Arjun FF : Enigma (ch 24, pg57) - Page 38

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"What? " Ashi asked perplexed... then suddenly "Matlab ki..."

"Haan...Matlab ki it's a trap!" Sakku said shocked...

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"What? " Ashi asked perplexed... then suddenly "Matlab ki..."

"Haan...Matlab ki it's a trap!" Sakku said shocked...

"Bhai ko call kar... tell him not to go..." Sakku said tensed...

"Phone off... it might be tapped as well... wait iska matlab that Rehmaan who trapped bhau... by now usse humaare baare main jaankari hai as well!" Ashi said

"Let's move, just pack essential stuffs... passport, cell - switched off, cash... baaki kapre aur sab kuch yaha rehne do... taaki lage ke humme kuch nahi pata" Sakku said while quickly and on the bed threw a rough paper of their sightseeing location with time and walked out of the room...

"Yeh sab kyun...? Aur hum jaa kaha rahe hai?" Ashi asked

"Sakku?" Ashi asked

"Verma here...not Sakshi" Verma said bursting in the room...

Ashi just looked at Verma

"Suno these stuffs to give them a false lead - taki un logo ko lage ke we are off sight seeing... aur hum kaha jaa rahe hai, ek phrase suno..." Verma said

"At the moment mujhe kuch samaj nahi aa rahi hai... aur tumhe yeh sher o shayari!" Ashi fumed - well Verma was an unexpected guest.

"Listen Ashi..." Verma held her shoulder " Kissi insaan ko dhundne ke liye koi apna ghar nahi check karta..."

"Matlab?" Ashi asked

"Matlab ki ab hum Soya Factory jaa rahe hai - to save Samrat..." Verma gave an assuring smile...

"Waise bhi I need my sidekick Kapoor to help me out!" Verma smirked and walked out of the room while Ashi quickly packed her stuff...

"I am not your sidekick!" Kapoor glared while coming into the lobby...

"Hey Kappy - tujhe yaha aane ke liye I knew I had to say these lines... ab chalo der ho jaayegi... everything ready?" Verma asked...

"Yes..." Kapoor said and nodded

Verma and Kapoor took two individual bikes...

"All the best Kapoor!" Sakku said

"Tu saath hai toh best toh hona hi hai!" Kapoor smiled!

"Mujhe all the best koi bolega ki nahi!" Verma pouted

"Main hoon na, all the best!" Ashi smiled and hugged Verma...

With tension on their heads... they rode like crazy to Soya factory...

At Soya Factory

"Toh boliye Rehmaan bhao.. aaj kaunsa deal hai.." Sukh asked

"Bohot hi important sa... itna ki tera sar chakra jaayega!" Rehmaan laughed

"Acha bhao... yeh toh khush khabri hai!" then Sukh pressed a button on his pant pocket...

"Sh*t! Ab tak toh un logo ko pohochna chahiye tha!" Sukh thought tensed...

"Kya baat hai Sukh? Naam sukh aur chehre pe dukh? Pareshaan lag rahe ho - tu to hamara khaas aadmi hai!" Rehmaan asked...

"Koi baat nahi bhao!" Sukh reassured with a smile

"Tu na itna talented hai... tujhe na iss dhande pe nahi... police main hona chahiye tha...ACP you know" Rehmaan said smilingly

"Yeh acha nahi lag raha hai" Sukh thought and started sweating...

"Arrey paseena kyun choot raha hai Sukh ya ACP Samrat Anand!" Rehmaan growled villainously..

"WTH" Sukh as in Samrat thought...

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"WT%$^@" Verma swore...

"Kya hua?" Kapoor asked, cause this was the first time Verma used foul language.

" Samrat's cover is blown..." Verma said tensed

"Oh f$&%^*" Kapoor shouted eyes closed

"It's time to act... hum ko sab kuch karna hoga.. Kapoor.. attack the gate keepers.. I'll deal with the goons inside..." Verma instructed

Then Kapoor turned around "Under any case Sakshi ya Aishwarya, none of them should be there at firing point! Clear!" Saying so Kapoor stormed in...

