"Maddam sir, lagbhag dhai mahine pehle Suresh ke paas ek call aaya tha, jiske baad vo Lallan thakur ke kisi aadmi se mila aur uske baad uske account main pese transfer huwe aur woh investigation ki saari jankari uss aadmi tak pahunchane lag gaya. Vo ek burner phone se contact maintain rakhte thhe aur isiliye humein call records se kuch suspicious nahi mila tha", Santosh stated to Haseena who nodded thoughtfully.
Cheetah and Pushpa ji, too were standing in her cabin, having returned after handing over SI suresh for departmental enquiry.
"Ji madam, aur Suresh apne bayaan main iss baat par atal hai ki uski aakhri mulaqat uss shaks se do mahina pehle tha, aur fir uska koi sampark nahi tha. Na hi usse jankari tha ki uski team ke sath aisa kuch ghatit hoga", Cheetah added.
Haseena slid back her chair and rose. "True, kafi buri tarah torture kiya usse. Lekin usse kuch pata nahi tha na?"
Cheetah shook his head, " Usne bas yahi kaha ki usse kisi hard drive ke baare main pooch rahe thhe jiske baare main usse koi khabar nahi thi".
"Hmm..." Haseena hummed and added, "teeno officers ke ghar ki checking se bhi aisa koi clue nahi mila hai. Toh ye hard drive kahan hai? Aur iske baare main agar Suresh ko bhi nahi pata toh fir ye baat bahar kese gayi?! Kahin ek aur mole toh nahi hai" Haseena rubbed her head stressed.
"Theek hai, aap log jaa sakte hain", The three nodded and turned to leave when Haseena stopped cheetah.
"Cheetah, are you sure that there was no dagger in that cabin at the factory?" She asked hopefully and he nodded, "Maddam sir, aapne uss din jese hi khanjar ka zikra kiya, hum uss hi raat wapis uski khoj karne gaye thhe par humein kuch nahi mila".
"Okay, thank you", and she turned away when something clicked with cheetah and he added, "Haan yaad aaya!"
Haseena turned to him, perplexed at the exclamation.
"Aapka jo madad kari thi, wo mahila..." he trailed, searching his memory for her name but was drawing a blank.
"Miss Singh?" Haseena suggested unsure and he immediately nodded, "Ji! Wahi! Unhe humne uss din kuch chaaku churi jesa istemaal karte dekha tha".
And as Cheetah exited the cabin, Haseena groaned. Chances of Ms. Singh having that dagger were not much and most importantly, she had no means of contacting that woman!
And it had been barely 3 days, since their last meeting. Had Ms. Singh happened upon something of substance relating to Thakur, she would have informed Haseena for sure, or she was occupied with other things.
Haseena clicked her tongue. "It's not like that dagger was mine! If it's gone than there is no need to look for it, is there?"
But-
Haseena sighed. That dagger had been her lifesaver that day. Had it not been there in her pocket, things could have been very different now.
"Ah, whatever!" Throwing her hands in frustration, she placed the cap on her head and picked up her baton.
"Sitapur can't be that big! Ms. Singh mil hi jaengi", And with that, she walked out of cabin, her eyes falling on the familiar ruffian lying crumpled in the cell's corner. Their gaze met and after a brief contact, Haseena looked away, a mysterious glint dawning in her eyes.
"Hum abhi nikal rahe hain, humein kuch personal kaam hai", Haseena informed Pushpa ji who nodded and wished her senior, who nodded in kind and soon disappeared from the thana.
*****************
Haseena drove through the streets of Sitapur and couldn't help but compare it with Bedelia. The stark contrast was astonishing. Well laid, cemented roads with perfectly functioning streetlights.
"Hamare toh thaane ke saamne wali street light bhi pichle do mahine se jhap jhap kar rahi hai", Haseena murmured, veering her jeep at the next turn.
And as she happened to see a passerby, Haseena slowed down.
