Chapter 8

'Kuch khaas pata nahi chala... hmmm... Shreya kya tum ye kaam thik se kar rahi ho? Kahi aisa toh nahi ki tum mujhe jaan bhujkar aisa keh rahi ho?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Nahi sir! Main bhala aisa kyu karungi?' said Shreya sounding strangely high pitched.

'Nahi... aaj kal bohot ghul mil rahi ho Daya, Tarika aur Abhijeet ke saath tum' said ACP Pradyuman remembering what Jaywanti had told them about seeing them together.

'Sir, nahi... aise koi baat nahi hai' said Shreya not meeting his eye.

'Thik hai tum jao. Lekin kuch pata chale toh mujhe jaroor batana' said ACP Pradyuman.

O-o-o-o

Some time later, in cafeteria -

'Lekin mujhe ye samajh me nahi aata ki ACP sir ne hume dekh kaise liya? Kyunki jab hum charo saath me bureau aaye the uss din tab toh unki car parking me nahi thi' said Abhijeet.

'Haan, woh to uss din bohot late aaye the' said Daya.

'Mujhe shayad tum logon ke saath jyada time nahi bitana chahiye. Unhe shak toh hoga hi na? Main nayi nayi aayi hu. Sabse pehle meri dosti mere saath wale colleagues se honi chahiye na ki tum seniors se' said Shreya.

'Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai. Dosti aur pyar kisise bhi ho sakta hai' said Daya smirking.

'Daya har baat me majak karna band karo. Tum log ka toh thik hai. Tum itne saalo se kam kar rahe ho CID me. Mujhe to ACP sir kabhi wapas nahi lenge' said Sherya looking terrified.

'Shreya itna panic hone ki koi baat nahi hai. Hum sab hai na tumhare saath.' said Tarika with a reassuring smile at her.

'Mujhe Shreya ki baat sahi lag rahi hai. Shayad ACP sir ne mere piche bhi koi laga liya hai' said Daya.

'Par kaun ho sakta hai?' said Abhijeet.

'Pata nahi.' said Daya.

'Aur ab ye photo wali nayi musibat khadi ho gayi hai. Tarika tumne pata kiya fingerprints se?' asked Abhijeet.

'Nahi. Jab tak Salunkhe sir lab se bahar nahi jate main kuch nahi kar sakti. It's too risky. Aur aaj kal toh wo shayad 12 baje ke baad hi nikalte hai lab se' said Tarika.

'Ek kaam karte hai. Raat ko chori chupe lab me aake pata kar lenge' said Daya.

'Par uske liye unke nikalne ka samay thik se pata karna padega.' said Tarika.

'Hum kal kar sakte hai! Dekho kal toh hum sab movie jaa rahe hai na? Toh late night show khatam hone ke baad yaha aayenge' said Shreya.

'Haa ye accha idea hai' agreed Abhijeet.

'Thik hai. Plan is on. Ab upar bureau chale?' asked Daya.

O-o-o-o

The next day -

ACP Pradyuman had asked Jaywanti to deliver a case file to Shreya. It was late in the evening and Shreya was the only one sitting in the bureau.

Jaywanti approached her desk. Shreya had been busy talking to someone over the phone and hadn't noticed Jaywanti behind her.

'Late kyu ho raha hai unhe?'... 'oh accha'... 'haan bas nikal hi rahi hu'... 'shut up!'... 'Haan... nikalne toh do mujhe bureau se' ... 'haan bohot jaldi aati hu' said Shreya and disconnected the call, a smile across her lips.

Jaywanti was quick enough to see the name of the caller on the dialling screen and she got a shock of her life. Trying to contain her excitement, she cleared her throat making Shreya jump.

'T - tum? Tum kab aayi?' asked Shreya.

'Bas abhi' said Jaywanti smiling innocently.

'Kuch kaam tha?' asked Shreya.

'Haan, ACP sir ye ye file dene ke liye kaha tha' said Jaywanti.

'Oh! Thank you.' said Shreya stuffing the file in her bag.

'Ek request karni thi choti si' said Jaywanti.

'Kya?' asked Shreya.

'Kya tum mujhe ghar tak chod sakti ho? Mere paas vehicle nahi hai actually' said Jaywanti.

'Ummm... waise toh kuch problem nahi tha par aaj mujhe ghar jane se pehle ek kam ke liye jaana hai' said Shreya.

'Kaisa kaam?' asked Jaywanti.

'Meri ek dost ka kuch personal kaam hai.' said Shreya.