Verma sighed and hoped for the best... and entered inside the building...

Kapoor crouched near the boxes and looked at one of the guards hovering above... quickly sprinting from behind, Kapoor shot at the head of the guards, right at the centre of their forehead - all 6 heads shot in one go...

Verma walked inside and saw three goons speaking...

"Sach yakeen nahi hota ki Sukh hi woh ACP Anand hai..." one man said...

"Haan... ab toh bhao ne usse torture cell main atka hoga..." the other man sneered

That was more than enough information for Verma... before any of the goons knew they felt a burning in their neck and died... Verma had shot lethal poison darts... it was one of the latest gadget invented...

"Kapoor... at torture cell... Samrat..." Verma's voice cracked a bit...

"Coming" Kapoor said firmly...

They alone had killed 50 people... and none screamed - this was one of their speciality - assassination...

At the torture cell

"God yeh sab ne dhoka dia..." Samrat thought as he was hanged upside down...

His head was bleeding... one arm broken... his chest and torso full of cuts and gashes... a rib or two broken... his handsome face oozed blood... grueling pain shot through him as the acid burned on his torso...

He had been whipped... kicked, punched across millions of times... and yet he refused to budge in any details...

A knife sliced through his muscular shoulders which gushed out blood...

"AAH!" he screamed out in pain...

"Bhao... bahar kuch hua hai.. aap aao" one injured man came running to that monster Rehmaan... that man couldn't even recognize the tortured man in front///

"Kya?" he barked back "Aur tera yeh haalat?" he asked

"Pata nahi bhao... par neeche poore guards mar chukke... saare apun ke aadmi mar gaye... mai kissi tarha se bhaaga!" that man said.

"Yeh toh kuch bhi nahi, 50 log maaregaye... kissi ke neck twisted... kissi ki forehead shot... ya phir poison jaise kuch... pata nahi kitne bhao par poora area dho daala hai!" that man complained

Rehmaan stormed out of the room with that man, leaving the knife stuck in Samrat's body...

Samrat still chuckled "Par yeh log kaun ho sakte hai..." he thought..

Suddenly behind the crates a girl came up and ran towards Samrat "Bhai!" she said shocked... she immediately removed the knife and hugged him...

"Sakku.. tu yaha!" he asked astonished... spluttering out blood as he spoke

30 minutes before

Sakku had gotten to know about Samrat being in the torture room and she ran upstairs... no soul on earth could stop her... she hid behind the crates... and witnessed the most painful memories of her life...

Her brother being brought in half conscious.. hanged upside down... and being punched, kicked, whipped, slapped again and again...acid thrown on his stomach...

Then they smashed glass bottles as well... and blood poured out like sweat...

She bunched up her handkerchief in her mouth to stop crying out loud...

The minute they left - she knew how the distraction was caused.. and by whom.. she ran up to her brother

Back to Samrat and Sakshi

Sakku immediately cut off the ropes and hugged her brother... kept his head on her lap and thought furiously as to what to do... but telling him "Bhai, chinta amt kar... teri Sakku hai yaha.. main bachaloongi... chinta mat kar..."

Ground floor

Kapoor "Verma.. Verma... kidhar hai tu? Must be attacking the rest of the people..." suddenly noticed Rehmaan running away from the building... with his sidekick as well...

Not seeing Sakshi anywhere either... "Rehmaan bhag kyun gaya... *&^$, iss building main bomb hai... Samrat... Sakshi!" Kapoor ran into the building...

Torture cell

"Tu kyun aayi... woh tujhe...maar" Samrat choked on the words

"Bhai kuch nahi hoga mujhe... get up now..." Sakku held his arm and made him stand up... slowly taking him out of the building...

Keeping her brother on the balcony railing she said...

"Bhai do minute mai abhi aayi.." she ran down to find Kapoor and Ashi...

On reaching ground floor she found herself at a gunpoint of one of Rehmaan's men

Verma thought of bringing Samrat down along seeing matters in hand... but then "Nahi chod... woh ab balcony main hai...let him take fresh air... kuch aur log baaki hai usse nipatna hai.."

