“Mansi… Aap abhi soye nahi??” she asked… “Aap kaha gayi thi??” Mansi asked… HM gulped… Did Mansi see what just transpired?? She thought… “Kkk… Kaam tha baby… isiliye baher gaye the…” she tried to explain… “Toh Karishma Didi bhi saath aayi thi aapke??” Mansi asked… “Na… Nahi… Woh nahi aayi thi…” “Toh aap akeli gayi thi Anubhav Bhaiyya ke saath??” HM gulped… “Haan… woh… woh… ye jo case hai na… isme KS humare saath kaam nahi kar rahi hai na… Isiliye hum akele gaye the…” HM said trying to cover up… “Waise aap ab tak kyu jag rahi hai?? Chaliye jake so jaiye jaldi…” HM said sternly… She thought attack is the best defence… Mansi made a sad face and went to her room… HM heaved a sigh of relief and left for her room…
Next Day at MPT, “Santu ji…” CC said… “Bol Cheete…” SS said engrossed in her phone… CC frowned when she didn’t pay attention and was still engrossed… She realised he didn’t say anything, she looked up at him and saw his cute frown… She smiled at him, “Bol na…” He smiled back and excitedly began speaking, “Hum personal level pe ektho request kare aapse??” “Hmm…” “Aap na aise humko dekh ke smile mat kara kijiye… Humara dil bekaabu ho jata hai…” he said blushing… She too blushed but recovered soon, “Tu yeh bolne wala tha??” she asked… “Aur bhi kucho bolne wale the… Aaj shamko duty ke baad chaat khane chalengi?? Ek naya jagah dhunde hai…” he replied… She got excited but quickly frowned… “Aaj nahi na Cheete…” “Lekin kyu Santu ji…??” “Aaj meri night duty hai… Aaj nahi ja sakte…” CC frowned… “Jai Hind…” HM said… Both were startled and got up, “Jai Hind MS…” they saluted… “KS aur Pushpa ji kaha hai??” HM asked… “MS unka aaj field duty hai… aap hi toh kal boli thi unko… Wahi naka pe ‘lalla lalla’ kar rahi hongi dono…” CC said… HM had a hard time controlling her laughter… “Acha… Aap dono kaam kariye… Aur SS aaj night duty hum kar lenge… Aap dono jaldi ghar ja sakte hai…” she said and left for her cabin… SS and CC were happy… HM turned and smiled looking at them… She had heard their conversation before entering…
It was evening, “SS… Humne aapse ek file mangi thi…” HM said walking out to the hall… She saw SS and CC ready to leave for the day… “Sorry MS… Mai bhul gayi thi… Woh file toh store room mei hai… Mai abhi leke aati hu…” SS said… “Koi baat nahi Santosh… Aap jaiye hum le lenge…” HM said with a smile… “Thank you MS… Bye…” “Bye MS…” SS and CC said respectively… “Bye…” HM said… Both hurried out and HM moved towards the store room… She saw Billu sleeping in his Billu Niwas… “Yeh Billu bhi na kamal hai… Kabhi bhi so sakta hai…” she said to herself and went to the store room… She didn’t see AS entering nor did AS saw her going to the store room… He saw Billu sleeping and went to HM’s cabin… Finding it empty her returned to the hall and tried to wake Billu up, “Shreeman…” he called out… But Billu did not even flinch… AS heard some noise from the store room so he went there…
“Kaha rakh di file SS ne…” she mumbled while searching for the file in the shelf… AS saw his lioness and smiled… He went and stood behind her without making any sound… “Yaha toh nahi dikh rahi… Dusre shelf mei dekhte hai…” she said turning around and walked straight into his chest… “Aap kab aaye??” she asked with a smile… “Bas abhi…” he replied and engulfed her in a hug… Though she enjoyed it, “Kya kar rahe hai?? Koi aa jayega…” she said struggling to get out of his hold… He moved back a little, “Thane mei Shreeman ke alawa aur koi nahi hai… Aur woh bhi astable bech kar so rahe hai…” She laughed… “Fir bhi chodiye…” she said and he let her go… “Waise sab hai kaha??” “KS aur Pushpaji field duty pe the aaj… Wahi se ghar jayenge… SS aur CC ghar chale gaye…” “Toh aap yaha kya kar rahi hai akele??” “Aaj hum night duty pe hai…” she said… “Abhi hatiye… hume file dhundni hai…” she pushed him aside a little and was about to go past him… He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him…
In the process both lost their balance and were about to fall… But she balanced herself on the table behind and leaned on it… He too placed his hands on the table; his one hand on either side of her… Their faces were inches apart… He looked into her eyes… She too was lost in him… She could see love and desire for her in his eyes… A tingle ran down her spine and her stomach knotted in anticipation… His eyes travelled from her eyes to her lips… The mole on the side of her mouth had been his weak stop… He gulped feeling desire rising inside him… He again looked in her eyes, as if asking for permission… She lowered her eyelids indicating her approval… He slowly placed a kiss on her forehead letting his lips to linger for a moment longer… She closed her eyes; cheeks turning red… He touched his forehead with hers; she clutched the edge of the table… Their noses touched; her breath hitched… He slowly tilted his head… Suddenly PS’s desk phone rang… Both moved away with a jerk… She grabbed the opportunity and ran to answer the call… He stood there frowning…
“Ji… Hum bhejte hai kisiko…” she said and ended the call… By that time, he had walked out, “Kya baat hai Sona?? Aap pareshan lag rahi hai…” he asked… “Dheere boliye… Kya aap bhi…” she chided him… “Acha thik hai… lekin bataiye kya hua hai??” “Fir se chori hui hai… Wahi tareeka…” she said worried… “Lekin chor ko pakadne mei kathinai kya hai?? Us din toh aapne uske kaam karne ke tareeke ke bare mei bade ache se bataya tha…” “Haan Sir… Lekin problem ye hai ke woh randomly ghar chunta hai… Agli chori kaha hogi yeh samajh hi nahi paa rahe hai… Isiliye abhi tak woh pakad mei nahi aaya hai…” “Ohh… chaliye dekhte hai…” “Aapko ghar nahi jana??” “Thoda samay hai humare pas…” he leaned in and whispered, “Agar aap chahe toh aapke saath puri raat yahi ruk jayenge…” She blushed… “Ahem… Aaiye aapko case details dikhate hai…” she said smiling and went to her cabin with him in tow…
