Three Years passed, they were Twenty now, He had grown into a handsome guy, mature beyond his age and she had grown up into a very beautiful girl, both inside and out.
As she grew older she began realizing that it was not just her childhood that she had lost but also her freedom. Hell! she has never had it, to lose it. But she never changed. she was still the soft spoken girl full of values. Only that now, she was mature enough to understand that her parents mean no harm, all they did was to love her with their everything, She was still the innocent protected Arohi, but with age a new determination grew within her, a determination to face the outer world, a dream to hit the sky, spread her wings. The determination strengthened on its own when her brother was sent to Germany to research on genetic engineering. Her parents had allowed him, so there was slightest of the hopes that they might allow her to pursue her dream of studying in Singapore. She had selected the country because of various reasons, one - her ARJUN was there, two - an exciting course in Robotics at its national university with scope for practical training and three - it was just a few hours of flight away from india, she will not have to miss her parents. She can fly back whenever she wants to. Time to realize her dreams, she thought as she went online that night.
This was one thing that had not changed since ages. Night chats with Arjun ,if it was possible their chats had become longer in these three years, and still they hated those long hours from till 9pm that they had to wait to talk with each other. The bond they shared grew deeper with every moment of each passing day, they did fight like any other couple, but unlike any other couple, even their fights showed how much in love they were with each other. But as Rashi puts it "whats the fun without the 'rootna and manana' part of pyaar?!",
It so happened that a few months back that she fought with him for having moved out from Rashi di's apartment into a separate house. Knowing that if he stayed alone, he might even forget how to talk with people, she asked him to stay with rashi di, one person who cared for Arjun more than Aru, he refused saying he could not be a burden to anyone, even his own sister. She tried everything to get him change his decision but Arjun wanted to show that he could be even more stubborn than her, so she finally went in for the most powerful trick, not talking with him until he moves in with di. He had thought that she will not be able to stay away from him just like he could not stay away from her.
He became miserable, when he did not hear from her for two days, he moved into di's apartment on the third day, and mailed her informing about it and still no reply. A week later, Rashi could not bear looking at the miserable Arjun, she advised him to call her, he did so, mentally kicking himself for not having thought of that earlier, next thing after his call, he knew was that he was on his flight back to india, to chandigarh, She had met with an accident, fractured her arm and was bed ridden. Only Rashi knew how much it her took to refrain him from getting into her house, she could not let him do that, not after she came to know that it was, Justice Sudheer's house! She knew Arjun wanted to be with Arohi, he could neither talk on phone nor could they chat when her mother and father were tending to her 24hours, so she decided to go to her house as aru's friend, which she did and finally the lovers could talk over phone. According to Arjun those few days were the days that were the toughest to survive, those few days had made him realise the depth of his feelings for her. 'Mohabbat', the word sounded more appropriate that 'love'. All he wanted was to hug her and take the pain away from her. The desperate and helpless situation was worse than the days he spent in jail.The longing and the distance just added fuel to the love, burning inside them.
Arjun felt really bad, hearing her cry like this shattered his heart, all he wanted was her to be happy, and he would give up anything for that. He was disappointed too, he had wanted to meet her, be with her, and hold her. His hopes had gone really high when he heard about her plans of talking to her parents about studying in Singapore. He encouraged her further, but did not think that her parents refusing would break her hopes.
"Jaan, I'll come there. Don't worry, I can easily get admitted in a college there. Please don't cry." he pleaded. All he could hear now was her ragged breathing, as if she was trying to control her sobs. "It's Okay Arjun... Don't worry. I'll be fine soon. I'm used to disappointments like these, i'm a fool to have expected my parents who don't even allow me to go on my school trip to send me to another country."
"Baby, There's nothing wrong that you tried. Your parents care for you. They want you to be safe. I would've said the same."
"But you didn't."
"That is because you wanted to come here, to me. I wouldn't have let anything harm you. I knew that. If you had told me about going to any other country, I would have discouraged you. Try to understand Aru, They love you."
"Arjun, I love them too but I wanted to be on my own, I mean I wanted to feel the freedom of going anywhere I want, whenever I like, and doing anything I wish to. Living life the way I want to. All they care about is spending as much time as they want with me before marriage. Can't they understand what I want? I'm not getting married soon. But hearing them I think they're planning to get me married as soon as I finish college." she sobbed.
Her marriage? He had not even thought about it. Now that she has already finished her Under Graduation, it was obvious for her parents to start thinking about her marriage. They loved her, their every action shouted it out, and they wanted the best for her. No doubts. But in the process of being the best parents, they forgot that somewhere deep down she was an individual who had her own needs and desires. He understood her. He understood them. But right now, he did not want her to dwell over it. Her smile was all he wanted.
"You're not getting married?" He gasped and asked her dramatically, "How could you do this to me?"
"huh?" She did not understand what he was talking. She gasped the next second she understood "Arjun..!!". He chuckled. "Now, you want to be free huh? Don't worry, after our marriage, you can do anything you like or go wherever you wish to... With me."
"Haww... You Sadoo! No ways. Forget it. Then there is no way i'm marrying you, then."
"You don't need to. But I will marry you."
"Pagal." He could hear the smile in her voice.
