Chapter 11

Part 11

[NOCOPY]

After they finished, Arjun dropped her at the NGO purposely skipping their usual ice cream. She still didn’t say a word. His jaw dropped to the ground as she bade him good night. Scowling, he got down after her……………………….

Arjun: Riya…

Savita: Arjun!!!

He stopped and saw his watch: are Tai, 10 baj kar 2 minute hi hue hai

Savita: out!

Arjun: mujhe bas…

Savita: Baahar!!!

Riya giggled at their never ending banter. Arjun stamped his foot and grabbed her hand, dragging her outside the gate.

Arjun: Riya!

Riya: kya hua?

Arjun: kya hua? Puch toh aise rahi ho jaise ki tumhe kuch pata nahi hai!

Riya: par maine kya kiya?

Arjun felt like banging his head somewhere: Riya main tumse naraaz hun!

She frowned: pata hai isliye toh

Arjun: isliye toh kya?

Riya: kuch nahi, bas aise hi

Arjun: ek minute ek minute aise hi nahi, tum kuch keh rahi thi, ruk kyun gayi?

Riya: ab jaane do na, tum naraaz ho toh

She tried to leave but he held her shoulders: are nahi, main toh bas aise hi footage kha raha tha, bola na kya hua? Main bilcul bhi naraaz nahi hu

Riya felt like laughing: sach?

Arjun: are ha baba sach, ab bolo na isliye toh kya?

Riya: woh darasal…darasal (Arjun grew more impatient and curious) main kuch…

His face lit up: kuch kehna chahti thi?!?!

Riya: nahi kehna nahi

He felt disappointed but was still curious: toh ?

She reached in her purse for the scroll and gave it to him. He hurriedly opened the thread and unrolled it. A lightning bolt struck him. His eyes widened in surprise.

Arjun: ye…ye toh…

Despite her best efforts, a tinge of pink spread across her face.

Riya: woh us din tumne kaha tha na sketch banane ke liye toh maine socha ki (She left her sentence incomplete) khair main, main chalti hu

She tried to run but his fingers wrapped around her wrist. Riya closed her eyes and her heartbeats rose. She didn’t dare to turn back.

Arjun smiled seeing her reactions. He tightened his grip when she tried to free her hand.

Defeated, she requested: Arjun please haath chodo mera

He pulled her to him and pinned her against the wall, shocking her.

Arjun: kyun chodu?

She twisted and turned her wrist to try and loosen his hold but he didn’t let her go.

Riya: Arjun please

He leans on her : nahi

Her eyes widened hearing his blatant refusal. His face came closer and she clenched her eyes shut. Her mind sent out prayers as she felt his breath on her face. His lips pressed against her forehead. Her body stiffened initially and then relaxed as they lingered there.

His right hand wrapped around her waist while the left loosened its grip and travelled down entwining his fingers with hers. He whispered in her ear.

Arjun: mujhe nahi pata tha ki tum mujhe dekhe bagair, apne man se mera chehra bana sakti ho

She didn’t answer. Frankly, she wasn’t in the right mind either. He buried his face in her neck sending shivers down her spine.

He knew he was probably taking advantage of her vulnerability but he didn’t have the heart to let go of the moment. Hesitantly, under his spell her hand went around him too. The second he felt her touch, he felt as if his heart would jump out of his chest.

They stayed like that for a long time, one hand entwined with the other, other around each other, their eyes closed and completely lost in the other’s warmth. They would have stayed longer if Arjun’s ringtone hadn’t disturbed them.

Her eyes opened. She jumped away from him. Arjun cursed the caller and fished out his phone. Taking the opportunity, Riya tried to leave. Arjun looked up. 

Arjun: Riya ruko please

Unwillingly, her feet froze. He cut the call and stepped towards her. Her eyes darted everywhere except for his face.

Arjun: thank you! sketch bahot khubsurat hai

She nodded, still avoiding eye contact. His phone rang again. He sighed and picked up.

Arjun: Sam wait!

He disconnected it without bothering to hear his reply.

Arjun: kuch kahogi nahi?

Riya didn’t respond.

He took her hand and felt her stiffness return. He left it immediately.

Arjun(sceptically): kya…kya mere chune se tumhe ghin hoti hai?

Her eyes widened: nahi Arjun! Main

She stopped, not knowing what to say. She felt her eyes burning. Riya took a deep breath to control herself and gather her thoughts. She had to tell him. She couldn’t raise his hopes like this.

Riya: Arjun aisa nahi hai, (looking away) please tum is baat ko apne dimag se nikal do. Baat…(she fidgeted with her hands) baat kuch aur hai ( He waited for her to continue. Inhaling deeply, she gazed at him) tumhe zara si bhi fikar nahi hai ki koi tumhe meri jaise ladki ke saath dekhega toh kya sochega?

