Ariya Of Roses and Thorns - Page 16

Part 8

Flashback Ends……………………

Arjun came out of his thoughts as he reached the gate of Jeevan Nirmal. He hopped out and sprinted towards the reception.

Kinjal: hi Arjun

Arjun: hi, Savita Tai kaha hai? (she was about to answer) aur Riya kaha hai? kya hua use? (she tried to answer) is she ok? Chot lagi hai kya? Ya fir tabiyat kharab hai? (Kinjal looked at him blankly) Tai ne achanak kyun bulaya? Aur ghabraane waali baat nahi toh kya baat hai? tum kuch bol kyun nahi rahi ho?

Kinjal: tum bolne toh do! (he shut up) had hai!

Arjun: sorry….par ab bolo bhi

Kinjal: ha ek second, main bulati hun unhe pehle

She picked up the landline and dialled Savita’s intercom.

Kinjal: Tai, Arjun aa gaya….ha ok

Keeping the phone back, she looked around. An 8 year old child was playing with her ball.

Kinjal: are Suhasi!!!

Suhasi came running: ha didi?

Kinjal: beta please Riya didi ko room se bula dogi?

Suhasi: ok!

Kinjal: thank you!

Suhasi giggled and ran away. Savita Tai arrived providing some amount of respite to Arjun.

Arjun: kya hua Tai?

Savita: hona kya hai? tumhari Riya ko firse attack aaya

Arjun(shocked): attack? Kisne attack kiya (removing his gun) Aap Naam….

Savita shook her head: are baba, attack matlab woh waala attack nahi! gun andar rakho apni!!!

Arjun slipped his gun back: oh par hua kya?

Savita: Maine kaha tha na tension ki baat nahi hai, hyper kyun ho rahe ho?

Arjun: kyunki woh Riya hai! Boliye na seedhe-seedhe, mujhe tension ho rahi hai, saare raaste dimag kharab ho gaya, koi batayega ki ho kya raha hai?

Savita: tumhari madam ke results aa gaye

Arjun(surprised): Really? Kab? Kya result aaya?

Savita: woh dekhegi toh batayegi na?

Arjun: matlab?

Kinjal sighed: offo! Use dar lag raha hai toh woh khol kar dekh hi nahi rahi ki result kya aaya hai?

Arjun: KYA?!!?

Savita: ha, na khud dekh rahi hai na hume dekhne de rahi hai…keh rahi hai ki fail ho gayi toh?

Arjun shook his head in disbelief: ye ladki bhi na, kabhi nahi sudhregi

Savita: ab tum hi samjhao use! mere bas ki baat nahi hai

Just then a voice called out to him: Arjun?

They turned to see Riya standing there. She walked to them.

Riya: tum is waqt?

Arjun: kya karu? aana pada

Riya: oh case ke liye aaye ho

Arjun: ha case toh hai

Her gaze fell behind him but he was alone. She was confused.

Riya: toh, baakhi sab? Aur kise lekar aaye ho?

Arjun: purana hai, jise laaya tha usse kaam hai

Riya: oh

Arjun: kaun, nahi puchogi?

Riya: kyun? Mera kya lena dena?

Arjun: well agar, tumhara khud se lena dena nahi hai toh…that’s weird

Riya: khud se? matlab?

Arjun : meri maa! Tumse milne aaya hu

Riya(taken aback): toh… toh aise kyun baat kar rahe ho? (she glanced at Kinjal and Savita) kuch hua hai kya?

Arjun: ha

Riya: kya hua?

Arjun raised his eyebrow: tumhare results kaha hai Riya?

She opened her mouth to defend herself and then turned to the ladies: aapne ise kyun bulaya?

Arjun: oh hello, unhe kya keh rahi ho? idhar dekho

Riya: nahi!

Arjun: what?

Riya: tum…tum humesha mujhe apni baaton mein fasa dete ho

Arjun: Excuse me?

Riya turned to leave: ha

His fingers curled around her wrist effectively stopping her. She didn’t turn towards him.

Arjun: Riya?

Riya whined: mujhe nahi dekhna result!!

