOTE PAPA". After that moment, she had used that word merely one or two times, but he knew that he had earned a special place in that silent queen's heart. Yes, she was a silent queen as she was much more reserved than him and so he had given this title to her.
In this entire thought process, he didn't even realize when they reached the main entrance. They saw the car carrying the STF officers waiting there.
Rajat: "Chalo then. Bye and all the very best for your first mission, Officer Tanishka."
Tanishka smilingly nodded and turned to leave when she heard him again.
Rajat: "Tanu….. (he walked towards her and kept a hand on her head and said in bit teary tone) Apna bohot khyaal rakhna. Khaane-peene ka, sone-jaagne ka sabka dhyaan rakhna. Aur kuch bhi gadbad lage to please, akele handle karne mat jaana. Kisi ko inform karna. Aur ho sake to mujhse contact me jarur rehna. Thik hai?"
Tanishka kept looking at him for a while. She was secretly expecting someone else's voice in those words, but alas…. She simply nodded while averting her gaze and went to sit in the car. The car left with Tanishka. Rajat kept starring at it till it was out of sight.
