FF: Khamoshiyaan... (chap 37 page 133) - Page 26

CHAPTER 11:

The train to Mumbai... A train back to life... A life that she had left behind long back...

The railway station was crowded as usual. There was family who was parting their beloved ones, the friends who were parting, and the faces that were boarding to the city of dreams with a hope to fulfill their unfulfilled dreams to come true.

But her mind was somewhere else. There was no one to bid goodbye, except the big city, the house that sheltered her, the school that gave her a new hope, the routine that kept her alive. The train in front of her was inviting her back to the other life... Mumbai was calling her back.

She looked back at the crowd before boarding the train. The upper birth was allocated for her. Together with her was a family of 3... a lady of mid 20s, her husband and her 3 year old girl. A happy family. Aisha sat opposite of them.

The lady was going to her home back at Mumbai, with her girl, leaving the husband behind in Allahabad for work. There was sadness brimmed in the couples eyes. She was holding onto his hands when he sat beside her. The little girl was too young to understand the situation. The announcement came indicating the departure. He was kissing her forehead as she cuddled close to him.

The simple jester brought up many hidden pain in Aisha's heart. She looked away giving them the space. The father was kissing his baby too. And she was too happy for that. At last he had to leave the seat leaving them by themselves. The kid laughed at her father, when she saw him at the other side of the railing. She thought it was another game. Even the moving train didn't give any hint to her, she clapped her hand. But it took a few minutes for her to gather that her father was not with them. She was upset and sobbed a bit. The mom was handling her with all the love.

The kid and Aisha were in same state. They had left behind a lot outside the train. It was a dad for her, and a so-called life by Aisha.

She climbed up the berth giving her the sanctuary, which will be broken once she reached back at the city.

3 years... it seemed like ages now. Nadiya in her was the first one to meet the Arjun... on the dance floor, were he took her as a dancer, or rather as the drug peddler Nadiya...

The first fight... the first save from Desai... the first clash of words... the first looks... or rather the glare...

She smiled at the thoughts. How fast could everything change? The cold look changed to a softer version, to a loving mode, to the loved mode...

The words were as cold as his looks at times.

'wo sirf mere team ke ek member hai, uske bina bhi mein jeesaktha hu..."

Did he really mean it then? Then when did the equations change? When was the 'sir' changed to 'Arjun'...?

She never had the time record, it was just coming in a flow, as the destiny had wrote it for her... and then came the day when she was in her simple red saree, that he completed with a line of vermillion on her forehead. The day when she was complete... the day full of running behind culprits ended in each other's arms. The words never had any role in their life... even silence spoke out loud enough for them. Until the day when...

The memories of a bigger blast came across her eyes... she jerked herself at the memory... she could feel the heat of the blast, the light that blinded her for a while... long enough to take him away from her eyesight...

She opened her eyes panting heavily... sweat beads covered her forehead... she took a bottle kept closer to her head region and gulped it hard. The rocking voice of the train said that they were crossing some bridge... some unknown river was flowing beneath her.

She looked at the side ways. The kid was sleeping peacefully by her mother.

Next day: ETF office:

The air was lighter now. Not that all were in a happy mood, still there was lighter feelings. The paper work was about to finish. No new cases arrived. Aman was getting used to the routine now. He was in his corner chair of the long table in the discussion hall. Sree looked at him, which was returned by a gently smile from Aman. And the one who was silently noticing them was Rathod.

Sam could see Aman in the chair opposite to him, the usual position were Arjun used to sit, with one leg above the other knee, and twisting a pen in his mind that indicated his thinking mode. And when it broke, came out a path breaking discovery that usually irritated him to the core.

There was a drift in a long lasted relation of the once close friends, which made them fight as cat and dogs. Roshni, a name that caused pain in both hearts were making them drift apart more... until when?? He didn't know... maybe on the day when Arjun broke down infront of Sam...on the day when Aisha was in danger... when the past started to come in front of him again... the day, when the friends hugged each other, supporting each other... the day when the walls between them started to melt. It was again long back...

"Sir..." A voice brought him back. He looked at her. "ha bolo Liza... Kya hua??"

Liz: kuch nahi sir, bas apke coffee layi thi. I called you, par aap suna hi nahi. Aap teekh tho hai na?

Sam: ha I'm fine, bas kuch soch rahe the. Thanks for the coffee.

She smiled at him and moved to Aman. "sir, coffee??"

Aman: thanks Liza.

He took the cup of coffee to his lips. 'button press karne wala coffee' he smiled at himself.

Ch: kya hua Sir, aap akele kyu smile kar rahe ho?

Aman: kuch nahi Chotu, bas kisike yaad agaya.