Arjun sighed and went in front of her: dekhogi nahi toh pata kaise chalega?

Riya: par mujhe nahi pata karna

Arjun: kyun?

Riya: kyun ka kya matlab hai? agar main fail ho gayi toh?

Arjun: Riya ek baar fail hone se duniya thodi khatam ho jaati hai?

Riya: lekin main kabhi fail nahi hui!!!! Mujhe nahi fail hona!!!! Tum samajte kyun nahi ho?

Arjun: ha toh tumne mehnat ki haina? Kya pata pass ho gayi ho?

Riya: par agar fail ho gayi toh?

Arjun: toh tum bhul jaana ki tumne koi exam diya tha

Riya: lekin….

Arjun: lekin wekin kuch nahi!

He dragged her behind Kinjal’s desk.

Riya: Arjun please….

Arjun: main bhi tumse please keh raha hu….(opening the website) please results dekh lo

Riya: par mujhe….mujhe dar lag raha hai

Arjun: are dar ke aage jeet hai

Riya glared at him: yaha meri jaan nikal rahi hai aur tumhe dialogue baazi sujh rahi hai?

Arjun: mere hote hue tumhari jaan kaise nikal sakti hai?

Her eyes widened as they locked with his. Kinjal and Savita glanced at each other.

Savita coughed bringing them out of their trance: result dekh le?

Riya averted her gaze.

Arjun: ID?

Riya sighed: tum nahi maanoge?

Arjun shamelessly shook his head. She ran a hand through her hair to calm herself and then gave him her Student ID. Arjun entered it and pressed enter. Kinjal peeped in eagerly looking at the screen.

The page loaded and Riya turned in the opposite direction. The results showed up and Arjun shouted.

Arjun: Riya!!!!!

Kinjal: Shit man! I can’t believe this!!

He turned to her but she was still looking at the other side. He turned her towards them.

Arjun: Riya!!! You Passed!!! All Of Them!!

Riya(shocked): what?!?

Arjun: Haa!!! Dekho!!

Kinjal: pass? Seriously Arjun? Uska ek bhi paper 70 se neeche nahi hai, 6 papers mein 90 se upar hai, tum ise pass kehte ho? It’s A Bloody Distinction!!

Arjun chuckled as Riya peered through the page, unable to believe what had happened. Savita smiled seeing her hard work pay off. Tears formed in Riya’s eyes.

He gave her a side hug: dekha maine kaha tha na?

She nodded slightly. That’s when he noticed the water in her eyes. He was about to ask when she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Needless to say, he was shocked but also happy. She had never hugged him….let alone this intense. Even when he had done occasionally, she had always held a part of herself behind.

Her sobs brought him out his trance. Then, he was confused. Why was she crying? And not just shedding a few tears…she was full-fledged crying as she held onto him. She had never cried either. not even when she had been officially ‘rescued’. Sceptical, he glanced at Savita Tai for help.

She just giggled and gestured to Kinjal to leave them alone and come with her. He tried to protest silently but they left. Bewildered, he glanced at Riya. Unsure of what to do next, he just embraced her more tightly, caressing her hair to soothe her. He let her cry for some time.

Arjun: bas Riya shaant ho jao….kyun ro rahi ho tum?

Riya tried to control herself and separated a little. The next second, she realized how close she was to him and almost jumped behind. He observed her as she wiped off her tears and tried to contain her sobs. Even then, fresh tears continued to pour out of her eyes. He removed his handkerchief and gave it to her. As she wiped her face, Arjun gave her Kinjal’s water bottle. She relaxed a little after drinking a few sips of water.

Arjun: better? (She nodded wordlessly) kya hua?

