Gift OS : Had It Been Like This..GIFT 5 page 15 - Page 4

After a round of bickering breakfast, Annu, was finally convinced by both of her parents about their plan, though, she had to be bribed with a future trip to one of her favourite icecream parlor and also was given a few special authorities which she can use as long as she was away from her parents, one of them being, calling the police station or even ETF office to file a complaint against her opponent.

The journey towards their destination was a quite one. Annu was enjoying the blowing wind sitting beside Sameer, who was driving the car, while Ayesha sat behind with their luggage.

After a long half an hour they reached their destination. Annu stepped out of the car and looked ahead. A cheap guest lodge was standing in front of her. She looked back at Sameer and both Sam and Ayesha walked forward towards her. Sam held her hand and both walked inside towards Room No 17.

*********

Ayesha stepped towards the staircase followed by Sameer and Annu. Ayesha had walked a few steps ahead when Sameer felt a light tug at his hand. He turned to see Annu had stopped at two steps below him and was pulling him down too. He gave a brief look at Ayesha who had already reached the corridor and heading towards the desired room. He stepped down beside her and bent to her,

'ab kya hua?' he asked her,

'tum mujhe lene kab aaoge?' she asked with a sad doubtful face,

'Sham tak aa jaunga, kya hua itna kyu daar rahi hoo?' he replied,

'Dost, tum aaoge na?' she asked again with tearful face, holding his shirt tightly,

'Annu, mein kyu nehi aunga? Agar tumhe yaha bilkul nehi rehena to chalo wapas chalte hain, hum manage kar lenge,' he said kneeling down and cupping her cheeks,

'nehi mein samhal lungi, tum jaldi anaa haan,' she said hugging his neck,

'bohot jaldi aunga, aur tumhe yaad haina maine jo kaha tha,' he asked her pulling her up in his arms, while he took the rest of the steps,

'haan,' she replied jumping in his arms.

They reached the destined door. It was open and Ayesha was facing her back speaking to the occupant. Sameer put Annu down on the ground and called out to the man,

'Rawte,'

Ayesha heard him and moved aside smiling. Arjun stood there clad in an ironed blue shirt and jeans. He looked ahead at the door and shook his head breathing out sharply,

'tum log yaha kyu aye Rathore? Mein ETF ke liye hi nikal raha tha,' he told him in a stern voice,

'Firstly, tum office nehi aa rahe ho, doctor ne tumhe rest lene ko kaha hain, and second tumhare liye birthday gift laya tha,' Sameer told him with a smirk,

'kya bakwas hain ye saab Rathore?' Arjun spoke up irritated,

'Climinal, Mele dost ko maat daato,' a chilling shout alerted the elders and all looked down towards the small alien at the doorstep with hands on her hips and glaring at Arjun,

'Captain Spark?' Arjun muttered with a frown and then looking at her parents, who were busy hiding their laughs,

Annu was busy giving tough glares and naughty smirks when Rathore held her hand and stepped inside the room,

'tumhara birthday gift,' he chuckled, earning a doubtful look from annu,

'Rathore!! Ayesha ye saab kya hain?' Arjun asked Ayesha, while glaring at Sameer,

'kya matlab? Sam tumne arjun ko nehi bataya?' Ayesha asked Sameer surprised,

'Wo mein bhul gaya,' he shrugged,

'Sam!! Arjun wo, hum office ja rahe hain, aur meri mummy aj ghar pe nehi hain, agar tumhe problem na ho to, kya tum Annu ko sham tak apne pass rakh loge, please, mein jaldi ane ki koshish karungi, you know na wo mujhe conference mein bhi...Agar tumhe problem hain to mein...' Ayesha explained,

'nehi its okay ayesha, Aj mein rest le leta hu, Kuch zyada hi injured hu..kuch zaroorat ho to call kar lena,' Arjun replied, giving a typically hard, frustrated glare at Rathore,

Sameer nodded promptly, ignoring his meaningful gazes and Ayesha kneeled in front of Annu, whispering something to her, which she heard with an irritated expression and then a glare at Arjun.

Ayesha handed over a box of her handmade breakfast to Arjun and a bag to Annu with a few of her clothes and toys.

