Kismat Connection Part 7

Next morning…..

Location: the resort’s Gym…..none except Sameer and Arjun……they talk as they run on the tread mill….

Arjun: ek guard ka missing hona…….unidentified laash milna……aur phir woh exotic varieties ke plants mein acid daalna……yeh sab kuch aur hi kahaani bathaa rahi hai Sameer…..

Sameer: kaunsi nayi kahaani hogi?? Hoga koyi paagal criminal!! humaare liye headache denae aaya hai….

Arjun thinks silently….

Sameer: tum kya soch rahe ho??

Arjun: kuch toh hai jo humme nahi dikh raha hai…..mera intuition kuch aur taraf ishaara kar raha hai……

Sameer: matlab???

Arjun: main yakeen ke saath keh saktha hoom ke yeh saari incidents ke peechae bohat badi reason hai……aur woh reason iss garden ya flower show ke security issues se related nahi hai……..kuch aur hi badaa wajah hai……..

Sameer: paheliyaan bandh karo aur saaf saaf kaho…..

Arjun: samjhe nahi samjhaathahoom……yeh sab incidents, home ministry ke through ETF ko iss case mein involve karwaane keliye kiya hua hai…….par kyun??? Yeh kuch clear nahi hai….

Sameer: par kaun aisa kar saktha hai???…..aur kyun???

Arjun: isske kahee reasons ho sakthe hai…..but uss mein se dho mujhe clearly dikh raha hai…..ek humhe Mumbai se itne din baahar rakhna……. tumhe Mumbai police ko alert karna hoga……….wahaan security badaana hoga Sameer……

Sameer: hmmm……I have already done that……ek baar phir alert kar dhoonga…….

Arjun: aur doosra reason, ETF ko unke security circles se baahar laana……..

Sameer: [tensing up] tumaara matlab……[pauses when Arjun completes]

Arjun: haan, tumne teek sochaa……a trap for us…..humme bohat saavdhaan rehna hoga…..team mein se koyi bhi akela baahar nahi jaayega……Sonali se bhi keh dho par usse daraana matth…….she will panic…so tell her indirectly……….ek ek kadham soch samajh kar rakhna hoga……..

Sameer: [nodding] hmmmmm…tumaara andaaza sahi ho saktha hai……ETF ko dushmano ki kami nahi hai………

Arjun: [nodding at him in agreement] jaise Riya ne kahaa, unn dho anjaan group members ke baare mein bhi pathaa karna hoga……

Sameer: aur woh blood spots…..unka kuch pathaa chalaa??

Arjun: unko local police ne conveniently ignore kiya hai……….par humhe pathaa lagaana hoga……maine Shree se keh diya hai….. kuch na kuch karke pathaa lagaa lega……

 Sameer: okay….

[They part after some serious discussion……..Arjun decides to jog along and also meet Shree to get some clarifications…….some serious discussion is going there between Shree and Chotu………..]

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Chotu: Shree……yaar, yeh Rohan kaun hai????

Shree: pathaa nahi Chotu……kal maine Riya se bohat baar poocha……. Par ussne kuch khul ke nahi bathaaya …[pausing for a few moments]…but guess what?, Riya ke account mein 300 offline messages chodaa thaa ussne……aur bohat saare emails bhi……

Chotu: [suspiciously] tumne Riya ke account ko bhi hack kiya???? Sharam nahi aathi??

Shree: arre nahi yaar…….usko login mein kuch problem thi, maine hi teek kiya……tab accidently dekhaa…...

Chotu: itne saare messages???……kahi woh Riya ki ex BF tho nahi???

Shree: [shrugging] may be…..or may be not…….

Chotu: agar hai, tho phir Arjun sir se shaadi kyun karegi??

Shree: sochne waali baat tho hai……par kuch bhi ho…..Rohan na tha bohat handsome…..aur shaayad Riya ko pasand bhi kartha hai………..[He sees  Arjun at his doorstep and stops abruptly] Arjun sir….aap yahaan??? [confused at his sudden entry and also a little tensed whether he heard their talk about Riya and Rohan]

Arjun: [confused with the mention of Rohan] gud morning Shree……hope I didn’t disturb you guys?

Shree: [snapping out and walk to Arjun] arrey nahi sir…..andar aayiye na…….

Arjun: uss blood samples ka kuch hua Shree??

Shree: haan sir……report kal tak milega……uske baadh criminal records se match karke dekhloonga……parso shaam tak list mil jaayega…..

Arjun: hmmmm! [He stands there for a little longer and is silent too…….which is quite strange from his usual behavior….Shree is more tensed if he is going to ask something about Rohan and wonders what to do…..Arjun is intensely observing Shree and Chotu in the pretext of going through some file lying on their table] tumhe kuch kehna hai Shree??

 Shree: [stammers] haan……mera matlab nahi sir……

Arjun: bohat confused sound kar rahe ho……koyi problem hai kya???

Chotu: [pitches in to save Shree] nahi nahi sir….koyi problem nahi….hum toh bas…….

Arjun: agar idhar udhar ke baatein chodh kar sirf kaam par dhyaan dhogey toh koyi confusion nahi hogi….case bhi jaldi solve hoga!……..[hands back the file and looks at them] samjhe ya samjhaavum??

[Shree nods while Arjun doesn’t wait for their reply….he walks out furiously banging shut the door behind him]

Shree: achaanak yeh Arjun sir ko kya hua??? Subah subah humein kyun sunaakhar chale gaye???

Chotu: shaayad sir ne Riya aur Rohan waali baatein sunli…..

Shree: hmmmm….lagtha toh aisa hi hai……aaj humaare kismat acchi thi…..baal baal bachae hum…….agar aur samjhaana rukh jaathey toh band baj jaathaa…….

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Arjun returns to an empty room……Riya was sleeping when he left and now the bed was empty……..She seems to be literally avoiding him as much as possible……He gets ready and sits on the couch with his tea when Riya bounces back to the room……She explains her absence before he questions her…

Riya: main unn dono ke baare mein information collect karne gayi thi…[though he is enraged that she went without his permission, he glances up and pays attention to the details…..]…Mr. Raj Shikhawat banglore se hai……businessman hai…..unke wife ke saath kuch problem chal rahi hai……isiliye ek escapist mode mein yahaan aaye hua hai……lagtha hai wife ke saath bohat badaa jadga hua hai….[he looks at her and their eyes meet for a moment….she turns away and continues]………aur doosra Mr Salil, thodi shady character hai…… identity chupaane ki khoshish mein hai…koyi bhi details kisiko nahi pathaaa…..naam bhi galath hi lagtha hai……

Arjun is impressed at her findings…He is also curious to know how she got to know so many details in such a short span of time…..but then hides it well behind his totally inscrutable stern face……

“Tumhe mujhse poochkar jaana chahiye tha….”

