Part 24...
Arjun dropped Riya at her house and told her that he'd freshen up and come back in time for dinner. He was about to go straight to his lodge but, at the last minute changed his mind and turned right - which lead to Rathore's house.
He rang the door bell and waited, when Tanvi opened the door, he did not say hi or the reason why he was there, instead he walked straight in and sat on the couch with a scowl on his face.
Rathore who seemed to have just changed his clothes came out of his room. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw the picture in front of him. Arjun was sitting on the couch with a deep frown and fidgeting with his fingers as he bent a little, resting his elbows on his legs. Tanvi stood a few feet away from him, looking at him confusedly.
"Kya hua?" Rathore asked as he went and stood next to Tanvi.
"It's...it's Shree..." Arjun said through clenched teeth.
Rathore, who understood immediately what he was talking about, raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"SHREE??!!" He exclaimed loudly. Making Tanvi jump next to him.
"Oh, sorry, sorry Tannu!" He said immediately putting a hand around her shoulder.
Arjun looked at them and smiled as Rathore made Tanvi sit down on the couch carefully.
"Sam, main thik hoon. I am only three months into pregnancy, you don't need to..."
"Phir bhi...just..." Rathore, about to say something glanced at Arjun, who was smiling.
"Itna hassi kyun aa rahi hain?? Tu rukh, jab Riya bhi..." Rathore started but stopped abruptly. Arjun's smile was wiped out and he looked away from Rathore.
"Sorry yaar I didn't mean..."
"Baat math kar usski" Arjun said bitterly, cutting Rathore in the middle.
Tanvi and Rathore exchanged glances before Rathore spoke again,
"Kyun? Did you guys fight? What happened...I am sure you did something!! What did you do??"
Arjun looked at his best friend with disbelief.
"Nooo we did not fight! Mein toh bas aise hi keh diya, because she didn't tell me about SHREE AND ANU!! ...Tu bhi...aur kyun...jab bhi hum ladenge toh meri hi galati hogi kya?"
"Nahi yaar, I - I didn't mean it like...accha chod. So, the guy is Shree???"
"Haan" Arjun as if remembering it just now, had his scowl back on.
"Hmmm..." Rathore sat next to him, deep in thought.
Tanvi looked at the two friends and shook her head. She got up going towards the kitchen when Rathore stopped her,
"Where are you going?"
"I'll bring coffee..."
"Should I..." Rathore said and started getting up only to be stopped by Tanvi. Rathore turned back to Arjun who was still brooding.
Rathore chuckled seeing him,
"Shree is a good guy Arjun, you and me, we both know that..."
"I know" Arjun said simply.
"Toh? Problem kya hain??" Rathore asked not able to see what was bothering Arjun.
"I just, I can't believe I haven't seen it till now! I mean it's so obvious...now!" Arjun's face sported an utter disbelief look.
Rathore laughed again, "Maanna padega, agar koi ACP Rawte se chupaakar kuch kar saktha hain...toh woh uski behen hi ho sakthi hain..."
"Bahut mazza aa raha hain na tujhe?!!"
"Tera shakal dekhne laayak hain abhi..." Rathore said laughing.
Arjun rolled his eyes, "Ab bol, kya krna hain?"
"Karna kya hain? They look good together..."
"Haan woh thik hain, but we can't let them off the hook so easily!!" Arjun said, thinking about what to do.
"Does Shree know that you know?" Rathore asked.
"He'd have figured it out by now" Arjun said.
Tanvi came out with three coffee cups and handed them over to Rathore and Arjun, as they started talking about what to do next.
*****
Arjun knows Shree is a good person, he is not the type that pretends to care - if he loves and cares for someone he does so from the heart. Arjun saw him do that for Riya, he has always been there for her and Arjun knows he'll always be there for her, whenever needed. If Arjun himself or his parents looked for a guy for Anu they couldn't have found a better person for her.
When he reached Riya's place about half an hour later, the ETF car Shree had been driving the whole day was parked in front of the house. He noticed the front door of the house was open, so he did not bother knocking and went straight in. The house at first glance seemed void of its residents. But, Arjun could hear sounds from the kitchen so he made his way towards it.
"What the hell happened here?" Arjun asked seeing the kitchen's state. It looked as if a tornado passed through it.
"Arjun!!" Riya exclaimed and walked to him trying to dodge as many objects as possible in her path.
"We are cooking bhai!!" Anu offered from behind. Shree who had been standing still in a corner moved ever so slightly, as if saying even he was present there. Arjun deliberately did not acknowledge him.
"Is...is this how you guys cook??" Arjun asked utterly stunned at the mess.
"Woh, actually we were all cooking. I mean each one of us is cooking different dishes" Riya said near him.
"Haan bhai, Riya aloo-poori bana rahi hain, mein aur Sh...Shree salad aur gulab jamun bana rahe hain..."
Arjun looked on with raised eyebrows as she told him the menu, was it a coincidence that all his favourite items were being cooked at once on the day he finds out about Shree - I don't think so.
He nodded as if thinking about something, "Okay, since you guys are making such delicious items...I was thinking of calling Sam and Tanvi over for dinner!"
All three faces fell simultaneously.
"Really?" Riya asked desparately.
"Haan, just increase the quantities. They are coming over" Arjun said coolly and walked out of the kitchen.
"Didn't I tell you? The first thing he does is tell Sameer bhai!!" Anu reminded Riya.
"Forget about that, he did not start yelling at Shree" Riya said surprised, and then narrowing her eyes she continued, "What is he planning on doing?"
"I told you guys this was a baaadd idea!!" Shree put his two cents in, "He hasn't gone to get his gun has he??" he added nervously looking at the kitchen door.
"Shree!!" Both Anu and Riya said in unison.
"Kya Shree?? Socha tha Arjun sir ko kaise bhi manaalonga, par Rathore sir? Maar denge yaar woh tho!!"
"You should have thought about that before!!" Riya said and went to the stove to make more pooris.
Shree gulped and turned towards Anu with an overly dramatic and sad looking face,
"Anu wherever I am, I'll love you and only you!" he took a deep breath and continued, "Riya you have been a very good friend! Now...is there a back door through which I can run away???" He seriously added the last sentence.
"Apna nautanki bass kar aur khana bana!!" Riya said.
Continued in the post below...
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