FF There Has To Be Something More (Part 13b added) - Page 4

Khushi was sitting and laughing when Riya and Arjun walked in. Shree and Chotu had been doing their Arjun and Riya impression for Khushi and, of course, she couldn't help but crack up. Rathod stood in the corner smiling and when Arjun and Riya walked in, everyone just started laughing harder. "Hum itne funny lag rahe hai ke tum logon ko hassi aa rahi hai? (Are we looking that funny that you guys are laughing at us?)" Arjun gave everyone an irritated look, even to Rathod, who looked a little red trying to control his laughter. "Kya hogaya Arjunji? Aap sab ko aise kyun dekh rahe hai? Logon ko hassi aati hai. Itni badi baat nahin hai. (What happened Arjunji? Why are you looking at everyone like that? People laugh. Its not a big deal.)" Khushi looked at Arjun in confusion. "Achcha? Mujhe nahin pata tha ke jab koi apna bachcha khota hai toh woh itna khush bhi ho sakta hai." Arjun cursed himself for saying that, especially after the looks everyone gave him."Raute. Tameez se baat karo! (Talk with respect!)" Rathod nearly spat at Arjun. "Nahin Rathodji. Humein aadat hai inn sab baaton ki. Humein koi faraq nahin padta kyun ki hum acchi tarah se jaante hai ke humein atheet se nikalkar aage badna hai. Jab log apne kal mein reh jaate hai, woh bhool jaate hainke woh log jo unse pyaar karte hain, unhe upar aasman se dekh rahe hai, woh log hi unke zindagi mein aage na badpane par dhuki ho jaate hai. (No Rathodji. I'm used to all this. I don't care because I know very well that I have to move on from my past. When people live in the past, they can never move forward in life. Then, they forget that the people that they love who can see them from the sky are themselves upset that that person is not moving forward in life.)" Khushi looked straight into Arjun's eyes. Riya really thought Arjun would bite Khushi's head off like he had done with her when she mentioned his wife, indirectly. Arjun just looked into Khushi's eyes, saw the tears rolling down, and looked down. He merely walked out of the hospital room.

Arjun sat deep in thought about what Khushi had said. Maybe Roshni would be happy if I moved on and lived again. I will never forget her and I will definetly avenge her death but I guess I don't need to stop living. She would probably hate the Arjun Raute I've become. I have to live again!

Riya was sitting next to Khushi and talking animatedly. "Toh aapko Arjun sir ke past ke baare mein pata chalgea? (So you found out about Arjun sir's past?)" Riya was still in awe from how direct Khushi was. "Ji. Aur humein aap ke baare mein bhi kaafi kuch pata chalgea hai. (Yea. And I found quite a lot out about you too.)" Khushi smirked and Shree and Chotu started coughing. "Kya?! Shree aur Chotu ki baat matt suniye! Main Arjun sir ko sirf izzat karti hoon! (What?! Don't listen to Shree and Chotu! I just respect Arjun sir, is all!)" Riya got worried and started freaking out. "Humne Arjunji ka naam kab liya? (When did I say Arjun's name?) Khushi's smile became ten times wider, Shree and Chotu looked like they were having a seizure, and even Rathod started coughing. Riya just ran out of the room, embarrassed.

Rathod was thinking about how much Khushi was helping the team grow closer and become happier. She really was like her name. Raute had talked to him about letting Khushi join the team. At first, he was skeptical but now he thought that it was the best idea Arjun had ever had. "Rathodji aap apne baare mein kuch bataiye na. (Rathodji tell something about yourself.)" Khushi looked at him with expectant eyes. "Erm… Toh hum ek Rajput hai. Par humne apna ghar chod diya tha kyun ki humein criminals ko parkarne the aur humare desh ko achcha banana tha. Hum apni shaadi ke din hi ghar se bhag gaye the. Humein bahut bura lagta hai, humare parivaar ke liye nahin par uss ladki ke liye jiska dil humne toda tha. (So I am a Rajput. But I left my house because I wanted to catch criminals and improve our nation. I left my house the day of my wedding. I feel really bad, not for my family, but for the girl whose heart I broke.)" Shree and Chotu looked shocked at how much information Rathod was sharing. Khushi looked at Rathod reassuringly. "Phir hum yahaan aa gaye aur police force join kardiya. Tab se hum yahin hai aur humara kaam hi humari zindagi hain. (Then I came here and joined the police force. Since then I've been here and my work is my life.)" Rathod quickly summed it up, feeling he might have had said too much. "Rathodji aapko kabhi avsos nahin hota ke aap ne kabhi shaadi nahin ki aur aap apne parivaar se door hain? (Rathodji don't you ever reget not marrying and being away from your family?)" Khushi asked him the question very innocently. "Avsos toh hota hai par phir hum unn logon ko dekhte hain jo humein duaein dete hain kyun ki humne unke zindagi bachaein hai. (I do regret it but then I see those people whose lives I've saved, praying for me.)" Rathod got a little emotional. "Aap ke khayal bahut achche hai. (Your thoughts are very nice.)" Khushi smiled at Rathod and squeezed his hand. "Achcha team! (Okay team!)" Shree and Chotu snapped into attention. "Humein ab jaana chahiye. (We should leave now.)" The three men walked out of the room.

