Part 36
"Kya???" Lovedeep knew what he said, but still she had to ask.
"Ummm… I mean Arohi sachme gorgeous lagrahi hai!" Rajveer cleared his throat again. Looking around, he fixed his eyes on the cup.
"Hmm…" Lovedeep looked at the screen. "Bohat garam hai!"
Rajveers eyes snapped to hers. "Kya!!!"
Lovedeep looked at her brother with a mischievious smile on her lips. "Chai! Chai bohat garam hai. Jaldi pilijiye warna thandi hojayegi." She laughed silently as Rajveer immediately started drinking the chai.
Lovedeep got all her answers. And she could not stop smiling. Life has been too kind nowadays. With Arohis life back on track and her work going as per her expectation, she could not have wished for a better development. Rajveer had finally gone ahead and done the unthinkable… he had fallen head-over-heels for someone. People who knew him could swear on their lives that Rajveer could never fall in love so hard. He could probably like someone or even be fond of a girl. But love, and to the extent that his eyes cannot hide it??? Impossible!!!
Lovedeep felt like hugging her brother but she knew that he wouldn't appreciate it. Infact she didn't know if he himself had realised his feelings for her best friend. Also there was a huge difference in realising and accepting. And with Rajveer bhaiyya, she needed him to confess. Unki bhasha mein, saboot aur gavah, dono ki jaroorat thi. Taaki jab aaropi Rajveer Singh Ahluwalia apna iqbaal-e-bayaan de, tab voh sirf sach kahe aur sach ke siva kuch keh bhi na sakey!!!
This was going to be difficult. And the most tricky part was that she could not take Rashis help in this! Untill now, she had always turned to her for help or advice, but not now. Actually she needed to know how Rashi felt about him too. If she reciprocated her brothers feelings and confessed them to her, then Love can make her desperate enough to hear it from Rajveers mouth. And then, Rashi would not have a choice but to help Lovedeep for her own vested interest. A cunning mischievious smile adorned Love's face as she started planning how to get her ideas in to action.
"OYE!" Lovedeep startled out of her thoughts hearing her brother yell. "Ye hindi film ke villians ki tarah ek eyebrow upar karke, shaitaan jaise smile kyu karrahi hai?" Lovedeeps eyes widened at getting caught. She immediately smiled innocently.
"Nahi toh bhaiyya. Aapki chai khatam hogayi? Laaiye mein cup andar rakh deti hu." Lovedeep grabbed the empty cup and made her way to the kitchen. Heaving a sigh of relief, she hid behind the kitchen door to watch her brothers confused look as he made his way to his room.
+
"ARJUN"
Arohis scream was echoing in the empty jungle. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness. Desperately searching for her love, Arohi sprinted across the tall trees, scrunching her eyes for a tiny glimpse of human life. But she saw nothing. Except trees, plants, grass. She could hear the crickets in the distance and owls hooting from far off. She continued to go deeper and deeper, continuously turning behind her.
There was darkness everywhere. But she was not scared of darkness. She was not afraid of being alone too. Arohi suddenly stopped. If the darkness and loneliness didn't bother her, then why was she getting scared? This feeling was not fear, neither was it anxiety, it was something else. But what was it?
It was the feeling of being empty. And she felt that due to the absense of Arjun. If there were hundreds of people here right now, Arohi would still feel this way. Because nothing, and nobody could fill the vaccum created in her heart when she was not around her husband. Arohi started running ahead, frantically searching for warm honey coloured eyes filled with love which darkened with passion. She was about to stumble on a tree trunk when a strong hand held her steady and prevented her fall.
She looked up and saw at her husbands reassuring face and smiled. Arjun smiled back. He helped her stand upright again, holding her. Arohis hands held his arms and her smile widened.
"Mujhe pata tha… mujhe pata tha tum mujhe kabhi akele chodke nahi jaaoge. Mujhe pata tha!" Arohis grip tightened on Arjuns arms.
"Haan Arohi. Mein tumhe kabhi akela chodke nahi jaaunga. Lekin kahi tum toh mujhe chodke nahi jaaogi naa?"
