Arjun FF: Wait For You (CHAPTER 5B UPDATED)

Chapter 1: Happy Valentine's Day?

* * *

Another day, another case put to dust. But today was no ordinary day, absolutely not. Today was a day of love, the celebration of love. A day where an individual would express their feelings and spend time with the one person they love with all their heart.

Valentine's Day.

But there was one person who despised this day with a passion - Arjun Suryakant Rawte. Usually, every year since Roshni's fateful passing away, he would be even more reclusive than usual, shutting out everyone that cared about him to a newer extent on this specific day.

So naturally, any interaction that Sakshi tried to make with Arjun, knowing full well about his nature, ended with tears, pain, and suffering for both. She knew why he was doing this, why he was constantly shutting her out. But it had been even worse today. She thought maybe, just maybe, he would soften up. Maybe the power of love would do the trick. But alas, just like the times before, again and again, he stormed off, carrying a burden in his chest once again.

But she wished he wouldn't. No one would understand how it felt when Arjun pushed her away every single time.

And today, it had been the limit. He stormed at her like never before.

"ENOUGH SAKSHI!!!" He furiously screeched at the top of his lungs to her. "I've had ENOUGH of your countless blabbering and immature behavior today! Hadh hoti hai!"

"But Arjun, I was just trying to - "

"You know what, you really surprise me. I mean, how can someone get so desperate!"

The argument went full-blown into a heated battlefield, resulting in Arjun having to say something he came to regret. It resulted in only tears for Sakshi, and pain for Arjun.

This time, Arjun was the one who crossed his limits, breaking Sakshi's blissful, innocent heart into two. Even after writing him a stupid sorry note with his favourite cutting chai, he managed to be his ruthless self, with no care for emotions. Sometimes, she questioned how she ever came to love such a man.

At the same time, she never complained, because she knew what Arjun was going through wasn't easy. She knew Arjun wouldn't rest until he finally found Sikander, and gave him the gruesome, pain-instilling death he deserves.

* * *

The hectic day was finally over, and dawn had set on the horizon in the sunset sky. Tired and exhausted from the day's events, he relaxed back into his leather chair, seated behind his office, and inhaled and exhaled a few breaths out loud.

His eyes suddenly wandered to the cutting chai firmly placed on a coaster on his oak desk. Hmm. Probably Sakshi again. He'd never admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he always appreciated Sakshi's small gestures like this from time to time. Her acts of generosity really made him admire her more and more with each passing day. There was innocence in her - a pure soul.

His jaw dropped at the sight of what he saw next. When he picked up the chai from the desk, he saw in its place a beautiful rose - pure, pretty, and beautiful. With it came a note:

Happy Valentine's Day, Arjun.

And I'm sorry... again.

With Love,

Sakshi

Arjun instantly regretted the painful words he said to her earlier that day. He didn't mean to be so harsh, it's just that whenever he sees her, something in him just comes out. The guilt was eating him up inside. He set the cutting chai in his hands back on the table, and delicately picked up the rose from the desk and looked at it as he rotated it in his hands. With minutes to spare before the end of Valentine's Day, he headed off to the lounge; which was where he knew Sakshi would be right now, typing away her report for the case of the day. At least, he hoped.

* * *

What Arjun saw when he entered the lounge brought a small smile to his lips. Sakshi was sprawled along the couch, deep in slumber, her report loosely in her fingers as it lay leisurely in the air.

He grabbed a small comforter from the storage closet, and carefully laid it out on her so as not to wake her. She looked so peaceful, so serene. When she wasn't constantly nagging and blabbering bakwaas all the time, she didn't seem so bad. He brought the flower from his hand and placed it on the soft couch by her lain body.

Taking her soft hands in his, he gazed at her.

"I'm sorry Sakshi. I know - I know what I did today was wrong. Everything I said, I - I shouldn't have. In fact, everything, ever since the beginning, I've ever said or done to you - I shouldn't have. I know you feel for me Sakshi. You like me, hell maybe even love."

He looked at his hands entwined in hers as she peacefully was in slumber, "But I can't love you, Sakshi. Please try to understand. As much as I want to open up to you, to give you everything that you deserve, I just can't. Not until I find Sikander, and give him the gruesome death he deserves. Not until I avenge Roshni's death. I owe that to her. I loved her more than anything. I just can't let her go just yet." Involuntarily, his eyes started to become glossy, and tears began to form on the brinks of his eyes.

"But, but I promise - once I do, once this is all over with, I will come back. I'll come back to you, and we can have a new beginning. A fresh start, where it'll just be me and you, and I can finally return all the feelings you have for me."

"I'm sorry Sakshi, please just wait for me."

He bent down, and moved stray strands of hair from her face. He tenderly gave a soft kiss on her forehead. "Happy Valentine's day, Ms. Publicist," he said with a slight chuckle in his voice.

And with that, he left the room.

* * *

Sakshi secretly watched as Arjun left the lounge. She inwardly smiled, and when he was finally out of sight, she got up like an excited child on Christmas day. She eyed the rose lain beside her, and took it in her hand with ecstasy. An innocent smile played on her lips as she thought of Arjun,

"I will wait, Arjun. I'll always wait for you."

The sun rose into the early morning sky, illuminating the Earth and all its inhabitants with its presence. Wet dew settled into the green, leafy plants of many backyards in New Delhi, and the sweet melody of chirping music from the birds resonated through vast neighbourhoods throughout the city. Everything was peaceful, so serene, the air full of tranquility and love.

And in one single flash of a moment, everything that shone so bright with optimism and positivity around her turned into darkness, enveloping her into a black hole of nothing but emptiness for her soul.

And just like that, she was gone. To never return ever again.

* * *

That afternoon:

In another part of New Delhi, life was as speedy as a bullet train in Japan. All of the ETF team travelled to Delhi, pursuing reports that the elusive Firstborn had surfaced. They had been there for a week now, trying to make sense of this case, and solve it as soon as they could. They uncovered a conspiracy to hide the trail of bodies left by a menacing killer who gruesomely dismembered his victims. His motive? Punishing treason against the Commonwealth.

Everyone was hustling and bustling away, working away at the temporary ETF head office headquarters base the team had made to operate stealthily. Reports being filed, blood traces being found, new gadgets being made for the better efficiency of the team. It was up to the highly skilled, hard-working, and dedicated team of ETF to save the day.

Ayesha, Liza, Shree, and Chotu were all in the dimly lit lab of the subterranean levels of the base. Sameer was also present - he had a phone pressed to his ear, and was conversing with DIG sir over the report that Sakshi had just gave him last night before dozing off.

