ARAKSHI FF - Chalte Chalte - IMP NOTE on Page 48 - Page 8

Chapter 9 - The Reunion

"Meethi." He could only whisper her name as he touched her shoulder.

She froze, midway through her dance. Her wet hair struck against his face as she turned around, facing him.

He could no longer hold back his tears. He let them pour out and they mixed with the falling rain. He shut his eyes for a brief moment and reopened them, almost expecting her to disappear in that instant. When she still seemed to be there right before him, he smiled.

Her eyes were looking directly into his as if to ensure herself that this was indeed happening. Despite of the rain, he could make out that she had tears in her eyes. She had known him all along. Why did it take him so long? Or did he know her all along but refused to accept that she had come back for him? Several questions propped up in his mind but he kept quiet, content just by being with her... after all these years.

For the first time since Roshni's death, he was smiling. For the first time, his smile was reflected in his eyes.

***

She could only stare at him when he first took the name. She had almost forgotten what it sounded like from his lips. She wanted to shout out to him, to call her Meethi again! Her eyes wanted to shout - Yes! It is me. I have come back. You see, I never really left you.

But all she could do at that moment was to look into his eyes. The eyes that now recognised his Meethi.

She reached out and touched his face, now wet with tears and raindrops.

He responded to her touch, closed his eyes and took her hand in his. He smiled. Oh, how she had waited to see that smile. The smile which had been lost in her memories.

With his other hand, he touched her face, fingers wiping away the invisible tears.

The next moment, he had pulled her into his arms.

***

He held on tight to her as the rain fell around them. He could barely hear the thunder or see the lightening, because he was so lost in her. He buried his face in her wet hair and all his pain seemed to disappear instantly.

"I missed you Meethi." He whispered in her ear.

She laughed and hugged him tighter.

"I missed you too Arjun."

It felt so right in her arms. It brought back the memories of those carefree days of childhood. He forgot about everything else at that moment. All he could remember was - his Meethi was with him, in his arms. After so many years.

"Happy Birthday Meethi." He whispered in her ears, the smile never leaving his face.

She smiled, her eyes shut, trying to capture the moment in her heart forever.

"Tumhe yaad tha." She said, her happiness clearly reflected in her voice.

He pulled back from the hug, looked into her eyes and said, "Main kaise bhoolta? Ek baar thoda late kya ho gaya tha wish karne me, tu toh baat hi nahi kar rahi thi." His face now held a teasing look.

She hit him lightly on the chest and said, "Mujhe laga tum bhool gaye. Waise main tumse ab bhi bahut naraaz hoon." She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"Ab kya kiya maine?"

"Mujhe pehchaanne mein itna time kyun laga? Main toh tumhe dekhte hi pehchaan gayi thi. Kitne hints chode! Pata nahi kisne ACP bana diya tumhe. Apni best friend ko toh pehchaan nahi paaye."

"Jhoothi, tujhe mera poora naam pata tha isliye tujhe pata lag gaya. Warna tujhe saalon lag jaate mujhe dhoondhne mein."

She turned around to face him again.

"Meri galti hai ki tumne mera naam badal diya tha?"

The thunder rumbled again, and a flash of lightening lit up their faces for an instant.

He smiled and said, "Meethi tujhe beemar parna hai? Aur bheegenge toh pakka beemar par jayenge."

"Phir se bolo na."

"Kya?"

"Mera naam."

He grinned and said in a teasing voice, "Miss Sakshi Anand. Ghar chalein?"

She hit him playfully again and said, "Nahiii. Woh naam nahi!"

"Toh phir kaunsa?"

"Arjuuun." She put on an angry look and turned away from him.

He went closer to her, put his hands around her shoulder and whispered close to her ears, "Meethi."

She smiled and hugged him again, putting her head where she could hear his heartbeat.

He put his arms around her and said, "Acha ab chal warna beemar par jayegi."

***

They walked back towards his car, both looking at each other after every second, as if to ensure each other that they were indeed together after all these years.

When he pulled his car at her home, memories of the day they had been separated came flooding back to him. He looked at her and she stared back at him. Both knew what the other was thinking about.

"Andar nahi aaoge?" She asked him.

He stared at her house. He hadn't been inside since the day she had left him. He could still feel the pain he had felt when her taxi pulled away. Her face was locked in his memory when she had looked out from the window, tears streaming down her face, her hair flapping wildly in the wind.

He had cried for hours afterwards. And then, the tears had dried up forever.

Now, here they were back again, at the same place, after so many years. He didn't want to let go this time.

He smiled and looked at her. "Cutting chai?"

***

She hadn't been sure if he would actually come in after all these years. She wanted to know what was going through his mind. Can they be best friends again, like before? Or has he changed so much that it would become awkward for both of them? What if she has changed and he doesn't like her anymore? So many years had passed after all...

Her face shone with happiness and relief when he asked for his favourite cutting chai.

They walked towards her old room and she kept glancing towards his face as if to assure herself that she had indeed taken the right decision to invite him in. So much had happened since she had left that she wondered if this was all too quick for him. But he seemed to be lost in his memories and she relaxed.

He walked towards her window from which he could see his old house staring back at him.

"Main chai lekar aaon? Tum baitho."

He nodded and she walked out, leaving him to his thoughts.

When she walked back in with the chai, he was sitting at her desk looking for something. She understood and put the chai on the nearby bedside table before slipping on her bracelet which she had been carrying in her pocket all this time.

She grabbed the cup again and extended her hand out to him, "Chai."

His eyes first landed on the bracelet. He smiled and looked up at her. He took the cup, kept it on the table and took her hand, running his fingers over the bracelet.

