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*Flashbacks in Italic😃
He shook his head and internally chuckled looking at her, as she cried in front of the police inspector, explaining him in detail as to why she had slapped a constable who was on duty that time.
"Swami!!" she yelled as she stared at him with tears in her eyes. Oh boy if he didn't knew what exactly she is that he might have believed that those tears were 100% original.
"I swear inspector sahib, maine jaan bujh kar inhe thappad nahi maara, actually I am suffering from this horrible disease." Arjun placed his hand on his mouth in order to hide his grin.
"What horrible disease?" asked the Inspector. Genuinely curious.
Radhika sniffed dramatically and wiped a tear or two, then continued, "Sometimes my hands just start itching and I have this urge to slap someone, only if I slapped someone then only the itching goes. Nahi toh the itching leads to swelling at my hand then I might get an infection. Tabhi doctor ne bhi bola thha ki to avoid infection, jo mile usse thappad maar lena."
Arjun bit the inside of his cheek, trying to stop himself from laughing out loud. The Inspector looked confused, "Mazak mat karo Madam! Aisi koi bimari nahi hoti."
Radhika sniffed again and replied, "Hoti hai sir, abhi nayi hai na toh kuch hi logon ko hui hai. Aap..aap mere praan-nath se pooch lijiye." She said pointing at him (Arjun).
Inspector's immediate response was, "Praan-nath? Yeh kaun hai?"
With a cheeky smile on her face, Radhika folded her hands as she looked at Arjun, "Mere praan-nath, mere patidev!! Woh dekhiye, woh dikh rahe hain aapko? Lambe se, ajeeb se baalon waale, jaise current laga ho?"
Arjun rubbed his face with his hands and walked up-to them and introduced himself to the inspector, "She's talking about me Sir. I am her husband."
The Inspector shook his head and looked at Radhika, "Seedha seedha bolna thha na ki pati hai tumhaara, kya bole jaa rahi thhi itni der se!"
Radhika pouted and looked at him puppy eyes, while the Inspector looked completely unsatisfied with Radhika's explanation. So he took the Inspector aside and explained him the situation in a detailed way. All this while they were whisper talking while Radhika was unable to hear what was being told.
After Arjun's explanation, the Inspector did looked satisfied. As the turned to face Radhika, Arjun could see the curious gleam in her eyes. He smirked to himself and walked up-to her.
"Theek hai, theek hai. You can go now." He said looking at Radhika, then he pointed towards Arjun and said, "Dhyaan rakhna ki aage se yeh aisa waisa kuch na karein! Ilaaj karwao inka tum!"
With that being said Arjun and Radhika walked out of the police station, finally a sigh of relief!
"Aisa kya bola tumne ki woh Inspector tumhaari baat maan gaya? I tried so much but he didn't agreed to it, what did you said to him?" she questioned him as they sat in the car.
Buckling the seat bealt, Arjun replied, "Wahi jo sach hai! Ki meri biwi pagal hai, and that every day she surprises me with different antics of hers."
After slapping his arm, Radhika said, "It was you who dared me to slap that constable! And you said that I am mad. You are more mad."
Laughing Arjun kissed her pouted lips, "Abhi chalein? Waise hi bohot time waste ho gaya, we have to reach Lonavala before it gets dark."
Smiling, Radhika rested her head on his shoulder and replied, "Okay."
Arjun and Radhika have been married for a year by now. Together they were going to Lonavala to attend their common friend's marriage.
Arjun glanced at Radhika who was now sleeping, her head still on his shoulder and her hand clutching his arm. He smiled fondly as he remembered the earlier events of the day. It started with a simple truth and dare game where Radhika opted for dare and Arjun dared her to slap that constable that led to the police station drama.
Such thing wasn't new to them. Not new to him, he now is experienced as what Radhika's antics will lead to. He kissed the top of her head as he remembered the day, 1 year and 3 months ago, when he met Radhika.
Arjun was jogging, when he noticed a child of 3-4 years walking on the road and a car was about to hit him. He leapt across the road as fast as he could and saved the child from being hit by the car. He then took the child to a safe spot and checked for injury, if any. As he was consoling the crying boy, he felt someone tap at his shoulder.
