ArAkshi OS: wake me up when september ends

here I am with my 4th OS.

Before someone says something, yes I know that hindus don't bury our dead, but sometimes I wish we did, so that we can get a chance to say that final goodbye to a person. I guess that this OS is a bit personal, as I was missing my own dadaji a lot.

But do leave a reply, any tips are most welcome and please forgive my errors.

Also I didn't write the poem, so all shreh goes to the person who did :)

Love,

Sakshi

EDIT: name has been added, it's called wake me up when September ends

Bahut roya tha jab mera janam hua tha,
Aur Hans rahi thi ye Duniya,
magar Doston Ek Din Badala lunga,
Hansta hua jaunga aur Royegi ye Duniya...

"Sakshi tum mujhe bata to sakti ho na ke tum ja kahan rahi ho?" Ravi was complaining for the nth time.

"Nahi, main tumhe nahi bata sakti Ravi," Sakshi said sighing, she felt as if she was talking to a small child, she had explained it to him at least 30 times in the past hour and still she had to repeat herself again and again.

"Phir aisa karte hain, main tumhare saath hi chalta hoon!" He said, again.

"Nahi," she said, getting slightly annoyed. "Tum samajh kyun nahi rahe ho, thisis something I have to do, and I have to do this alone!"

"Haan, lekin agar main..."

"Ravi, maine tumhe ek baar nahi, kam se kam 30 times manna kiya hai. Leave this topic!" She said, surprising him with her anger. Since he didn't want to anger her anymore he didn't say anything as he watched her packing a bag. He didn't know where she was going, or why. All he knew was that she had taken a few days of leave from the ETF and was flying to Chandigarh today. He trusted her, that wasn't the issue, but the way that he felt sidelined from her life was eating him on the inside. He wanted her to let him be a part of her life, take this relationship to the next level, but as of yet she always kept a tiny distance between them, no one else saw it, but it was there. Like there was a wall which was blocking him from getting in. So to assure himself and to surprise her he had booked a flight which would leave one hour earlier than hers.

He waited for an hour and a half until her flight arrived, saw her getting a taxi and followed her to her apartment. He slept in his car, and saw her getting out of her apartment early the next morning. She whistled for an auto and got in, he followed her yet again. He was feeling like a stalker now, but he just had to assure himself that he had nothing to worry about; she wouldn't cheat on him... bas ek baar pata chal jaye ke tum kahan jaa rahi ho Sakshi, fir sab theak ho jayega. Main tumhe sirf isliye nahi follow kar raha kyunki tumne mujhe bataya nahi, but isliye bhi because I worry for you.' The way her smile was wavering was bothering him, she had always had this full of life smile. He needed to follow her, to see what she was hiding from him.

The auto stopped at some small flower shop in sec.34. After a few minutes she got out with a huge bouquet of red roses, with just one white rose in the middle of it. Then she sat once again in the auto and went on with her journey, with him on her tail.

This time she stopped right in front of the shamshan ghat. The auto didn't wait for her to return this time, so Ravi also parked his car. He was starting to feel very guilty; perhaps he shouldn't have distrusted her so bad. And he even followed her, when she told him that she wanted to this alone. Now he knew what "this" was. She was visiting someone's grave, but whose? Her parents were alive, her dad barely but still.

He wanted to turn around and leave, but now after seeing her almost broken he couldn't bring himself to do so. He wanted to go to her, give her a shoulder to cry on. So, after taking a few minutes to muster up the courage he left his car and searched for her.

He saw her sitting in a far corner, upon nearing her he heard her say: "Woh bahut achha hai, mera khayal bhi rakhta hai... aur I am sure ke aapko bhi pasand aata. Or well, nahi aata, kyunki woh humesha hi office mein busy rehta hai, always having meetings and other things. And he keeps forgetting that I'm a vegetarian. I remember how important you found it to be a family man, making always time to do things with all of us."

