CHAPTER 4
A/N: Hello guys! Back here to update. Friends, please feel free to let me know if the story is getting boring. I'll try my best to make it as interesting as possible. Please, please, please let me know about it. I seriously won't get offended. To be frank, that is the advantage FF authors have over book authors. Immediate reviews on chapters tell them about what the readers think about the story. So please do let me know.
Here's another chapter. And the main attraction is the first ever Abhijeet – Tanishka convo. Hope you find it a full on dhamaka.
Enjoy reading, guys.
Recap: Tanishka has left for the mission.
One week later –
Rajat was driving towards the airport to pick Tanishka. He stopped at the signal and soon drifted into his pool of thoughts. He remembered how a day before yesterday he had came to know about Tanishka's parentage.
Flashback:
Everyone was updating the data on their own computers as no case had been reported since morning. It was nearly lunch time when a young boy around 22 years old entered the bureau. He had sweet box in his hands.
Boy: "Hello sirs and madams! Mera naam Aravind Mehta. Mujhe Rajat sir se milna hai."
Rajat was in ACP sir's cabin at that time. So Abhijeet went forward to greet him.
Abhijeet: (forwarding his hand) "Hello Aravind. Mai Senior – "
Aravind: "Sir, Senior Inspector Abhijeet ko kaun nahi jaanta! Aap, Daya sir aur ACP sir toh hum sab new recruits ke idols ho. Aur aap toh CID Mumbai ke Sharp Shine ho. Meri toh bas ek hi tamannah hai ki mai bhi aap ki tarah sab kuch apne desh par nichhavar karke har pal apni duty nibhaau."
Abhijeet: (smilingly) "Toh tum new recruit ho forces me. Kaha join kiya hai? Aur Rajat se bhala kya kaam aa pada?"
Aravind: "Sir maine ATS join kiya hai. Aur Rajat sir mere trainer reh chhuke hai academy me. Maine teen saal unhi se martial arts sikhe hai. And he is actually very much versatile in it. Hum sabko bohot bura laga tha jab wo academy chhod kar jaa rahe the. Tanishka toh royi thi unke jaane pe.
Abhijeet: (questioningly) "Tanishka?"
Aravind: "Sir, Tanishka. Uske jaisi ladki toh aapko puri duniya me dhoondne se bhi nahi milegi. She is just 17 right now aur itni jaldi use mission bhi mil gaya. Kya attitude, kya intelligence. Kabhi kabhi toh lagta hai ki woh bas aapki hi carbon copy hai."
By that time, ACP sir and Rajat had came out of the cabin. They had heard Aravind describing Tanishka. ACP and all the team members were looking at Abhijeet who was in a dilemma whether he should be happy that people were admiring and praising the skills of his daughter or should be sad that he was so unfortunate that he, inspite of being her father, was unable to even wish her.
Rajat: "Are Aravind, ab Tanishka ka gungaan band karo. Woh toh hai hi the most special person. (Abhijeet was looking at him confused) Tum batao yeh mithaai kis khushi me?"
Aravind told Rajat about his recruitment in ATS and they talked for a while. Later while leaving –
Aravind: "Sir Vivek bata raha tha ki aap Tanishka se contact me hai abhi bhi. Kaisa chal raha hai uska mission?"
Each and every team member including ACP were looking at him with wide eyes. Abhijeet was fuming with anger.
Rajat: (giving a proud smile) "Bohot acha. Isse jyada nahi bata sakta coz you know the rules."
Aravind nodded and left bidding good-bye to everyone. As Aravind left, Rajat turned to find Abhijeet giving him the most deadliest glare possible. He was confused as to what he had done to achieve that. He tried to ask but Abhijeet left without uttering a word. Rajat looked at ACP and Daya. They just sighed and told him the truth.
Daya: "RAJAT, TANISHKA ABHIJEET KI BETI HAI."
Flashback ends.
Rajat had felt so much dumbfounded at that reveal. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even the signal turning from red to green. It was when the back cars started honking their horns that he came out of his thoughts and drove towards the airport. He reached there to find that Tanishka's flight had already landed and she with the team was waiting there. Then he spotted the IB officer and recognized him as his college friend Nitin. Both of them met and started talking and remembering their college days. Meanwhile, Tanishka was just standing there when she noticed the STF officers talking in low voices pointing towards them.
Officer 1: "Arre, yeh kya? Abhijeet sir nahi aaye Tanishka ko lene?"
