Chapter 7
The next day, Daya was in state of distress. After two long hours of persuasions and pleadings the previous night, he had managed to convince Shreya that he hadn't played a joke on her and that the ring had been really misplaced.
But now something else had started bothering him. He had been sure that the ring was in the box. Where had it gone then? Had someone found it? What if that someone told ACP Pradyuman about it? Daya knew at once that time had come for some drastic action. He messaged Abhijeet that he and Shreya were coming to his place before going to the CID Bureau.
Shreya was still unsure and anxious to reveal to Abhijeet about their relationship but she finally gave in as Daya was in no mood to listen.
Shreya wasn't expecting Tarika at Abhijeet's house and she became even more nervous.
Abhijeet and Tarika seemed to be rather preoccupied and distracted.
'Kya hua Daya? Subah subah Shreya aur tum yaha kaise?' asked Abhijeet.
'Mujhe kuch zaroori baat karni thi. Lekin pehle ye batao ki tum dono itne pareshan kyu lag rahe ho?' asked Daya.
'Wo - main baad me bataunga. Pehle tu bol' said Abhijeet glancing at Shreya.
Daya cleared his throat. Shreya looked nervously from one face to another.
'Abhijeet, maine tumse ek baat chupayi hai. Actually tumhe pata hai ki main tumhe sab kuch bata deta hu par iss mamle me thoda late bata raha hu kyuki jab tak main aur Shreya iske baare me sure nahi the tab tak main kisike kuch bhi kehna nahi chahta tha' said Daya.
Abhijeet and Tarika looked at him. They already knew what he was going to tell them.
'Abhijeet main aur Shreya, hum pyar karte hai ek dusre se. We are in a relationship. Main Shreya ko CID join karne se pehle hi jaanta tha. Lekin tab hum acche dost the. Shreya ke yaha aane se kuch ek mahine pehla hume iss pyar ka ehsaas hua. Lekin tum toh hamare office ke rules jaante hi ho toh humne itne dino se ye baat sabse chupakar rakhi hai. Maine tumhe aur Tarika ko ye baat bohot pehle bata dene wala tha lekin Shreya tum dono ko itna kuch jaanti nahi toh bas wo thodi nervous thi' said Daya.
'I see. Toh ye chakkar hai. Tum dono ka chup chup ke affair chal raha hai' said Abhijeet angrily.
'Sorry sir. Main sachme aapse chupana nahi chahti thi aur main choice nahi kar sakti. Mujhe dono bohot pasand hai, CID ki job aur -' she broke off slightly red faced.
'Aur?' prompted Abhijeet.
'Aur... wo... D - daya sir' she mumbled blushing deeply.
Tarika giggled. Shreya couldn't look up at them.
'Abhijeet, kyu pareshan kar rahe ho yaar use? Already bohot darr gayi thi ye tumse baat karne ke liye' said Daya.
'Maine kaha tha na Abhijeet tumse? Maine pehle din hi pehchan liya tha ki tum dono ke beech kuch toh chal raha hai!' said Tarika.
'Kya? Were we making it so obvious?' asked Shreya looking scandalised.
Tarika laughed. 'Ghabrao mat sirf mujhe hi pata chala hai aur kisiko nahi. Maine notice kiya ki Daya ne tumhara haath kuch jyada hi lambe samay tak pakad ke rakha tha tumhare first day par. Aur yaad hai uss din cafeteria me tum Daya ke side me baithi thi? Tab bhi maine tum dono ko notice kiya. Wo kya hai na aise maamle me main badi tez hu' said Tarika.
'Haan haan pata hai bohot tez ho isliye Abhijeet lattoo ho gaya hai tumpar' said Daya.
'Daya!' said Tarika and Abhijeet in surprise signalling at Shreya.
'Shreya ko maine bata diya hai tum dono ke baare me.' said Daya calmly.
'Kya?' said Tarika and Abhijeet together and Shreya looked away feeling embarrassed.
