NOTE: Heylo pankhas.. Here's the most awaited beginning of The Lady in Red..
Thank you for the lovely words of praise and encouragement..😊 That's precisely what keeps me wanting to write more.. 😊
About the FF, I guess each one of you has your own set of expectations and that is making me nervous, now! But that was bound to happen considering the nature of the Prologue..
Anyway, I've re-considered the plot and have made a few drastic changes to it.. Let's hope they don't backfire on melater on.. 😕😊
Also, as much as I hate to say this, Riya does not exist in this FF.. She's already dead..
But we do have Rosanna and Aisha.. And of course Karan-Arjun.. 😉😆
I've said in the opening note that this one is a thriller.. Here I'd like to modify it a bit and call it a 'Mystery'.. Thrillers are something wherein, the audience is anxiously waiting for something to happen.. While a mystery is a novel of a series of revelations, with a lot of action, often more mental than physical.. Hope, I've defined them correctly..
And hence, there will be a lot of things taking place in the backdrop, which will somehow be related to the main plot.. Or else the story won't have a proper premise.. I hope you appreciate that bit..😊
Thanks!
Here's the first installment..
Chapter 1
Police Station, Raigad, Maharashtra.
March 1995.
A 14-year old boy in a mud-smudged shirt and a bandaged forehead, stood with his head lowered in front of a cop..
He had been rescued from a car accident a while ago.. The parents had died, leaving the boy with a few scratches on his body and scars on his mind for life..
The police inspector, in-charge of the operation walked up to the boy and held him by his shoulders, "Tumhara naam kya hai?"
The boy was in no state to talk.. He had just witnessed his mother breathing her last in front of his eyes.. Her dilated dark brown pupils would haunt him for the rest of his life..
However, something about the cop's voice made him want to speak.. His voice wasn't as stern as the rest of them.. It held a genuinely concerned feel to it and the boy looked up and glanced at the officer's hold on his shoulders..
He gulped once since his throat was parched from crying, "Arjun.."
The inspector led him to a chair in front of his desk and made the boy sit on it.. He motioned a constable to get some food and water for the boy.. He then, crouched on his knees and placed his palm on the boy's thigh,
"Arjun, Good.. Mera naam.."
Arjun had found his gesture very soothing and couldn't help responding,
"Sanjay Gupte hai, hai na?"
The inspector saw the boy's eyes fixed on his badge and nodded,
"Haan.. Dekho Arjun.. Tum jaante ho, ki abhi kuch der pehle ek car accident mein.."
He saw the young Arjun's eyes well up with tears and swallowed his words,
"Arjun, mujhe apne baare mein kuch batao.. Tumhari family mein aur kaun kaun hai? Bhai, behen, chacha, mama koi bhi.. Taaki hum unhe inform kar sakte hain.."
He contemplated for a while and nodded his head in negative.. His parents had eloped and gotten married.. Their families had broken ties with them completely. Arjun didn't even remember seeing any of his parent's family members..
The inspector stood up and dialed a number.. Arjun stood up and looked around the room.. It was a police station.. There were desks stacked with files.. Petty criminals, mostly pickpockets and traffic offenders being questioned by the constables..
The boy's eyes fell on the emblem on the wall behind the inspector's desk.. He walked up to it and tried reading it.. It was written in Sanskrit..
And he went into a trance once again.. He remembered sitting in his mother's lap after the evening prayer, while she would recite Shlokas to him.. He inhaled sharply and tried reading it..
Inspector Gupte stood behind him with a packet of biscuits and a bottle of water and heard the boy trying to pronounce the engraved words..
"Sadrakshanaya Khalanigrahanaya.."
Arjun spun around and saw the Inspector smiling at him.
Gupte saw his forehead crease with confusion and was reminded of someone..
He smiled and handed over the packet of biscuits and water to the boy,
"Iska matlab hota hai, 'Acche logon ki suraksha aur bure logon ko vinaash karenge.."
He saw the boys light up,
"Protect the good and destroy the evil!"
Gupte nodded, "So, tumne suna hai yeh pehle?"
Arjun nodded,
"Haan.. Woh mere friend ke Papa mujhe ek police function mein lekar gaye the.. Tab maine wahan padha tha.."
He held the biscuit close to his lips and then abruptly took it away,
"Sir.. Main bhi police inspector ban sakta hoon? Aapki tarah?"
Gupte smiled widely and the boy's innocent question.. He'd been asked the same question before and his reply was the same this time as well,
"Kyun nahi? Agar tumhe lagta hai ki tum mentally aur physically strong ho aur tumhe doosron ke liye, apne desh ke liye kuch karna hai, toh zaroor ban sakte ho..
Lekin let me warn you, police ki naukri aasaan nahi hoti, beta.. Humein harr roz khatron se khelna padta hai.. Kar paoge?"
Arjun contemplated for a while and nodded his head,
"Haan.. Karunga.." And then his face fell.. "Lekin iske liye mujhe kya karna hoga?"
The inspector made him sit on a bench and sat down next to him,
"Sabse pehle, tumhe apni padhai poori karni hogi..
