CHAPTER 13

A/N: Hey there, guys. Thankyou so so so much for reviewing my previous chapter so profusely. Really, a heart – felt thanks. I am happy to know that this story holds a very special place in your hearts. And I promise to not let it down. A hard-core promise to all my reviewers.

Now back to the update. Another long one on your kind requests. Enjoy reading.

Recap: Abhijeet is just not ready to accept Tanishka's death.

Abhijeet had abruptly left the bureau leaving everyone in a state of shock. And in that deadly silence, all of them heard a scream.

"TARIKAAA…"

Shreya was constantly patting her cheeks. But Tarika had lost herself to the darkness.

Dr. Salunkhe: (in fearfilled tone) "Daya, gaadi nikalo. Tarika ko hospital le jaana hoga. Lagta hai shock ki wajah se uski halat kharaab ho rahi hai. Jaldi, le chalo ise."

Aryan: (in grim tone) "Baki sab bhi ghar ke liye niklo. Waise bhi is halat me kaam nahi hoga tumlogon se. I deeply regret your loss, Pradyuman. But I can't help. Kal sab mujhe in full duty mode chahiye."

Saying this, he left. Everyone was starring him angrily at his back. ACP sir sighed and ordered Sachin and Kajal to go with Daya, Shreya and Dr. Salunkhe to the hospital. He also told them to keep him posted about Tarika's health. They left. After that, he went to his cabin ordering others to leave for the day and sat tiredly on his chair. And then he broke down. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up with teary eyes to find Rajat standing there.

ACP: (cryingly and in broken voice) "Yeh kya… kya ho gaya, Rajat? Kaha kal subah hum is baat ki khushi mana rahe the ki…. ki Abhijeet aur Tanishka ke bich sab thik hone wala hai. Aur kaha aaj yeh sab…. Abhijeet toh… woh toh is baat ko manne ko hi tayyar nahi hai ki Tanu ab…. Tanu ab humare bich…. Kya kasoor tha dono ka, Rajat, kya kasoor tha? Kyu bhajwaan ne yeh…. sazaa… sazaa di undono ko? Kyu?"

Rajat: (controlling his tears) "Sir… sir, sambhaaliye apne aapko. Agar…. agar aap aise tut gaye toh…. toh Abhijeet sir ko kaun sambhaalega? Aapko strong hona hoga sir…. unke liye. Please sir… sambhaaliye."

ACP: "Tum mujhe khud ko sambhaalne ke liye keh rahe ho, par kya tum khud sambhal paye ho is sab se?"

Rajat averted his eyes. Yes, in those two years, he had started feeling more than care for Tanishka. And when she had called him "chhote papa" for the first time, he had felt like the entire world was at his command. She was the one to give him the honour of being her father, or to be precise, her godfather. All those thoughts brought a stream of fresh tears in his eyes. He left the cabin. ACP sir sighed and threw his head back on the headrest.

Abhijeet was sitting on his favourite spot on the beach. All his memories with Tanishka were one – by – one passing through his mind.

TERE MERE DIL…..

JARA JARA TUTE TOH HAI…

TER MERE DIL….

JARA JARA RUTHE TOH HAI….

He remembered the day when she had for the first time though unknowingly had prepared his favourite dish bhindi masala for him. How heavenly he had felt when he had come to know about it. It was at that time that he had realized that now his sweet angel had grown up into a beautiful maiden and that soon enough he would be marrying her off and biding her farewell. That thought had brought so much tears in his eyes. The tears of joy as well as the tears of pain. Joy of wedding off his daughter which was the biggest joy in a father's life. Pain of sending his daughter into an unknown house where she would have to adjust, adapt and mould herself. But today's one moment had shattered all those happy dreams. Two precious drops ran down his cheeks.

TERE MERE DIL….

JARA JARA TUTE TOH HAI…

TERE MERE DIL…

JARA JARA RUTHE TOH HAI…

KYU AISA HAI YEH KYA JAANE….

KYA DIL KO HUM NA PEHCHAANE…

KYA HUM RAHE BAS ANJAANE…

JARA SOCHE TU…

JARA SOCHU MAI YEH KABHI….

SAARI JO KAHAANIYAN HAI…

TERI MERI KITNI ADHURI SI….

PURI… HONGI KAISE YEH….

JARA SOCHE TU…. SOCHU MAI….. YEH BHI TOH KABHI…..

Two recent and sweet memories flashed across his mind. One before the raid and one after it.

1st Flashback: Before the raid –

ACP sir and Aryan had wished Abhijeet and the team luck. So had Dr. Salunkhe and Tarika. Abhijeet and his team came down to the ground floor to find Tanishka standing there with the support of the wall. As all came, she looked up.

Tanishka: "All the best everyone. May the odds be in your favour."

All: "Thanks Tanishka."

