Chapter 23

Part 23 [NOCOPY]

Arjun turns to the other side. His hand falls on the empty bed. His eyebrows furrow on not reaching the usual pillow he slept with. His eyes crack open. He looks around and then realizes he was still at Jeevan Nirmal. Yawning, he sits up straight. That’s when his gaze falls on the clock. It was 11:30.

Arjun mv “main itni der so gaya? Riya ne uthaya bhi nahi? ye ladki bhi na..”

Shaking his head, he got off the bed to wash his face. After freshening up, he goes outside the room to find her. He was moving towards the reception when he saw her on the garden bench sitting with another girl. She appeared to be in her late teens.

Arjun gathers she might be busy and decides to wait for her in the room. A figure almost crashed into him as he turned.

Arjun: oh sorry

Lady: it’s ok, mera bhi dhyaan nahi tha…par tum is waqt yaha kaise?

Arjun(confused): aap mujhe jaanti hai?

Lady: of course, yaha ka har insaan tumhe jaanta hai Arjun, tumhe bhi aur Riya ko bhi…anyway main Niharika

Arjun: Niharika? Tum uski counsellor thi na?

Niharika: yup, technically abhi bhi hun

Arjun: abhi bhi matlab?

She was about to say when Riya turned up: good morning Niharika

Niharika: good morning Riya, tumhara mangetar puch raha hai ki main tumhari counsellor kaise hun?

Riya: acha? Kitni achi baat hai ki aaj finally tum Arjun se mil hi gayi

Niharika: I know, haina? Kitna acha hua ki mera session khatam hua aur free hone par hi Arjun mujhe mil gaya

Riya: right

Arjun exchanges glances between the two of them.

Niharika: by the way, congratulations on the engagement lekin (turning to Arjun) you look very dull, ek hi din mein tumhe pareshaan karne lagi kya?

Arjun: main Riya se kyun pareshaan hounga?

Niharika: oh toh uske liye pareshaan honge?

Arjun is cut by Riya.

Riya: Niharika, tum use kyun pareshaan kar rahi ho?

Niharika smiled: bas fikar hai Riya, aur kuch nahi

Riya: itni fikar mat kiya karo, ki tumhe hi therapist ki zaroorat pad jaaye

Niharika: meri fikar tum mat karo, mera therapist already booked hai isliye baat ko ghumane ki bajay agar tum dono meri thodi help kar dete toh mere paise bach jaayenge

Riya sighed: kyun subah- subah mere peeche padi ho? mujhe zaroorat hogi toh aa jaungi

Niharika: well for one reason we didn’t have a closure the night before your engagement

Arjun’s head jerked to Riya: engagement ke pehle? Tumhe unki wajah se…

Riya: Arjun I’m fine

Niharika: somewhat, use toh main pakad hi lungi par tumhara kya chakkar hai?

Arjun stayed mum and stared at her.

Niharika: dekho, tum dono ko itna samaj na hoga ki tum mein se ek ka bhi stress dusre ko affect karega aur agar tum dono khush rehna chahte ho toh you have to find ways to manage it…. bina baatein chupaaye aur pure trust ke saath isliye puch rahi hun (addressing Arjun) use tum bhi ache se jaante ho, woh khud puri tarah is waqt theek nahi hai, kya wahi baat tumhe affect kar rahi hai ya fir koi aur baat hai jo aage use bhi effect karegi?

Arjun sighs: sab cheezein plan ke hissab se nahi hoti, aur hum dono mein se kaun kisko kitna effect kar raha hai kitna khud ki problem hai ye toh hum bhi nahi jaante

Niharika: what happened?

Arjun hesitates. Understanding the situation, Riya speaks up.

Riya: uski family ko mere past ke baare mein pata chal gaya so they are not very happy about it

Niharika squints at her: right…(turning to Arjun) engagement ho gayi na?...relax! tum dono adults ho, tumhari life tumhe jeeni hai, you know what you are doing, you’ll fly through it

Arjun nods lightly.

Niharika smiles: anyway, mere dusre session ka time ho raha hai, I’ll see you guys around

Riya: maybe not

Niharika: oh you need closure

Riya: I said thank you, bye

Niharika: I didn’t say it was over

Riya: we’ll see

Niharika: oh we will

She smirked and went in the opposite direction. Arjun leans on the pillar and turns to Riya.

Arjun: tumne khud ko kyun blame kiya? aur jhoot kyun bola?