Arjun turned around to face a beautiful girl with a fiery expression on her face. "Yes?" he asked.
"Kaise baap ho tum!", the girl yelled.
"What?" Arjun was shocked.
"Suna nahi diya? I am talking to you mister! What kind of father you are? Apne bacche ko aise hi sadak pe akela chod kar kya kar rahe thhe tum?"
"Excuse me Miss? Mera baccha?"
"Tumhaara nahi toh aurr kiska? Mera?"
"Maybe"
"Aaarrggghh...agar apne bachon ka dhyaan nahi rakh sakte toh paida hi kyon karte ho?"
Now Arjun was utterly confused. What was this girl saying? And what baccha, kiska baccha and all! Then it struck him, "Oh God!"
"What "Oh God!!"? Ek toh bacche ka dhyaan nahi rakhte upar se..."
Arjun was about to argue and resolve the misunderstanding that the girl had but they were interrupted by a lady who came and hugged the child in question. She looked up at Arjun and said, "Thank you bhai sahib, you saved my child's life. Thank you!"
As the lady walked away, Arjun looked at the girl who now had a sheepish look over her face.
"Mera baccha?" he prodded.
"Sorry, I got the wrong idea and.."
"You know what! Just get away!" he yelled and the girl flinched and ran away from there as fast as she could!
Arjun shook his head as he watched the girl walking away, he rubbed his temples and then his gaze fell on a card like something. When he picked it up, he noticed that the said card was a license. It belonged to the fiery lady. He read, "Radhika Mishra"
Shaking his head, he placed the license in the pocket of his trousers and jogged his way back home.
"That day, you came into my life. And it never was the same." Thought Arjun as he drove.
Arjun stood in front of a two storey house as he rang the bell. He was at Radhika's place to return her license.
"Cuhmming!", he heard her yell from inside.
After few seconds the door opened and there stood Radhika Mishra. Arjun looked at her from head to toe. Her hair bound in a messy way by a hair tie. Her nose red and she looked pale. She was wearing a long red colored sweater, paired it with white warm leggings and fluffy socks. Man! She was wearing those cute bunny slippers too.
"Aacchoo.." she sneezed at him.
Arjun took out his handkerchief and wiped his face. "Tum!? Wuff are you doing here?"
"Actually..."
"Come inside. I am feeling cold!" she said and invited him inside.
Arjun was surprised at the invitation but he did come inside. He was more surprised as he saw the interiors of her home. It was so contrasting to her image. To him she appeared to be this crazy and weird woman but the interiors said a all different thing. It looked classy.
"The first room at left, there's the kitchen. Can you make me some ginger tea? I need it so bad or I'll die because of this cold! God knows why the maid didn't come today!"
Arjun looked at Radhika as if she had grew two horns over her head, "Excuse Me!"
"Eeehh...chilao mat, sir dard ho raha hai mera." She whined, and Arjun stared at her dumbfounded. What the hell!! He was here to return her license and she is making his work like a house maid!!
"Listen I..." he tried to argue.
"I like my tea sweet, sp please usme 4 sugar cubes daalna.", after saying this she walked into a room and shut the door. Arjun amused and confused at the same time, followed her and opened the door of the room she had entered before.
There she was, trying to sleep with multiple comforters pulled over her body. This might be her bedroom then, he concluded. Everything was a mess, clothes on the floor, files and some documents on the other side of the bed. Pizza leftovers, tissue papers and what not.
Arjun scrunched up his nose, "Aise mein bimaar nahi hogi toh aurr kya hoga!"
Without giving it another thought, Arjun placed the license at the table by the side of the bed and went in the kitchen to make Radhika and himself some tea. As he was doing so, he chuckled and said to himself, "Pehli mulakaat mein mujhe ek bacche ka baap bana diya aurr ab dekho!! Kamaal hai, kabhi socha nahi thha ki yeh sab bhi karunga main kabhi."
