Chapter 66

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 65 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

She climbed up to clean the portrait. Arjun immediately caught her hand.

Arjun: sambhal ke

She smiled. He refused to let go of her hand till she finished. When it was all clean, he picked her up to place her back on the ground making her giggle.

With that the hall and kitchen was all cleaned up. They crashed onto the sofa, exhausted and in need of a break. She glanced at her watch.

Riya: dinner order kar le? Fir baakhi ka khaane ke baad karte hai

Arjun: ha kar lo

She grabbed her phone to order. Arjun glanced around. Memories of him, Roshni and Sameer came flooding back bringing a smile on his face.

Arjun: tumhe pata hai, ye Rosh aur Sam itne impulsive the ki mera aadha time enjoy karne ke bajay unke impulse control mein hi chala jaata tha. (she laughed) ek baar pata hai, hum club gaye the aur ye dono ko pata nahi kya sujha? Shot competition karne lage.  Dono ne kam se kam 10-15 shots pee liye honge

Riya: oh god!

Arjun laughed: ha, they were so drunk! Mujhe undono ko utha kar gaadi mein daalna pada aur Rosh ko fir bhi Sherry chahiye thi, itni mushkil se use pata kar club ke baahar laaya hun hu ki pucho mat aur Sam pure raaste besure gaane gaa raha tha. Mere toh kaan pak gaye. Baakhi tha toh Roshni use ek ke baad ek songs ke naam bata rahi thi gaane ke liye. Man toh kar raha tha ki Sam ka gala daba du, na rahega gala aur na rahegi awaaz

Riya laughed: fir aapne unhe chup kaise karaya?

Arjun: kaha se kara ta? use kuch bhi bolo toh Roshni bolti ki use entertainment chahiye. Maine kaha bhi ki radio on kar deta hu, main gaana gaa leta hun lekin nahi, madam ko besure gaane chahiye aur woh bhi

Arjun stopped abruptly. He was feeling a long-lost emotional intensity in his chest. He glanced at the portrait and then at Riya.

Riya: kya hua aap chup kyun ho gaye?

He took her hand in his: tumhe… tumhe yaad hai. ek din tumne mujhse kaha tha ki (he took a deep breath to control the surge building up inside him) tumne mujhse kaha thi ki you hope, kisi din meri khushi laut aaye?

She nodded unsurely. She did remember but she couldn’t understand where the conversation was heading.

His lips broke into a smile: meri khushi laut aayi Riya (her face glowed), tumhari wajah se (her eyes widened in shock) Riya! tumhari wajah se!

He lunged forward and kissed her. She gasped and immediately grabbed his shirt for support. Nevertheless, she fell back on the sofa as he deepened the kiss.

She pulled back feeling tears on her skin. Softly, she wiped them away with her thumb. He smiled and kissed the back of her palm.

Arjun: I love you

Riya: I love you too!

He kissed her again and she closed her eyes, melting into it.

He touched her forehead with his. Their eyes remained close, reeling in the effects of their intimacy.

Just then, his phone rang.

Arjun sighed: maybe mujhe ETF se chutti lene ke bajay apne phone ko chutti par bhej dena chahiye

She giggled and pushed him away: uthaiye!

He laced his fingers with hers, pulling her to sit up and answered his phone.

Arjun: ACP Arjun Suryakant Rawte

A female voice called out: Arjun?

Arjun froze and glanced at Riya. Unconsciously, he squeezed her hand.

Arjun: ha maa

Raima was close to tears: kaise ho?

Arjun: acha hun, aap kaisi hai?

Raima: theek hun (a tear rolled down her eye) shayad

Arjun: maa, dad ko pata hai?

Raima: ha

Arjun: hmm

A weird silence set in. They did not know what to talk or even how to.

Raima: tum, ghar waapis aaoge?

Arjun felt a lump in his throat: nahi

She didn’t say anything. However, Arjun heard her sniffing. He felt an ache in his heart.

Arjun: maa please…

Raima: bahot naraaz ho? kabhi maaf nahi karoge?

Arjun: maa, aapse naraaz nahi hun main bas (he sighed) main laut nahi sakta maa. Dad ko humesha mujhse problem hogi aur main nahi chahta ki aap sab firse hum dono ke beech bat jaaye

Raima: par Arjun…

Arjun: please maa, main nahi lautunga. Agar aapke pati ko takleef na ho toh milunga zaroor aapse, bhai se aur Ved se lekin usse zyaada nahi

She sniffed and controlled her sobs: vaada?