After sometime Ayesha left bidding them Bye and Sameer had just reached the door when Arjun called back,

'Rathore, in saab ki zaroorat nehi thi, mein thik hoon,' he voiced out,

'pata hain,' Sameer nodded and hurried out towards Ayesha.

*********

Arjun closed the door and turned back. Annu was looking at him with angry, suspicious eyes with her hands still on her hips. Arjun signed and looked away.

'Aao, baitho,' Arjun called her, taking her bag and throwing it towards the bed, earning some inaudible curses from Annu, who ran to her bag, caressing it and muttering climinal'.

Arjun chuckled and kept the box given by Ayesha on the table. He could feel annu's frustrated gaze at him, while he sat on the chair, opened the box and started munching on the breakfast slowly.

He looked at her from the chair, she frowned at him, looking like a furious giant. He offered her the breakfast silently and she rejected looking away. She stepped towards the sofa-cum-bed at the other end and climbed onto it. Dangling her legs from the edge of the bed, she sat looking around the room.

There was a strange silence in the room, except the noise of Arjun's munching on the food and sometimes Annu's turned and moving legs made a creaking sound on the bed. Arjun didn't look at her anymore, but her piercing gaze around was disturbing him now. Finally after a long pause, he finished the breakfast and looked at her,

'aise kya dekh rahi hoo?' he asked raising a brow at him,

'Ye tumhala ghal hain?' she asked looking around,

'haan kyu? Acha nehi hain?' he asked,

'Acha hain, pal tumhale mummy papa kaha hain?' she asked him with a deep frown,

Arjun looked away and remained silent, keeping back the remaining breakfast on the table. Annu waited for sometime but Arjun wasn't responding. So she stepped down from the bed and walked to him. She held his hand and shook him,

'kya hua batao na? tumhale bhi papa nehi hain?' she asked innocently,

'nehi wo baat nehi, wo bas thode busy hain, isliye mere saath nehi rehe pate,' he informed her giving a sad smile,

'Climinal tum sad maat ho, mele bhi to papa nehi the, pal ab to dost bhi hain aur papa bhi,' she said resting her arms on his thighs, smiling,

'hmm,' Arjun hummed and tried to pick her up but the wound on his right shoulder started paining and he left her on the ground, holding his shoulder firmly to absorb the pain.

Annu had seen his face screech and he held onto his shoulder which had a bandaged wound. She straightened and held onto his legs,

'Kya kal lahe ho? Tumhe chot lagi haina? Dald ho laha hain?' she asked looking at him with wide eyes, scared,

Arjun was panting now. He tried to smile at annu and muttered softly,

'thoda sa,'

'utho yaha se..mummy ne kaha tha, tumhe lest lena hain, chalo bed pe so jao,' she ordered tugging onto his arm,

'nehi mein...'

'meine kaha na chalo...mujhe gussa maat dilao,' she shouted and held onto his hand,

Arjun helplessly had to walk to the bed and lay down. Annu climbed beside him and sat observing him.

'tum aise hi mujhe dekhti rahogi?' he asked irritated,

'dost ne kaha tha, tumpe na...laz lakhne ke liye,' she clarified, and leaned forward towards his head, looking straight into his face,

'nazar..' he corrected her smirking,

'haso maat, chup chap lete laho,' she scolded him,

'tum aise hi mujhe dekhti rahogi kya?' Arjun asked irritated,

'Haan, tum chup laho aur so jao,' she said caressing his hair.

Arjun looked away. He was panting and his breath was irregular due to the pain. He tugged out his shirt and opened the buttons. He was sweating due to the sudden gust of pain. He sat up to remove his shirt, but he was feeling nausea and sat leaning on the pillow. He felt annu wipe the lone tear which escaped his eye.

'Dald ho raha hain?' she asked looking at him with concern in her eyes,

He nodded his head and held his hand up to open the shirt but was amused when his angry, ruthless Captain Spark came forward to help him.

*******

ACP Arjun Rawte, the second-in-command at the ETF, was severely wounded a day before during a shootout in their earlier case involving a drug mafia. He was suggested complete rest and proper medicines and diet, by the doctor, until he recovered completely. The injury was deep and movements would just increase the severity of the case.

But Arjun being the well known, arrogant, angry dedicated officer wasn't giving heed to any of the caring words of his team mates nor his chief nor Ayesha. So when things went out of everyone's control, Sameer had to use their only weapon, Annu, who could force the medicine down his throat or keep him on the bed with a simple glare.

