As promised here is the next part!! Let me know what you guys think...
PMs later...
Part 13...
"Hello"
"Riya beta! How are you?"
"Dad! I am fine. How are you doing?"
"I am good beta! I am actually great...you know that deal I have been telling you about?"
"Of course...that's the only thing you talk to me about!!"
"Well, I GOT IT!!"
"Congrats" Riya greeted unenthusiastically
"Ooh Riya, you have no idea how happy I am today!!"
Riya smiled slightly, "And I am happy for you dad"
There was a small pause where it sounded like Mr. Mukherjee was hesitating to say something.
"Dad?! Are you there?"
"Yes, yes I am here. Riya I wanted to talk to you about something dear"
"Actually dad I have been meaning to talk to you about something...someone...as well"
"Let me finish first, this is important"
Riya frowned, "What I want to tell you is important as well dad"
"Riyaaa please..."
Riya clenched her teeth, trying to control her frustration, "Why is it that, whatever you want to tell me is always more important than what I have got to say??" she sighed, closed her eyes and said, "Alright dad...what is it?"
Mr. Mukherjee did not continue immediately, he took his time to start talking while Riya waited patiently.
"Riya you know Anurag uncle right?"
"Yes"
"He recently got involved in the project I just told you about...in fact he had a pretty big hand in us getting the deal"
"Okay" Riya said not sure why her dad was telling her all this
"Do you remember his son? Akash?"
"Ya I remember him. What about him?" Riya asked, already knowing the answer to it
"Well Anurag and I have been talking the other day...and we think your's and Akash's match will be..."
"DAD! Please before you continue...please for once listen to me!!"
"Riya...you know that I always do whatever I do to keep you happy. Akash is a very good guy..."
"It does not matter dad because I love someone else!!" There was silence from the other end of the line.
"Who is it?" Mr. Mukherjee asked in a forced calm voice.
"ACP Arjun Rawte"
"Your senior?"
"Ya. He is second in command for our team"
Silence again. Riya could hear her dad take a deep breath.
"Riya...I don't know about this...he is..."
"A really good person. Dad I have never asked you for anything - ever, please just this once...I am asking you to trust me on this!"
Mr. Mukherjee sighed, "I want to meet him!" he decided and told Riya
"Dad you can talk to him over the phone if you want but how are you going to meet him??"
"I am coming to India next month! I want to meet him then. Alright I need to go now...I'll call you later"
"But wait, you are coming to India???" Riya exclaimed
"Yes, my PA will send you the itinerary"
"Wait DAD!!!" But it was too late the call was cut.
"What the hell???" Riya stood in the middle of her room staring at the phone furiously. She felt like hitting it down on the ground, just as she was about to lift her hand up the knock on the door made her come back to her senses.
"Riya?? Are you okay??" Anu called out. She had been living with Riya for only two days but there was a bond forming between the two already. Riya composed herself and opened the door.
"Hey is everything okay??" Anu asked
"Ya, everything is fine"
"Okay, I heated the food. Are you coming for dinner??"
"Ya, let's have dinner" Riya said lost and still very angry at her dad. She carefully put down the phone in her hand and left to have dinner.
Next morning...
The whole ETF team was outside working on a case. Arjun and Rathore were talking to someone while Riya, Shree and Chotu were examining the crime scene.
Chotu looked up to make sure Arjun and Rathore were out of earshot before continuing the conversation.
"Shree, did you think of what Arjun sir will do to you if he finds out?"
"Yaar, tu phir say shuru hogaya?" Shree asked sighing
"Shree! Chotu is right! Just imagine Arjun's reaction" Riya joined the conversation.
"Maine kab kaha uss ke saath bhaag ke shaadi karloonga? All I said was she is a good looking girl. She's very pretty...that's all"
"Ri, all this time we have been teasing him to find a girl for himself, aur aaj jab usko ek ladki pasand aayi, toh kaun? Arjun sir ki behen?"
