Author's Note -
Helloooooooooo! Surprised to see me? Woh kya hua na ajj kisi ne unseen tales pe comment kiya tha ki ajj Adi sir ka bday hai isilye hai update de do plz. Toh maine socha ki de hi du! So i am here! Pehle hi bol ragi hu chappy chota hai! Ajj hi likha na jaldi jaldi mai. Par shocking bhi hai! Go on and read! Dear guest here is your update!
*20 years later* (imagine 1999-2000 era duo and team)
ACP sir was sitting on his rocking chair. The lights of the room were off and only faint moonlight that entered through the open window was lightning up the room. It was well past midnight but sleep seemed far away from his eyes. His eyes were guled to the figure lying in front of him. A figure of Daya wrapped in a blanket and sleeping in an uncomfortable sleep.
He didn't know for how long he sat there. But he still didn't feel like getting up from his place. Soon the door of the room opened. It wasn't locked and hence was pushed open by turning the knob. The person who opened the door walked in and observed Daya for a moment. ACP sir, on the other hand still seemed unaware of someone else's presence in the room. It was so weird for the person that ACP Prayduman had not noticed a person walking into his room that it forced him to stop staring Daya and turn his gaze towards ACP sir. He observed him for a minute and then walked upto him. Kept a hand on his shoulder and called him out softly...
Person - Sir?
Starled ACP sir turned to look at him and uttered...
ACP - Ha? (Seeing him properly) Abhijeet! Tum soye nahi? Iss waqt yaha kya kar rahe ho?
Abhijeet - Neend nahi lagi sir... Par aap kyu jaag rahe hai? Meri toh chutti hai... (Making a face) Zabardasti ki! Par aap ko toh kal subah beauro jana hai na!
ACP - Ha... Woh... Mujhe bhi neend nahi aa rahi thi!
Abhijeet bent down on his knees and kept one hand on sir's knees when ACP sir tried stopping him with...
ACP - Aree tum niche kyu...
Interrupting him Abhijeet held his hand between both his palms and asked...
Abhijeet - Kya baat hai sir?
ACP - (sighing) Tum jante toh ho Abhijeet!
Abhijeet - Par sir. Ab Daya theek hai!
ACP - Woh theek nahi hai! Isilye toh ajj aisa... Aisa kadam uthane pe majboor ho gaya!
Abhijeet promised assuring...
Abhijeet - Hum usse theek karege na sir! Hum saath milkar usse theek karege!
ACP - Agar maine uss sahi decision liya hota toh... Shayad yeh din dekhna hi nahi padta!
Abhijeet - Sir isme apki galti nahi thi... Aap toh uska bhala hi chahte the na...
ACP - Acha? (With a small smile) Uss waqt toh apka aisa kehna nahi tha! Pure 3 din mujhse baat nahi ki thi!
Abhijeet - Sirrrr...
He complained blushing... But ACP sir had not yet thought of letting him go. So he said...
ACP - Nahi nahi! Tabhi toh bohot gussa the sahab apne prayman uncle se!
Abhijeet - (unbelievably) Mai apko sach mai woh bulata tha?
ACP - 'Woh' nahi bulate the! Prayman uncle bulate the! Aur kudh ke alawa kisi aur ko woh bulane bhi nahi dete the! (Pausing) Siway Daya ke... (Sadly he added) Aur meri kismat dekho... Mere sabse pyare naam se ab mujhe koi bulata hi nahi. Ek ko vishwas nahi hota ki woh mujhe uss naam se bulata tha... Aur dusre ko toh mai yaad hi nahi!
Abhijeet - Par mai bulata kyu tha... Waise?
ACP - Kaise? (Not pretending to understand)
Abhijeet - Sir aap jante hai kaise!
ACP - (in a small laugh) Pata nahi! Tum mera naam nahi le pate the. Par rehna mere hi saath hota tha. Pehle toh bas uncle hi bulate the. Par phir ek din Adi ke paas jake bole ki uncle se baat karni hai. Usse mazak sujh raha tha. Jante hue bhi puchne laga konse uncle. Gussa toh waise hi naak pe chada rehta tha rakh diya naam jo man mai aaya aur bol paye!
Abhijeet - (murmuring to himself) Aur kuch naam nahi sujha mujhe...
ACP - Acha hua nahi sujha! Nahi toh mujhe mera sabse pyara naam milta hi nahi!
Abhijeet gave him a sweet smile and then said...
Abhijeet - Chaliye sir ab aap aaram kijiye bohot late ho gaya hai!
