SS Arakshi: You belong with me..Part 5. 13/6 Pg.26 - Page 13

The couple walked out of the theater with Sakshi in tow after watching a power packed performance by their favorite star..

Sakshi settled in the backseat of the car, while Paul wheeled the car out of the car park..

She felt a lot lighter now.. Her friends' company and drooling over Robert Downey Jr. had managed to push some serious issues at the back of her mind, for the time-being atleast..

After a lot of discussions over the menu for dinner, Sakshi quickly grabbed some Chinese from a take-away on the way and soon they were headed towards her apartment..

Having been an independent woman ever since she had passed out from University, Sakshi had moved into a pad of her own..

And besides, the nature of her job demanded her to be working at odd timings and staying away most of the time. Hence, she had moved out of her parent's house not wanting to distress them..

After her return, they had expected her to shift in with them, however now she had reasons all the more to stay away from home now..

Her elder sister was getting married in a couple of month's time.. And since she was the next in line, marriage proposals had also started pouring in for Sakshi..

She would have even considered giving it a thought a couple of years ago, but now, after having found her prince charming and a year of unrequited love and heartache later, she wasn't sure if she wanted to get involved in a relationship of any sorts.

With anyone else..

Having been a firm believer in 'Love happens only once', she had given up on the idea.. And besides, as much as she tried, she couldn't and wouldn't forget the man she had lost her heart to, ever..

Though, the rational side of her had come to terms with the fact that he would never belong to her, Sakshi had refused to let him out of her heart..

For, she had nothing she could cling onto except Arjun's memories..

She was a brilliant and dedicated journalist when it came to her work and made sure no personal problems came in the way. But it was only when she returned back in the confines of her cozy home, that the loneliness and yearning would grip her..

A tap on her knee broke her chain of thoughts and she turned to find Emma and Paul waiting for her to alight..

She quickly unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped in, followed by the couple and went in to freshen up..

Emma and Paul were no guests there, having spent years doing research, partying and crashing at Sakshi's place every other night..

The apartment reflected Sakshi's simplicity and liveliness. Warm colours and cozy corners were what made it a home; however the recent additions were what made the difference, Emma thought..

She walked up to the cherry red wall and the sight that greeted her made her smile as always..

A huge portrait of Sakshi with her family hung right in centre of the wall, which had the two sisters flashing heart-warming smiles, so typical of their personalities..

The other one was Emma's personal favorite, which had Sakshi with her and Paul on the day of their wedding..

Sakshi being her maid of honour, had single-handedly organised the event turning it into a day she would cherish for the rest of her life..

She felt her husband's presence behind her and both pair of eyes darted off towards the third and last picture on the wall..

It was a farewell gift from Shree, a picture of the entire team taken at Ayesha and Sameer's wedding reception.

The couple couldn't help but smile at the happy and contented faces of people, they had never met before.. Each one of them fit in perfectly like pieces of a puzzle to complete each other..

But what had always left them with a heavy heart gave them hopes today.. Sakshi was placed right in centre of the photograph with her elbow plopped on a visibly irritated Arjun's shoulder..

Their eyes locked with each other; Sakshi's held mischief while Arjun's portrayed an emotion that was midway between fake anger and amusement.

Sakshi walked out of the kitchen carrying plates and drinks but halted in her track when her gaze ended on the same photoframe.

A heavy, sinking feeling took over her that very moment and she let out a deep sigh.. The ETF weren't merely just another group of people she had worked with; but they had been her family away from home..

Each one of them ever ready to be at her side in the middle of the night, if needed.. Her 2 a.m. friends, she chuckled unaware to herself..

Unknown to herself, she had waited for the day when she would be reunited with them, and now that it was just a matter of few more days, she was left with mixed feelings.

Emma hadn't missed her glistening eyes and tapped her shoulder gently before leading her towards the couch..

The friends sat down together, catching up on old times with Sakshi making plans for Emma's baby shower to be held months later..

Paul saw her swirl a glass of orange juice and offered her a drink..

A husky voice fell on her ears, transporting her straight to the day when they had attended a function together..

"Sharab ek buri aadat hai.. Aur aadaton ki gulami karne ki aadat nahi hai mujhe.."

Sakshi had quickly made a mental note of it adding it to the hot cop's trademark one-liners..

