Dil Se Dosti (part 8 in pg 26) - Page 18

But soon his eyes snapped open with a confused n horrified expression adorning his face.

As Aryan closed his eyes, the image of Tia n that formidable evening flashed in front of his eyes. His eyes flew open with a jolt n an intense feeling of self-disgust seeped through his veins. He closed his eyes in frustration. However this time almost instantly a sweet, soothing voice resonated in his ears asking him to move on in life, leaving the atrocious past behind n a beautiful face with big black eyes where there was a combination of mischief as well as innocence flashed in front of his eyes, convincing hom that he was not at fault for whatever happened that day. His lips curved into a smile of satisfaction n soon a calm took over his restless mind. He opened his eyes. The calmness that took over his mind was being reflected in his eyes.

Aryan thought aloud : "Aaj pehlibaar us shaam ki yaad aane ke baad bhi main bechain nehi hoon. Do saal baad aaj pehlibaar ek ajeeb sa sukoon sa mehsoos kar raha hoon. Aarzoo sahi keh rahi thi. Mujhe ab us hadse ke yaadon se aagey bar jaana chahiye. Wo sahi keh rahi thi. Jab isme meri koi galti thi hi nehi toh fir main kyun khudko saza de raha hoon? Sach mein kitna galat samjha tha maine usko. Wo sach mein bahut acchi hain. (As soon as realization of what he was thinking dawned on him, he blinked twice) yeh mujhe kya ho gaya hain? Kyun Aarzoo aur uski baatein mujh par itna asar kar rahi hain? Nehi nehi aisa kuch nehi hain. Wo aaj usne mujhe itne acche se wo baatein samjhayi jo main khud bhi samajh nehi paaya tha aaj tak shayad isliye aisa ho raha hain. Bas ekbaar usko firse uski shararti roop mein dekh lu toh sab thik ho jayega. I'm damn sure that she'll be back to her mischievous self by tomorrow."

Aryan shook the wierd thoughts off his mind n decided to call it a day. Little did he know that he was not the only one whose mind was being haunted by someone's thoughts.

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Things were not much different on the other side. Aarzoo was sitting on her bed with her legs stretched in front and her back leaning on the bedrest behind her. Her eyes were closed but sleep was miles away from her. She was confused, utterly confused as she was unable to understand exactly why Aryan's tears perforated right into her heart. She couldnt understand why his pain caused such a severe ache in her heart. She knew one thing only that she just couldnt bear seeing hom in pain or tears in his eyes.

Aarzoo wondered aloud : "yeh mujhe ho kya gaya hain? Kyun mujhse uska dard dekha nehi gaya? Maana ki main kisiko takleef mein nehi dekh sakti aur jitna ho sake uski madat karne ki koshish karti hu. Lekin aaj se pehle kabhie bhi kisike dard ne mujhe itna bechain toh nehi kiya tha. Aaj se pehle toh kabhie kisiko dard mein dekhkar mujhe itna dard nehi hua tha. Par aaj Aryan ke aankhon mein aansoon dekha toh aisa laga ki bas yehi kuch aisa hain jo main bardast nehi kar sakti. "

As realization dawned on her, her eyes snapped open and she bolted up straight with a jerk on her bed.

Aarzoo :"yeh main kya anabshanab soch 0Arahi hu? Mujhe itna bura isliye laga kyunki main guilty feel lar rahi thi. Kahin na kahin yeh sab shuru toh aaj mere wajah se hi hua tha na. Main bhi na bina soche kuch bhi karti hu. Bechaara Aryan! Kitni takleef hui hogi na usko! Oh no main fir Aryan ke baare mein soch rahi hu! Nehi nehi main sirf guilty hu isliye. Aur kuch nehi."

Chanting again n again that she is only guilty n nothing else, she immediately laid down on her back n pulled the blanket over her head as if hiding from all kinds of unsettling thoughts.

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(Next morning)

(Sanjeevani locker room)

Aarzoo entered the locker room which was totally deserted as she was, according to her, the first one among the interns to arrive at the hospital. She was looking like an angel in a white shirt n blue jeans.