"And don't forget Rathore sir Chotu, even he is very protective of Anu"
"You two are talking as if I am going to eat her or something!!"
Chotu and Riya looked at each other and laughed. Riya turned to see Arjun looking at her; she gave him an uneasy smile and continued with what she was doing.
Riya put the evidence she collected in bag and handed the bag to Shree when he asked, "Did she...happen to mention me at all?"
"Shree!"
"I am just...I am just asking..."
Once finished with the enquiry Arjun turned around to find Riya carefully examining the evidence while talking to Shree and Chotu. As soon as she saw him her smile faded and became a bit awkward. Arjun frowned at that, he has been noticing her weird behaviour since morning. Rathore came up behind Arjun and noticed him watching Riya. He loudly cleared his throat making Arjun realise Rathore's presence.
Arjun smiled sheepishly at Rathore and looked away.
"It's going good between you guys...huh?" Rathore asked
Arjun glanced at Riya and then back at Rathore and slowly nodded saying, "Ya, it's...good!"
"Reaaallly good!" Rathore unnecessarily emphasised on 'really' and raised his eyebrows, making Arjun frown again.
"What are you...why are you..." Arjun started off confused but soon realised what Rathore was implying to.
"Oh, okay...now it's not what you think...Riya was pretty upset that day...I was just..."
"Hey, hey I don't need any details!!!"
"Sam stop it!! It's nothing like that. I just stayed over to make sure she's alright..."
"Sure!"
"Sameer!!"
"Okay! Okay! Oh, by the way Tannu and I would like you all over for dinner tomorrow night. You free?"
"Ya, of course. Who do you mean by 'you all'?"
"The whole team and Anu obviously"
"Oh ok. Sure!!"
"Alright guys, we are done here let's head back to the office" Rathore informed his team.
After working on the case the whole day everyone left for their homes. Arjun, Shree and Riya left in one car as Shree's house was only five minutes away from Riya's.
"Arjun, don't drop Shree off at his house...he's coming with us to have coffee" Riya told Arjun once they neared their house.
"I am?" Shree asked surprised at the sudden change of plan.
"Yes! It has been a while since you came to my house" Riya said and winked at Shree
Shree smiled and shook his head understanding Riya's intentions. Going to her house means meeting Annika again.
They pulled in front of her house and headed inside. This has become Arjun's daily routine. He'd pick up Riya in the mornings and drop her off in the evenings...also giving him a chance to meet Anu. She already home after work and she was sitting in the living room watching TV.
"Hello bhaiya" She greeted Arjun
"Hey Anu. How was work?"
"Good!"
Arjun sat on the couch next to Anu, while Riya went in to freshen up.
"Aren't you going to sit down Shree?" Arjun asked when Shree just stood there awkwardly
That's when Annika looked up and smiled. "Oh! Hi Shree..."
"Hey Anu..ika!" Shree stuttered when Arjun gave him a look.
Riya came out and saw them all watching the television.
"Arjun? Help me with making coffee?" Riya said, wanting to give Anu and Shree some space.
Arjun raised an eyebrow. "You want help with making coffee?"
"Yes! Now c'mon!"
Shree and Annika watched as Riya dragged Arjun off into the kitchen. They looked at each other and smiled, feeling a little awkward.
"Since when do you need help making coffee?" Arjun asked
"Since now!"
"Okay, umm what do you want me to do?"
"Hmm just stand here..." Riya said holding Arjun by his shoulders
"And how is that going to help you?" Arjun snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Riya blushed and fidgeted with his shirt.
"Let me go? I need to..."
He tightened his hold on her.
"ACP Arjun, your sister and my best friend are outside!"
Arjun slowly leaned in closer, running the tip of his nose up her jaw line to her ear. As Riya tensed in his arms he whispered, "So..."
