He had awaited this moment with fear, he had feared this reaction and something may be even harsher. But the slap had turned out to be the speaker of that pain, of that hurt, of those fearful moemnts of all these people…or may of those painful moemnts that this man had alone went through. It was a harsh slap, but it had love embossed on it. It touched his cheek harshly but provided an unknown sooth to his heart, a beautiful fearless smile to his face.

He turned to face him again, looking in his old and tired eyes. Another slap threatened to injure his heart when a strong official hand grabbed it tightly with..

"Pradyuman…"

The two other faces emerged out from the back of that man who stood there in silence, just staring at the face of that person who had slapped him hard. Those two were there all the time but they couldn't notice them being highly engrossed in the other person.

Acp sir looked at that hand and then towards it's owner who left it and ordered…

"pankaj ek glass paani lao (Pankaj nodded coming out of his shock with that strict commanding voice), daya Salunkhe ko bhi bulalo yahan…"

The man signaled something else to freddy too, who after nodding placed some chairs around the round table that was present in the middle of the bureau.

The man with official tone in his voice said in a yet soft tone.. "pradyuman, chalo.."

But Acp sir was far away from that call, he was just staring at the person standing in his front. The person turned his gaze down unable to meet those teary strong old eyes. He just said in low tone…

"sir aap humari baat…(looking up again) ek baar.."

Acp sir just looked at him angrily. The man did nothing but to stare down.

Acp sir moved forward towards him, daya feared he would slap him again but Dcp sir and DIG sir stopped him this time, daya looked at them in fear but they were just looking at Acp and that man.

Acp sir moved forward, the man in fear just step back a little but in next moment acp sir pulled him in a tight hug with a teary whisper...

"Abhijeet"

Abhijeet smiled through his tears. Daya looked at him worried but abhijeet just nodded assuringly. Daya still in fear so abhijeet said ever softly…

"sir..(acp sir wiped his tears and left him and looked at him again)..(abhijeet hesitant)..aap theek?"

Acp sir nodded slightly.

Now the whole team came forward and asking so many questions to abhijeet, crying, smiling, trying to hide tears, trying to be strong, but they all just failed miserably is front of their dear sir when it came to hide something. Abhijeet just said with smile…

"main theek hun..tum log toh bekaar mein hi…"

He stopped as still found acp sir's gaze on him. All looked at him and just smiled secretly. Daya too hid his smile while acp sir looked at them embarrassed.

Salunkhe entered in and after seeing abhijeet just whisper.. 'abh..Abhijeet.."

Abhijeet(in soft smile while looking at him)- Salunkhe sahab…

Salunkhe looked at that smile and moved forward slowly, he touched his face as a tear slipped down which he wiped instantly while abhijeet in soothing lovely smile as feeling the love in that touch. Salunkhe said with down head..

:tum..abhijeet..tum.."

Dcp sir and DIG sir after shaking their heads took the charge now with Dcp sir saying "haan Salunkhe hum hain yahan..wahi raamkattha sunane aaye hain agar (teasing) aap sabh mil liye ho toh.."

Team said nothing except to nod, abhijeet and daya easily felt the rift and stiffness but said nothing as knew all of them too well to say anything.

Salunkhe and acp sir sat with DIG and Dcp around the table, while the whole team surrounded them with daya with much effort came and stood beside abhijeet with freddy already beside abhijeet. Abhijeet looked at him and smiled while daya asked him..

Daya(pointing towards the sling that hung around abhijeet's neck to support his shoulder)- kaise ho?

Abhijeet looked at it and murmured… "abh isska bhashan shuru hoga…" (looking at daya).. "theek.."

Daya(in anger)- dikh raha hai..

Abhijeet couldn't help but smile.. "pata hai.."

Daya looked at him in anger and then turned with.. "huh.." and murmured "superman"

Abhijeet looked at him in anger. DIG who sat in front of them heard them a bit so say in teasing tone to them.. "Cid ke do honhaar officers ki ijazat ho toh hum shuru karein?"

