Chapter 19

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 19 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Arjun nods. He holds Riya’s hand to help her stand up. He places her hand around his neck and supports by holding her waist.

Riya: sir

Arjun: ha?

Riya: mere pair mein nahi, haath mein chot hai……………………..

Arjun: acha? (leaving her) toh chalo

She giggles and steps forward only to stumble. Her head whizzes blurring her vision. Arjun wraps his arms around her.

Arjun: ab bolo

Riya (naively): I didn’t realize itna blood loss hua hai

He glares at her. She lowers her gaze sheepishly. Arjun picks her up in his arms this time, surprising her and kicks open the door.

The ground slips away from all the feet spectating the scene. Arjun steps down carefully. The ETF rush in.

Rathore(tensed): Riya…

Riya: I’m fine sir, bas chu kar gayi hai

Arjun gently places her down to let Shree take over.

Shree: chal main first aid kar deta hun

The officers start rounding everything up. Shree opens the backside of the SUV. He makes Riya sit and starts doing her first aid.

Shree: tu theek hai?

Riya smiles: ha baba

Shree sighs: ye rumaal kiska hai?

Riya takes it and tucks into her jean pocket: tere khadoos ka

Shree raises his eyebrow: aur tu us, gande khoon se sane hue rumaal ko apne pocket mein daal rahi hai? (teasing) scene kya hai huh? Aur aaj toh…(he wiggled his eyebrows) baahon mein

Riya: shut up Shree! Dho kar lauta dungi aur mujhe chakkar aa rahe the isliye, zyaada dimag mat chala

He giggles. Chotu arrives and sits behind her. She sees Arjun walking away from the crowd and leaning on the other SUV a few feet away.

Shree: ho gaya?

Chotu: are ye log kar rahe hai, time lagega thoda, Ri tu…

Rathore almost runs in: Riya! are you ok?

She smiles: Main bilcul theek hun sir, aap fikar mat kijiye

Rathore: thank god! (he swats Shree’s arm to squeeze in between them) tumhari gaadi waha dekhkar toh dar hi gaya tha main

Shree glares at him.

Riya: woh toh maine hi chodi thi, in logon ko dikh na jau isliye par dikh gayi

Rathore: hmm

Riya leans behind: Chotu, waha main road par paas mein ek aunty hai, please kuch khaane ko le aa warna main bhook se mar jaungi

Chotu: abhi laaya

He canters out, never being the one to say no to food. He returns with hands full of huge parcels and gives them to Riya. They were filled with wild fruits sprinkled with masala. She tries to eat but her arm hurts.

Rathore: are ruko

He picked up the raw mango slice and fed her. She beams. Shree and Chotu stare with their mouths agape. Arjun raises his eyebrow.

Riya: aapko yaad hai sir, us din aapne mujhe jalebiyaan khilayi thi

He was about to answer when Chotu frowned.

Chotu: kaise bhul sakte hai? hume toh aapne pucha bhi nahi

Rathore raises his eyebrow: mana kiya tha maine ki mat aao?

Shree gathered courage: invite bhi nahi kiya aur aaj bhi nahi

Rathore rolls his eyes mv “bache paal rakhe hai maine” he passes the next slice behind. Shree happily bites from it.

Chotu: sir mujhe?

Rathore: ha, ha tum bhi khao!

He feeds him as well, making Riya chuckle. Rathore ends up feeding all three of them alternately while slipping in morsels himself.

Arjun watched them giggle and play. His gaze stuck on the woman in between. There was definitely something about her. Something that attracted everyone to her, something that he still wasn’t able to pinpoint but he knew he was no less of a prey. However, he was the only one fortunate enough to get to know the parts of Riya Mukherjee that were invisible. The one that used her smile as a façade, the one that would bear pain herself for not disappointing her friends, the one that was fearless for doing the right thing whether anyone liked it or not and the one that had somehow ended up within the walls that he had built around his heart.

Not in his heart, no! that wasn’t going to happen he reasoned with himself. Just between the two of them. Between the wall and the doors. It was good enough and if he was honest with himself, it felt good. He felt a sense of belonging when he was around her.

