I had partially penned this down early last week, and then as I mentioned, someone close to me passed away. He was my mentor and a good friend, so my mind was not in the right place to complete this properly. Originally, this Act was to have 5 Scenes. But, with everything happening, I don't have the time right now to write it down. At the same time I don't want to leave you guys hanging, so I will post whatever I had scribbled. There will be many errors because these are just my very rough scribbles.
Hopefully, once things settle down (after the funeral this week), I will return on here with my updates and even in the Ardhika thread!
I apologize for the delay.
- E
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Act 8 - The Reunion
Scene 1
As it turned out, Radhika's parents had arranged a possible suitor for her, despite all her objections and reservations. It didn't feel right, as she had repeatedly told her mother and grandfather earlier in the evening. She could love no other. It made no difference if Arjun-Sir had processed the divorce or re-married, she still belonged with him in her heart. That is why she kept wearing the sindoor and mangalsutr. But it turned out all her efforts were in vain, as Radhika heard the bell ring, with Mala leaving to welcome the "visitors".
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Dilip opened the door to a very eager Arjun. The old guy could tell his son-in-law was a ball of nerves at the moment.
"Namaste", said Arjun to the Mishra clan as they opened the front door to let him in.
"Namaste. Come in, please." replied Dilip.
"Hope all of you are doing well."
"Beta, Choti is upstairs... you don't need to waste time exchanging formal pleasantries with us. As I mentioned before too, we are all doing great. Now go... we won't keep you from meeting her today!" said Dada-ji with a childish smile playing on his lips.
That was all the approval he needed, and Arjun was out of their sight in a matter of few seconds.
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"Namaste Uncle... Namaste Dada-ji, Mala Aunty".
"Namaste Beta. Where is Neil?" asked Mala to Sam.
"Oh he is taking our luggage out of the car... we asked Arjun to go ahead... he seemed too eager to get here so we couldn't let him bear the torture anymore," replied Sam with a beaming smile.
"Please come in. You guys must be tired after the long journey."
"It was nothing Mala Aunty, seriously. This is the least I could do after everything."
With that, Mala went to get some refreshments for the visitors, while Dada-ji sat down with Sam discussing how amazingly his plan had worked. In the meantime, Dilip was busy contacting Ankush to close the shop soon, as Radhika's "in-laws" had arrived.
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Scene 2
Arjun's steps slowed a bit as he neared Radhika's room. He needed to control his nerves and the myriad of emotions that were playing inside of him. A breeze passed through the hallway just outside her bedroom. Arjun stood frozen in time gazing Radhika as she picked up some scattered papers off the floor. Her voice broke his trance.
"Maa, please I won't come down - I don't want to meet anyone! Just leave me be," said Radhika in a broken voice, her back still facing him.
He smiled at the innocence of her words. Slowly, he walked towards her, wanting nothing more than to hold her in his arms forever. As he stood mere inches apart, Arjun finally breathed her in, his hands touching her shoulders, and slowly sliding down to her hands as he hugged her lovingly from behind. Her breathing hitched as his arms wrapped around hers, his hold tightening gently and his face touching her lovingly, caressing her cheek. Radhika closed her eyes, afraid the dream would break if she opened them. His smell, touch and proximity all felt too real, and she wanted to cherish this moment before it disappeared turning into another reverie.
This time Arjun had to tell her how he felt, and he knew words would fall short of the depth of his emotions. Still holding on to her, he gently tucked her hair behind the ear and whispered, "Similar to these blank pieces of paper, your life is incomplete, Radhika. Without love, you are incomplete."
Slowly, she opened her eyes in wonderment, feeling his breath so close. In one swift motion, Radhika turned around to make sure he was real and not just a figment of her imagination. Arjun still held on to her arm as she stood now facing him. His heart softened at the sight of her adorning the sindoor and mangalsutar, a symbol of their love.
"Have you thought of re-marriage?" he questioned her, knowing well the answer already.
"Umm... That is the idea, Sir... in fact there is someone coming to meet us tonight."
"And this is how you intend on going... portraying as someone else's?" he asked pointedly.
"Uh... I was just about to take these off," replied Radhika timidly, holding on to her manglsutar.
"Alright, well, take it off then... come on..." Arjun moved closer pretending to try and remove her mangalsutr.
"Sir, why are you here?" she asked exasperated, moving away from him not ready to let go of all she had left.
"To take what's mine, Radhika" he replied in a serious tone, not liking the distance between them.
With teary eyes, Radhika naively pleaded "But, Sir you will get more of these in Mumbai... please just leave from here."
Realizing the pain in her voice, Arjun gently held her arm and moved her so she was facing him again. "Let me return you everything that is yours, and then I shall leave."
"I brought back everything with me here, Sir... please, just..."
"Not true," he said cupping her face and tenderly wiping away her tears with his thumb. "You still can't speak a lie convincingly, Radhika." As she looked up at him with her trusting doe-eyes, that was his undoing, and he poured out all his emotions. "If you brought back everything of yours, then why do I always feel you everywhere around me, Radhika? Why do I always wake up to your memories every morning? Why... Why did you leave your smile with me, and brought back only these tears with you? Why is your scent always on my breath? Why do your words form my every sentence?" Arjun's voice started to break as his hands moved to her neck, moving her closer so their foreheads were now touching, his fingers digging gently into her hair as he finally confessed to her what had been in his heart for a long time now. "Why do I wish for you every moment in time? Why?"
