Arjun just smiled at the words of his colleagues and their antics and waved his hand in no when they asked him to join them for late lunch. He slid out of his chair and went to his cabin. He leaned on his table massaging his temples with his fingers and then leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes. There was not even an ounce of trace of the smile he had minutes ago.
Sameer Rathod who was laughing at something Shree said and broke a piece of roti, just then he saw Arjun washing down two tablets down his throat with water. He felt it weird. He did not even have a morsel from morning and here, gulping down tablets empty stomach at 5 in the evening. Weird, he thought. But he just thought that he might not really be hungry.
Late evening when he finished his work and was on his way out of office, he felt he saw someone in Arjun's cabin. Panicking, he barged into Arjun's cabin and saw him asleep on his chair, leaning back. he looked weary, tired. Sameer just shook him awake.
"Arjun.. Arjun get up. It's late. Go home and sleep. Come on..." Arjun jerked up in his position and took his surroundings and saw Sameer staring at him weirdly.
"wo.main...wo. I am sorry sir... main..wo...pata nahin kab aankh lag gayi mujhe... sorry... I will just leave" he said trying to smile but failing miserably.
Sameer kept his hand on his shoulder and asked him tenderly "are you alright Arjun? you look worn out. I know our schedule now a days is quite hectic par... tabiyat to theek hai naa? Aur chahiye to chutti le lo... tumhe..."
Arjun's eyes widened at Sameer's words. Holiday???? No way. He cut his words in middle.
"Nahin sir mujhe chutti nahin chahiye. I cannot afford take any holidays..." Arjun said trying to smile.
"Cant afford a holiday??? You must be kidding me. Jab se tum ETF mein aaye ho tabse tumne ek bhi holiday li hai??? And ye kya sir sir laga rakha hai?? call me Sameer. hum donon almost ek saal se saath kaam kar rahe hai yaar..."
"oki sir... mera matlab..Sameer..." Arjun said with a smile and Sameer felt it was first of a genuine smile in the past year.
"So friends?!"
Arjun shook his hand with Sameer and then both exited ETF.
~~
Sameer always had an eye for minutest details around him. it was not just to say he was called the best officer, best boss. He had made that place in every ones heart and mind. He was angry on the higher authorities for sending in a person like Arjun into his well organized ETF like a typhoon. Who would not be? Come on... Arjun was a person who would not talk, smile, and mingle with them. He was always arrogant when it came to his interaction with others. He just came, worked hard and went back and spoke only when necessary. He would walk out of the crime scenes without any explanations. When he demanded his seniors about their choice they just said he was the best in what he did. Yes of course he was among the chosen best officers, but his behavior was not something acceptable. Above all they could not access any information about him other than his professional front, the access was denied to any of them. That made Arjun more mysterious to Sameer. so he started to observe him more closely. He could see cracks in the hard exterior that Arjun posed to the world very soon. He urged his team to be more patient with Arjun and involve him in their fun times. It took a good part of his brain to make Arjun a part of team ETF from a lone commando. It took months for Arjun to smile at the jokes cracked by the fellow team members and a year to accept hand of friendship extended by Sameer. but even after all these efforts, Sameer knew Arjun never smiled genuinely nor had accepted his friendship fully. He was still hesitant to open up, having learnt to mask feelings he found it difficult. Sameer very well knew that there was something that troubles Arjun and he wanted to know it.
Although he had started observing him and tried to change him just out of curiosity and an idea of devils workshop in his mind, but he had started caring for him genuinely. He saw a friend, an elder brother in Arjun who would go any lengths to protect him and the rest of the team. He himself had witnessed this overprotective side of Arjun many a times during field cases. All he needed to do was just unravel that Arjun from shrouds of the masks he wore.
~~
Arjun was unable to sleep the previous night. The memories that he was trying to bury in the deepest corner of his mind were resurfacing. He was unable to stop them. He wanted to scream his pain, curse his fate for its cruelty but would it lessen the pain in his heart??? Did screaming, crying and cursing would bring back what he lost? No. then why should he? His wife would not want him that way, neither his parents nor children. He would live for them, only for them. And if it meant to accept the friendship of Sameer, then let that be. He was ready to give it a chance. If it meant that he would have to smile more, he would do that. If it meant to shed the mask he wore, he was ready to try.
~~
Shree ran to Sameer's cabin as if his pants were on fire. Sameer raised his brow at him amused at the eccentric ways of the young techie of ETF. Shree stood panting gulped the coldwater offered by his ever friendly boss.
"sir, aaj... aaj Arjun sir ka birthday hai. he is turning thirty nine today" Shree spoke when he finally caught his breath.
"aaj?"
"yep. Maine do din pehle sabke records se date of birth mere calendar mein sync kiya tha and now it gave the reminder. Agar pehle pata hota to..."
"tumhe kya lagta hai, shall we surprise him in the evening? May be his house?"
"ye accha rahega sir.. main baaki logon ko bhi inform karta hun. Arjun sir to ab tak aaye nahin hai"
"aaye nahin ka matlab? He is never late" Sameer was concerned.
"may be he is with his family. Aur late hogaya hoga."
"you are right. aaj bhi meri maa mujhe mere janamdin par pooja path karne se pehle nikalne nahin deti, ab to Aisha bhi league mein hai" Sameer chuckled and Shree grinned.