Abhijeet: (noticing the low and unenthusiastic tone) "Tumlog jaake gaadi me baitho, mai aaya."

Everyone smiled secretly and left. Abhijeet kept starring at Tanishka for a while who didn't seem to be interested in reciprocating his gaze. Finally, Abhijeet sighed and tried to leave but stopped feeling a restriction on his hand. He looked to find Tanishka holding it. She looked up and Abhijeet was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

Tanishka: (in teary but composed tone) "Apna… apna dhyaan rakhiyega, Papa."

The tone sent chills down Abhijeet's spine. Tanishka had never, ever treated him like that before a raid, earlier. How much ever they fought, she was the one whose enthusiastic wishes always made him take the raid to success confidently. But today that enthusiasm was missing. Tanishka looked down, but didn't seem to leave his hand. Abhijeet softly removed her hand, took it in his left hand and pulled up her chin with his right hand.

Abhijeet: "Fikar nahi karo. Sab thik hoga, hmm… Hum yeh raid successful karke hi lautenge."

Though Abhijeet said this to her, he himself wasn't sure about it. He had seen Tanishka's eyes trying to convey something to him, since the raid had been decided. But it was today that he had got the answer to that something. Tanishka was not confident about this raid, as she used to be for others. She didn't want it to get conducted in the first place. But now it was too late. He couldn't back off now. With these thoughts, he left for the raid but got the result what Tanishka had predicted.

Flashback Ends

2nd Flashback: After the raid –

Abhijeet was standing in the balcony of his room. The thoughts of his failure in the raid were haunting him. How much ACP sir and Aryan sir had trusted him with it. But he had broken their trust. He had felt it in the words of Aryan sir. He was busy in thinking this, when felt someone sliding a hand in his hand. At first, he thought the person to be Tarika. But then he remembered, that while leaving the bureau, Tarika had got a call from her father, telling her that her mother was not well. So she and Shreya were going to stay with them overnight. Daya had gone to drop them at Tarika's house. So who was it? He turned around to find Tanishka holding his hand with a light smile. He was surprised but felt a sooth which he had been missing since so many years. Tanishka tugged his hand and indicated him to sit on the bed silently. As he had changed after coming home and was in his half-sleeves T-shirt, the wound on his hand causing by brushing of a bullet was quite visible. The bleeding had stopped but the area was a bit swollen.

Tanishka took the first-aid box, removed cotton and Dettol and started cleaning the wound. Abhijeet kept starring at her for a while and then averted his gaze.

Abhijeet: (in low tone) "Tumhe pehle se pata tha na ki yeh raid successful nahi hogi?"

Tanishka: "Aap hi kehte ho na ke jaldbaazi me kiya gaya koi bhi kaam thik se nahi hota."

Abhijeet: "Jaanta hu. Maine jaldi kar di. Mujhe tho – "

Tanishka: "Aapko sara dosh apne sir pe madhne ki jarurat nahi hai. ACP sir aur Aryan sir aapke senior hai. Aapse jyada experience hai unke paas. Unko bhi yeh baat samajhni chahiye thi. So galti unki bhi utni hi hai, jitni aapki."

Abhijeet kept mum at it and started starring the floor. Tanishka looked up at him and felt sad noticing his dull face. She was used to seeing it beaming with confidence.

Tanishka: (softly) "Aap yehi soch rahe hai na ki agar aapka yeh jaldbaazi me liya gaya faisla team me se kisi ki jaan pe ban aata toh kya hota?"

Abhijeet looked at her with shock. Tanishka laughed softly seeing his expressions. Even Abhijeet smiled seeing her laughing. It seemed ages ago when they had last shared a smile.

Tanishka: "Pareshaan mat hoyiye. Jo hota hai achhe ke liye hi hota hai. Chalo… (in serious tone) is raid se hume yeh baat toh pata chali ki koi hai humare bich jo unlogon tak humari khabare pohoncha raha hai."

Abhijeet: "Haa, par kaun? Team se koi gaddari nahi karega is baat ki guarantee mai khud de sakta hu. Khabariyon ko is plan ka kuch bhi nahi pata tha, toh woh log bhi nahi ho sakte. Toh phir bacha kaun?"

Tanishka: (in meaningful tone) "Aapko sach me kisi par bhi shak nahi hai?"

Abhijeet: (confusedly) "Tum kehna kya chahti ho, Tanu?"

Tanishka: "Kuch nahi. Sahi waqt aane par aapko sab pata chal jayega. Par tab tak ke liye aap please savdhaan rahiye. Apne aas – paas nazar rakhiye. Koi bhi baat kisi ke bhi saamne soch – samajhkar boliye. Mai apni aur se jitni ho sake aapki madat karne ki koshish karungi, par don't be dependent on me. Shayad mai jyada aapke kaam na aa pau. Aapko yeh sab khud hi dekhna hoga."

