"Here, take my hand and we'll be together forever." She forwarded her palm for him to take.
Her one heart-whelming smile, and he was bound to give in and take her hand.
Ignoring all the other voice telling him that this wasn't real.
She wasn't real.
How could she not be real? She talked to him.. she assured him that this would be over finally.. he'd be with her forever. Isn't what he wanted?
To be with her forever, with his Roshni.
"Arjun, listen to me." Came Sameer's voice.
He looked at his best friend. Why was he sad? And scared? Didn't he want him to be with Roshni? Arjun wanted to ask him.
"Sir please.. please get down." Aisha.. yeah, he recognized her. Along with all his fellow team members. Liza, Shree and Chotu who were equally scared.. taking one baby step after another. As if he was gonna flip out any minute.
He wanted laugh at them.
There was another person missing, he mused. She had left, too. He remembered.
"No.. woh mujhe pukaar rahi hai. Mujhe uske paas jaana hai." He firmly replied, before looking back at Roshni who was giving him a smile and he was forced to smile back.
He had to take one last step to finally hold her hand.
And he was gladly gonna do it.
"Arjun ruko please!" came another voice. He knew who it was before he even looked back.
"What is it Saakshi?" he snapped back.
He didn't know where this sudden anger was coming from but he was mad at her. For leaving maybe? He didn't know why her leave mattered but it did. And she had no right to come now and stop him from reuniting with Roshni.
"I need you to hear me out" She pleaded, taking careful steps towards him.
"Why should I? You're gonna say the same crap about how I'm hallucinating and she isn't real, aren't you?" He snarled back.
She was taken aback but held her ground not letting the panic to overcome her senses.
"Yes. And I need you to get down." She softly told him, holding his gaze.
He frowned. Get down? They were standing in a sea beach.. Roshni in one side and his treacherous team in the other side. One step from him. He whether needed to take a step forward or back.
And he was gonna step to her, Roshni.
"Arjun.. look carefully. Look around you!" Saakshi yelled out. And he stopped and stared back to glare at her.
"Why are coming in between us?" he growled.
"Come between whom, Arjun?" she sighed. "There is no Roshni Arjun. She died 5 years ago. In front your eyes." She murmured, sadly.
"Don't listen to her, Arjun. She's lying." Roshni told him defiantly.
And he repeated her words,
"You are lying. She's right here, in front of me." He said, pointing at the other direction.
"Arjun, there's no one over there.." this time it was Sameer who was now standing to parallel to Saakshi.
"Are you blind Sameer? How can you not see her standing right here?" Arjun said, disbelievingly.
"Arjun.. listen to me carefully. You are standing in a edge of a rooftop of a hospital and there's no one on that side!" Sameer told him, trying to make him understand.
"What?" he uttered.
"Yes Arjun! You have schizophrenia from last 8 months. She's nothing but you're hallucination. You're driven by your grief and loneliness." A man in a white coat spoke up this time.
He shook his head, not believing them.
"Arjun, listen to me.. come to me. They just won't let you come to me." Said Roshni.
"Arjun.. trust me." Saakshi said, her voice cracking up. "Why should I?" he heard himself shooting this question to Saakshi.
"Cause you always did." She whispered back, fighting the tears back.
"Arjun just take my hand" he heard Roshni saying.
"Arjun.." Saakshi stammered, panicking, "please." She forwarded her hand.
He looked back at Roshni who had an encouraging smile on and he smiled back.
And he took her hand.
A rustle of breaths were heard, along with the whimpers.
And Saakshi found the love of her life holding on to her. They both dropped on the floor while the others sent out their prayers.
Saakshi patted his back soothingly while he sobbed. "She was just a hallucination." He kept repeating over and over again.
And she could just hold on to him tightly.
28 years later
He slowly made his way towards the two ladies. As soon as he neared them, they could hear them whimper. He took a minute to let them be before making his way towards them.
He stood behind them and slowly wrapped his arms around the ladies.
They both looked at him, before hiding themselves in his embrace.
"So, I guess they were boring you, eh Dad?" He said mischievously, looking at the tombstone. And he could almost see his dad grinning at this.
His twin sister smacked him on his arm and his mother chuckled at their antics.
"Stop beating me! It hurts!" he mocked being in pain. "Oh yeah ACP Rawte?" his sister showed him her tongue.
"Mother, how about you feed this hungry son of yours and keep your tears at bay?" he joked, wiping his mothers tears away.
"Yeah true. Even I'm hungry." Arushi complained, making a pouty face.
"Aur kitni khayegi moti?" that earned him another series of smacks from his ladies.
"Phirse bola na toh teri khair nehi. Samjhe ya samjhau?" Arushi snapped back.
Saakshi glanced at her husband's tombstone one more time and then headed for house. I love you Arjun and I miss you.
"Dinner in 20 minutes." She said, before getting in and letting the siblings fight like they always did. More to distract her from getting upset even though it has been 2 years. But 30 years with him was enough to make her eye damp everytime.
But she was glad she had atleast 30 years of bliss with him. Even though times were difficult with him being a patient but never did he let her feel less fortunate. She loved him with all her being and so did he.
They were patient and understanding.. which gave her all she needed from life. A loving husband and a family. He gave her the best gift, their children.
And she somehow felt at peace, even though him being not here was saddening for them all.. but he was in peace too. He was being reunited with Roshni and she hoped, someday soon, she will too.
But till then, she had two pesky 26 years children to control. Saakshi rolled her eyes, watching them Samjhaofy each other.
Arushi held out her palm, raising a brow. He feinted being ignorant but one glare from her, Aryan handed her two white roses. Like every day.
She was indeed a little more like their dad than he was.
She kneeled down in front of the two tombstones and placed one rose in top each. Even though it was makeshift but these two tombstones in their backyard made them feel close to them.
Roshni Arjun Rawte
Though they never saw her.. they knew she meant a lot to their Dad and so she did matter to them as well.
Aryan observed his sister getting sad again and held out his hand. Arushi cutely wiped her tears and took his hand, letting him wrap his arm around her and they headed towards the house.
"Miss you dad." Aryan whispered before locking the door.
ACP Arjun Suryakant Rawte
A loving father, husband and friend.
A hero.
CID
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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