"Ji suniye!"
The man stopped, turning to her, and shock registered on his face as he saw her uniform.
"Karishma singh ka pata bata sakte hain aap?"
"H-Humein...nahi..nahi pata!" The man fumbled before starting to walk away, more like race away.
Haseena's eyes narrowed in suspicion but before she could address it, another voice interrupted. Turning to the other side, she saw a young girl of around 15 knocking at the glass.
"Karishma didi se milna hai? Humein pata hai unka address".
"Shukriya! Aap humein rasta dikha dengi?" Haseena asked, unlocking the door.
The girl looked at her face for a second before pulling open the door and joining her on the passenger seat.
"Aap kyun dhoondh rahi hain didi ko? Unhe arrest toh nahi karengi na?" The girl suddenly turned to her with wide horrified eyes.
Haseena smiled, eyes on the road. "Unhone kuch galat kiya hai?"
"Nahi! Didi bahot achi hai. Ekdum hero ki tarah hai. Zanjeer ke amitabh bachchan ke jesi!"
"Acha!" Haseena laughed, recalling the last she had seen of her.
"Itni achi hain toh arrest kyun hogi?" Haseena questioned veering the car to the right.
"Arre zanjeer ka amitabh acha hota hai, par maar pitai bhi toh karta hai na. Didi ka ek funda hai- har rog ka ilaaj, ghoosa, mukka aur laat", The girl explained, and Haseena raised her brows in response.
No wonder, Ms singh could fight. Experience was speaking.
"Par baaton se toh bahot hi sehensheel aur suljhi hui lagti hain, ms singh", She murmured amused.
"Ye lijiye, aa gayi Singh Haveli".
Haseena stopped the car and bid the girl bye, who ran away into the next alley while Haseena stepped out of the car and looked at the old havelli with mild interest.
"Must be at least 150-year-old", She remarked and slowly walked through the ajar iron gates, passing through a garden before halting in front of wooden doors twice her height.
And apparently, they weren't bolted either. Gingerly, she pushed at the doors and slowly stepped inside.
Kishan who was just coming downstairs from the opposite end, spotted Haseena and recognized her.
Haseena watched as an unfamiliar man walked over to her, his build screaming bouncer in all 22 official languages.
"Humein Ms Sing-Karishma singh se milna tha", she stated her purpose and he nodded.
"Aap baithiye, hum aate hain", Having said that, he escorted Haseena towards the sitting area, while disappearing at the other end.
Few minutes later, the man emerged with a woman in tow, carrying a tray. And while the woman placed the tray in front of her, the man walked up the stairs he had come down not long ago and disappeared from her view.
Smiling, Haseena took the offered juice of glass, and looked around the hall, making note of the tasteful decor.
After waiting for another five minutes, Haseena heard footsteps and trailed them to find Karishma descending the flight, with two men in tow.
Haseena watched as Karishma walked over to her. Dressed in plain white suit-salwar, paired with ethnic mirror work embroidered red waist coat, hair held back neatly in a high bun, big silver earrings adorning her ears, she looked the epitome of finesse, unlike all the times Haseena had ever seen her.
"Aap yaha-" Karishma trailed, halting in front of Haseena who failed to register the question.
Haseena couldn't help her eyes straying to Karishma's forehead.
"Bindi hoti toh baat hi alag hoti".
"Ji?" Karishma asked baffled as Haseena finally focused her gaze on her, the far-off look retreating before her eyes widened on realizing what she had just spoken.
Haseena coughed and forwarded her hand in a hurry to deflect her slip of tongue.
"Ms. Singh".
Karishma took the offered hand and nodded.
"Aapne bataya nahi, aapka yahan kese aana hua?" Karishma gestured Haseena to sit and seated herself on the adjacent sofa, while signaling Kishan and Kiran to leave them.