'It's okay Abhijeet tum trust kar sakte ho uspe. Main usse jaanta hu. Kuch nahi hoga. Jab ACP sir ne usse tum dono par nazar rakhne kp kaha tab usne sabse pehle mujhe hi aakar batay tha' said Daya.
'Thik hai. Phir koi baat nahi. Par Daya yaar tum toh sabse shatir chor nikale! Kitne dino se chal raha hai ye affair? Kisi ko bhanak tak lagne nahi di tune' said Abhijeet.
'Aur Shreya tum bhi! CID me aanese se pehle hi Senior CID Officer ko apna boyfriend bana diya? Not bad huh' said Tarika laughing.
Shreya smiled and found her nervousness gradually vanishing.
'Ab kya batao tumhe Abhijeet! Badi lambi story hai. Phir kabhi bataunga'
'Haan haan thik hai. Lekin wo din ab jyada door nahi mere bhai. Tum dono ko double party deni padegi ab. Ek good news ki aur ek good news chupanane ki punishment' said Abhijeet.
Shreya felt relieved. She had never thought Abhijeet and Tarika would accept their relationship so easily. She found both Tarika and Abhijeet very warm and friendly.
'Ab sirf ek baat ka jald se jald pata lagana hoga ki wo ring gayi kaha. Matlab maine hi galati se kahi gira di hogi toh thik par agar kisi ne li hogi aur agar usne ACP sir se baat kar li toh...' said Daya.
Abhijeet and Tarika exchanged guilty looks and a moment later Abhijeet cleared his throat.
'Daya yaar tujhe ek baat batani thi. Teri ring mere paas hai' he said.
Daya and Shreya stared at Abhijeet, looking shocked.
'Kya? Kya bol rahe ho tum Abhijeet? Ring tumhare paas kaise ho sakti hai?' asked Daya.
Abhijeet then told him everything right from the beginning how Tarika had been suspicious about them and how he and Tarika had followed him when he had gone to Shreya's house and lastly how he had managed to sneak the ring when he had been in ACP sir's cabin.
When he was done, Daya was extremely angry. 'Itna ghatiya mazak kaise kar sakte ho tum dono? Poora birthday spoil kar diya uska! Main maanta hu ki maine tum dono se baat chupayi par iska matlab ye toh nahi na ki tum dono jo mann me aaye karo!'
'Sorry yaar Daya. Sach me hume baad me bohot bura laga.' said Abhijeet.
Shreya didn't know how she was feeling. It hadn't been a great idea for a prank but she remembered how Daya had tried to convince her the previous night and she couldn't help giggling.
'Daya, Shreya, we are really sorry. Humne sirf majak kiya tha. But trust me baad me hume bohot guilty laga' said Tarika.
'Haan Shreya sach me sorry. Bekar me tumhara special din spoil ho gaya hamari wajah se' said Abhijeet
'Nahi Abhijeet sir, Tarika, please...' said Shreya.
'Iske liye khud tum jimmedar ho Daya. Tu toh mujhe apna sabse accha dost maanta hai na toh itni baadi baat tumne chupayi kaise mujhse?' said Abhijeet.
'Maine reasons bataye hai tumhe abhi Abhijeet! Par tune aur Tarika ne milkar itna bada kaand kiya uska kya? Main chodunga nahi tumhe' said Daya and he threw a pillow in Abhijeet's face.
They pillow fight continued for a few minutes amidst shrieks and screams from both of them and laughter from Tarika and Shreya.
'Iska badla main lekar rahunga. Yaad rakhna tu' said Daya finally collapsing on the couch.
After a bit more chatter, he turned to Abhijeet and asked, 'Waise tu kya kehna chahta tha?'
Tarika handed him the envelope which had been found at Abhijeet's doorstep the day before.
'Ab ye kaun ho sakta hai?' said Daya.
'Pata nai yaar. Bureau me se hi koi hoga. Ek baar haath lag jaye na toh chodunga nahi usse' said Abhijeet.
