Hello Arjunians, back with a new part which kinds of gives this a finishing touch...hope u ppl like it...pls read and comment...
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Part 2:
A few days roll by...
Though Sikandar was gone forever and Arjun was done with his revenge for Roshni's death, he was yet to come in terms with it and live life normally...He hadnt yet shifted back to his home...The lodge was still his house and he dreaded the return to a place which was filled with Roshni's painful screams...So he kept pushing it as far as he could...
Since he had nothing much to get held up at the lodge, he had made it a routine to get back to office early..Getting fully immersed into the work was the only thing he could think of to get over his vacuum life...He just filled it up with the cases and its details!
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Just another normal day...
It was just going to be 7 in the morning...Arjun walked in as usual but there sure was an unusual fragrance that filled the air today...perhaps that of a ladies perfume...He looked around..
The office was visibly empty...then he realized, Aisha was at her desk...quite unusual, he thought to himself...She always came at the sharp time...neither a minute late nor early! He wondered what could be the reason!
He first walked into his cabin...Just a few minutes and he found himself walking towards her...
From a distance, he saw her holding a photo in her hands...a family photo...He could see drops of tears on the glass frame...She was crying!
He could feel her pain now...Those tears werent alien to him as well...Whenever Roshni's face flashed in his mind, he always felt his eyes getting wet...Aisha was in the same state...perhaps, her pain was much more than his...She had lost her entire family...3 losses! It wasnt easy...it would never be easy!
Sensing his presence behind her, she quickly put the photo into her draw and also wiped her tears and turned around flashing her custom made smile to him behind which she hid all her sorrows!
But not today, her wet eyes werent controlling itself...A lone tear escaped her control and slipped off...
She wiped it harshly to hide it from him but he spoke quickly...
"You dont need to do that Aisha! mujhse chupaane ki zaroorat nahi! [after a moment's silence] I know...I understand!"
Aisha looked at him stunned at his words..He had never ever spoken like that to her before...Whenever they spoke, it was purely professional...personal talks never made its way into their conversation
Aisha: [sarcastically] yeh aap keh rahe hai?? aap bhi toh yahi karthe hai na? apne dard...apne gham sab kuch chupaathe phirthe hai...apne best friend ko bhi unn sab se dhoor rakthe hai...in fact, sabko apne life se hi dhoor bhagaathe rehte hai!
Arjun was taken aback by her accusing words...but she was right...he did do all that...
After a moment's silence, a faint smile crept up his lips...he could see that she had figured out his friendship with Sameer...
Arjun: tum sab jaanthi ho, right? kya Rathod ne kaha?
Aisha: [trying to lighten it] nahi, aapke best friend Sam ne kaha...
Arjun gave a full smile hearing that..."aur kya kya kaha Sam ne?"
He was curious to know more about Sam now! It was just his ego which prevented him from taking the first step towards his best friend! but now, the wall was melting slowly!
Aisha: bas yahi kaha ke dard baatne se kam hoti hai...aur yeh baat Rawte nahi samajhtha...saari duniya ko samjhaatha phirtha hai par khud ki bhaari aayi toh bhaag raha hai! buddhu kaheeka!"
Arjun: [raises his eyebrows doubting if Sam would have said all that] yeh sab Sam ne kaha?? ya tum keh rahi ho?
Aisha: trust me...yeh sab unnone hi kaha tha...balaa main aapko buddhu thodi na bolungi!
Arjun was sure that the last bit was Aisha's addition but he kind of liked it! it sounded funny coming from her...
Arjun laughed a bit but the very next moment, he became serious"dard baatne se kam hoti ya nahi, yeh main nahi jaantha par ab itna jaan gaya hoom ke agar koyi humaare dard ko bina kahe samjhe toh accha lagtha hai...ek relief hoti hai ke atleast usske saamne dikhaava toh nahi karna padega!"
Aisha nods understanding that he meant her...They both knew each other and their pasts...So there was no need of pretension or a false wall between them! They always fought with each other...at times for wrong reasons as well...
They could never stand each other from day one but today they felt a soothing comfort in each other's company! They both have a past which was painful and perhaps the realization of it made this moment possible!
After a few moments of silence, he chooses to break it "aaj itni jaldi kaisi aagayi?"
Aisha's eyes went wet again "ghar mein akele bohat ghutan ho rahi thi...I felt as if i would die of suffocation!"
Arjun could feel her agonized state but was confused thinking what was different today...she sensed his confusion from his face and replied
"aaj un sab ka death anniversary hai...paanch saal ho gaye...par abhi bhi dard wahi hai jo uss din mehsoos kiya tha! aaj patha chala ke kuch bhi karlen, kisi ko bhi maarlen, humaara sakham kabhi nahi barega Sir! apnon ka saat choot jaana iss duniya ke sabse badi dard hai...aur yeh baat aapse behtar aur kaun samajh saktha hai?"
Arjun patted on her shoulder to console her "main samajhtha hoom Aisha...main bhi aisa hi ek daud se ghusar raha hoom...[after a short pause, he adds]..marna nahi chahtha...par jee bhi nahi paa raha hoom..."
Aisha looked up at him...for the first time, she heard him sharing his pain, opening up what he felt like...and that too with her...She felt as if her burden, her pain was lightened off her suddenly! She felt as if someone was there to share it with her...someone who could feel and understand what she is going through...
She didnt know why she felt that but whatever it was, it was like a heal to the open wound that she had been nursing for the past so many years!
He snapped out and asked suddenly out of the box "tum chai peeyogi? tumhe cutting chai pasand hai, right?"
One of the very few things that they shared in common apart from a tragic past...the cutting chai...
Aisha smiled and nodded..."haan"
Arjun: phir chalo...chai se behtar aur kya ho saktha hai iss naye din ko shuru karne keliye...
Abhi mujh mein kahin
Baaki thodi si hai zindagi
Jagi dhadkan nayi
Jaana zinda hoon main toh abhi
Kuch aisi lagan iss lamhe mein hai
Ye lamha kahaan tha mera
Ab hai saamne
Issey chhoo loon zaraa
Mar jaaoon ya jee loon zaraa
Khushiyaan choom loon
Yaa ro loon zaraa
Mar jaaoon ya jee loon zaraa
They stepped out of the office together and walk towards the tea stall opposite to their office building...
A little into their conversation and tea...Rathod sees them there and walk towards them...They see him and smile back in response as if welcoming him in...
Everything in this world only gets better with a good open chat and a cup of tea!
What follows is a never ending tale of friendship, love and happiness!
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So how was it??? reply to me in long comments!
Edited by vidya.anand - 12 years ago
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