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OS Indecent Proposal
"Sakshi are you crazy?! What were you thinking coming here?!"
Sakshi just yawned as she had another lecture from the one and only ACP Akdu Rawte. She had warned him that she was a part of the team too and that she would find a way to help. It wasn't her fault that Arjun couldn't believe that she would do it. She laughed a little as she looked around. There were unconscious bodies lying all around them and the rest of the team was standing in the corner, standing with their mouths open. Arjun seemed to be oblivious to all this and just went on yelling at Sakshi for her "carelessness".
Sakshi had insisted on helping the ETF on a case that was extremely dangerous. It involved sneaking into a don's highly secure den. Arjun hadn't allowed it knowing that a fight was inevitably going to break out. As Sakshi stood sulking outside, she heard scuffles from inside the building. She couldn't help herself and she ran inside the building. Ducking between the fighting people she managed to get to a room that had all the evidence and black money that would imprison the don. She started collecting it when four men found her and started to attack her. The whole team yelled for her and she looked up in time to see a man slap her. Arjun yelled in anger and started fighting the other men quicker so that he could reach Sakshi. Suddenly, he heard moans and groans and when he looked over, one by one, the four men had fallen on the ground, writhing in pain from Sakshi's attack.
Arjun was yelling at her, letting the suppressed energy from the last two hours out, when he saw Sakshi smile. His anger increased ten-fold. "Miss Sakshi Anand! Why do you find the fact that you put many lives in danger so amusing? Please let me know so when I tell the other news reporters that their colleague is so amused by the pain of others, I can also tell them a reason that you seem to find adequate! Of course since when do you need a reason to put other people at risk and then laugh as if noone else has pain in this world!" Sakshi's smile was wiped clean off her face. Arjun knew he had crossed the line yet he couldn't help but let out all that anger on her.
"Excuse me? Who are you to teach me how to behave Mr. I-do-whatever-I-want? How many times have you put your life in danger and hurt all of us team members who care so much about you? Don't ever tell me that I need to understand other people's pain because you yourself are too thick to look past your own pain filled life! In any case, last time I checked, whether I live or die made no real difference to you so I don't know whose pain I'm not understanding," Sakshi yelled right back at Arjun holding back her tears. However, with the last statement, a small tear came down her face as she stalked off.
Arjun stood there in shock. He didn't know what to say. He was just so used to yelling at Sakshi and she would just make a funny comment and smile and walk off. He couldn't think of why she would all of a sudden react the way she did. He knew that he had hurt her feelings and he always did that. But he was her senior and it was his right to yell at her mistakes. Also, in the back of his mind, he knew that he had been way too worried for her and the only way to communicate his worry to her without letting her know about his feelings was for him to yell at her.
The last year had brought a lot of changes in Arjun and Sakshi's relationship. It had all started when Sikander was found and killed. Sakshi was actually the one who had provided the most information to Arjun once he had found out that her father had been paralyzed because of Sikander. Once Arjun had killed Sikander, the Commisioner had no choice but to arrest him for murder. Sakshi was the one who scrounged for the evidence that Sikander had killed Roshni and had attacked Arjun. Arjun had no choice but to be impressed by her work.
Arjun came out of jail with a lot more respect for Sakshi and soon the two became friends. Well, as good of friends as anyone can be with a still broken man, Arjun Rawte. Sakshi would be able to sit and talk to him about all her problems and sorrows while they drove to and from work everyday and after some probing, Arjun would do the same though much more nonchalant. They had begun to understand each other and while Sakshi already knew she loved Arjun, he was starting to reciprocate the feelings.
Then, one day, an old murderer who had just come out from jail decided to take revenge on Arjun. He had followed Arjun quietly for some time and realized that Sakshi was someone of great importance to the ACP whether he wanted to admit it or not. Now he had tried to kidnap Sakshi once after Arjun had dropped her at her house. The key word there was tried. 30 minutes after Arjun left Sakshi, he found Sakshi grinning at him with the criminal unconscious in front of her. He was impressed to put it lightly but once he realized the criminal had attacked Sakshi to take revenge from him, he regressed into his old shell. He thought of his past and decided he would never make Sakshi another Roshni. After that incident, Arjun went back to insulting Sakshi in an attempt to have her move on from him, leaving Sakshi as perplexed as ever.
Sakshi sat down at her desk and put her head down. She had an exhausting day and Arjun had not helped. She recalled their rocky relationship for the past 2 years. She had known putting up with him would be difficult but this draining? She had been extremely hurt when Arjun had started distancing himself from her again after the whole attack at her house. She couldn't understand it. She had proved even more to him how capable she was and all he did was go back to his moody self. Then, she decided to try to move on from Arjun and be mad at him. But every time she would look into his eyes or he would show his small glimpses of care during a case, her feelings would come right back.
