In the ladies room (one hour later)
shreya had been sunk in deep thought while purvi nudged her,:' shreya...kya daya sir aur sachin sir aj pure rat kam karenge?'
shreya answered unmindfully,:' haa... shayaad...
purvi: crime humara pichha hi na chhorta hai... hai na? (she was expecting some reply from shreya but shreya was silent and then she herself added) nahi to itna sundar jagah me ake bhi kya hume criminals ke pichhe bhagna parta?
shreya again answered stoically,:'hmmm'.
now purvi pulled shreya's hand with a freindly razz and complained with humour,:' kya shreya... bas haa hmm yehi bol rahe ho tum... isse to achcha rehta ke hum bhi waha pe daya sir aur sachin sir ke sath kam karte'
shreya gave her a flippant smile and just at that moment their door was tapped.
It was Nikhil,:' daya sir call kiya tha... hume dinner kar lene ke liye kaha'
purvi: magar aise kaise ho sakta hai Nikhil? daya sir sachin sir abhi bhi kam kar rahe hain... woh log bhukhe kam karenge aur hum kha lenge...
nikhil: haa purvi...maine bhi yehi kaha tha.. magar daya sir kaha hai ye unka order hai... aur kisi bhi hal me hume woh follow karna paregaa...
purvi and shreya remained silent.. while nikhil hesitated irresolutely a little before saying,:'khana served hai.. tum log ajao..' purvi stepped ahead and asked surprisingly,:' shreya chalo...'
shreya's expression changed from an reflective one to a determined one and she now said with poise,:' tum jao... main abhi arahi hun.'
purvi reluctantly went ahead alone.
At the beach(half an hour later)
sachin: ye achcha huya sir... ke kam se kam body ko to custody me le liya policewale..
daya: haa sachin, abhi ke liye sach me hi hume kam ruk ke rakhna parega... kyuki torches ka battery down ho raha hai... aur andhere me hume kuchh dikhai bhi na par raha hai...
sachin: ha sir.. kya hum resort wapas chalenge?
daya: (thoughtfully) ek bachcha gayab hai Sachin... shayad abhi tak uska kuchh pata na chala.. mann keh raha hai ki investigation jari rakhu... magar...(he thought something deeply and then ) chalo... ekbar resort wapas chalte hain...
on the half way they saw nikhil was rushing towards them...
daya: nikhil?...kya huya? kyu bhag rahe ho aise?
nikhil:(panting hard) ssir... ssir... woh resort me shreya kahi hai nahi...
daya: kkya? hai nahi? hai nahi matlab kya hai? aspas hi hogi...tum log thik se... dhoond ...dhoond ke na dekha
nikhil: nahi sir...hum sab jagah pe dhoonda... udhar pankaj aur purvi bhi dhoondne gaye hain...
sachin: magar kab se gayab hai shreya? ye to pata hoga na tum logo ko( with a little bitterness)
nikhil: exactly to pata nahi... magar dinner ke thik pehle bhi to thi kamra me...
daya:(very worriedly) dinner kab kiya tum log?
nikhil: sir kareeb adha ghanta pehle... shreya nahi arahi thi to hum thora dheere dheere hi kha rahe the...magar jab woh bohut hi late ho rahi thi to purvi ja ke kamra check kiya aur dekha ke kamra me shreya nahi hai... phir kisi bhi tarha hum dinner khatam karke usko dhoondne lag gaye...
daya: are lekin woh jayegi to jayegi kaha?... is jagah ka woh kuchh na janti hai... itna andhera hai.. upar se..
beads of perspiration stood over the forehead of daya..
nikhil: bohut der se aspas check karne ke baad hi hum resort se bahar aye sir...(helpless face)
sachin: phone lagaya tha use?
nikhil: haa sir... magar phone switched off araha hai...
daya: damn it...
sachin: sir... kahi woh beach pe to chali na gayi?
daya: beach me?
sachin: ha sir.. aap ko to pata hi...hoga.. I mean.. ke shreya ko beach bohut hi pasand hai..
daya lost the sense at that moment to feel embarrassed at what sachin alluded and he protested firmly,:' nahi sachin... shreya nature lover jaroor ho sakti hai... magar woh itna irresponsible nahi hai ke bina inform karke sab ko wait karake achanak beach me chali jaye...'
nikhil: to sir ab hum kare kya?
daya:(with a hard face) charo taraf phail jao... hume usko dhoond ke nikalna parega... har jagah check karo... magar ha... samhal ke sabdhan ho ke...aur bina shor macha ke...
sachin & nikhil: yes sir...
they dispersed in different directions..and concentrated on searching...
dawn approached slowly in a melancholy manner squeezing out the energy of them but nothing solid came to their hand... daya summoned everyone to meet at the resort right at the seven o'clock...
At the table
everyone was sitting cringing their respective heads for the grim failure to fetch shreya back into the resort. daya was the first one to break the silence,:' is waqt... hume... hoshiyari se kadam uthana parega... aur phir... ye ulajhta huya mystery ko bhi solve karna parega...'
sachin: sir hum to har possible jagah ko check kiya hain...
purvi: ha sir...aur beach ka ek ek rock ko bhi...
A pall of darkness muffled the face of daya and at the same time his jaws were bobbing up and down in a terrible mixture of anger grief and worry; his eyes were radiating fury penetrating the tears. He clipped hoarsely,:' aj ka din hume koshish karna parega... nahi to...' he paused, lowered his head down and then continued ,:' nahi to... CID bureau me inform karna parega...'
breakfast laid over the table... but no one had the urge to take the food... daya leapt to his feet without touching anything and after about half an hour he called sachin in his room
sachin: yes sir...
daya: sachin... main bahr ja raha hun... agar...agar aj rat tak wapas na aya to tum log Mumbai khabar kar dena...thik hai?..
sachin: magar sir... aap ja kaha rahe hain?
daya: (with a stern face) phil hal to waha pe hi jaunga jaha se sab kuchh shuru huya tha...
sachin: sir hum bhi chalte hain aap ke sath...
daya: nahi Sachin... tum log dusri taraf dhoondo... woh...barren moor ki taraf...shreya ka pata lagte hi main tum ko phone kar dunga...
sachin: thik hai sir... magar sir... aap... akela...
daya: mere chinta na karo sachin...main samhal ke chalunga...
At eight o'clock daya started further in searching for Shreya. His heart was beating fast and even if the cool onshore breeze was blowing relentlessly, he felt as if a warm wave was blowing around him making him inexplicably restive. Crossing the green moor he first went to the hotel reception...
daya: excuse me... kal yaha se ek bachcha kho gaya tha aaj kya...
recep: no sir... bachcha ka parents yaha lounge me baithe huye hain..
daya went to the lounge and parents of gublu rushed to him with anticipation,:' sir..kuchh pata chala humara gublu ka?' daya sighed with distress and with a grim face he replied,:' nahi madam, ab tak na chala... magar humara koshish jari hai...shayad thori si dheeraj rakhna parega hum sab ko...'
parents kept crying nuzzling each other...while daya turned back and strode out of the hotel...