Riya: [that instantly blows her fuse…she replies angrily] excuse me Sir…. iss mein poochkar jaane waali kya baat hai….. I only did what my duty demanded…...Shaayad aap bhool rahe hai ke main pehle ek ETF officer hoom aur uske baadh aapki wife…….

 Arjun: [furrowing his forehead and sternly shoots back] shaayad tum bhi bhool rahe ho ke ETF mein bhi main hi tumaara boss hoom…[glaring at her for a moment]…I am warning you Riya……agle baar mujhe poochae behair kahi nahi jaaogi……samjhi tum??

Riya: [fuming but mutters in a low voice] aapko toh bas mujhe neecha dikhaaney ka bahaana chahiye……

Arjun: kuch kahaa tumne???

Riya: ji nahi……[sarcastically] ab agar aapka permission ho toh mein ready ho jaaum…..[hearing that, he stares at her while she responds to his stare] aise ghuriya math…..baahar jaahiye……..I need to change…..ya yahi rukhna pasand karenge?

[He walks off fuming at her curt replies……As a matter of fact, it wasn’t his ego or bossy attitude that made him talk so rudely to her…….His protective instinct had taken over while he said all that……though, as a ETF officer,  she had the right to know about his suspicions of a possible trap, he decided to hide it from her atleast till his doubts were confirmed……he didn’t wish to tell her all of that and scare her…….…he knew well that it was the husband in him who decided that but he preferred to leave it that way……..As a husband, he understood that all these doubts would make the trip horrid for his wife!.....so he preferred to hide the real reason for forbidding her from going out…..]

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A little later…….

All heads turned to her as she walked to the lobby where the entire group was waiting for the bus……..The ladies instantly start speaking in hushed voices….while the male population look at her like they are seeing a female for the first time…….ETF members look at Arjun for his reaction while he is confused at what the source of all this commotion is……he turns to the direction and is shocked to see Riya……

She is dressed in a sleeveless top and a khaakee shorts which just reaches her knees….The sudden make over of Riya was the source of gossip among all people in the group……

Arjun glares at her and then walks to her quickly…….he speaks up in a low miffed up voice “yeh kya pehan rakha hai tumne?????”

Riya: [rolling her eyes] kyun ji?? Aapko accha nahi lagaa?? Aur waise bhi, insaan ko wahi pehnna chahiye jisme woh comfortable hai…….[grinning at him] yeh maine nahi aap ne khud kahaa tha jiiiii…..

Arjun: haan kahaa thaa……par uska matlab…..[Riya snaps him short]

Riya: matlab ab aap mujhe meri dresses ke specification bhi samjhaayenge??? Aise pehano…woh matth pehano…...wagera wagera….

Arjun: [grabbing her arm and taking her aside sensing that there are people noticing them…..] yeh attitude na, tum apne paas rakho……don’t even try it on me!!...[locking eyes with her for a moment….] ab jaldi jaao, kuch aur pehan lo………

Riya: [not willing to give up] kabhi nahi……main isi mein teek hoom…..comfortable bhi hoom……fieldwork bhi asaani se hoga…..

Arjun: [mellowing down and turning sideways, breaking the eye lock] fikhar matth karo……aaj hum waise jagah nahi jaayenge……..

Riya: nahi nahi….mujhe koyi fikhar nahi hai……[teasing him] I love this look of mine….

Arjun: par mujhe pasand nahi…..

Riya: [teasing him further] accha jiiiiii….toh aisi baat hai!!……..phir toh main isi dress mein ghoomoongi……[saying this much, she frees herself and walks away giving him a wide sarcastic smile enjoying his discomfort totally….]

Unwilling, yet left without a choice, Arjun joins her in the bus…..

Throughout, she was acting like a free bird out of a cage…….totally ignoring his presence and troubling him to the fullest……….he could do nothing much about it……..his sky rocketed ego prevented him from taking the initiative to bring her closer…It seemed to him like for every step forward in their relationship, they were going 2 steps backwards……He wondered if Rohan was the reason for the new tension between them……..Little did he know that Riya was doing all this purposefully to bring Arjun to the right track……..She was done with her pati-vratha patni role…..now she wanted to turn the tables and try something new…….

They reach the lake and decide to ride on the toy train there…….the train took rounds along the lake side and Riya was all excited about it…….Arjun, being the akdu he is, didn’t like the whole idea as usual…

Riya: aaap aana nahi chahthe, fine…..par main toh jaavungi……[she made her way to the queue]

Arjun:  Riya…Riya……[his calls go into deaf ears….sighs at her childishness and goes towards a waiting bench……..just then he sees a few guys, probably from a college tour group rushing towards the same compartment……..They seem to be overly interested in Riya……eyeing her the whole time and that sight made Arjun furious again] yeh ladki mujhe kabhi chehn ke saas nahi leni degi……ab mujhe uske bodyguard bankhar jaana hoga…….

[As the train starts moving, he rushes and enters it……Riya is already sitting near a window seat and the seat next to her is already occupied…..So, Arjun sits diagonally opposite to her…..She notices him and smirks……”aakhir aap aayi gaye”……..

The guys who were behind her are sitting opposite to her and enjoying the sight before them…..While Riya seems unaware of it and is in a different world enjoying the natural visuals outside…….her hands waving outside and acting like an innocent child……The guys are also passing remarks on her……]

Unfortunately, the comments of the guys aren’t left unheard by Arjun…..

Guy1:  kya piece hai yaar!!! College mein hogi ya school mein??

Guy2: kahaan se bhi ho, usse kya farq padtha hai…..tum bas picture dekho na!!!

Guy3: aur picture bhi kaisa…….hot hot yaar….. [they all hi 5 each other oblivious to the fact that the hot hot picture’s husband is fuming right next to them…….]

Another comment and god only knows what will happen to them……..Arjun bangs his fist on the side seat and keeps glaring at Riya for all that is happening…….

As the train stops, he gets up and grabs Riya’s hands and gestures her to come along quickly….She playfully resists his action……One of the guys voice out “arrey arrey, Whats up dude??? ladki ko chodho!”

Arjun: [balling his fist] biwi hai meri….ab isska matlab samjhe ya samjhaavum??