He poured the tea in two cups and went to give Radhika one. Radhika indeed was very very sick, that's why after drinking the tea, she went to sleep once again. Shaking his head Arjun placed the comforters over her nicely and started piling up the things. He placed all her clothes on one chair, still messy but together in a pile. The documents together with a paper weight over it and the pizza leftovers and tissue papers in the dustbin.
He then made Radhika some tomato soup and left it in the microwave. Before leaving he wrote her a note;
I was here to give you back your license that you dropped that day when we met at the roadside. I made you some soup, it's in the microwave, heat it up and then drink.
By the way, I am no maid of yours, so next time we meet, you owe me a treat!
Remembering those memories, Arjun suddenly laughed out loud. "Kya hua?" questioned Radhika, her voice still laced with sleepiness.
"Just remembered the second time we met!" was his reply.
"Arjun..?" Radhika said on a serious note.
"Hhhmmm?" he asked.
"Thank you!" she replied.
"Kis liye?" he frowned.
"For the tea and soup?" and then she laughed hard at him, who just shook his head in amusement.
After driving for half an hour Arjun and Radhika stopped at a food joint to have lunch. After they ordered their food, Radhika held Arjun's hand in hers and asked, "You remember our third meeting?"
"Ha! How can I forget that! You actually got me involved in kidnapping a bride from her marriage!"
Arjun had come to a business colleague's wedding, but it was called off because bride was missing. So to avoid being part of some unwanted drama, Arjun decided to walk out. He had just started his car when he heard some noise. At first he thought that it was nothing but few minutes later he was sure he heard some jingling and all.
He then muttered to himself, "Kya ho raha hai yaar! Yeh kaisi awazein sunai de rahi hain."
And just then his gaze went up to the rear view mirror, and what he saw in that made him apply the brakes hard and fast.
"What the hell!!" he yelled.
"Hi!" came the reply.
"Tum, meri car mein? Kaise? I know I had locked the car and.."
Radhika waved a hair pin at him and replied, "There are ways to open a car door Mister! Btw, I am Radhika and this, this is.." she gestured to another girl who was hiding.
"Aastha?", shrieked Arjun.
"Tum, tum bhi yahan? Tumhaari toh aaj shaadi thhi na!" Here comes the bride that went missing.
"Actually na, iske Uncle Aunty iski zabardasti shaadi karva rahe thhe, but she loved somebody else, so I helped her runaway from the marriage.
"Oh God! Radhika!!"
"Tumhe mera naam kaise pata?"
"Tumhaare license pe likha thha."
"Oh! Btw, the soup was really delicious. Do mail me the recipie okay."
"Radhika!! What are we haan? Do I look like a chef to you? Aurr yeh sab..", he then turned towards Aastha, "I suggest you go back to your marriage."
"But she can't marry to a guy she doesn't love!" cried Radhika.
"Toh!" Arjun muttered.
"Dekho Mister.."
"Arjun"
"Accha, dekho Arjun, Aastha kissi aurr se pyaar karti hai, and he's waiting for here at the railway station. Do pyaar karne waalon ko milana punya ka kaam hai, so it's chance for you, a perfect opportunity to earn some good points. So please help us reach the railway station!!"
Arjun looked at Aastha who was nodding at every word Radhika said. Shaking his head he replied, "Fine!"
"Cool!"
After Aastha and her lover boarded the train, Arjun and Radhika went back outside and Radhika started the conversation saying;
"So let's go!"
"Where?" Arjun frowned, "Ab kahin ko bank lootne ka plan toh nahi hai tumhaara?"
"Naaww..I am just gonna do what you wanted."
"What?"
"Don't you remember, the note, that day you left me a note after you made me soup and all?"
"Okay but aise...", finally after moments of utter madness Arjun had a good time looking at Radhika who was decked up in a white colored ghagara choli that had beautiful design made by silver colored sequins. Her eye makeup was smoky and kissable lips painted in red. Her hair were left untied, making her look ethereal.
"Chalein?"
"Chalo!"
"Kya din thha na woh bhi! It was so exciting!" Radhika chirped.
