(Takes place after Arjun killed Sikander and took his revenge)
The sun was shining brightly upon the denizens of Greater Mumbai. A soft breeze danced through the trees at the park, while brightly colored birds sat on their branches whistling a happy tune to the children playing below.
It was a perfect day.
And Sakshi Anand was enjoying it all from a dark cramped room in a secluded corner of the ETF building surrounded by old case files and arrest records that had yet to be converted to digital format.
"It's the year 2013 you'd think someone would have gotten around to doing this by now!" The crime journalist stared accusingly at the paper files surrounding her and then at her solemn companion in this torturous hell. The stoic ACP Arjun Rawte quietly went about his work offering nothing more than
a shrug to her statement. His handsome features had settled into an intense concentration on the task at hand.
"And why us?! Why not some other ETF D-level worker?"
Another shrug.
"What did we do to deserve this?" She whined, turning her attention back to the window.
Outside she could see the kites float lazily above the treetops. She could almost smell the fresh cut grass, taste the bittersweet lemonade on her tongue, feel the course bark of the oak tree she leaned against while reading her book and watching the people stroll by...
"You know if you quit daydreaming and start working, we'd both be out of here a lot sooner."
Sakshi shook free from her imagination to register the first words from her teammate in nearly half and hour.
"What Arjun can't stand to be around me?" she joked. He didn't get it. The rugged cop finally stopped what he was doing to look flustered and suddenly slightly out of place.
"No! It's not that...I mean...if we hurry we can both go out and enjoy the nice day." Arjun's heart had begun a rapid increase that he couldn't quite explain.
There was something about this bubbly girl that did this to him, as much as he refused to admit it to anyone.
"Riiight." Sakshi smiled sweetly at him before turning back to the pile of dead trees in front of her. She didn't have to see him to know he was still looking at her. It made her stomach flutter to think of those piercing black orbs focused entirely on her. When she sneaked a peek back at him he quickly averted his eyes and tried to pretend that he hadn't just been staring.
"Is it just me or has it gotten really hot in here?"
Arjun had gone back to his work and again answered her with a shrug. Shrugging herself she removed her uniform jacket (suppose they have a uniform like the ones they wore to that sword missing incident) to reveal a bright yellow tank top with the words "I kick" and a picture of a donkey. Arjuncovertly glanced in her direction but could not keep from commenting on her shirt.
"You kick donkey?" He said with a smirk. Sakshi moved to correct him but saw the playful sparkle in his eye that said he knew exactly what her shirt meant; he was just being a donkey himself.
"That's right." She answered casually.
"How about horses?" He abandoned his computer screen for the opportunity to see her smile."Those too." Sakshi leaned back in her chair her arm thrown haphazardly across the top.
"And mules?" He leaned forward.
"On occasion." She moved like she was bored but couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"What about Zebras?" Arjun was trying to come up with as many four legged horse like animals as he could, he suddenly didn't want this moment with her to end.
"Only every other Wednesday." She laughed. It was music to his ears. Although when that had happened he wasn't entirely sure.
"Ah..." he nodded and smiled again. It was so rare to see him smile... really smile, the kind that reached all the way up and into his eyes making them gleam. Sakshi found that it was something she loved to do no matter how much of a challenge it proved.
"And what about you Mr. Rawte? What do you kick?" it was her turn to lean forward.
"Kittens." He replied offhandedly. It earned him a backhanded slap across the arm.
"Not funny." She reprimanded as best she could through the laughter.
"Then why are you laughing?" He challenged scooting his chair closer to hers, as inconspicuously as he could.
"Because...you...okay it was funny." She conceded. "But you don't really like to kick kittens do you?"
"Of course not!" his eye's widened. "What kind of person would I be if I went around kicking kittens?"
"I don't know you've always kinda been a bit of a jerk. Especially when I first got here." Her tone turned serious and Arjun had to look away.She was right he wasn't the most welcoming individual when she had first arrived at ETF. However she had proved themselves time and again. And what's more Arjun realized that the chirpy lass had managed to steal his heart as well. He admired her in so many ways. He had lost his father but she had lost both of her parents, grew up on the streets, fought hard for everything she had, and still she never lost that spark and love for life that made her the strong and beautiful woman that sat before him.
"About that..." he started.