*******

Arjun smiled while Annu concentrated her gaze leaning closer to his face. Though it was a nice feeling in the beginning but later, it became quiet irritating when Annu kept on looking at him and didn't even allow him to turn to his sides.

'Annu, mera back dukh raha hain, side pe sone do,' he said,

'nehi, tumhe chot lagi hain, chup chap lete laho,' she ordered him,

'leta hu na meri maa, ab aise saradin kaise rahu?' he told her earning a glare from her,

'please..' he pleaded,

'tum bohot ziddi bacha ho, tumhe punish kalna hoga,' she said,

'acha? Thik hain bataiye Captain Spark kya punishment hain mere liye?' he asked her, sitting up and pulling her beside him,

'mujhe chocolate ice cream khana hain abhi,' she said,

'abhi? Mujhe chot lagi hain na kaise lau? Aur abhi to breakfast kiya..sham ko khana,'

'fil lunch mein pizza,' she said jumping up on the bed,

'Annu, tumhari mummy mera encounter kar degi,' he said shooting himself with a fake gun,

Annu laughed and rolled beside him on the pillow.

'Bohot hasi aa rahi hain?' Arjun tickled her while she started hitting and shouting at him,

'Climinal, mein papa ko bol dungi, cholo mujhe, mein malungi, cholo warna..'

'warna?'

Annu picked up the spare pillow and threw it at him. He dodged it and Annu's gaze caught a metal frame hidden under it. Arjun too noticed it and tried to take it away, but Annu was quick and snatched it from him. She took a good look at it and then looked at Arjun with a deep frown,

'ye tum ho?' she asked, giving him a skeptical gaze,

'hmm kyu?' he asked taking the frame back from her,

'tumhale itne sale teeth hain?' she asked trying to look through his lips,

'Captain,..'

'aul ye kaun hain? tumhali mummy?' she asked again,

Arjun laughed and pulled her cheeks fondly. He pulled her towards him and took the photograph and caressed his fingers through the picture,

'Ye Roshni hain, Roshni Rawte,'

'Losni lauta,' she repeated surprised,

'Losni nehi Roshni,' he corrected,

'haan losni, pal ye kaun hain?'

'meri sab kuch,' he replied looking at the picture,

'matlab?' she asked pinching her nose,

'matlab meri friend, meri philosopher, meri guide, meri life,'

'ye kaha hain?'

'ye mujhe chor ke chali gayi hain,'

'kyu tumne isse bhi daata?'

'nehi, daata to nehi, per pata nehi kya hua...achanak chali gayi,'

'mummy bhi yahi keheti thi, mele papa mujhe hume chol ke chale gaye, pal abhi wapas bhi aa gaye, tumhali flnd bhi aa jayegi,' she replied,

Arjun wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Both looked at the picture quietly for sometime.

'pata hain, aj Roshni ka birthday hain,' he said looking at the picture quietly,

'bailday? Tumne cake laya?' she asked excited,

'nehi to..' he replied knitting his brows,

'uffo, tumse ek kaam nehi hota, kaise climinal ho, mujhe hi kuch kalna hoga,' she removed his hand and sat on the bed crossing her legs,

'kya karogi?' he raised his brows at her,

'Dost ko phone kalke keheti hoo, sham ko cake leke ayega, aur uspe likhega, happy Bailday Losni,' she said and picked up the phone,

'ruko, cake nehi, pizza order karte hain,'

'pizza? Phil Mummy ko maat batana,' she said,

'okay,'

The pizza was ordered which reached them soon. Arjun was enjoying with her. It was years he hadn't done anything on this day after roshni died. Today the enthusiasm shown by a little kid for his 'Roshni's' special day was putting him through a strange state. He was missing her, much more than he did usually, he was missing her smiling face, the laughs, the shower of happiness in his life.

He looked at Annu, who sat next to him, gobbling down the pizza speaking to herself, but he didn't have ears to listen to any of her word. He again looked back at the photograph, now lying beside him. It was reminding him of the days he had spent with Roshni. Their first meet, the dinner together, Roshni's teasing the ever bachelor Sameer, his proposal, their wedding, their anniversary and then Sameer's anger towards him. The cruel end of his life and his seclusion.

