FF: Ek Aur Zindagi.. Ch:29 page 137 - Page 51

PART 16:

Adi is Arjun's son... That was a revelation for her. Never in her dreams did she think about it.

But she had missed a lot of clues. Many a times, even she had felt the little bit similarity between them. But to think in this angle was tough. Nani noticed Sakshi was still lost. "kya hua? Aise kya soch rahi ho?"

Sa: uss din aapne bathaya tha ke Adi ke mom nahi hai. Kya hua tha?

Mom: not sure. Lekin jab Adi bohot chota tha, thab hi guzar gaye hai wo.

Sa: she is no more?

Mom: nahi. Thabse usse uske Dad hi paala hai. Aaj kal ek boarding school me pad rahe hai. Uske dad ek police officer hai na. isliye. Bechara Adi... he is really missing his dad. Par tum ye sab kyu puch rahi ho?

Sa: mujhe nahi patha tha ke Arjun ka ek beta hai.

Mom: you know him?

Sa: wo ETF ke second in command hai.

Mom: are haan, meine tho abhi thak ye nahi pucha tha ke wo kaha work kar rahe hai. Bas ithna patha tha ke wo ek ACP hai. Tho yahi hai tumhare Akdu boss.

Sa(smiling): ha. Yahi hai Akdu Rawte. Aur unke Akhu beta bhi. How come I never knew it? Bilkul baap pe gaya hai uske attitude. Still I missed it.

Mom: hm... ab tum wapas office jarahe ho ya free ho?

Sa: wapas jaana hai. Mein tho Adi se milne ayi thi. Ab wo hi... ok mein nikal rahi hu. Bye mom.

She left. Mom noticed the confused look at Sakshi's face. "isse kya hua? Adi se milne ithne kyu baichain thi? Hope everything is fine"

She went back to the office. Her mind was still stuck at that corridor.

His smile... it was something new for her. There was warmth in it. Love... care... something she never saw before.

Adi... Aditya Arjun Rawte... wow...

She couldn't forget the little face that went gloomy on the day when she scolded him taking his mother's name. The pain in those little eyes was visible. The silence did say a lot. After a long time, even today that face was still fresh in her memories.

"So Arjun had lost his wife. But how? Adi... he brought up Adi all alone? It must have been tough... Even mom brought me up alone. But that time I was old enough to understand. But Adi is still young. That means he must have been much younger that time."

Her heart went out for him... For the little boy.

She was in her cabin now. She looked at the completed cube. "maan lia Arjun.. aaj pehli baar dil se thank you bol rahi hu aapse... for completing this for me... warna mujhe kabhi patha hi nahi chaltha ke Adi apke beta hai... thank you so much..."

She opened her personal journal. It's the only way she let out her feelings. Sakshi is a girl who speaks out a lot. But there were still some thoughts that she kept to herself. That she shared with her bestie.. her journal... "Meri duniya..."

"Duniya kafi ajeeb hai... yaha har hasi ke peeche kuch chupi hai..

Har muskan ke peeche koi na koi dard chupi hai...

Har aasu me bhi kuch chupi hai..

Jab har tharah se akele hojaye tho bhi jeene ke koi na koi wajah tho mil hi jaathe hai...

Kuch log sirf apne maksat keliye jeethe hai..

Sirf apne khushi.. apni baath...

Kuch log dusron keliye jeethe hai...

Unke khushi... unki baath...

Unke khushi me meri khushi...

Unke zindagi... meri zindagi..

Lekin kabhi kabhi wo lakeer hi gayab ho jathe hai...

jab ek dusre keliye jeene lage tho ye lakeer rahtha hi kaha?

Kisike yaadon me agar ithna thakath ho,

Tho unhe kisi aur ke kya zaroorath hai?

Agar un yadonke ke nishan.. ek zindagi banke samne ho...

Tho ek aur zindagi ke kya zarorath hai?

Yahi zindagi kaafi hai... un yadon me apne aane wale kal ko jeene'"

She felt a bit moist in her eyes. She wiped it off. She didn't know why she felt so proud of the man she saw some time before. So proud...

***

Sam was in his cabin. He knew Arjun was not in the office. He needed this time. To think. To understand. To clear off his mind. But...

Chotu was in the hall. Sree and Liza joined him. The usual talk was going on when his eyes went towards Rathod's cabin.

Ch: ye sir ko kya hua? Kafi khoyi hui dikh raha hai.

Li: ha. He looks upset.

Sr: patha nahi kya hua. I hope everything is fine.

Ch: Arjun sir yaha nahi hai?

Sr: nahi. He went out. Adi se milne gaye hoge.

Li: sachme yaar, jabse Adi pe wo attack hui hai, kaafi pareshan hai sir.

Ch: kaise nahi hogi Liza. Akhir beta hai unke.

"why didn't anyone tell me ke Arjun ka ek beta hai?" Sakshi walks in.

Li: tumhe nahi patha tha. He came here many times na?

Sr: well, jabhi wo aye the tho tum yaha nahi thi. That's why you missed it. Par ab tumhe kaise patha chala?

Sa: mein camp me gaye the. Thab unhe waha dekha.

Sr: camp? Tum camp me... Damn it yaar. That's your mom's camp? Mamta Anand is your mom?

Sa: haan. Ab dekho ithne din ke baad aaj patha chala ke jisse mein waha dekha tha wo, Arjun ke beta tha. Adi is Adtya Arjun Rawte... wow...

