You are the light of my heart, without you I'm ~lost~
"Yahaan kyun khadi hai chal...?" Shefali said, putting the phone in her purse. Arohi was standing there like a doll. She was still thinking about the incident & each & every moment she felt that the touch of Arjun is still loitering on her waist & it was giving her a sense of discomfort.
"Arohi kya soch rahi hai...chal..." Shefali put her hand on Arohi's shoulder & looked at her.
"Main ghar ja rahi hun..." Arohi said & proceeded towards the park's exit gate. Shefali got surprised. She couldn't understand suddenly what happen to her.
"Kyun...kya hua achanak...aur tera scarf kahan hai...?"
"Fek diya..." Arohi replied in a cold tone & continued on walking.
"Huh...?" Shefali said.
"Keechad main gir gaya tha toh fek diya..." Arohi's emotionless tone ventured.
"Tu kya chupa rahi hai...?" Shefali hold her hands.
"Arjun aya hai iss park main..." Arohi said.
"Tune dekha usse?" Shefali became conscious. Arohi nodded.
"Phirse tujhe kuch kahan...?" Shefali asked with a grave expression on her face.
"Kuch nahi kaha..." Arohi said.
"Toh phir tu kyun ja rahi hai...? Park uska hai kya...?" Shefali was angry.
"Jis jagah Arjun hai main uss jagah nahi rahungi...mujhe ghar jana hai..." Arohi replied & increased her tempo of walking.
"Arohiii..." Shefali tried to make her stop, but she has left the place already.
Arjun left the cycle of the doorway & entered the home. The dinning room was empty. Only he could hear his dadi & mother's voice from the kitchen. He came directly to his room & sat on the bed with a thud. He was still confused. May be he should have stated something in front of her, but he was totally froze there. At the party Arjun was quite his normal self, but today in front of Arohi he was wholly different. Was it because of that dream? Or because of the similarities between the dream & reality?
"Arjun uncle tujhe..." Salil entered & stopped seeing him like this indulged in thoughts.
"Are you alright...?" Salil asked glowering at him. Arjun said nothing, only gave him a nod. Salil knew that Arjun was hiding something, but nevertheless, he didn't ask him anything.
"Uncle tujhe bulaya hai...kuch kaam tha...business related..." Salil said.
But receiving no answer from Arjun, Salil spoke again,
"Arjun...kya huya hai...?"
"Kuch nahi Salil..." Arjun replied & was about to get to the washroom when a servant knocked on the door.
"Sir..." Arjun & Salil both turned,
"Apke cycle mein ye faasa huya tha...iska kya karna hai?" The servant asked. Salil's eyes stucked with a red scarf which the servant was holding. He looked at Arjun again, his face has a weird sense of emotion,
"Ye mujhe do..." Salil said & took the scarf. The servant left. Salil turned at Arjun.
"Oh...toh ye reason tha...isliye tu muh latkake baitha hai..." Arjun came forward & snatched the scarf from Salil's hand,
"Main iss topic pe koi baat nahi karna chahta..." He put the scarf on his bed.
"Arohi se mila na tu...?" Salil asked.
"Main wahan usse milne nahi gaya tha...it was a coincidence..." Arjun said. He was annoyed, restless.
"Uski scarf teri cycle mein faas kaise gaya...?" Salil asked again. Arjun's expression was bothering him. He has never seen Arjun this much restless before.
"We collided with each other..." Arjun said quite in a frigid tone.
"Interesting!!" Salil smirked.
"Kuch interesting nahi hai bhai...aur waise bhi main ja ke ye scarf wapas karke ayunga use..." Arjun spoke in an angry tone.
"Tu gussa kyun ho raha hai...?" Salil asked & put a hand on his shoulder.
Arjun turned his face away,
"Toh tu Arohi ke ghar jayega...?" Arjun looked at Salil.
"Kyun? Nahi ja sakta...?"
"Nahi...I mean address pata hai tujhe...?"
Arjun shook his head then said, "Woh uski ek dost hai nah...party mein ayi thi...usse pata kar..." He took a towel & got to go when Salil's flabbergasted voice made him stop,
"Main...?"
"Dekh Salil, mujhe ye scarf usse waps karna hai aur wapas karna hai matlab karna hi hai..." Arjun said & left.
"Ye chal kya raha hai...pehle Arohi ko party main bulake insult kiya...phir uski dream dekha...phir uski scarf apni cycle main faasa ke ghar aya aur ab wapas karne jayega..." He shook his head hopelessly.
It was evening. Arohi was studying. Her study table was situated on beside the window. Since 1 week the weather of Dehradun was cloudy & sometimes rain was pelting the ground like an unwanted visitor. Her exam will be the day after tomorrow. She was totally consumed in her study when she heard Shefali's voice,
"Shefali yahan kya kar rahi hai..." She thought & came outside. In the hall Shefali was sitting with a tensed face.