Nearby, the rest of the team pored over photos, witness reports, and databases. From his terminal, Shree watched Sameer grimace.

"Uh-oh, Lagta hai Rathore sir ka DIG sir ke saath daily report kuch achha nahi chal ra. Tujhe kya lagta hai Chotu? Kya baatein kar rahe honge?" Shree looked to the man sitting beside her, but Chotu was staring blankly ahead, deep in thought.

"Chotu?"

"Huh? Sorry, what?" He answered.

"Abhe kya soch rah hai yaar?" Shree questioned, as he was deep in thought.

And just like that, a small worried smirk played on Chotu's lips. "Are mein humare kal ki prank ke bare mein soch raha tha."

Shree tilted his head in confusion, not sure what he was talking about. Prank? Kal konsa prank khela tha humne?

Chotu read the confusion on his face, and answered, "Are woh rose wala prank! Yaad hai, humne woh red wala rose daal diya tha Sakshi ke cutting chai and sorry wala note ke saath Arjun sir ke desk par? Bichari, she must've had a mouthful from sir."

Shree mused, finally getting where Chotu was coming from. "Haan yaar, kitna chilaya hoga na Sakshi par kal."

"Wahi toh. Khair, jab mein unke cabin mein gaya nah, to wo phool dustbin mein nahi tha!"

"Matlab.. tu wahi soch raha hai, jo mein soch raha hoon? Kya humara shaq sahi nikla kya?" Shree questioned, the pupils of his eyes dilating wide in shock.

"Shayad. Humne toh socha tha ki woh bhadak jaayenge, pehli baar ki tara."

"Chotu, Chotu, Chotu. Mera bheem." He teased with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ab sab kuch badal gaya hai yaar. Ever since the bomb blast, Arjun sir has turned over a new leaf. He's less authoritative, and more lenient towards us. I think he cares about us now. And by us, I mean more of.." He told him, trailing off his sentence for Chotu to finish.

"Sakshi" They both said, with their usual hinting gestures and mannerisms.

"To tu yeh kehna chahta hai ki arjun sir ne ya to wo phool apne paas rakh liya, ya sakshi ko de diya hoga." Chotu inferred.

"Pata lagana hoga. Vaise, kahaan reh gayee yeh sakshi madam aaj? Kal dekha na kitna bhadak gaya tha Arjun sir jab who late aayi?"

"haan yaar Chotu. Aur aaj to bahut hi zyaada late ho gaya hai. Uski to khair nahi."

Ayesha and Liza peered over at Shree and Chotu as they whispered into each other's ears like high school gossip girls.

"Ab in dono mein kya gussar pussar chal raha hai?" Liza questioned, particularly eyeing Shree with a keen eye.

"I don't know. Probably just the usual." She suggested, who knows what they were up to this time. Boys.

Sameer continued to talk about the case, when Arjun stormed into the lab, barking into his phone.

"Achha? Kya Miss Dipti bhi sorry hain to be impeding a national investigation?!"

"Leken shayad unse kuch ugal wana utna asaan nahi hoga jitna ki hum soch rahe the," Sameer commented to DIG sir on the other line, upon hearing Arjun's outburst.

"Dekho Rathode, kuch bhi karo. Our pursuit of the Firstborn is completely dependent on foreign provinces allowing us on their soil... Aur Crown ki good books mein hamara waqt nikal ta jaa raha hai. Good luck."

Sameer hung up and turned to Arjun just as he hanged up as well. The rest of the team put on their serious faces and awaited the news.

Arjun spoke first upon being questioned by Ayesha. "They're unbelievable. Koi secretary tha, just kept repeating the same crap about Dipti being unavailable. Woh aaj rat uss circus mein jaa rahi hai."

"The diamond jubilee? That's not a circus, sir. Ek bahut hi huge party hai palace mein, celebrating the Minister's 30^th anniversary on the chair." Shree informed him.

"Dipti ji bhi aa ri hai? Amar Vimal's office ne mujhe inform kiya hai ki woh bhi vahi par hoga." Ayesha added.

Arjun went on to explain the case details and converse the issues with his teammates. But alas, they had come to a dead end.

"Toh ab hum kya kare? Kal tak intezaar?" Chotu questioned and wondered aloud.

"Nahi. There's no time. We know ki khooni has something to do with the anti-crime legislation, so kal subah tak, khooni ki plans shayad already realized ho jaayenge." Rathore told them all, upset with a long face.

"Phir toh ek hi raasta bacha hai." Arjun declared.

And Ayesha knew exactly what Arjun was hinting at, like always. "Looks like we're heading to that party." But then, she thought of one person who was missing. The conversation had been so serious, no wonder something was gone aloof. "Ek minute, Sakshi kahan hai?"

Arjun's eyes suddenly wandered around the lab, and noticed that indeed Ayesha was right. She wasn't here. Then again, he mentally chuckled in his mind. Kal raat ko bahut der so soyi hai, the memory of his semi heart-to-heart with a sleeping beauty' Sakshi arose in his mind, and he smiled.

"Koi baat nahi Ayesha. Aa jaayegi. Vaise bhi bahot der raat tak kaam kar rahi thi."

Ayesha's pupils grew wide at his reply, and Shree's and Chotu's eyes almost jumped out of its sockets. They looked at each other with the look that would suggest chemistry' between Arjun and Sakshi.

"Sir... aap ko kaise pata ki Sakshi der raat tak kaam kar rahi hogi?" Ayesha slowly and cautiously questioned his calm response to Sakshi's tardiness.She knew that Sakshi loved Arjun with all her heart, and somewhere deep inside, she knew that Arjun returned his feelings too. Something was stopping him though.

Arjun was suddenly at a loss for words. What would he say? That he actually went to the lounge to check up on her and then subtly wished her Happy Valentine's Day? No. HELL NO. He stammered as he struggled to think of a good excuse, "uh, wo-woh kya hai na, ki Sak-Sakshi - "

"Oh my gosh guys, I am SUPER DUPER sorry I'm late. I was working on the report really late last night, and then somehow my alarm clock didn't go off, and then - "

Arjun interrupted her incessant and unnecessary blabbering, "It's okay Sakshi, leave it. You're already late, just sit down chup chaap se so we can get on with it." He told her in his usual rude manner.

It was now Sakshi's turn for her pupils to grow wide-eyed. She couldn't believe her ears! Was she actually hearing this right? Did Arjun JUST not scold her harshly for coming late? Yesterday, he was like mr. ultimatum I'll fire you, and now a "it's okay?"