Aarzoo (to herself) : "Lagta hain koi aaya nehi ab tak."

She walked towards her locker to keep her belongings inside it. However as soon as she approached the locker and was about to touch it, her eyes widened in fear and a shriek left her throat n moved behind hastily without looking back. As she turned back, she collided with Aryan who had reached Sanjeevani a few while prior to Aarzoo's arrival and went to the washroom adjacent to the locker room to freshen up. He was coming out of the washroom when Aarzoo collided with him. As she looked up n found out that it was none else than Aryan who was gaping at her with surprise written all over his face. But the thing that followed caught him totally offguard n came as a pure shock to him. Aarzoo hugged him tight, wrapping her hands around his neck as if her life depended on it. Aryan was baffled to find himself in her embrace when he was still in a debate regarding his own thoughts n feelings. A strange n unknown sensation ran down his spine with a simple touch of Aarzoo. There was nothing sensual about the way she was hugging him. Yet an unknown sensation seeped through his every vein. And the fact that baffled him was that her touch was arousing some very new yet unknown feelings inside him. And what is more baffling was the fact that these sensations fill his heart n mind with an unknown joy, a sense of completeness while that of Tia caused him to suffer self disgust. He wondered what was happening to him n why. Aarzoo, on the other hand, was frightened to such an extent that she didnt even realized what she was doing and was unsware of what havoc it was playing on Aryan's senses. After a while when her fear subsided n the ability of rational thinking returned to her, realization dawned on her. Aarzoo pulled back immediately. She immediately pulled back n looked up to see Aryan staring at her with a lost look. As soon as her gaze collided with his blue eyes, she became oblivious of her surroundings as well as her own self. Both forgot to blink n drowned in the depth of each other's eyes. Aryan's arms were securely wound around Aarzoo's petite waist while her hands were placed on his broad shoulders.

However , they were soon brought back to reality from their lala land by a giggle n a snigger followed by two childish chirpy voices.

voice 1 : "yeh kya ho raha hain, arey yeh kya ho raha hain?"

voice 2 : "kuch nehi kuch nehi pyar ho raha hain."

Both Aryan n Aarzoo came back to their senses with a jolt n broke apart from each other hastily. Both looked away from each other in embarassment. Both were flustered n turned to see two kids who were sitting on the desk which was nearest to the door n were giggling. One of them winked at the duo who blushed. Aryan was the first one to sober himself up. He glared at the kids who giggled even more. He shook his head n went to the kids.

Aryan : "oye kaun ho tum dono aur yahan kya kar rahe ho?"

The boy : "Mera naam hain Vicky aur yeh (gesturing towards the little girl sitting beside him) hain meri behen Sweety. Aur hum dono kal raat hi yaha admit hue hain. Hum dono ko injection se darr lagta hain. Isliye jab wo hitler si dikhne wali nurse humein injection dene aa rahi thi toh 0Ahum dono bhaag gaye wahan se."

"Aur fir itne barey hospital mein hum dono kho gaye. Fir ghumtey ghumtey yahan aa gaye." Added the little girl innocently.

Both Aryan n Aarzoo smiled at her innocence. But soon their smile faded as Vicky's question left them flustered.

Vicky : "Wo toh thik hain. Par aap dono yahan kya kar rahe the?"

Aryan : "Arey hum dono doctors hain yaar. Toh hospital mein kyun hongey bhala? Humari duty suru hone wali hain."

Vicky : "Haan toh maine kab mana kiya ke aap doctors nehi ho? Par agar aap doctors ho toh jaakar patients ko check karo na. Ek dusre ko kyun ghur rahey the?"

Aryan n Aarzoo immediately glanced at each other n then looked away.

Aarzoo cleared her throat : "Ehem! Oye tum dono ek toh ward se bhag kar aaye ho upar se hum ko pooch rahey ho ke hum kya kar rahey hain? Chalo abhi ward mein wapas jao. Warna hum us hitler si nurse ko keh dengey aur wo tum dono ko double injection degi. Chahiye?"

