Chapter 10

[MEMBERSONLY] [NOCOPY]

Chapter 08

Riya’s brain went into a spiral as she reread the meaningless words in the message. Has he finally lost his mind that now he’s drunk-texting me?, she genuinely wondered with a puzzled face. But she still tried her hardest to decipher the meaning behind it, only to fail miserably in her attempts. 

Resigning herself to the case, where the main suspect was Sikandar, Riya strolled back to the conference room and slumped tiredly in the chair. The fatigue from the medications, the stress of the flawed plan and those late nights along with this case was finally catching up with her. And it was evident on her face. 

Arjun had noticed her every movement since she left the room. He noticed her confused eyes, her dizziness from exhaustion and resignation on her face. Her half-lidded eyes concerned him because he knew she hasn’t completely recovered from the negative effects of the virus. The doctors told her to take enough rest or she will feel weak and he knew it was time for her to sleep. Gesturing to Sameer about the time, Arjun was successful in getting the chief to call it a day. 

A smile crawled to Riya’s lips and she sighed in relief. It was so radiant, despite the gentle shiver on her skin, that even Arjun’s lips curved upwards. The twitch in his lips went unnoticed by everyone as they were busy packing, but being a vigilante cop, Sameer had observed the change of expressions on Arjun’s face. And instantly, he read through the thoughts of his once friend. 

The team filed out of the conference room, dragging their feet to reach their vehicles. Riya had barely taken a step in the direction of the gates when a hand enclosed her wrist, effectively ceasing her motions. The roughness of the palm and the warmth it spread on her skin was a little too familiar and she instantly knew that the own of the hand was Arjun. 

Spinning on her heels, she faced him and tilted her head to the side, a cute questioning look on her face. Face still impassive, Arjun merely said, “I’ll drop you.” and walked to his SUV. She simply gawked at his retreating form, wondering if she had imagined the worry in his eyes, and silently followed him.

On his way to his car, Arjun was intercepted by Sakshi. She battled her eyelashes sweetly and asked, “Arjun, kya tum aaj mujhe drop kar sakte ho please?” 

Although he wanted to say no, Arjun realized that it was very late in the night and it was unsafe for a woman to be travelling alone, so he agreed. Sakshi beamed at him and quickly settled in the passenger seat, her place since she joined the team. Glad for her ‘I-need-to-be-with-Arjun’ attitude, Riya quietly slid in the back seat and relaxed her aching muscles in the soft leather seats. 

The journey home was uneventful. Riya felt her eyelids slowly getting heavier as Sakshi chattered away and Arjun ignored the noise. The constant speed of the car lulled her to sleep. It didn't register in her mind when the car stopped nor did she realized when Sakshi was dropped off. 

Arjun, however, refused to divert his eyes from her. Ensuring that she gets the much deserved sleep in the backseat of his car, he slowed the speed to a constant in case the potholes disturbed her. But he realized much later that it means he has to bear the non-stop chatterbox beside him for longer than he was willing to. You better be grateful for this Riya, he mused jokingly and completely zoned out Sakshi’s blabber about the new bracelet she bought of his favourite colour. 

The moonlight reflecting on Riya’s face mesmerized Arjun, to the point that he completely forgot to focus back on the road ahead. Her illuminating face highlighted the tiniest features, spanning from the soft eyelashes to the blood-red lips. His concentration wavered from her eyes to her lips, a knot forming in his throat as his Adam’s apple bobbed up. Unconsciously, he pressed the brakes, allowing Sakshi to leave, before restarting and reaching Riya’s home. 

He was about to call her, informing her that they have reached her house, but one look at her peaceful face and he didn’t have the heart to wake her up. A thought clicked in his mind and he impulsively acted on it. Without a second of hesitation, he unbuckled her seatbelt and picked her in his arms, stepping slowly towards the building. He unlocked her front door with the keys and started for her room, still encapsulating her tightly in his embrace.

Riya could feel herself to be elevated. The warm arms around her made her dream of her prince charming while she was the princess. Her deep slumber broke and she drowsily opened her eyes when she felt herself being carried. With wide eyes and racing heart, she realized that her ‘prince charming’ was none other than Arjun. A gentle but noticeable blush graced her cheeks. 

