PART FIVE
Standing in a secluded spot, both of them continued to gaze off into space, lost in their thoughts.
She was taken aback by the unexpected event; she could have expected anything from him at this point, but this proposal was unexpected.
It was some time ago when they had a misunderstanding.
She was looking forward to communicating over that; she was looking forward to some confrontations, but here, this strange individual was standing there with a different story altogether.
She was trying to absorb the impact of his words.
He glanced at the confused being standing beside him.
Yeah, he did it, he did it so abruptly but that's how he functioned.
He continued to avoid his emotions when he was unsure of them, and when the realization finally dawned on him, he was standing there with a clear goal in mind, pouring out his heart.
That's how Arjun Suryakant Rawte's brain works.
"What are you thinking?"
At last, he inquired.
She sighed.
"I..... I was expecting a fight, a one-on-one confrontation."
With a hint of disappointment, she said, moving her index finger between him and herself.
"Fight? Confrontation?"
He found himself confused and, in return, got a glare from her.
"Yes, because it was offensive the way you left. What do you think of yourself? How could you even do this? Leaving without uttering a word. Is it that easy for you?"
Despite not shouting, her voice was loud enough to qualify as such.
"At least give another person a chance to explain himself, but no, why would ACP Arjun Rawte do that?"
"How could you possibly believe that I might plot something against you?"
Placing her index finger on his chest, she spoke.
"Do you believe that my emotions were a plot point?"
She shoved him.
He staggered a bit and shook his head negatively. He parted his lips to explain.
"It was not like that........."
Holding her hands, he said, but she retreated, saying,
"That's how you pull your hands away from my hold."
Tears brimmed in her eyes.
He was momentarily unable to come up with a single word to defend his actions.
She was deeply hurt by his actions and now only actions could reverse the scenario.
He sighed. He was aware that he had created a mess.
"Riya.....Listen....."
She raised her palm saying,
"That's how you shut yourself from your loved ones."
Yeah, he knew he did that. He did that numerous times, but... But that time he was not sure. He was confused about his feelings. He dwelled in insecurities.
He was sailing in two boats.
On one side, there were his feelings for Riya, and on the other side, there was the guilt of betraying his late wife.
"I.........Riya...."
Once again, he tried to speak.
She said, taking a step back,
"That's how you distance yourself from me."
And he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.
The sight pricked his heart as he saw her moving away from him.
The distance kept on increasing, and he saw her turning away.
"Riya....."
He whispered.
He knew he was to blame.
He knew he took too much time to bid farewell to his late wife, but............
He still hoped it would not be too late, though.
A few hours ago,
He was sitting motionless on the shore, the rage he had been feeling moments before disappeared in a matter of minutes, and.....
He was blank right now.
He didn't know how he should feel.
He was so engrossed in his world that he didn't notice someone sitting beside him.
"Are you doubting Riya's intentions or your brother's efforts?"
He was drawn from the world he was immersed in by the voice next to him.
He tilted his head and took a glance at his long-lost best friend, Sameer Rathore who was staring at no particular point.
He learned of what had transpired between Arjun and Riya during a recent conversation with her.
She was concerned about where he was, and while Rathore might not be able to guess, Sam could.
Arjun diverted his gaze back to nothing in particular.
If it would have been some other time, he would have argued, but right now, he was tired.
Weary of the battle raging inside of him all the time.
He was fed up with avoiding his feelings.
Tired of justifying his actions.
Weary of arguing with himself.
He was struggling with his emotions and that was tiring him.
"I don't have any doubts about that."
He finally answered.
"Then why are you sitting here shutting yourself from the outside world? Arjun, do you realize how much everyone is worried about you?"
And in that instant, they both experienced a return to the days when they were free of formalities, hesitations, and reluctance.
The time when they were Sameer & Arjun.
The period when they were able to comprehend one another.
The time they were friends, best friends.
"It's just that..........."
He began.
"They didn't need to plan things. They could have talked to me directly."
There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.
"And you would have realized immediately. You already have taken a year my dumbo friend."
Sameer scoffed.
Arjun glared at him.
"What do you mean by this? Am I that dumb not to understand such obvious things?"