Riya, not wanting a major fight, immediately interferes…..”guys guys…..chill….he is my husband”

The guys are stunned to hear all this and one of them replies sarcastically “oh okay…[giving both husband and wife a final look]…par aisa lagtha toh nahi…”

Riya grins and drags Arjun out before he breaks their bones……he leaves after glaring at the guys……

Rathod who is standing at the stop notices the whole scene and grins too….He silently walks to Arjun when he is alone………”hota hai bhai…….ab agar patni sundar ho toh yeh sab problems free mein aathi hi hai……par itna gussaa???? Control karo Arjun……bhoolo matth ke tum undercover mission mein ho”

Arjun: pati hoom usski, isiliye gussaa aaya….[Arjun walks off towards Riya leaving behind a stunned yet happy Rathod…..”chalo, aakhir yeh ehsaas toh aagaya!!”]

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Once back in the room……..Arjun keeps glancing at Riya and keeps track of her activities…..Though she can feel his eyes on her, she keeps doing her routines…….She freshens up…..straightens the bed sheets and makes it ready for sleep………arranges the pillows properly……then lights the lamp before the small ganapati idol she had brought with her…….She always takes the idol and the lamp wherever she goes……Arjun watches all this intently…….

After she is done with all this, she turns back to him……reading his mind well, she voices…….”aapko mujhse kuch kehna hai??” she rolls her eyes and looks at him enquiringly….

Arjun: [sarcastically] tumhe aisa kyun lagaa ke mujhe tumse kuch kehna hai???

Riya: agar nahi kehna hai, toh fine…….[shrugs her shoulder and turns away…….but Arjun looks disappointed that she didn’t prolong the conversation….but he is no mood to stop at that]

Arjun: teek kahaa tumne…..mujhe kuch kehna hai……..idhar aavo….

Riya: [just to tease him] but, ab mujhe sunne ka mood nahi hai……

Arjun: [grabs her back….locks her within his hands and corners her to the wall] baaki saare baat keliye mood hai…..par mera baat sunne keliye mood nahi……how dare you Riya?? How dare you cut me out like that???[he thrusts his fist on the wall in anger but ends up hurting himself……] OUCH!!! [the train seat where he banged his fist earlier had a protruding nail and had already hurt him…..now with this, the wound starts bleeding……Riya gets tensed seeing it bleed…..]

Riya: [catching hold of his hand] yeh kya hua???? Kaise??? [though he tries to pull his hand back, she doesn’t leave…..She forces him to sit and does first aid……..He sits there staring at her doing…….] aaap plz, itna gussa matth keejiye……calm down!

Arjun: main gussaa karoom ya na karoom, yeh tum par depend karthi hai Riya.......

Riya: ab maine kya kiya??....[understanding from his stare] acchaaa…..toh aap abhi bhi un ladkon ke baaren mein soch rahe hai………forget it na?? ho jaatha hai kabhi kabhi….

Arjun: [angrily] tumaare saath tho kabhi kabhi nahi…..har baar aisa hi kuch hota hai Riya…..

Riya: [pushing off his bandaged hand away] agar un ladkon ko main shaadi shudha nahi lagi….toh iss mein meri kya galthi hai??

Arjun: tumhi ne unko aise sochne ka maukha diya……waise bhi tumhe bohat mazaa aaya hoga na, unn ladkon ke baatein sun kar……..

Riya: [almost snapping him] haan aaya….aur kyun na aaye??? [muttering under her breath] aakhir koyi toh hai jinne main hot lagthi hoom……[unfortunately for her, he hears it]

Arjun: [pinning her to the chair and coming dangerously close to her that she trembles….] tumhaari problem kya hai Riya???? Main dhoor rahoom toh problem…….paas aane ki khosish kartha hoom toh bhi problem………aakhir chaahthi kya ho tum???? [his furious accusing eyes hurt her more than his fingers boring into her shoulders…….]

Riya: [mind voice: main toh bas aapko hi chahthi hoom sir……..par aap yeh shaayad hi kabhi samajh paayenge] plzz sir…..you are hurting me……just let me go……

Arjun doesn’t move away….but a sudden knock at the door takes away the tensed moment……Riya pushes him away and gets up…….Sonali’s voice fill the room……

Sonali: Riyaaaaaaaaaaa Riyaaaaaaaaaaaaa……..ready ho kya????

Riya: abhi aayi…….bas ek minute…..[she walks away and then speaks out without even looking at him] main aur Sonali shopping pe jaa rahe hai……….agar late ho jaaye toh aap dinner karleejiye….

[As she starts to leave, Arjun calls her back…..]

Arjun: ek minute Riya…..[He walks to the dressing table……picks the mangalsutra and the sindoor box……He comes to her who is obviously surprised………He ties the chain around her neck and also applies the sindoor on the parting…..He kisses her forehead lightly sporting an apologetic look on his face……he realizes that he went overboard and reacted in a bizarre way……] main bhi chaltha hoom tum logon ke saath……

Riya is super excited that he is accompanying them for shopping…….She never expected that he would volunteer like that……..

They come out of the room to see Sameer also ready and standing along with Sonali…….Both Sameer and Arjun, being responsible husbands, turn protective towards their wives………They want to safeguard their dear ones from the dangers lurking there……while the wives are happy that their husbands have taken a sudden liking towards shopping for their sake……

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[Arjun knows that he is getting flared up for the smallest of things but he just cant get a grip of himself…..While Roshni’s memories fill up his heart, Riya doesn’t seem to leave his head either……Riya’s random behavior and attitude confuses him further…and then there is Rohan too who makes life more miserable for him……He is not able to maintain his sanity while Riya is around…….there is an air of insecurity that keeps haunting him always……mainly due to the fact that Riya hasn’t become his in the real sense..........] 

Precap: Rohan enters…..Riya meets Rohan……..

 [To be continued]

Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 53

Days pass by……campus interviews for the final year students are on in full swing…..
By luck, or by Anjali’s prayers or by Sid’s efforts to succeed……Sid gets placed in a top notch IT company…..The moment he knows about the selection, his childish mind pops out….He wants Anjali to know it…he wants her to know that her disappearance from his life has cost him nothing…..Her absence hasn’t made him a loser…..it hasn’t affect him a bit……..SO he searches the entire college for her…….

Sid’s mind voice: woh aaj college hi nahi aayi hogi….she wouldn’t have even known that I had these interviews today……even if she knows, she wouldn’t come…..she must be roaming around with that ROhit….