"Agar aap Thakur ke baare main poochne aayi hain, toh kshama kijiyega, samay ka thoda tangi chal raha hai aajkal, toh humein datta se iss vishay main baat karne ka avsar nahi mila", Karishma clarified, recalling the promise that she didn't have the time to act on, as of yet.
Haseena nodded, "That's fine. Darasal humein aapse kuch aur poochna tha. Kya aapko, Thakur factory main koi pushtaini khanjar mila tha, pakkad uski chandi ki thi aur lambai-
Haseena indicated with her fingers, and Karishma immediately glossed over the surprise that had registered on her face.
'Ye kaahe khanjar ke vishay main- Karishma paused mid-thought then.
She had found the dagger in that factory, 3 days back. Laced in blood. It was surprising to find it at Bedelia when she had seen last of it in the court premises at Lucknow. She hadn't questioned the strangeness of it for it was trivial.
But now that she thought of it, she had indeed helped a lady officer that day. What if it had been SHO Malik here?! What if the dagger had been in her possession all this time?
"Ms. Singh?" Haseena waived her hand in front of the other woman who seemed to have spaced out.
Karishma nodded and rose from her place. "Hum aate hain".
And as another few minutes passed by, Karishma came back and slid a dagger in front of Haseena.
Haseena smiled in relief, her fingers immediately caressing the dagger's hilt. And all this while, Karishma watched her attentively.
"Aapka hai ye?" She raised a question.
Haseena nodded first before shaking her head in a no. "Humara nahi hai bas hamari nigrani main hai".
"Vistar main batayengi aap?" Karishma leaned ahead while Haseena finally gazed back, "Aapko kafi dilchaspi hai iss khanjar main?"
"Ji, kyunki pichle kuch din ye hamari nigrani main tha na".
"Fair. Ye hamare secret saviour ka hai. Kuch hafton pehle, hum ek situation main fass gaye thhe tab kisi ne hamari madad ki thi, par humein woh toh nahi mile, lekin unka khanjar mil gaya".
'Secret saviour', Karishma smiled slightly, covering her lips.
Karishma glanced at Haseena then who was slowly waiving the dagger back and forth. To think, she had helped her without even realizing! To think, her precious dagger had been in safe custody of Inspector SHO here!
"Ms. Singh, is this the same dagger?" Haseena interrupted Karishma whose brow furrowed in confusion.
"Ji, pehle toh ye hamare baaye hath main sahi bethta tha, lekin ab hamare daaye haath main fit aa raha hai", Haseena remarked, while Karishma closed her eyes, realizing her folly.
She had handed the other dagger to Haseena! And she who had wielded it, was detecting the difference well.
"Humein toh yahi mila tha", she lied while Haseena bought it.
"Khair, bahot shukriya aapka. Hum iski hi talash main aaye thhe", Haseena rose from her seat, with Karishma in tow.
"Aap hamesha isse apne sath rakhti hain?"
Haseena smiled, "Uss din pehli baar tha. Lekin ab se hamesha rakhenge kyunki isne hamara bahot hi aham waqt main sath diya tha".
Karishma nodded. She had been torn when the dagger had been misplaced. But somehow, giving it to SHO Haseena was not displeasing her in the slightest. As a fact, she felt oddly satisfied.
"Ab hum chalte hain. Aur aapko pareshan karne ke liye maafi chahte hain", Haseena turned to leave while Karishma walked behind her, escorting her out.
Haseena halted at the door suddenly and turned, "Ek aur baat kehni thi, Ms Singh".
Karishma waited, as Haseena smiled, "Aap bahot pyaari lag rahi hain".
It took Karishma a second to load the compliment and as she did, she immediately flushed red, while Haseena's smile widened in response.
"Bye, Ms. Singh".
And with that, she was gone, leaving Karishma Singh flustered in her wake.
Karishma hid her face in her palms, wondering what this giddy feeling was. Wondering why a police officer's presence didn't raise her hackles.
While Suraj was standing some distance away, his expressions complicated.