All smiled while duo embarrassed, even a smile lighted up on acp sir's and Salunkhe sir's lips after seeing which DIG too smiled relaxed a bit..

Now DIG sir started after feeling all completely settled and silent.

DIG- "pradyuman abhijeet ke marne ka plan humne usse, ek tarah se kehna chaho toh protect karne ke liye banaya tha, who aadmi jisse tum logon ne kuch dino pehle giraftaar kiya tha, Deepak, who abhijeet ke under seekh raha tha kuch saal pehle jabh humne usse ek undercover mission pe bheja jissme usski "supposed" death ho gayi thi. But jaisa tum log jaante hi ho, who abh bhi zinda hai who sabh bas ek khel halaki ek rescue team ya kaho ek naye mission pe kuch officers ko bheja tha..jinme se ek abhijeet bhi tha magar kuch haath hi nahi aaya hum logon ke, humne kuch logon ko, dealers ko arrest bhi kiya aur kuch ki (glancing back at abhijeet) maut bhi huyi..magar unn officers ka kuch pata nahi chala joh uss mission ke dauran gayab huye the. Khair abh kuch 3 maheene se joh joh officers uss mission se related the..yaani who rescue mission unn sabh officers ki maut hone lagi thi, humne thodi chaan been ki aur phir yeh bhi pata laga ki yeh sabh ek hi case se related the yaani ussi mission se, yeh log kuch 5 officers the, koi aur pattern nahi tha, koi maarne ka alag tareeka nahi kyunki sabke khoon alag alag tareeke se huye the, humne koshish ki lekin kuch pata nahi chala, teesre murder ke baad hum logon ne kuch stiff actions liye, humlogon ne abhijeet aur ek aur officer Rakesh, dono ko security provide ki. Jiss din abhijeet pe humla hua (daya and freddy closed their eyes as remember the blood dripping body of abhijeet, abhijeet look at them but said nothing) uss din hum usske liye ready nahi the, hume kuch informers se pata chala tha ki Rakesh per humla hone wala hai toh hum log usski security pe dhyaan dene lage. Magar who sabh phirse ek jaal saabit hua.

DCP(continued)- hum logone der ker di pradyuman. magar phir bhi abh hume unn logon ko jald se jald unhe pakadna tha. DIG ne mujhe yahan bheja (Acp sir remember DCP's absence in meeting) yeh sabh sambhalne ke liye kyunki usse wahan meeting ke dauran moujud rehena tha. In teen mahino mein humara ek mission aur fail huya jisske kam se kam officers leak nahi huye the, file iss wajah se sirf ek thi, who tumhara paas thi, hume tumpar humle ka dar tha halanki kissi ko isski jaankaari nahi thi, magar kissi bahot intelligent ne tumhe already security provide karwa di thi (abhijeet down his head, acp sir looked at him silently). Khair tum par hamla huya, magar inn logon se sambhal liya (point towards freddy, Pankaj and sachin), aur tumne inhe(smiling) muh band rakhne ko keh diya. (Acp sir smile embarrassed).

Here abhijeet feeling pain in his shoulder as his musles damaged much during that attack and during his "superman giri" in these 10 days. Daya look at him getting restless so ask but abhijeet denied, daya forwarded a chair but abhijeet again denied. Here Acp sir looked at all as his eyes always on abhijeet so say in strong tone….

Acp sir(strong tone to abhijeet)- Abhijeet (abhijeet look at him) baith jaao tum…(abhijeet tried to deny but acp sir, he sat down looking angrily at daya who gave a winning smile, abhijeet hit him with his hand, daya giving "ouch expressions")

Whole team smiling as duo still fighting in between all, even DCP and DIG look at them. Duo feeling all those gazes turn down their heads in smile. Salunkhe looked at both smiling faces for some time and then look at Acp whose eyes too fixed on those smiling faces. Acp sir too turned his face towards Salunkhe, both smile with eyes and again turn their attention to the story.

