"Arjun, kya hua hai? Mera matlab I love talking your head of, lekin tum yahan? Woh bhi iss waqt?"
Arjun had his head in his hands and mumbled some incoherent words which she couldn't understand. Sakshi got up and walked over to him. Kneeling she put her hands on his knees. "Kya hua hai Arjun? Tum mujhe bata sakte ho."
When he looked up at her she saw tears on his face. Wiping away his tears she stood up and held his head against her. Running her hands through his hair.
"It's okay Arjun, let it all out. Tell me what's wrong? I'll fix it."
He looked back up at her, "Sachi?" he asked her
"Haan Arjun, I told you once that I do believe you, and I really do. If you told me to I would walk to the end of the earth."
Arjun didn't say anything, just held tightly onto her, as if he was afraid that the moment he would let go she would disappear.
Sakshi had tears of her own streaming down her face now. She was worried for him. Taking his head in her hands, "Arjun kya hua hai? Please, tum mujhe batao."
He looked up to her and sighing he started narrating his dream. "I dreamt today ke hum dono kissi victim ki mother ko milne jaate hain to get her interview for a case. I don't know why we were meeting her in front of a flat. But we were there, and then I noticed that her face didn't resemble the victims at all. She looked like an older version of you. And then I turned around to look at where you were, and you weren't there. There was fire and you had a bomb attached to you, sitting in the middle of the street. And before I was able to reach you, or do anything it just.. It exploded. And I tried running towards you, but I wasn't able to reach you. I kept on running and I couldn't get a hold of you. No matter how hard I ran I couldn't reach you. And then the woman started talking she was saying "Tumne meri beti ko maar diya hai Arjun, she loved you so much, and you never acknowledged her. Even after the bomb was attached to her you didn't tell her how you felt." and here I was, trying to reach you. In the end I broke down in the middle of the street, crying. I have never felt that a dream was real. Only my dreams of Roshni have ever felt so real. And then when I woke up main bina soche samjhe idhar aagaya. No matter what I do or how I act I do need you Sakshi, I'll always need you. I don't want you to go out of my life ever."
Sakshi looked at Arjun as he kept on looking everywhere but at her. She had seen him break down just twice, once when Sameer and he had a fight. And the next time was when they'd finally been able to get Sikandar. That night she had taken him to her place. He had cried the whole night while she had held him close, trying to keep the nightmares at bay. And now she saw him break down for the third time, and just like the other two times it broke her heart.
Sakshi sat on his knees, he put his hands around her back to steady her. She put her arms around him and made him look up. Slowly she kissed away the trail his tears had left.
"Arjun, I love you. I always have. I was infatuated with you when I first joined the ETF, but slowly that infatuation turned into love. And like I had once promised you, I will always be here. Tumhari nightmares bhi meri zindagi ka rukh nahi badal sakti." she said jokingly referring to when he had tried to fire her.
Pulling her closer he put his forehead against hers, their lips were close, but not touching.
"Sakshi, tell me this is wrong, tell me you don't want this."
But she put her hands on his face and kissed his cheek, she put small kisses down to his neck and then slowly came back up to his face. As soon as she was close to his lips he put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed, making her stop and look at him.
"I don't want my first time with you to be like this Sakshi. You deserve to be romanced, wooed and I want to give you that. I want to romance you, take you out on dates, make you smile before we make love. I don't want to rush this."
He slowly wiped away a tear which had started rolling down her eye. No one had ever made her feel like this. Standing from his lap she held out her hand.
"Arjun, raat bahut ho chukki hai, let's go to bed. Don't worry, tumhari izzat pe haath nahi daalungi." she said winking at him. "Though I hope you won't mind me snuggling up to you."
"I would love to hold you."
"Main theak hoon Sakshi, aur abh tum bhi ho mere saath. Zindagi mein aur kya chahiye?"
Smiling she said:"Arre wah ACP, tum toh bahut achhi tareef bhi kar lete ho. Maine socha SYS ko chhodd tumhe kuchh nahi pata. You are going to spoil me if you keep up all these compliments."
Saying so she gave him a soft kiss as they entered her bedroom. And perhaps for the first time in years he felt complete and she wasn't restless, she had finally found someone who needed her as much as she needed him. They were both broken souls, but together they could heal
As Arjun was closing his eyes she whispered "You aren't alone Arjun, I need you as much as you need me."
Then giving a contented sigh she snuggled close to him and let sleep take over.
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