"Isko kya huya hai...?" Arohi spoke while coming towards her. Hariprasad & Savita both turned at Arohi.
"Arree dekhna kisine isko call karke tera personal details puch raha tha..." Savita said. Arohi's face clenched, she sat beside Shefali, "Mera personal details...!!" she said.
"Haan Arohi koi ladki thi...puch rahi thi tera phone number aur address...par ek baat samaj nahi ayi...tere personal details keliye mujhe kyun call kiya..." Shefali said in a worried tone.
"Shayad koi prank kiya hoga tere saath..." Arohi said in a cold tone.
"Arjun..." Shefali spoke mumbling, Arohi stood up at once.
"Itna dimaag maat chala...ye prank call tha..." She said.
"Par tu itni sure kaise ho sakti hai...?" But as soon as Shefali spoke that, a thunderbolt struck outside, creating a loud noise & with that the rain started pouring with a heavy force.
Here, at the Mittal Mansion, it was the time for the evening tea. The hallroom was buzzing with gossip & laughter. The topic was Rashi's mehendi & haldi. The date has fixed finally. It was just the day after Arohi's exam. Arjun went to the downstairs. He didn't want to disturb them. And besides, he didn't want to tell them where was he going. He went stealthily passing by them when Teji's voice came,
"Arjun kahan ja raha hai tu...?" Arjun stopped.
"Important kaam hai ek dadi..." He gave a small reply.
"Itni baarish ho rahi hai bahar..." Rashi said with a worried tone.
"Main abhi aa jayunga...par jana bahot jaruri hai..." Arjun said & was about to leave, but Salil came & took him to a side,
"Arjun what is this bro? Itni bhi kya jaldi hai...aisi weather mein bahar jana thik nahi hai..." He said.
"Ye scarf main apne pass nahi rakhnewala...dimmag kharab ho raha hai isko dekh ke..." Arjun hushed.
"Arjunnn..."
But Arjun has left already.
"Main uss bachhe se ekbaar mil sakta hun...?" Arjun asked after Rakesh Chauhan stopped to take a breath. He restrained his spectacle & frowned,
"Raju se...?"
Arjun nodded.
Rakesh Chauhan took him to a small room. There were two beds resided beside the window. A small boy was sitting on the bed & an another girl was sitting beside him. A plate full of food was there in front of him. Arjun stood in front of him, an acute pain was continuously rumbling in his chest. The boy was sitting keeping his head down.
"Raju tum abhi tak khana nahi khaye...?" Rakesh Chauhan asked.
Raju looked at him in a tired way. His eyes were wet. He was crying.
"Main yahaan nahi rahunga...main chala jayunga..." He sobbed.
"Kahan jaoge tum...?" Rakesh Chauhan sat beside him & asked.
"Police ke pass...Jisne mere Ma ko mara usko pakadna hai...usko saza dilana hai..." He said & wiped his tears. Rakesh Chauhan looked at Arjun. Arjun kept his eyes down.
"Ye kaun hai pata hai...jo didi tumhe yahaan milne aya karti thi uski dost hai...tumse milne aye hai..." Rakesh Chauhan said.
Raju looked at Arjun. A grief stricken Arjun came towards him & sat beside him, putting a hand on his head he said,
"Raju...main tumhe khana khila du...?"
Raju said nothing. Arjun took the plate. Rakesh Chauhan heaved a sigh & put his hand gently on Raju's head.
"Main ab ghar kaise jayungi...kitni jorse baarish ho rahi hai..." Shefali said.
"Toh maat ja..." Savita screamed from the kitchen.
"Haan maat ja...ghar pe call kar de..." Arohi said. They were sitting in Arohi's room.
"No..I don't want to disturb you...tera exam hai nah day after tomorrow..." Shefali said and made a sad face.
"Tu mujhe kabhi disturb nahi karti..." Arohi said.
"Still...achha par hum karenge kya...?" Shefali asked with a curious look on her face. Arohi opened a window & her room filled with raindrops & with heavy wind. She was feeling the cool gentle wind & didn't notice when Shefali has come & stood beside her. She cupped her hands & pour it with rain water & splashed it on Arohi's face. Arohi jolted,
"Shefali..."
Shefali giggled. Arohi pour her hands too with rainwater & tried to splash it on Shefali.
"No...no...Arohi..." She said while giggling & ran away. Arohi ran behind her. "Shefali ruk..." Shefali came outside in the courtyard. The atmosphere was cold. The rain has increased. The scene of wet soil has covered the earth. Shefali was totally soaked. Arohi was confused, she has an exam, but she desires to be drenched like her. After waiting for a minute she joined Shefali too.
"Arohi exam hai tera...fever ho gaya toh...?"
"Toh medicine le lungi..." Arohi said. Shefali laughed. It was cool, but comforting as if all the negativity was rinsed away. They were dancing, sometimes jumping & laughing their hearts out. It was a precious moment.