"Arjun..." Riya breathed as his lips lightly touched her ear and placed light kisses down the side of her neck. He breathed gently across her skin making her shiver. This was the first time ever they were so intimately close, Riya couldn't take it anymore; she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Arjun wrapped his arms tight around her body. Both stayed in each other's arms trying to control their fast beating hearts. Arjun slightly pulled away from Riya, just enough to see her face. Their eyes met, Riya's eyes trailed down Arjun's face till they came to a stop on his lips. Silence fell around them with heavy anticipation of what's to come next.
Arjun leaned in ever so slightly but stopped. Coming back to his senses he quickly took a step back from her. Riya stood still, fidgeting with her hands and staring at the spot on the ground where Arjun was moments ago.
"Are...are you okay?" Arjun asked
Riya who was blushing profusely by now nodded without looking at Arjun. As soon as he moved away Riya pouted involuntarily – disappointed. Arjun noticed this and smiled. She turned away from him and moved further into the kitchen.
"Co...coffee??" She stuttered and briskly started to prepare it.
Riya desperately wanted to talk about something else, move on from what happened just a moment ago, when she heard Shree and Anu's laughter from the living room.
"Waise...Shree and Chotu, they've become like a family...right?" Riya said.
Arjun frowned at that random thought and said, "Ya, I guess"
"Guess? Guess ka kya matlab?"
"Matlab...I don't know...your relation with them is different to what I have with them. I know you are very close to Shree, almost like brother and sister. But, it's different with me"
"Ya! But, you know Shree is a very good guy right?"
"Sure I do. Why are you asking me...?"
"Just like that...Coffee" She lifted the tray with four cups of coffee on it and was about to walk out when Arjun stopped her. With the tray still in between them, Arjun cautiously leaned in and pecked Riya's forehead and asked again, "Are you okay?"
Riya answered looking at the tray, "I...I am fine. We...We never...this was the fir...first time...so I..."
Arjun smirked, put a finger under her chin and made her look at him.
"You look...worried since morning. Is everything okay?"
Oh crap! Has she been that obvious?? Riya thought. Oh! He wasn't talking about what just happened. How was she supposed to know that? Riya rolled her eyes.
"No, no nothing is bothering me" she tried to put up her most convincing face but was failing terribly.
"Riya!" Arjun said narrowing his eyes
"Okay, okay. There is something I want to talk to you about, but not right now please" she said looking at the kitchen door, implying at Anu and Shree. She then took a side step and walked past Arjun before he can stop her.
Truth was she didn't know how to tell him about the little talk she had with her dad. It has been just over a month since everything finally started falling into place. She wasn't sure if he was ready to change the way things are going, complicate it more. But, she'll have to talk to Arjun soon.
It was a slow start but after the first few awkward minutes Shree and Anu talked unreservedly. Shree felt like he was talking a load of crap, out of nervousness at times but to his surprise Anu showed genuine interest in him and even laughed a couple of times at his 'jokes'. Anu is working as a software programmer in one of the reputed companies, having moved to Delhi when she was twenty and completing her studies there. Though at first sight it was just her looks that impressed Shree by the end of their conversation, he realised Anu was an intelligent and a very strong girl.
Anu was still talking about something, Shree was looking at her but nothing was registering in his mind. Was it possible to fall in love with someone after meeting them just two times?? Shree smiled, Riya and Chotu will have a field day with him if they find out what he was thinking.
"Guys coffee..." Riya came in with the tray and handed over their cups. Arjun came in a few seconds later stared at Riya and then joined them.
"Oh bhai, did Sameer bhaiya tell you about the dinner on Saturday. Bhabhi called me this afternoon and told me about the plan"
"Ya he did" he said and informed Shree and Riya about the dinner invite for tomorrow, that is Saturday night.
Arjun and Shree stayed with the girls for another half hour or so and finally retired to their respective houses with,
Arjun still worried about Riya and whatever it is that's bothering her.
Riya worried about Arjun's reaction when she tells him about her Dad wanting to meet him.
Shree suddenly finding himself the happiest he has ever been.
Annika's heart melting as Shree smiled at her one last time before leaving to his house.
CID
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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