***

Aisha took a file to Sam's cabin. "sir... Adi ke camp ke paas jo officers hai, unhone inform kiya hai ke jab Arjun sir ke gaadi waha se nikla tho ek bike unke peeche kiya tha. They are not sure if it was relevant. Mujhe inform kiya, tho meine Arjun sir ko bhi notify kiya hai. But he said he didn't see anything unusual. Aur sab teekh hai"

Sam: shayad false alarm hoga. It would be better ke aaj Rawte Adi ko ghar lejaye. It's not good to take risk.

Ai: meine bhi suggest kiya hai sir. Arjun sir told ke wo Adi ke sath khana kha rahe hai. Aur fir jaldi wapas chale jayega.

Sa: good.

Ai: sorry sir meine pehle apko inform nahi kiya.

Sa: its ok Aisha. Mujhe inform karne se zyada important Arjun ko notify karna hi tha. You did the right thing.

Ai: thanks sir. Mujhe bas Adi ke fikar horahe the. Isliye...

Sam: yeah I understand.

Ai: ok, sir. I'll leave now.

He nods and she leaves.

Sam: I get it Aisha. You are perfect to be Adi's mom. Patha nahi mein abhi thak kya kya soch rakha tha. Hamare beech me kuch tha, ye bhi nahi patha. Baath sirf mere dil me hi tha. Acha hua wo wahi thak rukha. Magar Arjun... usse tho sab patha hai. Aur ye sab jaanke wo kabhi aage badne ke bare me sochaga... ye mujhe nahi patha. Lekin, kuch na kuch tho karna hi hoga. Ye jaane keiye ke Arjun akhir kya chahthe hai. Patha lagana hi hoga... aur saath me tumhare bhi dil me kya hai... kya ye humdardi sirf Adi keliye hai? Ya fir isse aage bhada sakthe hai? Patha lagana hi hoga...

***

Arjun had left the camp long back. Adi was excited today, as Dad came back early.

Ar: so aaj kaisa tha camp me?

Ad: achi thi. Nani ne puche ke kal kyu nahi aye? Meine kaha ke kuch problem tha. Isliye nahi aye. Fir unhone kuch nahi pucha.

Ar: hm... Aur friends?

Ad: sab upset hai. Holiday khatam hone wale hai na?

Arj: hm...

Adi: dad ab kitne din baki hai wapas jane keliya?

Ar: kafi din hai. Uske bare me bhool jao. Ab bathao kaha jaana hai? Bhoog lagi hai?

Ad: haan...

Arjun's mobile rings. "Dad... firse phone... offo..."

Ar: koi bath nahi. Mein kahi nahi bhagne wale.

He parks the vehicle and takes the call. It's from Aisha. "haan Aisha bolo"

Ai: sir, Kadam ne inform kiya hai ke apke nikalne ke baad apne SUV ke peeche ek bike wala nikla hai. Did you notice it?

Ar: (looking around) nahi Aisha. No one here. Aur mujhe nahi lagtha ke koi hamare follow kar rahe the.

Ai: ok sir... it may be a false alarm. Par it's good to be careful.

He looks at Adi, who raised his eyebrows. Arjun nods negative.

Ar: I know. Hum khana khane wale hai. Uske baad ghar jarahe hai. We'll be fine.

Ai: ok sir. Adi kaise hai?

Ar: yahi hai.

Adi: kaun hai Dad?

Ar: Aisha.

Adi asks for the phone. "hi di..."

Ai: hello Adi. Kaha ja rahe ho?

Adi: khana khane. Bhoog lagi hai. Aap bhi aajao.

Ai: nahi beta. You enjoy. Ok... bye Adi.

Adi: bye di.

He gives back the phone.

Arj: ok Aisha.

Ai: take care sir.

He stood silent for a while. "hm..."

The line went off from his side. She felt he was deliberately cutting it. Why? Did I intrude more this time?

She shook off the thoughts and went to Rathod's cabin to inform the matter.

***

Arjun took Adi to a food outlet. It was almost full. He chose it so that no one would not attempt anything stupid over there. Adi was always closer to him. Just a breath away. Adi enjoyed the food time with him and he was enjoying too, though the cop in him was alert.

Adi got his favorite ice cream.

Arj: kya soch rahe ho?

Ad: wo icecream wali aunty se bohot din se nahi mila hai.

Ar: kyu? Ithna miss kar rahe ho?

Ad: meine unhe challenge di thi. Dekhna hai ke complete kiya hai ke nahi.

Arjun ruffles his hair.

Unknown to them someone snapped a pic of them.

***

Sameer was about to shut off his computer when a mail beeped. He opened it and gasped. He took his phone. "Sree come here immediately."

Sree was about to leave when he got the call so he rushed in. Liza, Aisha, Sakshi and Chotu waited for him in the hall. Few minutes later, they saw him rushing to his work station. Something was definitely off. They went to him.

Ai: kya hua Sree?

Sr(in between typing his laptop): kisine ek fake id me Rathod sir ko mail kiya hai. Usse dhoondne ke koshish kar raha hu.

Sa: kaisa mail?

Sr: wait a minute guys.

He was busy in typing.

Sam walked out of the cabin. "Sree, try to contact Arjun. He is not picking up the call"

All looked worried. Sree was working more vigorously now.

Ai: kaisa mail tha sir? Baath kya hai?

He logged in to his mail at Sree's workstation and opened the mail. It had an attachment.

The pic showed a happy Arjun ruffling Adi's hair... next Arjun feeding Adi...

And a line below it.

"Kash ye lamha hamesha aise hi rahthe..."