Flashback (Yesterday morning - February 14, 2014 - 11:20 AM)

Sakshi hastily barged into the conference room, where all eyes were suddenly on her as she entered.

Of course, Arjun was the first one to make a remark on her tardiness. He always just needed an excuse to yell at her, or so Sakshi thought.

"Glad you could grace us with your presence, Ms. Sakshi Anand. May I have the pleasure of asking what took you so long to get here?" He said with utmost sarcasm and dry humour.

Sakshi knew he was trying to get under his skin... again. So she played it cool just like any other day.

She walked in closer to her seat which was near Arjun's, and answered, "woh kya hai naa Arjun, ki mein aaj subha kuch dhoond rahi thi, leken woh cheez mil hi nahi rahi thi! Bahut dhoondha maine," she said with a teasing voice.

Arjun was now very aggravated with her defiance, and angrily stood up from his seat to furiously stare at her. "What." He seethed out with utmost fury.

Sakshi sent another playful smile her away - giggling like an innocent child. "Aapki muskurahat ACP sahab, aur kya?"

Arjun profusely rolled his eyes angrily, his hands balled up into fists of fury.

"Aur vaise bhi, aaj toh there's more reason to smile! Kyunki aaj Valentine's Day hai. The feeling of love is in the air! Tee-hee."

Not able to take it anymore, and haunted by Roshni's memories of Valentine's day, he furiously slammed his hand on the conference room table, shocking Sakshi to the core. She knew Arjun was boiling up inside with remorse and hurt of his past, traumatized by Roshni's tragic death, but she had no idea that it was this bad. The way he stormed was even worse than the time he was all worked up on her birthday day.

"THAT'S IT SAKSHI!!!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, as he came dangerously close to her, his stone black eyes boring into her innocent, frightened doe-like chocolate-brown eyes. "One more word from you, and I WON'T HESITATE to write up your resignation letter for you!!!"

Sakshi fearfully jolted from his outburst, and quietly sat down in her seat.

End of Flashback

While Sakshi and Arjun had an innocent eyelock between them that said it all, Shree whispered closely into Chotu's ear, "abhe yaar ab to mera shaq yakeen mein badal raha hai. Kuch toh choot raha hai..." he said to Chotu, whispering the last part in mimicry of Arjun's andaaz.

"Shree! Chotu!" Sameer scolded upon hearing their clearly inaudible whispers, "yeh kya laga ke rakha hai! Subah se dekh raha hoon, apne hi baaton mein ulje ho. Agar itni hi concentration iss case ki teqikaad mein daalogay, tho shayad yeh case jaldi solve ho jaaye."

Sameer's harsh scolding immediately shut the duo up, and Liza slightly silently giggled upon seeing Shree's baffled state.

Chapter 3: Jubilees and Spies

"I've a feeling you won't be invited."

The gang turned their attention towards the gruff voice at the door. Arjun and Sakshi's trance through their expressive eyes was broken midway as they both turned their heads towards the inspector. Arjun composed himself again, and put on a serious face. Sakshi also made a professional stance beside Arjun.

Detective Chief Inspector Manoj Bhatnagar, the team's local liaison, strode in and punched on the television set mounted on the wall. The screen flickered to life, displaying B-roll footage of a street corner taped off with yellow crime scene ribbon.

The anchor on the news show spoke, "The body parts were found all across Delhi, from Chandni Chowk to Gurgaon and Noida, placed conspicuously, with no attempts to hide them."

"DAMMIT!" Rathore bellowed in anger, swinging his arm as usual.

The anchor continued to speak on the television set, "The police have yet to disclose the identity of this latest dismembered victim, leken gavaon ka yeh kehna hai ki body parts insaan ko belong karte the, specifically ek aurat ko."

"Have you ID'd him, Bhatnagar?" Arjun asked the inspector.

In response, Bhatnagar handed Arjun a color photo of a decapitated head on a slab. Shocked more than surprised, Arjun instantly recognized the sallow face and handed the photo to Sameer.

"Our old friend." He subtly told Rathore.

"Dammit. Yeh to Riya Choudhary hai, the paparazzi for the tabloids."

Bhatnagar spoke up, "Wahi hai, jisne tumne attack kiya tha. The one that sued the Met." Bhatnager put his hands on his hips and hung his head low. "Jab media ko pata chalega ki woh kaun hai, toh they'll connect it back to you, aur media panic will snowball." He took a deep breath in defeat, "... it's over."

"No, abhi nahi. We can get this guy." Arjun said with a determined voice.

"It's not your call anymore. Abhi abhi upar se order aaya hai." Bhatnager objected. "They're taking the case off your hands. There's a flight waiting for you at the airport."

"What?!" Ayesha intervened, shocked. How could they do that to them? They got so far, they only needed a little more time before the case was closed and dusted.

"Hume baat karne dijiye Commissioner Desai se. We can bring him up to speed on our progress. He can see how close we are to catching him." Arjun slightly pleaded the inspector.

"Woh jaanta hai yeh baat. Believe me, I told him." Bhatnagar responded.

Sameer grits his teeth... And sweeps a stack of files off a table, scattering them across the floor in anger. "DAMMIT!!!! Mumbai mein tho we have a word or two for this sort of stunt."

"We have a few words for it as well. Leken hum Delhi waale thode swabimaani log hain. Management ko sharminda hona pasand nahi, aur yeh psycho has everyone chasing their tails. They felt a change had to be made, public ko puslaane ke liye." Bhatnager explained to him.

The fury now left Sameer's eyes, and was replaced by resignation instead. Feeling defeated, he told his team, "All right then, guys. Ghar chalte hain."

Sameer offered Bhatnagar a handshake in a gesture of parting ways.

Bhatnagar looks down at Sameer's extended hand... And laughs. "Pata hai, just when I thought I had you all figured out Rathore, you go and roll over easy."

Sameer looked at him in a confused manner, and his hand lingering in the air also became less firm, "Ji?"

"Maine yeh kabhi umeed nahi ki thi ki the head of ETF would listen to a bunch of stodgy old government men when they tell you to bugger off."

"Leken aapne abhi abhi to kaha ki hum yeh case se bahar hain. Toh..." Arjun trailed off.

"Haan, kaha tha. Aur mera yeh umeed bilkul nahi tha ki it would stop you." Bhatnagar responded.

"Par it does stop us. Agar we can't get into the palace tonight, hamara case vaise bhi weak hi hai. Aur there's no way we'll be allowed on the guest list now." Arjun declared.

