Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 36- Hunting

CHAPTER 36

HUNTING

"Kal Koel se mila tu?" Karan asked. Faizi hummed. "Kitne gusse mein thi? Parikshit par?"

Faizi looked at him. "Tumhe pata hai yeh log Pariskhit par gussa hain? Hume toh laga tumhe Monami ko nihaarne se fursat hi nahi mili."

Karan glared at him. "Chup kar", he said. "Bakwaas karta rehta hai bas."

"Hum bakwaas kar rahe hain? Kal dekha tha tumne aapne aap ko? Kaise dekh rahe the tum Monami ko?"

He opened his mouth, before closing it. "Tu... Tu woh bata jo main puchh raha hoon."

Faizi shrugged. "Of course. Koel Monami ko chhoti behen ki tarah treat karti hai. Ab use bura laga, toh Koel ko bhi bahut gussa aaya." Karan hummed. "Tum bhi toh mile hoge Monami se."

"Mila tha, coffee par. Zyaada kuchh bol nahi rahi thi. Chup thi." Karan looked at Faizi. "Phir se stutter bhi kar rahi thi." He sighed.

"Woh bina stutter ke bhi bolti hai? Hume toh pata hi nahi tha. Hume toh laga hamesha chalega uska", Faizi said. "Waise... sahi kaha tha tumne. Poori sherni hi hai woh. Hume bilkul umeed nahi thi. Par dekhkar bahut achha laga."

Karan smiled slightly. His attention turned to the door, and Faizi turned in his seat, finding Monami come in. The hood of her jacket was thrown up over her hair, her head bowed slightly as she walked in. She sat down quietly in a corner, and Karan held in a sigh of disappointment.

"Iski sherni dobara so gayi", he muttered quietly in complaint.

Faizi chuckled, shaking his head. "Aise kehte rehte ho ki kuchh feel nahi karte, par dekho, kitne interested ho us mein."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Main bolta kuchh hoon, tu sunta kuchh hai. Tune kal Monami ko dekha tha? Woh... Woh, na..." He paused, a slow smile spreading on his face. "She was out of this world, Faizi. Matlab, uski aankhein dekhi tune? She was..." He shook his head, exhaling. He looked at his best friend. "I admire her, Faizi. Koi pyaar vyaar nahi hua mujhe, okay? Kisi ki strength admire karne ko pyaar nahi kehte hain."

"Toh kab hoga?"

He sighed. "Kabhi nahi", he said. "Mujhse nahi hota hai yeh pyaar wagera. Desh ke liye jeena hai mujhe, aur usi ke liye shaheed hona hai."

Faizi scowled. "Tum, na, yeh marne waali baatein mat kara karo. Hume achha nahi lagta. Aur abhi toh bilkul nahi. Pehle hi itne log maarna chahte hain tumhe. Kabhi kabhi toh hum bhi maarna chahte hain tumhe." He pointed to him. "Tumhaara murder ka haq sirf hume hai." He paused. "Aur Bhaiya ko."

Karan rolled his eyes. "Rulayega kya, Faizi?" He drawled sarcastically. The other agent chuckled. He gulped down the rest of his coffee. "Mujhe Mridul se milne jaana hai. Meeting hai." He threw a glance at Monami before moving out of the mess.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Sir, humne security check kar li hai", Mridul said. "Koi bhi breech nahi lag raha."

Karan leaned back in the chair, nodding slightly. "Ek baat batao. Mission Euphoria ke baare mein kis kisko pata tha. Mission se pehle, I mean."

Mridul stared at him. "Sir, yeh baat toh sabko pata thi, na, ki aap log raid par jaa rahe ho?"

He clicked his tongue. "Nahi. Yeh detail ki hum jis club par raid maar rahe hain, woh Euphoria hai. Yeh baat kis kisko pata thi?"

"Sir, main pata kar leta hoon. But..." He shrugged slightly. "Kyun jaanna hai aapko?"