Chapter — 3 Eating Plotting
The food was served while they enjoyed the moonlight, ocean breeze and the calming sound of waves. It was late already so they started eating as well as discussing, their plan to check if the video clip Ishita received have even a little truth or not!
Ishita: Sir, mujhe lagta hain mera akele waha Jana hi theek hoga... Ek sath do officers ka mission par Jana... Quite insensible. Nakli hi sahi... Koi insaan agar jhutta hain toh vo har ek insaan par shak kar sakta hain... Aur hame uss insaan ko shak karne ki wajah bilkul nahi deni hain...
ACP: Ishita vo sab mein samajhta hu... Par kya tumhara waha akele Jana theek hoga? Dushyant unse fight nahi kar paya tha shayad... Ab tum... Mein risk kaise le sakta hu?
Ishita: Sir mein samajhti hu... Par Dushyant uss time akela hoga... Hyderabad bola tha na Mukesh ne... Toh mein Hyderabad police, vha ki CID team sabki madad le sakti hu...
ACP wasn't still 100% sure to send Ishita alone to Hyderabad, but she was determined to go alone. She ain't going with anyone he ain't sending her alone. One of them have to step back.
Ishita: Sir please... Mujh par bharosa kar kar toh dekhiye...
ACP: Aisa nahi hain Ishita ki tum par bharosa nahi hain... Par tum meri officer ho. Tumhe khatre mein nahi daal sakta... Tumhari samajhdaari prove kar chuki hain tum kitni qaabil ho.
Ishita: Sir aapko bharosa Hain na... Toh bas... Aapko mujhe akele bhejna hi hoga... Vha pe sir, police officers, Hyderabad CID team sab hongi... Mujhe khatra nahi hoga sir. Ha agar uss nakli Dushyant ko shak hua toh kahi Dushyant ko koi khatra na ho.
ACP: Theek hai... Tumhe permission hain meri... Par tumhe Kavin ke touch mein rehna hoga... Har time.
(To Kavin) Kavin, tumhe Ishita ke touch mein rehna hoga... Aur yhi se iska khayal rakhna hoga...
Kavin: Ji sir.
Ishita: Thank you so much sir. Mujhe bahut khushi hain aapne mujhe ye mauka diya... Ab Dushyant ko mein wapas lekar hi aaungi...
ACP: Mein abhi bhi yahi dua karunga Ishita ki vo video jhutti ho...
Ishita(in her mind): Par mein nahi... Kyonki ye Dushyant... Agar vo Dushyant h... Jisse meri shadi hui toh... Kya mene sach mein Dushyant ko ek aisa bana diya hai... Jo Dushyant the hi nahi? Lekin agar vo video ka jhuttt hone ka matlab ye hain, ki Dushyant safe hain then mujhe manjurr hain... Unki nafrat, unka gussa unki narajgi sab majoor hain...
Kavin: Ishita, vo baal ka sample toh mein le aaunga... Par tum kaha reh Rahi ho abhi?
Ishita: Ek apartment rent kiya hain, tumhari hi building mein... Taki nazar rakh saku Dushyant aur tum par...
Kavin: Mujhe par se matlab?
Ishita: Tum bhul rahe ho... Mere dost k sath sath... Mere devar bhi ho... Kisi nakli insaan ka tumhare sath rehne ke khayal se hi mujhe ajeeb lagta hain... Agar vo Dushyant nahi... Toh mera farz hain... Tumhara khayal rakhna Kavin... Dushyant ki gerhazri mein... Mera hi farz hain ye... Ki unke chote Bhai aur apne pure parivaar par koi aanch na aane du... Dushyant hote toh ye jimmedari unki hoti... Aur agar vo yhi hain... Tab bhi vo ye jimmedariyan ache se toh bilkul nahi nibha rahe hain... Unhone kuch wade kiye the mujhse... Lagta hain... Agar ye khabar jhutti nikli... Toh ek ek tute hue wade ka hisaab, toh mein unse lekar rahungi Kavin.
Kavin: Tune kabse Dushyant ko apna pati mana tha?
Ishita: Unhe pati na sahi... Tujhe toh devar mana tha... Apna dost mana tha...
Kavin: Maa Papa ko sab batana chahiye kya hame Ishita?
Ishita: Nahi... Ek baar DNA test ki report aa jane do Kavin... Phir hi kuch...
Kavin: Abhi toh maa papa bahar gye hain vese bhi... Gaon dada dadi ke pass... Toh kuch din baad aayenge...
Ishita: Par hame DNA report jald se jald chahiye... Ham ye test CID bureau ki forensic lab mein nahi kar sakte hain... Toh phir...
