NEVER FORGOT. chapter 22 on pg 42. - Page 4

Chapter 3

After 8 months,

A man is running on the beach not stopping for a second to catch his breath. He runs as if his life depends upon it. Finally as he felt his legs protest he stops running. He puts his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. But the moment he closes his eyes, everything comes in front of him. his team, his life and how it was broken.

Flashback

By the time sameer and shree had reached Mumbai, arjun was in the ICU. Sameer felt his heart stopped when he heard arjun's fight between life and death. The doctors are trying to save him but it seems that he does'nt want to be saved. All the medicine were proving ineffective. Sameer enters the room in which he was there. The last time sameer entered he was angry and sad at the person whom he had entrusted his best friend. The only thing he could think at that time was that his best friend has failed him. Now he thinks that he has failed his best friend. All the vows of long-lasting friendship, of never letting anything get in the way of their friendship was broken. Now the only relationship he shared with arjun rawte was a relationship of hate and of colleague. But right now he had to save his friend. Because if arjun dies then a piece of sameer will die with him.

Sameer straightened himself and said "rawte, yeh natak sab band kar. Abhi uth (rawte stop all this drama. Get up)". No response from arjun. He continued saying "maine suna ki arjun rawte kabhi haartha nahi. Har baazi jeet ke rehtha hai. toh aaj yeh baazi kaise haar gaya rawte (I had heard that arjun rawte never loses. He wins every game. Then how come he lost this game?)". The monitor showed increase in arjun's heartrate. Sameer continues with his eyes on the monitor "sikander ke saath khel jo hai, aisa chod kar nahi jaa saktha. Yeh rawte ka style nahi hai. tune hamesha kaha hai na ki sikander hai. lo aaj tera manmani pura ho gayi. Mai man gaya sikander hai. abhi chup-chap yeh manmani band kar aur uth.( you can't leave the game with sikander just like that. that is not the rawte style. You always told that sikander is there. See today your wish is fulfilled. I believe you that sikander is there. Now quietly leave your stubbornness and get up)." But no improvement is shown in the monitor.

Sam: theek hai, agar tu nahi uth raha hai toh mat uth. Lekin me jaraha hu sikander aur sakshi ko dhudhne. Aur agar tu utha nahi toh me kabhi vapas laut ke nahi aunga. (fine, if you don't want to get up, don't get up. But I am going to find sikander and sakshi. And if you don't get up then I will never come back)". Sameer walks to the door and is going to open it when he hears a voice say "rathore". He turns and smiles to see arjun's eyes open. Even though he has an oxygen mask on his face his eyes convey his anger but for what? For finding sikander alone or for threatening him with his death?

Flashback ends

Sameer looks at the sun rising and thought the answer to that question. His mind and heart says two different things. His mind says that it was because of sikander but his heart wants to believe that it is because of him. Sameer thinks how then they were destroyed

Flashback

Arjun is getting better. Although he wants to get out of the hospital but the doctors did'nt allow him. sameer and arjun noticed a change in their team. Before they were serious about work but at the same time knew how to have fun. Their bickering and ribbing used to go on bringing a light-heartedness to the cases. But now, it was like something died within them. After sakshi's betrayal it was like they have vowed never to laugh, never to live life again. Sameer noticed how aisha seemed to have distanced herself from him. he noticed how chotu's soft heartedness was no longer seen, shree's life now is spent in only improving gadgets or making new ones and liza always double-checks all information before giving it to him. the team always came to meet arjun but somehow they used to just discuss about the case. They never met eyes with arjun as if they were ashamed of meeting eyes with him. Then a day came which may have killed them. Arjun was discharged from the hospital but instead of rest advised by doctor he came directly to the office. Sameer knew better than arguing with him and somewhere he was relieved to have arjun in front of his eyes. They were going to take a case when a call came from commissioner telling them not to take that case. They were ordered to come directly to the office. All of them including sameer was confused. When they reached the office sameer was surprised to see his arch-rival acp agarkar standing there. Their confusion must have been clearly expressed on their faces because the commissioner came directly to the point. He said "I have called you here for an important reason." The commissioner hesitated but agarkar said happily "your ETF team has been dismissed." Everyone is shocked. Sameer looks at the commissioner to tell him that he is wrong but the commissioner just looked at him helplessly. He said "what's the reason of our dismissal?" the commissioner replied "the minister thinks that the ETF team has been compromised. You have been infiltrated. We don't know how much information sakshi has or whom she is working for." arjun said with anger in his voice "we know whom she is working for. She is working for sikander." Agarkar sneered at him and said "acp arjun, I like to remind you that sikander is a myth. Your mad obsession. There is no person named sikander." Arjun is going to shout at him but sameer held his shoulder. They exchange a silent look. Aisha, chotu, liza and shree don't say anything for they were still in shock. Sameer calmly asks "have you asked the minister who forced us to include sakshi in the team?" the commissioner was going to reply when agarkar said "sameer, I don't think that is anything of your concern. In the end your team was weak and could'nt even find a traitor." Sameer shouted "MY TEAM IS NOT WEAK." Everyone is stunned. The commissioner said to break the tension in the room "sameer, the fact is that the team has been compromised. In such a situation the only way is to create a new team. So we have decided to transfer to different departments till further notice. Sameer, you can head the delhi division of ETF..." but before the commissioner could complete, arjun kept his etf badge and said "I quit. I can't work anymore for a system which cannot trust us." and he went out without looking at any of them. By the time sameer reached outside the office, arjun was gone.

Flashback ends

In that one month everything was destroyed. No one could stay after that. sameer refused to head a new division of ETF. He found out afterwards that aisha transferred back to the narcotics department. Shree, Liza and Chotu were transferred to the same department. But yet he never established contact with any of them. Somewhere he feels that it is for the best. They all suffered a deep hurt and that hurt can be healed only with time. He was going to continue his run when he hears a voice say "anjali, be careful." He turns to see a young girl of 8 years old who was standing at the edge of the sand. He sees that the voice belongs to a young girl in her twienties. The 8 year old girl was staring something in the water intently. As he continues to watch, the elder girl approaches her and putting her hand on the young girl's shoulder asks curiously "anjali, what are you looking at?" anjali points out "that." the girl says "I can't see. What?" anjali puts he rhand in the water and in a sudden move throws the water on the elder one. The girl squeals screaming "anjali." Anjali laughs and said "di, app gili ho gayi (you got wet)." The girl said "acha, mai gili ho gayi, toh tum bhi hojao( okay, since I got wet, you also will get wet.)". and she dragged a laughing anjali into the water. They started throwing water on each other enjoying life and filling it with laughter. sameer smiles after a long time seeing the childishness of the elder and the younger girl. He then turns to go but not before giving those 2 girls a final glance and praying that someone would also come into his team's life and teach them to live again.

Riya enjoys playing in the water with anjali but at the same time she notices the gentleman looking at them. The way he stared at them did'nt make her uncomfortable. Instead she felt as if he was looking at them with something akin to longing. She tries to look at the gentleman properly but he had turned to go. He gave them a final glance but from that glance riya realized one thing.

Riya's POV

Why does that person's face seem so familiar? Where did I see him?

POV ends

Anjali said "riya di, kahan khoyi hui ho (riya di, where are you lost?)". riya shakes her head tearing her gaze from the retreating back of that individual and smirking a dimple smile said "this." and she threw water on anjali making her squeal. Their laughter reached sameer's ears as he started his car making him wish that the both of them always have happiness in their lives. And he drove away.

Precap: riya remembers