His wandering thoughts are broken by Aashu’s call…..She comes to him and sits opposite to him……She has a bunch of roses in her hands

Sid: [in a proud arrogant tone] You know, I got selected…..next month join karna hai……Tell your friend also…..even if she isn’t there, my life is going great….
Aashu: [sarcastically] is it???? Feels great to hear that you don’t miss her……[pausing and reading his facial expressions] But my friend does miss you a lot…..even now, she asked me to give these [hands the flowers]……she knew that you would get selected….thats why she bought these flowers…..Have it….[she places the flowers in his hands…..He takes a look at it in disbelief and withdraws his hands from them…….] Sid, just have a look at those flowers and also read the letter she has sent you……She wishes to set everything right between both of you…..Give her a chance to do it…..
Sid: ohhh yeah….whenever I wish for a new beginning and give her a chance, she just walks off breaking my heart again and again……now that she has given me a boquet, should I go and fall at her feet??
Aashu: she didn’t go because she wanted to hurt you…..she went because…[stops since Anjali had asked her not to tell the real reason to him]
Sid: because what???? Because she doesn’t love me…..Right???
Aashu: [decides to break the promise] NO….[she tells him what ever happened in reality…Sid’s anger melts away in seconds after that….He picks up the flowers and kisses it ardently and pulls out the letter quickly….Aashu continues] Don’t let your life wither away due to such silly egoistic reasons……Go and meet her…….

“Sid, I wont apologize..,nor give you any justifications….dont think I am behaving arrogantly…..its not because I don’t want to but because I believe that “sorry” and “thank you” don’t exist anymore in our relationship……
I love you Sid and I truly mean it…..i am not saying this in a drunken state…..poori hosh mein kehthi hoom…..I want to see you as soon as possible……I have a surprise for you…. I am waiting for you at Blue moon resort …….Come soon
Yours and only yours Anjali”

Blue moon resort…..Sid reaches the resort by late evening……He gets to know that Anjali is in the honeymoon cottage near the sea shore…..He runs to her happily…..He knocks the door twice but then barges in when he doesn’t get a reply…..He couldn’t contain his excitement and eagerness to see her……He is pleasantly surprised by the sight he sees inside….The entire cottage is decorated with flowers…..Jasmine and rose…….quite similar to what he did to his room on their wedding night…..Anjali stood in her bridal costume amidst all the decorations…Her head bent down in shyness……She looked like a newly wed bride……She looked beautiful…..To Sid, she looked the most beautiful girl in the world…..He couldn’t stop himself from rushing to her…..He was about to hug her when she stopped him once more….

Sid: [looking at her enquiringly] Now what???
Anjali: wahaan….[she points to a table where a glass of milk is placed…..and then shows a sit out area which has a lovely table with 2 chairs……] fridge mein chocolate icecream hai……Outside, moon is just showing up……lets watch it together…….[she had made sure that everything is perfect like what Sid wanted]
Sid: hey…so u were just acting that day….u weren’t sleeping na???sab kuch drama tha???? [lifts her up in his arms] come come…lets not waste another moment of our precious life…..lets begin it……moreover, If we don’t hurry, you might as well cook up some other reason to fight with me……
[Anjali hits him lightly and encircles her hands around his neck……Sid smiles and carries her to the sit out…..They start on their new journey as husband and wife….of course the journey has ups and downs but their love only had ups and never a down…….]

[THE END]
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[My comments: With this, my story “Is love blind” comes to a logical end……Its not an end but a new beginning in all their lives…...
I sincerely thank all my readers who have supported and helped me build up this story…..Without your appreciation and comments, I would have never had the motivation to complete the story…..
You might be eager to know what happens in the lives of these characters after this point……So 2 special episodes is on the way JUST FOR YOU guys……]

Kismat Connection Part 6

Arjun stood on the sit out……he was still in the aftermaths of whatever happened a little while ago…….Why did he think about Roshni? Why did her face come to his mind at that point? He was in a self analyzing mode……

It wasn’t just attracton or lust that he felt for Riya and he was quite sure about it…it wasn’t a momentary attraction that made him get intimate with her…..but then why wasn’t he able to go ahead?? NO it wasn’t guilt or a feeling of betrayal towards Roshni…..He knew Roshni too well……Roshni would, herself wish that he moves ahead in life…Moving ahead with Riya would only double her joy….Whereever she was, she would be praying for his happiness as she always did…...…

So the feeling of betraying her wasn’t a concern for him……It that was the case, he wouldn’t have, in the first place, married Riya…..

Then what was it?? he didn’t know…..but he had to find out……

What mistake did poor Riya do to get entangled like this in his life??? She only wanted to help him….support him during the worst of times! He knew how hurt Riya would be by this one instance…….but talking about it would only mean poking into her wound further…….

All such random thoughts were running in his mind and he stood there for a long time before he decided to rest the matter for now….and yeah, he would get it all sorted out and get answers to his questions before speaking to Riya……he couldn’t let his stray thoughts confuse her……..

He came into the bedroom and saw her preparing to sleep on the couch…..He was worried by the sudden distance again……all his efforts to close the distance had gone for a toss and everything seemed to be back to square one……No, he wasn’t going to allow that…….or may be start afresh as if nothing ever happened…….

He concealed his inner turmoil and walked to her….”Riya, utto….utto aur bed mein jaakhe so jaao……”

Riya: nahi sir……main yahi teek hoom…….its very comfortable!!!

Arjun: couch kitna comfortable hai, yeh tum mujhe matth bathaao……jo kahaa hai, woh karo!

Riya: aap jaakhe aaraam se so jaahiye……don’t worry about me……

Arjun: ek hi blanket hai aur woh bed pe hai…….yahaan ke thandh tho tum dekh hi chukhae ho……phir bhi siddh, huh??? [when Riya stood expressionless, he decided to give up] well, in that case……okay!!

Arjun went to the bed……as if to show off, pulled the quilt to his side and made himself comfortable…….Riya stood there helplessly and half minded about it……She wanted to get in there too but then she was stubborn……her egoistic mind was taking a upper hand.….how could she go now??? Why didn’t he call her once more??? Why didn’t he force her??? Her stupid heart was aching while her logical side smirked at her heart “get a grip Ri…….tumhe kya lagaa, ke woh tumhe baahom mein uttaake le jaayega…..for god’s sake, wake up from ur dreams! Ussne tumhe ek baar bulaaya tha na??? kyun nahi gayi??? Ab bhi jaa sakthi ho…..chup chaap jaao, aur aaraam se so jaavo!! Warna kal subah tak freezer se nikhli hui lagogi…”

But she opted against it…….She pulled her jacket and shawl tightly and lay on the couch…….hugging herself and all curled up……the shawl was too short for her…..if she covered her head, her legs were out and the vice versa……..

Her restlessness was well noticed by him but he didn’t call her……he knew that if he called her, her adamance would top up…She would say NO just to disobey him….her, otherwise subtle stubborn attitude wasn’t hidden from him..…it was better to leave her alone for a while……he felt that she would come to the bed when it becomes totally unbearable……

He smiled at her once more and pulled the quilt over his head…….