Arjun's car stopped in front of the lane, the was narrow for Arjun's car to enter. Arjun tried to look outside through the glass window, but the rain has made everything blurry. He took his phone from his shirt pocket & checked Salil's message. Arohi's address...13/a, her house number. The scarf was lying beside his seat. Arjun took the scarf & an umbrella & get out of the car. Sitting inside the car he didn't understand the force of the rain, but coming outside he realized that. The umbrella was literally nothing in front of this heavy rain. Arjun was almost soaked. He was attempting to find the house numbers with unable to handle the umbrella & the wind. The whole neighborhood was lonesome. The timid glow of the lights was coming through the windows of the houses & mixed with rain the lights were giving an eerie touch to the whole community. Arjun came in front of Arohi's house, the gate was shut. A sound of laughter & giggle came inside from the yard & made Arjun stopped there. The voice was familiar. A glimpse of his dream came in front of his eyes & made him restless again. And as soon as he opened the gate a lightning flashed tearing up the sky & a loud sound of thunder struck making the whole community dark. Arjun ceased for a moment & then entered.
"Arohiii...andar chal..."
"Ruk na please...do minute..."
Arjun could hear everything that was said. He could feel the water, the scent of wet earth & with that the familiarity. A lightning flashed & Arjun saw a glance of a girl jumping in the mud. Her smile & eyes gleamed in the lightning. Arjun stood there motionless. The pouring sound of rain was jingling with her footsteps as if it was dancing with her. Another lightning flashed & Arjun saw her wet hair flowing with the rhythm of her jumping, her laughter was mixed with the rain & was making it surreal. Arjun was absorbed in the external & the internal beauty of the situation, all he could think about Arohi & her sublime beauty.
Suddenly Arohi stopped abruptly, the memory of her being cried sitting under the rain came vividly in front of her eyes & with that all the memories came & pushed her like a gust of the wind. The party, Arjun's insult, her heartbreak, the sound of crying everything was echoing in her ear.
"Arohi...kya huya...?" Shefali hold her hand.
Arohi said nothing, she left the place running.
Arjun was in a trance. And an another sound of thunder brought him back in the reality & he realized that his umbrella is not with him & he was totally drenched. He looked there & there was no one. Arjun looked at the red scarf which he was carrying, it was wet. Once again he was restless, annoyed & speechless.
"Mujhe lagta hai Arohi Jodhpur gayi hogi...Jodhpur mein uski ek dost rehti hai..." Rakesh Chauhan said after a long silence. Arjun was sitting in his office. He has understood by then the whole scenario. Arjun looked at him.
"Preeti Thakur..."
"Preeti...aisi koi dost hai mujhe nahi pata tha...kabhi suna bhi nahi uski muh se..." Arjun said quite surprised. Rakesh Chauhan nodded.
"Insaan ek insaan ko pura jaan pata hai kya...?" He said & then paused, taking a deep breath he went on, "Preeti hamari NGO mein hi pali badi hai...Arohi yahan jab ati thi...ghanto uske saath batein karti thi...kehti thi ki Preeti use uski dost Shefali ki yaad dilati hai..." He smiled & then said, "Main tumhe uski address de deta hun..." He took a piece of paper & started writing the address there.
"Raju ko yahan laa ke Arohi meri galati ko aur bhi jyada kar gayi..." Arjun said in a meek voice.
"Nahi nahi...tumhe galat sabid karne keliye nahi...jitna mein samaj payi Arohi ko...uski koi apna jise woh pyaar karti hai, woh kisike dukh ke wajah bane ye Arohi ko manjoor nahi thi...khud jitna ho sake sambhalne ki koshish karti hai..." Rakesh Chauhan said. Arjun brought out a bundle of 100 rupees & gave it to Rakesh Chauhan. He frowned,
"Isko kuch aur maat samjhiye...Arohi ki maafi ki kabil nahi hun main...na hi Raju ki...phir bhi agar aap ye le lenge toh mujhe achha lagega..." Arjun said. Rakesh Chauhan took the money from his hand.
"Koi kisika nuksaan toh nahi bhar sakta, lekin uske ansoo mitane main madad jarur kar sakta hai taa ki apni galatiyon keliye maafi maang ne ki himmat pa sake..." Arjun said & kept his head down.
"Arjun you are very lucky...ki tumhe apni zindagi bitane keliye Arohi jaisi ladki mili hai..." Rakesh Chauhan said. Arjun gave a sad smile.
"Unfortune...paa ke bhi kho diya..."
Saying this Arjun stood up & came outside. Coming down to the yard, he was about to board on his bike when he noticed that chotu was no there. He was not bothered at all, but suddenly something striked him, he got down immedietly from the bike & saw that with Chotu his bag too was not there. It was totally clear that when he went with Rakeshji to meet Raju, chotu took his bag & eloped from there. Furious, dejected, hopeless Arjun punch his bike seat & then pressed his temple with his fingertips.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Edited by M_Nira - 8 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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