Arakshi:Hello my dear wrong number! Pg143 - Page 38

hi. whats up!

Hello Arakshians...back with a long part...excuse me for that!

pls read and reply...

errors ho toh maaf kardena...

B1, this one is also dedicated to you...ab maaf kardogi na?

trigger, tumaare kuch wishes poore kiye hai maine...padhke bathao kaisa laga, ok?

Thanks for liking and commenting on it! ur comments is my driving force...thanks a ton!

Part 9A:

Sakshi felt a bit sorry about the whole mess up...she knew she had caused trouble for Aisha...So she intervened and spoke up, "Arjun, Aisha ne kuch nahi kiya...I will explain..."

He didn't turn to her but just replied sarcastically, "ab mujhe apne team member se baat karne keliye bhi ek investigative journalist se permission lena padega, huh?"

He didn't wait for a reply from Sakshi or anyone else...He turned around to leave...and then voiced out "Aisha..." as if asking her to follow him and then stormed out of the cabin...

Aisha crossed her fingers, and let out prayers to all her known gods...and finally looked at Sameer who just nodded as if permitting her to leave...As she walked out, Sakshi placed her hand on her shoulders and muttered an apology in low voice...Aisha just gestured her to relax and went towards Arjun's cabin!!

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Aisha knocked the door and entered slowly...

She knew that she was in for some loud music and lots of samjhi ya samjhavum moments from him...so she mentally prepared herself for all those and walked in slowly...

Arjun looked up to her sensing her walk in...

"Aisha...tumne Amarnath ke wife aur beti se baat ki? Kya unne ko kuch problem tha?? I mean financial ya personal?"

Arjun's unexpected question made Aisha almost falter in her tracks...

Arjun noticed that she was going to slip and voiced out "Aisha sambaalke...tumhe kya hua?"

He very well knew what happened to her...he knew that she was expecting questions regarding Sakshi from him...and thats exactly the reaction he had expected from her too...He could always read minds and switch things up so swiftly that none could decipher what was running in his own mind...He had the unique trait to be unpredictable always!

That said, he sure had the urge to strangle the lady cop before him for hiding things from him...despite of knowing Sakshi and even making her stay in her own house, she never breathed anything about it...

Even after seeing him desperately trying to find her, Aisha didn't speak out...All his worries and tensions which he had gone through was almost building up into a volcano which could burst out anytime...

But then, somewhere down deep, he could read what Aisha intended to do...and he could realize for himself that she wouldn't have hidden it for the fun part of it or just to torture the team or to help Sakshi...

He knew Aisha much more than that...she was a responsible and mature individual and a real asset to whole ETF team...though he never acknowledged it openly, he had always admired her work and the total dedication she showed in the work she did...

So if she had hidden something, then it sure had a reason and he was able to guess the reasons to an extent as well...maybe she wanted to protect Sakshi from the dangers that lurked her and also keep her under her strict confines so that she didn't run away and get lost somewhere again!

***********************

Aisha gathered herself up and replied, "I am fine sir.."

Arjun: so...kya kya information hai?

Aisha had completely lost it and wondered "kis baare mein sir?"

Arjun: [looking at her intently and raising his eyebrows] maine Amarnath ke baare mein kuch poocha tha...tumne sunaa nahi?

Aisha: [smacking herself for that slip and soon speaks up] ohh yeah...nahi sir...unnke koyi personal problem ya financial problems nahi thi...middle class family hai...so choti problems tho hoga hi but nothing serious...

Arjun: hmm...[to himself] kahi kuch choot raha hai...[and then to Aisha] ok...tum jaao...

As she turns to leave, Arjun speaks up again "Aisha...thanks..."

Aisha enquiringly looks at him while he continues, "tumne hum sab ko thodi bohat pareshan toh kiya but I know your intentions behind that was for good...uss keliye thanks..."

Aisha smiled and nodded before leaving! She didn't know why she felt that she saw a different Arjun at that moment...

He had thanked her for giving refuge to Sakshi...that did mean something...She grinned as she closed the door to the cabin behind her...

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Arjun, by now knew that Sakshi was full on crazy...yeah she was brilliant and very daring but she was indeed an epitome of extreme craziness! She was totally unpredictable and none could decipher what she would do the very next moment...He had seen it himself when he had almost caught her at her place...And she managed to lock him up and run away!

