Arakshi SS : Rhythm of Life *DC here* - Page 14

"Arjun kya hua? Tera muh khula kyun hai?" Sameer chuckled when one word came out of Arjun's mouth... "Bhabi?" he gulped.

Sameer frowned and realised that every person in the department, especially males were staring at a figure on the door, Sameer would have seriously not have recognised her had she not come and hugged Liza as a greeting.

And his eyes popped out "Ayesha!" his voice was hoarse. Where had the trousers and loose shirts gone? She was standing in a pair of skinny jeans and flat boots, a thin tank tap which defined her curves and a short coat/jacket on her.

For a second he didn't even bother that he was gaping at his wife. "Muh band kar le..." Arjun whispered and wished a hi to Ayesha.

It hadn't taken him two and two to figure out why his bhabi dear and Sakshi were busy for a few hours in the morning. " Good morning guys, sorry am late... waise ab ke liye I got some reports regarding the latest deal near Wadaala, mujhe lagta hai ki waqai waha pe kuch gadbad hone jaa rahi hai, in fact if we refer to the previous deal... Sam, woh fifth file zara pass kar dena." Ayesha asked, posing to be ignorant to him staring at her.

A flush of heat passed through her, but it was pride which swelled her heart. "Jawaab de!" Arjun nudged "Ayesha! Yeh... kya hai?" he asked, eyeing her clothes.

Shree, Liza and Chotu tried to hide a chuckle while Ayesha raised an eyebrow "Yeh kapde hai... well that's the last I remember about it..." she smiled extra sugar sweetly and snatched the file.

Sameer was awestruck with her for the whole day. She... just looked like the day when she entered the ETF office. Feisty, wild, hot and gorgeous... she had blown away Sameer from day one.

Hmm, was this her way of changing things! That's great! Sameer was glad he found his wife back!

However Ayesha had other plans, instead of guilt when she saw him happy because he thought she is doing this for him, she chuckled inwardly, he was so far from the truth. Arjun on the other hand was engrossed in the case, and also thinking as to how to apologise to Sakshi.

~*~

A week had gone by with Ayesha in her new avatar and Sameer kept on feeling happy, yet a part of him missed the homely and soft Ayesha, the Ayesha who would look up to him, the Ayesha who would be ecstatic on finding him home early, but now it felt as if he made no difference for her.

Sameer came back home a little extra early to find Ayesha roaming around the kitchen in boxers and an extra loose shirt which slided slightly from one shoulder, revealing a black strap. "Hey..." Sameer smiled and Ayesha curtly nodded "Hi, dinner ke liye am cooking biryani, what say?" she asked.

He checked his wife out in again a not so impish manner and grinned "Perfect!" He smiled and tried to speak to her but she outrightly ignored him. She walked past him and went to her son, and for the first time as she cooed and hugged her little child, Sameer found the love and care to be a beauty to watch.

"Mama you pitty!" Aamir kissed his mother's cheeks who snuggled him tighter. Sameer's smile dipped down as he watched her being a perfect mom but barely give him any attention.

While tucking into the biryani he clasped her hand and smiled "Thanks for changing and giving me my Ayesha back..." he smiled.

Ayesha gulped water extra hard at that and stared at him "Yeh maine tumhare liye nahi kiya Sam... I was tired of being a wife who was crazily in love with her husband, who misinterprets time to be sex! I didn't change Sam, I just went back to being Ayesha Kapoor, when there was no Sameer Rathore who would sweep me off my feet and make me feel precious. Maine yeh sirf apne aap ke liye kiya, shayad main tumhare liye khubsoorat nahi hoon Sam, but according to me I am the most gorgeous thing in this world... and giving you back your wife? What about giving me back my husband Sameer?" Ayesha looked into his eyes, before Sameer could speak again Ayesha spoke

"I don't want any sorry or redemption or guilt or anything such as that Sameer... mujhe aisa kuch bhi nahi chahiye... trust me... you wanted to know why I changed? Why I turned quiet... kyun? Then listen to me... when I first heard about Aamir I was ecstatic, pata hai kyun? Kyunki a part of you was breathing in me Sameer, I needed a hug from you... a gentle squeeze of reassurance... par... I got a shocked look on your face. In fact I had doubted if you even wanted him. Mere liye mera beta sabse precious kyun hai... because he is a symbol of the most precious man in my life. For he looks like the man I love the most. You know Aamir is a little reflection of you Sameer!" Ayesha spoke and Sameer's eyes widened in realisation.