"Shayad. Leken issliye toh main yaha hoon."

Sameer looked at Bhatnagar in a questionable manner. "Aap.. humari maddat karenge?"

"Haan haan, kyun nahi? Mere bosses toh vaisi bhi bloody bewakoof hain."

"I knew I liked this guy!" Sakshi perked up, excited at his defying nature towards the legislation.

Alas, her words also sent a glare her way, courtesy of Arjun. Again with the humor..? However, no sooner than later, he relaxed his glare, just staring at her. This earned him Sakshi's usual playful and bubbly smile right back to him. He grudgingly faced Bhatnagar again. Meh, he'd gotten used to her ability to liven up any serious situation by now. It wasn't like his deathly glares were stopping her anytime soon. Might as well just roll with it.

The inspector slightly chuckled at Sakshi's naivety and innocence. "Vaise bhi I'm getting old. Ab to at least, retire hone se pehle, I can stick it to them one last time."

"Leken hum andar kaise jaayenge?" Chotu asked.

"Humein aliases ki zaroorat hogi." Arjun said with his usual ACP-like authoritative and determined voice. He had a logical answer for every situation. He continued, "Agar hum apne naam list pe nahi daal sakte, toh hume bas alag naam chahiye honge."

"Wow!" Shree perched up, excitedly. "I can't believe ki hum PALACE mein sneak in karenge!"

However, Shree's excitement was short lived, courtesy of Sameer Rathode.

"Hum as in HUM, Shree. Hum as in tum nahi," he intervened. "Tum aur Liza yahi pe rahoge. Humein tumhari yahan par zaroorat hai."

Shree's ecstatic smile dropped, as well did his jaw. "You gotta be kidding me, sir!" He looked over to Liza as she sent him that grinning, evil smile her way. At least, to him she was evil. NO FREAKING WAY IN HELL! "Leken sir, mein Liza ke saath - "

But one deathly stare from Rathode shut him up for good. "Yeh baat tum samajh gaye ya samjhaun?" He told him in his own style of the phrase.

Each member of the team immediately glanced at Rathode upon his words, especially Arjun and Sakshi who briefly looked at each other in a questioning manner, and they both sent each other feeble smiles.

Rathode looked at everyone peering at him in a weird manner. Yeah yeah, I know - Arjun says it better. "Whatever." Seeing that Shree made no further objections, Rathode spoke up once again, "Good. Now that I've made myself clear, let's roll team."

"Ek minute rukiye sir!"

Rathode looked behind him, and looked at Shree in a quizzical manner.

"Jaane se pehle mere paas kuch gadgets hai aap logon ke liye." Shree yanked open a drawer at his desk and plucked out some small household items. He didn't have much to work with since they weren't at the usual ETF office in Mumbai. He ran up to Sakshi, and handed her a fountain pen in ecstasy, eager for her to try out his new invention.

"A pen..." Sakshi muttered as she looked down at the black-coloured fountain pen in her hands. Arjun also looked down at the pen, how is this supposed to protect her? "Uh, thanks Shree." She told him with a weak smile.

"Yeh koi aisa waisa pen nai hai, Sakshi. Iska jo opposite said hai, usme ek microneedle syringe hai, with a potent sedative agent." He told her with confidence. "Kya pata, agar kisi ko jaldi knock out karna ho, toh kaam aayega."

Shree then walked over to Rathode sir and handed him a pair of reading glasses.

"Ab yeh kya karta hai?" He questioned, peering down at the glasses in his hands. He then tried them on for size.

"Yeh glasses bulletproof hai sir, aur inme infrared rays bhi hain." Shree continued to talk about the mechanics of the glass in pure excitement, but was stopped shortly at another one of Sameer's authoritative glares.

Next, Shree handed Arjun a wristwatch.

Arjun took the wristwatch in hand and eyed it precociously. "Let me guess.. yeh electric darts shoot karta hai, ya ek debilitating high-frequency noice emit karta hai..."

"Even better sir." Shree informed him. "Diamond top-glass cutter, screwdriver, a slide-out lock pick, magnifying glass, and a straight-edge blade," he explained to him as he showed him the mechanics of the gadget in detail.

Arjun's mouth gaped slightly open at the revelation of the gadget. Wow. Who knew. "Good job Shree. Thanks."

"You're welcome sir."

"Ab chale?" Bhatnagar spoke aloud, getting impatient. The Jubilee would commence in two hours. They didn't have time to spare. "Ab sab ko tayaar bhi hona hai occasion ke liye."

Once inside the team split up, joining the security queue at intervals to avoid at tracking suspicion. Inching forward in line, Arjun quickly spotted something, and whispered into his earpiece.

"Trouble up ahead. They've got one of those full-body scanners we have to pass through." He narrowed his eyes at the full-body scanner closely, "woh hamare earpieces ko detect karlenge. We have to lose 'em."

Sakshi intently listened, but objected. "Leken Arjun, we can't. Maine abhi abhi suna hai kisi ko phone pe baat karte hue, they were saying that they're not allowing any cell phones through." She told him, slight disappointment apparent on her face.

Rathode mused at the current situation they had at hands, "So without the earpieces, we'll be completely on our own."

Arjun nodded his head slightly in agreeance, "We go dark, or we don't go at all." He then spoke into his earpiece, "Shree? This is where we part ways."

"We hear you, sir. Be careful." Shree responded in the lab.

"All the best, sir!" Liza added, looking at Shree. "Don't worry, yahan par hum sab samhal lenge." Shree mentally rolled his eyes at the sound of Liza's voice, being reminded of her presence. Are yaar kahan phas gaya main iske saath.

Arjun approached the security check and made small steps forward. "All right, last chance. We need to ditch the earpieces. Follow my lead."

Arjun pried the flesh-toned gadget from his ear. A few wayward stared at him as he stepped out of the queue and paced toward the rubbish bin along the wall... But he gathered no suspicion from security as he rejoined the line. Perfect. I got rid of it with nobody noticing. Finally, he reached the security checkpoint.

"Naam?" The security guard questioned as per protocol.

Arjun quietly offered his fabricated Delhi citizenship card. The guard checked his alias against the invite list... "Thank you, Mr. Agarwal. Welcome to the palace." He continued, "please leave your mobile with us. You'll get it back at the end of the night. Then if you have any metal items on your person, please place them in this bin here before you pass through the scanner."

Arjun quietly and subtly eyed the scanner in a scrutinizing manner, "hm.." He considered the towering contraption before him, and removed his metal cufflinks, dropping them in the tray.

