Chapter 4

rimi

@rimi_invisible

After a round of bickering breakfast, Annu, was finally convinced by both of her parents about their plan, though, she had to be bribed with a future trip to one of her favourite icecream parlor and also was given a few special authorities which she can use as long as she was away from her parents, one of them being, calling the police station or even ETF office to file a complaint against her opponent.

The journey towards their destination was a quite one. Annu was enjoying the blowing wind sitting beside Sameer, who was driving the car, while Ayesha sat behind with their luggage.

After a long half an hour they reached their destination. Annu stepped out of the car and looked ahead. A cheap guest lodge was standing in front of her. She looked back at Sameer and both Sam and Ayesha walked forward towards her. Sam held her hand and both walked inside towards Room No 17.

*********

Ayesha stepped towards the staircase followed by Sameer and Annu. Ayesha had walked a few steps ahead when Sameer felt a light tug at his hand. He turned to see Annu had stopped at two steps below him and was pulling him down too. He gave a brief look at Ayesha who had already reached the corridor and heading towards the desired room. He stepped down beside her and bent to her,

'ab kya hua?' he asked her,

'tum mujhe lene kab aaoge?' she asked with a sad doubtful face,

'Sham tak aa jaunga, kya hua itna kyu daar rahi hoo?' he replied,

'Dost, tum aaoge na?' she asked again with tearful face, holding his shirt tightly,

'Annu, mein kyu nehi aunga? Agar tumhe yaha bilkul nehi rehena to chalo wapas chalte hain, hum manage kar lenge,' he said kneeling down and cupping her cheeks,

'nehi mein samhal lungi, tum jaldi anaa haan,' she said hugging his neck,

'bohot jaldi aunga, aur tumhe yaad haina maine jo kaha tha,' he asked her pulling her up in his arms, while he took the rest of the steps,

'haan,' she replied jumping in his arms.

They reached the destined door. It was open and Ayesha was facing her back speaking to the occupant. Sameer put Annu down on the ground and called out to the man,

'Rawte,'

Ayesha heard him and moved aside smiling. Arjun stood there clad in an ironed blue shirt and jeans. He looked ahead at the door and shook his head breathing out sharply,

'tum log yaha kyu aye Rathore? Mein ETF ke liye hi nikal raha tha,' he told him in a stern voice,

'Firstly, tum office nehi aa rahe ho, doctor ne tumhe rest lene ko kaha hain, and second tumhare liye birthday gift laya tha,' Sameer told him with a smirk,

'kya bakwas hain ye saab Rathore?' Arjun spoke up irritated,  

'Climinal, Mele dost ko maat daato,' a chilling shout alerted the elders and all looked down towards the small alien at the doorstep with hands on her hips and glaring at Arjun,

'Captain Spark?' Arjun muttered with a frown and then looking at her parents, who were busy hiding their laughs,

Annu was busy giving tough glares and naughty smirks when Rathore held her hand and stepped inside the room,

'tumhara birthday gift,' he chuckled, earning a doubtful look from annu,

'Rathore!! Ayesha ye saab kya hain?' Arjun asked Ayesha, while glaring at Sameer,

'kya matlab? Sam tumne arjun ko nehi bataya?' Ayesha asked Sameer surprised,

'Wo mein bhul gaya,' he shrugged,

'Sam!! Arjun wo, hum office ja rahe hain, aur meri mummy aj ghar pe nehi hain, agar tumhe problem na ho to, kya tum Annu ko sham tak apne pass rakh loge, please, mein jaldi ane ki koshish karungi, you know na wo mujhe conference mein bhi...Agar tumhe problem hain to mein...' Ayesha explained,

'nehi its okay ayesha, Aj mein rest le leta hu, Kuch zyada hi injured hu..kuch zaroorat ho to call kar lena,' Arjun replied, giving a typically hard, frustrated glare at Rathore,

Sameer nodded promptly, ignoring his meaningful gazes and Ayesha kneeled in front of Annu, whispering something to her, which she heard with an irritated expression and then a glare at Arjun.

Ayesha handed over a box of her handmade breakfast to Arjun and a bag to Annu with a few of her clothes and toys.  

After sometime Ayesha left bidding them Bye and Sameer had just reached the door when Arjun called back,

'Rathore, in saab ki zaroorat nehi thi, mein thik hoon,' he voiced out,

'pata hain,' Sameer nodded and hurried out towards Ayesha.

*********

Arjun closed the door and turned back. Annu was looking at him with angry, suspicious eyes with her hands still on her hips. Arjun signed and looked away.