Time never waits for anyone, well, before they even knew it they were both out of College with their Master's degree in hand, they set their foot into their adulthood. Arjun was already a self made entrepreneur by now. He had his own web designing firm now. He started this while he was still pursuing his under graduate degree by designing a site for a local super market, slowly expanded with time and now his company had more than 100 employees. Not a top one yet, but he had plans of expanding and improving it further. She worked for him. They started out by sharing the designing work. He was hesitant as hell, but she much more persuasive. She was like his partner, she had a part in almost every decision he made for the company. Her being involved in his work, made him enjoy the work. He became one of those guys who would have a wide grin, even thinking about work. She was no different.
Nothing much had changed in these three years. Not Arjun, Not Arohi and definitely not their long chats. But Marriage had become something, they discussed very often now-a-days. Arjun was counting to the day he could have her for himself. He was already ready to talk to her father about it, but she wanted to wait until her parents started the topic, on their own. The need to be with each other had increased to such levels by now that imagining life without the other was impossible. Love Birds, the tiny beautiful creatures that would die as soon as they separate from their pair. This couple could be rightfully called so. Both of them knew without words that they were meant to be. For the time being they found solace in the video and voice chats, both were becoming crazy in love so much so that at times they even stayed awake to stare at the other one sleeping. Internet made their world seem small. But things always don't stay rosy, do they?
The day came when her parents discussed about her marriage with her. The things they asked were like, where do you want the marriage to be held? When do you want to meet your future husband? She wondered, Shouldn't the basic question be who she wanted as her husband? That's she came to know that her parents have selected a groom for her. A N.R.I guy named Ram, close friend of her brother. She was surprised that they were ready to send her that far after marriage. That's when she came to know that her parents were considering her marriage since long. They had taken all this while to get to know the guy better. Wasn't she the one who should be getting to know the guy? Anyways, who bothers? Definitely, she did not.
It was just like how they decided everything for her, from her friends to education. She was expected to give a coy smile and be the blushing bride. She was not having it this time around. She had refused right away and clearly stated to her parents that she was in love with a guy since the past eight years. They had tried to explain that it couldn't possibly be love and she would soon get over it. She had bluntly said that she was the one who was in love and she knew what it was. Her dad asked her who the guy was, ignoring her mother who was shouting at her, she told him about Arjun, who was their neighbor and their love story in short. He could feel that his daughter was serious about it, but when he came to know that they had not even met once in all these years yet had feelings for each other, he was sure of his answer. Arohi knew it, as usual they could not understand her. But she did not want to give up this time, she finally requested her father to at least meet Arjun once, before deciding. He had silently left the lawn with his wife, without uttering a word.
Sudheer was thinking over and over again, about what his daughter had told him. But every time, he thought about it his resolve of not giving Arohi to Arjun strengthened. He could not give his precious doll away to a complete stranger, who knew? The guy might just be playing around with her. She was still a kid. He had come across several cases like that, most of the times he had canceled the guy's Passport for good. He had himself seen several young girls end their lives along with the new life growing in them, just because of the faked love those guys showered on them through net, only god knew on how many girls the guy was his love to, at the same time. He would never let his little princess to be one among them. Meeting the guy would just rise false hopes in her innocent heart, he did not want that. But somewhere he wanted to meet the guy, he wanted to see what kind of guy his daughter had fallen for.
As soon as Arohi informed about her conversation with her dad, Arjun had packed his bags and left for India. He knew her father would not easily give in, her father was as protective as he was especially about Arohi. She was their precious doll. He had to assure her father that. Arohi was nervous? It was an understatement. She was scared. She feared that like every time her parents would crush her dreams even before they reached day light. She would not bear it. Last time, she made it through because of Arjun but this was about, Arjun being with her or not for the rest her life. If it's a no now, she did not want this life anymore. What's life without living with the one whom you live for?
The very next day Sudheer had made his point clear and also that he will not meet the guy. Arohi pleaded with him, cried and asked him to meet Arjun atleast once. He tried to explain his point of view but she was not ready to understand that. All she wanted was him to meet Arjun. The father in him got hurt, he spent all his life loving his little doll who now seemed to care more about the guy who came in between rather than her own papa. Sudheer did not talk anymore. He just left for work without another word. Amrit had started to point out how much of a distress she was being, to the father who loved her more than anything in the world. She did not want to be a distress to her father. But she was, now and if she is not fighting for her love now, her entire life would be in distress. She did not want either. She called Arjun, his number was not reachable as he was in the flight. She wanted to talk to him, for the last time.
It was afternoon when Sudheer entered his home he could not work while his princess was upset and crying. He had decided to tell her that he was ready to meet him at least she will know that he tried to accept her love. If only she had fallen in love with any one he had known. He wouldn't have had to be so hard on his Angel. He waited for her at the dining table. When she did not come down, he decided to go and bring her down himself. He knocked. No response. May be she was asleep, He thought, but something did not seem right, the restlessness began to rise in him with every passing second. He banged on her door, finally ordering one of the policemen who stood outside his house on guard duty he ran inside... only to find his precious doll lying down with a bottle of sleeping pills, lifeless.
Naagin 7
Cricket
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