Abhijeet: (getting suspicious at her tone) "Chal kya raha hai, Tanu? Tum kya bol rahi ho mujhe kuch samajh me nahi aa raha. Aur mai akele kyu sab handle karunga? Team toh hogi hi na mere saath."

Tanishka: (getting up) "Team har waqt aapka saath nahi de payegi, Papa. Sach pata chalne par aapko akele hi aage badhna hoga. Tab shayad mai aapka saath na de pau. Khair… woh sab baad me dekh lenge. Mai… mai haath dhokar aati hu."

She went scratching her hands. Abhijeet thought of asking her more but knew that she won't tell him anything, if she didn't want to. Suddenly his eyes fell on the first-aid box and the Dettol bottle there. And he jumped. What the hell? How could she be so careless? Even he didn't pay attention. He started waiting for her to come out.

Tanishka came out of the washroom to find her father giving her a tough glare. She was confused as to what had happened to bring this sudden change in his behaviour. Then she saw the Dettol bottle in his hand and understood. She smiled sheepishly and downed her head.

Abhijeet: (bursting out) "Haso mat. Colgate ki ad dene ko nahi kaha hai maine tumhe. (He pulled her hand and made her sit on the bed. He himself started searching the medicine box for the appropriate ointment) Pata hai na ki tumhe antiseptics ki allergy hai. Toh dhyaan nahi rakh sakti? Nahi, kyu rakhna hai? Papa hai na. Papa rakhenge dhyaan, hum thodi rakhenge?"

He found her cream and started applying it on her fingers where had turned completely red by now. He suddenly heard sniffling voices. He looked up to find her looking outside while tears were making their way down her cheeks. Abhijeet turned her face towards himself.

Abhijeet: "Kya hua? Papa ne jyada daant diya apni gudiya ko?"

Tanishka kept looking at him for a while before answering.

Tanishka: "Nahi…. woh… bohot dino baad…. aisi daant suni…. jisme…. nafrat nahi pyaar chhipa ho."

Abhijeet was taken aback. All the memories till now flooded their minds. Abhijeet left Tanishka's face and downed his head.

Abhijeet: "Papa se bohot naraaz ho?"

Tanishka couldn't stand it anymore and tried to leave, but Abhijeet held her wrist.

Abhijeet: "Tumne jawaab nahi diya, Rani."

Tanishka: "Jab mujhe khud is sawaal ka jawaab nahi pata, toh mai aapko kya jawaab du? Khair… (she rubbed off her tears with the back of her hands) mai khaana bana deti hu. Daya chachu ke aate hi kha lenge."

Abhijeet: (leaving her hand) "Nahi, rehne do. Maine Daya se keh diya hai ki aate waqt bahar se khaana le aaye. Tumhare haath me bhi rashes aa gaye hai. Is halat me gas, chhuri wagera ko haath lagane ki jarurat nahi hai. (to turn the situation light) Aur waise bhi aaj tumhari maa ghar par nahi hai toh fayda uthane do is baat ka."

Tanishka smiled at that comment. She knew that both her mothers were fitness – freaks, which left very little scope for her father and chachu to lay their hands on junk food. And they always cribbed about it in front of her mothers. Suddenly they heard the door clicking open.

Abhijeet: (smilingly) "Lo… naam liya aur bhukkad sahab haazir. Chalo, dekhte hai kya laya hai woh."

That day, Abhijeet had himself fed Tanishka due to the allergy on her hands. How heavenly he had felt at that moment. Even Daya was watching them with moist eyes.

Flashback Ends

The two tears had been followed by a never – ending stream. Abhijeet broke down holding his face in his hands. He calmed down after a while. He had to stay strong. Tanishka's warning that she gave that night was now ringing profusely in his mind. He stood up and looked around to find that it was already dusk. He immediately left for the house.

Tarika had been brought home. She was under sedation as doctor had told Daya and Shreya that she needed mental rest at that time. The shock of losing her part of body, her soul was too much for her. Daya was constantly trying Abhijeet's number but it was switched off. Suddenly the front door opened and Abhijeet entered. Though he was looking composed, his eyes were showing what pain he had gone through alone. Daya, who was just going to burst out on him, immediately shut himself up seeing his condition.

Abhijeet: (in hoarse voice) "Tarika kaha hai? Thik hai na, woh?"

Daya: "Tumhare jaane ke baad woh behosh ho gayi thi. Hospital le gaye the use. Doctor ne kaha hai ki Tanu ki….. Tanu ki…. ma… maut ka gehra asar hua hai uspar. Sedate kiya hai use aur ghar le aaye hum phir. Apne kamre me so rahi hai woh. Shreya baithi hai uske paas."

