“Santu… Kaha khoyi ho??” PS asked SS who was lost in her thoughts… “Kuch nahi Pushpa ji… Aaj acha nahi lag raha kuch bhi…” she replied… “Sahi kah rahi hai Santu ji aap… Mann aisa kharab ho raha hai…” CC said… “Hume toh DSP sir ki chinta ho rahi hai… Pata nahi kis haal mei honge woh…” PS said… “Sahi keh rahi hai aap Pushpa ji… Nahi matlab humko itna dukh ho raha hai toh Sir ko kitna ho raha hoga…” CC said… “Chalo kaam karte hai… MS dekhengi toh ghussa ho jayengi…” PS said and all got engrossed in work… KS was listening to them but had decided not to participate… She had had a sleepless night worrying about her brother… She thought to give him a call when HM arrived… She was stunned to see everyone engaged in work instead of useless banter… “Jai Hind…” she said… “Jai Hind MS…” they responded… “Kya baat hai… aaj aap log bina humari daant khaye kaam pe lage hai…??” Nobody responded… “Pushpa ji… sab thik hai na??” she asked again… “Ji… Ji MS” PS said… “Lag toh nahi raha… Phir bhi aap kehti hai toh maan lete hai… SS koi update??” “No MS… Koi naya case nahi aaya…” SS replied… HM was shocked as SS did not complain about her quarters… “Strange… Sab thik hai na SS??” “Yes MS…” “Thik hai… Hum cabin mei hai… Kuch kaam ho toh bata dijiyega… Aur aaj hum jaldi ghar jayenge… Bohot tayyariyan baki hai…” She said and walked towards her cabin… She turned to have a look at everyone… Something was unusual… She shook her head and went to her cabin…
The day passed by… No new case was registered… HM left early and soon PS and SS too left… KS didn’t feel like going home, so she decided to accompany CC for night duty… Meanwhile, AS had buried himself in work the entire day… A lone tear would escape his eyes once in a while… By evening, he could no longer concentrate… He called it a day and left for his home… He was lying on his bed, but couldn’t bear the silence… He felt the emptiness would swallow him alive… He got up and drove off… He subconsciously kept driving till he reached the outskirts of the city… When he stopped, he found some lights at a distance… He decided to go there…
“Karishma beta…” Maa had called KS… “Pranaam Chachi ji… Kaisi hai aap??” “Hum thik hai lekin abhi thode pareshaan hai…” “Ka hua Chachi ji?? Kahe pareshaan hai aap??” “Kal se Anu ko call kar rahe hai… Lekin woh phone hi nahi utha raha… Pata nahi khana bhi khaya hai usne ke bas kaam hi kar raha hai…” Maa said worriedly… “Aap chinta mat kijiye… Hum jate hai ghar aur dekhte hai unko… Aap abhi aaram kijiye… Der ho raha hai…” KS assured her… “Thik hai beta… Hum kal aa jayenge wapas… Use bata dena…” “Ji Chachi ji hum bata denge…” “Abhi rakhte hai hum… Khush raho…” Maa blessed KS and ended the call… KS immediately dialled AS’s number but he did not answer… She called his office where she was informed about his departure hours ago… “Cheete… Hum Anu bhaiyya ke ghar ja rahe hai unko dekhne… Tum Thana sambhalo… Aur sona mat…” KS said and hurried out… KS reached AS’s house and found it locked… Now even she was worried… She called SS to MPT immediately and she too reached there… “Santu… DSP sir ka location nikalo aur humko bhejo… Cheetah, humare saath chalo… Aur haan Santu thana sambhal lena…” Both CC and KS hurried out…
AS had been sitting at the corner table for a while now… He did not order anything, but the waiter had placed a drink on the table… He looked around; the room was filled with men and stench of alcohol… The centre stage which was empty till now was filled with pretty women… The music started blaring out of the speakers and in came the lead dancer… He was looking around when a drunkard stumbled on his table… That man looked at AS and chuckled, “Lagta hai naya aaya hai… Dil toota aashiq…” he laughed again… AS clutched the glass in front of him… “Pee le… Bohot zabardast cheez hai yeh… jisko yaad kar raha hai woh dikh jayegi…” and the man went away trying to walk straight… AS picked the glass, closed his eyes and gulped down the contents in one go… His throat burned… He opened his eyes and for a split second saw his love in front of him… He shook his head and looked again, only for her to disappear… Was the man right?? No harm in trying… He thought… Before he knew he had downed multiple glasses… He raised his head trying to fight the tingling sensation inside him and found his HM dancing on the stage… He smiled…
