Hey-ya DYM people! Here's the first chapter of the story Crossroads. In this chapter most of the events are from the last two episodes, because those episode were almost similar to what I had planned to write in the first chapter. But the scenes will be more explained and somewhat different from what was shown in the last two episodes. So here I present you the very first chapter of ArDhika & NeSam FanFic - Crossroads;
Chapter 1 - Trapped
"Trapped by reality, freed by imagination." - Nicolas Manetta
"Bonnie, tumhe pata hai na ki tumhe kya karna hai?" Arjun twirled the paperweight in his hands and eyed Radhika from the corner of his eye.
"Everything is perfectly set up. We just need to make sure that Radhika is alone." Replied Bonnie as she watched Radhika and Kritika move from one customer to another, asking questions about the Maybelline products.
Arjun bounced the paperweight in his hands like a ball and stared openly at Radhika who was smiling as she jotted down notes on her notepad. "Mujhe Radhika ko Bird Song se exit ka raasta dikhana hai. Laga nahi thha mujhe that this meek and naive girl could prove to be a hurdle in my way. Bohot bharosa hai na usse, khud par, apne vishvas par aurr Samaira ki dosti par? Ab dekhte hain ki kaise Miss Radhika Mishra apne so called vishvas ke dum par iss problem ka saamna karti hai."
Bonnie eyed Arjun who was still staring at Radhika. There was something in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before. She knew Arjun didn't liked Radhika as she was more of a problem to him than a nuisance. Arjun was eyeing Radhika with a different gleam in his eyes. Bonnie recognized that gleam almost immediately. That was the same way she had always looked at Samaira. Challenge.
Somehow, in a way or some, Arjun had placed Radhika in the position of his competitor. Just the way she (Bonnie) always competed with Samaira, similarly Arjun was looking at Radhika that way. He was challenging Radhika. This wasn't just a I-want-you-out-of-my-way type of plan, it was more like a Got-guts-to-prove-me-wrong? type of game plan.
Even after this many years with him, she just couldn't quite understand Arjun's psychology. He was still a mystery to her. A mystery that she was eager to solve.
Her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen that showed the name of the caller, she was expecting.
Answering the call she said, "Everything ready?"
"Good. Yeah I can see you from here. Perfect, just make sure woh akeli ho, Bird Song ka koi bhi employee aas paas bhi na ho uske."
She then looked at Arjun, ending her call she said, "He's here. I should go and start recording it all."
Arjun just nodded and started walking towards Radhika, who now stood alone chatting with some random girl, asking her questions. He walked past her but still kept an eagle eye on her moments.
"Bohot shaunk hai na tumhe, vishvas ka gyan baatne ka, sabko lecture dene ka. Ab khud ko kaise bachaogi Radhika. Tumhe kaha thha maine, samjhane ki koshish ki thhi, ki mat aao mere raaste mein, lekin tumhe toh mahan banna thha aurr maa-beti ko milana thha na. Ab iss sab ki saza toh tumhe hi milegi na. Dekhte hain ki kaise tumhaara tumpar atoot vishvas tumhe iss problem se nikalega." Thought Arjun. He had a smirk on his face and was so lost in his thoughts of victory that he collided with Samiara who was on her way to him only.
"Ab yeh koi naya tareeka hai, mere aas paas rehne ka?" Samaira teased him.
Arjun tightly trapped his fury inside him and gave her his famous, die for smirk. He tilted his head lightly and gave a full glance at Samaira from head to toe and then back.
"Mujhe kissi bahane ki zaroorat nahi. Tum khud hi mujhe resist nahi kar paati. Khicchi chali aati ho mere paas aurr abhi tak yeh jaan nahi paayi ki kya hai humaare beech mein." Arjun whispered the last part, lightly in her ear.
Samiara sucked in a deep breath and gave Arjun a glazed look. "Kuch kehna thha tumse." She began.
"Jaanta hoon ki kya kehna chahti ho tum."
"Kya?" Samaira and Arjun stared into each other's eyes. One held back the emotions that burned his insides while the other displayed all the emotions effortlessly in open.
"Yahi ki abhi tak tumhe koi mind blowing idea nahi aaya."
"Idea?"
"Haan. Idea. Presentation ke liye. Don't worry sochti raho, koi na koi idea toh aa hi jayega." Smirked Arjun and walked away without giving a second glance at Samaira, who now stood still and dumbfounded.