"I just wished things would be different... I just wished." Ayesha gulped and cleaned the dishes while a quiet Sameer tip toed to his son's room. How did he let these distances crop in?

I just went back to being Ayesha Kapoor, when there was no Sameer Rathore who would sweep me off my feet and make me feel precious.

These words swirled in his head. Repeatedly. Sameer was quiet. Did he truly not realise the value of the institution called marriage?

Ayesha walked past him and went to Aamir's room. Sameer quietly took out Aamir's birth album and stared at it. What was wrong if Ayesha had changed after being a mother? Sameer gulped as a tired Ayesha snuggled into their newborn. The soft smiles, the tenderness in her eyes...

Towards the last page he gaped as Ayesha had put his childhood's and Aamir's photo side by side. For they looked exactly the same!

Sameer clenched his jaws and walked quietly to their room to see Aamir dozing off to glory. He removed the wild curls aside from Aamir's forehead, he had certainly inherited this from his mother! He gently picked his child and hugged him, Aamir surprised Sameer by changing his eagle styled position to a foetal one as he curled his hand around Sameer's shirt.

Tu baap kab banega? Arjun's question swirled in his head. Ever since day one Ayesha had kept on taking the first step in their relationship. She was extrovert and a wild one... but he always basked in the happiness that she was his, only his.

Sameer dialed his younger brother - Arjun. Even if he was years younger, he certainly had acquired more maturity than Sameer.

"Yeah bhai?" Arjun whispered, his voice cracked... guess he had been sleeping. "I need to speak to you, aa sakta hoon tere ghar?" Sameer asked "Uh... of course... aa jaa..." Arjun answered. Sameer took a deep breath and went to Arjun's house.

~*~

Arjun stretched slightly and kept Chau in the cot gently. He tip toed towards Sakshi's room and knocked on the door for quite a few minutes. He heard a quick shuffling of feet and a clatter of things. "Uh... Sir? Itni raat ko?" Sakshi's voice sounded slightly hoarse and her hair was disheveled.

"Sorry, woh Bhai was coming up so I was going to be busy... just be next to Chau..." Arjun said and she groggily nodded. "She's awake kya?" Sakshi yawned when he nodded no. "Okay" Sakshi stumbled a little and walked towards his room.

Arjun smiled a little when he saw her smile back at him, it had been a week since they had had that heart to heart conversation which had changed the perspectives each held for the other.

Arjun came back home earlier than usual and saw a tired Sakshi cradling his little baby as if Chau was her own little precious thing. The very thought that ate him up. He caught on to the little words "My little baby, my princess" as Sakshi stroked her hair while Chau was almost dozing, her chubby hands fisted on Sakshi's tee shirt.

Arjun's slight footsteps had got Sakshi alert, she kept Chau on her cot and immediately picked up a staff and stared at the person in front, relaxed that it was Arjun.

Arjun half smiled at her alertness then took a step closer. "Your child has gone to sleep, if there is anything else feel free to call me." Sakshi said stiffly and walked towards her room when Arjun held her hand...

He pulled her close... "Aap... yeh kya kar rahe hai..." she turned aside... her senses shut off...

"I am an insecure person Sakshi... and Chau has been a weak spot of mine... please forgive me..." Arjun said softly...

As he tried to hold her from going away Sakshi looked at him... "Don't touch me... what would your wife think!" Sakshi said angrily... she couldn't bare him being so close to her...

His hold loosened... "Wife? I am divorced Sakshi... she ditched me Sakshi... she ditched her daughter... that's why I can't trust anyone about Chau..." Arjun said... hurt... Sakshi sat beside him... prodding him to open up...