"Sir..." she replied nervously knowing the sincerity in his words.
"I love you, Radhika!" She looked into his eyes at his admission seeing the truth of his words reflect in his gaze. "You may have left me, but I could never leave you," he said cupping her face lovingly with his hands maintaining her gaze.
"But, Sam loves you" Radhika added naively.
At last she spoke of her friend, the reason she had left Arjun. Knowing well this would be her response, he simply shook his head, caressing her cheek as he gently held on to her shoulders. He gave her a soft smile, "Sam doesn't love me."
A confused Radhika anxiously looked up at him, "Then?"
"Jahan Samander Singh, wahan us ka idiot!" he replied in an amused manner.
"Neil?"
He nodded his head in agreement as a genuine smile played on his lips. "Yes, Neil. Love knows no bounds, Radhika. We can't control who we fall in love with." He paused, looking into her eyes seeing his love reflect in her gaze, as he caressed the side of her face. "Just look at me. I fell in love with the one I considered an obstacle in my path. I gave my heart to the one I termed Panauti. I dreamt of spending the rest of my life with peanuts." He half laughed at the last statement, realizing how silly it must have sounded.
Radhika looked up at him; her breath caught in her throat as she tried to keep her emotions in check. Failing to form any coherent sentence, she simply replied, "Sir".
Unable to hold himself any longer, Arjun's expression turned grave as he cupped her face staring into her eyes and leaned in slowly to gently kiss her on the forehead. "Arjun", he said before he feathered her with butterfly kisses on each eye. "Arjun", he repeated, her eyes still closed and their faces mere inches apart.
"Sir" she whispered breathlessly.
"Arjun" he repeated again.
"Sir"
Holding her close, wanting to hear his name on her lips as acceptance of her love Arjun leaned in closer, his warm breath caressing her face. Radhika let go of all her inhibitions as she softly uttered his name, "Arjun". His heart melted at her admission as he hugged her completely in his warm embrace. Arjun tightened his hold, and for a long moment they stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace.
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Scene 3
Neil had joined in on the light-hearted conversation with Sam and the Mishra family, while snacking over samosas and jalebi. Everyone figured it was best not to disturb Arjun and Radhika for the time being. He looked over at Sam noticing a slight sense of worry wash over her under the smile she had put on. Neil knew well it had to with her guilt over everything that had happened. As their eyes met, he smiled at her easing her concerns.
"Ankush, why don't you show Neil and Sam their room? They can get settled in, and relax a bit before dinner."
"Ji Maa"
"Beta, please consider this your home, if you two need anything else to make yourselves comfortable, do not hesitate to ask any of us."
"Thank you Mala Aunty" replied Neil and Sam in unison. Smiling, Neil continued "Your home is better than all five star hotels. Plus I have heard the food they serve here is to die for." Making the host smile with his compliment, he added "Come on Sam... let's go freshen up... hopefully our Majnu has talked things over with Chashni, so we can get to dinner soon. I am really famished."
Ankush helped Neil with the luggage as he took them to Ridhima's old room.
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"I know it's a little late and not quite the way it's supposed to be, but I have prepared a proper feast for everyone as part of Parth Phera rasm."
"Better late than never, Bahu."
"Hmm... I agree. This time we will do a proper Vidai for Choti. I couldn't do her kanyadaan, but we will fulfill all customs and traditions when she leaves with Arjun," said Dilip solemnly. His eyes teared up reminiscing how he refused to take part in any of Radhika's wedding rituals, thinking she was making a mistake. Now he realized it was God's way of uniting two people who were meant to be together. "Arjun is a really nice person. He has been there for our family so many times. I couldn't have found someone more perfect for Choti."
"I know Beta. My heart is at peace knowing he will always take care of our Choti," added Dada-ji.
Mala simply smiled in agreement, grateful that her prayers had been answered and everything worked out for her daughter.
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Scene 4
"Arjun," Radhika whispered shyly, holding on to his shoulders. "Were Maa and Dada-ji part of this plan?"
Smiling, he tucked her hair gently behind her ear and added "I wanted to come and take you back the day you left me... but Dada-ji stopped me."
Her eyes widened at his revelation, but before she could say anything, Arjun continued, "Nothing mattered in life without you by my side, Radhika. But I had to respect your wishes and set everything right with Sam, first. So I spoke with your family, and trusted Dada-ji's advice. As for not telling you and surprising you like this, this was his plan... and ... Sam's!"
"Sam?!"
"Yeah... Sam... umm, Neil and Sam got married a few days ago. And they are here, downstairs. We all came together." He could see her mind trying to wrap all the information he just stated; he let out a chuckle noticing her child-like expressions. Caressing her face, he added "I can't believe a detective like you couldn't figure out earlier what was happening."
"But..."
"She feels awful for not trusting your friendship. I don't want to add more because she wanted to talk to you in person. Plus who am I to come between two friends," he replied sincerely.
"It makes sense now - all those times I caught Dada-ji on phone, and Maa, Papa, Ankush bhaiyya talking about you." As Radhika recalled all the instances she suspected her family was up to something, a realization formed and she couldn't help but ask, "Did you come to Rishikesh earlier in the week?!"
"Yes, I did" he said looking into her eyes. "I met with your Papa and Dada-ji. Radhika, I just couldn't let you go - my happiness is with you only."
Smiling with glistened eyes, she embraced Arjun tightly, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "I love you too... Arjun" she said softly. He hugged her and held on.
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Edited by esprit_00 - 9 years ago
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