He had decided then and there that he would catch her ears and grab her out of her hiding place...and he had done that too the very next day...

But then the sudden attack and then his injury had become a twist in the tale!

And the sudden realization that she had taken refuge in Aisha's place and her visits to the hospital to check on him without even giving him a chance to meet her...all that had totally made him furious and mad at her from inside, mainly due to the male ego that was bruised by a girl...He had transformed all of that anger within him into sheer indifference and bestowed upon her when she was introduced in Rathod's cabin!

He or rather his ego didn't want to show off to her that he was desperate to meet her but within him, he knew he was...As they say, we get desperate and curious to see and know things on which we don't have easy access or which are forbidden from us...Meeting and talking with Miss wrong number wasn't any different from that for the akdu ACP though he might not admit it openly!

But now, when she was right before him, he had this sudden wish that now she should try hard to get to meet him! And he did turn off the tables on to her direction!

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Meanwhile, Sakshi was quite confused and also pissed off with the ACP's akdupann...

"ufff itna attitude bharaa insaan ko maine aaj tak nahi dekha hai"

Her muttering was instantly answered...

"Dekha nahi toh ab dekhlena...he is right in there"

Aisha pointed to Arjun's cabin as she walked back to her desk smiling at Sakshi...

Sakshi's desk was yet to be allocated...so she was sitting near Aisha's place...

Sakshi: [frowning] was it joke Aisha??? If yes, then it was quite a bad one!

Aisha: joke nahi tha...I am stating the fact!

Sakshi shrugged, "whatever! " and turned back to her laptop!

But the very next instant Sakshi snapped out and looked back at Aisha...she was curious about what happened inside..."Aisha, kya kaha Arjun ne??? Bohat chillaaya kya?"

Aisha sat down in her chair and turned to her side...

Smiling at her, she replied.."nahi...woh sirf case ke baare mein pooch rahe teh..."

Sakshi: [surprised...no actually shocked...she had expected Arjun to blast Aisha for having kept it a secret] Kya??? [Suppressing her shock and enquires casually] Mere baare mein poocha??

Aisha didn't know why but she chose to hide the last part of her conversation with Arjun...She somehow felt that Arjun wouldn't want Sakshi to know his concern for her at this present moment...

Moreover, Sakshi herself had done all these damages and it was up to her to work her way and do the much needed repair work!

Aisha didn't want to give a comfort zone for Sakshi to relax thinking that Arjun wasn't that very angry...

Aisha: [grinning] tumaare baare mein???? nahi toh...kyun?? tum chahthi thi ke woh pooche, huh???

Sakshi: haan...[correcting and struggling for words] I mean nahi...matlab...

Aisha cut her short and sort of helped her, "ok ok I understand what you mean...but the fact is he didn't ask anything about you...tum khud jaakhe baaat karlo na?? May be he expects you to do that!"

Sakshi shook her head, "nahi...aise nahi...pehle patha tho chale kya chal raha hai unnke dimaag mein...I mean, itne dinon se mujhe dhoond rahe teh aur aaj jab saamne thi, he never gave me a second look"

Before she continued, Aisha snapped her with a grin, "and you were expecting that second look from him...right??"

Sakshi was caught in her own web of words, "nahi...I mean aise nahi jaise tum soch rahe ho..."

Aisha: [grins and she was having fun playing with Arjun sir's miss wrong number] maine kuch nahi socha...par lagtha hai ke tumne bohat kuch soch liya...

A stern angry voice suddenly interrupted their chit chat...

"agar sochne aur poochne ki faaltu baatein khatam hogayi ho toh kuch kaam ki baatein karein...

[both girls turned to see Arjun standing right behind them...both were equally stunned by his sudden and silent entry...He didn't look at Sakshi even now...instead, he added after a long pause as if he had addressed that only to his team member Aisha]

Aisha...I want Amarnath's case file...sab details including the statements of witnesses, family and friends..sab kuch updated hona chahiye...aur haan, agar autopsy report ready hai toh usse bhi le aavo..."

Aisha: yes sir...main Liza se abhi poochthi hoom...

Arjun: [turning to leave, stops and orders] I want the team in the conference room in 10 minutes!

Aisha: ok sir!

Arjun started walking totally ignoring her presence in the same room...

"Aur main Arjun??" a sweet gentle voice enquired from the other side stopping him instantly in his tracks...