Sakshi had reached a weak point in her life after Arjun distanced himself again. She had been able to deal before because she had never seen the friendly side of him. Now she had seen that side, his indifference seemed to be mocking her. Soon enough though she had picked up the phone and called someone very special. Once she got off the phone, she realized what Arjun's thought process was. She decided to wait and give him time.
Sakshi put her head up and picked up her phone, "Hello? He did it again and this time I can't take it anymore."
Arjun was sitting in his office looking at two photographs sitting in front of him. After, Roshni's death, he never kept a photo of her at work. She was his private solace and he didn't want to keep a picture of her in front of his work colleagues. Once Sikander was killed, Sakshi made him realize that he should celebrate Roshni's life and cherish their good memories. She went herself and bought him a beautiful, glass photo frame where he then put a picture of him and Roshni in. That was one of the pictures he was now looking at.
The other one was an interesting one. He hadn't even realized when Shree had taken this picture of him. It had been a few months ago and Sakshi had taken the whole team out for lunch. They had all enjoyed and eaten and once they had gotten up to leave, Sakshi was making fun of Indian filmy romantic moments when she had tripped and fell into Arjun's arms. Everyone burst out laughing and to Sakshi's surprise so did Arjun. They both looked at each other laughing while Arjun's arms were still around her. And that is how Shree captured the two friends(?) in his photo.
Arjun's phone rang and without taking his eyes off the two photos he picked it up only to hear the voice on the other end and look up surprised. "Rathod?!"
"Yea Rawte. It's me," said the familiar voice on the other line. Arjun just held the phone in his hand in shock. He never thought Rathod would call him again. For the rest of the team, Rathod had been transferred to Delhi so that another team could be trained the way ETF had been trained. But only Arjun knew that he was the reason Rathod asked to be transferred himself.
It had been one night after a really emotional case. A girl had been murdered and her boyfriend and her brother both had blamed each other when it had actually been a gang member. When ETF had figured out the case and told the brother and boyfriend that they had been unfair with each other, it had ended in a tearful reunion between the two men as Rathod and Arjun awkwardly looked on. The drive back to headquarters was silent. The team had felt the tension between the old friends. They all sat quietly in the back as Rathod drove back through the rain, deep in thought.
Arjun was sitting on the couch in his bedroom that night, as always, holding Roshni's case file. He could hear the rain tapping on his window but suddenly he heard knocking on his door. He opened the door to find a drenched Rathod standing there, shivering. "Rathod? You're here at this time? Is there something wrong?" Arjun ushered him in and quickly went inside to grab him a towel. Rathod looked around at the house he hadn't entered in years. Arjun walked back in and handed Rathod the towel. Both of them sat down not knowing what the other was thinking.
"So the house hasn't changed much," said Rathod awkwardly in an attempt to build conversation. "I would never change what Roshni left," said Arjun simply. Rathod nodded, "Rawt... I mean Arjun. I was thinking about the case today. The two men just really misunderstood each other don't you think?" Arjun just looked at him intently. "Look... Arjun. I just want to rebuild our old relationship. I know it can't start off where it was all those years ago but we can at least work our way back. I'm sorry I blamed you for Roshni's death. You were just doing your job as a cop and you never meant for it to happen. It hurt you more than it ever hurt me," said Rathod with all the feeling in his being.
The two men stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Suddenly, Arjun got up, walked over to Rathod, and crushed him in a hug. Both of them had tears in their eyes and when Rathod looked up at a picture of Roshni on the wall, her eyes looked like they were gleaming with approval. Rathod closed his eyes and pulled Arjun away. With a serious look in his eyes he told Arjun, "I think you should give Sakshi a chance." Arjun looked at him in thought. He looked down and quietly said, "What I do or don't do, Who I give a chance to is none of business. Thats a right you lost a long time ago."
Rathod looked at him in shock. Hadn't they just resolved their issues? Is Arjun really going to treat him this way? Rathod's fists curled in anger. "Rawte! Mark my words! This obstinance is going to be something you are going to regret!" and with that he stormed out of the apartment as Arjun looked on with moist eyes. He said to himself, "Im sorry Sam yaar. I can't have Sakshi know I love her. She'll only be in danger. I respect what you said but maybe its best if I didn't let you in again. I can't risk anymore lives. Not yours. Not Sakshi's. I won't be able to take it."
The next day, Rathod walked in announcing his transfer to Delhi. The whole team was shocked and they all hounded Rathod. There were protests and crying and consoling. But Arjun had a feeling that the orders had been given on Rathod's saying. He had a sinking feeling that maybe this time his friend was going for good.