Sameer surveyed him from head to toe before speaking.
"Yeah, you are."
Arjun opened his mouth to defend himself but Sameer spoke up immediately,
"What is going through your mind? Hmm? Arjun, why are you at a pointless standstill? Why is it so hard for you to admit that you love Riya?"
With a genuine desire for the answers, he asked.
And so a few moments went by before Arjun finally expressed his inner thoughts.
"Roshni..... Am I not betraying her by moving on? By giving her place to someone else. How come I fell in love again when I already loved her? Isn't it a betrayal?"
He asked finally expressing the feelings that were engulfing him inside.
After listening to his fabulous thought process, Sameer looked around for a wall to bang his head.
His friend had been caught up in a loop of guilt. He should have known that earlier.
"And you are still saying that they didn't need to plan things. They could have talked to you directly."
He said imitating him.
"Will you just shut up?"
Glaring at him, Arjun said.
"Why don't you tell this brain of yours to shut up?"
Pointing to his forehead with his index finger, he said.
"Arjun, just answer me one thing. If there was Roshni at your place and decided to move on, would you have considered it a betrayal from her side?"
His head automatically shook negatively at Sameer's question.
"Then why are you doing this to yourself?"
He asked.
"She is gone, Arjun. You can not spend your whole life mourning her departure, dwelling on her memories, and neglecting your feelings."
He tried to pull him out of that loop.....
"It's harsh, it's injustice. It will only cause her pain."
He insisted.
"Seeing you like that would never make her happy."
In a last-ditch effort to make sense of the situation, Sameer emphasized each word.
"We should keep certain people in our hearts because they are meant to be there. We would harm them as well as ourselves if we attempted to put them in our lives forcefully."
He realized how mistaken he was as Sameer's words began to make sense to him.
"Accept the fact that you can't make her a part of your life. So, just cherish her in your heart. Don't hurt yourself anymore."
Sameer concluded putting a hand on his shoulder.
He sighed.
His heart felt as though a heavy burden had been removed.
"I love her....... I love Riya...."
For the first time, he had felt this much carefree to acknowledge his feelings for her, without any doubts, without any reluctance, without any regret, and any guilt.
Sameer smiled.
"Go and tell this to her, you idiot."
He smacked his forearm, Arjun glared at him before hitting him back.
Sameer repeated his action, and so did Arjun, and in no time, they both were running on the sand, chasing each other and laughing out loud.
And sometimes, you just let go of things without uttering a word of apology and move on.
Maybe they both also had decided to move on.
Both of them halted, putting their hands on their knees and huffing. After exchanging a single look, they both started laughing again, heartily.
The laugh was contagious and carefree.
Arjun glanced at him and he decided in that moment to prick out that last throne that had caused him so much bleed.
Stifling his laugh he called his name,
"Sam."
Sameer paused to look at him.
Moisture appeared in his eyes listening to the name that held a lot more than just a combination of three letters.
He sighed as he looked at his friend with a sincere apology in his eyes.
Only he knew how much he had regret to leave his friend alone in times of need. To the extent that he was even afraid to ask for a second chance.
He wanted to talk, he wanted to apologize but his guilt kept him pulling back.
"I have forgiven you."
Hearing Arjun's words was like hearing that you were being freed from a cage.
With teary eyes and a warm smile, he moved forward to take his friend into an embrace, a heartfelt embrace.
No more words were exchanged.
One was apologetic, so the other one became understanding.
That's it.
That's how it works.
He was aware that Sameer was remorseful, and Arjun Suryakant Rawte was the only one who could truly comprehend the burden of guilt that haunts a person.
He, therefore, decided to break free from the one last thing that bound him to his past, their broken friendship.
"Go and tell her that you love her."
Breaking the hug, Sameer said encouraging him.
And that's how acting upon his heart, he was there to confess his love, to put a proposal of marriage in front of her, but he found himself drowning in darkness once again.
It was a heartbreaking sight for him to see her go.
Present
"Maybe it's too late.........."
Kneeling on his knees, he whispered to himself.
"It's never too late."
He noticed Adarsh sitting next to him when he looked up.
