Koi Tumsa Nahin
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth as raindrops pelted against the city streets, painting a picture of solitude and melancholy. Mumbai’s skyline stood tall against the night, the city never truly sleeping, its heartbeat pulsating through the restless honking of cars and the hurried footsteps of pedestrians trying to escape the downpour.
Inside the ETF headquarters, the atmosphere was starkly different—calm yet tense, as if something was lurking beneath the surface. The faint glow of computer screens cast a bluish hue across the dimly lit workspace. Arjun Suryakant Rawte sat in his chair, his sharp eyes scanning through a file, the crease on his forehead deepening with each passing second.
“Aaj kaunse case par kaam chal raha hai?” Riya Mukherjee’s voice broke the silence, her soft yet inquisitive tone filling the room.
Arjun lifted his gaze, momentarily distracted. His eyes flickered to her, taking in the slight frown on her face, the way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was drenched from the rain, her dupatta clinging to her frame, droplets still slipping from her wet strands onto the floor.
“Kuch alag nahi, ek aur unsolved murder jo kisi puzzle se kam nahi lag raha,” he replied in his usual clipped tone, before turning his attention back to the file.
Riya rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Aur aap phir se apne kaam mein itne kho gaye hain ki kisi aur cheez ka koi matlab hi nahi?”
He didn’t respond, his eyes scanning the documents with intense focus. But she wasn’t one to be ignored. She stepped closer, peering over his shoulder, her breath fanning against his cheek. “Sir, aap kabhi relax karna seekhenge ya nahi?”
His jaw tensed, and he finally met her gaze. “Mujhe kaam se distraction pasand nahi,” he stated firmly.
A small smirk played on her lips. “Par mujhe distractions pasand hain.”
Before he could retort, Shree and Chotu walked in, their usual banter filling the space. “Baarish ho rahi hai aur hum log yahaan andar case solve kar rahe hain. Yeh bhi koi zindagi hai?” Shree lamented dramatically.
“Matlab tu chahta hai ki hum kisi goli se marr jaayein aur tu romantic baarish ka maza le?” Chotu teased.
Riya chuckled while Arjun merely sighed. The team dynamic was what kept them sane amidst the horrors they faced every day.
Just then, Sameer Rathore strode in with urgency. “Ek aur murder report hua hai. And this time, it’s personal.”
Everyone’s attention snapped to him. Arjun’s fingers curled around the edge of the table. “Kya matlab?”
Sameer handed him a file, his expression grim. “Victim ka naam Neha Sharma hai. She was one of Riya’s close friends.”
Riya’s smile vanished in an instant, her face turning pale. “Kya?”
Arjun’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second as he watched her stagger back. “Riya…”
She shook her head, stepping forward and grabbing the file. Her hands trembled as she flipped through the pages. “Yeh… yeh nahi ho sakta.”
Arjun gently took the file from her grasp. “Humein sach ka pata lagana hoga.”
And just like that, the case began. Clues unraveled, secrets surfaced, and amidst it all, Arjun found himself being drawn to Riya in ways he never acknowledged before. He watched her fight back her tears, her determination never faltering even when her heart was breaking.
During a late-night investigation, he found her sitting alone on the ETF terrace, staring at the sky. The wind played with her hair as she wrapped her arms around herself. He hesitated before stepping forward.
“Tumhe andar hona chahiye.”
She didn’t turn to face him. “Agar woh kisi aur hoti toh main case ko sirf ek case ki tarah dekhti. Par yeh Neha thi, Arjun sir. Meri sabse acchi dost.”
He remained silent for a moment before saying softly, “Mujhe pata hai dukh kya hota hai, Riya.”
She looked at him then, eyes searching his, as if trying to read the depths of the sorrow he rarely let show. “Aap kabhi kisi apne ko kho chuke hain?”
His fingers clenched into a fist before he exhaled. “Haan.”
For the first time, she saw the cracks in his armor, the pain he hid behind his cold exterior. And in that moment, something shifted between them.
The case continued, leading them to a dangerous confrontation with the killer. In the end, justice was served, but it came with a cost—Riya was injured in the final struggle. As she lay in the hospital, unconscious, Arjun sat beside her, the sight of her pale face making his heart clench.
“Koi tumsa nahi hai, Riya,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from her forehead. “Tumhare bina yeh team adhoori hai.”
When she finally woke up, groggy but alive, she found him sitting there, his head bowed, relief evident in his posture. “Aap mere liye itne pareshaan the?” she teased, her voice hoarse.
He looked up, his expression unreadable. “Agar tum phir se bina soche samjhe kisi danger mein gayi, toh main…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
She smiled weakly. “Toh aap?”
He exhaled, before finally allowing himself to say, “Toh main tumhe khudse door nahi jaane dunga.”
Her smile widened, and for the first time, he let himself smile back, just a little. Because despite everything, despite the shadows of the past and the dangers of the future, there was one undeniable truth—koi Riya jaisa nahi tha.
And Arjun Suryakant Rawte had finally begun to accept it.
~The End~
Anupamaa
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