OS: Her memories...-request by payal di

Her memories...

No 1 other than the duo knew the relation they shared in the past. The very few people who knew would not disclose it to anyone...

Because it no longer existed... the friendship they shared not long before was forgotten...lost in course of time...

ETF:

"I don't want to listen to anything Rathod. Let this go.."

"Raute, even today you are acting before listening to me..."

"ab sun ne ke liye bacha kya hai? ha?? Kya sunu and kyun sunu?? Bolo Rathod..."

Arjun's voice rose to a new pitch and whole office was a witness.

"Raute please... you never listened to me what I had to say about that fateful day.. At least aaj sunlo..."

"kehne sun ne se kuch badlega nahin Rathod... ye fact koi change kar sakta ki tumhari laaparwaahi se hi maine meri Roshni ko khoya... bohut badi galti ki thi uss din tumpe bharosa karke... ab aur nahin...aur kuch nahin sameer...

Bas kaam ke baad wahan aa jaana"

Arjun left ETF hq with unshed tears. Sameer just stood their absorbing last words spoken by his once best friend...

"tumne sahi kaha... agar uss din..."

He could not hold back and took his SUV keys and stormed out of ETF

******

At Rathod's:

Sameer directly went to store room and started searching for something. He soon found it...

An old album... which had their memories... from the first time he saw her, till some time before she died...

He brought to hall, settled behind sofa, on ground and opened the album...

The first pic he saw was taken by his babasa...a black and white pic with a small boy of about 4 with a small baby on his lap, boy caressing baby's hair gently with a smile and baby holding his finger tightly, giggling...

He smiled at the pic and went back with time...

*flashback*

"maasa maasa...kya ye wohin gudiya hai jo aap mere liye laaye ho?" asked an innocent boy, sameer to his maasa...

"sameer, ye pooja aunty ki nanhi bacchi hai... ha ye tumhare saath zaroor khelegi.." she fondly ruffled his hair.

"pooja aunty, ye kahan se aayi hai? Kahan mili aapko?"

"samu, isse na bhagwan ji ne bheja hai..."

"isska naam kya hai?" he asked her settling next to her, curiously peeping at the little smiling bundle.

"tum hi kaho iska naam kya rakhe..."

"main? Thik hai... maasa, aap wo light to kya kehti ho bhagwan ji ke saamne se aata hai?"

"dia?"

"nai... jo dia se nikalta hai... wo rakhenge iska naam..."

"kya hai pooja?" asked his mom confused.

"Roshni..."

"haan maasa Roshni. Iska naam Roshni hai.."

Pooja kissed his forehead and said 'bohut accha naam hai beta.."

"mein isse god mein loon?"

"ye lo... sambhalke..."

She placed little Roshni on his lap. He smiled and caressed her head and said Roshni. As in cue, she giggled and held his finger...

*fb over*

He smiled and started turning pages recalling those days. His eyes settled on one picture with him and roshni. He was a young boy of about 15 and roshni about 11...he was on ground cross legged and roshni behind him on knees, pulling his cheeks from behind and in return sameer pulling her two long braids.

*fb*

"samu... samu sun na..."

"kya hai? Mera dimaag mat kharab kar. Mujhe padhna hai. Exams aa rahe hai."

"par mai to..."

"bola na jaao... tang mat karo roshni..."

She felt bad. Really bad. Her big doe eyes filled with tears and said

"chali jaungi. Kabhi tang nahin karungi. Par jab main jaaungi na, to koi mujhe nahin rok paayega. Tum bhi nahin samu..."

She turned to leave but a hand caught hers.

"ye kaisi baatein kar rahi ho? Dimaag kharab hai kya tera? Aainda aisa kabhi mat kehna. Samjhi?"

With that he pulled a sobbing roshni in his arms.

"ab bolo... kya hua? Itna uchal kyun rahi thi?"

She wiped her tears and excitedly told him about her new camera, how she could take color pics and click pics by setting timer. She made him sit on ground kneeled behing him and pulled his cheeks. Annoyed he pulled her braid. Then *snap* pic was clicked...

*fb ends*

"I miss you roshogulla... a lot..."

His eyes moistened at another pic of him and roshni...

*fb*

"roshu... ROSHU... kahan hai tu?? Maasa roshu kahan hai? Pooja aunty ne kahan wo yahan hai..."

"haan abhi aayi aur seedha teri kamre mein chali gayi... udaas lagrahi thi..."

He was tensed. It was not nature of roshni to be sad and he knew it. She lived to her name spreading brightness around her.

She threw his bag on sofa, ignoring and ran upstairs to his room.

He saw her sitting in the corner and sobbing. He went and sat next to her on ground, waiting for her to speak something.

"aaj raksha bandhan hai samu..."

"aur tum udaas ho ki you don't have a brother.."