Arjun was lost in his thoughts when he felt an arm wrapped around his neck and a slice of pizza held at his lips. He looked at annu with blurry eyes. He blinked his eyes and turned his face. He heard her tell him irrtatedly,

'khao na, kabse wait kal lahi hu? Climinal, sun sakte ho?' he shouted at his ear,

'haan kya hua? Chilla kyu rahi ho?' Arjun asked her irritated,

Annu sat down helplessly biting into the slice of pizza she had held out to him. She had a frustrated expression on her already red face and looked up at him with angry threatening eyes.

'Acha sorry, do mujhe bhi bhook lagi hain,' he said and snatched the slice from her,

A tug of war started with the remaining slices until Annu was found sitting on his stomach with the pizza box on his chest and Arjun trying to snatch the last piece from her hands.

********

It had started pouring heavy by the time it was evening and both were waiting for Annu's parents to receive her. Though Annu had to face a lot of struggling encounters while glaring and fighting with her climinal, finally she had managed to gain the access to his room and was now roaming around the room looking into his things.

Arjun was sitting quietly watching the news and sipping his evening tea when Annu came running to him with a heavy bunch of keys attached to a fancy key ring. She looked up at him with mischievous eyes and held out the key stack.

'Aljun dekho mujhe kya mila...ye kiski hain?' she asked him,

Arjun took the bunch from her and looked at it. His face color paled and his fingers seemed to shiver. Annu held onto his legs and climbed on the bed and leaned on him.

'kya hua Aljun? Dald ho laha hain?' she asked checking the bandaged wound on his arm,

'tumhe ye kaha mila?' Arjun asked in a lost tone,

'waha uske piche..' Annu replied pointing towards the bunch of files and newspapers kept on the ground beside the cupboard,

Arjun looked at the pointed spot on the ground and back at the keys. He had not used the keys for two years now. He didn't need them. The keys had got a bit rusted and dusty. The bunch of keys was hanging from a key ring which had two cracked silver hearts entangled together. The white color had got a yellowish tint.

Annu alternated her gaze from his fingers which brushed on the metal ring and back to his face which showed tiredness and pain. She kneeled beside him and wrapped her arm around his neck.

'kya hua Aljun? Ye kiske keys hain?' she asked,

'mere ghar ke,' he muttered softly,

'ghal? Wo to yaha hain na?' she asked again looking around,

'nehi, ye ghar nehi hain, wo to kahi aur hai,' he replied her,

'kaha?' she asked sitting on his legs,

'pata nehi, kho gaya,' he replied in a lost tone,

'kho gaya?' she asked with wide eyes,

'hmm,' he hummed, nodding at her,

'tum mujhe apne ghal le jaoge na? mujhe tumhala ghal dekhna hain,' she nudged,

'Agar mil gaya, to zaroor le jaunga,' arjun told her looking towards the broken hearts inside her palms,

'mein tumhe dhoond ke dungi,' she replied, holding onto his vest,

'kaise?' he asked giving her a hopeful gaze,

'Captain Spalk ko saab pata hota hain, mein tumhe tumhala ghal zalool dhundke dungi,' she replied standing up on the bed and taking back the keys from him,

'ye mele pass lahenge, ye eff...id..' she tried remembering the word,

'Evidence,' Arjun helped hiding his laugh,

'haan eff...id..nce, ye mele pass lahega,' she said clutching on the keys tight at her chest,

Arjun pulled her toward him and she banged onto his chest.

'ek baat batao, Captain Spark kitne detective stories parti hain?'

Annu slapped her forehead.

'uff, kitne be...wa..koff climinal ho, mein palti nehi hu, mumma stories sunati hain na, mujhe saab pata hain,' she clarified in a proud tone,

'sorry captain, mujhe bilkul nehi pata tha,' arjun told her wrapping his arms around her while she kneeled on his thighs,

'ye mele pass lahenge, mein tumhala ghal dhoondke tumhe de dungi, tum udas maat hona, thik hain?' she told him sternly,

'done, thank you so much Captain Spark,' he smiled at him,

'uff flends ko thank you nehi kehete, tumhe kuch nehi ata,' she said hitting arjun's forehead,

'to kya hum dost hain?' he asked,

Annu thought for a while looking at the keys and then back to him. He was waiting eagerly looking at her gestures.