DIG- haan bhai back to story? (all nodded embarrassed, DIG in smile) tum logon ko dekhkar lagta nahi ki tum wahi Mumbai CID ke officers ho jisspe pure desh ko naaz hai…(murmur) aise hi raho humesha. (coming back) haan toh abh baat aayi abhijeet ki, usske paas kuch security thi magar unn logon ko Deepak ke aadmiyon ne jungle me hi maar diya (abhijeet shocked as he never sensed anything), abhijeet ke paas woh file thi..iss baat ka pata tha unhe, pata nahi kaise? Khair Deepak ne abhijeet pe do maksad (motives) ki wajah se humla kiya, pehla usske bhai ki maut ka badla, doosra uss file ko bechne se millne wale paison ke liye. Usse iss baat ka andaza bhi nahi tha ki abhijeet ke paas who file thi nahi, who file joh abhijeet carry kar raha tha who ek simple case ki file thi. Toh woh sabh kuch humne side kar diya. Abh baat aati hai un logon ko bahar nikalne ki, hum Deepak ko bahot pehle giraftaar kar sakte the, magar hume upar tak jaana tha. Yahan pe humne plan kiya ki hum hospital mein hi abhijeet pe nazar rakhenge kyunki Deepak usse jaan se maarne phir aata. (Acp sir closed his eyes, abhijeet feeling the change in all, especialy acp sir, he didn't like it). Hume obviously daya ko batana tha kyunki woh humari sabse jyada madad kar sakta tha…magar daya ke dimaagh mein toh kuch aur hi chal raha tha…(daya in fear down his head, abhijeet smiles looking at him)

DCp- jabh humne daya se yeh sabh discuss kiya toh ussne yeh plan share kiya, abhijeet ki halat bahot nazuk thi uss samaye agar Deepak ke aadmi usspe humla karse mein kamyaab hojate toh shayad...(he stopped and after few seconds start something else), daya jaanta tha ki rocky ko phansi ho chuki hai magar abhi tak usska postmortem nahi hua…ussne suggest kiya ki hum rocky ko abhijeet ki jagah rakhwa dein(acp sir didn't look at him while daya looking at acp sir)..magar isskeliye hume Doctor Atul ko bhi apne saath shamil karna pada, abhijeet ki condition critical thi magar stable, humne usse ICU ke side mein ek room mein shift kar diya kuch samaye ke liye, rocky ko hum log back door se laaye aur abhijeet ki jagah rakh diya..aur atul ne media walon ke saamne, jinko Deepak ne bheja tha, yeh declare kar diya ki abhijeet mar chukka hai. Abh problem thi ki Salunkhe abhijeet ka postmortem karta…humne who sabh avoid karne ke liye rocky ka antim sanskar kar diya records obviously hum bahot easily change kar sakte the..magar hume laga shayad Salunkhe usse dekh kar hi..issiliye daya ne Salunkhe ke paani mein neend ki dawa milaayi thi. Pradyuman ko bhi issiliye usse millne nahi diya…(all be silent, they felt a painful chapter of their life being opened up with different authors)

Daya(looking at acp sir)- agar hum Deepak ke humle ka intezaar karte toh shayad bahot der aur gadbad hojati, abhijeet ke death ki news ki khushi mein hume pata tha underworld mein kuch na kuch hal chal hogi, humne ussi ka faayda uthaya…deepak ka hume pata chal gaya kuch underground informers se, humne Deepak ka peecha shuru kiya, kuch aur log bhi bill se bahar aaye the…humne unhe bhi daboch liya. Lekin abhi bhi hume main khiladi nahi mila. Kissi ne bhi kuch bataya nahi..humse kuch miss horaha tha. Tabh abhijeet ne bataya ki ussne rakesh se baat kit hi..ussi din Deepak ke baare mein. Hum rakesh ko aise hi nahi pakad sakte the...humne ek chota sa jaal bichaya aur who phans gaya ussme.

A/N

I hope i have cleared many things.

but still if anything is left just mention all in review section guys. I will post last chapter in a few days.

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P.S. just let me know what else you would like to read in story apart from some main things.