Riya: maine na hi blame kiya aur na hi jhoot bola, technically toh wahi haina? Ki they are not happy because of who I was and what happened because of it

Arjun shook his head: tum dono kya aadhi-adhuri baatein kar rahe the?

Riya giggles: are woh main bhi help karti hu na uski victims ke saath baat karti hun toh maine usi se skills seekhi hai. ab hota ye hai ki jab mujhe problem hoti hai toh mujhe samaj mein aa jaata hai ki woh kya kar rahi hai toh I keep blocking it off and work around it. I start playing with her, she understands and starts playing around it as well. Hum dono ko pata hai kya ho raha hai but fir bhi hum waise hi karte hai. main use puri baatein nahi batati, jhoot nahi par pura sach bhi nahi

He squints at her: mujhse toh jhoot bola

Riya: kis baare mein?

Arjun: tumne mujhse kaha tha ki Da… Mr. Rawte (she frowns at the addressal) tumse milne aaye the, ye nahi kaha ki tum trigger ho gayi thi

Riya: Arjun main…

Arjun: did he…(he stiffens) kya unhone, did he try to do anything again?

Riya sighs: Arjun…

Arjun: sach bolo Riya…please, pura sach

Riya: zaroori hai? kyun tum khud ko aur chot pahunchana chahte ho?

His eyes moisten as crosses his arms: matlab he did

Riya takes a deep breath: not…nahi, bas…thoda physical force use kiya taaki main dar jau

Arjun gritted his teeth: pata nahi aur kitna girenge woh!

Silence settled in for a few minutes.

Arjun: you know what? Main unhe tumhare attempt to murder ke liye toh saza de hi sakta hun (he straightens to walk away) mujhe Sam se…

Riya grabs his arm: Arjun no

Arjun: Kyun?!?! kyun rok rahi ho tum mujhe?!?!

Riya: tum…(noticing their surrounding) chalo pehle yaha se!

He tries to break free from her grip but she glares at him. Riya led him to her room and closed the door securely.

Arjun(irritated): Tum Kyun Mujhe Rok Rahi Ho?!!?

Riya: tumhe kya milega complaint karke? (he is about to answer but she stops him) Arjun, ek baar apne aap se shaanti se pucho ki kya sirf tumhare complaint karne se ya saza dene se tumhe chain mil jaayega? kya uske baad tum puri tarah se baat bhula paoge ki your father did that?

Arjun: Baat Mere Chain Ki Nahi Unke Kiye Ki Hai!!!

Riya: mere liye baat tumhari hai aur kaise saabit karoge woh tum?

Arjun: What Do You Mean??! Sab Ne Dekha He Tried To Kill You!!! AUR AGAR HE DID THAT TOH UNHE YE BHI EXPLANATION DENA PADEGA KI UNHONE AISA KYUN KIYA!! Kehna Padega Unhe Ki He Raped You!!!

Riya: kya woh aasani se jhoot nahi bol sakte? Aur Arjun…tum police officer ho, tumhe pata hai ki aise cases mein 24 ghanto ke andar medical karwaana padta hai tabhi jaa kar court use sexual offense maanti hai, tum agar complaint karoge bhi, case agar chalega bhi toh kya unhe saza hogi? Bina kisi bhi tarah ke medical ya material evidence ke, aur uske liye toh eyewitness bhi nahi hai right? Woh bhi itne saalon baad? Aur ek aur baat, kya us mahol mein koi maanega ki offense hua hai? jo trafficking hui, uske liye toh Sikandar ko already saza mil chuki hai, fir kaisa case? Aur agar unhe saza nahi hogi toh tum aur frustrate hoge

Arjun punched the table to control himself. His body shivered in anger. He knew she was being practical, the system had a number of loopholes. The spaces left to protect the innocent were more often used by criminals to escape the law. No matter how ugly the face was, truth was going to slap them. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to face it.

Riya placed a hand on his shoulder. Tears rolled down his eyes.

Arjun hung his head: main bas tumhe insaaf dena chahta hun Riya, nahi sehan ho raha hai ki mere apna baap kisi ke saath aisa kuch kar sakta hai

Riya turned him towards her: tumne mujhe usi din insaaf de diya tha Arjun jis din tumhari goli ne Sikandar ka shikaar kiya tha (cupping his face) main jaanti hun tumhare liye aasan nahi hai aise crime ko ignore karna woh bhi tab jab tum personally involved ho lekin, mere liye ab yahi meri zindgi hai jo mujhe tumhari wajah se mili hai aur main khush hun, tumhari wajah se bhi aur tumhare saath bhi, mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye, tum hi ne kaha tha na ki kisi aur ya logon ke khayalon ko humare beech aane ka haq nahi hai. ye humari zindgi hai, hume jeeni hai toh fir ab hum kyun unke baare mein soche?

