ARiya FF: Memories Part 7 (UPDATED 26/09) - Page 11

Originally posted by: Aks13

Update soon dr...😊

Originally posted by: AlwaysLife19

Will do by 6th Dec .You have my word. These friggin' exams!! 🤢

Originally posted by: AlwaysLife19

Will do by 6th Dec .You have my word. These friggin' exams!! 🤢

Part 6

Arjun was bored.

Riya, the only other occupant of the house, had left him thirty minutes prior- though it felt like ages- murmuring something about fixing his room and as a result the lack of human interaction for the last thirty minutes was grating his nerves. He had hoped that the television would provide him respite from the tedium but after flipping through hundred channels or so, he had failed to find any channel that captured his interest and decidedly, he had given up on watching television.

And that was the problem precisely. His inability to find any channel worth watching simply stemmed from the fact that he didn't know his interests or his tastes. At all.

He just felt like a ghost, struck in the endless labyrinth of time. A blank slate. With nothing, nothing, no recollection of his past whatsoever. He did not remember anything about his friends or family or himself. He did not know about his preferences, likes or dislikes. There was nothing... except the emptiness.

He released a frustrated growl as the beginning of a headache pounded his skull.

~.~

This was exactly how Riya found him minutes later- his head cradled in his good hand and his visage contorted with agitation. His aggravation was so palpable that it aggrieved her to the point that her feet pushed her towards him and she sunk into the couch, her fingers hovering over his shoulder, her expression visibly distressed.

He must have felt the slight dip in the sofa because he was turning in her direction, knowing, just knowing that she was there and at last, at long last meeting her troubled gaze with his blank stare.

The way he looked through her like she didn't exist, it was so reminiscent of the Arjun she knew and suddenly, the tick-tock of the clock seemed to stop as did her breathing.

But then, his blank stare transformed and he was smiling at her, in the way that was both foreign and familiar at the same time and it was easy to breathe again.

Her gaze dropped to the floor, her hand safely tucked by her side by then, and he was speaking, "I was wondering what was taking you so long."

"Yeah, well, the guest room has not been used for many days. So you can imagine the heaps of dust it must have collected."

"Are you alright?" she added, a heartbeat later.

His lips twisted in a wry smile and he responded, "Well, you cannot imagine the frustration one feels when he does not have any memory."

She bit her lip and whispered with a sorrowful, earnest voice, "I am sorry."

"Why are you saying sorry? It was not your fault," he replied with vehemence.

She lifted her eyes then and the sincerity of his gaze caught her off-guard. She had waited so long, so damn long, for him to look at her like that and yet...

It felt wrong. It felt so wrong now.

Masking her tumultuous thoughts, she lifted herself from the settee, her stance rigid, and with an unwavering voice said, "I have to fix your lunch." And without sparing another glance in his direction, sprinted towards the kitchen.

Arjun stared after her, immobilized, too befuddled and flabbergasted at her hasty escape. A minute earlier they were having a decent conversation and suddenly, she fled. She effing fled! He was still having a difficult time processing her bizarre action, when she scurried back into the drawing room, mumbling something unintelligible under her breath. Approaching him, she helped him into the wheelchair lying a few feet away and proceeded towards, what he assumed to be, his room.

But before he could utter a word, she intoned, "This is your room. I would advise you to rest for a while. Lunch is on its way... Oh, and if you need something, call me."

"I don't wanna rest."

"Sorry?"

"I said I don't wanna rest," he reiterated, his timbre barely concealing his exasperation.

Riya faced him, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression business-like. "What do you wanna do then, Arjun sir?"

"Arjun... Call me Arjun."

If she was stunned, she didn't show it. "Fine... Arjun. What do you wanna do?"

"I-I don't know... but I don't wanna rest. I am tired of lying on the bed and doing nothing. Absolutely nothing! I wanna find out about myself, about the people who did this to me...anything! Just no rest," he finished breathlessly.

Some of the stiffness eased from her posture and she released a heavy sigh, flumping onto the bed. She could not maintain the aloof, indifferent attitude when he looked so vulnerable at the moment. Old Arjun or not, he was still the man she cared about.

"Look, Arjun sir-

"Arjun."

"Uhm, Arjun... You first need to restore your health. You need to understand that you are in no position to play detective. You can barely move on your own and I-

"Help me, then. Help me. I know that guy... uh, what was his name again?"

"Rathore sir."

"Yeah, Rathore... I know he told you not to reveal anything to me, but you can help me figure this out. I promise not to do anything rash. All I am asking you is to allow me to look through my belongings and-

"And you can write out the progress. Like fill in the blanks'," she supplied, all of a sudden enthused and intrigued.

"Exactly." He offered her a beaming smile.

"Only..." Her dainty fingertips flew to her mouth, her pearly whites chewing on them incessantly.

"Only what?"

"I just have your wallet and some of your clothes, that's it. I don't have the rest of your belongings."

Slowly, he shook his head. Brows knitting, he asked, "Can you bring it to me later? The rest of my belongings?"

Hesitantly, she nodded her head.

