Ek hi insaan? ki do alag log?

Chapter 15: Kabir's search

Kabir came inside KKN and called Naina inside his cabin.

Kabir: Naina, yeh tumhare purse se gir gaya tha..(He handed her the photo) Naina, yeh kaun hai?

Naina: yeh hi hai Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat.

Kabir: Oh..inki maut kab hui thi?

Naina: 8 years ago. Jeep blast hua tha..unko phasaya gaya tha....aur phir marwaya gaya tha.

Kabir: Naina, agar aisa kuch hai jisko humme government ke samne lana hai toh batao, mai iss case par kaam karke pata lagaunga.

Naina: Nahi, yeh case close ho chuka hai..iska mastermind ko punishment mil chuki hai.

Kabir: Ok Naina. Chalo, let's get to work. Accha, I'll be going to meet Khurana in an hour or so, agar koi mujhe dhoondhe toh unhe bata dena, okay?

Naina: Ok. Bye.

Naina left his cabin and Kabir knew what he had to do..he needed to get to the bottom of this....how did he look exactly like a guy who has died 8 years ago..He closed his eyes and the entire scene of the jeep falling from a bridge and burning, his last talk with his cadets and his last meet woth Naina was vividly playing in front of his eyes..he opened his eyes in shock..how did he know what all had happened..his head was aching! He got up from his seat and went to meet Khurana.
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Kabir: Khurana, tum mujhe kab se jaante ho?

Khurana: Yahi kuch 6-7 saal ho chuke hai..kyu?

Kabir: Kuch nahi..tum zara mujhe yeh batana ki tum yeh Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat ke baare mai kya jaante ho?

Khurana: maine toh sirf unke baare mai baate suni hai. Bechare, bear mai mare gaye, unke death se pehele unka court martial bhi hua jismai unki bohot badnaami hui, unko unke saare honours aur post unse cgeen liye gaye the ek public cerinomy main, pure academy ke samne. Unhe jail mai bhi rakha gaya tha. Par phir..(He narrated everything that happened in detail)..bas, phir unki body kabhi nahi mili par ha, jo iss sabke peeche tha, Lala Gehlot, ussne bola ki ussne unki body ko aag laga di thi.

Kabir: Kya mai iss Lala se mil sakta hu?

Khurana: Par Kabir, tumhe kyu milna hai?

Kabir: Khurana, aaj maine uss Captain ki photo dekhi..mai..mai bilkul uss ki tarah dikhta hu..aise kaise ho sakta hai?

Khurana: Par Kabir, tumhe toh journalism mai aaye 10 saal ho chuke hai! Aur usse mare 8. Tum aur woh same nahi ho sakte!

Kabir: mai jaanta hu, par pata nahi kyu, mujhe aisa lagta hai jaise ki..jaise ki kuch toh hai..

Khurana: Kabir, tumhe apne baare mai kya zyada yaad nahi?

Kabir: dekho, jabhi uski zindagi ke baare mai suna, mujhe aisa laga jaise ki mere sath hua ho woh sab, please Khurana, mujhe iss baat ki teh tak jaana hai.

Khurana: Theek hai, mai tumhe usske paas le jaunga ek week ke baad, bina mere tumhe waha koi nahi jaane dega.

Kabir: Thank you.
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Kabir came back to KKN, he was still thinking about how he can look same to someone who has died 8 years ago. He put his informer, Lakshman on this job. That night Kabir and Naina went back home together. Naina had already started her mission by evaluating each and every reporter present there. She had her doubts on a few of the reporters being involved in the upcoming attack. Theu both were silent on the way back, both lost in their own thoughts. They both walked up the stairs together. They were in front of their respective doors.

Naina: Good night.

She kissed Kabir on his cheek. Kabir instantly grabbed her from her waist.

Kabir: Good night sweetheart.

He kissed her lips, a soft and slow kiss.

They both left each other for the day.

Naina was inside her room. She looked at all the evidences she had already gathered. Naina had 4 suspects from inside KKN. She listened them out and went to her bedroom. Upon seeing the bed, she reminded what all had happened on it yesterday. She looked at Rajveer's picture.

"Aap mujhse gussa toh nahi na? Gussa ki mai kisi aur se pyar karne lagi hu?"

Naina went to sleep after that. She was sleeping think about Kabir and Rajveer.

Kabir on the other hand had found out about a friend of Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan. He had found a way of contacting him. He had decided that he'll take about him to Naina before calling him.

Next day morning, Kabir came out and talked to Naina.

Kabir: Naina, yeh Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan kaun hai?

Naina was shocked to hear this name from Kabir's mouth.

Naina: Woh Rajveer sir ke dost the..kyu kya hua?

Kabir: Naina woh, ek case hai jiske wajah se unse baat karni hai.

Naina: Oh ok, mere paas unka number toh nahi hai par aap chahe toh mai unka number kahin se nikal sakti hu..

Kabir: Nahi nahi, mere paas hai unka number, bas janna tha ki woh kaise hai, unka mijaz kaisa hai?

Naina: Theek hi hai, normal insan ki tarah.

Kabir: Oh ok, thanks 😊

They both headed down while talking about Naina's dress that she had worn today.
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Kabir had found time in between his work to call Abhimanyu.

Kabir: Hello, Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan?

Abhimanyu: (Shocked to hear his voice) Raj.. Raj tum theek ho! Kaha the tum abhi tak! Pata hai sab..

Kabir: Excuse me, mai Kabir Sharma bol raha hu, aap Captain Abhimanyu bol rahe hai?

Abhimanyu: Oh..I'm..I'm sorry, woh aapki voice bilkul..sorry

Kabir: It's alright sir, agar aapke paas time ho toh kya mai aapse mil sakta hu? Mai ek reporter hu KKN mai.

Abhimanyu: Ji zarur aaye aap.

Kabir: Sir mai kab aur kaha mil sakta hu aapse?

Abhimanyu: Ji aap aa jaiyega, mai do dino mai Delhi aa raha hu, we can meet around 6pm? Well meet in the starlight Cafe?

Kabir: Ok sir, thank you.

Kabkr disconnected the phone. He had seen how even this man thought he was Rajveer. He was getting more and more curious about this. He tried to remember things, all he could remember vividly were the past 8 years. 7 years ago, Kabir was a freelancer, no one had seen his face, they had only seen his writings. After that he had joined the newspaper and then he was slowly known by all. What happened before these 8 years in his life were cloudy. He only remembered them from words, no memories of those events. He was suspicious of his own being now.