"Go on and step through the scanner when you're ready."

Firm lines of slight tension appeared on Arjun's face. He entered the gate, and the machine whirred as it scanned him thoroughly. Then a green light illuminated.

"Next!" The security guard bellowed.

Arjun's face relaxed at the guard's words. Made it through. He stepped through to the other side, where the guard returned his cufflinks.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, leken aapke cooperation ke liye dhanyabaad. You can never be too careful with who you let in."

Arjun nodded silently, and continued on. The guard smiled broadly. Such a chipper young fellow. "Enjoy your night, Mr. Agarwal."

* * *

Arjun waited for the others to successfully pass through the checkpoint, then together they strolled into the main hall... and the mouth of each member of the team hung open. Lit warmly by thousands of candles, the grand hall was draped in luxurious regal banners.

Lively music from a string quartet filled the room over the hundred simultaneous conversations of the country's best and brightest. Overlooking the hall from the top of a grand staircase, Arjun pointed out something below.

"Rathode, udhar dekh."

Arjun was able to pick out a familiar face, seeing Amar Vimal in conversation. It was impossible to make out the words from their location, but Amar Vimal of Parliament appeared to be enduring a withering rebuke from a handsome young man in military garb.

"Who is that yelling at Vimal?" Rathode questioned.

"woh Rajveer Choudhary hai. He's next in line for the throne, served in the Armed Forces for a while. I've seen him on TV, trash-talking the anti-crime bill." Ayesha answered.

"Matlab ki that's just one more person who would like to see Vimal and his legislation fail..." Arjun mused.

Down below, Rajveer Choudhary storms off from Vimal, fuming.

Ayesha decided to seize the opportunity immediately. "Yahi moka hai. Main usse jaake baat karti hoon."

But Sameer objected, " - nahi Ayesha." Ayesha's face fell in surprise.

Arjun agreed and nodded. "He's right. Amar Vimal se baat Sakshi karegi."

Ayesha's face showed more surprise, but Sakshi's jaw completely dropped. "K-kya?!"

Arjun raised an eyebrow at her outburst, then spoke. "Haan Sakshi, TUM Vimal se baat karogi. Already tum dono ke beech conversations ho chuki hain, toh Vimal is more comfortable around you. You'll be able to get more information out of him."

Ayesha and Sameer nodded, agreeing with Arjun, as always. But for once, Sakshi didn't.

"Leken Arjun, main yeh nahi kar sakti. Main - "

Arjun groaned at her childishness. What was the problem, he didn't understand. She's never acted like this before.

Knowing that Arjun was the only one who could handle her, Ayesha and Sameer headed down the carpeted stairs.

* * *

Arjun now understood. She was scared, fearful of him. Knowing that scolding her would only make it worse or attract attention, he took a deep breath. "Dekho Sakshi, you can do this. Don't be afraid, I believe in you. I know you won't let me down, won't let the team down." He told her as he lightly grabbed a hold of her upper arms, looking into her eyes.

But Sakshi was still apprehensive. Out of both the times she had talked to him, there was just something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. "Par Arjun, woh Amar Vimal bahut - "

"Do you trust me?" Arjun asked her suddenly, his hand extended towards her, his palm open for her to accept.

"Wh-what?" Sakshi asked, flabbergasted at his gesture. What was with him today? Ever since last night, he's been acting differently. I mean, not there's anything wrong with his behavior, she's happy he's turned over a new leaf, but it was still so sudden.

"I said do you trust me?" He said once again with somewhat of a low, husky charm in his voice, his eyebrows and eyes nudging towards his empty palm.

Sakshi cautiously but warmly put her hand in his, awaiting his next words. "Haan..." She trailed off. More than my own life. Her hand fit into his like it was a perfect fit. Like two pieces of a puzzle conjoining together. To her, it felt like her hand was made to coincide and fit with Arjun's.

"Tum yeh kar sakti ho Sakshi," he said to her as he put his other hand on hers, quite like he did last night when he confessed all that was in his heart to her. "Mujhe tumpe poora bharosa hai, this is very important for our mission. Aur," Sakshi looked into his eyes as his eyes changed from his acp persona to a caring, considerate individual. Reading her mind and her fears that welled up inside her, he squeezed her hands in his with slight pressure, "tumhe kuch nai hoga. Mein tumhe kuch hone hi nai doonga." He spoke with a determined voice as if he was trying to console not only her, but also himself. He just hoped he had nothing to worry about. Aur vaise bhi, agar kuch hua toh bhi, woh aas paas hi rahega Sakshi ke.

And it was then that she knew she was safe, she had nothing to fear as long as Arjun was here. She could do this, her self-esteem was back as soon as it had gone. She nodded and smiled, and Arjun's lips also curved into a half smile.

Soon after, the duo joined Ayesha and Sameer down the stairs.

* * *

"Yaad rahe, we just get in, get the information out of Vimal and Dipti, and get out." Arjun told the gang.

"Usse we may be able to piece together the killer's plans before the Parliament vote tomorrow morning. By then, shayad bahut dere ho chuki hogi." Rathode added.

"Word travels fast, leken hopefully yahan abhi kisi ko pata nahi chala hoga ki hum investigation se bahar hain. Leken safety measures ke liye, let's keep a low profile." Arjun concluded, ending to look at Sakshi.

Sakshi smiled, took a deep breath, and nodded at him, signaling she was ready. With a slight smile from Arjun, she broke off towards Vimal. Shortly after Sakshi left, Arjun spotted Dipti.

"Okay, I see Dipti over there. If anyone knows about Horus's activity lately, wahi hai. Main use jaake baat karta hoon."

"Zara samalke, sir. See that big guy nearby? Woh Delhi police ka Commissioner hai." Ayesha informed him.

Sameer put a hand on his chin, "Yeh wahi hai jisne hume investigation se bahaar nikal diya hai. Don't let him recognize you."

* * *

Arjun took his comrades' advice, and started to walk towards Dipti, winding casually around conversation circles, wary of Commissioner Desai's line of sight. Finally, he approached Dipti, where she was laughing heartily with other dignitaries. She spotted Arjun instantly upon one glance.

"Ah, ladies, gentlemen, might I introduce to you the ever-dashing ACP from Mumbai, Arjun Suryakante Rawte. My, yeh suit tumhe kaafi jatch rahai."

"Miss Dipti, may I have a word?" Arjun politely asked.

Just then, the string quartet stroked up a dance, and the guests began to pair off.

"Well... aap chahen toh you may have a dance. Mumbai waalo ko dance karna toh aatai na?" She slightly teased in a flirtatious manner.