'haan flends,' annu replied forwarding her palm,

Arjun shook her hand and hugged her close to him. Annu nagged for more stories about him and his 'ghal' and 'Loshni' and the evening went with some secret conversations between the two, sometimes laughing, while sometimes Annu lending a shoulder towards a broken Arjun.

*******

It was almost night and it had started pouring more. Arjun and Annu were still waiting for her parents but none had turned up yet. It was thundering with frequent flashing and Annu was hell scared. She sat holding onto Arjun tight, hiding her head in his chest, whenever the sky roared.

Finally when it was getting too late, Arjun called Sameer and after a lot of trouble could get through the call. Sameer picked up the call instantly and informed him that they were stuck in the highway while returning from the Pune conference. Due to heavy thunder storm the road had been blocked with a fallen tree trunk. The network too was fluctuating and they couldn't inform. Sameer requested Arjun to keep Annu with him for the night as they could only reach them by morning.

Annu listened to Arjun as he spoke to her father. Arjun disconnected the call and narrated her about the trouble. She was comfortable with the solution of staying back at her Aljun's' place. But a bigger trouble was on its way. It was raining outside and both of them were hungry.

Had it been any other night, Arjun would have silenced his hunger with a strong cup of tea, but with Annu's presence it wasn't possible. Moreover he hardly kept much grocery at home as he usually spent most part of the days at ETF nowadays and ate his meals there.

Annu looked at him with a pale face when he showed her the jug of milk and the bottle of tea leaves kept beside the induction.

'tab hum kya khayenge Aljun? Bohot bhook lagi hain,' she told him making a pouted face,

'wahi soch raha hu,' Arjun muttered to himself and looked at Annu helpless.

He scratched his temple and stepped down from the bed. He looked outside the window. It was raining heavily outside. He wouldn't be able to take Annu out for dinner nor could he leave her alone at the lodge and get some food for her. She was already scared of the roaring weather.

He turned back and bent down to look for some left over groceries when the room filled into sudden darkness. Current failure, the only trouble left. He heard the shrill cry in Annu's voice,

'Aaaljunnn,' cried from the bed.

Arjun instantly stood up and ran to her. She hugged him scared, almost crying. He patted her head and rubbed her back, but she was too frightened to leave him. Arjun picked her up in his arms, but his wound started paining again and he had to leave her back on the bed. Annu could guess his painful hiss in the darkness too.

'solly dost, tumhe lag gayi?' she asked him,

Arjun pulled her closer and both sat there leaning on each other. After sometime the darkness faded and Arjun lighted a candle. Stormy wind and rain was hitting at the window pane making strange sounds, frightening Annu more.

Arjun left the candle at the table and went to check his grocery. At the illumination of the candle light he could find some leftover cereal and pulses. The amount wasn't enough for the two, but it would surely feed Annu and he could compensate the missing part with his regular tea. He was looking at the utensils when he found Annu, hold his shoulder beside him. He looked up at her, she was looking at the candle, with frightened wide eyes.

'kya hua Captain Spark?' he asked at her scared face,

'mein yaha tumhale pass baithu?' she asked,

Arjun nodded and she sat on the ground, moving close to him, turning back at times looking at something on the bed,

'Kya hua?' Arjun asked her,

'wo dekho, mujhe dal lag laha hain,' she said holding her arm, pointing towards the bed.

Arjun looked at the source of her fear and within seconds started laughing. Annu glared at him but instantly looked back and shifted closer to him.

'Captain Spark shadow se darta hain?' Arjun laughed and the teasing session started.

The rest of the night went with a distasteful khichri made by Climinal and Captain Spark, which the captain seemed to love eating. Then a round of more laughs and glares, along with a fight competition which Annu won with flying colors. Then a round of bickering supper where annu was hell bend on Arjun to gulp down his medicines one by one and not together and along with the medicines very less water could be drunk.

After a long tiring day, when finally the thunder storm has stopped reducing the rainfall too, Annu and Arjun slept on the bed. Arjun had a protective arm around Annu while Annu cuddled towards him, pushing her head more into his chest.

It was after years of sleepless and torturing nights, Arjun was peacefully asleep.

*********

Originally posted by: IshitaRocks015

res... mujhe nehi bataya phle... :-(
gabbar 😡