'Aao, baitho,' Arjun called her, taking her bag and throwing it towards the bed, earning some inaudible curses from Annu, who ran to her bag, caressing it and muttering climinal'.

Arjun chuckled and kept the box given by Ayesha on the table. He could feel annu's frustrated gaze at him, while he sat on the chair, opened the box and started munching on the breakfast slowly.

He looked at her from the chair, she frowned at him, looking like a furious giant. He offered her the breakfast silently and she rejected looking away. She stepped towards the sofa-cum-bed at the other end and climbed onto it. Dangling her legs from the edge of the bed, she sat looking around the room.

There was a strange silence in the room, except the noise of Arjun's munching on the food and sometimes Annu's turned and moving legs made a creaking sound on the bed. Arjun didn't look at her anymore, but her piercing gaze around was disturbing him now. Finally after a long pause, he finished the breakfast and looked at her,

'aise kya dekh rahi hoo?' he asked raising a brow at him,

'Ye tumhala ghal hain?' she asked looking around,

'haan kyu? Acha nehi hain?' he asked,

'Acha hain, pal tumhale mummy papa kaha hain?' she asked him with a deep frown,

Arjun looked away and remained silent, keeping back the remaining breakfast on the table. Annu waited for sometime but Arjun wasn't responding. So she stepped down from the bed and walked to him. She held his hand and shook him,

'kya hua batao na? tumhale bhi papa nehi hain?' she asked innocently,

'nehi wo baat nehi, wo bas thode busy hain, isliye mere saath nehi rehe pate,' he informed her giving a sad smile,

'Climinal tum sad maat ho, mele bhi to papa nehi the, pal ab to dost bhi hain aur papa bhi,' she said resting her arms on his thighs, smiling,

'hmm,' Arjun hummed and tried to pick her up but the wound on his right shoulder started paining and he left her on the ground, holding his shoulder firmly to absorb the pain.

Annu had seen his face screech and he held onto his shoulder which had a bandaged wound. She straightened and held onto his legs,

'Kya kal lahe ho? Tumhe chot lagi haina? Dald ho laha hain?' she asked looking at him with wide eyes, scared,

Arjun was panting now. He tried to smile at annu and muttered softly,

'thoda sa,'

'utho yaha se..mummy ne kaha tha, tumhe lest lena hain, chalo bed pe so jao,' she ordered tugging onto his arm,

'nehi mein...'

'meine kaha na chalo...mujhe gussa maat dilao,' she shouted and held onto his hand,

Arjun helplessly had to walk to the bed and lay down. Annu climbed beside him and sat observing him.

'tum aise hi mujhe dekhti rahogi?' he asked irritated,

'dost ne kaha tha, tumpe na...laz lakhne ke liye,' she clarified, and leaned forward towards his head, looking straight into his face,

'nazar..' he corrected her smirking,

'haso maat, chup chap lete laho,' she scolded him,

'tum aise hi mujhe dekhti rahogi kya?' Arjun asked irritated,

'Haan, tum chup laho aur so jao,' she said caressing his hair.

Arjun looked away. He was panting and his breath was irregular due to the pain. He tugged out his shirt and opened the buttons. He was sweating due to the sudden gust of pain. He sat up to remove his shirt, but he was feeling nausea and sat leaning on the pillow. He felt annu wipe the lone tear which escaped his eye.

'Dald ho raha hain?' she asked looking at him with concern in her eyes,

He nodded his head and held his hand up to open the shirt but was amused when his angry, ruthless Captain Spark came forward to help him.

*******

ACP Arjun Rawte, the second-in-command at the ETF, was severely wounded a day before during a shootout in their earlier case involving a drug mafia. He was suggested complete rest and proper medicines and diet, by the doctor, until he recovered completely. The injury was deep and movements would just increase the severity of the case.

But Arjun being the well known, arrogant, angry dedicated officer wasn't giving heed to any of the caring words of his team mates nor his chief nor Ayesha. So when things went out of everyone's control, Sameer had to use their only weapon, Annu, who could force the medicine down his throat or keep him on the bed with a simple glare.

*******

Arjun smiled while Annu concentrated her gaze leaning closer to his face. Though it was a nice feeling in the beginning but later, it became quiet irritating when Annu kept on looking at him and didn't even allow him to turn to his sides.