Realizing that she was awake, Arjun carefully placed her on the bed but hesitated to stare her in the eyes. How was he supposed to provide her with a reason that would explain her presence in his arms? He definitely hadn’t thought again before picking her but now he was second guessing his motives. However, her questioning eyes forced him to justify his actions. 

“Wo tum car mein so gayi thi. Tumhe aaram ki zaroorat hai toh bas isiliye tumhe nahi uthaya,” he revealed the half-truth.

Certainly that was unexpected. And Riya could do nothing more than stare at him in utter disbelief. The great stoic cop was never the one to explain his reasons, and he was doing just that for her. A warm sensation spread through her heart as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She smiled shyly at him and said, “Thank you sir.”

For just a couple of minutes, they stared at each other. To any onlooker, it would seem that they are lost in one another’s eyes, which was the truth to a certain extent. But in reality, they were trying to figure out the other person. Arjun wondered if he could miraculously find out about the secret she is hiding by reading her eyes while Riya believed that she could see the pain reflected in his. 

Suddenly realizing their position, he blinked and cleared his throat, breaking her chain of thoughts as well. She quickly averted her gaze and he turned his head in the other direction. An awkward silence fell between them. 

Gathering his emotions, Arjun firmly asked, “Tum kya chhupa rahi ho, Riya?”

Riya’s head snapped in his direction, stunned to silence. Her throat dried up and she began staring at random places in order to avoid his eyes and the accusing question they threw at her. But she could feel the constant glare at the back of her head as his eyes bore into her. Knowing that he would no longer let this topic slide, she sighed and said, “Kuch baatein samay rehte boli jaaye toh behtar hota hai. Lekin aaj wo samay nahi hai.” 

Her words created another mystery for him. Though he wanted to press on, he simply decided to give her the space and time she needed. It wouldn't do him any good if she reveals the truth half heartedly. But there was one thing that was confirmed: the secret she's burying inside her will definitely affect his life.  

Therefore, he merely nodded and turned to leave. His feet froze at the gate. Why? Maybe he just wanted to stay with her or maybe his heart had something to say, something to express. And he knew he couldn't afford to delay it. 

“Kuch rishte sukoon dete hain Riya. Meri life mein bhi ek aisa rishta hai jo mujhe wo sukoon deta hai jiski mujhe barso se talaash thi. Aur main iss rishte ko kabhi khona nahi chahta,” he whispered, his voice low but audible to her.

The silent night felt even more quiet as her heartbeats drummed in her ears. Suddenly, she became aware of the light details she was previously blind to. The gentle curve of his eyes, the slight curve of his lips and the soft pink hue on his cheeks were prominent now. His words settled in and her wide eyes teared up and a beautiful smile graced her lips, indenting her cheeks, giving her face a different glow. 

Witnessing the change in her expressions, he almost ran to crush her in his embrace...almost. However, he decided that he had already been too soft for the day. Although she knew that he would never make the first move, it still disheartened her as he opened the door without another word or another look in her direction. 

His feet ceased by the door as he heard her whisper, “Aap iss rishte ko kabhi nahi khoyenge sir. I promise.”

Time froze and their breaths were the only sounds that enveloped the room. They stood still, basking in the comfort of each other’s presence. It bemused him to know that she understood his puzzles. And more than that, it perturbed him that she understood him, his unsaid words. He silently drank in the serenity she provided him with, before murmuring a ‘hmm’ and walking out of her house.

Ensuring that she was asleep in her room, he turned to a corner and whipped out his phone, dialing a number urgently. He tapped his feet, already feeling impatient after the second ring.

“Hello sahab?”, answered a man from the other end. 

Arjun spared a glance in the direction of Riya’s house and spoke a single sentence into the phone, “Tum apna kaam aaj se shuru karo.”

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Do you like it? Please do comment to let me know your thoughts. This chapter was the beginning of romance factor in the story and a little break from all the confusion. Thank you so much for appreciating the story!

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