"Don't worry Arjun I think I understand why. She smiled in a way that could almost be construed as a smirk. "But you've been better. I dare say you and Rathore almost even get along now...and you and me..." the last of her words trailed off quietly and she suddenly found a stray thread on the hem of her shirt to be the most interesting thing in the world.
"What about you and me?" Arjun looked eagerly in her direction and to his dismay she quickly changed the subject.
"How much longer you think we got on these conversions?" She turned back to the stack of papers on the table in front of her.
"I don't know." He sighed. " Maybe another hour, maybe two." The ex-crime investigative journalist wrinkled her nose.
"It'll almost be dark out by then." She complained glancing again out the window. "Well we could always ditch all of this go out and enjoy the rest of the sun and then come back and finish." He suggested mischievously.
"That doesn't sound like the Arjun Rawte I know and I think Rathore might be a little upset with us if he found out." It was her turn to arch an eyebrow at him for once.
"Who said he had to find out?" he wiggled his eyebrows and made her laugh out loud. Who was this? And what had he done with the saddu, akdu Rawte?
"My, my, I never knew the hot cop had a wild side." she joked. "What you don't know about me Sakshi could fill a book." Despite his sarcastic tone Arjun smiled at her his black eyes shining.
"I guess it's a good thing I like to read." She countered smiling back and knocking the steadfast Arjun Rawte off of his confidence.
"Hey Sakshi?" He asked shakily. Normally Arjun knew what he wanted and that you only got that by hard work and dedication. But with Sakshi it was different.
She had a way of breaking through his confidence leaving him vulnerable and open and what surprised him the most is how much he liked it. "Maybe one of these nights, if you want..." His nervousness was charming. To see the uptight and levelheaded cop faltering in front of her broke her image of him and left him open to possibilities she had never considered before.
"...The two of us could get some dinner...together." The words tumbled out of his mouth without him even realizing it. All he knew right now was that he wanted to spend more time with her alone, he wanted to open up and let her get to know everything about him just as he wanted to know everything about her.
Her silence as she considered his offer made way for a dejected look to crawl over his handsome features.
"You know what, I'm sorry." arjun apologized looking away. "That was inappropriate, I shouldn't have..."
"Apology unaccepted." She said firmly grabbing his face in her hands and turning him to meet her gaze. "I would love to go to dinner with you Arjun."
Slowly she leaned in and placed a small kiss on his full lips. Her taste was sweet and light and not enough. His hand came up to her cheek rubbing his thumb across it while his long fingers reached into her hair. When she pulled away to gaze into his eyes he didn't let her linger long before pulling her into him again this time longer and deeper than before.
This was not the Arjun Rawte that she knew. However this was the Arjun Rawte she most definitely wanted to know. When his tongue pressed gently at her lips requesting entrance she allowed it, opening up to his taste and all of the new emotions coursing through her veins. What she thought would be bitter turned out to be as sweet as honey and she savored every drop.
Eventually they both had to come up for air and when they did they were both flustered and breathing heavy.
"I could get used to this side of you." She smiled breathlessly. She could most definitely get used to this. The way his eyes gleamed right now, the smile on his face had her rethinking everything she had ever known about the hot cop. His hand gently caressed her face.
"I would like that." He answered his confidence returned. He placed another quick kiss on her now swollen lips before reluctantly pulling his hand away and returning to the work in front of him. They worked in comfortable silence occasionally turning to steal a look at one another then quietly going back to the tedious task before them. Sakshi no longer cared that she wasn't outside.
Inside had suddenly become a much better place to be. When all of the reports were finally filed and complete they cleaned up their workspace and went to leave the room. Stopping just short of the doorway Arjun turned, causing Sakshi, who had been following closely behind him, to run into his chest.
"How does Saturday night 7:30 sound?" He asked again slightly nervous.
"Sounds great." She grinned placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Before she knew what was happening his arm snaked around her waist pulling her up to him so that he could experience her one last time before they had to go out and rejoin the rest of their team. Her fingers ran through his hair before locking at the base of his neck their bodies pressed tight together. He knew that they had to go before people started to get suspicious. Grudgingly he pulled his lips away from hers but continued to hold her close pressing his forehead against hers.
"Saturday." He whispered.
"Yeah Saturday."
The End...
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