Hey Guys, writing a new story. I will update quiet descent soon. Thankyou for all the reviews on that. Please give a read and review on this one as well
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It was a sunny morning in late December in Mumbai. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, the birds were chirping, and a gentle breeze was rustling through the trees. The city, always alive and buzzing, seemed to take a deep breath in the cool morning air. Abhijeet and Daya, as usual, were going to the bureau, cruising down the busy streets in their favorite jeep. The hum of the engine blended seamlessly with their banter, as they tossed jokes back and forth, catching up on everything from the latest cricket scores to Daya's ongoing (and often disastrous) attempts at cooking. After all, while Abhijeet was a master in the kitchen, Daya might be able to solve the most complex cases single-handedly—but cooking? Not so much.
Soon, they reached the bureau and got straight to work on the ongoing case. The entire day was consumed by chasing down criminals, extracting confessions, solving complex puzzles, and preparing the necessary case files.
It was evening, and the entire bureau was quiet and empty as all the officers were already left. Daya had been out for the past hour, meeting with his informant, while Abhijeet sat at his desk, organizing the documents related to the recent case he'd solved.
On the other hand, ACP Pradyuman sat in the forensic lab with his best friend, Dr. Salunkhe. He was slumped in the chair, his coat discarded on the table, tie loosened, and shirt sleeves rolled up. His hand rested heavily on his face, his expression a mix of sadness and tension. Salunkhe, who knew his friend well enough to recognize the signs of distress, continued to work with test tubes and samples while sighing disappointedly on his friend.
Unable to bear the growing tension in the room—especially since ACP Pradyuman had been sitting like this for the past half hour—Dr. Salunkhe finally stood up, hands placed firmly on his waist, leaving his test tubes aside. He let out a long sigh and, in his calmest tone, asked, "Pradyuman, please… ab bataoge bhi ke hua kya hai? Aaj jab tum HQ ja rahe the toh kitne khush the… phir aesa kya hogaya wahan pe? Jabse aaye ho, ek baar bhi bureau nahi gaye… tabse yahi baithe ho."
Seeing Pradyuman remain silent, Salunkhe's concern grew. He asked again, "Pradyuman, batao mujhe, please."
ACP Pradyuman slowly looked up at him, his face heavy with frustration. He took a deep breath before replying, "Maine HQ mein Mumbai ke agle ACP ki post ke liye Abhijeet ka recommend kiya. HQ ne Abhijeet ko ACP banane se saaf mana kar diya hai… (with a pause) woh log Abhijeet ko kabhi ACP nahi banne denge."
The words hung in the air, the weight of them sinking in, as Salunkhe stood there, processing the harsh reality.
Salunkhe (shocked) – KYA…Lekin kyu?
Acp Pradyuman (with sad expressions) – Abhijeet ki medical history ki vajeh se. aur pichle saal jo Tony wala case hua uski vajeh se. Unka kehna h k Abhijeet medically fit nhi h Acp bnne ke liye.
His voice, heavy with guilt, trembled as he continued, Ye sab meri galti h Salunkhe. Main Abhijeet ke liye lad nhi paya. Main uske liye kuch bhi nhi kr paya. Uska sapna meri vajeh se toot gya.
ACP Pradyuman's pained face told the story of a battle lost—a dream wasn't just about a failed recommendation—it was about the loss of hope, of not being able to fulfill the dream of someone who had always been by his side.
Salunkhe (unamused tone) – isme tumhari galti kaise h yr…tumne toh diya na HQ mein uska naam. Aur yr abhi toh tumhari retirement mein bhi bhut saal baki h…tbtkk
Acp Pradyuman (interrupted in frustration) – Tb tkk kya…(low tone) voh log uska naam consider krne se saaf mna kr chuke h…unka kehna h voh Mumbai even kisi aur shehr mein bhi Abhijeet ko Acp nhi bnne denge…usko blacklist kiya ja chuka h…medical basis pr.
Salunkhe listened all and said in a calm tone - "Dekho Pradyuman… tumne apni taraf se puri koshish ki na… ab kuch baatein tumhare haath mein nahi hain, toh nahi hain na…" He paused, stressing the words, "Isme tumhari koi galti nahi hai."
ACP Pradyuman looked up at him, his frustration evident. "Kaise nahi hai, Salunkhe? Tum janta ho main usse kitne saal se ACP banne ke liye tayaar kar raha hoon. Woh khud kitne saal se is sapne ko sajaye baitha hai, ke ek din woh ACP banega...," his voice trembled with the weight of years of effort, hopes, and dreams that now seemed to be slipping away. Tu janta h main uske sath hmesha se sakhti krta aaya hun…Team ya even Daya bhi galti krta h toh main unlogon ke liye soft pd jata hu…pr Abhijeet…maine aajtkk uski ek bhi galti ko undekha nhi kiya kyunki usko Acp bnna h…usko tyaar krne ke liye maine kitni bar uska dil toda h…kitni bar ye dikhaya h k mujhe uspr bhrosa nhi h…use ekdum akela kr diya h…Even uski kamzoori ka bhi fayda uthata aaya hun main…bs is ek sapne ko sach krne ke liye…
Looking at him directly maine use mujhse door hone diya h Salunkhe…taaki jb voh Acp bne toh usko kisi ki zrorat na ho… is ek sapne ne mujhe itna possessive bna diya k main itna sab krta chla gya ye soch k ye sb uskke future ke liye h….jo ki ab uska h hi nhi.
Salunkhe – Han main janta hun… uski mehnat aur tumhari bhi mehnat…itne saal se dekh rha hun… pr ab HQ wale nhi maan rhe toh usme tum kr bhi kya skte ho Boss…
Acp Pradyuman – yhi toh takleef h Salunkhe… k main ab isme kuch nhi kr skta…main usee kaise btaunga yr.
Salunkhe nodded and said with a pause – abhi usse kuch mat kehna… thoda waqt jaane do dekhte h fr…hmlog kuch na kuch soch lenge.
Acp Pradyuman – Hmare kuch bhi sochne se uski takleef aur mera guilt km nhi ho jayega Salunkhe.
Little did they know, someone from the door had listened to all of it, and the earth beneath his feet seemed to slip away. His body froze as he stood at the threshold, the weight of the conversation crashing into him like a storm. Every word felt like a jagged piece of glass piercing through him. The dream HE had clung to for so long, the dream of becoming ACP, felt like it had been ripped away from him. Yes, he heard it all.
Actually, he was going through the paperwork in the bureau when his eyes landed on the forensic report—only to realize it was missing. He quickly searched through his drawer, hoping it had somehow slipped inside, but it wasn't there. Then he realized, he had left it in the forensic lab to get Dr. Salunkhe's signature. With a sigh, he stood up, gathered the scattered documents into a file, and made his way to the lab to retrieve it. He walked to the lab and when he was about to open the door he heard Dr. Salunkhe's voice and he stood there feeling confused as who was he talking to as Abhijeet thought Salunkhe was working alone in the lab and Acp sir already left for home. The voice inside his head screamed in disbelief, but his body didn't respond. Abhijeet backed away from the door shut his mouth tightly, the muscles in his jaw aching with the effort. His mind screamed, but his lips remained sealed, blinked his eyes multiple times to stop the tears threatening their way out of his eyes and he took a deep breath. With teary eyes, he cast one final glance at the door before slipping away in silence. Fortunately, the CCTV camera by the lab door was down, leaving no trace of his presence or the secret he'd just overheard.
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Brawny