"Adi is right Bhai."
In agreement with his best friend, Ayush said.
"Come on Arjun, she is leaving. Go behind her and stop her."
That was Karan, there to support him.
Sameer also nodded as Arjun glanced at him.
He sighed; it must be him telling all of them about his whereabouts, he thought as his sight fell on the Shree & Chotu.
"Sir, it's not that difficult to make her understand. You are ACP Arjun Rawte, and throughout your career, you have resolved several challenging cases. This one is also yours to solve."
Shree tried to motivate him.
"Yes, sir, and we all deserve a treat after that."
Who might this be? Our Chotu, with his big body and big heart, said that, getting a glare from everyone in return.
However, Arjun stood up chuckling, and said,
"I assure you of a delicious wedding fare, Chotu."
Chotu's heart flutters even at the imagination of food.
As they all witnessed Arjun running behind his lady love, he fervently prayed to God for Arjun and Riya's marriage.
_______________________
She was walking mindlessly. Her vision kept on getting blurry as tears welled up in her eyes again and again. However, she kept on rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Riyaaaaa....."
As his voice reverberated around her, she came to a halt.
"Riya, please stop, please, for my sake."
She stepped forward, but once again, his voice caught her feet.
Despite her desire to move away, her foolish heart prevented her from doing so.
"Every time, just for your sake, Arjun."
A whisper escaped her heart.
She shut her eyes tightly as tears made their way down her cheeks.
She simply stood where she was, eyes closed, without turning around.
Drop by drop, the moments kept on passing, but she didn't hear any noise around her.
Maybe he didn't call her name.
Maybe she was imagining.
Maybe it was her heart playing tricks on her as always.
And this thought again brought fresh tears to her eyes.
In that instant, she felt a touch on her face that forced her to open her eyes.......
There he was, standing in front of her, rubbing her tears with his thumb, looking straight into her eyes with love, care, and whatnot.
For the first time, she saw those eyes guilt-free. There were no regrets but pure love and that surprised her.
It seemed like this time he had come to her leaving everything behind.
His regrets.
His guilt.
And his past.
She saw him pulling his hand away as he tried to form words.
"Riya I......."
He began to explain himself but stopped seeing her smile.
He gave her a perplexed look, but the next second was enough to make him even more perplexed.
She hugged him out of the blue.
As in, what was going on?
They fought a short while ago after a misunderstanding a few hours prior, didn't they?
She was leaving and he came running behind her to stop her.
What ought to have transpired next?
He would have explained himself and asked for forgiveness.
An apology and a second chance would have made better sense. Right?
But here she was smiling and hugging him.
"Riya...."
His voice still sounded confused.
"I thought you came back to me due to some regret. I thought your proposal was just an impulse reaction to your guilt of not listening to me. I thought you would regret it later."
She started to speak pouring her heart out.
"I thought you would never be able to accept us. I thought you would never be able to trust me. I thought you would regret us. I thought you would regret everything."
"But all I saw in your eyes is love. You love me Arjun, you do."
She spoke while crying, but this time her tears came from joy rather than pain.
He didn't realize when tears filled Arjun's eyes. He secured her in his embrace by hugging her in return.
"What in the world have I done to deserve you? I have no idea."
He let the tears fall.
"The best thing that ever happened to me is you, Riya."
He said stepping back and pecking her forehead.
"CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS......."
They were sufficiently startled out of their reverie by those loud voices.
Both of them smiled with tears at their loved ones, who appeared to be delighted in their joy.
Arjun glanced towards Sameer and nodded in acknowledgment who smiled in return.
Then his eyes went to Karan, who grinned and gave him the thumbs up.
Arjun chuckled and shook his head before looking at his brother, who was dwelled in a group hug with Ayush, Shree, and Chotu.
At the scene, he arched an eyebrow.
Adarsh was the same person who used to shout for help whenever Shree & Chotu hugged him, and right now, they were sharing the group hug as if they were some long-lost best friends.
A smile came to his lips on its own, and he simply shook his head, turning back to her, the love of his life, his light in the darkness, his second chance, and his new beginning.
Finally, things have fallen into the right place.