'Par hame jald se jald dhoondhna hoga. Agar ACP sir ko khabar lag gayi na toh musibat ho jayegi' said Daya.
'Agar ye Freddy ya Pankaj ka kaam hai na toh chodunga nahi unn dono ko' said Abhijeet.
'Freddy kyu karega ye sab? Usko toh already sab pata hai tum dono ke baare me' said Daya.
'Waise ek idea hai. Hum pata kar sakte hai ki ye hai kaun' said Tarika.
'Wo kaise?' asked Shreya.
'Fingerprints. Jisne bhi ye likha hoga uske fingerprints hoge na iss paper pe. Humare database me saare CID officers ke fingerprints hai. Security reasons ke liye rakhe jaate hai. Bas uske saath ye fingerprints match karke dekhenge toh pata chal jayega' said Tarika.
'Great idea! Dekha mere saath waqt bitakar kitni intelligent ho gayi ho tum' said Abhijeet smirking.
'Excuse me?! Bohot badi galat famili ho gayi hai tumhe' said Tarika making a face.
'Toh thik hai phir kal subah bureau jate hi tum pata kar lo' said Daya.
'Itna aasan nahi hoga. Salunkhe sir ko pata nahi chalna chahiye. Wo jab bureau me nahi honge tab kar lungi main. Kam se kam fo din ka waqt lagega mujhe' said Tarika.
'Par kisi bhi tarah do din me tumhe ye kaam karna hi hoga Tarika. Humare paas waqt bohot kam hai' said Abhijeet.
'Haan. Main do din me manage kar lungi. Lekin tum log nazar rakhana. Aur normally behave karo jaise ki kuch hua hi nahi ho. Chitthi bhejne wala shayad hamare aas paas hi hoga. Darna nahin hai uske saamne' said Tarika.
'Shreya tumne kya socha hai agar ACP ne tumse mere aur Tarika ke baare me pucha toh kya jawab dene wali ho tym unhe?' asked Abhijeet.
'Ummm bataungi ki shak karne jaisa kuch nahi mila lekin main koshish kar rahi hu' said Shreya.
'Hmm par unhe convincing lagna chahiye tunhara explanation. Tum ACP sir ko jaanti nahi. Bada tez dimag hai unka. Unhe tumpar zara bhi shak nahi hona chahiye' said Abhijeet in a warning tone.
'Don't worry sir. Main dekh lungi' said Shreya.
'Thik hai. Toh chale phir bureau? Late ho jayega' said Daya.
As they drove to CID Bureau, Tarika said, 'Parso Saturday hai na, toh agar hume office se jaldi chutti mil gayi toh hum saath me movie aur dinner karne chale?'
'Haan haan kyu nahi? Best idea hai! Jaroor jayenge' said Daya.
'Meri ek shart hai. Party Daya aur Shreya ki taraf se aur dinner ke time tu teri aur Shreya ke baare me hume sab detail mr batayega - Mulakat kaha hui, propose kisne kiya sab kuch' said Abhijeet.
'Alright!' said Shreya blushing furiously.
Jaywanti arrived at the bureau the same time when Daya, Abhijeet, Shreya and Tarika reached. She stared at the four of them with raised eyebrows.
'Shreya ki inn teeno ke saath itni gehri dosti kaise ho gayi? Abhi abhi toh join kiya hai. Aaj tak main kabhi Daya sir ke saath bureau nahi aayi. Mamla gadbad lagta hai. Mujhe acche se nazar rakhni hogi air ACP sir ko report karna hoga' thought Jaywanti.
O-o-o-o
Rajat kept a close watch on Abhijeet all day and he was surprised to see his Senior so calm. Surely the shock of receiving his and Tarika's photograph should have shown in his face? But no, he appeared normal as if nothing had happened. Maybe, he was purposefully doing so as not to raise suspicions? Rajat couldn't tell. Or maybe... (a thought had just occurred to him) He hadn't seen the photograph. It was quite unlikely but he couldn't rule out that possibility. Maybe he would have to wait a little. And see what would happen the next day.