“Anaya!” Sunny sounded scared on phone.

“Haan, Sunny?”

“Tu office mein kyon nahin hai.”

“Kabir Sir ne mujhe suspend kar diya hai.”

“Kya?”

“Chhod na, Sunny. Tune kyon phone kiya?”

“Woh Ananya. Mujhpe gussa mat karna.”

“Kya hua?”

“Kabir Sir ne mujhse mera camera maanga aur…”

“Uspar Mahi ki footage thi?”

“Haan.”

“Ab mujhe bata kar kya fayda, Sunny?”

“Really sorry, Ananya.”

“Theek hai, Sunny.”

“Mahi kaisi hai?”

“Uski Mom aa gayi. Use le kar gayi hain. Ek hotel mein rah rahe hain woh log.”

“Achchha Ananya. Ye suspension ka kya chakkar hai, yaar? Tu unse maafi maang le aur baat khatam kar na.”

“Main kyon maafi maangoon? Maine office ke paise liye the, main woh jaise bhi hoga waps kar doongi. Maine kuchh galat nahin kiya hai. Jounralism mein ethics ka bhi course padhate hain. Main maafi nahin maang rahi.”

—

Armaan was not at home. Her mother was busy in the kitchen. She sat stiffly in front of the television as the time for the bulletin neared. The promos for drug addiction related bulletin were still going on. Kabir would air the videos from Sunny’s camera, Ananya rued. She should have ensured that all the recordings were deleted.

He didn’t air Mahi’s videos. The news was about a raid conducted by the police using a tip from KKN’s team. Inspector Khurana was on the phone with Kabir, while two of the KKN reporters were on the ground.

‘Wahan mujhe hona chahiye tha,’ Ananya thought. But at least Mahi’s videos were safe. Her suspension was not for nothing!

“Ananya,” her mother called, “Dinner bhi taiyaar hone waala hai. Ye Armaan kahan rah gaya? Mujhe tension ho rahi hai.”

“Maine phone kiya tha, Ma. Usne uthaya nahin. Thodi der mein phir try karti hoon.”

Just then her mobile rang. It was Vinod, the reporter on the raid scene, “Ananya. Jaldi se yahan aa ja. Woh jo raid hui thi abhi, wahan Armaan bhi tha. Police le gayi hai use.”

“Kya?”

“Kya hua Ananya?” her mother asked, “Armaan hai kya?”

“Nahin Ma. Mujhe thoda kaam aa gaya hai. Main thodi der mein aati hoon.”

“Ab tu bhi ja rahi hai. Chal kya raha hai? Armaan kahan hai?”

“Bada ho gaya hai, Ma. Doston ke saath party kar raha hoga. Main dekh loongi. Ma tum wait mat karna mera. Der ho jayegi.”

“Lekin–”

“Bye, Ma.”

She called Ronnie, Richa and Sunny on the way and made straight to the police station. Inspector Khurana recognized her.

“Ananya Kashyap, right? Woh Bhat waale case mein tumse baat hui thi. Yahan kaise? Abhi to Kabir ko statement diya hai maine.”

“Inspector. Ye kaam ke liye nahin hai. Woh–” she hesitated, “Mera bhai tha wahan, jahan raid padi thi. I’m sure Inspector uska isse kuchh lena-dena nahin hai. Woh to bas doston ke saath party karne gaya tha…”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Ananya. Lekin— Kam-se-kam medical tests to mujhe karwane honge sabke. Kitne log jo arrest hue hain, unke relatives baithe hain bahar.”

“Mujhe ek baar usse milne dijiye, Inspector. Woh ghabraya hua hoga. Please–”

“Tum log wait karo. Maine dekhta hoon… Unfortunately ye bahut high-profile raid hai, to mere liye bhi situation tight hai. Tum baitho.”

Despite herself, she could not stop tears from flowing down her eyes as she waited on the bench outside Inspector’s office.

“Mujhe wahan hona chahiye tha, Ronnie. Agar maine Kabir Sir se jhagda nahin kiya hota to aaj main ye cover kar rahi hoti, aur main use pahle hi bacha leti.”

“Aise mat soch, Ananya. Tu har jagah to nahin ho sakti. And don’t worry. Kuchh na kuchh ho jayega. Abhi turat raid padi hai, situation tight hai. Khurana will definitely help us.”

“Ananya!” Richa shook her, “Kabir Sir!”

“Kya?” she sat up and her eyes met Kabir’s who was walking down the corridor. Without stopping for them, he walked into Khurana’s room.

When he came out, Armaan was with him. Armaan ran to her, sobbing, and she pulled him in a tight embrace.

“I am sorry, Didi. I am really sorry. Lekin meri koi galti nahin thi. Hum to bas doston ke saath party karne gaye the. Hamein nahin pata tha…”

“I know, Armaan. Don’t worry. Ab sab theek ho jayega.”

As she broke the hug with Armaan, her eyes met Kabir’s again. But before she could speak, he walked off. Inspector Khurana escorted them out through the back gate of the police station.

Armaan told her how he was released on their way back. After speaking to Ananya, Khurana had called Kabir. Kabir spoke to Armaan and confirmed that he was not involved with drugs. Then he gave a statement that Armaan was the one keeping an eye for him in the party and that’s how he had been able to give the tip. So Khurana could release Armaan.

“Aaj agar Kabir Sir nahin hote, Didi, to pata nahin mera kya hota.”

Trembling, Ananya held her brother tight.

—

“Ananaya. Aaj office nahin jaana kya?” Ananya, who usually went through her morning chores with the restlessness of someone about to miss a long-distance flight was sitting listless at the breafast table. She hadn’t even changed into work clothes.

“Nahin Ma. Aaj chhutti par hoon. Thakaan ho rakhi hai.” She was suspended “until further notice” from Kabir. She wasn’t going to tell her mother that yet. Was he going to get her fired, after all? Malvika had been oddly hostile to her recently. If it was to be decided between Malvika, Kabir and Khalid, firing her won’t be difficult.

Then her mobile rang.

“Madam ji,” it was Tinu on phone, “Woh arms deal waali lead thi na. Abhi hot hai. Milengi?”

“Tinu. Main–” she paused. Did she even have a job now? But what if she didn’t? She would need some way of earning money. She might as well go freelance until then and sell the story to whosoever will pay the price. And since she didn’t have a job, she didn’t even need to inform anyone or take the permission of the editor-in-chief to follow the story. Life was better this way! “Tinu. Main aadhe ghante mein tumse milti hoon. Usual jagah par.”

—

To be continued