She fell silent and asked after a long pause, “Kya aap mujhe maaf kar sakenge? Aap par bharosa na karne ke liye?”

“Tumhara bharosa na karna to jayaz tha, Ananya. Maine tumse jhooth bola tha. Kya tum uske liye mujhe maaf kar sakogi?”

“Kyon jhooth bola tha aapne?”

“Tumhare pyaar mein kamzor ho gaya tha main. Jab ek baar apni feelings tumhare saamne rakh di, to phir aar ya paar ka maamla ho gaya tha. Mujhe dar tha ki tumhein ye pata chalega ki main chiu rah gaya tumhare Papa ke murder ke baare mein, to main tumhein kho doonga. Main selfish aur kamzor pad gaya tha Ananya.”

“Meri help kijiye uth kar baithne mein,” she demanded.

He obliged her and helped her sit up. She sat sprawled, resting against the head board.

“Mere paas baithiye.”

She waited until he sat next to her on the bed. Then she clasped his hands. “I promise ki main ab kabhi bhi aapse door nahin jaungi. Kuchh bhi ho jaye. Chahe meri bachpan ki dost aapke khilaaf kuchh bole, chahe meri Ma ko aap pasand na ho, chahe mera khud ka dimaag aap par shaq kare, ya phir mera best friend mujhe aapke baare mein kuchh shocking bataye. Gussa aaya to apni jaan de doongi, saath mein aapki jaan le bhi loongi, lekin aapse door nahin jaungi.”

He disengaged his hands from her and cupped her face, then he planted her a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Ab tum aaraam karo,” he said, “aur kal subah tak apne do pairon par khadi ho jao. Ya phir apna weight thoda kam kar lo. Pata hai tumhein car se yahan tak utha kar laane mein meri saari heropanthi nikal gayi.”

“Kabir!” she pummelled at him in mock annoyance and he laughed.

—

“Sachchai saamne laana, aur sachchai court mein prove karna, do alag tasks hain,” Kabir told Ananya, while they waited for Richa, Ronnie and Sunny to join them, “Hamare sting operations se kai baar sachchai saamne aa jaati hai. Jinko maanna hota hai, woh maan bhi lete hain. Lekin courts are a different beast. Wahan bahut technicalities hoti hain–”

“Papa ki hamein bas sachchai hi saamne laani hai, Kabir. Court se bail to Papa ko bhi mil hi gayi thi. Shayad case chalta to woh chhoot bhi jaate. Lekin jo harm hona tha woh to media trial aur public perception se ho gaya. Jab tak humne ghar change nahin kiya aur maine school complete nahin kiya –” she fell silent all of a sudden.

“Ananya?”

“Kuchh nahin. Baaki log bhi aa gaye. Main dekhti hoon, naashta bhi ban gaya hoga.”

Mrs. Kashyap got breakfast and tea for everyone, and they started discussing how to take RG Pharma to task.

“We need to tread cautiously,” Kabir said, “Hamein Mr. Kashyap waale case ko lekar unpar direct attack nahin karna chahiye. RG Pharma jaisi company koi ek baar galti kar ke sudhar nahin gayi hogi. I’m sure unki aaj bhi illegal dealings hain. Hamein koi aur issue dhoondh kar unpar waar karne ki zaroorat hai.”

“Lekin kissi aur issue se Papa ka naam kaise clear hoga?” Ananya objected.

“Mere paas abhi fool-proof plan nahin hai, Ananya,” Kabir admitted, “Lekin hamein khud RG se uska gunaah qubool karwana hai. Kyonki I don’t think ki us case se related koi bhi record unhone bachne diya hoga. Aur agar gunaah qubool karwana hai to kissi aur tareeke se uske paas pahunchna hoga.”

Ananya looked unconvinced.

Kabir smiled at her and said, “Maine kai baar tumse kaha hai na ki tumhein patience ki zaroorat hai.”

She grew embarrassed at that and nodded.

“Richa. Tumhein hamare business reporters ki madad leni hogi, bina ye reveal kiye ki hum kya karne ki koshish kar rahe hain. Jitne kam logon ko hamare is investigation ke baare mein directly pata ho, utna hi achchha hoga.”

“Ji. Lekin hum kya dekhne ki koshish kar rahe hain.”

“Koi bhi irregularity. Koi legal issues, kissi product ka sudden withdrawal ya suspicious performance, anything unexpected in their financial statements, kuchh bhi. Anything that hints at something potentially wrong. Tum meri authority use karo aur Pravin aur Shehnaaz ko is project par lagao. They are the best at sniffing out the corporate rut. Tum unhein kah sakti ho ki hamein kuchh tip mili hai ki RG pharma ke andar koi badi story brew ho rahi hai.”

“Theek hai, Sir.”

“Ronnie. Tumhein Sunny ki help se hamare video archives mein se RG ki saari clips nikalni hain. Zyada woh banda aata nahin media ke saamne. Lekin jo kuchh bhi hai, woh hamein jama karne hain. I don’t know right now ki main kya dhoondh raha hoon unmein. Lekin once you have the entire collection, main unhein khud dekhoonga.”

“Ji.”

“Aur main kya karoongi?” Ananya asked, sounding irked.

“Tum aaj to aaraam karogi, properly recover karogi, aur apna dimaag thandha rakhogi.”

“Main recover ho chuki hoon. Aapko mujhe uthane ki zaroorat nahin padegi ab,” she retorted.

“Oh really? Thank you, so much,” he grinned at her infuriating her even further.

“Kabir! Aap kya karne ki koshish kar rahe hain? Aapko sach mein lagta hai ki main is sab se alag baithi rah sakti hoon?”

“Nahin, Ananya. But I mean it when I say ki tumhein aaj aaraam karna hai. Main khud bhi aaj kuchh nahin kar raha. Sirf raat mein apna bulletin padhne jaunga office. Hum time lose nahin kar sakte, isliye main Ronnie, Richa aur Sunny ko kaam par laga raha hoon. Lekin hum dono ko kal ke ordeal ke baad ek break ki zaroorat hai. Can you please not fight with me over this?”

Although reluctant, Ananya nodded.

“Ronnie, Richa, Sunny. I am afraid ki abhi tumhein ye saara kaam, apne regular kaam ke alawa karna padega. I don’t mean to make it an official KKN investigation, not right now.”

“Don’t worry, Sir. Ho jayega,” Ronnie assured him, and then the three of them left.

Kabir turned his attention to Ananya.

“Ananya! Please jhagda mat karo mujhse?”

“Aapse door nahin jaane ka promise kiya hai, jhagda na karne ka nahin,” she pouted.

“Achchha, jhagda kar ke hi sahi, meri baat maan lo. Apne kamre mein chalo. Aaj aaraam kar lo.”

“Aap mere saath ruk rahe hain.”

“Mrs. Kashyap bahut achchha khaana banati hain. Rukne ka to mujhe bas bahana chahiye.”

“Haan to meri chowkidaari karna hai na bahana aapke liye.”

“Bahut khoobsoorat bahana hai. Ye to banana hi padega. Chalo andar ab.”

Despite her protests, he settled her on her bed.

“Aur aap?”

“Yahan,” he  flopped into a armchair beside her bed.

“Aap yahan comfortable nahin rahenge. Aap ghar chale jaiye aur aaraam kar lijiye,” she said.

“Tum jahan ho, Ananya, main wahan comfortable hoon.”

—

To be continued