He smiled faintly: vaada aur phone toh humesha mere saath hota hi hai

Raima: I’m sorry, agar main us waqt tumhara saath deti toh shayad…

Arjun: rehne do maa, kya ho sakta tha aur kya nahi ye toh ab soch kar kuch faayda nahi honewaala. Jaane dijiye un baaton ko ab

She looked away and then took a deep breath to control herself. She hummed in agreement. She wished to talk to him about his wife. About Riya. How he had spent the years but she couldn’t gather the courage to ask. Silence set in for a few moments again.

Arjun: acha toh, main rakhta hun

Raima: hm, khayal rakhna apna

Arjun: ha, aap bhi. Aur bhai aur Vedant ko bhi mera number de dena

Raima: ha theek hai

Arjun: Bye maa

Raima: bye beta

Call Disconnect.

He sighed and put the phone on the side table.

Riya: aap theek hai?

Arjun nodded: ha

He lay down, resting his head in her lap and hugged her hand. Smiling, she stroked his hair while they shared a comfortable silence.

Their dinner arrived a short while later. Finishing their Pav bhaji and Manchurian, they got back to cleaning the house. It was past 2 a.m. when they finally finished. Arjun put away all the cleaning equipment and returned only to find Riya asleep on the dining table with her head down.

Arjun mv “pagal, bola tha thak jaogi lekin nahi.”

Shaking his head, he gently picked her up in his arms. She stirred a little in her sleep. He paused so she wouldn’t wake up. Once she was back in deep sleep, he took her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Switching off the lights, he slipped in beside her and fell asleep holding her close to himself.

Three days passed in a blink of one’s eye. The lot were back at headquarters to submit their paperwork to Vikram on Friday.

Vikram shut the file in pleasure: perfect! Waise ek doubt hai mujhe. Sikandar ki post-mortem ke pictures se aisa lagta nahi hai ki haatha-paayi mein use chaku lag gaya

Arjun crossed his arms: post mortem pictures hai sir, Liza cuts wonderfully

Liza pursed her lips to control her laughter. Vikram chuckled very well knowing what must have happened. Hopefully, Arjun would stop snapping at him for every little thing considering that he got his revenge.

Vikram: that’s done then! And about your vacation. You and Crime Branch will be on leave kal se lekar next weekend tak and then ATS aur CID unless of course some other bombs decide to show up

He smiled seeing their faces light up.

Vikram: oh and ek aur baat, kuch promotions hai team mein, three if I remember correctly. Tum logon ko waapis aane ke baad pata chal jaayega

They smiled, exchanging excited glances.

Shree whispered to Liza: tu khush nahi?

Liza giggled: main forensic doctor hu, humare sirf teen stages hote hai, intern, junior, senior aur main already senior hu upar se ETF ki head. Aur kya?

Shree: ohh ha

Vikram: toh ab aur kuch nahi, dis…

Rathore: nahi sir, ek cheez baakhi hai

Vikram: kya?

Rathore stayed silent for a moment or two. Then he looked down.

Rathore: Riya batayegi

She felt the ground beneath her feet give away immediately understanding what he meant.

Riya: you can’t just drop the bomb like that! Mujhe preparation ke liye time chahiye!

Rathore raised his eyebrow: considering the situation, ye line meri honi chahiye

Riya sighed and mentally cursed him. She had wanted to talk to Arjun about it first. At least that way she would have some comfort. But no! Trust Rathore to ruin her plans. Deep down, she knew she shouldn’t even be surprised. It was the one thing you could count on Rathore to do… mess up!

Arjun eyed them suspiciously: kya chal raha hai?

Riya looked at him. He could see a myriad of emotions on her face which was dominated by fear and sadness. He blinked in assurance.

Riya: woh… main, mera abduction

Chotu: WHAT?

Shree: kaunsa kidnap? Kab hua kidnap?

Vikram: tumhara abduction karne ki himmat kis mein hai?

Arjun: shut up! Use bolne do!!

They remained quiet but were no less anxious.

Ayesha: ma’am please bataiye

Riya: woh, us din, jab, actually…

She glanced at Arjun nervously. Taking the cue, he piped in.

Arjun: jis din Riya supposedly Vikram sir ke kaam ke liye gayi thi, us waqt uska abduction hua tha

Liza: What?!!?

Shree: And aapko pata tha?!!? YOU DIDN’T BOTHER TO TELL US! HOW CAN YOU…

Riya: Shree, maine hi mana kiya tha

Chotu: Arjun Sir, Ye Toh Paagal Hai Aapko Kya Ho Gaya Tha?

He muttered to himself: pyaar

Riya: guys please…

Ayesha: par ma’am ye bahot badi baat hai, aapne itni badi baat hum sab se kyun chupayi? Aur kisne kiya? ab tak zinda kyun hai woh?

Riya: Ayesha please shaant ho jao

Vikram: OK ENOUGH!!!

His voice boomed silencing everyone. He was not going to let that ba*tard leave so easily. He was going to make sure that person paid for harassing two of his favourite officers.