Ch: someone special sir??

He asked with a crooked smile. Aman got the meaning.

Aman: hm, I got what you meant. Nahi, aise koi 'special' nahi hai. Yaha aane se pehle me Allahabad me the. Waha ek kaka se mila tha, jo chai banathe the, jisse ye button dabane wale chai/coffee bilkul pasand nahi tha. Unke hathon me ek jadu thi. He made the best cutting chai, I ever tasted.

All looked at him with surprise. He sipped his coffee, and looked at others.

Aman: kya hua? Aap sab aise kyu dekh rahe ho?

Liza: kuch nahi sir... Tho kya apko bhi ... cutting chai pasand hai?

Aman: ha... Kyu?

She nodded negative and looked down. All were getting to their work, without answering. Aman was confused. He tried to understand what's going on...

Liza word brought him to the reality... 'Tho kya apko bhi ... cutting chai pasand hai?'

Shayad Arjun ko bhi...

He looked at others who were immersed in work.

A call broke his thoughts. It was from Coehlo. "hello Sir?"

He listens for a while. "WHAT?? Par kaha hai wo?"

All looked at him, who was evidently disturbed. "Ok sir, I'll take care of it" he cuts the call.

Sam: kya hua Aman? Kiska call tha?

Aman: Comm. Sir ke.

Sam: any problem?

Aman thinks for a while. "Raghav, jiske peeche mein pichle 7 mahine se the, mere haath me ane se pehle nikal gaye. Aur wo bhi sirf isliye, kyunki dept me koi uske saath derahe the. Ab wo firse samne araha hai. Kuch time pehle, usse Pune me dekha hai"

Sre: Raghav, jiske smuggling me bada haath hai?

Aman: ha wahi, uske haath sirf smuggling me nahi, aur bhi bohot bade hai. Usse apne kiye ka saza zaroor milna chahiye. Aur saath me wo, jo uske madad kar raha hai.

Sam: I gather, you want a few days off.

Aman: I'm sorry Rathod. I know mein join karke ek din bhi nahi hua, uske pehle leave mang raha hu.

Sam: its ok Aman, koi bhi kaam adhura nahi chodna nahi chahiye. Go and get him.

Aman: thanks Rathod, I'll be back soon. Bye team.

All wish him luck, and he was about to go when Sree called him back. "Sir... agar koi help chahiye tho please batha dena..."

His words were genuine. Aman could read it from his eyes. He smiled with whole heart. "Thanks Sree. I'll call you if anything is needed." He leaves the office with a happy heart. Maybe I'm getting a place here.

Evening:

She reached the station by evening. After getting an orientation of the surrounding, she took a cab to her home... yes home at last...

That day he took her hand when they reached the home. "bohot jald ye hamare ghar hoge Aisha. Jaha hum ek naye zindagi ke shuruath karenge." He took her hands and made her walk with him, but she stopped at the door steps. "kya hua? Rukh kyu gayi?"

Ais: mien yaha us din aana chahthi hu, jab mien sach much apke hoge... hamare pehla kadam ussi din hoga...

He smiled at her with all the love in his eyes. "ok, as you wish. Par kya hum thode der yaha bahar baite?"

She nods yes, they sit at the door steps side by side. Her head was on his shoulder. He balanced her head with his own head. Their hands were together. The time was irrelavent now.

Arj: Aisha...

Ais: hm...

Arj: ek wada karo... ye ghar kabhi kisi aur ko math dena... its just for us.

She took her head from his shoulder. "aap aise kyu bol raha hai?"

Arj: bas aise hi Aisha. Insaan hu, kab kya hoga, kisse patha?

Ais: chup kijiye please...

Arj: nahi Aisha, I'm serious. Jab mien yaha nahi hoga, thab ye ghar tumhe mere yaad dilayega. You wont miss me here.

Her eyes welled at his words and he saw it too. He cupped her face and kissed her forehead and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry Arjun, apke gayab hone ke baad meine iss ghar ko bhi chod diya. Its not that I wanted to run away from you. Iss ghar me rukhe har pal, har saans mujhe thakleef derahi thi. I couldn't breathe inside our home. Please mujhe maaf kar dena ... please... I promise ab mien yaha se kabhi nahi jaungi... I promise..."

She took the key and opened the door. She inhaled the familiar smell of her home, though it was dusty. She closed her eyes.

She could see Liza, Sree and Sam inside the home. There was pot filled with rice at the door step. And Arjun... he was there by her holding her hands. Liza did the aarathi... she touched the rice pot with her legs. Arjun was smiling at her...they took the frist step...

She opened her eyes. There was no one to welcome her back other than his smiling face right in front of her eyes...