Riya: woh…bas….(gazing at him) jab, jab dad ne mujh ghar se baahar nikal diya tha uske baad…(lowering her eyes) maine saari umeed chod di, saare sapne, sab kuch bhul gayi thi. Agar…agar tum nahi hote toh (her eyes leaked again and she pressed the kerchief to them) main, mujhe nahi pata main…

Arjun lifted her chin: hey! Idhar dekho….Riya ye jo bhi hua hai sab tumhari mehnat ki wajah se hai. agar tumne humari help nahi ki hoti toh Sikandar bhi kabhi pakda nahi jaata. Maine toh sirf tumhari thodi si help ki hai (he cupped her face) main jaanta hun, itna aasan nahi hai bhulaana lekin Riya woh sab khatam ho chuka hai, tumhara aaj aur kal dono ab tumhare haath mein hai, hm?

She nodded. He smiled and hugged her. A wave of contentment washed over her as she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a few moments before separating.

He tried to change the mood: so, Riya madam, aaj se aap officially software engineer ban gayi (she giggled) toh is baat par, ice-cream ho jaaye?

Riya: ha

He entwined his fingers with hers: toh chalo, mujhe glucose ki sakht zaroorat hai

They walked out of premises towards their favourite spot as her fingers slowly left his hand and he closed his fist.

Near the Vendor-

They were sitting on the bonnet with their ice-cream cones, talking casually when Arjun’s phone rang.

Arjun: ha kamine bol

Sameer: kaha hai tu? Riya kaisi hai?

Arjun: woh theek hai, uske result aa gaye, she passed

Sameer: really? Saare subjects ek saath?

Arjun: yup

Sameer: baap re! padhaku hai re teri

Arjun: timepass mat kar, koi kaam hai toh bol

Sameer: nahi bas puchne ke liye phone kiya tha, tu tension mein nikla tha toh…khair use meri taraf se congratulations zaroor kehna

Arjun: he keh dunga….waise I’m sorry

Sameer raised his eyebrow: kis khushi mein?

Arjun: main aise achanak se office se nikal gaya na toh ab tu free nahi hai toh record room…

Sameer: HELL WITH YOU RAWTE!!!

Arjun laughed as Sameer angrily disconnected the call. Riya looked on, amused at their friendship.

Arjun placed his phone on the side: Sam ne tumhe congratulations kaha hai

She smiled: use meri taraf se thank bol dena

Arjun: are main tum dono ka kabutar hu kya? Woh congratulations bolega aur tum thanks bologi? Dono ek saath baat karo na

Riya shook her head in disbelief: you know you have good friends

Arjun smiled: ha woh toh hai, apart from the fact ki hum ek dusre ko bahot pareshaan karte hai and all that, hum humesha ek dusre ke peeche khade hote hai. jab maine ghar choda tha toh usne mujhe bahot support kiya tha….waise doston se yaad aaya, (complaining) tumne kabhi apne best friend ke baare mujhe nahi bataya

Riya giggled: hoga toh bataungi na

Arjun: matlab tum kya class ki woh padhaku keeda thi kya? Jise teacher ke ilawa aur koi pasand nahi karta?

Riya: shut up! Aise kuch nahi tha….dost the mere, college mein bhi….just that, main thodi si introverted hu toh kabhi koi itna khaas nahi mila jisse main apna best friend keh saku

Arjun: that makes sense, except for one thing

Riya: kya?

Arjun: tum thodi nahi, kaafi introverted ho (she raised her eyebrow) kabhi-kabhi tumhe dekh ke ya tumse baat karte hue aisa lagta hai jaise ki tum koi saadhu sant ho jisne Himalaya par jaakar 100 saal tapasya karke gyaan grahan kiya ho

Riya: kuch bhi Arjun, tum feko mat

Arjun: are sach mein

Riya: please…

Arjun: acha woh sab chodo, mujhe tumse kuch aur puchna hai

Riya: kya?

Arjun: aage ka kya plan hai?

Riya: kis baare mein?

Arjun: are degree mil gayi, ab job ke baare mein kya socha hai

Her face faded as she looked away: pata nahi

Arjun: pata nahi kyun? Ye tumhara ambition tha na?

Riya: ha par

She stopped abruptly, still looking away. Arjun turned towards her.

Arjun: Riya kya baat hai?

Riya: Arjun…I…mujhe nahi lagta ki main job kar paungi

Arjun: but kyun?

Riya: har cheez mein kyun nahi hota Arjun……..........................