An Eye-Opener

An Eye Opener

 

 

Abhijeet was driving to Daya's house. After a long time there was a girl in Daya's life and things had turned messy partly because of him (Abhijeet). Though it was not his fault, Abhijeet felt guilty about it.

Flashback:




Scene: Bureau


Purvi: Daya, I am really sorry. Maine tumhe bhala bura kaha... humare pyar pe bhi shaq kiya.


Daya: Sorry bolne se dil par lage zakhm bhar nahi jaate.  Maine socha tha museebat ki ghadi mein tum meri takat banogi. Takat tohh door ki baat, tumne toh poori koshish ki mujhe kamzor karne ki, Abhijeet ko phaasi par chadane ki. Anyways...Bye.


Purvi: Daya, please meri baat toh suno.



Abhijeet: Thoda naraaz hai, jaise gussa thanda hoga tumhe phone karega.


Purvi: Abhijeet, I am really sorry, maine tumhe anjaane mein kosa, bohot kuch kaha.


Abhijeet: Gusse mein aisa ho jaata hai.


Purvi: I am really sorry. Ab dekho na...maine Daya ko bhi kho diya hai.


Abhijeet: mmm-hmm...Aisa kuch nahi hoga...use main laaoonga tumhare paas. Ek bhai ka wada hai.





Back to present.



Scene : Daya's house, 9PM.


Abhijeet rings the bell. After a minute Daya opens the door.



Abhijeet: Hi (smiles)


Daya: Hi boss, andar aao.


Abhijeet walks in.


Daya: Baitho...tumne dinner kha liya?


Abhijeet: Nahi...main socha kahin baahar jaakar khaate hain.


Daya: Nahi Abhijeet...aaj mood nahi hai. Mera dinner aata hi hoga. Tum chaho toh extra laane ko kehta hoon.


Abhijeet:  hmm...theek hai.



Abhijeet waits watching a movie on Daya's TV while Daya finishes phoning the home delivery guy.



Daya: chalo order kar diya. aadhe ghante mein dinner aayega.


Abhijeet(not sure about how to begin): Daya, main...


Daya: Abhijeet, mujhe tumse kuch kehna hai.


Abhijeet: Kya?


Daya: I am really sorry Abijeet. Maine tumpar shaq kiya...actually shaq nahi...woh...(unable to finish)


Abhijeet: Koi baat nahi Daya...tum ek CID officer ho. Agar kisi ke khilaaf saboot mile toh unpar shaq karna hi chahiye. Main tumhari jagah hota toh yahi karta. Aur ACP saab bhi yahi karte. Tumhe pata hai na unhone Freddie ke saath mere ghar ki talaashi li thi. Tumne jo kiya, theek kiya.




Daya: Nahi...woh baat nahi...actually maine gusse mein yeh bhi kaha ki tum yaaddasht khone ka naatak kar rahe ho. Yeh mujhe nahi kehna chahiye tha. Main iss baat par apne aap ko kabhi maaf nahi kar sakta.




Abhijeet felt a lump in his throat as he remembered how much that one line had hurt him. He never faulted Daya for having suspected him of murdering Paresh or Siddharth but he didn't expect Daya to suspect him of faking his memory loss. That one line had shattered him.


Normally when he was stuck in a case, he would have tried to get proper evidence and prove his own innocence. But this time, though he tried to go into hiding and carry on his investigation, he just couldn't focus on his job. Those words kept haunting him. He had roamed around aimlessly for a day or 2 and  returned to his house when he found ACP and Freddie searching his house.


Daya: Abhijeet...tum chup kyon ho? Main jaanta hoon tumhe bohot bura laga. Tum mujhe daant sakte ho. Main sunne ke liye tayyar hoon.


Abhijeet(looking absentmindedly at the TV): Chodo na Daya...gusse mein aisa ho jaata hai.


Daya: Nahi Abhijeet, main iss baat ko bhool nahi sakta...kya tum mujhe kabhi maaf kar sakoge?



Abhijeet(draws in a deep breath):. Haan Daya. mujhe bura zaroor laga tha lekin main iss baat ko lekar zindagi bhar tumse naaraaz nahi reh sakta. Aur tum bhi zindagi bhar apne aap ko mat koso. Bhool jaao is baat ko.


Daya: Thank you Abhijeet aur sorry.



Abhijeet(gripped Daya's shoulder and smiled): forget it Daya.


Daya nodded. It was over...forgiven and would soon be forgotten.



Abhijeet: Waise main tumse...


He was about to bring up the topic of Purvi when the doorbell rang. Dinner had arrived.



Daya: Lagta hai dinner wala aa gaya. Abhijeet, is topic ko filhaal chodo. Main bhi apna mood theek karna chahta hoon.



Daya received the food, set the table and called Abhijeet.



Daya: Chalo Abhijeet, khaana tayyar hai.


They start eating.


Daya:  Mujhe ACP saab ka SMS aaya. Woh keh rahe the ki kise case ke silsile mein hume Manali jaana hoga.


Abhijeet: Manali? Arey waah. Mazaa aayega. Kab nikalna hai?



...

...



It was midnight when Abhijeet left for his house. He couldn't bring up the topic of Purvi again as Daya seemed to be in no mood to talk about it. They had to leave for Shimla and then to Manali the next morning, so he had to go and pack. He decided to discuss about it in the flight.