But she wasn’t giving up so easily….she got up from there…she wrapped the shawl tightly……instead of the bed, she walked to the fireplace in the hall way…..to her relief, there was a small flame still….she just added few more logs and sat there head rested againt the rim…….Anyways, sleep was evading her……so she thought she will while away the time there……the flame, the fire brought with it memories of her passionate encounter with him……all the scenes came running into her mind and started playing in a loop…..suddenly a voice spoke up “bura laga na??”

It was Roshni……Lost in her thoughts, she said “bohat bura laga!” but then immediately she snapped out and added “tum, yahaan..”

Roshni: haan main…..kyun??....shaayad tum bhool rahi ho ke main sab jahaan aa sakthi hoom…..[she winks at her while Riya rolls her eyes……sensing her dilema] don’t worry…….main tumaare bed room mein nahi gussoongi!!

Riya: [a little frustrated with the whole evening’s events] haan haaan…..jaanthi hoom……wahaan kuch dekhne layak hoga toh hi aavogi na??

Roshni: ohhhh my baby……itne maayooz bhi matth ho……Arjun ne tumaari jagah mere naam bola, isiliye gussaa ho na??

Riya: aisa nahi hai……..i am not jealous or feeling insecure…….you know I can never feel that way for you and Arjun…….its just that…..[hesitantly]thoda low feel kar rahi hoom….I hope you understand!

Roshni: hmmmmm…….i understand…….thoda waqt dho usse…..woh sambhal jaayega……tumhaare paas zaroor aayega!

Riya: meri saari zindagi dhe sakthi hoom Roshni……par……[dragging it a bit] kuch nahi ho saktha……bohat pyar kartha hai tumse…[hesitantly]…You shouldn’t have left him………[tears brim in her eyes……Roshni has tears too]

Roshni: hmmmmm…..I am the most unfortunate wife in the whole world…….itna accha pati ko chodh kar jaana padaaa…….[brushing away that disappointed tone and sporting an encouraging smile] but as they say, everything happens for something good….there is a hidden cause for everything………shaayad, iss janam mein meraa aur Arjun ka saath yahi tak tha…….aur kismat se tum hi judi ho uske saat!!! Poore zindagi ke liye…….tum dono ke kismat connected hai baby……..nobody can change that…….not even Arjun!

Riya: [seeing her smile] tum itni khush kaise reh sakthi ho???

Roshni: main usse pyar karthi hoom Riya….aur apne pyar ko khush dekhna hi sabse badi baat hai…….aur main acche se jaanthi hoom ke Arjun tumhaare saath hi khush rahega……tum hi ho jo usse har uss khushi deh sakthi ho jo maine dena chaaha……..tum uske saath ho, toh main bhi khush hoom…….

Riya: [smiling at her logic and suddenly a strange question crops in her mind]  hey Roshni, tum toh sab kuch jaanthi ho na??? kaho na, kya Arjun mujhe pyar karega??? Ya phir main saari life uske intezaar mein rahoongi…..waise mujhe koyi problem nahi ha….par phir bhi……[smiles childishly at her]

Roshni: [sighing] novels ki last page pehle hi padhne ki aadat abhi tak hai na???? tum kabhi nahi badhlogi…….….abhi bhi waisi ki waisi hi ho…….Riya darling, yeh koyi novel ya book nahi hai…..zindagi hai…..aur zindagi ka asli mazaa uski unpredictability pe hi hai…….agar tum aane waale kal ke baare mein jaan gayi toh sab kuch boring lagega……

Riya: [laughing] tum bhi kabhi nahi badhlogi…..humesha aise philosophies keh kar mujhe advice karthi thi…..aaj bhi wahi haal hai…..[glaring at her like a child denied of chocolates]....jaao jaao mujhe aur pakaao matth…..

Kisse baat kar rahi ho???? That voice shook Riya up…….She saw that Roshni had left…….It was Arjun…..

Arjun had been checking every now and then if Riya slept……..After about an hour, when he lowered his blanket and raised his head lightly to check, he saw the couch empty……he wondered where she went………that’s when he heard her low voice coming from the hall…….He immediately walked there to check……He didn’t hear the conversation…..except for the last line she said……..” jaao jaao mujhe aur pakaao matth….” And then her cute laugh…..

Riya looked up to him and started replying “woh RO…….” Stopped midway realizing what she was about to say…….and then completed it as “ROHAN!” [Luckily her phone was in her jacket….she sliped her hand and picked it up before Arjun saw…..and posed as if she was on the phone talking to Rohan]

Arjun: [raising his eyebrow and scrutinizing his eyes on her as he does whenever he works on getting small clues for his cases] ROHAN kaun?? Aur itni raat ko?? [it was almost 12:30] sab teek hai na??

Riya: [by now she gets up and stands answering all his queries like a thief caught while stealing] haan haan sab teek hai…….Rohan meri friend hai…….i mean close friend hai…….woh London mein hai…..wahaan ab shaam hi hoga na???So…..[he snapped her]

Arjun: [angry] so what??? Yahaan toh raat hai na??? itni raat ko tumhe call karke kaise disturb kar saktha hai??? Tameez naam ke koyi cheez hoti hai na???

Riya: [slightly annoyed at his flaring up] Sir plz……woh mera bohat khaas dhost hai…..uske baare mein aisa bura matth boliye……we were talking with each other after a very very long gap……so it just happened that we didn’t realize the time……I mean, aksar dhoston se baat karthe karthe samay ke pathaa hi nahi chaltha na???…[when he remains silent and stares at her…she added] happens sometimes na??? [she grumbles in a low voice: koyi dhost hota, toh aap ko patha chaltha…..]

Arjun: kya??? Kya kahaa tumne???

Riya: kuch nahi…..aap jaahiye…….

Arjun was not in a mood to fight back….he walked back to his bed…all the while thinking about this new guy in their life……..Who was this Rohan?? Riya had never mentioned about this guy before?? The words “close friend”, “khaas dhost” were continuously echoing in his ears…it irked him too much…..the enthusiasm with which Riya was defending him was poking him deep somewhere…….it was not that he suspected her but somehow, he couldn’t bear her close bond with some other guy……even if it was just plain friendship, it hurt…….

Meanwhile, Riya was more upset now….upset with herself!……..ROHAN wasn’t a slip of her tongue or a name that just came out in place of Roshni……He existed……yes he was her best friend after Roshni……their friendship was different and unique…….Unique in the sense that they havent met so far……..yes, it was only through chats and emails and at times over phone, that they knew each other……Though she informed him about her closing down everything in the US and moving to Mumbai, she hadn’t contacted him in the last few months……..He would be definitely, desperately trying to contact her……..She also changed her phone number when she joined ETF…….and she totally forgot about Rohan……..She never sent him her latest details

More about Rohan……He was a few years senior to her in the same university……So they didn’t know personally…….…….After his PHD, he left US and settled in London to pursue his research work………through a common friend, she got introduced to him as she needed assistance in her projects…….the, initially formal interactions soon transformed to friendship and then even deeper one…….but it was just friendship…..nothing more atleast for Riya…….