Arohis smile slipped as she saw the sadness on Arjuns face after he asked the question. The grief and fear lurking in his eyes made her want to comfort him, assure him that she will always be there with him. She lifted her hand to cup his face in her palm but it never reached its destination.
Unseen forces gripped Arohi tightly and pulled her back. Arjuns hands stretched towards her but she was dragged behind. Arohi struggled in this alien grip and Arjun looked on shocked, his feet frozen and his hands towards her, asking her to take them and not leave him. But Arohi was weak in front of the force that was pulling her away from her Arjun. She stretched her hands towards her love to try and reach him but his image was fast fading away as Arohi got pulled into the darkness. Arjun was screaming her name and tears of helplessness started flowing down her cheeks…
Arohi sat up in bed with a start. She was completely drenched in her own sweat and her heart was beating a mile per minute. She was breathing heavily as she looked around to take in her surroundings. She was sitting on her bed… in the dark… alone. Her head snapped to the place where Arjun slept but the space was empty. Panic gripped her heart as flashes of the nightmare shuddered her heart. She threw back the duvet and jumped out of bed. She told her heart to calm down. She peeped inside the washroom to find it empty. She could feel bile rising in her throat as every second passed away without seeing Arjun near her.
Pulling open the door of her room, Arohi ran down the steps. Her eyes were frantically searching for the one face that she needed to see right now. Tears started gathering in her eyes and her lips started to quiver. Looking around the empty dark house, Arohis fear started winnning over her strength and she sobbed the desperate words "Where are you Arjun???!!!"
+
The sky was cloudy tonight, or maybe it was the smoke of his cigarette that was making his vision cloudy. Arjun puffed out the smoke slowly as he watched a few stars appear out of the fog. He was laying on his back on the lounge chair in the garden. His one arm behind his head and the other one holding the cigarette, Arjun glanced around at the cabanas surrounding him.
The party had stopped midway and the decorators were called the next morning to clean up. They had left their stuff as it is, the gazebo, the tents, everything. The Singhania servants had cleared the garden space as much as they could so that a small area could be used by the family. Arjun brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply. It had been months since he had smoked. Earlier he used to smoke when he was on missions. But his last cigarette had been when he and Arohi had been in the jungle.
When he had come to know that Arohi hated smoking, he had put out the stub immediately and had not smoked ever since. When he was in Delhi, he used to smoke whenever he got tensed or went to the pub with his friends. He was not addicted, but once in a while he did not mind indulging in it. He had never given a thought to his health or to the hazards of smoking. He just did not care. But Arohi had gone on and on about the perils of smoking, right from air pollution to cancer. She had explained how cancer was a horrendous disease and a passive smoker is first to get affected than the person whos actually smoking. At that exact moment, Arjun had stopped it and never ever smoked again.
But today, after months he felt like he needed a cigarette. His mind had been on the evenings events and then his phone call. Billu had verified the contents of the letter to him. But he had not believed Arjun when he told him that this attack was meant for him. That one message from Billu had kick started Arjuns logic as he remembered what had happened.
Arjun was mad at Arohi for inviting Karan… or letting dadi invite Karan… whatever! Previous to that he was worried about the announcement of engagement. Prior to that he was in seventh heaven by his wifes romantic performance. Whatever the situation, Arjuns eyes and mind had been on Arohi. He had known that she was following him all around the garden and in the house. Arohi was standing in the middle of the temporary dance floor, where Arjun had been standing minutes before when he was observing Rashi and Gauri. And he had missed seeing the letter there.
But Arohi hadnt.
If he had seen the letter, it would be him standing underneath that chandelier. The tip of the cigarette burned bright red as Arjun inhaled sharply. The smoke seeped into his lungs as the facts seeped into his brain. He had unknowingly put Arohis life in danger.
Arjuns senses were always on high alert when it came to Arohi. Today for a second he let his anger override them. If he hadnt then it would've been him who would've saved Arohi, not Karan. But they had pricked him enough to look at the chandelier come loose. These same senses alerted Arjun to look to his right and Arjun turned his head towards the doors.
There stood, with her heart in her mouth and relief in her eyes, his wife. Her lips immediately curled up in a smile as she saw Arjun in the garden. Reigning in her fear, she took calm steps to reach him when her heart wanted her to run.