"It was love at first sight for me, she was ethereal... I hadn't intended on being an officer first... thus we both were in the same college of arts, however side by side I started taking trainings too. We both dashed against each other in college. As time passed by the dashes turned into smiles and coy gazes." Arjun took a deep breath, a small smile lingering on his face.

"She was amazed that I was The Suryakant Rawte's son, that sentence should have served as warning enough but I was too blind in love to realise. Very soon I found myself to be dating her, and then marriage came in perfectly. She was disappointed that I was not taking up Business and sought to join the service. She was almost angry for me not taking my father's financial support. HOwever we managed to have a decent life. Every weekend she used to go for shopping and spend thousands at a go. At the beginning I thought that perhaps she's a newlywed hence these are little things I, as a husband, can do for her. Then we had Chau in our life... her habit of splurging increased all the more and I didn't stop because I wanted her to be happiest during her pregnancy." Arjun sighed, his fingers ran over the brim of the glass. He turned to see Sakshi in case her face had sympathy or disapproval of him being a weak man. He saw none "Phir?" she asked

"Phir kya, phir it was just a month since Chau's delivery and I noticed her to be unusually calm and composed, and pretty jewels to be decorating her. That was strange, my cop instincts kicked in and I realised that she was having an affair with the gynaecologist who was treating her. I was aghast and shocked. I couldn't believe she would do this, that too during the time that was most pious to a woman. My world shattered and when I saw no inch of regret on her face, I decided... I would leave her. She was a leech, a pure leech, in fact that gynaecologist was a millionaire who had many firms in and outside India too, no guesses why she left a cop for this. With dad's help we divorced as soon as possible. She was least bothered about me, in fact when I told her that I would take the custody of our Chaahat, she seemed happy enough! And that's it... I never saw her again..." Arjun gritted his teeth.

"I don't know why Sakshi, kyun... kya pyaar kuch nahi hota? Kya paisa sab kuch hota hai?" Arjun broke the edge of the glass as Sakshi ran to get first aid, she gently took the glass piece aside and looked at his torn face "No Sir, kabhi kabaar hum mohabbat ek alag insaan se kar beith the hai jo humari mohabbat ko deserve nahi karta. You might have loved her... it's your trait that you are a wonderful human being... you certainly didn't deserve someone like her..." Sakshi said softly. Arjun half smiled at that and watched how she quietly put the band aid on him...

And that brought his notice to the scar of her left palm, a silent eyelock amidst the two explained how the red stain had come on the bathroom - for she had put her hand before his Chau came to any trouble. He gulped and held her palm tightly.

"I am sorry Sakshi... pata nahi kyun woh gussa tumpe utar aaya... I am just so sorry... if you could forgive me." Arjun looked aside in shame when Sakshi placed her palm slightly on his chest. "Yaha se if you are feeling sorry, then I forgive you Arjun..." Sakshi said softly, completely missing out the fact that Arjun had become stoic. She got up and left, with that Arjun released the breath he hadn't even realised he was holding on.

And for the first time since months... his heart thumped a little harder.

Arjun checked to see Sakshi dozing off the minute she hit the bed, with of course, Chau clinging on to her as if she's the mother... Arjun stopped his thoughts right at that. Gulping some fresh air, he waited for Sameer to come.

~*~

"Bhai?" that's all Arjun could muster to say after Sameer had opened up about what all was happening in his home. Sameer shifted his eyes in guilt when he saw his younger brother almost glaring at him.

"Do you know something Bhai, you and Bhabi have no reason to have done this to your beautiful relationship... kyun Bhai? I mean kyun?" Arjun threw his hands up, exasperated.

"I am sorry Arjun, I just want to get back things to normal..." Sameer sighed. "Don't tell me sorry... and wait.. I think there is something you must see." Arjun grumbled and ran to his room to get his laptop.

He paused a little near Sakshi and Chau. his heart warmed as they snuggled next to each other. His brain told him not to get hopes up high, but the silly random heart pushed him further.