Both the kids shook their heads vigorously in negative.

Aryan smiled : "Toh chalo ab jaldi se wapas lauto."

Both the kids smiled n nodded. And they turned around to leave.

But before leaving, Vicky turned back with a smirk n winked at Aryan n Aarzoo n said : "Waise bhaiya,didi! Lagey raho."

Saying this both the kids ran out of the locker room n soon dissapeared behind a turn in the corridor. Aryan turned to look at Aarzoo who was looking at anywhere except him. He could feel that she was feeling awkward.

Hence he called out in a soft n soothing voice, in an attempt to reduce her awkwardness though he himself was going through the same : "Aarzoo!"

Aarzoo looked up on hearing her name n finally thinking of getting rid of the awkwarness she spoke out :"um...wo...sorry...wo wahan spider tha."

Aryan was taken aback to know that she was afraid of spiders n couldnt help voicing his thoughts: "Tumhein spiders se darr lagta hain?"

Aarzoo looked away to conceal her vulnerability which was well reflected in her eyes which served as mirror to 0Aher heart n retorted back : "Haan. Toh?"

Aryan chuckled : "Toh kuch nehi. Bas yeh soch raha tha ki tum jo jhansi ki rani banke ghumti rehti ho usko spider jaise ek harmless creature se darr lagta hain. Tum toh bari darpok nikli! "

Aryan's comment infuriated Arzoo: "You! Tumne mujhe

darpok kaha?"

Aryan : "Ab darpok ko darpok hi kahunga na."

Aarzoo : "Main darpok nehi hu."

Aryan : "Tum darpok ho."

Aarzoo : "nehi hu."

Aryan : "Ho."

Aarzoo : "No."

Aryan : "Yes."

As they were so much engrossed in their bickering they failed to notice the arrival of their friends in the locker room.

Nisha : "Arey yaar yeh dono fir suru ho gaye."

Gaurav : "Bina ek dusre se larey toh jaise inko chain hi nehi milta."

Antara chirped happily : "Par yeh dono saath mein kitne pyare lagtey hain na! Made for each other."

Arjun grinned n put his hand around her shoulder n replied : "Haan bilkul humare jaise."

Antara smiled in response.Priya rolled her eyes seeing the two love birds. But her eyes narrowed as 0Aher gaze fall on Aryan n Aarzoo. It felt as if something had changed between them, as if everything was not the same.

Priya : "Aaj aisa kyun lag raha hain jaise kuch badal sa gaya hain, kuch alag sa hain? Aisa kyun lag raha hain jaise aaj in dono ki larai mein pehle wali baat nehi rahi, kuch aur hi hain? "

She was caught offguard by Harsh's voice as she unaware that he came n stood behind her when she was engrossed in her thoughts n observations.

Harsh : "Wo isliye kyunki kal tak unki larai mein dusmani thi, ek dusre ke liye nafrat thi. Lekin aaj unki larai mein bhi unki dosti aur ek dusre ke liye parwah chupa hua hain. Unki dosti ki suruat ho chuki hain. Ab yeh dosti sirf dosti tak hi rehti hain ya fir usse kuch jyada ban jaati hain yeh dekhna hain."

Priya turned to Harsh n was about to retort back but he gestured her through his eyes to look at Aryan n Aarzoo. Finally they stopped their skirmish n turned their backs to others as well as to each other. However, Harsh n Priya were standing in such a position that they could clearly see both of their faces. Priya was shocked to see the smiles lingering on the lips of both Aryan n Aarzoo as they were stuffing their belongings in the locker. Priya turned back to Harsh who was smirking and gave her a I-told-u-so look. Priya once again turned back to Aryan n Aarzoo n a smile slowly crept up onto her lips. As she looked back she smiled in consent while he winked at her in acknowledgement.

Was it only Aryan n Aarzoo's life that took a turn? Hmm…let's see.