Kyunki knowledge is virtue.. Tum sahi kaam tab kar paoge, jab tumhe sahi aur galat ka fark pata hoga..
Samjhe.. Ya Samjhaun?"
Arjun bit into the biscuit and nodded his head, "Samajh gaya Sir.."
Present day..
Republic Day function
Vikhroli Police Grounds, Mumbai
26th January 2013..
Arjun heard his name and turned back to see the Commissioner referring to him in a conversation.. He placed the locket back in his pocket and glanced at the blue skies,
"Kaash aaj aap yahan hote, Baba.. I miss your warmth and guidance.. I sometimes wish you'd never left us..
Main aaj jab apne aap ko dekhta hoon, toh sochta hoon, ki aap agar yahan hotey, toh aap sab ko kitna afsos hota..
Kyunki aapne mujhe humesha mushkilon ka saamna karna sikhaya hai.. Aur maine kiya bhi.. Lekin uss ek haadse ke baad, main woh pehle wala Arjun nahi raha..
Bohot koshish karta hoon, har din, ki aapki di hui seekh ka aur apmaan na karun.. But I fail each time..'
Mujhe yunhi karke khwaabon se judaa..
Jaane kahan chup ke baitha hai khuda
Jaanu na main kab hua khud se gumshuda..
Kaise jiyun rooh bhi mujhse hai judaa..
'Sometimes, I can't help wondering, ki yeh sab humare saath kyun hua? We were so happy in our little world.. Phir..'
His thoughts trailed away, reminiscing those days when he had smiled, laughed and lived like everyone..
'Duniya ko lagta hai, ki sirf Roshni ki maut ka junoon mere sar par savaar hai.. Haan, yeh sach hai ki ussne mujhse meri sabse keemti cheez cheeni.. Lekin that's not all.. Bohot kam log yeh mere aur aapke rishte ke baare mein jaante hain..
Aap logon ne mujhe tab apnaaya tha, jab main kuch nahi tha.. If not for you, I would've probably wasted my life away.. You made me the man that I am today!
But I failed you when you needed me the most.. And Sikandar orphaned me for a second time; I lost my best friend.. He snatched away my little family..'
"Aur itne saare gunahon ki sazaa usse dilaaye bina, main chain se nahi baith sakta!!"
He glanced around and saw fellow officers chatting away with their colleagues, spending some quality time with their families..
He shut his eyes and their faces flashed in his mind..
He would've had his own family and friends today, had it not been for Sikandar!
Kyun meri raahein.. mujhse pooche ghar kahan hai
Kyun mujhse aake.. dastak pooche dar kahan hai..
Raahein aisi jinki manzil hi nahin..
Dhoondho mujhe ab main rehta hoon wahin..
Dil hai kahin aur dhadkan hai kahin..
Saansein hai magar kyun zinda main nahin..
He rubbed his temples and shook his head; he wouldn't fall apart.. Not yet!
And he quickly masked his softer side by putting up a stern face, often associated with him..
"Lekin mera vaada hai aapse, Baba.. Main Sikandar ko uske kiye ki saza zaroor doonga.. Usse meri har ek ek haar ka badla chukana hoga.."
A surge of rage shot through him and he walked away not wanting anybody to witness it..
A pair of eyes, however had been observing him ever since he had set foot in the premises.. She excused herself and walked to a secluded spot..
Aisha glanced at his retreating back and wondered if she could help.. But another thought and she knew, she couldn't help him, as much as she wanted to..
She watched him drive away and turned back to the group, faking a smile..
Ronny's Tattoo Studio, Anjuna Beach, Goa.
He looked at her frown yet again and threw his hands up in frustration and turned to her partner, who seemed just as frustrated,
"Hey Man Karan.. Tumhara friend ko toh kuch bhi pasand nahi aata.. Mera akkha life mein pehli baar aisa customer dekha hai.."
Karan rolled his eyes and walked to his friend, Ronny's rescue..
He walked up to her and snatched the catalogue from her.. One glance at the page and he hit his head, "Gulaab? Phir Se??"
She shot him a glare and snatched it back,
"Look.. This one's got light green thorns.. and this, the red colour looks soo pale.. aur yeh, huh..does it even look like a rose?!!"
Karan saw Ronny bang his head on the wall and chuckled,
"Look sweetheart, Tum pichle fifteen days se ek tattoo dhoondh rahi ho.. Poora Goa ghuma chuka hoon tumhe.. And trust me, Ronny se achha tattoo artist tumhe Goa mein nahi milega.. So, it's either this one or forget it! I'm done.."
She sensed his frustration and made a face,
"Fine.. Ronny..Bro! I want this one.. But please, the red has to be dark.. Blood red, you know!"
Ronny shook his head complying and motioned her to tie her hair up and lie down on her stomach..
She closed her eyes as the tattoo needle moved along the sensitive skin on her upper back.. The pain was worth it!
Later that evening,
Furly's Beach Shack, Anjuna, Goa..
He sipped on the coconut water and passed her a file,
"So, Miss Rosanna.. Aapka tattoo bhi hogaya.. What's next on the list?"