"Itni aasaani se nahi Samaira Khanna. Tumhe pal pal tadapna hoga. Har pal tarasna hoga tumhe. Abhi toh sirf shuruvaat hai, tum kabhi soch bhi nahi sakti ki main tumhaare saath kya karne waala hoon. Jo dukh mujhe mile hain, unka dard tumhe dheere dheere mehsoos hoga."
Samaira watched as Arjun simply walked away, "Ho kyat um Arjun. Har pal badalte ho. Tum kab kya hote ho, mere samajh se bahar hai. Pagal ho jaungi main tumhaare saath reh-kar. Actually thodi si pagal toh ho hi gayi hoon." She smiled at herself and then herself walked away from that spot shaking her head and smiling widely.
Unaware to her, there at a side stood Neil with a broken expression on his face. He had his camera in his hand, his posture stiff while he could feel his heart breaking into pieces. A feeling crept inside his heart, his chest pained. He realized that he had lost it all. Lost the girl whom he had loved since he met her. Loved everything about her.
"Sahi kaha thha tumne Chashni. Dil mein jo baat ho, usse bol dena chahiye. Kyonki ek baar agar der ho jaye toh phhir woh waqt kabhi waapir nahi aata aurr baat karne kin a koi wajah bachti hai aurr nahi hi baat karne ke liye woh insaan."
A tear drop trickled down his cheek; he wiped it as fast as he could. And a decision was made, if he can't be happy with her, he would always be happy for her.
"Arjun tum aa gaye..Arjun.."
"Arjun beta idhar aao, dekho Papa tumhaare liye kya laye hain.."
"I love you Nandu."
"Arjun...Arjun..."
"Nandu kahan ho tum...Nandu..."
"ARJUN..."
Arjun woke up with in the middle of the night sweating and panting loudly. He ran his fingers threw his damp hair and got off the bed. Still panting he opened the glass doors of his room and stepped in the balcony and was hit by wisps of cool air.
"Aaj itne saalon baad bhi yeh dard abhi bhi utna hi gehra hai aurr jo zakhm barson pehle diye thhe tum logon ne mujhe woh aaj bhi taaza hai. Just because of that Khanna family I am still trapped in history. Bohot dard seh chukka hua main, bas ab aurr nahi ab dard sehne ki baari tumhaari hai Samrat Khanna. Tum logon ko kuch iss tarah chot phonchaunga main ki koi bhi dawa kaam nahi aayegi. Not your money, not your power and not even the trust you all talk about."
One day Later
"Arre yaar Chashni!! Jaldi karo na yaar. Aaj hai final presentation, kal nahi." Samaira yelled as she honked the horn of her scooty.
"Aa rahi hoon! Tumme patience nahi hai na." Said Radhika smilingly as she sat at the backseat.
Samaira ignited the engine and started driving, "Nope, main toh aisi hi hoon."
"Jaisi bhi ho, bohot acchi ho."
"Ayye hayye..Chashni ke chashni bhare words. Diabetes ho jayegi mujhe."
Both of them laughed at themselves unaware of what was in store for them. Life isn't always that easy, it has various hurdles in store to challenge our determination to reach our destiny. This is one of the hurdles that both Samaira and Radhika have to face.
Conference Room
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen. I am Annirudh Vishist, marketing head of the Mayebelline New York's branch of India. Today we have top four advertising agencies, the Techie Creators, Samudra's, Golden Graphics and Bird Song. You four will be giving us a brief presentation of the new advertisement that will be showcased nationally. So shall we start the presentation?"
Everybody nodded. "Techie Creators will be going first, then Samudra's, Golden Graphics and Bird Song at last."
Within few minutes the presentations started. While the others had their eyes on the screen, Arjun had his gaze fixated over Radhika only. With the ever present wicked smirk on his lips and the challenging glint of his eye, he looked at Radhika. For the next 20 minutes, as the Techie Creators presented their idea in a detailed way along the AV presentation, Arjun kept glancing at his wrist watch and Bonnie, gesturing her to be ready for what they had planned.
Then came the turn of the respresentative of samudra's for the presentation. As soon as it started and the words, the tag line started to sink in, the team of Bird Song realized that this was their idea that Samudra's were presenting. They all were shocked and panicked to core. Only one thought in their minds, "How the hell their idea of presentation got leaked!"
