Arakshi - Don't Give Up On Me - (Epilogue - Pg 36) - Page 5

Chapter V: Softened

It had been few weeks and she still waited for him. Every time the door opened she hoped that it was him. Shree dropped the food for her and gave her recent updates on what was going on in ETF. Aisha and Rathod had been distant lately and so was Arjun from everyone else.

"It feels like he is not even there when he is actually standing there." Shree said and sighed.

Shree told her that he hardly talks. They only hear his voice when he has to say something about the case.

"It's like a cold war is going on between Rathod Sir and Arjun Sir." Shree explained. "Whenever Arjun Sir says something, Rathod Sir have like a counter attack ready for it even if Arjun sir is like hundred percent right."

Sakshi talked to Shree for a while then his phone rang, he was needed at the office. He bid his goodbye and left. She sighed and thought, only if she was there she might have pacified them a bit at least. She knew Rathod had short temper, but she also knew that he was worried that's why he was reacting like that. Sakshi took her cellphone and stared at the picture they took on Liza's birthday. How can I get you out of my mind? She ran her thumb over the picture where Arjun was. She just put her phone away and sighed loudly. She was sitting in her bed. Her back was stable enough to let her sit for a while without pain, but she needed someone's help every time she had to sit or lay back. I hate you. She screamed in her head and threw her blanket away in frustration. Her phone fell along with the blanket. Her eyes widened. She looked down and thankfully the phone was still okay. She was not allowed to bend, but she didn't even realize and she started bending downwards to pick up her phone. She heard the door, but she ignored it as she thought it was a nurse. Suddenly an arm was wrapped around her shoulder and someone held her wrist.

"I am Oka-"

Her words got stuck in her throat when she noticed that familiar bracelet and as her eyes traveled up that arm, she noticed the wrap around his elbow. She almost stopped breathing. He made her sit comfortably in the bed. She looked anywhere but directly in his eyes.

"What the hell were you trying to do?" He hissed in low voice.

She didn't say anything. Her words were stuck in her throat. She was still not able to believe that he was here. He fixed the blanket on her and sat on the stool near the bed.

"You could have start bleeding again." He said and she heard concern in his voice. "You have to be careful and..."

She looked up and her eyes met his tired and pale face. She could see his mouth moving, but she was so engrossed in staring at him that she couldn't even catch what he was saying. His eyes looked empty and cold, they showed enough evidence that he had sleepless nights. Was he worried about me? Her eyes met his eyes and he stopped saying whatever he was ranting about earlier. Her eyes welled up and slowly her tears found their way out. She watched him stiffen as he looked away. She smiled slightly. At least I know this much that you cared, even if it was due the guilt. He got up to leave, but she held his wrist. He didn't turn around.

"Stay." She whispered. "Just for few more minutes."

He didn't say anything. She hesitantly let go of his wrist. She closed her eyes in disappointment. She didn't expect him to stay anyways just because she said. She was just scolding herself mentally when she heard the stool move. She opened her one eye and he was sitting there staring at the roof. She chuckled slightly. They stayed like that for another good five minutes and then he started stuttering.

"I-uh- I mean, uh.. you know...I am..." He ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the chart which was hanging beside her bed. "... uhmm... Sorry... and... uh... Thank You."

"You are welcome." She gave him her million dollar smile. She was so excited that she moved a lot. He jumped off the stool and his arms automatically went around her to make her sit in her place.

"What are you doing?" He said worriedly. "Sit straight. Your back is not strong enough to move around much."

She nodded. Both of them purposely didn't talk about how she couldn't walk. Sakshi didn't want to talk about it because she didn't want him to feel that it all happened because of him. He didn't want to talk about it because He didn't know how she would react. To be more precise he didn't even know what he was supposed to say to her. He sat there and talked to her until she fell asleep. He helped her lay down. He pulled up the blanket on her. He stared at her face as she slept peacefully. Few strands of her hair were falling on her face. He tucked them behind her ear. Slowly his finger landed on her cheek and they lingered there for a while. He whispered as he caressed her cheek.

"I am sorry."

*****

Aisha greeted the lady on the front counter and headed towards the room where Sakshi was. She was about to open the door when she saw Arjun fixing the blanket on her. She stepped back and watched him as he took care of her. When are you going to realize that you are falling for her? She shook her head and turned around to leave.

Aisha came came back to ETF building. Everyone was working on the new case. When she stepped in to the discussion room, everyone looked at her. They didn't expect her to come back so fast.

"How is she?" Chotu asked. "Why are you back so early?"

"She is fine." Aisha smiled slightly at Chotu while she stared at the man sitting at the other end of the table. As soon as Rathod looked up from the file, Aisha turned towards Chotu. "She was sleeping. I didn't want to disturb her."

She knew that if she mentioned Arjun being there, Rathod would blow up at them for no reason. She just sat in her seat and worked on connecting the clues of the case. She felt someone's eyes on her, she looked up and Rathod was staring at her. She looked into his eyes for few seconds and then looked down as she remembered his words which broke her heart.

"You are just a goddamn employ Aisha. Don't act as if you are my wife."

She got up and went to the self-serving cafe that they had, to get a cup of coffee. She filled up the cup and stood against the counter as she sipped it slowly. She felt like she was abandoned once again. She had never felt this hurt since long time. She knew she shouldn't have expected much from anyone... not even Sameer. But her heart said something else, the trust, confidence, pride that she had been searching for all her life she had found that in one man and he was...Sameer Rathod. She wasn't oblivious like Arjun, she already knew that she had fallen long ago for Rathod. She had been loving him silently... or maybe it was time to stop.

****

It was the day of Sakshi's discharge. Arjun watched her as he stood in the corner of the room. She looked so excited and happy. It had been a month and half. It took longer for her because of her legs. The hospital tried everything in their hand to make her walk but in vain. She was still not able to move her legs. Her gun wound was still in process of healing. He had been visiting her every single day since that Sorry day. It had been much easier now to face her. He was still guilty in the back of his mind, but still he visited her as she requested him to come see her often. He had been taking care of her when he visited her. Even though he was not comfortable in accepting, but he knew that she had soften him a bit. Sakshi was talking to a nurse when she looked up to him. She gave him cheeky smile and he just turned around and walked out of there so she wouldn't see his small smile. As soon as he stepped out he met up with Rathod. Rathod's face had no emotions on it, not even anger. What's going on with him? Arjun stared at him.

"I need to talk to you." Rathod said and Arjun nodded.

"You are going to take her home with you and take care of her." Rathod said bluntly.

"Excuse me, WHAT?" Arjun said with shock.

Part VI : Pg 12