Scene : Flight.


The flight had taken off. The seat belt sign was off and passengers were given the permission to use music players. Daya  pulled his music player out.


Abhijeet: Daya, humesha flight mein gaane sunte ho...main bore ho jaata hoon.


Daya: Theek hai...andar rakh diya music player ko. Bolo kya kehna chahte ho.



Abhijeet: Tumne  Purvi se baat ki?



Daya: Abhijeet, main us case ke baare mein bhoolna chahta hoon.


Abhijeet: Case ke baare mein main bhi bhool chuka hoon. Lekin Purvi?


Daya: Abhijeet please...main uske baare mein baat nahi  karna chahta.


Abhijeet: Ek baar use phone toh karo. Actually maine usse kaha tha...ki main tumhe uske paas le jaaonga.



Daya: Boss tumhe isme taang adane ki kya zaroorat thi?


Abhijeet: Maine socha meri wajah se tum usse naraaz ho...isliye...



Daya: Tumhari wajah se naaraz nahi balki tumhare is case ki wajah se mujhe uske asli roop ka pata chala.



Abhijeet: Dekho Daya...uske bhai ka khoon ho gaya tha...bechaari bohot tension mein thi...gusse mein kuch keh diya hoga usne. Tum bhi gusse mein bohot kuch keh dete ho...



Daya: Abhijeet mujhe laga ki tumne mujhe us baat ke liye maaf kar diya tha.



Abhijeet: haan...main bas itna keh raha hoon ki gusse mein muh se bohot kuch nikal jaata hai. uske baaton ka bura mat mano. shimla pohonchte hi use phone karo.



Daya: Theek hai. Tum keh rahe ho, isliye ek baar use phone karoonga.

 

 

Scene : Hotel Daya's room



Abhijeet knocked, Daya opened the door.


Abhijeet: Chalo ACP saab ne kaha hai 15 minute mein hume nikalna hai. Tumne Purvi ko phone kiya?



Daya : (no reply)



Abhijeet: main neeche tumhara intezaar karta hoon. Tum usse baat  karke aao.


..and left.


Daya forced himself to call Purvi's number. The phone rang and then he got a message The person you are calling is unable to take your call now. Please call again later'. He decided to wait for 5 minutes and try. During these 5 minutes he wondered why was he forcing himself to call her now. He didn't feel desperate to speak to her or anything. He was doing it because Abhijeet had forced him to.


Daya had met Purvi at a common friend's party a few months back. It was she who had approached him first with a romantic intent. She seemed to be a nice girl, so the thoughts of settling down with her occurred to him. Daya wasn't head over heels in love with her or anything but she was better than the unknown girls whose photos his sister kept sending him.


He had wanted to discuss the matter with Abhijeet before taking any decision.  His bumping into her at the restaurant when he was having dinner with Abhijeet was completely unexpected.



As the case progressed he realised that a CID officer couldn't have any normal next-door girl as a wife or girlfriend. She couldn't understand his professional commitments. He even ended up rejecting ACP's call when he was with her. This was unlike the dedicated CID officer that he was.



It was 5 minutes since the first call. He called Purvi again.


Purvi: Daya...kahan ho tum? main 2 din se tumhare phone ka intezaar kar rahi hoon.


Daya: Sorry main is waqt Shimla mein hoon. Ek case ke silsile mein.


Purvi: Tum jaante ho hum kis museebat mein hai. Mere sautele dad par case chal rahi hai. Uske oopar ek hafte pehle Paresh ki maut hui thi. Tum mujhe is waqt yahan akele chodar Shimla chale gaye!



Daya: Haan maine bataaya tumhe...main yahan ek case ka investigation karne aaya hoon.


Purvi: Har waqt case-case. Tumhare team mein baaki log bhi hain. Woh nahi jaa sakte the? Is ek case ke liye tum nahi gaye toh kya pahaad tootega?



Daya: Purvi, main ek CID officer hoon.  Main apne duty se peehche nahi hat sakta.



Purvi: humari shaadi hone ke baad bhi tum yahi karoge?


Daya: Haan. Main yahi karoonga.



Purvi: Tab toh mujhe sochna padega Daya.


Daya: Achcha hua tumhe yeh khayal shaadi se pehle hi aa gaya. Warna baad mein hum dono ko pachtana padta.  Anyways. Bye Purvi. Mujhe ab jaana hai.



(cuts the call)


Daya felt relieved after this call as if great load had been lifted off his chest.


Abhijeet was waiting in the reception.  He walked towards Daya, smiling.


Abhijeet: bohot khush lag rahe ho...baat hui Purvi se?



Daya: Haan.


Abhijeet: Toh...kya hua?



Daya: kuch nahi boss...meri aankhein khul gayi. Dil par se bada bojh utar gaya.




Abhijeet: Aakhein khul gayi?? Matlab?



Daya: Kuch nahi Abhijeet...maine ek baar tumse kaha tha - ki ek CID officer ki zindagi mein pyar-vyar ke liye koi jagah nahi.



Abhijeet: Yeh kya keh rahe ho tum? Kahin tum...????


Daya: Haan Abhijeet.


Abhijeet: Lekin kyon????



Daya: Main baad mein batata hoon. Ab chalo.  ACP saab humara intezaar kar rahe hain.

*** THE END ***