She hastily wiped her tears and said

"aur nahin to kya? Yahan mere saare friends ka at least ek bhai hai jinhe wo raakhi band sakte hai. And they tease me samu... mere paas koi bhai kyun nahin hai?"

He gently dragged her to himself and hugged her. He kissed her hairs and said.

"arre mera roshogulla... main kya hun to fir? Tu mujhe raakhi baandhle..."

"but you are my best friend..." she said amidst tears

"kisne kaha ki brother sister cannot be best friends? In fact they are roshu..."

"can I really tie rakhi to you?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye

"haan baba sacchi mucchi. Ab ghar jaake dress change karo main bhi karta hun. Phir mujhe rakhi baandhna... chalo..."

She ran out kissing his cheeks. Soon she was back clad in her salwar kameez and him in a simple sherwani. She applied tika on his forehead, did aarti, and tied rakhi on his right wrist. She fed him sweet and hugged him. he gave her a set of paints, her favourite.

He took a vow to himself that day to keep her safe from all harms of world...

*fb ends*

"I failed roshu... I failed in keeping my promise to protect you... I failed myself and also Arjun..."

Tears started flowing and he did not bother wipe them.

But he kept on turning pages of the album. He saw a pic in which roshni sat in mantap with Arjun and himself with them smiling...

He fondly recalled the day when Arjun announced that he loved roshni and wanted to marry her. Sam was the happiest that time. His best friend, sister roshni would be with another best friend of his. Arjun Suryakant Raute. A fearless person he had met at academy. He knew he was great choice for Roshni.

they marriage was a great event of happiness... all were happy...

it was almost a year after their marriage. Arjun was being sent for a mission to nail sultan, a terror in north India. Arjun entrusted roshni in sameer's hand. He had felt something big would happen at his back but could not place a finger. But he trusted sameer that he would protect roshni at any cost as she was more than a sister to him. Even sameer assured him that he would take proper care of roshni.

So Arjun went on his mission without any tension.

But one phone call changed everything.

It was almost a week after Arjun went for his mission.

He received a phone call stating Arjun was back and was in airport, injured.

Sameer without a second thought went to airport only to find no truth in the call.

Only thought that came to him was of roshni who was alone at home. He immediately returned to see a messed up home roshni tied to a chair.

He took out his gun and at the same time took a step towards her. He felt a sharp pain shooting up from his back and followed by pain at the back of his head.

He fell on ground unconscious.

When he was up, he saw a video playing in front of him. From the time he left in search of Arjun till a message from sikander.

Sameer saw himself being tied to a chair not far from roshni and her screaming and crying.

He was not in a state to react. His head hurt like hell and he was unable to move. He again with difficulty stared at the screen and saw roshni being stabbed and was on ground.

At last a message from sikander

"hello Rathod... mujhe pehchaana? Haan wohin.. roshni ka aashiq... and sultan ka chota bhai. Kyun kiya tumne aisa?huh? Arjun se meri roshni ki shaadi karwaadi? Aisa thodi na hota hai? Bechara Arjun wahan mere bhai se jooj raha hai aur yahan tum... hahaha... maine kaha than a ki agar roshni meri nahin hui to main zyada din usse doosre ka bhi rehna nahin doonga. And and and. You failed to protect her. You being an police officer went to airport leaving roshni all alone?????????? tsk tsk tsk... ab tum Arjun ko kya jawab doge sameer Rathod?? Alwida..."

She was dead and gone. she was on cold ground, lying in her own pool of blood and he sat there helpless... shedding tears... Leaving him forever with a guilt of not being able to save her.

*fb ends*

"aaj tak usne mujhe maaf nahin kia hai roshu... karega bhi kaise? Wo kitna toot chukka that ere bine.. sab meri wajah se... sirf meri wajah se... ho sake to mujhe maaf kardo roshu..."

He clutched the album and sobbed hard. He curled on the floor and wept for the loss of a sister.. a best friend...

He was woken by a shrill sound of his mobile.

He picked looking at the caller

"hello..." his voice was hoarse due to crying.

"sameer..."

"Arjun!!"

"haan sameer. Tum abhi tak nahin aaye yahan! Roshni ka aaj shraadh hai and you know she wont rest in peace if you are not here..."

"main aa raha hun Arjun... aa raha hun.."

He went and changed into a white kurta paijama..and started towards the mandir..

At mandir, a lone figure stood with a diary in hand.

"roshni, agar tumhari khusi mere sameer ko maaf karne main hai, to yahin sahi...aaj agar main uske ghar ka cctv footage naa dekhta, uske dard ko naa dekhta to shaayad I would not be able to... but he is suffering everyday day, every moment... burning in guilt... I cant bear any more roshni... I am sorry roshni ki maine usse aaj tak tadapte hue dekhna par bhi chup tha... but not anymore...

Hum nayi shuruaat karenge... with your memories..."

He then saw sameer ascending the steps of mandir.

"aaj se nayi shuruaat hogi..."

the end...

waiting for your reviews...