Abhijeet: Uski chinta tum mat karo Ishita, Kavin tum bas samples mujhe de dena... Baki mein sambhal lunga...
Kavin: Ok sir... Par sir hame kya iss Mukesh ke baarein mein pata nahi lagana chahiye?
ACP: lagana toh chahiye Kavin. Ishita... Tumhe jo letters aur photos receive hue hain unn par koi address bhi toh hoga na? Ya kuch aisa jis se ham Mukesh tak pahuch sake?
Ishita: Ha sir, mene mere aur Dushyant ke khabriyon ko bheja Hain talash mein Mukesh ke...
Abhijeet: Dushyant ke khabri lekin... Kahi vo nakli Dushyant hua aur usne Dushyant ke khabriyon ki pata pad gyi ho toh... Aise mein kahi vo khabhri nakli ko asli samajh kar... Sab kuch bak na de...
Ishita: Dushyant ke khabriyon ki jaankaari uss nakli Dushyant ko kabhi nahi mil sakti... Kyonki aisi koi information exist hi nhi karti... Dushyant apne records nhi rakhte hain... Na khabriyon se kabhi call par baat karte hain... Aur na kahi koi naam ya no.
Abhijeet: Ha par kabhi uske khabriyon ne try Kiya contact karne ka aur agar uss nakli Dushyant ko contact ho gya toh?
Ishita: Vo bhi possible nhi hain sir... Dushyant jante hain vo kya kar rhe hain... Dushyant ka khabriyon ko pehle hi andaaza ho gya tha ki Dushyant ke sath kuch toh gadbad hai... Aur unhone mujhe inform Kiya tha...
Kavin: Aaj Tak chota bhai hote hue mujhe nahi milwaya Dushyant ne apne khabriyon se... Aur tujh chipkali ko milwa diya... Gadaar kahi ka...
Ishita(smiling a little): Kavin... Jis din tum godi chadoge samajh jaoge...
ACP: Ishita kya tum hame bata sakti ho ki Dushyant ke khabriyon ko kya ajeeb laga? Matlab kaise aur kyon?
Ishita: Sir... Ye mein nahi bata paungi... Ek officer aur ek khabri ke kuch apne niyam hote hain... Iss duniya ke kuch unsaid rules hain... Jo mein tod nahi sakti...
ACP: Koi baat nahi... Ham samajhte hain, Ishita.
Everyone fell into silence, the moon hung over in the sky providing light and calmness to the people down but Ishita and Kavin's heart still remained restless the most. Thoughts ran through everyone's minds, such a big conspiracy yet no one even had a slightest hint about it.
Daya: Sir, mujhe toh samajh nahi aa raha hain ki aakhir vo Dushyant nakli hain... Uska koi nek irada toh nahi hoga... Toh usne kaise hamari cheezon mein microphone ya spying devices nahi lagaye Hain...
Sachin: Strange ki itni badi chaal aur ye sab karna uss Dushyant ke liye asaan hi hota... Na kisi ko shak hota... Na koi kuch puchta...
Ishita: Aakhir inn sab cheezon ka maksad hain kya...? Koi personal baat hain? Ya koi bahut badi saazish?
Purvi: Personal hoti... Toh kya koi itna bada khatra uthata?
Ishita: Pata nahi Purvi ma'am... Par nafrat aur pyaar insaan se kya kya nahi karwate... Kehna mushkil h...
ACP: Personal professional ya kuch aur... Ab sab DNA test k baad hi discuss hoga... DNA report aane ke baad tak koi bhi iss baarein mein ab baat nahi karega...
Everyone: Yes, sir.
Everyone finished their dinner and packed theri things, taking their phone back everyone started to leave towards their home.
Kavin: Ishita... Bike leke aaya hu... Comfortable ho chalne mein?
Ishita: Ha ha chalo... Vese bhi Dushyant daantenge auto se...—
She stopped mid sentence, he still had this impact on her. Kavin smiled a little praying in his heart to somehow make Ishita fall in love with Dushyant. As they started their journey, Ishita was reminiscing about her and Dushyant's first bike ride back in Delhi, the night after their marriage when Dushyant got to know, she didn't loved him.
Flashback:
Ishita and Dushyant were coming back from CID Bureau. Dushyant brought his bike that day because his Jeep was in the service centre. Before Ishita's marriage her dad used to drop her. And it's indirectly Dushyant's turn.
Dushyant climbed the bike and since they had only one helmet for bike, in the morning Dushyant gave the helmet to Ishita, now he again insisted on giving her the helmet.
Ishita: Dushyant, aapki driving par aapko bharosa nahi h kya?
Dushyant: Hain but risk kyon lena hain?
Ishita: Toh aapko risk kyon lena hain?
