She sat on that uncomfortable seat of the aircraft cribbing silently for the last 6 hours. Flight from Dubai was never this suffocating.
Though she was in the first class, she couldn't sit in peace for even a second. She changed the movie for the 3rd time and finally turned it off.
Her inner self was in dilemma you could say. The more she tried to ignore that nagging part deep in her heart which was restless beyond words.. she found herself thinking about it more.
She was anxious.
So, she took out her diary and began to scribble her thoughts in it.
"Dear Diary,
Yeh kya ho raha hai mere saath? Zindegi mujhe phir uss jagah pe kyu leke aaya hai? Joh zindegi main 4 saal pehle chod k gayi thi pata nehi kyu phir woh dastak de rahi hai?
Mumbai. Log kehte hai, yeh sapno ki ek sahar hai.
Par kaise? Jab yehi pe meri saare sapne toot gaye thae.
Khud ko khoke ek naaye pehchaan paya, yehi pe pyaar hua aur yehi pe meri jeena dushwar hua.
Arre wah! It rhymes! "
She laughed at her own writing. Main toh bare mazakiya hu, By God! Couldn't stop from grinning childishly.
But poor did she know someone was observing her for past half an hour! He peeped his head to read what she wrote on her diary but unfortunately brushed her shoulder.
Her head snapped to his direction and her face got red with irritation.
"How may I help you Uncleji?" she said annoyed.
In reply the old man stared anywhere but at her; hurriedly hiding his face in a sports magazine.
Murmuring something like "creepy bhuddha", she was going to go back at writing when the flight attendant announced that they were about to land. She shoved her diary in her bag murmuring a silent sorry to the diary and promised to get back to it soon.
Getting her luggage, she called for a cab and got in.
She went to her old apartment and suddenly had the urge to cry as things from her past were swarming in front of her eyes once more.
But she wouldn't. She had grown too strong to ever let herself lose control.
She took a deep breath and entered the house but Alas, every single thing; every corner reminded her of him, their friendship, her love and their fight.
She stepped in and could literally hear her own giggle from the first time when he had carried her in. Memories flashed like a movie in front of her eyes and she felt herself closing them to erase them.
She bit back the bile and dragged her luggage inside, setting them beside the couch.
She had already hired a maid service to clean the house before she came, so everything looked perfect.. as if it hadn't been stranded for last four years.
It looked painfully alive.
"I think I will just go to ETF now." She said to herself, not being able to breathe anymore under the broken brute of memories. She locked the door again and sighed.
And with that Saakshi Anand started for ETF for a new start or should I say to an ever-ending journey of love!
Somewhere else
"Bhaiya, yeh churi le lo na."
He looked at the street kid who was selling bangles on the stoppage. He glanced at the red light just to make sure he hadn't missed it going green while he was lost in his thoughts.
He smiled at the kid. "le lo na bhaiya.. didi ko pasand aayega. Sirf 50 rupee hi hai." She said, showing him a palette of bangles.
She used to love bangles.
"Churiyo ki dukaan" He used to call her and in reply she used to roll her eyes and say, "But you love them."
And he did.. there was something to magnetic about her bangles.. he used to run his fingers over them time and again just to see them twinkling against her skin.
"Didi khush ho jayegi." He shrugged away sadly before smiling to her and handing her 100 rupee. She wanted to give two boxes of bangles but he just took one.
"Bas ek hi chahiye." He said and put it in his bag.
Happy with a tip, the little kid wished him a happy lovelife and he chuckled at that.
If only she knew about it.
He shook his head, sighing.. when his eyes fell on the jaywalk of the opposite road. A girl was helping an old man to cross the road. And she looked unbelievingly familiar.
Even though he couldn't see her face, as she was looking sideways, engaged in a conversation, his heart started beating faster.
In a white kurta and a red dupatta with a hand full of bangles, could it be her?
He felt himself holding his breath as he got off the SUV and made his through the crowd.
As soon as he was nearing them, the cars started honking and zooming past him. Momentarily distracted by the sounds, he looked back to glare at the drivers who were now cursing at him for standing right middle of a road.
And when he turned back, she wasn't there.
He frantically looked around but she was nowhere to be seen.
Realizing again for the nth time that she wasn't ever coming back.. he had made sure of it.
Defeated by fate once again, Arjun silently hopped into the SUV and zoomed away.
ETF head-quarters
Chief Sameer Rathode was briefing about a new case that they got today. Chotu, ETF commando was paying attention where Shreekant, technical expert was lost in his own thoughts. Rathode's sudden yelling brought him back to senses.
"Sorry Sir" Shree stammered.
"Sorry se case solve toh nehi hoga na shree? Dhyaan kaha hai tumhara?" asked Rathode, slightly irritated.
"woh main actually humari nayi investigative journalist k bare mein soch raha tha. Aab case kitni asaani se sulajh jayegi na sir?" he said, happily.
Well, after all, he had heard, this new crime investigation journalist was best in what she did.
Plus a girl. Chalo, akhir in boring men se chutkara toh milega, he thought.
"Oh really, Shree! Tab toh tumhari koi jarurat nehi hai phir. Hai na? ETF se nikal k VIP security mein daal du?" said Rathore, sarcastically.
"Sorry sir" that's all shree could master speaking after that.
"Vaise yeh Arjun Sir kaha hai?" suddenly Chotu asked.
"Itna hi miss kar rahe ho usse toh call karke khud poochlo." Bawled Rathode, leaving Chotu silent for the rest of the day.
"Iss janab ko toh special invitation lagegi." Well, Rathore was irritated with Arjun, for his tactless tactics. And frankly, his anger was justified.
ETF's second in command was someone who would impeccably make anyone insane. He was grim, brooding and sharp.. a deadly combo all together.
Just when Sameer was all set to go all "dammit Rawte", his phone buzzed and Arjun's name flashed on the screen.
But before he could say anything, ACP Arjun Suryavant Rawte smirked on the phone, "Crime scene mein aane ki liye murda lash tumhe special invitation nehi bhejegi Rathore, Samjhe ya samjhau?"
Rathore growled under his breath and ordered the team to leave for the crime scene.
As they were walking out, Saakshi walked in.
Current Affairs
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