Story- Saving the Dignity.

The hawaldars greeted salute as their Superintendent Officer, Rajeev Singh stormed inside the Police Station and went to his cabin. They whispered to each other about their SP being angry at one of the Deputy Police Officer, Abhijit Rao and were inclined to think and know the reason behind it. It was unusual of the two officers not communicating since weeks and handling the crime cases on their own. The whispers muted instantly when Rajeev glared at them while answering someone's call and walking away out.

As Rajeev stepped out of his jeep, he found Abhijit approaching. "Rajeev kya ho gaya hai tujhe? Kyun itna gussa hai mujhse?", questioned Abhijit. Rajeev sarcastically smiled, "Abhijit tu kya samajhta hai careless hoga apni duty ke liye ya galat kaam karega to mein gussa nahi karunga aur tujhe achha bolunga! Huh." Abhijit nodded a no, "Nahi…nahi tu galat samajh raha hai yaar mujhe…Aur…m.." Abhijit was interrupted by Rajeev, "Mujhse jhut mat bol Abhijit. Bas kar. Sab jaanta hun." Abhijit sighed but Rajeev stuck to his words.

The quarrel continued to only grow with each passing minute.

To make ammendments, Abhijit changed the topic, "Achha yaar gussa chhod. Hum achhe dost hai.. Ladayi bhul kar phir dost ban ja…", pleaded to Rajeev but he furiously nodded a no glaring hard. "Meine kiya kya hai yar! Huh. Kya pata hai tujhe mere baare mein…chala aaya mujhe batane!", murmured Abhijit.

Neither Rajeev revealed what he had witnessed nor befriended Abhijit and withdrew from the place quickly.

Rajeev had known Abhijit's character since his College life. When Abhijit got admitted to Police, he assumed him to have changed to a better individual but was proved wrong. No one knew much about Abhijit since he faked and secretly accomplished foul plays.

On one hand where Rajeev was trying to decode about Abhijit's works, Abhijit was horrified that how his friend had got the very slightest idea of what he was conducting at regular basis and wondered why had Rajeev doggedly held his tongue before him.

A week didn't end when Rajeev got to know another news about Abhijit.

~

Abhijit read the note stuck inside the drawer in his cabin. "You'll be punished soon. Sudhar jaa nahi to maafi maagne ka samay bhi chala jayega haath se Abhijit." Reading the threat quivered his mind and reading the undersigned "Superintendent Officer, Rajeev Singh." stunned him.

In huffed puffed situation, he threw the note aside "Raajeeev Singhhh! Haha nahi lagta iss faltu note se darr. Aajtak kuch bigaad nahi saka, Dekhta hun kya kar leta hai ab!!" and laughed loudly.

This threat affected Abhijit in a negative way where he started carrying out his business at a higher rate. The level of increasing illegal business that too by a Police Officer boiled Rajeev's blood and controlling it was the need.

~

Dusk was showing and in the middle of Police Station, with broad chest stood the Superior personality Rajeev Singh, confronting with a pistol straight to the corrupt Abhijit Rao.

"Yeh dekh Abhijit tere kaam ki list. India se New York black money ka export. Fir, yeh 10 pages ki file padh le jitne cities mein aajtak tune drugs supply kiye hain sab hai listed. Tu mujhe puch raha tha na kya pata hai mujhe tere baare mein, yeh haath mein mere paas! Yeh jo racket chal raha hai na illegal jiska tu boss hai, aaj sab khatam ho jayega! Dekhta hun kon rokta hai mujhe. Meine tujhe sudharne ka mauka diya tha par nahi mana tu, ab tu nahi bachega. Tu deshdrohi hai Abhijit and kisi deshdrohi ko zinda rehne ka chance nahi milta. Sharam aati hai ki tune Police Officer hokar yeh kaam kiya. Tune apni wardi ki izzat kharab ki hai aur mein yeh sehen nahi kar sakta!!!"

Saying this Rajeev threw all the proof pages on Abhijit's face harshly and declared him a traitor all the way. Stunned at the revelations and the crowd's sloganeering against him, Abhijit jerked back totally blank to even speak a word.

Not a second passed, a blast echoed the area as Rajeev's hand jerked while Abhijit, with blood stained forehead, collapsed on the ground. While Abhijit was struggling, "Mere liye national duty pehle fir Dosti. Agar mujhe jail bhi bheja jaye tujhe maarne ke liye mujhe dukh nahi hoga kyunki aaj meine ek deshdrohi ko mara hai, mere desh ko bachaya hai tujhse."shouted Rajeev at the one who kept groaning in pain.

Duty was too ahead of friendship; as Abhijit breathed his last, the crowd applauded Rajeev with salute, for his action was a service to the nation and saved the dignity of their livery.

-END-

-Sakshi. :)