KS and CC reached the location that SS sent… It was a bar; a countryside bar… KS was shocked for her brother had never touched alcohol… She and CC hurried inside… The room was dimly lit, only lights focusing on the centre stage… Music too loud and air heavy with the smell of alcohol and sweat… KS’s eyes travelled around the room and halted on the face she desperately wanted to see… She pointed towards the corner and CC rushed ahead of her… The song ended and the dancers were leaving the stage… AS got up from his table, he was still imagining HM and wanted to stop her… His inebriated state caused him to lose balance and he stumbled… Before he could fall face down, an arm was wrapped around his torso… He raised his head and saw a familiar face… “Arrree… Cheetah…” he said and chuckled… KS also reached and held him from other side… He looked at her, “Behnaaa…” he said and chuckled again… “Ka kar rahe hai Sir… Kahe kiya aapne aisa??” CC asked; tears pricking the corners of his eyes… He couldn’t see AS in this state… AS only laughed… “Chaliye yaha se…” KS said… “Nahi… Hume Haseena ji ke paas jana hai… woh dekhiye waha gayi woh…” AS said pointing towards the direction of the exit the dancers used… “MS yaha nahi hai… Chaliye…” KS said… “Humne dekha unko jate hue… Humko jane dijiye behna… Hume unse dil ki baat kehni hai nahitoh koi aur unko le jayega…” he said… KS’s heart broke listening to her brother… “Sir… Humara baat suniye sir… MS iha kahe aayengi… MS toh thana mei hai… Hum aapko leke chalte hai… Aap unse thana mei baat kar lijiye ga…” CC said with a heavy voice… “Sach… Haseena ji thane mei hai??” “Haan sir… abhi chaliye…” CC said and helped him walk out… Suddenly AS stopped and whispered something in CC’s ear… “KM… Hum…” KS understood what CC wanted to say… “Jao jaldi… Hum baher hai…” she said and went away while CC took AS to the washroom…
KS saw them coming out… After the visit to the washroom, AS’s inebriation had reduced a little… But he was giving CC a hard time… KS went towards them and held AS by his arm and pulled him towards the car… After being dragged for a few steps, AS freed himself from their clutches, “Humne kaha na hume nahi aana… Hume yaha aacha laga raha hai…” he said and tried to go back in… “Sir… Kahe aisa kar rahe hai?? Humara baat maniye… Please ghar chaliye…” CC pleaded… “Ghar…” AS said and started laughing… “Ghar nahi jana… ghar hume kaantne ko daudta hai…” “Ka keh rahe hai aap Sir??” KS said… “Kya behna… aapko sunai nahi deta… kaantne ko daudta hai ghar…” he said loudly and sighed… “Maa nahi hai na… toh ghar khali khali lagta hai… bilkul humari zindagi ki tarah…” he said sadly… A tear escaped from three sets of eyes… “Seedhi si zindagi thi humari…” he said taking a few steps ahead… “Maa, aap, hum aur humari duty… aur kuch mahatvpurn nahi tha humare liye… Sab acha chal raha tha…” he took a pause remembering the day he collided with HM… “Fir… Haseena ji aai… Woh mission… sab badal diya us mission ne…” he said sadly… “Pehle aap humse dur ho gayi… Galti se bhi aap hume Anu Bhaiyya nahi kehti ab…” his tears betrayed him… KS’s heart broke, she realised, she had left her brother alone when he needed her the most… “Fir jisse hum darte the woh ho gaya… Cheetah aapki MS ne hume apne prem ke jaal mei phasa liya…” AS continued… “Aur pata hai kaise?? Bas muskurake… Jab aapki MS muskurati hai na… Humara dil kaske dhadkta hai…” AS said remembering HM’s sweet smile… “Humara aisa haal banake abhi kisi aur ke saath ja rahi hai… Hume akela chodke…” Tears streamed down his face… He wiped them and, “Lekin unki galti bhi toh nahi hai… Humne jo kiya uski saza hume mil rahi hai… Jab woh humare paas thi, humne unki qadar nahi ki…” he said hanging his head down…
“Sir… Chaliye ghar…” CC said coming to his side… AS looked at him and smiled through his tears… He put an arm around his shoulder and tried to whisper, “Ek baat bataye aapko?? Aapki Santu ji aapko pasand karti hai…” “Sir eh ka…” “Sach keh rahe hai… Aap kisi aur ko ‘Love you’ bolte hai toh unhe jalan hoti hai…” “Ka…??” “Haan… humari baat maniye… Unhe apne dil ki baat bata dijiye… Der ho gayi toh aapka haal humare jaisa ho jayega…” AS said and chuckled… CC kept staring at him… “Pata hai kya hota hai??” AS asked him to which CC only nodded ‘No’… “Hum batate hai… Suniye…” He pointed towards his heart and, “Yaha… yaha bohot peedha hoti hai… Chubhta hai zoro se… Aisa lagta hai dhadkan band ho jayegi… Saans aana band ho jati hai…” CC could no longer hold back his tears… “Are Cheetah… aap kyu ro rahe hai… Aapki Santu ji nahi jayegi aapko chodke… Aapko yeh sab nahi sehna padega…” AS said trying to calm CC… CC just hugged him and broke down… AS too held him; maybe he too needed the hug… “Sir… Bohot ho gaya… chaliye ghar…” KS said sternly… “Nahi…” AS was adamant… “Sir… Humare ghar chalenge?? MS ka khatir chaliye sir… Please… personal level pe request kar rahe hai…” CC said… “Haan… Hum Cheetah ke ghar jayenge…” AS said happily… CC and KS help him sit in the car… Once he had settled, KS drove away to AS’s house…
Disclaimer: Smoking and Alcohol consumption is injurious to health... I personally do not support or encourage any of the above activities... There is no problem or situation that can be solved by consuming alcohol or smoking...
