Arjun FF : Enigma (ch 24, pg57) - Page 13

CHAPTER 11

After 25 minutes

Arjun thought that she went home...it was expected...still he doesn't know why he got so panicked...

Arjun tried to open the door with the master key.. but surprisingly the key didn't fit in, though he was very much sure it was Sakshi's house's key.

"Sakshi darwaazo kholo...please..." he rang the bell for the fifth time helplessly...

As he sat by the door he was reflecting as to how and why he was here...in front of Sakshi's door.

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One week back

Arjun's POV

I never understood why Sameer hated me, "maana ki meri laaparwayi thi..par itni nafrat kyun karne laga tu? Uss mission pe tu bhi toh mere saath tha... kyun nafrat karne laga...kya ghalti thi meri... haa...shayad Roshni ko zyaada security dena chahiye tha..."

It was a late night in the office and I had dozed of catching Roshni's file... my life now became a file... just a shift in two letters and the entire meaning changed.

Sameer was walking out when he passed by my cabin and saw me here, he came in softly.. slowly stared at me...with Roshni's file... the name angered him once more and he was about to walk off when I guess Sakshi stopped him, the sound of bangles... it could only be her...

She appeared to be fighting with him, in whispers... but why? Sakshi was closest to Sameer and Ayesha in the ETF... "woh kiss liye jhagda kar rahi hai?" I thought as I slowly opened my eyes a little and saw tears down her pretty face, the second time I saw her crying... it pinched me inside... "kyun" my mind asked..."pata nahi"

Then I caught some lines of their conversation

"Sorry, bhai samjke shayad kuch zyaada keh dia... i am sorry Sameer... mujhe jaana chahiye tha... akhir main, mein tumhari sachi behen bhi nahi" Sakshi was about to leave when Sameer called her and hugged her lovingly

"Tu meri behen thi, hai aur hamesha rahegi... mere matlab woh nahi tha Sakshi... ab toh sab jaanti bhi ho... shayad tu sahi keh rahi thi...par Arjun ke..." I strained my ears to hear futher but could not... only say Sakshi giving him her trademark smile then I could here Sameer's voice again,

"Waise teri bhai ki life main sirf tu hi toh madat kar sakti hai na patri main aane ke liye... aisa kya dekh rahi hai... main aise hi ETF Chief nahi hoon... dekh rahi hoon tu kya kya kar rahi hai taaki main Ayesha ke saath rahoon, Chaya ko mann main galiya dena phir time to time Ayesha ko call karna aur phir achanak se Arju... Rawte ke saath ghar jaana..."

I didn't pay heed anymore, "phirse usne mujhe Rawte kaha...bhool ja Arjun..." saying so I again drifted back ki jab I felt a soft hand on the file... main abhi uske upar chillaane waala tha jab I heard her saying, rather whispering to herself

"Arjun... waqt do Sam bhai ko...ek din zaroor tum aur Sam bhai ek saath ho jawo ge... waise bhi Ayesha lucky hai tumhare jaise devar milne ke liye... kyunki ab toh office main tumhare muh se tum sys bhi nahi de sakoge!" she soflty chuckled.

I let her do what she was doing... she kept the file away, slowly kept a cushion behind my back and kept something warm on me... it was soft as well "shaayad uski dupatta"

Agar koi aur din hota toh zaroor poori sys de deta main... par since she was mumbling with herself and I wanted to know ke Sameer se kya baat hui... so curiosity got the better off me.

After she did her litlle things around my cabin, I felt the warm thing over me go.. she I guessed looked at my face and softly touched my forehead, then she spoke

" Arjun... sorry meri dupatta le jaa rahi hoon..kyunki agar kal subah tumhe pata chalta ki main aayi thi aur Roshni ji ke file chua toh tumhe gussa aata...waise bhi I am sure these frowns will go... Sam bhai ko maaf kardena, woh tumse zyaada apne aap pe naraaz hai ki woh khud aisa tareeqe se behave kar raha hai... just remember that he still cares for you deeply... mujhe pata hai ki dard main kisika saath hona kitna zaroori hai." her voice cracked at this...