Arjun stubbed the cigarette in the ash tray and put it on the floor below. He sat on the lounge chair, locking his eyes with his wife, assuring her with his gaze. Arohi sat besides Arjun on the chair and hugged him sideways. She buried her head in the crook of his neck as Arjuns hands went around her. Pulling her back with him, Arjun lay on the chair, facing the dark sky, with Arohi curled up on his side.
"Mujhe akele chodke kyu aaye?" Arohis whimper pained Arjuns heart. He liked his wife in the sherni avatar… strong, tough and fearless. Seeing her cowering like a child made him feel helpless.
After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Im sorry…" Arjuns voice choked as he replied to her. Something in his whispered words made Arohi pull back her head and look at him. The guilt in his eyes told her that he was not apologising for leaving her alone. She searched his eyes and waited for him to continue. But Arjuns gaze stayed on the starless sky.
"Im sorry ki mein tumhe yaha le aaya. Mujhe lagta tha ki tum sirf mere saath safe ho! Kitna bada bevkoof tha na mein…"
Arjun gulped. Tears misted his eyes and his lips dried. Taking courage from the warm alive body in his arms, he continued.
"Arjun Singhania ke ego ne apne dushman ko kamjor samjha, usse underestimate kiya. Kyuki usse lagta hai ki voh sirf apneaap pe bharosa karsakta hai. But I failed myself tonight Arohi. I am nothing but an egoistic arrogant fool! Aur mere iss bevakoofi ki keemat tumhe chukaani padti. Im so sorry…"
Arohi hugged Arjun more tightly. She wanted to deny every single word that Arjun said but she realised that he needed to get it off his soul. And so she did what she could do. She listened.
"Tumhe apne paas laane ki khushi mein itna kho gaya ki mein ye bhool gaya ki khel abhi khatam nahi hua hai! My focus got shifted. I thought I was the king of planning… ki sab kuch mere hisaab se chal raha hai! But I was wrong… " Arjun closed his eyes, gathering courage to utter his next words. He opened them and looked at her with determination. "I think mujhe tumhe wapas ghar bhej dena chahiye. Tum waha jyada safe…"
"Nahi!!!" Arohi snapped at her husband, cutting his speech. Arjun was surprised to see anger on her face instead of fear.
"Listen to me carefully Arjun." Arohi spoke clearly, stressing on every single word. "Issme tumhari koi galti nahi hai. Maine tumse zid ki thi ki tum mujhe apne paas rakho. Aur agar tum aisa nahi karte toh mein khud kuch bhi karke tumhare paas chali aati. Yaad haina, the night in the cottage?"
"Woh mujhe nahi pata! Mein tumse door nahi reh sakti Bas! Tum kuch bhi karo but I want to be with you now! Samjhey Mr Monster Singhania."
Arjun nodded slowly as he remembered her words and her desperation.
"So please remember… that we are in this together. Its not mine or your life… its our life. Our love. Our future. Our child. Aur koi bhi… Koi. Bhi. agar usse threaten karne ki koshish karta hai toh voh hum dono ko threaten karraha hai. Aur hum dono milke usse sabak sikhayenge. Samjhey?"
Arjun smiled slightly. He took in the changes slowly as the timid rabbit that had entered the garden had transformed into a warrior princess. Arjun could make out Arohi had a nightmare and she had come searching for him. Her face was an open book. She had been calm but still flustered when she laid in his arms on the lounger. But she had taken this rudra avatar the moment he started blaming himself. Arohi could not forget her fears for herself. But she could do it in a jiffy for Arjun. And so would he, for her. So was the beauty of love. You just start living for someone else.
Arjun nodded his head, kissed Arohis forehead and gathered her in his arms, tighter. Arohi cuddled closer and lay her head on his chest, breathing in his perfume.
"Ok… Ab batao mujhe tumhe kiska phone aaya tha…"
I know there is nothing much happening in this one but was suffering from writers block! and when i finally wrote i could not leave arjun arohis pain hanging... they had truly gone through something and i felt the need to take it ahead... so im sorry if this update disappoints you but it is paving the story in its own way :)
this is the last update of the week as im going out of town today... next update will be on monday... have a great weekend 😊
Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan
Anupamaa