"Thha toh, but it was dangerous too. I mean agar kissi ko pata chalta ki dulhan ko main bhaga ke le gaya thha then they would have killed me." Arjun snapped.
"Aaww.." Radhika giggled.
"Kabhi kabhi sochta hoon ki main tumse pyaar kaise kar baitha!"
"You too!! Mujhe bhi aisa hi lagta hai! Rahul was a better option!" Radhika countered.
"Rahul!!" Arjun gritted his teeth and snapped a piece of reddish as if he was breaking someone's bones.
His possessive reaction made Radhika laugh, to whom Arjun threw the two broken pieces of reddish at.
It's been 2 months and 20 days Radhika and Arjun had met. By now they have become really close, as in really really close. But none of them was ready to acknowledge their feelings. They talked with each other on daily basis and that also for long hours.
Then came a day when Arjun called Radhika but she didn't answer it.
"Pick up the phone damn-it!!" yelled Arjun as he tried calling Radhika again and again.; He also left her many messages but she didn't reply to any.
"Kahin usse kuch! Shit!" Just the thought of Radhika being hurt or in problem made Arjun go crazy. He rushed towards Radhika's home, that day he might have broken many traffic rules but nothing could stop him from reaching at Radhika's place.
As he parked his car outside Radhika's home, he was surprised to see it decorated. He ran inside, pushing the guests throughout his way to Radhika's room. But Radhika wasn't alone there. She was sitting on her bed, dressed up in a red colored saree that had royal blue embellishments on it and small golden sequins. And she was surrounded by a couple who looked like her parents.
"Excuse Me!" Arjun said.
The elderly couple looked at him with curious eyes, "Aap kaun?", the lady asked.
"Ji, main Radhika ka dost hoon. Woh actually.."
"Chalo accha hua! Aakhir iska koi toh dost aaya uski engagement pe.", the man exclaimed.
Arjun looked at Radhika who had her head bowed and he could see those silent tears falling out of her eyes.
"Engagement?" Arjun could feel his heart sinking.
"She didn't tell you? Yes, today is her engagement and day after tomorrow, she's gonna get married to Rahul Singhania, heir to the Singhania empire.", the lady told him proudly.
With slow steps Arjun walked away from there, he just didn't had the courage to stand there and watch Radhika getting engaged to man who is not him. That was the day he realized what Radhika means to him. She wasn't his whole world, neither she was the whole universe but she was his every breath, his every heartbeat, his life line and the person he can't live without. That night as Arjun thought about Radhika and their future, he made a decision and also decided that it was high time that now Radhika had to accept what she had avoided all this time.
Arjun came back that night but late enough that everybody was sleeping soundly. Good thing was that, that Radhika's bedroom was on the ground floor. He went to the side of the house where the window of Radhika's room was there. The room was dark except the low light of lamp. Radhika was sitting on her bed just like he had seen her before but now she had a blank look on her face.
He knocked the window twice to get her attention.
"Arjun?" her voice was laced with pain.
"Kya kar rahi ho Radhika?" he asked as she helped him get inside her room through the window.
"What are you doing here and..."
"Mere swaal ka jawaab do! Kya kar rahi ho Radhika? Tum shaadi karne waali ho aurr mujhe bataya tak nahi?!"
"Mujhe bhi kahan pata thha!" she let out a sarcastic laugh.
Arjun frowned and narrowed his eyes, "Matlab?"
"Mom and Dad came just yesterday and told me that I had to do this engagement as they are facing major financial crisis and Rahul's father had agreed to help them only if.."
"Only if you agree to marry that bloody Rahul." Arjun completed.
"Yeah!" sighed Radhika.
Suddenly Arjun could feel his anger rising. He could feel his blood boiling with rage, "And you said yes!"
"Toh aurr kya..." she was interrupted by Arjun who gripped her arm tight enough that it would leave marks for sure.
"Aurr mera kya haan?" he pushed her to a wall and caged her body with his.
Radhika's breathing grew heavy as Arjun leaned close to her, so much close that if she moved just a bit, their lips would touch.