Rohan’s point of view was slightly different…Riya had made her impact deeply in him…..at some point, he wished to take it to the next level and was contemplating a plan for that……He was keen on meeting her during the summer break and propose to her….she knew that he wanted to meet her but she was unaware of his hidden agenda…….So, she was excited to meet him as well……....

That was when Roshni’s death came shattering Riya totally……..She took days….almost a month to recover from the sudden shock………..after that she made up her mind to come back to Mumbai……..Somehow, she felt that it was her duty, her responsibility to help Arjun recover from Roshni’s death………she felt Roshni wanted her to do it………..she felt that Roshni wouldn’t rest in peace if Arjun was left alone….the initial sympathy she felt when she saw Arjun’s state gradually made way for respect for the brilliant cop in him, then for the good human being in him…….then very suddenly, she realized that she was in love with him deeply, madly…..it was shocking for her as well but then she had hopelessly fallen for him…it was too late to return back…..….So trudging through all the odds, she finally made it to this day when she was Mrs Riya Rawte……though she wasn’t fully so….atleast she was with him and deep down, she realized that Arjun was trying to come back to life…….She also knew that she was the reason for his smiles these days…….that thought was rewarding……for all the pains and sacrifices she endured,  she felt she was gradually getting the reward!

But now how do I explain to ROHAN? Rohan had been her punch bag….her personal diary, her what not….she used to tell him everything that happened in her life….though separated by distance, they were great friends and shared the same wavelength……..and she owed him an apology……an apology for disappearing just like that…..she knew that her fb account and her yahoo id must have been flooded with his mails and messages…….it had been ages since she checked all that……She was just too caught up with ETF and Arjun, that she almost forgot that world of her……she felt guilty……..…..she decided that she would try and contact him the very next day……..

She went back to the couch and tried to get some sleep ……

Next morning…….Arjun rose early……He saw Riya still on the couch all wrapped up like a bundle………He smiled weakly at her state……She was in a very uneasy posture but yet deep in sleep……..She didn’t even know when he reached near her, took her in his arms and lay her on to the bed……She just curled up again into the comfort of the soft bed and the big quilt……….He covered her up well……kissed her forehead lightly and then left for his morning jog……

As he jogged around the lawn, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him……”hello…..gud morning”

He turned and saw that it was the old woman who was in his adjacent seat…….he replied back with a warm smile “gud morning aunty”

“how is your wife???”

He replied as he jogged forward “ohh she is fine aunty…….sleeping!”

Ok ok……bye……bye….. [she bid bye and waved at him pleasantly]

He smiled at her concern and then jogged back to the room…his lime juice was ready on the table……….but his dutiful wife was missing……..he was surprised that she had woken up so soon……He had expected her to sleep till he pulled her out of the bed especially after such a disturbed sleep………This girl always proves my expectations wrong…..he smirked and took out his razor to shave……..while he was at it, he saw her coming from the front door……He was surprised again……he had assumed her to be in the washroom……he doesn’t ask anything….just looks at her enquiringly as if demanding a reply……She understands and replies “main shree ke room mein thi…….ek mail bejhna tha…”…..

when his look scrutinizes her for more explanation……she continues “Rohan ko”

Arjun: [stops the shave and looks at her] kal raat phone aur ab subah subah mail……[it was dripping in sarcasm……he didn’t look at her for any more replies……..she also sensed it and just walked into the wash room to get dressed……]

Riya’s mind voice: kitna sadu hai……ufffffffff aur attitude dekho!!! Ghar bhi ETF office jaisa banaa diya……orders dehtha hai…..dinner khaalo…..ab so jaao…….[thinking of more orders he gave] kapdhe badhlo………ab meri friends ko bhi uski permission lekhar milna hoga kya???

[but the very next second, her anger melted away…….”isi attitude ke wajeh se main tumaari deewani hoom Rawte……baakhiyon ko samjhaake phirthe ho…..par tum kab yeh simple baat samjhoge!!!”………]

She blushed and started writing on the mist formed on the mirror…….” I love you!” then all of a sudden rubbed it off when she heard him shout “Zaara din wahi rukhne ke iraadha hai kya????  Nikhlo baahar“

She turned to the door and muttered “another order….ufffffffffff….tum toh mujhe maar hi dhaaloge!” and then shouted back “bas paanch minute....” she came out after about 15 minutes and Arjun stares meaning “toh yeh tha tumaara paanch minute”  as she got out……..Arjun hurried in for his bath while Riya started dressing up…..She quickly changed to a light blue salwar suit…….it had a long flowing wavy top with beed work done all over……the long dupatta only added to its richness!

By the time, he came out wiping his hair, she was almost ready in her traditional get up…….With the sindoor, the chudas, the jhumkas…..she looked divine…….above all, adding to his misery, she looked utterly irresistible….He tried not to stare at her as much as possible…….She was standing before the mirror and doing some final touches to her already done make up……..she looked as if dressed to kill…….and she was already successful in it……He came near the mirror to take his comb……for a moment his cologne and her shower gel fragrance mingled and they refrained from moving away……their eyes locked for a moment……….”aitchoooooooooooo” she sneezed…….that shuddered both and they moved away not allowing their passions to take over……both say at the same time……”pehle aap”…..”pehle tum”………they stop and smile sheepishly…….She says….”I am ready……aap ready ho jaahiye……aitchoooooooo”……she sneezes again…..”tumhe zardi hogayi hai…….kal raat ke wajeh se hi hoga………meri baat maan li hoti toh aisi haalat nahi hoti!!!”

“zara si zardi hai……kuch medicine le loongi……teek ho jaayega!!!” saying this much she walks away into the hall leaving him behind…….He suddenly remembers something and his hands urge to drag her into his arms and give her the much needed relief from the cold….…….He snaps out of the look and smacks himself “abh abhi ek encounter se nikhle ho……usse sambaalne dho…aur khud bhi sambaal lo…”

He smirked and got ready…….