"chalo its decided. We all will go to Arjun's house in the evening aur haan. Tum log iss excitement mein kaam ko neglect nahin karoge. I want all reports complete on my table before we leave. Got it?" boss in Sameer had surfaced barking orders.
"aye aye captain" Shree saluted and exited the cabin with spring in his steps.
Blissfully unaware of the plans his new' family made for him, Arjun watched kids in orphanage happily playing with the gifts he had got them.
~~
Two SUV's with bold label bearing the seal of ETF on hood stood in front of the large, antique looking gate. The entire team was shocked looking at the huge building before them.
"ye Arjun sir ka ghar hai?" Shree spluttered, unable to get over the shock.
"kahin hum log galat address pe to nahin hai?"
"nahin yaar riya. Dekh. Likha hai na Raute manor? Phir?"
"chalo guys. Lets go in and surprise the birthday boy. Wo to aaye nahin aaj ETF, chalo chalo" Sameer took the large cake and motioned chotu to open the gate.
The entire team was stumped in disappointment when they saw the door with big antique looking lock on equally antique door. Everybody's shoulder slumped and Sameer looked down at the cake in his hands.
"Aisha, mere mobile se Arjun ko call karo. Shayad wo apne family ke saath kahin gaya hoga. Shayad ab wo phone utha le..." Sameer said to Aisha, his wife.
Aisha took his mobile and dialed Arjun's number, which directly went to voice mail. She tried two more times but still the automated message was all she heard. She shook her head in no, and glanced at the disappointed team.
"we really wanted to celebrate his birthday you know chotu..." said Shree, making faces.
"Shree, rehna do. He did not know we all are coming here right? may be he had plans made before with..." Aisha was cut in between by a stranger who called for them from the gate.
"aap wahan kisi ko dhoondne aaye ho kya? Uss ghar mein pichle do saal se koi nahin rehta. Bas hafte mein ek baar kaam waali aake ghar saaf karke chali jaati hai"
"par...par records mein to yahin address diya gaya hai. (he said to himself and glanced at Shree who was equally confused) aap ACP Arjun ko jaante ho? Ye unhi ka ghar hai" Sameer said to the man.
""jee nahin. Jab hum log iss locality mein aaye to ye ghar pehle se hi band tha. Haan... do teen baar ek lamba aadmi ko dekha hai humne iss ghar mein aate hue. Bas aakar iss ghar ke ander thodi der tak rehke chala gaya tha banda. Ajjeb tha wo. Aapko kya kaam tha uss se?"
"kuch bhi nahin. Thanks for the information" Sameer just marched towards the SUV and the rest team followed.
~~
"I don't like to celebrate my birthday" Arjun said curtly when he was asked by Sameer on Monday that followed.
"hume pata hai yaar ki you wanted to be with your family. Par kam se kam hume bata to dete" Sameer said with disappointment.
"I said I did not want to celebrate my birthday. itni si baat samajh nahin aati tumhe Sameer?" Arjun's eyes were red with anger and an unexplained emotion. He just exited the cabin with a loud bang, clenching his palm in a tight fist, leaving a hurt and confused Sameer behind.
~~
Every one in ETF felt that Arjun had built and invisible wall around himself, but not as strong as it was when he entered ETF. They could see him struggling hard and harder every moment to maintain the stoic face and detached nature. They saw him go all emotional, when he accidentally almost tripped over Tara, Sameer's daughter, who was on a tantrum to meet her father. He lifted her from ground, cradled in his arms checking for any possible injuries, talking to her softly. He had never before seen her and was wondering whose daughter she was. The little girl of 13 months had stopped crying and was in awe with the person who was carrying her. Arjun's eyes turned moist when he felt little palm on her cheek and sloppy kiss and a soft bite on his nose. He bounced the chubby cheek of the little girl with his fore finger making her giggle and unknown to him his face bore a wide smile. Just then Sameer and Aisha went to him and Tara bounced in Arjun's arms, excited to see her dadda as she called Sameer.
"Baccha... papa is here beta" Sameer forwarded his arms beckoning his daughter to come to him which Tara merrily did. Arjun felt he lost a part of his when Tara reached for Sameer, a sense of longing started to rise in his heart.
He saw Sameer tickling and giggling with his daughter with Aisha standing two steps away and smiling at them fondly, a picture perfect of a happy family they made. Just like his perfect family. He shook his head and asked Sameer
"Ye tumhari beti hai Sameer? kya naam hai iska?"
"Yep. My princess Tara.. Tara Sameer Rathod. Right baby?" he answered and at the end nuzzled her nose making her squeal.
"Never thought you would be married let alone be a father of an angel Sameer..." Arjun let out his astonishment, never pulling his eyes away from Tara.
"hehe... jab tumne ETF join kiya tab tak Aisha was on her leave and she usually does not visit the office. Bdw she was ammunition expert here." Aisha smiled at Arjun and he reciprocated with a nod and trained his eyes back at the giggling Tara and her happy, beaming father.
"bohut pyaari hai Sameer. she is an angel" he smiled heartily and fared a hand on Tara's head as if blessing her and went away.
Aisha stood and observed his behavior and caught Sameer's eyes as if asking him if he saw what she did.
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