"Yeh ab bhi tere paas hai?" He said in a soft voice.

"Tum nahi the, but is bracelet ne humesha mera saath diya."

He reached out into his pocket, took his wallet out and showed her the picture he kept close to him always. The picture of them as kids, taken on the same day he had gifted her the bracelet.

"Oh my God. Yeh tumhare paas tha? Mujhe laga kho gaya!"

"Maine chura liya tha," he said with a mischievous grin, "Tu chali gayi toh kya hua? Tera photo toh saath tha."

"Chor! Log kya kahenge Arjun! ACP Arjun aur chori?" She gasped.

They burst out laughing. She stared at him. He was laughing. She could see her old Arjun back already. It made her happy. She wished he would remain like this forever - happy.

It had hurt so much to see him the way he was. However, she knew this Arjun would only be there for a short time. It wasn't easy to come out of his guilt. But she also knew that she could bring him back to his old self. And she would. He had been alone for far too long.

The rain was still pouring outside. They had changed into some dry clothes. Arjun had to borrow some old clothes of her father. They sat on Sakshi's bed, staring out the window. Her head was on his shoulder, their hands entwined. Arjun's fingers were playing with her bracelet.

Lightning struck outside and the whole room lit up for an instant. They were sitting in the darkness, listening to the rain pattering against the window, like they once used to do in their childhood.

***

And then he asked her what he had been waiting to know.

"Tu wapas kyun aayi Meethi? Woh bhi itne saalon baad?"

She sat up to face him and said, "Kyun? Nahin aana chahiye tha?"

He said with a teasing grin, "Wahan rehti toh acha hota. Ab phir se teri bakwaas sunni paregi. Woh bhi subah shaam. Join bhi kiya toh mere team mein. Yeh nahi ki kuch der tujhse chutkaara mile. Ab 24 ghante teri bakbak sunni paregi."

She gasped, grabbed a pillow and started hitting him with it.

"Itni badi baaat! Main bakbak karti hoon?"

"Aur nahi toh kya?" He was laughing, trying to dodge the pillow. "Teri toh! Pillow fight mujhe bhi karna aata hai!" He grabbed the other pillow and counter attacked.

Soon they were giggling like children, jumping all over the room, chasing and hitting each other with the few pillows that Sakshi had in the room.

When they were tired from all the running around, they dropped on her bed again, side by side, laughing as if to catch up with all the laughter they had missed out in these years.

"Tu abhi bhi waisi hai Meethi. Badi nahi hui." He turned around to face her.

"Tum kahan bade hue? Kaun kahega ki tum the ACP Arjun Rawte ho?" She said, emphasising on the ACP bit in a deep voice, like she used to do as a child.

His face darkened, as if coming face to face with reality. Listening to ACP Arjun Rawte felt like he was hearing about some other person. That person which he had left somewhere on the road, just before he had found his Meethi. He had forgotten about everything. Who he was, what had happened in his past. The horrific past. Will it always keep chasing him? Will he never be able to let go?

He tightened his fist and shut his eyes for a while, trying to forget. His Meethi was here, after all these years. He should be happy, not thinking about the past. But then, fear lurked around in his mind. What if, he fell in love with her? And then she was taken away from him? He trembled at the thought. No, he couldn't bear to lose her. He wouldn't let this relationship go beyond friendship. Because whenever he started loving someone, that person was taken away from him.

He felt her fingers on his tightened fist and his fists loosened a bit. He looked towards her questioning eyes, held her hand and said, "Tune mere sawaal ka jawab nahi diya. Kya tu...humesha ke liye...?"

***

She could make out the change in his voice. She had noticed when she had lost him for a while. For a moment, her Arjun had disappeared and had been replaced by the unknown Arjun. She knew what he was thinking. She knew he needed his space and she should allow it. She gazed at him as he shut his eyes, his fists tightening. She wanted to comfort him, but she held herself back. He needed a friend right now. And she wasn't going to let this relationship go beyond that. She could already feel herself falling for him, but she had to hold herself back. He only needs a friend, a person to talk to, she repeated to herself. When she couldn't bear his pained expression any longer, she put her hand on his, trying to reassure him that he now has someone to share his pain with. He wasn't alone any longer.

When he asked her the question, she replied, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible, "Tumhare liye." Her grin returned on her face.

"Mazak nahi Meethi."

"Arrey! Main sach keh rahi hoon!"

He gave her another look and she said, now in a serious voice, "Papa passed away. Kuch mahine pehle," she said gazing out of the window, "Mera wahan aur koi nahi tha. And main wapas aana chahti thi. Yehi mera ghar hai. Wahan bahut lonely feel hota hai. Aur phir mujhe tumhe dhoondhna tha." She smiled and looked at him.

"Toh...ab yahan..."

"Haan," she completed his sentence for him, "Ab yehi rahoongi. Ab toh tum bhi mil gaye ho." She nudged him playfully, the smile never leaving his face.

"Waise tere jaisi bakbak machine ko mere alawa aur tolerate bhi kaun karega? Wahan se bhi bhaga diya. Bechare London wale pareshaan hog aye honge teri bakbak se."

He was back. She could see it in his smile.

She hit him again and just smiled.

He didn't go back home that night. They kept talking throughout the night, catching up on the years they had lost together. She didn't mention Roshni and he avoided talking about her too.

In the early hours of the morning, Sakshi was fast asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He kept caressing her hair, his gaze fixed on her. He put his head on hers and closed his eyes.

And for the first time in years, he didn't have any nightmares. He was able to sleep.

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