"Arjun" she gasped.
"What about me Radhika? Iss rishte ka kya jo hamare beech mein hain?"
"Kya rishta hai hamaara Arjun? Dosti ka? Bas?" she cried, trying to push Arjun away. But this made him tighten his grip on her.
"Don't you know that I am in love with you? Aren't you in love with me?"
"Arjun.."
Arjun raised her hand and brought it to his chest where his heart was, "In dhadkano ko mehsoos karo, sunne inhe, kya tumhe nahi pata that my heart beats only and only your name?"
"Mujhe laga thha ki tum.."
"I know. But I really love you Radhika, I really do. Agar tumhe lagta hai ki main tumhaare bina jee nahi sakta toh yeh jhoot hai. Sach toh yeh hai ki main tumhaare bina jeena hi nahi chahta. Meri saanson mein tum ho, dhadkane tumhaara hi naam leti hain, aankhein tumhaari ek jhalak pane ko har pal tarasti hain. Yeh dil sirf tumhaarae ehsaas par dhadakta hai aurr meri zindagi, ab sirf tumhaara aks hai." At the end Arjun and Radhika were both crying. Sh hugged his as tight as she could, with all her might and cried her heart out.
"Mom Dad ne kabhi mujhe pyaar nahi kiya, they were always busy with their life, working, partying and all. Main unke liye sirf ek societal object ki tarah thhi. Issiliye un sab se door yahaan reh rahi hoon, phhir tum mile and my life just wasn't the same. Nahi janti ki kab, kaise mujhe tumse pyaar hua. Bas ho gaya. And now I can do nothing about that." Sobbed Radhika.
Arjun pulled her back and cupped her face, "You love me?"
"I do."
"Mere saath chalogi, yeh sab chod kar?" he asked.
"I have my bags packed!" she smiled, making him grin.
"What exactly had you planned?"
"I was going to wait for another hour and then elope from here and run away, taking all my savings and personal stuff." She grinned as she wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him close.
"May I tag along?" he asked wiping her tears. He chuckled as she nodded enthusiastically.
"Let's go then!"
"With pleasure!"
That day Radhika eloped with Arjun, they got married, and Arjun made Radhika his partner, not only in life but also in business. After that Radhika's parents cut off all ties with her, it hurt Radhika for sure but she also knew that this was the only better way.
They got married, Their love for each other grew day by day. They are totally inseparable. Though they still get indulge in doing silly things but all this excitement makes life worth living.
"Uuuhhhmm...", Radhika groaned and covered her mouth with her hand.
Arjun stopped the car, and Radhika stepped outside as fast as she could. She was feeling like she was about to vomit. Arjun seeing Radhika's condition went back to the car where there was water bottle. In haste it took him time to search for the bottle. And when he finally found the bottle and went to Radhika again, he saw that now Radhika was crying and grinning widely, holding her phone close to her ear, tightly and repeating only one thing, "Are you sure?"
Arjun went close to her and was about to ask her the reason she was crying for. But in reply he got a tight hug, that had him loose his balance a little but he maintained it in time.
"Radhika?"
"Congratulations pati parmeshwar!!"
"Kya hua? Why are you crying and what are you congratulating me for?"
"Ab Mumma ke baad papa ko hi toh congratulate kiya jaata hai na!"
"Mumma Papa..what the?"
It took Arjun 30 more seconds to process what Radhika has just told him. His eyes went wide and mouth opened like an "O". He stared at Radhika, who was grinning cheekily, she took his hand and placed it over her lower stomach.
"We are going to be parents Arjun. Our family will be complete now!!"
At Radhika's statement, Arjun dropped the bottle and hugged her with all his might.
"I love you so much!!! Thank you..thank you!! Thank you for giving me a family Radhika!!"
"Love you too Arjun!"
They pulled back just to face each other, "So we are still going to Lonaval?" Radhika asked.
"Naaa..I am gonna call Mikhail and say that we are not coming as you were not feeling well."
"But don't forget to congratulate him."
"Cool!"
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