His thoughts were broken by a man arriving on a cycle carrying tea. He looked like one of the villagers among the settlements from the forest and had turned up hearing about people.

Arjun: ek…

Riya: are bhaiya pehle yaha aao! Yaha zyaada log hai… jaldi-jaldi

Arjun glared at her but the man heeded her advice. She lowers her gaze.

Riya: 5 chai, shakar, ek mein aadha chamach, ek mein ek , do mein do aur ek mein teen

Man: ha memsahib

He starts pouring the tea into paper cups and hands it to her.

Man: aadha chamach.

Riya takes one of the newspapers used in wrapping to wipe the rim of the cup.

Riya: Rathore sir, aapki kam shakar

He smiles.

Man: ek chamach

She wipes the rim and gives it to Chotu.

Arjun mv “ye ladki bhi na, sirf glass saaf karne ke liye mujhse meri chai cheen rahi hai.”

Riya: Chotu jaakar Arjun sir ko dekar aao

Chotu: main?

Riya: nahi toh kya main?

Chotu glances at Arjun who was glaring at them. He gulps and takes the glass to him.

Chotu: sir woh Riya ne bheji

Arjun takes the cup and proceeds to take a sip. He stops and raises his eyebrow to Chotu who was still standing. He nods in a negative. Arjun glares at him. He runs back to the safety of Rathore and Riya.

Riya gives him his glass as he returns. She glances at Arjun. He was staring into the trees, enjoying his hot cup of tea. She smiled and re-joined the conversation that the others were having.

The in-charge of the back- up reports to Rathore that the formalities were done and dusted. Rathore nods and hands over the criminals to them. He turns to the team.

Rathore: Shree, Chotu! Tum dono Rawte ke saath office jao, main Riya ko hospital lekar jaata hun

Shree: kya?... mera matlab, hum bhi aapke saath aate haina sir

Chotu: ha… ha sir, hume bhi sunna hai ki doctor kya kehta hai

Riya: are baba, I’ll be fine, tum log jao aur report likhna shuru karo, Shree waise bhi tumhari pichli report baakhi hai

Shree: par…

Rathore: enough! (he turns to the second-in-command) Rawte! Ladko ko lekar jaana

He glances in acknowledgment but provides no other response. Rathore leaves with Riya to the hospital leaving the boys at the mercy of Arjun.

On the other hand, Rathore takes Riya to the doctor and gets her patched up. He advises her atleast a week rest. Riya tries to protest but Sameer intervenes and assure him that it will be done.

Riya: lekin sir, ek hafte ki…

Sameer: main tumhari medical leave sanction kar raha hun and that’s final!

Riya: sir do-teen din theek hai, sirf chu kar toh gayi hai aap…

Sameer: no means no! (turning to the doctor) aap fikar mat kijiye doctor, main ise office mein kadam bhi nahi rakhne dunga

He smiles and nods. Riya frowns. She cursed her fate wondering what she was going to do alone at home for an entire week.

Shree, Chotu and Rathore all stayed in touch. The boys called her every day to complain about the two bosses. Rathore called up every alternate day to make sure she wasn’t straining herself. Riya smiled seeing their concern and at the same time wondered what was making them so over-protective.

As for Arjun, he stared at his screen atleast 3 times every day. He pondered whether he should call or text her and ended up doing nothing. ETF seemed suffocating without her. It was all fine when she hadn’t come but by now, he had gotten used to her. The cases felt weird without her research. The car rides felt weird without her questions and quirky teasing. The desk felt weird when she wasn’t working on the opposite one.

Arjun mv “get a grip Arjun! Itna kyun attach ho raha hai? log humesha aate-jaate rahenge aur woh bhi, isme itna sochne waali kaunsi baat hai?”

The boy entered with his tea and placed it on his desk. Arjun paid him wordlessly. Still in his thoughts, he picks up a scrap piece of paper and wipes the rim…

Arjun: what the hell!

He throws away the paper and starts drinking mv “ye ladki mujhe paagal kar degi ek din!”

Shree and Chotu squealed in delight when she came in the next week. Rathore smiles seeing them. After exchanging pleasantries, he asks her to do the aarti. The Ganpati festival was on.