'Oh, thik hai koi baat nahi main chali jaungi cab se' ssid Jaywanti.

'Cab mil to jayegi na? Sorry main thodi jaldi me hu nahi toh main chod deti tumhe' said Shreya.

'Are sorry kyu bol rahi ho? It's okay' said Jaywanti smiling at her.

Shreya waved her goodbye and hurried off heaving a sigh of relief. She couldn't obviously tell Jaywanti that she was going to Daya's place. She hoped the reason which she have sounded convincing enough.

But Jaywanti was not to be fooled. She knew whom Shreya had been talking to and whom she had gone to meet. She was amazed. Nobody could have guessed considering the way they acted around each other. However now she was in a dilemma. One mind was telling her to run to ACP sir and break the news to him. But what if she was wrong? It would have a terrible impact. Jaywanti was sure that Shreya was talking to him but what if it was just a casual phone call?

'No... but that can't be... agar aisa nahi hota toh Shreya jhooth nahi bolti... jaroor kuch na kuch gadbad hai. Mujhe ACP sir se jaakar abhi baat kar leni chahiye. Itna accha mauka shayad phir kabhi na mile' thought Jaywanti.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked ACP Prdayuman's door.

'Come in' he called.

'Sir, mujhe aapse kuch jaroori baat karni hai' said Jaywanti.

'Ha kaho?' said ACP Pradyuman.

'Mujhe aapko kuch batana hai... Daya sir aur Shreya ke baare me' said Jaywanti.

O- o-o-o

'Abhijeet! Kitna awaj kar rahe ho?' snapped Tarika as they climbed the stairs.

'Koi nahi hai yaha Tarika. Sab ghar chale gaye' said Abhijeet in a bored voice.

'Tum itne confidently kaise bol sakte ho? ACP sir aur Salunkhe sir ka kuch keh nahi sakte. Workoholics hai dono bhi' whispered Tarika as they reached the desired landing.

'Dekha? Forensic lab locked hai' said Abhijeet.

'Thank god' murmured Tarika as she removed the keys from her jeans pocket.

'Ab jaldi se dekh lo aur phir nikalte hai yaha se' said Abhijeet.

'How can you be so indifferent? Ye sab hum dono se related hai! Hamare liye chal raha hai ye sab kuch' said Tarika.

'Haan haan pata hai par mujhe wo film dekhni thi yaar. Daya aur Shreya aaram se dekh rahe honge film, popcorn ke saath' said Abhijeet.

'I doubt' said Tarika giggling. 'Wo dono jab akele hai tab film dekhne me kyu interest hoga?'

'Sahi baat hai' Abhijeet laughed.

'Bas dus minute ab' said Tarika. 'Phir hume pata chal jayega kaun hai wo'

O-o-o-o

At Daya's home -

'Salunkhe sir jaldi chale gaye aaj. Isliye Abhijeet ne kaha ki wo aur Tarika thodi der baad aayenge' said Daya.

'Hmmm... I hope unhe jald pata chal jaye ki photo kisne bheja tha. Aur wo jo koi bhi hai, usse to Abhijeet sit chodenge nahi' said Shreya.

'Waise tumhe itni der kyu hui aane me?' asked Daya.

'Hum phone pe baat kar rahe rhe tab Jaywanti aayi. Kab aakar mere piche khadi ho gayi kuch pata nahi chale. I hope usne hamari baat nahi suni hogi' said Shreya.

'Suni bhi toh usse kya pata tum mujhse baat kar rahi thi? Laga hoga ki tunhara koi dost hai. Ab dost se baatein karna thodi mana hai? Aur wo kaha inform karne wali hai ACP sir ko' said Daya. 'Relax. Kuch nahi hoga'

'Jaywanti ke paas gaadi nahi thi toh wo chahti thi ki main usse ghar tak chod du. Maine mana kar diya usse koi bahana bana kar. Phir traffic jam me phas gayi' said Shreya.

'Thik hai. Waise bhi Abhijeet aur Tarika ko to aaneme der hogi. Toh kyu na akelepan ka fayda utha le?' said Daya leaning closer to her.

'No way!' said Shreya pushing him on the couch.

'Kitni unromantic ho tum!' Daya complained. 'Pehle toh aise nahi thi. Jab se bureau join kiya hai tabse sirf dur bhagti rehti ho mujhse'

Shreya laughed. 'Pehle thoda romantic mahol to bana le?'

Daya watched as she put the DVD on and dimmed the lights.

'Not bad' said Daya winking at her as she flopped down next to him on the couch, leaning closer to his arm.

