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@ Vidya and Payal: Simar, Simmi, Simz ... you can call me any of those!! 😊
Arjun banged his fist on to the table making the files and cups on it jump. His jaw tightened and he looked at her through narrowed eyes.
"What the hell is going on Riya? Why are you behaving so strangely?" He yelled, his frustration getting the better of him.
"I don't know what you are talking about sir. I am not behaving strangely" A slight frown formed on her forehead as she tried hard to do what she has been doing for the last few days - avoid him.
Arjun rolled his eyes in annoyance at her statement and her contradicting act. Riya picked up a random file and seemed to study it seriously, only problem was it was upside down.
Arjun walked up to her and snatched the file away from her hands, holding it up he asked, "When did you learn to read upside down?!"
Riya looked away embarrassed but the frown never left her forehead. She got up to leave the conference room when Arjun got a tight hold on her wrist and pulled her closer. He then pinned her between himself and the huge conference table. She struggled hard to free herself but to no avail.
Finally sighing in frustration she gave up.
"Now tell me what's bothering you?" Arjun asked.
Riya drew herself to full length and narrowed her eyes at him, "Why do you think something is bothering me?"
"Because you do not look at me while you speak" Arjun said with an amused smile.
His smile hurt her more and the proximity at which he was standing was killing her. She still did not look at him straight in the eye; instead she turned to her side trying to get away from the cage he created with his strong arms.
"Ready to tell me what's going on?" Arjun asked.
"It's not important!" Riya mumbled.
"Really? Then why have you been avoiding me for the last week Miss Mukherjee?" the sternness in his tone was unmistakable.
"Why does it bother you so much if I avoid you?" She asked and fidgeted uncomfortably under his intense gaze.
"Because I got so used to your non-stop chatter and annoying statistical facts that something feels terribly wrong when you ignore me and that too for no good reason!" Arjun spoke through clenched teeth.
Everything he said before 'ignore' fell on deaf ears, "What is your problem? This is what you've always wanted isn't it? You got it! I am trying so hard to keep myself away from you then why do you..."
"And why exactly are you trying SO HARD on keeping yourself away from me?" Arjun interrupted her taking a step dangerously close to her making her take a step back into the table behind her.
"Be...because I can't..." Tears rolled in Riya's eyes. His close proximity was playing havoc with her mind.
"You can't what?"
"I can't stand by and watch you become someone else's" She said it out before she could stop herself. Her mouth opened in disbelief at what she had just said.
There was silence as understanding replaced Arjun's confused expression.
"And would this 'someone else' be Ayesha by any chance?" Arjun asked to Riya's surprise in a very calm and composed voice.
Riya looked away ashamed at what she had just said. Now really not able to look him straight in the eye, she once again turned to leave, get as far away from him as possible. She thought he'd let her go out of anger and disgust, but his grip was just as firm as before. She slowly turned to face him again.
Riya remembered Ayesha's first day at ETF clearly, she was very angry at Arjun for ruining her undercover mission. Ayesha and Arjun's initial interactions have been conflicting. The trio - Riya, Shree and Chotu enjoyed their tiffs as much as they used to enjoy the tiffs between Arjun and Rathore. But unlike the latter pair Arjun and Ayesha's conflicts did not last for too long. Arjun became so impressed with Ayesha in a case that his attitude towards her took a 180-degree turn.
Ayesha has done something in just a few days that Riya has been trying to do for the last two years - befriend Arjun. According to him Riya was incapable of even handling a gun. He never saw anything beyond that in her - or at least so she thought. It was she who was foolish enough to fall in love with him - it has ever since been an unrequited love. But now she saw that Ayesha was a much better match for him.
It was never meant to be her and Arjun, that's when she decided it was better to stay away from him than die a little every day watching him get closer to Ayesha.
As her thoughts came to an end, Riya realised she was still stuck in between the table and Arjun. He gazed at her as an unfamiliar sentiment flickered in his eyes. He smiled.
"Ayesha and I are just friends Riya" Arjun said, with a tone lot softer.
Riya blinked at him surprised. Why did he say that to her? Even if nothing was going on between the two why would he be bothered to explain himself to her?
Arjun finally retrieved his arms, folding them in front of his chest and took a step back, "You couldn't have just come and talk to me about it instead of doing all...this? Khud toh pareshaan hogayi, mujhe bhi pareshaan kar diya!!"
"Wh...Whaaat??" Riya asked and stared at him in utter disbelief. What the hell was he saying? She thought. He did not look angry, he wasn't being sarcastic (she definitely knows how that would be); in fact he looked happy and amused and his tone was unusually casual.
Arjun smiled seeing Riya's expression. The smile confused and annoyed Riya even more.
"Bahot maza aa raha hai aap ko? You think whatever I have done was easy? You never understood me, how could I be stupid enough to think you'll understand me now? Ayesha is a perfect match for you sir, she's just like you and you make a wonderful pair. I am sorry...please just forget I ever said anything. I am sorry" Riya whispered her apology at the end. She tried walking past him but he stopped her - again.
"Keh diya jo kehna tha? Ab mein kuch kahoon? You ARE really stupid Riya, not for thinking I'll understand you but for thinking something's between Ayesha and me!" Arjun looked at her frowned face and tear filled eyes. He sighed,
"Riya I - I love you!" He said it confidently and gently taking in her reaction and all the while his eyes truly conveying that feeling.
"Umm when you were giving your little speech a few seconds ago I thought of about hundred ways to tell you this, make it special, be poetic and I don't know what not, but...it's no use Riya, when I see you the words come out same - I love you!"
Riya stood watching him with her mouth open. Was she dreaming or has he really said all that to her? She has been waiting forever to hear those words from his mouth, but now when he did why was it so hard to believe?
Arjun watched her for a few seconds; there was no reaction from her. Has she gone into shock? He thought looking at her concerned. He hesitantly held her by her shoulders and shook her a little,
"Riya? RIYA?"
"Aur Ayesha?" Riya finally found her voice and asked in a daze.
Arjun rolled his eyes, "Ayesha ko marro goli yaar we are JUST FRIENDS!" He then eyed her gun cautiously and quickly added, "I didn't mean that literally..."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"That...Ayesha is just a friend??"
It was Riya's turn to roll her eyes, "That you lo...love me..."
"Well I would have if you haven't been ignoring me for the last three weeks!"
"Three weeks?? It has been ONE week..."
"It feels longer than that!!! I thought I'd talk to you about this last Tuesday but..."
That was the day she started avoiding him. Silence fell around them. He took her hands into his and loving caressed the back of her hands with his thumb. His soft touch and the affectionate look for her were alien to her. In spite of herself Riya couldn't stop herself from smiling, as Arjun tentatively cupped the side of her face and took a step closer.
"Ab tum bolo..." Arjun said casually.
"Kya?" Riya asked unsure of what he was talking about.
Arjun was about to say something when the rest of the ETF team walked in hurriedly. All of them froze seeing Riya and Arjun standing closely and hand in hand. She quickly pulled her hands away and looked everywhere but at her team.
"You guys have a record for worst timing did you know that?!!" Arjun directed it at the entire team. They looked at each other with knowing smiles and took their seats around the conference table, including Arjun and Riya.
Rathore briefed them about a new case and everyone started discussing it when Riya passed Arjun a file. Upon opening it he found a note which he will cherish forever. The note read,
I Love You
Too! 😳
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