Dushyant: Aree sab sahi hain jo hain... Peheno isse... Mujhse behas mat karo...
Ishita: Aap bhi mujhse behas mat kariye bina baat... Subah mene maani na aapki ab chup chap meri suniye...
Dushyant: Ishita... Bhul rhi ho tumhara senior hu...
Ishita: Ye CID bureau nahi... Parking lot h... Aur yha aapki junior nahi... Patni hu mein...
Suddenly, the time seemed to stop... Dushyant's mind turned numb. Patni? Vo patni jo usse pyaar nahi karti? Vo patni jise usse khud kisi aur ko saupna hoga?
Ishita realised afterwards, what she said might be awkward for both of them, and especially heartbreaking for Dushyant.
She climbed the bike and made Dushyant wear the helmet.
Dushyant: Ishitaaaaa~
Ishita: Ishita vishita kuch nahi... Chaliye... Mujhe kuch nahi sunna...
Dushyant didn't argued much, but did wore the helmet. Dushyant silently started the bike, his mind still reeling from Ishita's words. "Patni..." The word echoed in his head like a bittersweet melody, stirring emotions he had been suppressing for years. He tightened his grip on the handlebars, forcing himself to focus on the road ahead, but the lump in his throat refused to disappear.
Ishita, sitting behind him, noticed his silence. She wanted to break the awkwardness but didn't know how. Her words earlier had slipped out unintentionally, yet they carried a weight she could no longer ignore.
Ishita (hesitantly): Dushyant... Maine kuch galat kaha kya? Matlab... agar bura laga toh I'm sorry.
Dushyant's jaw tightened, his eyes fixed ahead.
Dushyant (softly but firmly): Tumne jo kaha, galat nahi tha Ishita. Bas... sahi waqt par nahi tha.
Ishita: Sahi waqt?
He chuckled bitterly.
Dushyant: Haan... sahi waqt. Shayad ek aisa waqt jo kabhi aana hi nahi tha.
The heaviness in his voice was unmistakable. Ishita bit her lip, unsure if she should probe further or let it be. The familiar roads blurred past them, but inside, the silence between them felt heavier than ever.
After a few minutes, Dushyant abruptly slowed down the bike and stopped by the side of the road.
Ishita (confused): Kya hua? Koi problem hai?
Dushyant: Nahi, bas... thoda sa waqt chahiye mujhe. Tumse baat karni hai.
Ishita hesitated but nodded. They both climbed off the bike, and Dushyant removed his helmet, running a hand through his hair.
Dushyant (looking at her, his voice heavy): Ishita, tumne kabhi socha hai ki humare beech jo hai... wo kya hai?
Ishita froze. The vulnerability in his eyes was too raw, too real.
Ishita (deflecting): Dushyant, abhi yeh discuss karne ka waqt nahi hai.
Dushyant (insisting): Nahi Ishita, kabhi toh karna padega. Tum mujhe apna pati kehti ho, lekin kya kabhi mujhe us nazar se dekha hai?
Her silence spoke volumes.
Ishita (whispering): Main... samajh nahi paayi Dushyant. Har cheez itni complicated kyu lagti hai?
He took a deep breath, stepping closer to her.
Dushyant: Complicated nahi hai, Ishita. Tumne hamesha apne dil ko deny kiya hai, aur maine hamesha tumhe samjha. Lekin ek din aayega, jab mujhe tumse door jaana padega. Us din tumhe pata chalega ki complicated kya hota hai.
Before she could respond, he climbed back onto the bike, his composure slipping but his resolve firm.
Dushyant (looking back): Chalo, der ho rahi hai. Ab baatein nahi, bas safar karte hain.
Ishita silently climbed back on, her mind swirling with emotions she had buried for far too long. The journey ahead was not just on the road but in the depths of their hearts, where battles of love and duty awaited them.
FLASHBACK ENDS.
Kavin noticed that Ishita, sitting behind him was too silent. He couldn't comprehend what was going on in her mind. Here, she is trying to save Dushyant, take up responsibilities that Dushyant have as the eldest son because she is married to him and on the other hand, she don't love him. Wow!
Kavin: Ishita... Kya hua?
Ishita: Kavin... Sab khali khali lag rha hain... Kya mein ek jhutt jee rahi thi?
Kavin: Itna tense mat ho... Pehle reports aane do... We need evidence first... Par agar vo Rahul hua toh?
Ishita: Hua ya nahi... Par Rahul ne mujhse jhutt bolkar bahut badi galti Kari hain... Na khud ki feelings samajh payi... Na Dushyant ko sach bata payi ki mein aur Rahu relationship mein nhi hain...
Kavin: Kya?
Not in a relationship? So, was it just love? Or was it not?
Do comment and let me know how you liked it?