Arjun sighed: toh ye baat itne saalon baad bhi tumhare dimag mein ghum rahi hai? (he shook his head) chalo kam se kam aaj seedhe-seedhe toh bol diya (She squinted) Riya tumhe kya lagta hai mujhe kuch samaj mein nahi aata? Main ache se jaanta hun ki kitni baar indirectly tum mujhe khud se door karne ki koshish karti ho lekin fir bhi kar nahi paati ho kyunki kahi na kahi…tum jaanti ho ki tumhare saath reh kar nahi balki tumse door reh kar main zyaada hurt hounga (he cupped her face) I don’t give a bloody damn Riya and you know that. Never have, Never will. Agar tum laakh baar bhi mujhse puchogi toh bhi mera jawab yahi rahega. (he removed his hands and crossed them giving her a warm smile) Riya humara rishta jo bhi hai, jaisa bhi hai…humara hai. Aur mujhe nahi lagta ki kisi aur ya logon ke khayalon ko humare beech aane ka haq hai. ye humari zindgi hai, hume jeeni hai, koi aur aakar hume jeene ke liye updesh nahi de sakta

She teared up mv “baat sirf humare rishte ki nahi hai Arjun, kaise batau tumhe ki tum jis future ki taak mein ho woh main tumhe nahi de sakti. Kehne ki himmat bhi nahi hoti kyunki tumse door hona mere dil ko bhi gawara nahi”

He wiped the moisture away: ab toh kuch bolo

She glared at him: tum humesha mujhe apni baaton mein fasa lete ho

Arjun chuckled: ab pehli baar tumne zabardasti karke almost jaan gavai thi na? usi ka badla samaj lo

Riya: uske liye itni badi saza? Isse toh behtar hota ki main mar…(he glared at her) sorry

He shook his head:  kya karu main tumhara?

She frowned: ye toh mera dialogue hai

Arjun hugged her: sorry, is baar mujhe use karne do, aage se nahi lunga

She sighed and hugged him back. They were again disturbed by Arjun’s ringtone.

Arjun cursed as they separated: are yaar, is Sam ki toh…

Riya: baat kar lo kuch zaroori kaam hoga, waise bhi late ho gaya hai, main chalti hu

Arjun: good night

Riya: good night Arjun

She left and Arjun picked up the call.

Arjun: SAALE KAMINE! KAAM DHANDHA NAHI HAI TERE PAAS? KITNI BAAR PHONE KAREGA?

Sameer took the phone away from his ear to bear the scream: are Arjun bhadak kyun raha hai?

Arjun: TOH KYA TERI AARTI UTARU?

Sameer: are kaam tha isliye phone kar raha tha

Arjun: Aisa Kya Kaam Aa Gaya Jo Tu Thodi Der Bhi Intezaar Nahi Kar Sakta Tha? Ice Cream Bhi Bhul Gaya Tere Chakkar Mein!

That’s when Sameer understands the matter: teri ice cream aur teri Riya dono wahi hai, filhaal khooni dhundhna hai, Patil road pahunch

Arjun grumbled: khoon bhi abhi hona tha

Sameer: sorry boss, mera chacha nahi hai warna main keh deta ki teri date khatam hone ke baad maare

Arjun: meri toh date thi tu bedroom par pahuncha ya abhi tak record room hi use kar raha hai?

Sameer: ARJUN!!!

But Arjun smirked and disconnected the call. He sat in his car and drove off.

Patil road-

Arjun’s SUV halted near the seal where the rest of the team was already working. A woman lay stabbed on the road. He bent under the tape, wearing his gloves.

Arjun: assault ke nishaan hai Liza?

Liza: ha sir, struggle clearly dikh raha hai lekin sirf physical hai ya sexual ye toh autopsy mein hi pata chalega

Chotu pointed towards two men outside the tape: in logon ne laash dekh kar phone kiya tha sir

Arjun looked in the direction to find Rathore interrogating them. He nodded and started checking her purse. After the initial on-site investigation was done, Liza and Shree took the body to the lab while Rathore asked all of them to report to the office in the morning. He and Arjun walked towards the cars.

Arjun: maine Shree se kaha hai CCTV check karne ke liye

Rathore: koi faayda nahi Rawte, andhere mein kaha chehra dikhega

Arjun: koi na koi clue toh mil hi jaayega

Rathore: jo sirf tumhe dikhayi dega

Arjun: tumhe khooni se matlab haina? Fir taana kyun maar rahe ho? tumhe toh khush hona chahiye tumhe time milega record…

Rathore: Rawte shut up!! (Arjun smirked) that was one time!!

Arjun: oh fir dusri jagah kiya? bedroom tak pahunch gaye?

Rathore stamped his foot: GET LOST!

The others behind them were confused at his sudden outburst.

Sakshi: Sameer kya hua?

Arjun: kuch nahi Sakshi, Sam bas redecoration ke baare mein soch raha hai

Sakshi: kis cheez ka? Aur uske liye get lost kyun?

Arjun: are main get lost hounga toh hi toh koi aur aayega na

Ayesha turned red mv “hey bhagwan ye firse shuru ho gaye!”

Sameer tried another method: Arjun chup kar! Please….daya kar mujh par, main tera friend hu na? doston ke saath itna bura nahi karte

Arjun(innocently): par Sam tu toh mera best friend haina? Tu mujhe jhelega nahi?

Sameer was dumbfounded mv “is admi se toh behes karna hi bekar hai”

He joined his hands: Arjun please, I’m sorry maine tujhe Riya ke saath disturb kiya aur tum dono ice cream nahi kha paaye, mujhe maaf kar de aage se aisa kabhi nahi hoga

That’s when the others realised what all of this was about. Sakshi shook her head in disbelief and went into the cab she had called for while pulling Chotu along with her.

Arjun patted Sameer’s head: good boy!

He left to his car and Rathore heaved a sigh of relief.

Ayesha stepped closer: Sameer?

Sameer: chalo! Tumhe ghar chod deta hun, isse pehle ki main paagal ho jau

She nodded quietly and they went home. …………………………