She snapped out when Emma tugged at her hand and shook her head in an attempt to shrug her thoughts away..

Emma hadn't missed the faraway look in her eyes and couldn't help but quickly send up a prayer to the one sitting high in the heavens.

Miles away, a chair rocked in a dark room with a man caressing a piece of jewellery between his fingers..

It fell on the floor with a clinking sound and Arjun's eyes flew open.. Turning the table lamp on, he quickly picked it up and eyed the bejeweled bangle..

He looked at it for a few seconds before closing his eyes and reliving the moment when he had obtained it.. Stolen it.. No, found it..

Flashback

The ETF was to attend the Republic Day function to commemorate their brave officers who had laid their lives down in the line of duty and to award the ones who fought death every single day..

True to his nature, Arjun had been the least interested of all and had been awaiting everyone's arrival at the office so they could leave together..

The silence in the dimly lit, deserted office was broken by a pleasant clinking sound alerting him and soon enough his legs were leading him towards it..

She stepped out of the dark shadows and what he saw stole his breath away..

The otherwise casually dressed nerdy journalist was draped in a peach coloured crepe silk saree, elegant yet nonetheless vibrant, true to her nature..

She felt his heated gaze upon herself and looked up to find her prince charming gaze at her with tender emotions floating in his eyes..

Both stepped towards each other, letting go of the tight reins of professional behavior and suppressed desires, as everything around them slowly faded away..

Sakshi gaped at the man in front, her eyes wandering over every inch of his handsome face.

He looked elegant, dashing and nothing like the Khadoos cop, she faced every day.. The crisp cotton shirts and denims were replaced by a soft black two-piece formal suit, accentuating his lean and taut physique.

She felt her throat dry up at the heated gaze in his eyes and gulped nervously when Arjun stepped forward reducing the distance between them..

Arjun's state was no better..

He had always thought of her as a pretty and charming, yet the Sakshi that stood in front of him, nowhere resembled the annoying and perky girl he dealt with daily.

The woman in front of him looked mesmerizing enough to make his heart thump loudly in his chest and yet warm him up from within..

With minimal make-up on and only a pair of dangling stone-studded earrings and bangles, she looked stunningly gorgeous, an epitome of beauty and sensuality..

Another step forward and they were nearly an inch away from each other..

Pin drop silence, dimmed lights, silently conversing eyes and mingled breaths were slowly raising the tension between and around them..

His fingers grazed past her shoulder and her eyes clenched shut when they tickled the skin at her earlobe..

Arjun hadn't missed the slight tremble that raked through her at their first touch, since his senses had gone for a toss as well..

Slowly and gently, a stray lock of hair was tucked behind her ear and his fingers rested on her cheek that had flushed by now..

Sakshi felt his soft touch and parted her eyelids to look straight into the eyes of the man, she loved and desired each day..

An unknown emotion in his eyes welcomed her and she couldn't decipher it as much as she tried to.. But she knew, it was unlike anything she had witnessed before..

The eyelock lasted for nearly a minute and she lowered her lashes not being able to withstand his soft yet smoldering gaze.

Sharp that he was, he sensed she was going to step back and he gently held her bare arm, holding her captive.. She shuddered at the warm feel of his fingers and slowly raised her chin to find a reasoning for the seemingly unexpected action of his..

Alas, a loud sound in the corridor broke their private moment and he let go of her rather too abruptly.

She staggered backwards and was shocked when Arjun turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her to deal with more confusion and hurt..

Only if she had peeped into his room, as she often did, she would've watched him struggle to mask his true emotions that had escaped out during a momentary loss of control.

Arjun stepped out of the cabin only after she had left the premises with Aisha and headed towards the stairs, when his eyes fell on a glistening object in the corridor.. He picked it up and instantly knew what it was..

A smile crept up his lips as he recollected her toying with the bangles adorning her wrist.. That playful and innocent gesture of hers never failed to amuse him..

He quietly slipped the bangle into his pocket and made his way down the stairs to join the others..

The rest of the evening had passed with him trying to feign ignorance to her, while she stole glances of him at every chance given, attempting to look through him..

End of Flashback

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A day later,

The bangle fell to the ground yet again and he shook his head.. The clock now showed 2 p.m. and he wondered why no one had disturbed him yet.. Another look at the office through the glass partition and he realised they didn't have a case yet..