He didn't turn to her but just sarcastically replies, "maine team kahaa tha...aur isska matlab samajhthi ho na Aisha??? [Aisha looked at Sakshi shaking her head meaningfully and just nodded silently...she knew that this reply of his was for Sakshi even if he addressed it to her...He added] I don't intend to send special invitations to anyone! Samjhe yaa [turning a little towards her side but not looking at her] samjhaavum?

He didn't wait for a reply...He just walked out from there...

**********************************

The entire day passed away in the investigation and it was quite clear that it wasn't a suicide...there was much more to it...some clues pointed to a property issue and also some business rivalry...The victim Amarnath owned a garage and there were issues between him and the workers there, especially one particular guy!...And the property issue was from his native village and the land dispute was in the court now...And Amarnath was on the verge of winning the case, thus earning wraths from his cousins who were behind that land!

But the real culprit wasnt clear as of now...

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Throughout the day, Sakshi tries her best to talk to Arjun but he keeps ignoring her and even when they talked, it was in general about the case which was quite inevitable while working as a team!

She made some amazing discoveries about the family and its background through her sources which actually became the turning factor in the whole case...Brilliant, she was...and no one, not even the hot cop could deny that fact!

********************************

It was late evening when they returned to ETF office...

Aisha was in a totally disturbed mood and wanted to be left alone...Sakshi didn't pester her to know the reason...she knew that it was best to give her that space!

And then Sakshi also had her other ideas to try and cajole Arjun...She didn't want the cold vibes to prolong any further...

She really wanted a truce and make things casual and friendly between them, even if it meant bowing down a bit and apologizing to him!

***********************************

After a few minutes of discussion with Rathod, Arjun came into his cabin and sunk into his chair as if exhausted totally...he leaned to the chair and rested his head on the seat rest...

He closed his eyes for a long moment yearning for something that always gave him the much needed energy to get going at such worn out times...it always lifted his spirits high and refreshed him!...yes, he wished a steaming hot cutting chai...

He opened his eyes and thats when his glance fell on the glass that was placed on his table...A faint smile, if you can call it that tried to creep into his lips but he stopped it abruptly and picked the glass...Under it was a letter...He took it instantly

Sipping the tea, he started reading the letter...

"I am sorry Arjun...mujhe patha hai ke maine aapko kuch zyaadha hi pareshaan kiya aur isi wajeh se aap mujhse naaraaz hai...aur aap sahi bhi ho...par kya karein?? Main aisi hi hoom...

Anyways, wondering why the cutting chai, huh???Aapka ghussa dhoor karne ka isse accha tareeka ho hi nahi saktha...Nahi nahi...aisa main nahi aapke team mein sab kehthe hai...

So to cool down your hot hot temper, have a glass of steaming cutting chai...aapka favourite hai na?

Phir se ek baar, Kaan pakadh ke sorry...ab maaf kar bhi dho na Arjun...

Kya kisine aaj tak kaha hai ke aap smile karthe hua bohat cute lagthe hai! Agar nahi kaha hai, toh ab jaan lijiye...And smile plzz...

-Wrong Number"

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The smile which abruptly stopped before crept up despite his resistance...he smiled oblivious to himself...When he read the letter, he felt like she was really speaking out sitting right before him...

That's when he saw the reflection of the lady herself on the glass door right before him...She was stealthily glancing at him from the window sill and observing his reactions as he read the letter...

He hid his smile and also pretended not to have seen her...He swirled his chair to the sides and stood up after taking one more sip of the tea...

She moved away seeing him stand up and hid herself behind the window shutter...

He purposefully walked to the window posing as just a casual stroll to have a look outside...he glanced a bit sideways and acted as if he never saw her making her believe that as well...

She stood straight against the wall catching her breath so that he doesn't see her!

He himself wasnt aware of what was running in his mind at that moment or what made him do that...But in a quick impulse action, he stretched out his hand and grabbed her, pulling her from her hiding place, towards him...She hadn't expected that action from him and it came as a sudden shock to her...She jerked to his side in a startle and in the process lost her balance and fell right into his arms...

He caught her before she fell down...He looked at her now...rather was forced to look at her for the first time!

That indeed was the first time, he was even looking at her pretty face...

She, on the other hand was still in a state of shock but her expressions relaxed a bit as their eyes met and remained locked for a long moment...

[To be continued]

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