The highway was deserted and dark. The raining was hard; there was thunder with lightning slitting out of the clouds straight on the deep dark mountains that were visible far from the highway road. Sakshi was enjoying all this while she drove herself home on an affordable scooty. One loud thunder and she stopped her nature admiring business and drove her bike in a very good speed that took her away from the dark highway. As she neared the end of the road, she sighed in relief seeing a roadside dabba. All drenched in the rain, she stopped her bike and didn't bother to take her helmet off.
Baiya please ek achi si garma garam chai banao? She said to the man on the other side of the counter. She rubbed her hands to keep her warm and looked at the man in front of her drinking the cutting chai.
The man quickly handed her garam chai and she thanked him as she slowly blew the steaming chai in her hand. Baiya, ek packet bajiyan and samosa's bhi pack karna. She thought as she would reach home late and would not get time to prepare any dinner.
While she was seeping her chai, she stopped the man from packing. Rukiyeh baiya!
The other man, who was enjoying his cutting chai, almost chocked himself with that hot liquid.
Kya hua madamji? The dabbe- wala asked her curiously. Woh tode bajiya yahan do, is barish mein chai ke bina bajiya nahi to kya fayada?
And the man on her side rolled his eyes and continued drinking his cutting chai.
And she innocently chewed on every baji, enjoying its taste and then looked at the man who was drinking his second cutting chai. She offered him her share of baji's.
Cutting chai and all huh, lekin baji ke bina kyun...yeh loh tum bhi kah lo. She said to him forwarding the paper of baji's to him.
The man ignored her and looked the other way.
Hmm...mama's boy huh! She said to him, while she tried to drink her chai through the half open helmet.
The man shot him a look at her words and chose not to speak. And Sakshi gulped.
I mean mama's boy always listen to their mummies na, apki mama ne bhi kahan kya aapko, ki strangers se kuch bhi na lo? Strangers se baat na karo...
She gave a million dollar smile, this time there was a twinkle in her wet eyes, and may be the garam chai did the magic. And she said; don't worry mujse darne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mein ek sidhi sadhi ladki hoon.
A smirk curved on his lips and he looked at her and helped himself with a handful of baji's.
Sakshi almost gasped thinking he would take away all the baji's.
Ek advice deta hoon, the man said to her while he pulled his wallet out from the back pocket.
She stared at him.
Ek akheli ladki ko iss waqt ghar hona chahiye, nah ki yahan. Kuch bhi ho sakta hai. He said keeping his eyebrows low to show her that he was very serious about this advice.His face close to her's and Sakshi would almost fall with her back, as she had pushed herself behind.
Putting her one arm on her waist she said to him, just because mein ladki hoon, mujhe yahan nahi hona chahiye right? Lekin let me tell you Mr. Ajnaabi, mein kisi se darti nahi hoon. Sare self defence move's mujhe ateh hai.
He smirked again, while she stood in front of him her arms crossed showing she knew taekwondo.
The dabbe- wala asked him, sahib chuta nahi hai kya?
Nahi, he said haughtily. Saheb yahan koi shops bhi nahi hai, kahan se lau chuta? The dabbe-wala asked him.
It's okay, sare rakh do. And he prepared to leave. But stopped and turned around and said to dabbewala, Iska bhi bill usi mein nikhal do. Sakshi abruptly stopped chewing her baji's and went to him. Mein apna bill de sakti hoon, Apki meherbani ke liyeh thanks. Baiya yeh loh mera bill isme nikhalo, she said handing the note to the dabbewala, while she stood there watching at him. Dabbe-wala stared at her, madam aap bhi?
Sakshi turned around, and asked mein kya? The dabbe-wala was almost scared talking with the angry sherni.
Sach mein mere pass koi chuta nahi hai. The dabbe-wala added.
Ohh... Sakshi said and took her money back. She turned around and the man was already gone. She felt defeated.
Taking her packed parcel, she seeped the last drop of chai in the glass and made her wayto the bike.
She saw something on the muddy floor, as the rains drop fell on the plastic. She picked it up and saw it was an I.D pouch. Putting her parcel under the seat of the bike, she drew her attention on the pouch and opened it, it had a hard metal imprint called ETF and there was that man's picture with the name, Arjun Suryakant Rawate, she read it in a whisper that only her ears could her. Her eyebrows raised in amusement.
She started her bike and headed towards the city. The little distance did she cover, when she pulled the brakes on her bike to stop.
Kya hua? She asked the police wala nearby.
Madam age raste band hai, serious accident hua hai. Replied the police officer.
Kya? Ab? Mein ghar kaise pauchoongi? She asked him worringly.
Madam wait karna padega. He said to her, as there was no other choice and no other way to go home.
Theek hai. And she parked her scooty aside and waited.
She prayed the rain could atleast stop being harsh on her, just like her work life.
She is working as a crime news reporter in one of the channels. And she had just returned from a tiring day reporting at of one the crime site.
Yeh, duniya mein crime kabhi katam hoga bhi kya? She muttered to herself.