O-o-o-o

'Kya tumne sach me Daya ka naam dekha tha?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Haan sir. Mujhe pakka yakeen hai ki maine Daya sir ka hi naam dekha tha' said Jaywanti. 'Sir kyu na hum Daya sir se call karke puch le ki wo iss waqt kaha hai?'

'Usse kaam nahi banega Jaywanti tum samajh nahi rahi ho. Aur jab main khud nahi dekhta hum kisise kuch nahi keh sakte' said ACP Pradyuman.

'Par sir, agar Daya sir ghar pe nahi hue toh? I mean wo aur Shreya kahi bahar chale gaye hoge toh?' asked Jaywanti.

'Ek baar uske ghar jaakar dekh lete hai' said ACP Pradyuman.

O-o-o-o

'Kya?! Ek bhi fingerprint nahi hai?' said Abhijeet.

'Actually mujhe pehle se doubt tha. Aur ab to shak aur saaf ho gaya hai ki ye koi CID officer ka hi kaam hai' said Tarika.

'Wo kaise?' asked Abhijeet.

'Koi aur hota toh wo shayad fingerprints ke baare me itna nahi sochta. Par agar wo ek CID officer hai toh usse ye dhyan me aaya hoga ki hum fingerprints se uss tak pohoch sakte hai. Isliye usne gloves pehenke ye photo tumhe bheja hai' said Tarika.

'Ho kaun sakta hai yaar ye?' said Abhijeet.

'Khair ye toh sochna padega. Ab yaha ka kaam ho gaya hai toh hum Daya ke ghar chale?' asked Tarika.

'Haan chalo... lekin ab iss mystery man ya woman ka pata jald se jald lagana padega' said Abhijeet.

O-o-o-o

ACP Pradyuman and Jaywanti climbed upstairs towards Daya's house.

'Sir! Darwaza toh khula hai' whispered Jaywanti.

'Shayad thik se band nahi kiya hai. Ye toh aur bhi acchi baat hai. Follow me' said ACP Pradyuman.

In the living room, Daya was resting against the arm of the sofa and Shreya was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest. His left hand was on her waist and her left hand on his left thigh. Their right hands' fingers were entwined and they were completely engrossed in the movie. They didn't hear ACP Pradyuman and Jaywanti enter the house.

When ACP Pradyuman peeped inside the living room, he froze for a minute looking at Daya and Shreya. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Daya whom he had trusted more than his own son had betrayed him, outsmarted him! Anger rose inside him and he stepped inside, Jaywanti following close behind.

'Wah re wah! Yaha toh do do romantic filme chal rahi hai, kyu Daya!' said ACP Pradyuman.

Both Daya and Shreya jumped apart and looked in the direction of the voice.

'ACP sir!' Daya exclaimed.

'Haan Daya, main!' said ACP Pradyuman. 'Kya chal kya raha hai yaha?'

'K - kuch nahi sir. Bas movie dekh rahe the aur kuch nahi.' said Daya averting his eye.

'I see' said ACP Pradyuman in a steely voice. 'Aur Shreya tum! Acha farz nibhaya tumne, mujhse jhooth bolkar!'

'Sir aise baat nahi hai... please aap meri baat sun lijiye-'

'CHUP! Ab sirf main bolunga aur tum sunoge!' said ACP Pradyuman.

'Sir' Jaywanti tapped him lightly on his shoulder. 'Mujhe lagta hai yaha aur bhi koi hai. Mujhe awazein sunai de rahi hai... shayad Abhijeet sir hai!'

'Kya?!' Daya and ACP Pradyuman said together.

'Shit! Abhijeet sir aur Tarika!' Shreya whispered in Daya's ear.

'Sir meri baat -'

'CHUP RAHO DAYA! Aaj tum sab log pakde jaoge. Aaj kisiko nahi chodunga main' said ACP Pradyuman.

As Daya and Shreya waited with bated breath, their hearts hollering against their chests, Abhijeet and Tarika came into view, walking hand in hand.

'Yaar Daya wo fingerprints mile hi nahi... pata nahi kaun aisa majak kar raha hai humare saath' said Abhijeet as he walked inside.

Tarika saw ACP Pradyuman and Jaywanti looking at them and froze. She nudged Abhijeet hard in the ribs and he stopped talking.

'Ye - ye sab chal kya raha hai' he stammered, looking at tense faces of Daya and Shreya.

'Aao, Aao Abhijeet... bas tumhara hi intezar tha' said ACP Pradyuman with a gleeful smile.