He took his laptop and looked at a moping Sameer and sat next to him. Within the next ten minutes Sameer's face had whitened and he was almost shaking. Arjun had done nothing, just showed him a few videos of what actually happens during live birth.

Tears glistened in Sameer's eyes as he took in what happened, Arjun squeezed his shoulders in understanding. "Bhai, you don't need to give her flowers or give her chocolates and gifts, you just need to hold her hand and tell her you will be with her forever and after." Arjun said softly.

He kept his palm on Sameer's heart and said "Yaha se if you are feeling sorry, then she forgive you" Arjun told Sameer who nodded.

A visibly shaky Sameer nodded and left towards his house, thanking Arjun profusely.

Arjun half smiled at his brother, his heart squeezing further at their family photo. If he got a chance to love again... life would be blissful.

~*~

Sameer sat on the edge of the pale blue bed of Aamir's, caressing the little tendrils of Ayesha's that disturbed her every now and then.

Did he take her for granted? All she ever needed was time and love, if he couldn't even give this... then why the hell did he even marry her? She blessed him with a loving child and he got enraged that she couldn't give him time for Aamir? Had he forgotten that Aamir contained his blood? How could he be jealous of the being who was a part of him!

Sameer sighed and looked at Ayesha who slept with frown on her forehead. Even though she was less than a metre apart, he knew that now there was a huge chasm amidst them - and he is to be blamed for that.

Guilt clouded Sameer as he recalled that when she tried to find herself, he thought it's for him. Must she keep on doing everything for him?

He kissed his child and walked towards the balcony. As he saw the rush of Mumbai before him he realised that in striving to be the perfect chief of ETF, he actually forgot what it is to be a loving husband, to be a great dad... and to be a friend.

For the first time he felt helpless. How could he correct his mistakes? How could they go back to being the happy family? How?

He felt selfish for wishing Ayesha to trust him as much as she did on the day of their marriage, she certainly didn't deserve it... but he was too stubborn to let her go either.

As morning rose an aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the atmosphere, to his surprise Ayesha handed him a cup of coffee and sat next to him, on a wicker chair.

The two silently sipped on coffee, marvelling the little beauty of nature as sunrise broke through the dark sky, now painting them in several shades of orange and red.

Ayesha picked up Sameer's empty cup and was about to leave, when a gasp left her mouth. Sameer wound his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face in her stomach. Ayesha softened as she felt him shake slightly as tears overpowered his resolve.

"I am sorry Ayesha... I am sorry... main kabhi samaj... I" Sameer found himself at a loss of words as Ayesha brushed the little tears away from his face, unaware of her own.

She sat next to him and held his hand, forgiving him. Sameer pulled her into a tight embrace and thanked the lords for having getting a chance to actually redeem his mistakes.

An hour later the two were still in that hug, Sameer fondly brushed her wild curls aside while she half smiled every now and then. There would be time where he would give long due confessions, but for now... this moment of silence was perfect bliss.

~*~

Sakshi woke to one of the most joyous moments of her life, baby Chau was pinching her cheeks with the stubby fingers. Sakshi smiled and tickled Chau's stomach who gurguled in laughter and fell back on the bed. As Sakshi jumped on the other side the last thing she ever expected was to stumble on a sleeping Rawte.

Arjun's eyes shot up to find two things -

• His baby was laughing her head off.

• A nervous Sakshi looking wonderful with a mess on her head known as hair staring at him with shock.

Wait a second, how did he end up on the bed with Sakshi at one side and Chau in the middle? He scratched his head and looked into those dew drop eyes, she blinked them repeatedly as if not believing the sight before her.

For a strange reason her heart was thumping at a record breaking speed. She doubted if there was so much of blood in her body to pump! Arjun looked at her flushed cheeks and parted lips. The honest innocent amazement and shyness on seeing him almost stole his heart away - for the moment.

Chau put her round chin in between her chubby palms to notice her baba and Achi staring at each other as if they were thunderstruck. She shook her head slightly as she was sure of a saxophone number play in the background. Chau swayed slightly to the romantic number... how come this number came up every time her Achi and Baba were stuck?

