Bureau, 2-3 days later
Daya: Rajatt…woh mission ki saari details ready hai naa..20 min me briefing hai..
Rajat (feeling sick):haan sir…bas yeh lijiye..he starts coughing badly
Daya: tumhari tabiyat toh theekh hai naa…itna khaas rahe ho
Rajat: kuch nahi ..I am fine sir…bas thoda sar dard hai..main bass 5 min thoda aaram kar leta hoon
Rajat shuts his eyes, his head throbs horribly. He goes to the meeting room.
Daya:haan toh sir…jaisa iss slide me explain kiya hai hum log iss point B se uss terrorist group pe nazar rakhenge..baaki communication details Rajat batayega…Rajattt…they all turn to Rajat..he is sleeping!
DCP (angry): Rajatttt…itne important mission ki briefing ho rahi hai..aur tum so rahe ho?
Rajat (rubbing his eyes): I..I am sorry sir..pata nahi..zara aankh lag gayi…he looks droopy eyed.
DCP (angry): Yehhh…yeh jaayega aise mission pe? Dayaa…isse le jaoo yahan se..Daya takes Rajat out of the room, surprisingly Rajat doesn't resist him
Abhijit (worried): Isse hua kya hai? Yeh isne pehle toh aisa kabhi nahi kiya hai..
Daya (worried):pata nahi boss..but khabar achi nahi hai..DCP Chitrole bahut gusse me hai…aur sach poocho toh main bhi thoda naraaz hoon..
Abhijit: kya?
Daya:aur nahi toh kya karoon Abhijit..itni mushkil se DCP iss misson ke liye manaa hai..kahin iki wajah se poora mission hi cancel naa ho..
Abhijit:nahi…aisa nahi hoga Daya..main isse ghar le jaata hoon..shayad thoda so lega toh kal tak theekh hoga..
Rajat house
Purvi opens the door. Abhijit and Pankaj carry a sleeping Rajat inside to his room.
Abhijit: tum isse sambhaal logi naa?
Purvi: Haan..aap chinta mat kijiye jijuu…Rajat theekh ho jaayega..
Abhijit:Chinta toh hai hum sabko…isse uss bahut important mission pe jo jaana hai..jaldi theekh ho jaaye toh acha hoga..
Purvi (head down): Okay Jijuu..Thank you..
Abhijit and Pankaj leave his house. Purvi shuts the door and comes next to a sleeping Rajat. She watches him breathe deeply. She smiles and with hesitation fondles his hairs. when he doesn't move, she bends and places a kiss on his forehead.
Purvi (tears): I…I am sorry Rajat..main jo bhi kar rahi hoon..hum dono ke liye kar rahi hoon..she takes his hand in hers. She traces his love line on his hand.
Purvi (mind): tumhari life line bhi meri tarah choti hai..she kisses his hand and places it on her cheek..magar tumhari love line ekdum strong hai..main tumhe itna pyaar doongi Rajat…tum phir se jeene lagoge..sach…I promise..lekin uske liye mujhe jeena hoga…aur mujhe jeene ke liye tumhari zaroorat hai…tum mere bhagwaan ho….she smiles through her tears…
Tuuuu meri zindagi hai..tuuuuu meri bandagi hai..…she sings tearfully.
Next day morning
Rajat wakes up, his head feels heavy as if he was drugged. He gets up and feels the room swaying. He looks around and is shocked to see Purvi sleep half seated next to him. He sees that her cheeks have tear marks and his hand is tightly held by her. He tries to free his hand, but her grip is strong.
Rajat: Purviii…Purviiii..uthooo…his head aches..he groans…
Purvi (jerk): Rajattt..tum uth gaye? Kya hua?
Rajat (clutching head):Bahut sar dard kar raha hai…ajeeb sa lag raha hai..jaise..jaise koi nasha kiya ho…pata nahi…
Purvi (feeling guilty): main…main tumhara sar dabaa deti hoon. She sits next to him and presses his head. he feels better and looks at her. He can see a strange emotion in her eyes…she is very concerned for him.
Purvi (catching his gaze on her): aise kya dekh rahe ho?
Rajat: tum..tum ro rahi thi?
Purvi (wiping tear marks): Nahi toh…main kyun rone lagi..