They both get out in style like husband and wife…hand in hand…..much to the surprise of the team……

Lafzon se jo tha pareh Khaali pann ko jo bhare
Kuch toh tha tere mere darmiyaan
Rishte ko kya modh doon Naata yeh ab todh doon
Ya phir yunhi chodh doon, darmiyaan
Benaam rishta woh…Benaam rishta woh, bechain karta jo
Ho na sake jo beyaan, darmiyaan, darmiyaan darmiyaan darmiyaan

Riya instantly hit off well with the ladies of the group…….before the bus arrived at the resort to pick up the guests, she was continuously chit-chatting with the group……Arjun clenched his jaws many times….his wife seemed to ignore his presence completely….though she looked at him a few times, she didn’t make any effort to ease the frown on his face….”humesha bak bak……kabhi takthi nahi!!!”.…

In between he also saw Shree walking up to her and both having a private animated talk……He didn’t understand what it was all about……Riya was having a tough time explaining something to Shree……but kya?? He wondered……

Then he saw Shree leaving her giving up the argument……..She joined the ladies group again……Left with no choice, Arjun decided to call her back…..”Riyaaaa…”  He had been doing this for a while now……She going away and ignoring him and he having to call her back like a despo husband…….He hated doing it but she left him with no choice……

Riya: abhi aayi ji….[she replied politely in the typical wife language….the last addition “ji” made 4 heads turn to that direction…….Rathod was the first to turn….then Shree and Chotu……Arjun was confused if he heard it right…..]

Riya smiled cutely as she walked back to his side….”kya hai Arjun ji…..aapne humhe kyun bulaaya???”

She herself was amused by it and found it very funny…..Arjun looked at her with “WTH” look “WHAT???” are you upto some new drama Riya?? Yeh ji ji kya lagaa rakha hai??

Riya: arrey nahi ji……unn aunties ko lagtha hai ke mujhe apne pati ko thodi aur respect dena chahiye…….[she blew her hair frills in anger and continued] bullshit!! But karna padega….warna meri image ka kya hoga???

Arjun: IMAGE??? For gods sake Riya, hum yahaan case solve karne aaye hai….[looking to the other side] tumaari image banaane nahi…..samjhi ya samjhaavum?

Riya: bohat hogaya aapka samjhaana……thodi main bhi samjhaavum……[he turned back glaring at her but she continued].aakadon ke isaab se aise cases mein, aam casual talk karna zaroori hota hai……choti si choti clue crucial ho jaatha hai…..

Arjun: [hands on his hips and in an interested tone] iska matlab tumhe kuch clue mili hai……bolo….kya hai??

Riya: [deciding to play with him a bit…..smiling sweetly] bathaathi hoom….par aise nahi… ek sweet smile ke saath poochiye…..

Arjun: blackmail, huh?? Tum ACP Arjun Rawte ko challenge kar rahe ho!!

Riya: arrey arrey, iss mein itna gussaa karne waali kya baat hai……ab hum pati patni ke roles kar rahe hai……tho aise akdu mooh banaakar baatein karthe rahe tho baaaki log kya sochenge……isiliye, ek pyari si smile ke saath baat keejiye na Arjun jiiiiiii

Arjun: [that brings a small smirk on his face] waise, Riya….hum pati patni ka roles nahi, sach mein pati patni hain…..

Riya: [sarcastically] aapko yaad hai??…..thank god……

Lafzon se jo tha pare
Khaalipan ko jo bhare
Kuchh tto tha tere mere darmiyaan
Rishte ko kya mod doon
Naata yeh abb tod doon
Ya phir yun hi chhod doon, darmiyaan
Benaam rishta woh...
Benaam rishta woh, bechain karta jo
Ho naa.. sake jo bayaan, darmiyaan
Darmiyaan Darmiyan Darmeyaan Darmeyan
Kuchh tto tha tere-mere darmiyaan
Haaye Darmiyaan Darmiyan Darmeyaan Darmeyan
Kuchh tto tha tere-mere darmiyaan
Oh its a special feeling
These moments between us
How will I live without you 

Both share a romantic moment and an eye lock before he snaps out…….

Arjun: [smiling] ab bolo….kya clue hai??

Riya: Sir, iss tour group mein almost saare members ek doosre ko acche se jaanthe hai…….dho logon ko chodh ke………..woh dho log, iss trip shuru hone ke 10 mins ke pehle hi register kiya……I mean, already bookings thaa, par last minute mein cancel hogaya…..aur usi tickets mein yeh dho naye log join hua hai……one Mr Raj Shikhawat and another Mr Salil…..

Arjun: [doubtfully but still with a smile plastered on his face]iss mein ajeeb kya hai?? I mean, last minute planning karli hogi…..

Riya: pathaa nahi, par kuch toh choot rahaa hai, Rawte…..[after saying this, she turns to him with a childish smile, he also looks at her astonished……She tries to escape from there]

Arjun: mera hi nakkal….huh?? [grabs her hand and pulls her to stop her from escaping…..She turns with a jerk, bounces onto him…..Shree who is witnessing all this, clicks a romantic picture of both….] the moment breaks when the bus horns as it nears them…..

They get into the bus and have a silent romantic trance…….all the cute moments running across both minds……Subconsciously, their hands entwine at some point during the bus journey…….”kyun? kab??kaise?” none of that bothered them at that moment…everything could wait!….they were together at that moment and that was just what mattered……….they just sit back leaving all other thoughts to rest…..

Aankhon mein tere saaye
Chahoon tto ho na paaye
Yaado'n se teri faasla haye
Jaake bhi tu na jaaye
Thehri tu dil mein haaye
Hasrat si banke kyun bhala
Kyun yaad karta hoon
Mit.ta hoon banta hoon
Mujhko tto laayi yeh kahaan
Benaam rishta woh...
Benaam rishta woh, bechain karta jo
Ho na sake jo bayaan darmiyaan
Darmiyaan Darmiyan Darmeyaan Darmeyan
Kuch toh tha tere mere darmiyaan
Haaye.. Darmeyaan Darmiyan Darmiyaan Darmeyan
Kuchh toh tha tere mere darmiyaan

Hard for us to say
It was so hard for us to say
Can't close a day by day
But Then the world's got me in way

The first stop for the bus is at botanical garden…….

As the investigative streak in him triggers off, he forgets the husband role and walks ahead of Riya trying to explore the place……Riya too pretends that she isn’t affected and gets busy clicking away pictures of the beautiful place……..Suddenly, a prank crawls up into her brain….”SHREEEEEEE…” she shouts out to shree………Arjun turns back to her and listens to what her demand is…….

“Shreee, click some photos of mine, na???? its such a beautiful place……iss trip ka ek badaa album banaavungi”

Shree jumps at the thought and agrees to take photos while Arjun fumes and comes to her instantly…….

Arjun: [annoyed] yeh photos ka shauk kab se lagaa??

