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*****

Neil: ab yeh kya musibat hai?

He said looking at the car stopped in front of him. Narrowing his eyes he saw a figure getting down the car.

As the lights dimmed he saw a police officer standing in front of him.

Police: kyu be? Idhar kya kar raha hai? Malum nahi hai kya night curfew hota hai yaha?

Neil: ji... Pata hai.

Inspector: pata hote huye bhi teri himmat ho gyi bahar aane ki?

Before Neil could say anything the inspector turned to his subordinates.

Inspector: chalo bhai log... Ghar se bahar to aa gaya hai ab sasural le chalte hai isko... Daal isko gaadi mein.

Neil was shocked hearing this. He definitely didn't see this coming.

Neil: sir meri baat suno... Aap jante nahi hai main kon hoon?

Inspector frowned at him and kept looking on.

Neil: main Neil Khanna hoon...

The inspector broke into a gentle laugh and looked around at his colleagues.

Inspector: haan aur main Justin Bieber hoon.

Neil: kya?

Inspector: chal oye... Bakwas band kar aur chal andar.

Neil: Arrey sir meri baat to suno... Main sach keh raha hoon... Mask hata ke dikhata hoon...

Everyone: OYEEEEE!!

He stopped and looked around. It seemed like they shouted in fear.

Inspector: mask hataya na to maiyya kasam aisi jagah marenge na fir baithne layak nahi bachoge...

Neil at once removed his hands from the mask strings and looked at them.

Neil: lekin aap mujhe aise kaise le ja sakte hai

Inspector: hum kya kya kar sakte hai tumhe batane ki zarurat nahi... Chal idhar.

Grabbing him from his arm. Neil tried resenting but could not. Sitting in the police jeep he made it a point to curse himself mentally.

Neil: (to himself) ab kya karu main... Phone bhi nahi hai mere paas aur... Aur le mazze beta... Bohut shaunk tha na tadi mein bahar aane ka.

He sat their cursing himself and convincing the inspector to let him go. But the inspector paid no heed to him.

He was locked up in the police lock up.

Inspector: ghar mein pair nahi tik te ab yaha tashareef tika lena samjha...

Neil: sir mera vishwas karo... Main.... Neil khanna hoon...

Inspector: (sitting on his chair) haan main bhi to bola main justin bieber hai samazla.... Ātā mājhaṁ aikū nakōsa, śānta basā (now I don't want to hear anything sit quiet)

Neil: ek baar mask hata ke dikhane do na...

Inspector: ayyeeee tera dimaag hai k khali katori? Samajh nahi aata tereko? Gappa bas haan... Nahi to accha nahi hoga.

Neil sat down on the slab in the lock up. He was not able to think what to do. He was trapped completely with no way out.

********

Avni sat on the couch looking at the wall clock. It's been four hours that he "the star of the century, the drama queen" was missing.

Avni: kaha hoga yeh abhi tak aaya nahi. Phone bhi ghar chod ke gaya hai...

Her trance was interrupted by a voice very similar to her own.

Voice: haan to tujhe kyu farak padhta hai? Kahi bhi jaye woh...

It was inner conscience.

Avni: but insaniyat ke nate pata to hona chahiye na kahi koi ooch neech to nahi ho gyi.

Voice: Tu pata kar ke bhi kya kar legi? Kal subah hote hi wapis aake tujhse hi jhagda karega sab se pehle...

Avni: but...

She tried alot to ignore her feelings that  shouted to her to go and search for Neil but could not. At last she stood up taking a deep sigh. 

Grabbing her purse, mask and phone she walked out of the house. It was unusually dark and silent around the streets. Walking past a garden she saw few figures standing in front of the gate. She decided to ask about Neil to them.

As she walked close to them she heard their conversation.

Man 1: uska to bohut bura accident hua.

Man 2: pata nahi bachega bhi ke nahi...

Man 1: ab aise time mein bahar aayega to yahi hoga na...

Man 2: sachi..

Avni felt a strange fear gripping her heart. She felt maybe they were talking about Neil. Hurrying her steps she stood in front of them looking into their eyes for answers.

Since all of them were wearing masks the men were not able to identify Avni.

Avni: aap kis ki baat kar rahe hai? ab kaha hai woh?

Man: madam ji aap kon aur is waqt yaha ?

Avni: mera chhodiye aap us aadmi ke bare mein batayiye na.. kaha hai woh theek to hai na?

Man 2: aadmi?

Avni: haan abhi aap accident ki baat kar rahe the na...

Man: oh areey hum kisi insaan ke accident ki nahi ek kutta tha... uski baat kar rahe the.

She felt a wave of relief in her heart. Even though she had a strong difference of opinion with Neil but she can never think of anything bad happening to him.

Seeing her lost in her thoughts the man clicked his fingers in front of her. Breaking out of the trance Avni looked at them.

Man: waise is waqt aap bahar kya kar rahi hai?

Avni: woh.. mera ek kuch kaam tha... main chalti hoon.

Man 2: kaisa kaam? 

She hesitated. Seeing her uncomfortable the men  took out a small cards from their pockets. They were their identity cards.

Man: tension na lijiye madam.. hum police mein hai... aap bata sakti hai mujhe... 

Thinking for a while she took in a deep breath and nodded. 

Avni: umm mera ek dost hai jo nahar aaya tha main usko dhoondhe aayi thi.

Man: dost? ek kaam kariye aap police chalke report kar dijiye... 

Avni: (in mind) police station gyi to naam batana padega... aur nahi gyi to Dhoondhna kaise hai?

finally resolving her inner conflict she nodded.

Avni: okay police station kis taraf hai? 

Man: hum jaa hi rahe hai chaliye humare saath.

She nodded and sat in the car. It was about 20 minutes later the car stopped in front of a building with police station written in bold letters on the top. Walking inside she prayed that no body should recognise her or it would be breaking news tomorrow and she definitely not want any paparazzi around her family.

Once inside the hall she looked around only to find "The Superstar" sitting inside the lockup. Her eyes were about to pop out the of sockets. 

Avni:(in mind) oh no... kaha apna naam batane ke darr se mari jaa rahi thi yeh janaab yaha police station mein baithe hai.. ab kya karu... bina naam pata bataye kaise nikalu isko bahar? 

Neil was sitting on the slab in the lockup trying to think what to do to get out of this place when his eyes fell on a feminine figure standing in front of the inspector table. Shock took over him immediately.

Neil: (in mind) Yeh yaha kya kar rahi hai? oh no mujhe bachane to yeh hargis nahi wali... Ek adha charge badhwa ke hi jayegi

He mentally chided himself for being so ignorant and rude towards her. The amount of hate he think he had sown leave him in way more chances of life imprisonment. He sighed and looked at avni with pleading eyes.

Neil: (in mind) reham karna mujh par devi maa.

Avni was looking at him with despising eyes. She wanted to beat him to pulp for doing such a thing. She turned away looking at his pleading eyes.

Inspector on the other hand was constantly looking at avni. It was like he was trying to recall some thing important.

The subordinates, who met avni earlier explained the reason of getting avni to the police station. The inspector heard all that carefully still looking at avni.

Inspector: woh sab to maine sun liya lekin mujhe aisa kyu lagta hai ki maine aapko kahi dekha hai...