He saw her eyes twinkle and stood up throwing his hands in frustration,
"No way!! Kitna shopping karogi, yaar? You've shopped for dresses worth a Lac, last night.. I have to talk to Aisha about this.."
She rolled her eyes and sipped on her drink.. And he got agitated further,
"Haan haan.. Woh kaunsi meri baat manegi? Kahegi, I don't care.. Just don't upset her.. Do as she says..
Mujhe kya.. Aur karo shopping.. Meri bala se.."
She shot him a 'shut up' look and settled down opposite him,
"Stop it Karan.. You know why I do it, don't you? Why're you over-reacting?"
Karan realised he had over-reacted indeed and transformed into the composed officer that he was,
"Rosy, now that I've known you for like a month, can I ask you something personal?"
Can I ask you something personal?
She winced, Her personal life!! She knew she couldn't tell him the truth even if she wanted to..
He was a nice guy and her prior doubts about his capabilities had slowly faded upon seeing him at work.. She now, echoed Aisha's sentiments about him..
Rosy slightly nodded her eyes motioning him to ask.. He cleared his throat and placed his entwined fingers on the table between them,
"Why are you doing this?"
Her head shot up and he realised he had to be more precise,
"I mean.. the case.. Why do you want to be a part of it?
Aisha ka samajh mein aata hai.. She's been following the case for the past three years.. So it's a bit too difficult for her to let go.. Same with me..
But you? How and why did you come into the picture?"
She stood up and faced the sea with her milky arms crossed over her chest.. She felt the moist sand beneath her feet and it seemed to calm her frenzied mind..
Karan realised her hesitance and stood next to her, eyeing the sunset,
"Hey.. It's okay if you don't want to answer.. Main toh bass isliye pooch raha tha, because this is very dangerous..
Har mod par humein alert rehna hoga, har waqt hum khatron se ghire rahenge.. Yeh sab handle karna mushkil hoga.."
She faced him and smiled,
"I've known the repercussions of being an Intelligence officer way before I joined the force, Karan..
I guess, I'm fit, both physically and mentally.. Aur jab tak meri himmat mere saath hai, I'll be fine..
Aur tum wajah pooch rahe the na, ki main yahan kyun hoon?
Sahi waqt aane par bataungi..I promise.. But as of now, I can only tell you that I have a bigger reason, much more than you can fathom, for being here and doing what I am!"
Karan sensed sincerity and determination from her words and body language and realised, she would be fine! She seemed more than capable of handling it all..
By now, he had clearly understood that there was more to the lady than what met the eye..
It seemed as if she had securely guarded a part of her existence from the world.. And that had intrigued him further..
He handed her the file and sipped on his drink,
"This is a list of names and contacts of a few influential people in Goa.. I've complied it myself.. It's authentic!
You have to interact with them and become a part of their social circuits.. Some of them are restaurateurs, club owners, industrialists, housewives and some.."
His eyes held her gaze and she nodded in understanding..
He happened to recollect something and winked at her,
"Waise.. I must say, you were the star at last weekend's Charity function..
You seemed to have bowled over everyone with your performance.. Chaaron taraf sirf tumhari hi taareef ho rahi thi..
And if I'm not wrong, I saw a few familiar faces from the Fashion House launch as well.. So, be prepared.."
She looked up from the file, "Yes.. Mujhe bhi laga tha.. Waise, what's next?"
Karan tapped his smartphone and turned to her,
"They need someone at Della Maria Pub, tonight.."
She glanced at the sun sinking into the deep ocean and nodded her head, "I'll go.."
Karan paid off their bill and walked to his car expecting her to follow him..
She stood rooted in her spot and picked up a handful of sand in her fist.. Karan saw her close her eyes and clench her fist tightly..
He looked on anxiously awaiting her next moves.. But to his disappointment, she had sensed him behind her and slowly opened her fist, letting the sand slide off her fingers..
Ret bani, haathon se yun beh gayi..
Takdeer meri, bikhri har jagah..
She spun around and seated herself in the car.. Karan noticed a change in her demeanor, yet chose to leave her alone for the time being..
She put on the seat belt and rolled the glasses down, breathing in fresh air..
Aahein jo chuni hain, meri thi raza..
Rehti hoon kyun phir khud se hi khafa..
Aisi bhi hui thi mujhse kya khataa..
Tune jo mujhe di jeenay ki saza..
Kyun main jaagoon..
They drove through the busy Anjuna Market and for the first time in the days that he'd known her, Karan realised that there indeed was a lot more than spunk to the lady in red!
Okay.. So, how was it?? Please read and review.. I'd love to hear from everyone..
Those of you who would like to be PMed, please send me a buddy request and I shall PM you when I update next.. Please note that PM's will be sent only to those in my Buddy list.. Please press the LIKE button and leave your valuable feedback.. Take care and Keep falling in love!!
NOTE: I do not own the characters.. My stories are my fantasies and are based on ideas derived from the show.. My works are only meant for members of IndiaForums and are not to be copied to other sites..
[THIS IS A MEMBERS ONLY POST]
The Author of this post has chosen to restrict the content of this Post to members only.
Edited by mohabbatgirl - 12 years ago
Hindi TV Shows
Current Affairs
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
8