"Okay. Okay. In the meanwhile, I would like to take a look of the things you do have."

Nodding her head once again, she jumped out of the bed and almost jogged out of his room, her thoughts running amok.

"Rathore Sir asked me not to force him to remember... But I am not forcing him, am I? He wants to find about himself and it's not like Rathore sir didn't want him to retrieve his memory... But what about his wife's murder? No. No. I cannot let him know that. No way. So, I guess I just need to steer clear of it. I need to be careful not to mention her... He needs to remember. I will not tell him anything... What if he gets into shock? What if he loses his memory forever? Stop it. Nothing is gonna happen... What can he find that we don't already know? And in a way, if he is able to find to find out something, it would be interesting, isn't it? I barely knew him. Besides his wife's murder... Oh, his wife's murder..."

Her thoughts had taken a complete circle by the time she retrieved the items and rushed back into the guest bedroom. Her eyes landed on him; he seemed to be deep in thought. And he looked so beautiful, like a carved sculpture, as the sunlight fell across his face. It was so breathtaking that she almost forgot the reason of her presence.

Almost.

"Arjun?" she called tentatively.

He jerked his head in her direction, hissing a second later when a fulminant pain shot at his neck because of the sudden movement.

"I am fine," he gritted as Riya approached towards him, concern etched on her face.

"So did you bring it?" he asked expectantly, his hand beckoning, the pulsating pain at the back burner.

"Yeah, here..." she handed him his wallet and resumed her position from earlier.

At once, Arjun began with the examination of the wallet. Impetuously, he shook the wallet and dropped the items on the bed. Some currency, a brass key, his ETF ID card, an intricately designed locket and a photograph of the woman that Riya showed him in the car. He examined each and every item, hoping, almost praying that something would jog his memory. He, in fact, took special care to inspect the locket and the key. However, besides the fact that the platinum artifact was custom made, nothing jumped out. As for the brass key, it had several scratches on it, so he deduced that it probably was the key to his room or to a chest maybe?

Though of course, even after examining all the items for the third time, he was still struck. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

And then, when he had almost given up, his eyes fell on his ETF ID card. While it didn't jog his memory in any way, it did give him an idea and he jolted into action.

"What is it?" Riya asked urgently at the sudden gleam in his eyes.

"Riya, get me a notebook and pen, will you?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, she raised apprehensively from the bed. She knew he was onto something, so she obediently brought him the required items without any questions.

He grabbed the items from her, feeling pure adrenaline rush and started at once.

Arjun Suryakant Raute

He spelt neatly. Then, closing his eyes, he slid his hand fluidly on the paper.

And when he opened it, he smiled to himself.

"What is this?" Riya inquired, severing his content state.

He removed the paper from the bed and thrust it on her face.

"You see? I remember my signature."

"So?" She frowned.

"So... I remember something. I know it is inconsequential but it's a start, don't you think? I remember how to sign, so that means that I will remember the things I am habitual to, things that I did on a regular basis."

"Hm, you have a point."

He gave her an affable smile and before she realized, pulled her for a fierce hug. At first, she froze in his clumsy embrace, but as his scent, a mixture of peppermint and masculinity, hit her, she hugged back, resting her head in the crook of his neck and winding her arms awkwardly. The staccato rhythm of his heart soothed her and she closed her eyes basking in the moment. Her thoughts regarding betraying Arjun pushed in a secluded corner of her mind.

"Thank you. Thank you," he whispered fervently and if possible, she clung to him tighter.

~.~

The rest of the day passed quite uneventfully. Riya and Arjun had a quiet lunch, both lost in their respective world, and then, they had a visit from the ETF team as well as the doctor. Once the doctor ran a few tests (with the news of starting the physical therapy sessions from the next day), the two had a quick dinner and retired early to bed.

As sleep was elusive to him, he stared at the ceiling of his room. You see, unlike the drawing room, the guest bedroom was cramped and sparsely furnished and besides the four poster bed, the room boasted of a nightstand, a television set and a recliner. And since TV was not an attractive option, he took to staring at the ceiling.

Not that it helped him much. Because despite numerous attempts, his thoughts drifted back to his amnesia, the woman in his dream and finally, Riya.

The strange thing was that whenever he was around her, he instantly calmed. The chaotic thoughts that plagued him persistently seemed to quell in her presence. The confusion transformed into lucidity. Like she was a balm to his unhealed life, both mentally and physically. And when she smiled that dimpled smile... he could swear on his life that his heart skipped a beat every damn time. Oddly, touching her, hugging her seemed almost instinctual to him.

Finally, after a long, long time, he drowsed off to peaceful slumber.

~.~

"Arjun, Arjun..."

The woman was back.

But this time there was no blood. This time, she was smiling at someone, her angelic face lighting up.

But like the last time, she wasn't alone. There was someone else in the room as well and he could feel it.

"Arjun... Arjun..." she called him lovingly again.

But it didn't make sense. Why was she calling his name? Was the other person him'?

"Wake up, honey," she whispered one more time before fading into the black.

Promptly, he woke up.

And almost like a chant, an unfamiliar name slipped from his lips.

"Roshni."