Arjun watched from a distance as the rest took part. She distributes the aarti and prasad. Rathore receives a call and goes out of the room. Seeing Arjun in a corner, she walks across to offer him.

Arjun: mujhe meetha nahi pasand

Riya: meethi toh aapki chai bhi hai aur waise bhi ye prasad hai

Arjun: main nahi maanta tumhare bhagwan mein

Riya: woh mere nahi, sabke hai

Arjun: acha? Toh tumhe bachane kyun nahi aaye?

Riya: bachaya tha na, aap bhi toh the waha aur bhagwan ki marzi se hi the

He walks away to his seat. Riya shakes her head and keeps the thaal back in front of the idol.

Just then Rathore arrives waving an envelope.

Rathore: guys! Zainab bhabhi ne function mein se humari photographs bheji hai

The trio rush to him. Riya reaches him first, grabbing the envelope.

Riya: wow!!

Shree: Ri hume bhi dikha

Riya climbs on the chair: pehle main dekhungi!

Shree: are Ri!!

Chotu: Riya dekh neeche utar… Rathore sir ise boliye na!!

To their dismay, Rathore only laughs. Arjun rolls his eyes at their behavior. Riya happily looks at the photos, swiping one below the other ignoring Shree and Chotu’s shouts. She changes the photograph again and freezes. She glances at Arjun from the corner of her eyes. She quickly moves to the next.

Riya: acha baba!! Theek hai ruko!!! Chillao mat aise!!

She climbs down and gives them the bunch before going to her desk. Arjun squints at her back. He was sure he saw her hand slipping one photo in her hand from below.

Arjun mv “kuch toh chut raha hai, dekhna padega”

He curiously follows her.

Here, Riya heaves a sigh of relief once she reaches her desk. She holds up the photograph. It was of her and Arjun. The moment when they were lost in each other’s eyes when he had pulled her to him.

Arjun stops short at the door. Her back was facing him but he could see the photograph. He watched as she gazed at it. For a brief moment, he goes down the memory lane well. He comes out of his trance when she keeps it on her desk.

Riya picks up her purse and tucks it away safely in a chained compartment.

Arjun: tum yaha kya kar rahi ho?

Stunned, she spins on her heel: aap?! Aap yaha?

Arjun: ha mera bhi office haina?

Riya mv “inhone dekha toh nahi?” : ha toh aap aise choro ki tarah kyun ghum rahe hai? office hai, ye kya tareeka hua?

Arjun mv “drama toh dekho madam ka”: meri marzi, main jaise bhi chalu, tumhe isse kya?

Riya: sawaal toh aapne shuru kiye the, mera kaunsa gunaah hai?

Arjun walks upto her: batau?

Her breath hitches. He steps closer invading her personal space.

Arjun: chup kyun ho gayi?

Riya: main… Shree!!

Arjun(confused): Sh…

Shree enters: sir, woh…(Arjun steps away) uh Ri, Rathore sir bula rahe hai, case

Arjun moves out immediately. Riya exhales deeply.

Shree(suspiciously): kya ho raha tha?

Riya: chod na yaar, jaanta haina khadoos ko?

Shree rolled his eyes: point!

The ETF were called to investigate the case of a missing Ganpati idol stolen from a temple. The mahant was telling them everything that he knew about the case.

Mahant: shaam ki aarti mein bhakto ko murti nahi dikhi toh halla mach jaayega, woh murti bahot hi pracheen aur chamatkaari hai, 700 saal pehle uski sthapna hui thi, bahot hi keemti…

Arjun: itni hi keemti thi toh yaha mandir mein kya kar rahi thi? Use government ki treasury ya museum mein hona chahiye

He stops short, a little confused and a little shocked.

Riya: hona toh aapko bhi disciplinary action aur suspension mein chahiye lekin kya haina? Jo cheez jaha suit hoti hai, use wahi rakhte hai

Arjun glares at her. Shree and Chotu glance at each other in shock. Though Rathore purses his lips to control his laugh, he couldn’t help but smile

Riya: aap chinta mat kijiye mahant ji, hum murti ko dhundh lenge

Arjun: CCTV ki footage dikhaiye!

Mahant: ji………………………..