Shayad nahi, came a voice from behind.
Ajnaabi, she called out to him, as she forgot about the I.D she had found. He cocked his eyebrows up at such refrence.
Phas gayi na? Acha khasa advie diya tha. He said to her teasingly.
She rolled her eyes. Aap jaise choti soch rakne waloon ki wahaj se yeh city safe nahi hai, samhje ya... She said that to him in the fit of anger and walked away, not knowing where.
Surprised by her words and the incomple samjhe ya... Which was his trademark, he smiled at her.
She walked backed towards the highway, and kept walking till her legs got heavy with tiredness. She stopped and sat on the near stone on the highway.
A gang of boys furiously drove their car, and stopped seeing the lonely girl.
Kya hua madam, lift chahiye? Said one of the boys on the driving seat.
Aaja meri gadhi mein bait ja, sang of the drunkard in the car... and one of them got off and walked towards her... Sensing trouble and no help on the deserted highway, she kicked the guy in his middle and ran towards the road she came back.
Arjun being a good police officer walked back in search of the women who had left in anger because of him. Anyway he had to kill time.
Sakshi ran, leaving some glances behind to keep a check on the goons. And she walked down the small lane on the side of the highway, which led to the forest. She stayed there, gasping for breath and a sudden touch from behind, almost made her scream; a hand covered her mouth from screaming and she tried to look back in the dark.
Chodo mujhe, she tried to say to him...
Sush, he said... Mein Ajnaabi; don't need to worry.
Arjun took his hand off her mouth and they stared at eachother for a good moment.
Yahan chupi hogi, said one of them pointing towards where she was actually hiding. And the two ran deep inside the forest
Ek minute, hum bhag kyun rahe hai? If Im not wrong tum policewale ho na, Sakshi remembered.
Tum janthi ho mujhe, toh yeh ajnaabi ka natak kyun. He asked her irritated by her childhishness.
Woh chodo, Aur tumhare pass gun hai na, woh humein save karega. Sakshi added happily.
Mein off duty hoon, so i can't keep the gun on me... Abhi holidays se wapas ayah hoon... He said to her, disappointing her once again.
Oh no, she slammed her head.
Don't worry; hum zyada door nahi ayeh hai... He comforted her.
He was holding her by her side. And she realised that the proximity was not good enough for them, so she moved away, but he held her tighter, Awaaz maat karna, he whispered to her.
And they waited there for another half an hour, waiting for the goons to go back home.
Sakshi moved away from him and made her way back to the highway. And he followed him, amused by the girl's behaviour.
Kamaal hai, aaj kal balaiyi ka zamana nahi rahan, acha hua meh sharif hoon... Arjun said once again intentionally trying to boil her anger.
And she looked back at him angrily . And she said to him, waise mein khud handle kar sakti hoon, and aapke bina bhi.
They walked silently and reached at their point.
The road was cleared in another few hours, so she had to sit on her scooty in the rains. Arjun offered her to get in his car but she refused.
The boys in the car were also waiting for the roads to open. Arjun quickly noted the number and informed the local police to arrest the boys for drinking and driving. He knew if he asks the girl to enter his car then he would end up making her angry. So he preferred to stay in his car and watch on her, from the boys. And once the road was opened, both took their respective paths to home.
Riding herself back home, she quickly changed herself into her warm night pajamas. And she prepared the hot chocolate for her, to keep the cold at bay. That was her logic!
She crouched on her sofa and cleaned the pouch and flipped in open and then closed it and then opened again and stared at the man's picture. Arjun! She said to herself.
The next morning she got ready to go for work. And not forgetting, she picked up the pouch too.
And the next moment she was in the ETF building at the reception.
Hi, mujhe yeh lautana tha, she said handing the pouch to the man in suit.
The man looked at her suspiciously.
And Sakshi gave him a cool look and said, don't worry bomb nahi hai, apke officer ki I.D hai, lauta dena use. And she walked away muttering, God! Whats with this man in Khake these days.
Arjun returned from his cabin and requested Shree to print another I.D card for him.
Sir, shree called out to him.
Apki I.D pouch mil gayi hai. Koi lauta ke gaya hai. Lekin uske saath kuch aur bhi hai, he said while peeking inside.
Arjun turned around and returned to Shree and took the parcel from him. It had the money inside with a little note, which read:
Waise inspector sahib, mein kisa ka udhar nahi rakhti; so apke paise sooth samaith wapas kiye hai. Us advice ke liyeh thanks but no thanks! Lekin help ke liyeh thanks huh.
- --- Ajnaabi.
Yeh kaun hai sir, Asked Shree curiously.
Patah nahi, Arjun said and returned to his office, leaving the money and note with Shree.
Shree read through the note and wondered. Ajnaabi? Yeh koi naam hota hai kya?
Pagal ladki, Arjun said to himself laughing at the stupid memories of that girl which crossed his mind... Ajnaabi, he whispered ; as he was not aware of her name.
How was it? 😊
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Jodha Akbar
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