He turned to the clock and quickly made a mental calculation of the time difference between them and picked up his cellphone..

Emma reached out for the phone on her desk, sipping on her morning coffee when the phone beeped announcing a message.. She turned her chair around and her eyes widened as the number flashed on the screen..

Hitting the play button, she waited for the message to relay,

"Hi Emma.. Arjun here.. Please get back as soon as you hear this.. We need to talk.."

Contrasting emotions of hope and anxiety gripped her as she held out her hand to pick up the handset.. And just then, it rang with the same number showing up yet again..

30 minutes later, she stood up with moist eyes and a wide smile on her lips amusing her husband..

Paul couldn't contain his surprise and amusement either when she narrated how Arjun had very diplomatically handled the whole situation, not letting them bask in the glory of their achievement yet at the same time, appreciating their sincere and heartfelt efforts at uniting the two..

Sakshi tapped her heel restlessly sipping on her drink, seated on the bar stool.

Loud blaring music, men and women dancing to the beats, couples cozying up in quiet corners and only a few souls sat alone at the bar, raising a toast to nothing in particular..

She eyed her Sparkling Berry Sangria and answered the ringing phone, straining her ears to hear the caller.. A while later, Emma and Paul walked in and joined her..

After hours of farewell conversations, unshed tears, swaying to music and a few shots of hard liquor in her system, Sakshi was pretty much in bliss..

She swayed her way out of the club, tugging behind Emma as Paul went to fetch the car..

Emma smiled at her crazy friend as she latched onto her arm muttering under her breath and flashing cheeky smiles to passersby.

Sakshi frowned as the handsome face danced in front of her droopy eyes, not leaving her alone for a solitary moment..

A moment later, she had freed herself from Emma's grip and twirled around on the empty street, hugging herself as light rain drops fell on her head..

The very memories that had pricked her until a few hours ago now seemed strangely soothing..

She smiled and plopped her cheek in a palm, admiring the man who appeared in her dreams every night promising her a brighter future together someday..

It didn't matter anymore that he was probably oblivious to her feelings or even the fact that he was putting up a pretence..

This was her own private space and no Khadoos ACP Arjun Rawte wasn't allowed into it; her little dreamland where everything apart from herself and her prince charming ceased to exist..

Paul pulled up in front of the club and motioned his wife to step in..

He let out a loud chuckle upon watching Sakshi twirl on her heel yet again, smiling to herself.. The girl was really crazy but adorable..

Emma seated herself in the passenger seat after Paul had left to fetch their tipsy friend..

She stood still with her eyes closed, arms wrapped around herself, her chin raised up towards the heavens and a barely-there smile playing on her lips reliving happy moments of the days she had spent with him..

Days when, the thought of having to leave him and live the rest of her life in despair, hadn't crossed her mind even once.. When she smiled upon watching him struggle to contain his smiles..

Paul was called back by an acquaintance of his and forgot about Sakshi standing in the middle of the street momentarily.

Just then, a loud honking alerted the couple and their eyes darted off to her as they watched a car speeding towards the oblivious girl..

Emma quickly unfastened her seat-belt, prepared to rush out while Paul sprinted across the street, to reach her before she got hit..

She heard a woman scream her name and opened her droopy eyes, only to be blinded by a flash of bright light..

And before her hazy vision and thoughts could process anything further, the car zoomed past her, leaving her untouched and safe..

Emma and Paul froze in their tracks while Sakshi struggled for breath..

It was only when she tried to walk that she realised she was being held captive in an embrace..

She peeped at her saviour through narrowed eyes and a familiar silhouette came into view..

Her face inched closer while she balanced herself by latching onto a pair of strong shoulders, attempting to identify him..

The saviour slowly wound his arms around her, drawing her closer into his heaving chest.

Soon, she was pressed against him, relenting to his wish..

His warm breath tickled her forehead and that undid the moment.

She jerked back in shock with widened eyes, only to be held in place by him.

A half-surprised and relieved sigh left her lips,

"Arjunnn..."

****

Phew!! Lo, here we go! 😉😃 I needed to stop there.. 😕

Bring it on ladies.. So now that they've met? What do you want them to do? Should Sakshi blast his head off? Should Arjun scream at her for being reckless?

Or the overdue confession? Or anything else?

Suggestions welcome like always.. 😉

See you in a day or two.. 😃

gabbar !!