Piyali gestured her team at a corner, signalling that she wanted to talk. Fortunately the organizers announced a 10 minute break after Samudra's presentation.
"How the hell that happened? That was totally our idea!" roared Piyali.
"Zaroor koi hamari company mein se hi hai, jisne hamaara idea leak kiya hai." Arjun muttered.
"But aisa kar kaun sakta hai?"
"I think I know who is responsible for this." chipped in Bonnie.
Samaira, Piyali, Arjun and Radhika looked at Bonnie as if she got some imaginary horns over her head. "Tumhe kya pata hai? Do you really know who has done this?"
Bonnie nodded and showed them the video she had taken. In that video Radhika was shown with a guy, they talked for a while and then the guy gave Radhika a package that she kept in her purse. Samaira and Radhika looked at each other, Bonnie and Arjun shared a secretive smile while Piyali watched it with a gaping mouth.
"Chirag Sahani." Piyali exclaimed, she then looked at Radhika who was starting to get nervous, "Yeh sab tumne kiya hai Radhika?"
Radhika was shocked to core, "No Ma'am, maine kuch nahi kiya. I swear!"
Arjun held Radhika's arm tight in his hand and bellowed, "Tumne nahi toh aurr kisne, video mein tum ho aurr yeh, this guy is the manager of Samudra. What was in the bag that he gave you? Money? How much?"
"I swear Sir, maine aise kuch nahi kiya. Vishvas kijiye mera. Uss bag mein sirf kuch cosmetics thhe toh inhone apni wife ke liye thhe." Pleaded Radhika.
Radhika looked at Sam who was staring silently at the video. "Sam, I ssach keh rahi ho, main nahi janti thhi ki yeh...I just..please bharosa karo mujhpar."
"Enough!" yelled Piyali.
"Galati toh hui hai Radhika, jiski wajah se aaj hum kuch present nahi kar payenge. Aurr yeh galati tumhaari hai." Piyali said.
"Mom..hear me out please." Sam added in.
"Bolo!"
"Chalo ek pal ke liye maan liya ki yeh sab Radhika ne hi kiya hai."
"Sam par maine yeh sab.."
Samaira raised her hand in front of Radhika gesturing her to stop talking. She turned towards Bonnie and continued, "Maan liya ki Radhika ki wajah se yeh sab hua. Yeh video tumne shoot ki hai na Bonnie?"
Bonnie nodded in positive, "That's for the proof, mujhe to shuru se hi laga thha that she's wrong for our company aurr..." she was stopped by Samaira who now faced her mother and continued, "Toh yeh proof tumhaare paas 2 din se thha. Ek, jab tumne isse shoot kiya and shyam ko hamare ghar bhi aayi thhi na tum, tab tumne kuch kyon nahi kaha? And you could also revel this yesterday, when we were finalising the details, tab kyon chup rahi tum?"
Now Bonnie was the suspect. She got caught in her own web.
"Mom.." Samaira continued, "Aap khud hi sochiye, agar aisa kuch thha toh Bonnie ne humme pehle kyon nahi bataya!"
Piyali now glared at Bonnie questioningly and Arjun on the other side clenched his fists tight, angry at himself for not thinking about this particular loop hole in their plan.
"Batao Bonnie. Kya jawaab hai tumhaare paas sam ke questions ka?" queried Piyali.
"Woh Ma'am..."
"Leave her Mom, we can discuss this topic later. First we have to sort this presentation problem out." Samaira suggested.
"Radhika tumhe sach mein nahi pata thha ki chirag kaun hai?" questioned Piyali.
"Ji Ma'am."
"Listen Radhika, and listen me carefully. This video is a proof that something was exchanged between you and Chirag that day and today Samudra's have presented our idea and claimed that as theirs. Tumhe khud ko innocent prove karna hoga." Piyali said.
"Aurr main janti hoon ki mujhe yeh kaise karna hai." Radhika replied, wiping her tears. Piyali just nodded, while Sam glanced at both her Mom an then at Radhika.
"But kaise karogi tum yeh?" she asked.
"Sam, aaj agar hum kuch present nahi kar paate hain aurr yeh account agar hamari company ko nahi mila toh, main janti hoon ki sabhi yahi samjheinge ki galati meri hai. Issiliye iss situation ko main hi handle karungi." Radhika told.