Rajat:kya tumhe kabhi rone ka dil nahi karta? Maine tumhe kabhi rote huye nahi dekha..i mean…jiss situation me tum ho..ussme toh log apne aap toot jaaate hai..magar tumm..tum toh abhi bhi filmy gaane gaa rahi ho, hass rahi ho..muskura rahi ho…kaise kar leti ho yeh sab?
Purvi (smile): pata nahi…shayad mere andar jeene ki ichaa itni zyaada hai..baaki saare emotions haar jaate hai..
Rajat: toh kya tum apni jaan ke liye kuch bhi karogi?
Purvi stops pressing his head. she realizes what she is doing is very selfish. For her own life, she has put Rajat's career in jeopardy, she will be crushing his ambitions.
Purvi (changing topic): Main tumhare liye garam garm chaai banaati hoon…sar dard bhaag jaayega..she gets up and runs to the kitchen before he can see fresh tears in her eyes.
Later, Rajat manages to get ready and reaches the bureau. For the first time in his career he is walking inside almost an hour late. He checks the time and rushes inside, the bureau is practically empty.
Rajat (thinking): kahan gaye honge sab log? Cafeteria me dekhta hoon.. he lets out a yawn and stretches his body.
Voice: arre Rajat babuuuuu….aaj kal bahut susti chaayi huyi hai..kaam pe bhi late aate ho? Hmm
Rajat's blood boils at this voice and tone. It belongs to his rival – Inspector Suraj from another department.
Rajat (roughly): Tum yahan?
Suraj (going through file): Ab kya karen…jab CID bureau ke officers ko apne kaam se zyaada personal life sawaarne me dilchaspi ho, toh hum jaise asli officers ko yaad kar hi lete hai..
Rajat (angry): what do you mean?
Suraj (standing straight, looking into his eyes): matlab yeh ki 3 din baad..Durgapur mission execute karne ke orders aaye hai..toh mujhe uss mission ki saari details aur file work chahiye..right now
Rajat (not understanding): orders aaye hai toh isse tumhara kya lena dena hai? Iss mission ke liye team select ho chuki hai aur training bhi complete hai..aur jahan tak mujhe pata hai..uss list me tumhara naam hai hi nahi..Inspector Suraj….so just leave…kyunki yeh ek confidential mission hai..aur uske details main aise hi kisike saath share nahi kar sakta..
Rajat turns to go away.
Suraj (smile): maine kya kaha tha thodi der pehle…ki 'kuch' officers apne duty se zyaada apni 'personal life' me itna ghum ho gaye hai ki unhe iss baat ki bhi khabar nahi ki…mission ke officers ki list badal gayi hai..
Rajat (turns): What?
Suraj (hands in pocket): Ji haan…he walks closer to him..ab iss mission ki list me 3 officers ka naam hai – Sr Inspector Daya, Inspector Nikhil aur….Inspector Suraj…toh isliye…file please..he stretches his hand forward.
Rajat cannot believe what he just heard. He had been preparing for this very challenging and life threatening mission all these months. He had undergone rigorous training, spent hours collecting information and was a core member in planning the whole operation. And now just days ahead of the execution, he is no longer a part of the mission itself!
He walks with fast strides and opens the door to ACP's office roughly.
ACP (surprised): Rajat? tum? 10 min baad aana..meri important meeting chal rahi hai..he continues to pay attention to DCP who is sitting in front.
Rajat (angry): sir kya yeh sach hai ki mera naam Durgapur mission me nahi hai? He demands an answer.
ACP (sensing he is angry): Rajat..relax…maine kaha naa main tumse baat karta hoon..iss waqt please jaoo..
Rajat: Kyun sir? Maine iss mission ke liye din raat ek karke mehnat ki hai..ghanto ghanto information track ki hai..3 naye weapons ki training li hai aur aap aaj achanak se keh rahe hai..main iss mission ka hissa nahi hoon..
ACP: Rajat..dekho meri baat
Rajat (angry, yelling): Nahi sir..main aapki koi baat nahi sunoonga…mujhe iss mission me jaana hai basss…
DCP (getting up, angry): yeh kya tarika hai tumhare senior ke saamne baat karne kaa..
Rajat (controlling): Main aapse baat nahi kar raha hoon..main ACP sir se jawaab maang raha hoon..