When Riya had run out of the room, she ran straight into Arjun. Arjun had caught her just as she had fell. His hands were on his waist and Riya had grabbed his shirt. Riya's eyes were shut tight and when Arjun looked at her, she was looking very innocent. Then, her eyes opened slowly and they both realized how close they were to each other. "Sorry." Riya looked down, feeling shy. "It's okay." Arjun was mumbling. "Chalo. Humein Khushi ko bataana hoga ke hum Arnav se mile. (Let's go. We have to tell Khushi, we met Arnav.)" Arjun went back to normal. "Pehle humein Rathod sir ko batana nahin chahiye ke hua kya tha? (First shouldn't we tell Rathod sir was happened?)" Riya quietly asked Arjun, actually not wanting to face Khushi for the time being. "Bura idea nahin hai. (Not a bad idea.)" Riya was shocked again at Arjun agreeing with her. They walked towards Khushi's room as Rathod, Chotu, and Shree closed the door behind them.

"Toh Rathod, Arnav ne yeh kaam nahin kiya hai. (So Rathod, Arnav didn't do this.)"Arjun had started talking after everyone got settled in the hospital's conference room, which the ETF had taken over. "Tum yeh itne yakeen se kaise keh sakte ho. (How can you say this so surely?)" Rathod was confused at what could have changed Arjun's mind as Arjun was very sure of everything when they had talked on the phone that morning. Arjun and Riya just looked at each other and recalled the meeting with Arnav at AR Designs.

--FLASHBACK--

Riya and Arjun walked up to the receptionist at the main desk of AR Designs. "Humein Arnav Singh Raizada se milna hai. (We have to meet Arnav Singh Raizada.)" Looking at Arjun, the lady at the desk got up and smiled widely. Riya shot her a death glare and the lady finally noticed her standing next to Arjun. "Sorry sir and madam. ASR is currently busy so he cannot talk to anyone." The lady looked disappointed seeing Arjun and Riya together. Riya pushed Arjun aside. "Hum ETF se hai. Agar aap chahti hain ke main aap par case mein rok daalne ke liye andar na karoon, aapko humein andar jaana hoga. Samjhi? (We're from the ETF. If you don't want me to arrest you for trying to stop our case, you must let us go. Understand?)" Riya had never been so rude before and Arjun's fleetingly open mouth showed his shock. They both took out their badges and a very insulted lady escorted them to Arnav's office. "Come in." A voice answered the knock on the door. "Sir, these officers have come to meet you." Arjun and Riya walked in and Arnav stood up and shook their hands as the receptionist looked surprised and walked out. "Dekho Arnav. Hum aapko bata nahin sakte ke Khushi kahaan hai aur kya ho raha hai… (Look Arnav. We cant tell you where Khushi is or what is going on…)" Arjun seemed a little hesitant to continue looking at Arnav's angry face. "Par hum aap se yeh kehna chahte hain ke woh theek hain aur hum aapko vishwas dilaana chahte hai ke aapko fikar karne ki koi zarurat nahin hai. (But we want to tell you that she is fine and we want to assure you that you don't need to worry.)" Riya's words calmed Arnav down. His face loosened and invited Arjun and Riya to sit before he sat himself. "Aman!" Arnav called out to someone through his intercom, which he then promptly turned off before Arjun could tell him to. "Yes sir." A nervous looking man walked in. "Sir aur madam ke liye coffee…" "Arjun sir cutting chai lenge." Riya interrupted Arnav and then looked down embarrassed. "Theek hai. Toh do coffee, mera bina sugar ke, aur ek cutting chai. Jaldi! (Fine. So two coffees, mine without sugar, and one cutting chai. Fast!)" Arnav smirked at Riya and Aman nearly ran out. "Toh ab… (So now…)" Riya and Arnav spoke at the same time and laughed while Arjun glowered at them. "Arnav. Mujhe Khushi ke baare mein sab kuch bataao. (Arnav tell me everything about Khushi.)"