ACP - Ha bhai so raha hu! Bimar kudh ho aur mujhe bol rahe ho sone! Tum bhi jake aaram karo nahi toh bhabhi ko phone karke bolta hu ki Adi se daat padwaye tumhe!
Abhijeet - Jata hu sir... Nahi (changing his mind) Aap waha uss room mai soyiye! Yaha rahege toh Daya mai hi busy rahege!
ACP - Aree mai...
Abhijeet - Sir! (Warning tone)
ACP - Acha theek hai par Daya ke saath kisi ko toh rehna hoga na? Doctor ne kaha hai isse akele nahi chodna hai.
Abhijeet - Ha toh mai yehi so raha hu na! Aap jayiye!
ACP sir nodded his head in a 'no' smiling and walked out of his own room murmuring...
ACP - Waah! Apne hi kamre se mujhe hi nikal raha hai!
Outside the door he stopped for a moment and looked back at Daya's sleeping figure... Then completely left the room assured seeing Abhijeet closing the windows the curtains and getting into the bed to sleep himself. Remembering those precious 7 days he had spent some 20 years ago with these same people in this same house... Only if they would have ended equally well as they had been in between!
Going into the spare room of his house he lied on the bed. He stared the ceiling as sleep seemed to be far away from his eyes. Lying back he slowly slipped into the memory lane... To the memory dated 3 months ago...
*Flashback*
It was a usual day today at the beauro. Except for it was Abhijeet's birthday. A small party in the evening planned by Aditya and Sharada at their home and a small came cutting ceremony arranged by the team in the lunch time. this was all about today's plan. But they didn't know that just like the his birthday that was celebrated 20 years ago in 'Mamta Foundation'... Today was going to be special. With a gift for him and others from God himself.
ACP sir came out of the cabin and said...
ACP - Abhijeet?
Abhijeet - Yes sir?
Came the voice from behind the desk of second in command of CID Mumbai. From the person who was the owner of this desk from past 3 years and had already reached heights of success and accolades. Making ACP sir proud of his little kiddo... As he would always be... Like never before!
ACP - Mai zara uss DCP ko mil kar aata hu (making a face). Tab tak tum beauro sambhal lena!
Abhijeet - Ji sir...
ACP - Aur ha... Ek naya officer report karne wala hai. Usse bhi introduce karwa dena!
Abhijeet - Ok sir... Lekin naya officer? Apne bataya nahi!
ACP - Ha woh mujhe bhi abhi hi pata chala... Aadhe ghante pehle! Headquarters ne file bejhi hai. Bada ajeeb aadmi hai!
Abhijeet - Kyu sir?
ACP - Ab... Kya batau. Maine uski history padi... IIT se engineer hai! Aur saath mai UPSC clear kiya tha. IAS ke liye select hua tha par gaya nahi! Pata nahi itna brilliant hai par phir police training karne chala gaya! IPS bhi toh kar sakta tha agar police hi join karni thi.
Abhijeet - Weird...
ACP - Ha aur... Naam bhi... (He trailed off)
Abhijeet - Kya hua sir? Kya naam hai?
ACP - (sighing) Daya!
The name did ring a bell in Abhijeet's brain but brushing it away with 'duniya mai ek hi Daya nahi hai' he said...
Abhijeet - Theek hai sir mai dekh lunga usse.
ACP - (snapping out of his thoughts) Hmm... Mai chalta hu. Lunch tak aa jauga!
Abhijeet - Ji sir. Aaram se!
*2 hours later*
The door of the beauro opened. Attracting all eyes present there. A young man in mid 20s walked in through the door. With a nervous sweaty hands gulping down often trying to wet his dry throat. He was wearing formals... A light blue shirt with black pants. Had a file in his hand and a nervous smile pasted across his lips. From his appearance no one could say that he was actually a cop... So innocent he looked! Freddy got up from his seat and said...
Freddy - Yes? How can we help you?
Man - Woh mai... Ajj meri reporting thi. Mai...
Abhijeet - (coming out from record room and hearing him) Daya?
Man - Yes sir! (Saluting him) Sub. Insp Daya reporting on duty sir!
Abhijeet - (smiling) Welcome to CID Mumbai Daya! Yeh hai humari team! (Pointing to each one of them) Yeh hai Fredricks... Jisse hum sab pyar se Freddy bulate hai. Yeh hai Asha. Aur yeh Sudhakar... Forensic team se mai baad mai milata hu. And ha! Myself Sr. Insp. Abhijeet.
Daya - Thank you sir.