Arjun hugs her tightly wanting never to let go. She gives him a few minutes to calm down.

Riya looks up: main tumhe force nahi karna chahti Arjun, it’s just ki mujhe nahi lagta ki gade hue murdon ko ukhaad kar koi faayda hai. main nahi chahti ki tum is sab mein khud ko kho do aur… ye bhi nahi chahti ki, main tumhe kho du…agar tumhe aisa lagta hai ki case karne se gurantee ke saath tum sab kuch bhul jaoge toh main tumhe nahi rokungi, kar lo khud ki tasalli, par agar tum ye sirf guilt ki wajah se kar rahe ho toh please, khud ko aur takleef mat do

A tear rolled down his eye: tum unhe kaise maaf kar sakti ho?

Riya: maine maaf nahi kiya, mere liye he is just one of the many who took advantage of me. Jo bhi hua, jis bhi wajah se hua, I have made peace with it. The fact that he is your father changes nothing except that what it will do to us

Her words sink in slowly, one at a time. He touches his forehead to her. Arjun takes a deep breath. His mind was calculating and analysing at the speed of light.

Arjun: nahi Riya….it won’t (she looks at him in confusion) woh hume nahi tod sakte, the fact that he is my father Can’t change anything, main nahi hone dunga (he cupped her face) unki saza yahi hai ki woh zindgi bhar is guilt mein jeeye ki unka beta unse nafrat karta hai, bhale hi maa ko woh doshi na lage, I don’t care

She hugged him. He embraces her, burying his face in her neck. Arjun kisses her head before separating.

Arjun: I love you

Riya: I love you too!

She finally sees the wrinkles off his forehead. The turbulent emotions in his eyes had settled. She grins widely.

Arjun: kya hua?

Riya: kal ke baad, ab jaa kar mujhe tumhare andar wahi Arjun dikh raha hai jo itne saalon se mere saath tha

Arjun shook his head: tum bhi na Riya, kitni senti ho jaati ho

Riya raised her eyebrow: ha woh kya haina, trauma mein repression bhi bahot hota hai

Arjun: please bhaari joke mat maaro

Riya: joke nahi, fact hai

He squints at her before they start chuckling.

Arjun: acha anyway, ab mujhe jaana chahiye, waha Sam bhi ghabra raha hoga

Riya: are ruko, khaane ka time ho gaya hai, lunch karke jao

He nods. They head to the canteen for lunch with a lighter mind and a loving heart.

Outside-

Arjun and Riya walked to the back street to the car with their hands entwined.

Riya: office jaa rahe ho?

Arjun: ha…you take care

Riya nods: you too

He smiles and goes towards the driver seat. He opens the door.

Riya: Arjun!

Arjun: ha?

She skips upto him: woh…uh…

Riya places her hand on his eyes.

Arjun(confused): Riya tum…

The next second he feels her lips on his cheek. Before he could react any further, she runs out of the street. His lips curved into a smile as his heart danced. It was the first time she had kissed him. He shook his head and got into the car. Fishing out his phone, he messages her.

Arjun- thank you!

He slips in the key and drives off to the ETF..

ETF office, Conference room-

The team was working on a case when the second-in-command walked in. Sameer sprang up from his chair and hugged him.

Arjun: Rathore I am fine!!

Sameer: shut up!

He drags him out and into his cabin.

Arjun: Sam…

Sameer pushes him on a chair: I said shut up!

Arjun: are…

He grabs the second one and sits in front of him.

Sameer: teri toh class lene waala hun main!!

Arjun: are maine kya kiya?

Sameer: daraya woh kaafi nahi hai? aadhi raat ko choro ki tarah Riya ke paas gaya, ab waapis aa raha hai?!

Arjun: Sameer main sach mein theek hun, ha us waqt nahi tha, mujhe gussa aa raha tha, upset tha, Riya ke liye guilt feel kara raha tha, Rawte se nafrat ho rahi thi and (sighing) sach kahu toh pata bhi nahi kaunsa emotion kaha tha

Rathore: Rawte? Tujhe apne surname se kyun…

Arjun: main surname ki nahi, Suryakant Rawte ki baat kaat kar raha hun

He looks at him surprise: oh…ok

Arjun clears his confusion: he’s not my father…………………………