After a few minutes she started talking again, "I miss you a lot!" her voice was hardly a whisper yet it was as if she'd put all of her energy in to those few words. "abhi bhi, itne saal baad bhi. I miss calling you at the oddest times of the day, talking to you. Pouring my heart out. Remember that time you hit chachu with a hockey stick because he made me cry? Or the time you threatened dad that you'd disown him if he scolded me once again. I miss you, I miss talking to you and I miss you giving your advice, which you used to dress up so nicely in those stories. I need your advice now, I have to make this decision, and I can't talk to anyone else. Aesha is a darling, but she has so much on her plate, did I tell you she and Sam got married? Anyway, Arjun bhi hai, lekin uske saath to main bilkul bhi baat nahi kar sakti is bare mein." Now Ravi was confused, what decision did she have to take, and why would she need advice, that too from a grave? But his heart cringes when he sees her wiping tears from her face.

"M.. Main bas yeh hi chahti hoon ke aap yahan hote, mere saath.." Sakshi whispered, sobbing outright now

Okay, he had to go there now, he should be there for her, comfort her. He left his hiding place behind a tombstone and moved towards her.

Sakshi heard footsteps coming, they sounded familiar. She had told him not to come with her. She had to do this alone, but now that she was sitting here, all alone she was relieved that he hadn't. Just when she was going to break down because all of the memories of her grandfather started to haunt her, he came. And the thing that surprised her most was that she wanted him to be here, help her.

He placed a bouquet on the grave and sat down with her, placing an arm around her, he didn't say anything. She laid her head on his shoulder. She hadn't ever visited this grave, knowing that she would be broken when she did. Just when she thought of him her heart hurt, so visiting his grave would break it into shreds.

But now his arm around her and his warmth were repairing her. She turned and hugged him. This was one of the reasons why she loved him, he didn't need her to tell him how she felt, he understood. He didn't once ask her where she was going, he just did what he always did, look at her disapprovingly. Yet here he was, holding her and comforting her. He was the reason she needed advice, her heart wanted to be with him, always. But she knew that he was still not over Roshniji's death, even after taking revenge, by killing Sikander. She was now dating Ravi, and she thought that she could love him, if she tried hard enough. But now, standing here in his embrace it was like her grandfather had given her his blessings. The decision was made, whether she wanted to or not, she could not get over Arjun Suryakant Rawte.

He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and hugged her tightly. She'd told everyone not to ask where she was going, but he had seen the pain in her eyes when she'd asked Sam for leave. After hearing that she was going to Chandigarh he put one and one together and knew where she was going. So without her knowledge he booked a ticket and followed her, he couldn't let her do this alone. He knew how much it hurt to let a loved one go, and he needed to be there for her, so that he could assure her that no matter what he would always be here. He had missed that when Roshni was murdered, if someone at that moment had given him a shoulder to lean on, perhaps he wouldn't have been so cold.

Here Ravi froze halfway on his first step when he saw that Arjun Rawte was walking towards his girlfriend. Why? Abh yeh yahan kya kar raha hai? Iski wajah se to Sakshi ne mujhe mana nahi kiya na?' And he had a bouquet, which means that he knew where she was going, why wouldn't she tell him, but tell Arjun? Ravi saw her in Arjun's arms, saw Arjun give a kiss on her head. He wanted to do that for her. He was her boyfriend dammit. He wanted to go up to the two of them and ask them what this was, but he knew that now wasn't the right time.

"Thanks Arjun, main khush hoon ke tum yahan aye," he heard her say.

"Sakshi tumhe pata hai na that I couldn't have let you go through this alone."

Arjun looked her straight in her eyes as he said that, and gently wiped away her tears. She smiled at him, gave him a little squeeze as she put her head on his chest.

After seeing all this Ravi turned back into his car, he didn't need to see anything else, the way those two were looking at each other. It was as if their look screamed in a volume that their words hadn't, he would go back to Mumbai, when she got back he would try and win her back. He knew that there was no chance of her and him getting back together. So maybe he wouldn't try at all, maybe he should just tell her that he wished for her to have a happy life, and never call her again. She was his, she had always been, and she would always stay Arjun's.