Dipti set her empty glass on a server's tray and took his hand, leading him away from her friends. She turned to face him, placing one hand on his chest, and both of them began to dance.

"I was wondering when you'd visit me again, ACP sahaab."

"And I was wondering when you'd return my calls." He retaliated with a similar tone.

"Now, now, perhaps I'm just playing hard to get."

Needing to get this information out of the lady, Arjun cleverly put on a flirtatious persona. "I can tell you're very hard to get. The rarest beauties always are."

"Oh, stop," she answered, giggling flirtatiously.

"Maybe you'd feel comfortable talking if you and I ditched this snoozefest and went somewhere a little more... Private?"

"I'd love to." Dipti answered again.

"Toh phir intezaar kis baat ka?"

"I really would love to, ACP sahaab, but.. ab chupane ka kya faida. Aapko haq hai jaanne ka." With a sad, long, and empathetic face, she said, "Commissioner Desai ne mujhe baatayai ki he's terminating your task force's jurisdiction here. Mujhe nahi lakta woh zyaada khush honge to see me working with... An enemy of the state."

(see below for more)

Meanwhile, Sakshi sidled up to Amar Vimal and feigned surprise, interrupting a hushed conversation with an aide.

"Well, look who it is!" She said with that lilt in her voice and her beguiling smile.

"Ah, the lovely reporter Ms. Anand! A pleasure, as always." He smiled.

As the quartet stroke up a dance, Vimal raised an eyebrow. "Shall we?"

Sakshi and Amar Vimal began an easy, loping dance across the floor of the cavernous hall.

"You really must ignore our national media. They're a lot of alarmists, I say. Mere hisaap se aap aur aapki poori team kamaal ka kaam kar rahe hain in the pursuit of Mehta's killer. But nonetheless, I'm happy to see you have a moment to relax and enjoy the festivities."

"Unfortunately Vimal, main yahan kaam se aayi hoon. Mujhe tumse Sir Raj ke baare mein pooch na tha."

"What about him?"

"Aapke knowledge ke hisaap se, kya unne aisa koi bhi kaam kiya hai jo aapko unethical lage?"

Vimal swallowed in tension. "Well... why do you ask?"

"Hamara yeh maan na hai ki the killer is punishing his victims for what he views to be treason, and he's expanding the usual parameters of what counts." Sakshi dropped her smile, "I don't to insult his memory, but to complete this picture, hume yeh jaanna bahut zaroori hai ki Sir Raj ne aisa kiya kya hai ki woh target ban gaye."

Vimal looked around at the densely crowded floor, his face tense. "Jo bhi kuch tumhe jaanna hai, main woh tumhe bataonga. Leken yahan nahi. We must speak privately."

* * *

At the same time, Ayesha drank her champagne absently, watching from a distance as Arjun and Sakshi interrogated the targets. And for the second time that day, she saw a familiar hand extended towards her, the palm of it open in the air for her to accept. She looked up once again, like earlier, to see Sameer with that same charming smile he had before.

"May I have this dance?" He asked her, in a low, charming, husky-like voice.

"You may," She answered, as she placed her right hand in his, discarding the champagne glass she was sipping on earlier.

Sameer led Ayesha into the pack of dancing couples, and faced her - eye to eye. He put his hand on her waist, and the duo revolved around each other in a slow dance step. Ayesha filled the entirety of Sameer's vision as she danced with him - her neatly tucked hair, her brilliant eyes, her plunging neckline...

"You know Ayesha, we might be on a dangerous, life-threatening mission, but.. I'm glad I'm here with you."

Ayesha's lips curved upwards into a smile. She couldn't feel any happier. "Me too."

A few moments later, she adopted a professional behavior, and Sameer followed her gaze across the dance floor, where Rajveer was waltzing with a foreign duchess.

"Tumhe laktai ki Rajveer khooni hai?!" Albeit Ayesha was quite inquisitive when it came to solving cases, but wasn't this a little absurd?

"Aap ne dekha na kaise woh Vimal ko berate kar raha tha. He openly wants the anti-crime bill destroyed. Plus, you said he served. Maybe he got the taste for blood. One way or another, I just know he's involved in this somehow."

Sameer nodded at Ayesha's reasoning, and they joined the line of prancing couples. The line of couples winded through the happily clapping crowd as they slowly gained on Rajveer.

Rajveer and the duchess danced towards a small latticework arch, where they separated, Rajveer going right and the duchess going left, before rejoining on the other side. Each couple followed suit, and soon it was Sameer and Ayesha's turn.

Sameer let go of Ayesha, and split off to the right, following the men, while Ayesha went left with the women. He then joined back together after the archway.

"Kaafi acha dance karle the hain, aap sir."

"I've still got some moves you haven't seen yet," Sameer said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Sameer and Ayesha's moment was interrupted as Rajveer indulged in conversation with the duchess. They listened intently as Rajveer went on.

Ayesha shot Sameer a telling look, and unnerved by Rajveer's words, Sameer couldn't help but return it. The waltz drew to a close, and the couples released each other. A pleasant applause filled the hall.

"Thank you for such a lovely dance, Duchess. I must... Excuse myself."

Sameer watched as Rajveer quickly threaded his way through the applauding crowd and exited through a small door into the bowels of the castle.

"Where is he going? We have to follow him!"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Ayesha."

Ayesha made one step forward but stopped abruptly. A broadly built man stood in their path, his heavy jowls quivering with rage.

"Well, look what we've got here," said Commisioner Desai.

* * *

Meanwhile:

Shree and Liza were having between them their usual petty tom and jerry quarrels. Nothing out of the ordinary. Liza would make a remark, Shree would retaliate, then Liza would wittingly have a thodu jawaab, leaving Shree renderless, rolling his eyes at her.

Just then, Shree's fancy hi-tech computer dinged! He immediately flicked his eyes to the screen in a flash.

"Oh no..."

"Kya hua Shree? Did you just realize that your new invention isn't so new?" She teased, once again.

Ignoring Liza, Shree punched a number into his phone... "Phone uthao! C'mon!"

"Haan Shree." Chotu answered.

"Chotu, I've been monitoring the palace guard's network activity to get some sense of what's going on in there..." Panic arose on his face as he spoke, "And someone just scanned Ajay Diwan's press pass to get into the Jubilee!"

"Diwan? Unless Liza reanimated his corpse while you weren't looking, I imagine it wasn't him using his own identification." Chotu mused at the situation at hand.