She seemed to have composed herself and then walked away chuckling "Uff... ab iss Chotu se baath karni hogi uss plan ke baare main taki ab toh atleast Sam bhai ko pata chale ki Ayesha ko bhai ke hi tarha larka chahiye!"

After she went I quickly opened my eyes...she fought for me against Sam... "mujhe laga tha ki yeh nasamaj hai... uska to chehra dekh ke toh aisa hi laga... ab toh chahte hue bhi main usse naraaz nahi ho sakta.. aur Sakshi ko dard ke baare main kaise pata? Kahi woh khud?"

Tabhi I realised ke shaayad I know Sakshi as much as I know the owner of this marker pen! - Absolutely nothing...

Tab se I started digging about her details...

And regarding her plan for Sameer... well a little help could be there, I grinned...

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Again Arjun rang the door bell... he remembered that line mujhe pata hai ki dard main kisika saath hona kitna zaroori ha...

And he knew that maybe today he will get to know the real Sakshi Anand... and today she needed him... "Kyun" his mind asked "Tu bas chup reh aur jo karne aaya hai, woh kar" his dil guided... "Par tujhe usse kya lena dena" his minde retorted back...

Just before he could decide whom to listen Sakshi opened the door and he looked shocked at her face.

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Sakshi's side

Sakshi was clutching her bhai's photo and howling... her brother too left once... but he never returned...

Suddenly she felt someone ringing the bell continuously... she kept a weapon in her hand... after all who comes at 11 in the night?

She peeped through the eyehole to see Arjun... a wave of relief passed over her... she immediately opened the door... to find Arjun staring at her...

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Arjun just looked at her face... her eyes were swollen red... her nose was red...cheeks flushed...pink lips... forehead damp... he was right to have come here... she had been crying a lot...

"all I want to do is hide you away from every pain, hug you forever... i was wrong about one thing... log joh apna kuch kho beith the woh shaayad dusro ke dard ko samaj sake par unke asar, uss insaan ko bhi ek sahara chahiye hota hai...woh kabhi nahi pata chalta... main ghalat tha... you believed me when no one did... I swear I'll never leave by your side" Arjun's heart made a silent promise... and this time his mind kept quiet.

"Main bahar hi tumhara chehra dekhta rahoonga ya andar aane dogi Sakshi" Arjun quipped

"Nahi nahi..andar aao... sorry" She mumbled, he was disappointed...he expected a return from her when he stopped looking at her home... no one could say that it is Sakshi's house... it was simple... devoid of any colour or any touch of happiness, no photos, nothing.. there was no sign of his Miss.Publicist...it took Arjun less than a minute to understand that this is where she poured out her grief.

"Kyun aaye ho yaha Arjun?" Sakshi asked

"Kyun...yeh toh mujhe bhi nahi pata"he mumbled "woh tum chali gayi thi aur...aur mujhe ek report chahiye..." he said

"Huh? Raat ke gyarah bajeh report?" she said, eyes rounded in shock

"Mazaak kar raha tha... yaha se guzar raha tha toh socha..woh chodo.. ek cup chai milegi? Waise yeh toh tumhari roz ki duty hai, nai? Yeh mat socho ke mujhe kaise pata chala...peon ke haath ke cutting chai aur tumhaari haath ki cutting chai mai..."looking at her lost face he continued...

"Sakshi agar rona chah rahi ho, to yaha roh sakti ho... main kuch nahi bolunga, neither will I think that you are a weakling..." Arjun told her softly, that caught her attention

"Sach?"

"Much" he replied

She went and sat on the sofa and let the tears fall...