Vikram: Riya who was it? tumhe pata hai?

Riya gulped and nodded.

Arjun softly holds her hand to assure her.

Riya: woh, woh… Ra, Ra… (clenching her eyes shut) Rathore sir

Arjun: ab Rathore beech mein kaha se aa gaya? hold on! Tumne use bataya lekin mujhe nahi?

Riya: Nahi!!

Rathore: itna jalne ki zaroorat nahi hai Rawte! Use mujhe kuch batane ki zaroorat nahi hai

Arjun squinted: kya matlab?

Rathore mv “oh god! Ise bhi samaj mein nahi aa raha hai? waise toh baal ki khaal nikal deta hai.”

Rathore: matlab ye ACP Arjun Rawte, ki maine Riya ko abduct kiya tha!

Chorus(except Riya): KYAAAA?!!?!?

Rathore looked away: aur almost murder bhi

Crickets chirped. Nobody could believe or make a head or tail out of the situation.

Arjun felt all of Riya’s words coming back to him and finally realised why she was so scared and apprehensive yet unwilling to disclose the name of her kidnapper at least immediately.

A whisper escaped his lips: kyun?

Rathore remained silent.

Arjun: MAIN TUMSE KUCH PUCH RAHA HUN SAMEER!!!

He ignored Arjun and looked at Vikram.

Rathore: aap mujhe dismissal abhi denge ya fir kal?

Vikram was still in shock. Arjun clenched his fists. He was ready to go punch him to get his answer. Seeing the situation heat up, Riya spoke up with whatever courage she had left.

Riya: main batati hun

Rathore glared at her: Riya…

Riya: Unhone aise isliye kiya kyunki woh nahi chahte the ki Arjun sir ki jaan ko Sikandar se khatra ho

Vikram(irritated): ok hold on! Riya ka Sikandar se kya lena dena? Kya bakwas chal rahi hai yaha?

Rathore tries to interrupt but Riya doesn’t let him. She narrates the whole story right from Roshni calling Rathore when Arjun was caught by Sikandar to her promise to Rathore’s plan to it falling apart supposedly due to her. Her voice cracked as she recollected the fateful night but she managed to compose herself.

Arjun collapsed in the chair with his head in his hands. He knew? He knew everything and yet he chose to let him suffer alone? He did it purposely? He stripped him of his relations and proceeded to do the same with Riya? Abducted her? Tried to kill her? How? Why? Was he going to be the cause of another loved one losing their life? Riya could’ve died and he would never have known what had even happened to her.

He finally understood what Lakhan had meant by is baar. Rathore used to track Goa frequently and secretly.

Tears streamed down Ayesha’s face. Shree and Liza just stared in shock. Their heads just did not wrap around the idea of Rathore doing anything like that. Chotu clenched his fist, glaring at Rathore.

There was pin-drop silence.

The commissioner recalled Rathore asking for Riya’s transfer. He had been taken aback at first wondering what would have happened for Rathore to seek the transfer of the officer that had been working with them since so long and had gained respect at all levels. Rathore had clarified that he felt Riya could grow in some other team since there was nothing new that the ETF had to offer. Vikram had shoved it off saying that it didn’t matter and that her track record was only growing.

Vikram glared too: Rathore Tumhara Dimag Kharab Ho Gaya Hai? Tum Aise Karne Ki Soch Bhi Kaise Sakte Ho?!

Rathore: main surrender karta hun

Vikram stared at him in disbelief. Just exactly what was on his mind? Was he planning to get arrested and then break away or was he so righteous that he was ready to face the consequences? If it was the latter then why did he even do this in the first place?

He was definitely a good officer but this? This was serious, big time! 

Vikram looked at the others. They were in no position to think or act. He glanced at Arjun. He hadn’t even looked up yet. And it didn’t look like he would do anytime soon either.

He took a deep breath: Theek hai toh… ACP Sameer Damsingh Rathore, you are dismissed (Riya’s eyes widened) from duty for the abduction and attempt to murder of ETF officer, SI…

Riya: No!!

All eyes turned to her. Even Arjun looked up. He was confused. He did not know what to do. He was hearing Vikram’s order with a heavy heart, knowing it was inevitable. And then, Riya’s voice snapped him out. Was she really refusing? After everything Sameer did to her? Why? He deserved it!!

Even if it was a yes, then how the hell was she going to save him?

Vikram: kya?

Riya: Rathore sir ko jail nahi ho sakti aur na hi permanent dismissal mil sakta hai

Chotu: Riya tum kya bol rahi ho? tum unhe bachane ki koshish bhi kaise kar sakti ho?

Riya: main sach keh rahi hu…

Vikram: Riya…

Riya: Vikram sir, IPC Section 84!!............................