Abhijeet nodded and started towards his room when Daya held his hand. Both looked at each other and at the very next moment, Daya engulfed his buddy in his hug who immediately broke down again in that soothing place. Daya kept patting Abhijeet's back silently while himself letting his own pain vent out. Both stayed in that hug for a while after calming down. Daya left Abhijeet and asked him to wash his face. Abhijeet went into Daya's room and washed his face. Daya too washed his own face after Abhijeet. Both were leaving Daya's room when Abhijeet's eyes fell on Tanishka's room. He wanted to go in, but controlled himself as he knew that Tarika needed him more right now. He had to be strong in front of her. He went to his room. Shreya was sitting beside Tarika, softly weaving her hair and simultaneously sobbing silently. She looked to find Daya and Abhijeet entering. She ran and hugged Abhijeet tightly and started crying with voice. Abhijeet hugged her back. After sometime, she calmed and separated herself.

Shreya: "Doctor ne heavy sedative diya hai. Tariko ko raat tak hi hosh aayega. Aap… aap thik hai?"

Abhijeet: (strongly) "Thik toh rehna hi hoga, na. Case jo solve karne hai kalse. Apni beti ko insaaf bhi toh dilana hai. Chhodunga nahi mai unlogon ko."

Daya patted his shoulder determinedly assuring him that he too was there with him in this. With this, Daya and Shreya left. Abhijeet went and sat beside Tarika. He looked at her pale face. Tanishka had looked so much like her mother. Same face, same dimple – filled smile. Only she had had his eyes. Oh, not only those eyes, but also the fire in them, the sharp shine attitude and the famous angry young man personality. He smiled painfully. He put his hand in his coat pocket to remove the car keys when felt something along with it. He removed it to find a piece of paper which was not there before. Then he remembered that while leaving the beach he had bumped into a 22 – 23 year old boy. Abhijeet understood that it must be him who had put that paper in his pocket, but why? He looked at the paper and was shocked beyond words. On the paper was drawn a rose with a black pen. It was a danger mark actually devised by him and Tanishka when she was almost 2 years old as she was good at drawing. Why was it given to him now? He turned it around to find wrong spelling formation in Tanishka's handwriting which went as follows:

1. CFMPX CFETIFFU

2. OFBS UBCMF MBNQ

3. CFMPX EVTUCJO

What did that mean? His officer instincts alerted him. He looked around. As Tarika was sleeping, Shreya had drawn the curtains of the balcony. Even the door had been locked by them before leaving. So there was presumably no one around. He immediately took a pen and his diary and sat down at the study table to decode the words. Being a sharp officer with brains faster than the computer, he decoded them in no time. They were such that the letters coming before the given letters of the word were forming a meaningful word. The codes were:

BELOW BEDSHEET

NEAR TABLE LAMP

BELOW DUSTBIN

Abhijeet's POV: "Yeh Tanu mujhse chahti kya hai? Inka kya matlab ho sakta hai? Kaunsa bedsheet? Kaunsa table lamp? Kaunsa dustbin? Bureau, ghar, bedroom….. Are haan, bedroom. Us din Tanu mere kamre me aayi thi. Clue bhi mujhe hi diya hai. Kahi yahi toh nahi?"

He immediately checked the respective places to find three different pieces of papers. But these papers were different. They had been torn out of some books. The books were The Bone Collector, Final Decision & Perilous Cases of Dan Brown. He removed the books from his book shelf. The pages were from his books only. He looked behind those papers. They contained the following date type numbers. (the numbers are given as the books have been mentioned.)

03. 06. 12

12. 02. 32

01. 09. 78

Abhijeet's POV: "Ab inka matlab kya hoga? Dates toh hai nahi, kyuki saal 2032 aur saal 2078 toh aaye hi nahi hai. Toh phir? Hey bhagwaan…"

He started flipping the book pages while thinking about the numbers. Suddenly the page numbers caught his attention. Yes, page numbers. But which one was the page number? Or whether all of them were page numbers? No, not all of them could be page numbers. Then he realized. The other two were para and line numbers. He carefully looked at the numbers again. Yes, the first one was line no., second para no., and third page no. He flipped the respective book to that page, the para and the line. He noted down the lines in his diary. The three lines were:

It is all connected.

Our mobiles and landlines are being tapped.

Our computers have been hacked and we are being watched.

Abhijeet closed his eyes to let the tears fall. Tanishka's words echoed in his mind.

"Mai apni aur se jitni ho sake utni aapki madat karne ki koshish karungi."

Abhijeet: (murmuring to himself) "Tumne bohot madat ki hai, Tanu, bohot madat ki hai. Sahi kaha tha tumne. Bureau me hi gaddar chhipa hua hai. Aur woh kaun hai uska andaaza bhi mujhe aa gaya hai. Thankyou meri bachhi, I am proud of you my jaan, proud of you."

Hope you like it, guys. Please read and review.

By the way, Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all. Because next update will be after it. Till then stay tuned.

Thankyou!