Officer 2: "Arre yaar, hum jis din mission ke liye nikale us din bhi toh yahi sir the na jo Tanishka ko academy se see-off karne aaye the."
Officer 3: "Par phir Abhijeet sir kyu nahi aaye? Kya unhe is baare me pata nahi kya?"
Officer 1: "Pata kaise nahi hoga? Aakhir DIG sir ko unse permission toh leni hi padi hogi na Tanishka ko mission par bhejne se pehle. Woh minor jo hai."
Officer 2: "Haa yaar. Par phir woh aaye kyu nahi?"
Officer 4: (smiling slyly at others) "Mujhe pata hai woh kyu nahi aaye honge."
Officers 1, 2, 3: (together) "Kyu?"
Officer 4: "Obvious si baat hai yaar. He surely must be jealous. Unhe aapna naam aur rutba kamaane me kitna samay lag gaya. Aur Tanishka, usne toh aate hi apni chhaap chhod di. Woh bhi bina apne pita ki sifaarish ke bina. Yeh mission bhi mostly usi ki wajah se solve ho paya. Agar woh sahi waqat pe apna bug nikaal ke use jis chair par bandha jaa raha tha uspar nahi lagati toh woh logon ko bug mil jaata aur hum log use aur humare officer ko bhi nahi bacha pate. Yaha tak ki usne info ka backup pendrive bhi banaya tha taaki agar pakade gaye aur pendrive unke haath lag gaya, toh backup to rahega. Itni kam umar me itni investigative intelligence. Obvious hai ki unhe ab apni position ko lekar dar – "
He left his sentence incomplete. Tanishka was glaring at them with blazing eyes. She had adopted not only the iris colour of her father, but also the fire in it. And no one had the courage to reciprocate that gaze, even if the person bearing it was a 17 year old girl. And through this mission, they all had realized one thing about her and that was she was another "Abhijeet Srivastava". She stared at them for a sec or so, picked her bag and left the airport premises heading towards the parking lot. Rajat saw her going angrily and got confused but immediately took a leave from there and followed her. He found her waiting near his car.
Rajat: "Kya hua? Waha se aise kyu chali aayi tum?"
Tanishka: "Kuch nahi. Chale?"
Rajat nodded confusingly. He could see that she was agitated and won't tell him anything if she didn't want to. So he left the topic there. They sat in the car and started their journey. After some time –
Rajat: "Tanu, tumne kabhi bataya nahi ke Abhijeet sir tumhare pita hai?"
Tanishka was first shocked at that question. But then she composed herself as she knew that someday or the other, Rajat would know about it. She just kept looking out of the window. Even Rajat didn't break that silence as he wanted her to compose her thoughts. After a few moments, Tanishka spoke.
Tanishka: "Kya woh jaante hai ki mai aapko kabhi kabhi chhote papa kehke bulaati hu?"
Rajat: (confused at that question) "Nahi. Kyu?"
Tanishka: "Nahi…. Woh….. bas baat yeh hai ki unhe shayad mera aapko waise bulaana pasand na aaye. Lambi kahaani hai. Kisi din fursat me sunaaungi. Bas tab tak unhe yeh baat mat bataayiyega."
Rajat internally smiled at her concern. He knew that there were some problems between Abhijeet and his elder daughter, but he didn't know that that elder daughter was none other than Tanishka. And even after so much bitterness between them, they still cared for each other and took the pain to remember the small things about each other deep down in their hearts. He decided something and changed the route. As Tanishka was too much engrossed in her thoughts, she just didn't notice that. Only when the car jerked to a halt and she looked at the surroundings, did she realized that they were in the CID parking lot. She looked at Rajat with wide eyes.
Rajat: (getting out of the car) "Chalo, ek baar mil lo sabse. Phir mujhe tumhe lekar hospital bhi jaana hai. Dressing change karwani hai na." (Tanishka had received a stomach wound through knife while fighting with the goons in the mission.)
Tanishka: "Mujhe nahi milna. Aur dressing bhi change nahi karwaani. Chaliye na ghar chalte hai. Mujhe waise bhi aapse kuch jaruri baat karni hai."
Rajat: "Mai tumhe puchh nahi raha. Bata raha hu."
Tanishka: (in an earnest tone) "Chhote papa…. Please…."