"Aisa kuch nai hai," Liza said, confirming Chotu's thoughts.

"Mujhe... Mujhe lakta hai ki woh killer ho sakta hai. I think ki who wahan mojood hai, palace mein. Right now." Shree said. His brows furrowed full of tension, "Chotu, you have to warn the others."

"I'm going in. I'll find them, Shree." Chotu assured him.

The line went dead as Chotu hung up. Shree sat there in tense silence for a moment, thoughts of Arjun, Sakshi, Sameer, and Ayesha rushing through his brain.

He grabbed his jacket.

"C'mon, Liza! We have to go too! There's nothing more we can do here!" Without thinking twice, he hurriedly grabbed a hold of her wrist, yanking her up from her chair. Immediately after, he felt sudden sparks course through his veins, an unknown feeling resonated through him. For a brief moment, he stood still and looked at Liza. He - he'd never felt this way before towards anyone. A red blush started to appear on his cheeks as he was tongue-tied.

Liza observed Shree's unusual state as he stood frozen in the middle of the lab. "Umm... Shree?" Not gaining any type of response, she waved her hand in front of his face and snapped her fingers a couple of times as well. "Hello? Shree?!"

Shree immediately snapped and came back to his senses.

"Kya hua? What are we waiting for? Let's go!" She said enthusiastically, as she scampered out the premise.

Shree stood there, dumbfounded by the recent events. What just happened? What was that? Why couldn't he tear his eyes away from her? Shaking his head at the notion of even the dreadful thought, he assembled into his normal self, and followed in suit with Liza out the door.

* * *

Arjun was still engaged in a tense dance with Horus CEO Ananya Dipti.

"What are you talking about?" He questioned, fury clearly written all over his face.

"In fact... I should have reported you the instant I saw you." She said with a devilish smile. "Oh, that's right. I did." She chuckled a villainous laugh.

Before he could even blink, rough hands seized his arms and yanked him back.

"Get the HELL off me!!!"

"I'm afraid we must ask you to leave, sir." The security guard mentioned.

Dipti blew Arjun a red-lipsticked kiss, and winked before turning on her heel, leaving Arjun to leave with the aftermath and chaos to erupt. The guard wrangled him back while more guards escorted Ayesha and Sameer toward him.

"Hands off the goods, pal!" Ayesha exclaimed.

"Bahaar nikalo sab ko. They're spoiling the mantri ji's party." Commissioner Desai bellowed.

"You're making a big mistake." Arjun said, a dangerous anger in his voice.

"No, you did in ever coming to this city. Now go back to the sewer you came from."

Arjun was not the slightest bit interested in what the Commissioner had to say. His words could affect him the least. Instead, the only thing that was currently wrapped around his mind was the fact that everyone had been roped in by security guards and ruffians... except for Sakshi. He looked around frantically, his eyes searching for those doe-like, brown orbs he was so familiar with.

"We're not leaving without Sakshi! Where is she?!"

"You leave when I say you leave." The commissioner bluntly replied with a dark chuckle apparent in his voice.

The guests around Arjun watched in horror as the guards pushed the trio towards the exit.

"Rathode, Ayesha... Do you have any idea where Sakshi is?"

No. This couldn't be. He promised her - he promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He felt ashamed, repulsive for his own self. Man kar raha tha to punch his fist into a cement wall. But in the center of his heart, he also hoped and deep down knew, that despite however dangerous Vimal was, Sakshi was a very brave girl, and just hoped she would be okay.

Please be okay.

Chapter 5A: A Clearing in the Forest

MP Amar Vimal unlocked a hallway door with his personal key and let Sakshi into a secluded tea room deep within the palace. When Sakshi entered, she saw a lavish sight before her just like she would see in a posh British movie - a warm fire burning under the chimney, a rug made from bear skin, oakwood table in the centre, and a bookshelf against the wall.

"We may talk at normal volume. Yeh diwaar soundproof hai. Aap kuch lengi?"

"Nahi, main teekh hoon," Sakshi managed to say in a poised, confident manner.

"Well, agar aapko itraaz naa ho..." Vimal quickly paced to the bar, where he poured himself a plentiful helping of brandy. He threw it back in one gulp and set the glass down hard on the counter.

"Aap jaan na chaahti hai na ki Mehta ki treason kya thi... you want to know the identity of your elusive killer..." He took a deep breath, as if he was about to tell Sakshi a very long story. "Mujhe aapko bahut pehle bataa dena chaiyye tha, leken mein darr gaya tha, aur aaj bhi hoon."

Sakshi inched closer to Vimal, her brow furrowed. "Aap exactly kehna kya chahte hai?"

"I'm trying to tell you that your mysterious treason killer..." He fumbled with his words, as if trying to phrase his sentences in the right way in a shrewd manner, "ek tareeqe se... Woh exist hi nai karta. He is a figment of the public imagination. Woh zindagi ka diawa darr hai.

Vimal's clever wordiness didn't go unnoticed by Sakshi. "Well, someone is chopping up Delhi citizens, Mr. Vimal. I'd appreciate some clarity."

"Last year, Mehta was contacted by some of his campaign donors. Woh log chahte the ki woh sweeping anti-crime reform ko spearhead kare, jo ek drastic initiative be centered ho. Ek surveillance camera Delhi ki har gali gali mein ho." Vimal continued on, "Mehta khushi khushi se maan gaya. Accha aadmi tha, but... jab paise ki baat aati thi, toh woh laalaj mein kamzor pad jaata tha."

Vimal poured and threw back another shot, his hands quaking. "Phir, a few weeks ago, he came to me, ashamed. He told me he was going to back out of the deal with the donors. Woh legislation ko maar na chahata tha. Aur tabhi..."

"Tabhi woh maara gaya." Sakshi finished for him, her face full of shock and remorse.

Vimal nodded. "The donors' company stood to profit immensely if the bill passed. They weren't going to let him get away with it." His face suddenly displayed emotions of anger and frustration as he said, "Usne unko ek no-bid contract sign kiya tha to provide the surveillance of Delhi... they're called - "

"Horus Corporation." Sakshi finished again, her face scrunched up in anger. All the pieces were finally fitting together. This meant ki Horus millawua hai.

"Ji haan, unka CEO, Ananya Dipti. Yeh sab ussi ka plan tha. It was a happy accident ki Mehta ki disappearance fanned the flames of fear in the city... And aise karte hue, picked up citizen support for the legislation."

"So they kept going. Oh my god. They kept killing in order to scare people into supporting the bill."