DCP (smirk): hmmff..tum Pradyuman se kya jawaab maang rahe ho..direct mujhse baat karo naa..mission ki permission maine dilwaayi hai..toh team bhi maine select ki hai..
Rajat (coming closer): toh phir aap hi bataaiye aapne apna faisla kyun badla?
DCP: mujhe apna faisla badalna pada…iss letter ke wajah se..iss medical certificate ki wajah se..
Rajat: Medical certificate?
DCP:haan…yeh certificate jo tumne submit kiya…jisme likha hai tum physically fit nahi ho..tumhe iss waqt apna khoon bachaake rakhna hai..isliye tumhe agle 3-4 mahine tak koi bhi khatarnaak mission pe bhejaa naa jaaye…yeh dekho..he bangs a paper on the table.
Rajat reads the certificate. Its issued by Dr Sabnis. He reads the typed letter.
Rajat (angry): Sir..yeh maine nahi bhejaa hai..I am perfectly allright..
DCP: waah re waaaah…he says in his singsong voice…ab keh rahe ho tumne nahi bhejaa hai haan…yeh letter mujhe tumhare official email id se mila hai..ab bolo ki yeh bhi kisi aur ne bhejaa hai…
Rajat (confused): mere mail id se? sir yeh shayad…
DCP: ab tum yeh bhi kahoge..yeh signature bhi tumhari nahi hai..fraud hai..dekho..dekhlooooo..aur bolo..hmmmfff..he snorts..
Rajat is shocked to see an exact duplicate of his signature. Its very hard for him to not believe its his own.
Rajat:Sirrr…yeh maine nahi kiya hai…sir main aisa kyun karoonga? Sir please…mujhe iss mission pe jaana hai..
DCP: ab yeh toh tum jaano…jo bhi hai..ab yeh sab official records me chala gaya hai..aur agar tum keh rahe ho yeh sab tumne nahi kiya hai…toh jaoo..saboot leke aaooo..aur phir hum tumhe agle mission ke liye consider karenge…tab tak ke liye…DCP pats his shoulder..apna khoon bachaake rakhna…desh ki sevaa me khoon koi aur officer bahaa lega…chalta hoon Pradyuman…
Rajat comes back to his desk and is burning with anger. His mind has numerous questions running inside. Who could have done this? How was this possible.
Suraj (hands on his desk): Toh…confirmation mil gaya…ab toh file aur details de doo..
Rajat controls his anger and bangs the file and details on the table. He takes his cigarette packet out.
Suraj: sunaa hai..yeh aadat bhi chodne ki koshish kar rahe ho?..achaa hai…yaar, bahut changes ho rahe hai teri life me.. roz exercise karte ho, time pe khaate ho, healthy khaate ho aur yeh cigarette bhi chodne waale ho? Baat kya hai Mr Rajat? Rajat doesn't reply…Suraj continues to irritate him
Suraj (holding him by shoulder): aare haan…tumhe aaj ki taaza khabar toh dena hi bhool gaya…he looks here and there and whispers..maine suna hai tum ab kisi ladki ke saath rehte ho? Rajat looks at him sharply….kaisi hai woh? Hot hai kya? Rajat controls the rage building inside him..Suraj smirks..aajkal office late aane ka reason bhi wahi hai kya? Shaam ko jaldi jaate ho, subah der se aate ho…bhai aish kar rahe ho….life ho toh aisiii...Rajat has balled his hand into a fist…
Suraj (mocking tone): Kya yaar..tumhari poori image hi badal ke rakh di….kahan tum angry young man plus devdas the..Nisha ke jaane keg ham me doobe huye the…Rajat looks at him..iss ladki ke aate hi..romantic hero ban gaye…bhool gaye Nisha ko?
Rajat staggers behind. His eyes fill with hot tears, his head now pounds miserably. His hands knock down a desk calendar. His eyes fall on the date in front – he is shocked ! Today is Nisha's death anniversary…he clutches his hairs in despair..How could he have forgotten today's date? He had lost Nisha forever..he sits down and gives out a loud cry !
Nishaaaaaaaaaaaa…
Rajat realises his life has changed...Purvi is successful in halting his mission...What will happen if he comes to know the truth? Keep reading and keep loving :)
I may have the next update only by Monday as my weekends are a bit busy this time...happy weekend to all :)