Arjun glared at Radhika, as she took out her laptop from her bag. Such determination, in a girl like Radhika. Arjun had thought that Radhika was this meek, naive and clueless girl who couldn't face any problematic situation without crying about it. But the girl who stood in front of him now, the girl who was being eyed suspiciously by her team mates, the girl who was now working at her laptop with a fierce determination appeared to be someone else. What was she? Meek and naive or talented and determined?
Half an hour later
"Aapko lagta hai ki Radhika yeh kar payegi?" Arjun asked Piyali, they had come back inside the conference room after Radhika had started working on the presentation.
"If she wants to prove herself innocent that she has to win this account for our company or else I would fire her." Piyali declared.
Arjun leaned back in his seat and watched the representative of Golden Graphics and their AV presentation. Just 10-15 minutes more and it will be Bird Song's turn to present their idea. Arjun hoped highly for Radhika's failure. He hoped that she fails in this exam of hers and lose her job. For him, Radhika was just a small stone in his path that needed to be removed away. Radhika wasn't his enemy, she's just a hurdle, that's why he didn't wanted to hurt her much. And this was the safest and easiest way to threw her out of his way.
Plus this was also something like challenge, that Radhika's words about trust had prodded him to accept. He wanted to make her realize that no one could be trusted in this world. He had experienced it after-all and this was more like a warning to Radhika.
It took 12 minutes for the representative of Golden Graphics to finish their presentation and now came the turn of Bird Song.
"Mrs. Khanna, who will be representing your company and idea?" asked Annirudh.
"Woh actually.." Piyali started but was interrupted by a knock at the door of the conference room.
Radhika came inside with a CD in her hand. "I'll be giving the presentation Sir."
"Go on please."
Arjun sat straight on his chair anf followed every move that Radhika made. She put the CD inside the player and the played the presentation she made. Firstly the logo of Mayebelline New York came on the screen then followed pictures of some random women, of different ages. They weren't any models.
"Mayebelline New York, India ki ladies ki nayi pehchaan." Radhika started as she pointed at different things that were shown in her presentation.
The presentation was about the women who use Mayebelline products, women of all ages, and the videos of them giving feedback about their experience with the videos of them giving feedback about their experience with Mayebelline products.
"Along showcasing models or actresses we could actually use the feedback given by the ordinary women. Because we are focusing majorly on the working women of today, so the tag-line that we came up with is; Mayebelline New York, aapko vishvas se milaye. Kyonki apne vishvas ki keemat sirf aap hi jaanti hain." Radhika finished.
Sam was impressed, Bonnie was depressed, Piyali was in deep contemplating mode while Arjun was fuming. After-all his plan had failed again, and that too because of only and only Radhika.
It took the organizers an hour to decide the winner. Much to Arjun's displeasure Bird Song got the account.
"Yo Chashni, you rock!"Neil yelled out as everybody laughed and celebrated their victory.
"Bohot accha kaam kiya tumne Radhika. Good job." Piyali praised. "And about that video thing, Bonnie do you have an explanation for that? Kyon tumne yeh video humme pehle kyon nahi dikhayi?" asked Piyali.
Bonnie looked at Arjun, then at Piyali, "Actually Ma'am..."
"Batao na Bonnie, ab kyon nahi bol rahi ho tum?" Sam prodded.
"Mujhe pata hai ki Bonnie ne aisa kyon kiya." Teji announced. And now after this announcement, everybody was looking at his, with confusion in their eyes.
Precap"How could you do this Bonnie? Apne aap ko protect karne ke liye you used Radhika?" Piyali yelled as Bonnied stood there in front of her with her head bowed.
****"Enough of the melodrama, this is the time to celebrate. Party today, at our place. It will be a masquerade party peeps!" Samrat (Sam's father) cheered.
****"Sam mujhe bohot ajeeb lag raha hai. I have never ever worn a gown. Achhi lag rahi hoon ya nahi?" Radhika asked Sam who was arranging her hair in a different complicated style.
Sam was wearing a classic black colored, high low gown that had boat neck and was sleeveless. It had a slim belt in the middle and the skirt was lightly platted. On the other hand Radhika was dressed up in an unbleached silk colored gown that had illusion neckline and the bodice was covered in sequin design.
****To Be Continued
Edited by dmegha - 10 years ago
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