Verma was pretty strong enough to get Samrat, the heart said " I think I should get him down with me"

Then shaking no, the brain said "Nahi... forget it... he will be fine... let me finish my other job then come back to get him..."

In the battle between head and heart Verma followed the brain... and that was the biggest mistake...

At the balcony

In spite of being severely injured Samrat's brain started working " Achanak Rehmaan ghayab kaise ho gaya? Aur kya woh dusra bhi involved tha, matlab usse information dena ghalat tha... kya mujhe madat karne ke sevayi kahi..." then from the balcony edge he noticed the animals going away...

"Huh... Samrat... jaanwar bhaag gaye... it means something" he tried to think hard...

"Matlab idhar BOMB hai!" his mind alerted

"Sakku aur shayad Ashi yaha waapas aayenge... mujhe rokhna padega Sakku ko yaha aane se..." he stood up alarmed... he had to save her... though his mutilated body rejected his mind was stronger... he under any circumstances needed to save his sister... the love for her gave him strength to move... to find her at gunpoint and also found the bomb next to him... 30 seconds it showed... he smiled... when he saw a person crouched behind the attacker of Sakku...

Kapoor slowly crouched behind the man who held Sakku at gunpoint... turned up to see Samrat at the balcony... tears were shedding by looking at his mutilated state... their mentor... Samrat's gaze was transfixed on Sakshi... that's when a message received... guess Verma sent it long back... but due to network errors it reached now...

"Bomb here... 4.30 minutes left to deactivate... don't think abt Sakshi.. save Samrat" Kapoor stunned.. then looked at the time... this message was sent 4 minutes back... that means 30 seconds left...

"Sakshi ya Samrat..." practically saving Samrat was impossible, to run up to the building, carry him and bring him out of danger - at least 1 minute was required... and now less than 30 seconds left... with the man in front about to shoot Sakshi any second...

Kapoor looked up at Samrat...

Samrat saw that person... confused... did that person want to save him... God due to blurry vision he could not even recognize anyone... he signalled that person to save Sakshi... saving him was impossible...

He heard a gunshot... he knew what hit where... he smiled... he walked towards the other edge... muttered a sorry to his family... he knew the other people, the saviors would stop his sisters from coming towards him...

As barely 10 seconds were left he recalled his life... just his family...

When he had a 9 year old Sakku and a 11 year old Ashi to look after all alone...

The pranks they played... but every night he cuddled his sisters to sleep... one side Sakku other side Ashi...

His experimental cooking skills... Sakku was crying that day because she was hungry... while Ashi tried to help him in making food!

Seeing the spark in Ashi to become an officer... Sakku's brilliant observation and investigative skills...

Sakku and Ashi's first day in college... where he had tears of pride... an essence of being a father

Arguing with their English teacher for misplacing their papers - that's how he first met Maya... (he smiled and felt his wounds stinging because of his tears)

Her smiles, her shyness... her proposal... their first kiss... their engagement, thanks to his sisters... their wedding... the wedding night... their last kiss as well...

His sisters were like his daughters... he was proud to have them... and a wife

Ah.. he would miss them terribly... he couldn't live his married life... a regret... that made him cry... leaving his newly wedded wife... to never return... he wanted to hug her badly before he left...

He wanted to hug his sisters too when he looked at pink handkerchief roughly bunched up around his shoulder... he kissed that... as if kissing his sisters...

He closed his eyes and thought of the three most important people of his life...

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She heard a gunshot... to see the man in front of her dead...

Kapoor immediately ran upto Sakshi and closed her mouth with palm...

Kapoor received the signal from Samrat...

It was the most difficult decision ever... but Kapoor saved Sakshi...

Kapoor also saw the defeated look of Verma...

They didn't have enough time to save him...

She pushed Kapoor away and ran to the warehouse but Kapoor grabbed her back and stopped her...

"I hate you Kapoor... you couldn't choose me over bhai... I hate you! Ashi.. ashi.." Sakku howled

"Ashi died" Kapoor's voice cracked

She looked at Kapoor with disbelief...

A wave of relief passed by when she saw the house... she was about to say something then...

Then the warehouse blasted up into flames...