"Achoo!" Chau sneezed breaking the eyelock amidst Sakshi and Arjun. Sakshi nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tapped her fingers while Arjun scratched his head. "Hmm... they say that men look the best when they just get up from the morning, how true... what! Shut up Sakshi!" Sakshi murmured then cleared her throat "Aap... yaha?"

"Oh... woh last night it was pretty late when I came here, Chau was moving left right and I guess she had her diapers heavy, so I changed them and took her back to bed... I didn't realise kab main so gaya by patting her to sleep" and watching how you slept too. Arjun bit the end of his sentence. "Oh.." Sakshi said.

They were quiet for a moment then she walked to the bathroom, with Arjun following her with Chau... and as they stopped behind the door a scandalous memory of the past played out. "Aap mere saath bathroom main ayenge!" Sakshi said, her voice a tone higher and squeakier.

"WHAT! No, woh Chau ka toothbrush lena tha!" Arjun said, almost laughing at the way she turned red and ran to her room. He turned to see his baby staring at him and chuckling... now what was going on in his baby's devious head was something a mystery forever!

~*~

Sakshi washed her face repeatedly but the damned heat wouldn't just dissipate from her cheeks. What was happening? Every time Arjun spoke to her or touched her hand hand she felt a current stemming from her head right to her toes.

"Yeh kya ho raha hai Sakshi... apne mundi main kya kya leke beith rahi hai? Chee yaar! Of course Arjun... sir... I mean... he wouldn't be thinking like that about you?" Sakshi berated herself.

Surely the little gazes, accidental touches while handling Chau, the firm smiles - all these were coincidental and had no relation right!

Yes, Sakshi was convinced that due to her quite "no boyfriend no date ever" policy she was suddenly getting all too fuzz about Arjun.

On the other hand Arjun was patting his child and taking deep breaths. What was going wrong with him? Every time Sakshi blushed and bit her lip why did he feel as if a jolt passed through his spine?

"Arjun! Shame of you! Just soch... tere ghar pe jo bhi ayega kaam karne ke liye... uss ke baare main aisa sochega!" he hit himself mentally.

Surely the coy gazes, the nervousness, the blush staining her cheeks, the slight sensation on holding her hand - all these were coincidences and surely had nothing to do with the four chambered organ. Yeah.

However the mental resolves either had made for the other changed to mush as days passed by. Whenever Ayesha talked about how happy she was and how things turned for good, Sakshi found herself wistfully wishing for a family and most especially a loved one!

Arjun on the other hand, found himself reaching the door of his house an hour earlier than before, he found himself watching romantic movies such as DDLJ or KKHH just because Sakshi was engrossed in them and now, his daughter too!

He was surprised at his own annoyance when Sakshi whistled for Hrithik Roshan in his opening scene in K3G, "What's so great in green eyes, mediterranean skin, lean figure, awesome accent, superb dancing skills and heart warming acting?" Arjun grumbled!

As days passed and Chaahat grew, Arjun realised that he was used to the clink of bangles, the melodious laughter and the aroma of home cooked food.

Life was great.

However the ever stupid these two were, they actually couldn't muster any courage to speak to each other.

In fact nights were usually passed by looking at the ceiling, food was mostly untouched, and the ever focused Arjun Rawte would be dazed whenever the name Sakshi would come up. And Sakshi found herself even more fascinated by cops - rather one cop.

It had been four months since Sakshi had been hired. And also Chau's birthday!

"Chau baby! Kal tumhara birthday hai... batau jaan kya kya chahiye?" Sakshi played with Chau while Arjun entered and swooped his baby up his arms. "My pinshesh! My guchu puchu... birthday ke liye kya kya karein haan?" Arjun nuzzled and kissed his baby's pink cheeks.

"Acha waise Arjun sir, kab hum jaake shopping karenge? I mean we can't let Chau see her gifts neither can we leave Chau alone... aur mujhe bhi Chau ke liye khareedna hai!" Sakshi pouted.