Vimal explained further, "They came to me to resume its passage through Parliament, as I was Mehta's closest friend in the governing legislation. And risk suffering the same fate? Heavens, no."

"So the entire killer is a ploy designed to inspire fear... And woh joh saari baatein thi about criminals trying to stop the bill's passage..."

"They were P.R. manipulations by Horus executives. Ab aapko sab kuch pata chal gaya hai. They will kill me for telling you. I think they've planned to for some time, just to tie off a loose end."

Angered and determined, Sakshi spoke up, "Hum aapki raksha karenge, Vimal. Hum Dipti ko arrest karlenge, aur we'll take Horus apart."

"You'll try," Vimal objected, "But this city is as controlled by corporate interests as is yours."

Vimal tossed back yet another shot.

"Kaash main usse bacha sakta, Ms. Anand. Mujhe pata tha ki Mehta ki jaan kathre mein hain. Mujhe kuch kehna chaiyye tha. Ek raat, I went to his home to speak with him, uski safety ke liye mera becheni was at the height... Jab maine dekha ki ek Horus operative of terrifying countenance was leaving him. A man swathed in gauze."

Just then, she had a sudden revelation moment, just like the super cop ACP Arjun Suryakant Rawte would have had had he been in her situation right now. Her racing thoughts slammed on the breaks, locking onto Vimal's last utterance.

"Did you say, gauze?"

"Ji woh... haan. Kya aap iss insaan ke baare mein kuch jaanti hain? Tell me - "

The door to the team room swung open. In stepped an imposing, bespectacled older man.

"Excuse me, sir, this is -" Sakshi interrupted upon the unknown man's entry into their conversation.

"So you have finally come for me, have you?"

The man looked from Vimal to Sakshi, and then back. "Kya bataya tumne ETF ko?"

"Everything," Vimal answered in a blunt manner. No hesitation was in his voice.

"I really wish you hadn't done that."

"Miss Anand, please meet Raheem Shaikh, my corporate handler'. Aaya toh thaa mujhe katham karne, but now I'm afraid, darling, he must kill us both. I'm terribly sorry to have dragged you into this."

"I too am sorry to have dragged you into this," Raheem urged, a sinister look on his face.

He brought his gun up, its target straight at Sakshi's tense face, the bullet within the contraption ready to finish her off.

Sakshi froze in place, her legs and arms not able to move at all. Her heart was telling her to move and do something, anything to save her own life and the poor MP in the room as well.

But her mind? It was stuck in place, not able to signal her body to move an inch. Instead, it drifted off to a distant memory back in time.

Flashback:

Both individuals were walking on the forest path for who knows how long now. Arjun was walking a couple feet ahead of Sakshi, his feet trudging grudgingly along the dirt path, each step firmly planted with utmost concentration, as if he had come here with one sole purpose.

Sakshi, on the other hand, was blissfully enjoying the journey. The sweet, mixed sounds of the jungle - birds chirping in the air, the flowing of the water in a nearby creek, crickets chirping on the ground. But the sound she loved the most was the sound the leaves made when they crunched with her footsteps. She just loved it. It reminded her of the time when she would walk in the forest trails with her father when she was just a child, with no care in the world except for her baba. Her small, hand with her tiny, chubby fingers fit perfectly her father's soft, tender one made her feel at bliss. She didn't need anyone else, or anything else. As long as she always had her baba.

The fresh sound of the leaves crunching under her feet always made her feel at ease, like her baba was always with her, by her side forever. The sound of a bluejay flapping its wings inside the green, lush, bush of leaves emerged out of a tree and soared through the air, startling Sakshi and jolting her back into reality.

Arjun was still walking ahead, and suddenly noticed that Sakshi had been mum for quite a while now. How unusual. Sakshi... and quiet? Not possible. What if she was in some kind of trouble? The thought itself scared him. She was his responsibility, HE was the one who brought her here. He slowly started to turn his head over his shoulder to look behind him, slightly hoping that what he was fearing wasn't to be worried about. And before he could even begin to turn his head around towards her, he heard that annoying chirpy, voice of hers yet again. And then her incessant blabbering commenced again.

Here we go again. I shouldn't have even bothered. He told his subconscious mind in a sarcastic manner, rolling his eyes at the sound of his voice.

Another hour passed, and Arjun abruptly stopped in the middle of a vast clearing in the forest they had been trudging along for the past numerous hours. Sakshi mindlessly and aimlessly kept walking along the trail, when she noticed that her and Arjun's surroundings had changed. There was a vast clearing of trees, the wide view of evergreen grass along with some pebbles of dirt and other debris underneath her shoes. Her eyes wandered up, down, left, right, - all around - as she took in her fervent surroundings. Her awe-stricken eyes however snapped closed tight upon feeling her body suddenly colliding with a hard wall, like a water balloon against a brick wall.

"Oof!" She staggered back a few steps, regaining her posture from the collision. She rubbed her head in slight pain and slowly opened her eyes to find that the wall she had collided with was Arjun's back. Ugh. That hurt.

She took a stance beside him, and faced him, "Arjun, yeh hum kahaan aa gaye? Aur kyun?"

Sakshi's relentless voice was starting to give him a headache. "Savaal bahot karti ho tum." He told her, his face centered forwards, away from her, walking a couple meters away from her.

Sakshi sent a glare his way in response, then perked up a moment later, as usual. However, she didn't intrude his space as he was so far away from her, and instead continued to blabber on about how beautiful she thought their surroundings were, while Arjun had knelt down on the ground, taking his hefty voyage backpack off his broad shoulders and peering inside his bag.

Arjun was seriously starting to get a headache from her blabbering. Doesn't her silencer ever stop? How can someone be so chirpy all the freaking time! It was times like these he really felt like shutting her up once and for all.

That's it. I've had just about enough. Time to end her chattering voice box once and for all. He pulled out an arrow from the container full of other sharp, steel arrows and assembled it with the bow.

He stood back up on his two feet. Intense concentration filled his mind, and his eyes burned with a fiery aim towards the bubbly, carefree girl a few meters in front of him, who was mindlessly standing in place. He eyed his target precariously as if it were his prey and he were a predator; his target was the only thing in his line of sight.

And then... he stretched the arrow back with the bow, and with impulse, let it go as it flew towards its target.

Sakshi turned around to face Arjun, but when she did, she encountered something she had never expected to encounter ever before. A steel, sharp arrow speeding right towards her face - she immediately let out a blood-curdling scream and hid her face with her hands, absolutely terrified of the impact of the sharp arrow with the flesh of her face, mere nanoseconds away from striking her flawless face.