_________________________
And then........
Yes, they got married, and our hot-headed cop and sweet research specialist stepped into their new lives, holding each other's hand, promising support, strength, love, and respect for one another.
Chotu received his heartfelt food to cherish.
Shree had found gaming buddies in Adarsh & Ayush.
Now Adarsh loves to share group hugs with Shree & Chotu along with Ayush.
Karan had tried to mend his ways with Sameer for Arjun's sake and he had very much succeeded in that.
Sameer and Arjun started a new chapter of their friendship leaving behind their old selves and embracing the new ones.
Adarsh had become more naughty because he had got his dearest sister-in-law to support him in his every deed and protect him from his brother's wrath.
If only he knew the benefits of his brother's marriage before, he would have tried to make it happen much earlier, but it's okay to be late than never.
___________________________
A year later,
It had been a year since they had got married.
A year to their togetherness.
A year to the unwavering support.
A year of unbounded happiness.
A year to the unsaid care.
A year to a life that they once dreamed of.
The dim light from the LCD screen filled the room.
Adarsh was seated on the large couch. He had wrapped the comforter around himself in that cool AC environment.
However, half of the comforter was dropping to the ground.
His popcorn cup was placed in front of him. Cans of cold beverages were strewn all over the table.
Ayush was sitting beside him holding the tissue box and he was passing tissue to his best friend one by one who was shedding tears while watching 'Kal Ho Na Ho'
Adarsh had his ways of watching a movie. Every time, he got something different from a series.
Last time, Kal Ho Na Ho was altogether a different experience for him, but today, he found it super emotional.
"Aman is dying. Somebody save him please."
Taking the tissue out of Ayush's hand, he said.
"I told you it's an emotional movie."
Ayush stated.
"You fool, that's why I am crying."
Ayush rolled his eyes at the statement.
At that moment, someone put his arm around his shoulder.
When Adarsh looked at the individual, he noticed his older brother sitting next to him, smiling.
Simultaneously, Riya positioned herself next to Ayush and smiled at the two of them.
"Was it necessary for Aman to die?"
Placing his head on Arjun's shoulder, Adarsh asked.
"Maybe."
Arjun shrugged his shoulders.
"But Naina loves him. Would she ever forget him and be able to love Rohit the same way?"
Adarsh protested.
"There's no need to forget those who teaches us how to love."
He said as a beautiful face flashed in front of his eyes.
His Roshni.....
Someone he would always remember.
Someone he would treasure forever.
Someone he would always cherish.
Someone who would remain in his heart as a lovely memory forever.
"And that love turns into the cornerstone of all our relationships."
He said while glancing at Riya who was also looking at him.
He smiled at her.
"So, while Naina may not have the same feelings for Rohit, she will always love him with a different respect, acceptance, and admiration."
He said, looking into her eyes, and at that point, they both knew it was not about Naina & Rohit anymore.
Witnessing the admiration in his eyes that was solely for her, her eyes glistened.
She thanked him by blinking her eyes. He gave her a smile in return.
A sense of contentment emerged in her heart.
This past year had given her so much.
She admitted that even though she had loved him unconditionally, her heart had always longed for him to be with her.
Although she admired his care, his love, his loyalty, still there lingered a question in the back of her mind whether he would ever be able to reciprocate her feelings when he was deeply in love with his late wife Roshni, but this one year had proved that he truly loved her and today she felt proud after witnessing this lovely emotion in his eyes.
She had undoubtedly picked the right man for herself.
Four of them gazed at the screen, which showed Rohit and Naina together, savoring Aman's memories.
Ruffling Adarsh's hair and looking at his picture-perfect family, Arjun sighed with satisfaction.
He was always skeptical about his feelings for Riya.
His insecurities never let him accept that he started to love her, but today, after spending a year with this beautiful human being, he had left every damn worry behind and accepted this little family of his with a full heart.
He had undoubtedly picked the right woman for himself.
Both of them had peace in their hearts and smiles on their lips as they at last regained the tranquility they had lost a year earlier.
____________________________
The END
Edited by Aaina25 - 8 months ago
Anupamaa
Kumkum Bhagya
12