"Hmm... idea, we will call Bhabi aur Bhai... along with Chote... toh Ayesha and Sam can handle these two and we can go around shopping for Chau" Arjun suggested while Sakshi jumped in happiness.

Thus the next day Sakshi, Arjun, Ayesha, Sameer, Chau and Aamir were busy in R City selecting clothes.

"No Arjun Sir! Main keh rahi hoon na ki ek red dress khareed te hai Chau ke liye!" Sakshi argued for the fifth time "But Chau loves pink yaar! But agar tumhe sab theek lagta hai toh jao khareedo! As if tumhe iss baat pe farak padta hai ki mujhe kya chahiye ya nahi!" Arjun stormed off while Sakshi pouted.

Sameer and Ayesha tried to control their chuckle as Sakshi trotted behind Arjun and held her ears, pulling out the cutest puppy face ever. Arjun turned aside and outrightly ignored her, though he couldn't help from a smirk raising on his lips.

Lastly Sakshi managed to get a grumpy Arjun back to the shop, handing over the pink frilly dress. "Acha!" Sameer commented on Arjun as he turned towards him "What accha?" Arjun posed ignorant to the knowing smile. "Nahi bacche, nothing at all.." Sameer chuckled and whispered to Ayesha "Don't you think that they are already like a couple?" Ayesha laughed in agreement whereas a total unsuspecting Sakshi smiled towards them.

As Arjun patted Chau Saksh ran all around to get the lights and wrappers around the house and vice versa. When Arjun was decorating Sakshi used to relax against the sofa, with Chau on her and watching her all time favourite serial... her eyes were glued to the screen as the leads were going to have a Rabba Ve moment.

"Hai! Uff... coming!" Sakshi angrily said and started putting the fairy lights, to end up putting them on herself. Chau burst into giggles on seeing Sakshi and Arjun walked to help her out of the lights.

And just when his fingers brushed through hers, the dhak dhak, nervousness and anxiety returned with a blush... and from somewhere the Rabba Ve continued as Arjun slightly pulled the strings away from her, his fingers running over her smooth arms not so innocently. Sakshi closed her eyes the minute she could feel his breath caressing her neck.

Arjun closed his eyes to get a whiff of the fruity fragrance of hers.

The only person confused was Chau, on the TV the hero walked around the heroine to remove the fairy lights and the same thing was happening here too... "Kaishe?" her little mind thought.

By the time Arjun was done with removing the lights the two were standing quietly, their hearts pounding at a breakneck speed. Sakshi turned aside slightly, trying to figure out what was going on in Arjun's mind. Was he serious? Did he mean something? She prayed it was not physical attraction. With her doubts she turned to see the most tender sign of affection in his midnight orbs.

A soft smile escaped her lips and she pranced away before either could speak anything.

For now this silence was beautiful and comfortable.

~*~

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" People sang as Arjun carried Chau and cut the cake. Chau was wearing a red colour princess frock, amusing Sameer and Ayesha to no extent as they had recalled Arjun refusing to buy this.

"They look perfect!" Ayesha smiled as Sakshi and Arjun played with Chau "Hmm... lagta hai mere bhai aur tumhari behen ke beech... you know... something sweet is going to come." Sameer smiled and placed a hand over her shoulders.

Ayesha chuckled in agreement "Hmm... kisse pata tha ki yeh dono itne jaldi... you know.. mil jayenge!" "Par Ayesha don't you think he's moving too fast?" Sameer frowned as Arjun deliberately whispered to Sakshi who seemed stunned by his proximity.

"Hmm... I know... strange..." Ayesha said.

They barely knew how right they were.

~*~

For the past half an hour Arjun tried to convince himself, he can move on! Most definitely!

He knew Sakshi might have been flustered by him but he was sure that he liked her, he definitely needed a second chance in his life.

A chance to love again.

A chance to live again.

And most importantly, a chance to show her that he can be happy with another woman.

Arjun grit his teeth and threw his phone aside, the message still flashing.