Arjun was now on the phone with his estranged best friend and he didn't know what to say. Rathod simply said, "Sakshi called me and told me you still haven't changed. You still yell at her and insult her to cover up your true feelings. She's fed up now and she's leaving the ETF and Mumbai for good. I don't know what you're planning to do but I'm going to talk as your best friend and ROSHNI's best friend. Sakshi deserves you and you deserve her. Stop her from going. Don't put Roshni through so much trouble from where she is looking down on you by letting Sakshi leave you. This may be the last chance you get Arjun." He didnt wait for Arjun to reply. He merely hung up the phone.
Arjun sat there stricken. Sakshi was leaving? Good. Maybe now she'll stay safe. But wait. You won't be able to see her anymore. Maybe this way she'll get over you. But if she hasn't gotten over you so far with all your insulting, do you think she ever will? No Arjun. Don't run away anymore. Face your life and do what Roshni would be proud of you for doing.
Arjun looked up with a new determination and smile on his face.
The next day, Sakshi bid farewell to all her colleagues with tears in her eyes. She was leaving her family. She looked around and could find Arjun anywhere. She didn't want to see him really but she also didn't want to leave without a final goodbye. Realizing that he wasn't in the office and that it was time to go to the airport, with a heavy heart she went on her way.
At the airport she checked in her bags and proceeded towards security. She looked around to see so many people having their teary goodbyes. She could've had the same but she had insisted that noone accompany her to the airport. She wouldn't be able to leave otherwise.
At the security counter, the woman officer looked at her intently. She just smiled back. She walked through the detector and the alarm went off. "Excuse me ma'am. You'l have to come with me," said the officer. Sakshi wondered what could've triggered the alarm. She had taken out everything that was metal from her possession. She looked embarrassed as other passengers laughed at her.
The officer took her into a dark room. There was someone sitting on a chair, faced away from her. "Excuse me? Why have I been brought here. There was nothing on my possession to trigger that alarm," said a very irritated Sakshi. "Your stone heart triggered the alarm, Miss Publicist," and with that Arjun Rawte swiveled around in his chair to face a shocked Sakshi Anand.
'You have two options Miss Anand. You will either be arrested under breach of security at the airport or... you will have to marry me," said a very serious ACP. Sakshi gaped at him. Suddenly, as if broken out of a trance Sakshi started yelling, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ACP ARJUN RAWTE. WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU? FIRST YOU INSULT ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT WHEN I MEET YOU AND THEN AFTER SOME TIME YOU OPEN UP TO ME AND BECOME FRIENDS WITH ME. THEN FOR SOME GODFORSAKEN REASON YOU STOP TALKING TO ME AGAIN AND PUSH ME TO A POINT WHERE I DECIDE TO LEAVE YOU ALONE. AND NOW THAT IM LEAVING YOURE PULLING SOME STUPID STUNT TO GET ME TO STAY BACK AND MARRY YOU?! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" Sakshi finished, slightly out of breath, to see that Arjun was smiling. "I was trying to be romantic Sakshi," said Arjun simply.
Sakshi stood there trying to figure out if he was being serious. It felt like all her anger had melted away and she burst out laughing. "You are an idiot Mr Arjun Raute," she said as she choked of laughter. Arjun looked angry. "Now IM going to give you two options, Arjun. Either you fix this extremely indecent proposal or I will happily be arrested," said Sakshi matter-of-factly. She waited and after five minutes she turned to leave.
Arjun grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. She was overwhelmed by the proximity. He slowly went closer to her face, bringing his lips closer to hers. She closed her eyes and felt something on her hand. She looked down and saw a diamond sparkling on her left ring finger. Her eyes started filling up but she shook it off, "Why are you assuming I will marry you?"
Arjun spoked softly, holding her hands in his, "I know I'm not perfect. I have a LOT of problems. I am sort of an idiot and unromantic. I also haven't treated you very well. But I love you Sakshi. That is the truth. I know for some time I feared that my closeness to you would bring you the same fate as Roshni, but now I've realized I can't punish the both of us for the rest of our lives for a fear that I have faith that we can face. Please forgive me and marry me so that you can turn me into a better man"
Sakshi started crying and with one small nod she engulfed Arjun in a kiss. They felt each other's warmth and snuggled closer to another. They broke apart after what felt like decades. "Time to start wedding plans, Miss Soon-to-be-Sakshi-Rawte," said Arjun with a wink. "Time to give a call to Delhi," replied Sakshi with a knowing smile on her face and a glittering diamond on her hand.
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
CID
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