'Annu, mera back dukh raha hain, side pe sone do,' he said,

'nehi, tumhe chot lagi hain, chup chap lete laho,' she ordered him,

'leta hu na meri maa, ab aise saradin kaise rahu?' he told her earning a glare from her,

'please..' he pleaded,

'tum bohot ziddi bacha ho, tumhe punish kalna hoga,' she said,

'acha? Thik hain bataiye Captain Spark kya punishment hain mere liye?' he asked her, sitting up and pulling her beside him,

'mujhe chocolate ice cream khana hain abhi,' she said,

'abhi? Mujhe chot lagi hain na kaise lau? Aur abhi to breakfast kiya..sham ko khana,'

'fil lunch mein pizza,' she said jumping up on the bed,    

'Annu, tumhari mummy mera encounter kar degi,' he said shooting himself with a fake gun,

Annu laughed and rolled beside him on the pillow.

'Bohot hasi aa rahi hain?' Arjun tickled her while she started hitting and shouting at him,

'Climinal, mein papa ko bol dungi, cholo mujhe, mein malungi, cholo warna..'

'warna?'

Annu picked up the spare pillow and threw it at him. He dodged it and Annu's gaze caught a metal frame hidden under it. Arjun too noticed it and tried to take it away, but Annu was quick and snatched it from him. She took a good look at it and then looked at Arjun with a deep frown,

'ye tum ho?' she asked, giving him a skeptical gaze,

'hmm kyu?' he asked taking the frame back from her,

'tumhale itne sale teeth hain?' she asked trying to look through his lips,

'Captain,..'

'aul ye kaun hain? tumhali mummy?' she asked again,

Arjun laughed and pulled her cheeks fondly. He pulled her towards him and took the photograph and caressed his fingers through the picture,

'Ye Roshni hain, Roshni Rawte,'

'Losni lauta,' she repeated surprised,

'Losni nehi Roshni,' he corrected,

'haan losni, pal ye kaun hain?'

'meri sab kuch,' he replied looking at the picture,

'matlab?' she asked pinching her nose,

'matlab meri friend, meri philosopher, meri guide, meri life,'

'ye kaha hain?'

'ye mujhe chor ke chali gayi hain,'

'kyu tumne isse bhi daata?'

'nehi, daata to nehi, per pata nehi kya hua...achanak chali gayi,'

'mummy bhi yahi keheti thi, mele papa mujhe hume chol ke chale gaye, pal abhi wapas bhi aa gaye, tumhali flnd bhi aa jayegi,' she replied,

Arjun wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Both looked at the picture quietly for sometime.  

'pata hain, aj Roshni ka birthday hain,' he said looking at the picture quietly,

'bailday? Tumne cake laya?' she asked excited,

'nehi to..' he replied knitting his brows,

'uffo, tumse ek kaam nehi hota, kaise climinal ho, mujhe hi kuch kalna hoga,' she removed his hand and sat on the bed crossing her legs,

'kya karogi?' he raised his brows at her,

'Dost ko phone kalke keheti hoo, sham ko cake leke ayega, aur uspe likhega, happy Bailday Losni,' she said and picked up the phone,

'ruko, cake nehi, pizza order karte hain,'

'pizza? Phil Mummy ko maat batana,' she said,

'okay,'

The pizza was ordered which reached them soon. Arjun was enjoying with her. It was years he hadn't done anything on this day after roshni died. Today the enthusiasm shown by a little kid for his 'Roshni's' special day was putting him through a strange state. He was missing her, much more than he did usually, he was missing her smiling face, the laughs, the shower of happiness in his life.

He looked at Annu, who sat next to him, gobbling down the pizza speaking to herself, but he didn't have ears to listen to any of her word. He again looked back at the photograph, now lying beside him. It was reminding him of the days he had spent with Roshni. Their first meet, the dinner together, Roshni's teasing the ever bachelor Sameer, his proposal, their wedding, their anniversary and then Sameer's anger towards him. The cruel end of his life and his seclusion.

Arjun was lost in his thoughts when he felt an arm wrapped around his neck and a slice of pizza held at his lips. He looked at annu with blurry eyes. He blinked his eyes and turned his face. He heard her tell him irrtatedly,

'khao na, kabse wait kal lahi hu? Climinal, sun sakte ho?' he shouted at his ear,

'haan kya hua? Chilla kyu rahi ho?' Arjun asked her irritated,

Annu sat down helplessly biting into the slice of pizza she had held out to him. She had a frustrated expression on her already red face and looked up at him with angry threatening eyes.

'Acha sorry, do mujhe bhi bhook lagi hain,' he said and snatched the slice from her,

A tug of war started with the remaining slices until Annu was found sitting on his stomach with the pizza box on his chest and Arjun trying to snatch the last piece from her hands.

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