Rajat: "Usi hak se keh raha hu, Tanu. Mil lo sabse. At least baaki kisi se na sahi, apni maa se hi mil lo. Tumhe pata nahi hai par is ek hafte usne najaane kitne aansu bahaye honge, kitna tadapi hogi woh. Mil lo. Tumhe bhi shayad accha lage."
Tanishka reluctantly agreed and both went inside, ignorant of the fact that someone had heard their conversation and was now boiling with extreme anger. The bureau door opened and all the team members saw Rajat entering. Even Dr. Salunkhe and Tarika were present there for some detailing of the ongoing case. Even Minu was present there. But when they saw the person entering with Rajat, they were all deeply shocked. It had been almost 9 years when they had seen her last. And now, here she was, standing infront of them, in her slender teenage body, an awkward smile and those unmistakable brown eyes which were so much like her father. Tarika just couldn't control herself and ran towards her. She hugged her as much tightly as possible as if she won't leave her now that she had come back. ACP, Daya and Shreya were giving her proud looks. Everyone was holding moisture in their eyes. But Tanishka's eyes were just desperately separating one person. Finally she heard his footsteps in the corridor. She smiled internally that even after so many years she could still recognize him from his approaching sound. But…..
Abhijeet: (while entering) "Aa gayi Jhansi ki rani. Jung jeetke!"
His tone was completely filled with sarcasm. Tanishka was deeply shocked at this. Already the airport conversation was creating clutter in her mind. Also she herself was angry and hurt that he hadn't even called her. Neither before the mission nor after it. And on top of it, now instead of asking her about well-being, mission etc., here he was, giving her sarcastic comments. This was completely beyond her patience limits. She had promised herself that if ever they both came face to face, she won't fight with him. But think so, not reciprocating to such things was not at all in her blood. So even she shot back.
Tanishka: "Jee haan (stressing) sir. Aa gayi hai woh. Jung jeetke bhi aur (looking directly into his eyes. Only she had the ability to stand those fiery eyes) nayi jung ladne bhi."
Daya and Tarika tried to say something as they knew what was coming but Abhijeet stopped them with his hand.
Abhijeet: "Koi jarurat nahi hai kuch kehne ki. Waise bhi aaj-kal mohotarmaa ke par nikal aaye hai. Bohot badi ho gayi hai ab toh, ain. Apne faisle bhi khud lene lagi hai, (looking towards Rajat) naye rishte banane lagi hai. Kyu, sahi kaha na maine, haan?"
Tanishka: (sarcastically smiling) "Haan, haan bilkul. Ab par to nikaalne hi padenge aur apne faisle bhi khud hi lene padenge na. (looking towards Minu) Humare paas kaha koi ghosla hai jisme hum apne aap ko chhipa sake. (Painfully) Jab duniya se akele ladne ke liye chhod hi diya hai toh aadat toh daalni padegi na."
Abhijeet: "Tumne khud apne aap ko humse door kiya hai. Tumne hi humse rishta tod – "
Tanishka: (sharply and with anger) "Kisne kisse rishta toda hai yeh mujhe aapko alag se batane ki jarurat nahi hai. Aap khud hi bohot acche se jaante hai yeh baat. So please mera muh mat khulwaayiye."
Both were looking at each other with fire of anger in their eyes. All of them present there were tongue-tied seeing their avatar. Seeing both of them on verge of bursting out once again, ACP sir signalled Rajat to take Tanishka from there. Rajat nodded and pulled Tanishka towards the door.
Abhijeet: "Haan, haan. Jaao, jaao. Waise bhi sirf Rajat ko toh fikar hai tumhari. Hume toh kuch feel hi nahi hota tumhare liye."
Tanishka: (shouting) "Haan sach me kuch feel nahi hota aapko mere bare me. Jab bachpan me nahi hua toh ab kyu hoga bhala? Aap se bohot acche hai woh. Kam se kam aapki tarah mere achievements se jealous toh –"
She stopped in the middle. What was she saying? She slapped herself mentally. But now the damage was done. All of them including Abhijeet were looking at her dumbstruck. Tanishka….. their beloved Tanu….. their princess…. she carried such bitter thoughts about her father. They hadn't even thought about it in their wildest of dreams. After that, Rajat didn't waste even a single second and dragged her out of the bureau. Even she followed him with down head. Abhijeet too left the bureau without a word. Everyone was just too stressed out to talk about it so they left the matter alone.
Seriously hope that you like it. Please do review and let me know about it.
Thankyou!