Abhijeet - Woh ACP sir abhi DCP sir se milne gaye hai. Thodi der mai aa jayege. Until then woh raha tumhara desk! (Indicating to the desk besides his own)
Daya - Sir!
Abhijeet - Woh mera desk hai! Apni file waha rakh do mai zara 5 minute mai aata hu and yes feel yourself comfortable. Yaha par koi khadus nahi hai. Mujhe chodke... Matlab sab aisa bolte hai! I hope tumhe aisa na lage!
Daya - Ji nahi sir. Apke bare mai bohot suna hai sir! Hopefully ek din apke jaisa ban pauga...
Abhijeet - Mere jaise nahi mujhse bhi behtar banoge! (After a second) Aata hu!
Daya nodded in head in a small yes and then walked towards the desk that was now his... The team made him really comfortable in small time although he didn't talk a lot to them still a little nervous.
*Night, Jeet mansion*
Daya walked in through the door into the hall where a small party was thrown. He felt a little unusually knowing the place but brushed away his thoughts saying to himself that it was not possible. Seeing him Abhijeet walked upto him and invited him inside with a sweet smile. And told the team to make him comfortable as he got busy attending other guests. These parties were not his usual stuff. He was not really fond of them... A small dinner with closed ones would have been more liked by him that this whole party thing. But Aditya wanted to throw one this year... Saying they had not had one in a long long time. And for him Abhijeet agreed. Though he still kept the guest list small with few friends of his... His team... Aditya and Sharada's friends and obviously his prayman uncle now his sir. As he got busy with his friends Aditya walked upto ACP sir who was busy sipping his juice...
Aditya - Yaar Prayduman... Yeh kon hai? (Pointing to Daya)
ACP - Teri party hai mujhe kya pata! (Teasing him)
Aditya - Mujhe nahi pata isilye toh puch raha hu. Jeet ne bulaya hai kya?
ACP - Mujhe kya pata!
Aditya - Abe! Kya hua hai tujhe? Jeet ke bare mai tujhe nahi pata hoga toh kisse pata hoga? Uska sab kuch toh tujhe hi pata hota hai!
ACP - Ha toh beta kiska hai! (Proudly)
Aditya - Bhai hai toh mera... Par lagta nahi hai! Dimag se toh pura tujhpe gaya hai!
ACP - Ha toh mera hi hai! (Possessively)
Aditya - Acha baba tera hai bas! Par bata toh sahi woh kon hai?
ACP - Daya hai...
Aditya - What?
ACP - Jo tu soch raha hai woh Daya nahi hai! Duniya mai Daya naam se ek hi insan nahi hai. Naya officer hai. Ajj hi join kiya hai. Toh Jeet ne invite kiya tha party ke liye!
Aditya - (still staring Daya) Tujhe kaise pata woh nahi hai... Ho sakta hai na ki wahi humara Daya...
ACP - (sternly) Adi!
Aditya - (averting his gaze) Acha nahi sochta bas! Chal aaja tujhe mere naye client se milata hu!
ACP - Aree par mai kya karuga milke?
Aditya - Aree mil toh yaar!
ACP - Acha chal! Pata nahi kya maza aati hai tujhe mujhe apne clients se mila ke!
Here on the other side Daya excused himself from the team and walked upto Abhijeet... And called him...
Daya - Sir...
Abhijeet - (turning to him) Ha?
Daya - (forwarding a small packed box) Yeh apke liye... Happy birthday sir. Have a great year ahead!
Abhijeet - Aree Daya iski kya zarurat thi! Aur itni jaldi kaha se le aaye tum?
Daya - Woh toh on the way le liya tha sir...
Abhijeet - Thank you so much!
That night when Abhijeet opened all the gifts the last one was Daya's... An expensive latest wrist watch it was. The one Abhijeet wanted to buy since long but didn't get a chance to buy one! A small smile broke on Abhijeet's face as he saw it... And somehow ended up thinking maybe this Daya could be their Daya? Who else could have known his secret wish? Afterall he was the only one who used to understand his unsaid words. But then he went to bed thinking that he was just overthinking and it could have simply been a coincidence!
*Flashback ends*
To be continued...
Author's Note -
Duo bade ho gaye! Ajj Adi sir ka bday hai na! Toh sidha 20 years bada kar diya maine *chuckling*. Batao batao kaise lage bade duo? Kab pata chala hoga ACP sir, Abhijeet aur Aditya, Sharada ko ki yeh unka wahi Daya hai? Aur what will be their reaction? And first of all aisa kya hua tha 20 saal pehle ki yeh alag ho gaye? Aur ab kya hoga? Aisa kya hua ki ACP sir is regretting his decision?