After a few minutes she felt a hand over her shoulders and found Arjun looking at her, with no trace of mockery, holding a glass of water... she gulped it quickly and tried to control her tears but failed to do so... Arjun just held her hand... wishing he could say bye as well, he knew Rathore was just going for a job, but at least in the name of fighting his best friend would have been there, with him going, he knew very well that Rathore would never contact him back...

He so wished he could shed tears like Sakshi...when he felt a gentle tug at his hand... Sakshi was gripping his hand like the only anchor of her life... his cop mind alerted him that Sakshi was just not crying cause Rathore was leaving...something was amiss... he stopped short frozen, eyes transfixed at something, a photo... it brought in a flood of memories

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Flashback

"Arjun, Sameer, kahan gaye the tum dono?" someone barked

"Woh Sir... woh Sam ki behan se milne." Arjun quipped, well he was saying the truth... cause ek taraf se Roshu was a sister figure to Sam!

"Toh Arjun tum kya wahan Sameer ke jija banne gaye the?" the young man answered back

Seeing Arjun turning red the man said

"Aww so cute.. tum toh laal ho gaye! Tum dono yeh kab se join kar rahe ho?" the man sarcastically posed the question.

"Kya sir?" both the idiots asked

"Matrimony classes? Meri behan teri biwi... mere ghar main do do behne hai... kabhi aaya karo! Ek journalist aur doosri confused. Tum dono jaise behnoi milkar bohot khushi hogi!" the man smirked, and the other two stood like fools not even getting his sarcasm

"Yes sir" they replied like pure fools

"KYA YES SIR! Aaj se tum dono ko ek ghanta extra training!" he barked and left

"Sir nahi sir please sir!" Arjun and Sam literally fell on his feet!

"Theek hai, do ghanta" the man answered

"Sir ji, ek ghanta, kyun nahi Sam!" Arjun said with a desperate look on his face.

"Chal chal... commissioner sir aa rahey hai..unse kuch baat karein... apne favorite inspector se hume bacha de!" Sam suggested

"Sir" both saluted at the commissioner

"Sochna bhi mat Arjun and Sameer!" the young man glared from the other side "tum dono apne yeh harkat se baaz nahi aaoge, academy days se jaanta hoon!"

"Tum dono ek achche ACP zaroor ban sakte ho! Aise vellagiri karke time pass mat karna!" saying so he twisted their ears!

"Yes sir!" both laughed "Toh Sir chale?"

"Haan, main toh chalta hoon...par tum dono training ka punisment jaari rakho!" the inspector laughed seeing their miserable state.

"Pata nahi Sam hum dono iss Sir ke baat kyun maante hai! Hamesha hume daath the hain! Bewajah ab hume yeh punishment bhughantna padega.. aur agar yeh tera ya mera saale saheb nikle to mai toh definite suicide point pe javuna" RJ scowled while continuing the grueling training.

"Woh toh hai yaar.. ek journalist.. yaani agar main haath bhi badhaoon toh seedha media main public morcha nikaal sakti hai... aur doosri confused... pata nahi, iski behan hai toh shaayad thappad mil sakta hai!" Sam thought worriedly.

"Sam.. woh hai Sir the great ki behan... aur tu approach karega... laath khaane ke liye ready ho ja!" RJ laughed

"Kaminey! Main apna sochoon toh kya yaar, waise bhi tere nain ladai ki chakkar mein meri chakki peesing kyun ho raha hai! Aur woh that khadoos is also our mentor, yaad hai kya kahaata?"

"Agar kaam mein imaandari, mann mein sachchai aur dil mein hosla ho... to koi bhi tumhari zindagi ka rukh nahi badal sakta." RJ and Sameer said together.

"Isliye Sam... main unke jaise banna chaahta hoon"

"Main bhi RJ."

"... kyunki har koi ACP Samrat Anand nahi hota." they thought

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Silent readers and dear friends who commented... big hug!🤗

No precap cause I guess this chapter anyways had a lot na?😃

Waiting for ur comments!! Hope it matched up to your expectation!😳