Verma fell down in defeat - if only one listened to the heart.. if only Verma had picked up Samrat and brought him here... and Ashi... no she couldn't die...

"BHAI" Sakku screamed

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"Aah!" Sakshi screamed as she found a hand on her shoulder...

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Arjun was looking at her.. concern filled his face... as he entered he saw Sakshi sway left to right... she looked lost and tears streamed out of her face... then it clicked to him... "Samrat sir bhi aise warehouse..." he recalled... everyone knew this case... the DIG was shocked, he never received the encounter alarm from Samrat...

Sakshi started shivering... Ayesha looked at her in worry... Chotu stopped searching by looking at Sakshi's condition... then Ayesha looked at Arjun and signaled him to speak to her... he nodded and asked them to leave him and Sakshi alone for a few minutes..

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Sakshi turned back to see Arjun holding her shoulder... she tried to compose herself but miserably failed... she tried to say something when Arjun pulled her to himself and hugged her tightly... she tried to push him... she couldn't let a weak moment bring him

Close to her...

And that just increased Arjun's respect for her... any other girl would have capitalized this moment to come close to him... but still she knew her boundaries...

He pulled her to himself and hugged her tight "Sakshi... main tumhare saath hoon..." he whispered...

She broke down... she couldn't take it being alone...

Arjun hugged her back tighter... he found tears forming their way out of his eyes... he patted her back and moved the hair away from her damp forehead...

She clung on to Arjun pouring out years of loneliness... she howled but then her hiccups started...

Arjun parted from her slightly - "God mujhe yeh baat samaj kyun nahi aaya... shayad woh ek mahine se Samrat sir ke case ya aisa kuch baare main jaan kari prapt kar rahi thi... that's why maybe... why didn't I think..."

He slowly cupped her face with one hand and with the other he patted her back till she stopped crying...

Fresh trails of tears were coming out again and he slowly wiped them away... with all the care and affection he has...

"Sab mujhse door gaye... koi paas aaye... phir door gaye... sab chod ke jaate... isliye main.. nahi chahti koi paas aaye... and that person saved me instead of him..." she sobbed out...

"Oh no... how could I have not understood... obviously yeh kaaran tha ki woh mujhse kyun door bhagti gayi! Main kya kya samaj baitha...aakhir main bhi toh wahi karta hoon" his heart ranted and then he leaned forward and kissed her damp forehead...

Her crying stopped... his lips on her skin... for the first time... it sucked away every pain she had... emotions flooded in her body... she bit her lips to control her emotions... she has accepted that he has become the most precious thing in her life... what if she loses him? That thought sent more tears from her eyes...

He heard the sobs again and looked at her exquisite doe shaped eyes filled with tears... "no" he mumbled... he couldn't take her tears... the fear in her eyes... it shook him... he will protect her... he hugged her tighter and his arms enclasped her delicate body agains his strong one... he softly whispered in her ear... "Nahi Sakshi" his lips touching her earlobe... sending shivers down her body...

Noticing her shivering he gripped her tighter... there was barely any gap left... he softly kissed her ear... she gasped... and he continued to shower his care... she couldn't stop him neither did he want to stop... his hands rubbing her back continuously arousing unknown feelings in her...

He showered gentle kisses on her cheeks... her forehead... her ears... her shivers made him feel something... his hands wrapped tightly around her waist... his one hand softly fisted her hair and he made her red face turn towards him... her eyes were clutched tightly...

"Sakshi... dekho mere taraf..." he huskily spoke...

She opened her intoxicated eyes to look into his intense ones... which had a rare glimmer of gentleness... he tilted her face and brought her face near his... his breath fanned on her quivering lips... he gently touched her lips with his fingers...

She managed to mutter something... he caught the word "sympathy"

"Yeh sympathy nahi hai Sakshi." he looked at her intently.. glaring at her...

"Toh kya Arjun?" she asked looking intently into his eyes...

He stared back at her... time seemed to stop... he didn't have any answer... his eyes went to a small chain she wore.. his eyes widened.. this chain had belonged to her... the only person whom he could not save in his entire career...