Riya: aaj se……bal ke abhi se…….kya pathaa, hum yahaan phir kabhi aayenge ya nahi?? Isiliye inn saare yaadon ko samaet kar rakhna chahthi hoom……hmmmm ek aur wajeh hai….secret hai…[goes near his ears and in a hushed up tone] …photo click karne ke bahaane iss poori jagah cover kar sakthe hai…..kisi ko koyi shak nahi hoga……

[Shree is silent and watching the scene with interest trying to collect bit and pieces which has a scope for teasing RIya later]

Arjun: [her lips slightly brushes his face as she said that causing him to shy away suddenly] kabhi kabhi smart batein bhi kar lethi ho…… agar pictures lena tha toh mujhse keh sakthi thi……Shree ko kyun bulaaya??? Camera dho mujhe! [turning to Shree]Shree, tum jaao….

Riya: parr……

Arjun: par kya?? Mere wife ka photo koyi aur keechae toh woh ajeeb nahi lagega kya???

Riya: ek minute Shree, ab tum aayi gaye ho, mera aur Arjun ji ka kuch photos click kar ke jaana…..[grins widely at both the guys who look stunned at her sudden request]

Shree: [shrugging his shoulder] okay!!!

Arjun doesn’t protest as he knows Riya will win anyway….

Both pose together for the photos……Shree keeps clicking away their romantic moments…….Riya has strange ideas….she runs and climbs a bent down tree and wishes to be clicked……Arjun is annoyed on one side but also grins at her weird wish……..”tum kya pichelae janam mein bandhariya thi??? Uthro neechae……”

Riya: nahi….take a photo Shree…..[she stands there for a pose, Shree smiles at her before clicking……Arjun is still annoyed and keeps calling her down]

Arjun: sambaalke Riya….. gir jaavogi……

Riya: [grinning widely at him] aap bhi aa jaahiye…..saath mein ek photo ho jaaye…..

She starts insisting that she wont get down till he comes up and poses with her……

He climbs up and catches hold of her waist when she jerks backwards suddenly……their eyes lock for a few moments…..Shree gulps…….and rolls his eyes at their romantic gestures……he thinks to himself….”aaj tho chotu ke kaan pakh jaayega……arrey kitnaa kissae sunaanae hai!!!”

Shree: [mutters under his breath] waaaah kya scene hai!!! [clicks all the poses with a naughty smile on her face] Yeh special photo main tumhe frame kar ke gift karoonga Riya!!!

Arjun climbs down carefully and then helps her get down…..

After that, Arjun and Riya part from the rest of the group for their part of the investigation……..

An unidentified body was found almost a week back in the less crowded forest area….So Arjun sets out to explore that area further……

Again the tough cop in him is out on the prowl and Riya is having a great problem keeping up with him…… Her dress doesn’t give her the much needed freedom….the dupatta and the flowy top keeps getting caught onto every bush or thorn on the path……..And she spends most of the time trying to disentangle it……

He literally sprints through the densely forested area and every 5 minutes, turns back to check if Riya is behind him…….In some places, he literally drags her along……….

Arjun loses patience and sarcastically comments “insaan ko wahi pehnna chahiye jisme woh comfortable hai……” and he just pulls out the dupatta which almost tears into 2 pieces………with it, breaks Riya’s heart too….it was one of her favorite dresses……expensive too……She starts sobbing as she trodes along the path, following him closely……”mujhe kya patha tha ke aisa hoga humaara honeymoon!!” she just mutters out in her frustration…..but nothing escapes our hero’s ears…….he turns back furiously, pins her to the nearest tree and looks into her eyes “toh tum bolo kaise hona chahiye tha??”

She shivers at his sudden proximity and his unexpected behavior but then one look at his face and his deep eyes makes her blush…..which eventually snaps him out………He regrets his action and frees her……She tries to save the situation “mera matlab hai ke…maine socha……[she stammers and searches for words…..]

He retorted in a mellowed tone “Rehne dho….main samajh gaya...chalo, kuch kaam kar lethe hai!” he made up for the awkward moment and continued his search………

They get some clues from the place…….some blood spots on a nearby bush which seemed to have been ignored by the local police!

On the way back, Arjun gets an intuition that they are being followed and have to be extra cautious……He tries to act very normal and puts his hand around RIya’s shoulder and keeps her close to him just to make it look like 2 love birds having some romantic private time away from the maddening tourist spots…..When he grabs her closer, she doesn’t understand it but he then whispers into her ears making her tremble again….” ab aise hi mere saath saath chalna………[pausing] yahaan kuch toh gadbad hai!.......”

She is a bit scared and obeys as he says…..

They return back to the spot where they join the bus…….And then back to the resort….Its almost dinner time….so they directly have a quick dinner and then come back to their room…….

He calls Rathod and tells him about the new discoveries “hum kal subah milkhar detailed mein baat karenge Sameer…..nahi room mein nahi……iss resort ke gym kaaali hi rehtha hai….wahaan pe milthe hai…..haan…teek hai 6 baje…..” Riya heard him speaking to Rathod sir…..Tonight, she didn’t have the determination to spoil the night’s sleep….She was damn tired and the uncomfortable posture on the couch would take its toll on her……So she didn’t wait for anything…she just changed into her night dress and crashed onto her side of the bed pulling onto her a major portion of the quilt…..

He smirks as he sees her on the bed……She is all cuddled up and turns to the other side as soon as he takes his place on the bed……”kya baat hai Riya….aaj koyi nautanki nahi karogi???” he sarcastically commented as he pulled his share of the quilt……She chooses to remain quiet posing to have slept already……He turns around seeing her silent response.....He peeps over her to see her eyes shut tightly……He smiles at her cute innocent face and caresses her hair “good night Riya” …before returning back to his place……

As the night deepens, there is literally a tug of war…they toss restlessly on their sides of the bed, pulling the quilt more and more to each other’s side……At one point, both toss up and turn to each other almost onto each others arms…They remain locked in each others arms for a moment…….but her phone rings and ruin the moment…….she pulls back herself from his arms and gets up to pick the call ……he is embarrassed and moves away tooo……”damn!” he was cursing the caller within his mind and that actually surprised him…….

Riya walked to the hall with the phone…”hello…”  The very next moment she screamed “ROHANNNNNN”

That was enough reason to irk Arjun……he sharpened his ears to know it further…….from her replies, one could guess what were the questions from the other side……….

“how are you???? meeeee….i am fine…….u tell me….how are you????? hey I already said hundred sorries…………I know yaar, I hurted you……I kept you waiting………..but plzzzz……[then she was silently nodding to the phone]………yeah I have a surprise……no no…..thats not done……I cant break the suspense now…….[then she kept silent for a few moments and then screamed again] WHAT????? You are coming to India?????? Really???? I cant believe this yaar……WHEN???? Oh ok….. I will wait for your surprise too………..you break your surprise only when I break mine…. that’s a deal!!!....then tell me…..” but before he could say something, Riya found her phone being snatched away……and switched it off…….

“That’s enough for the day!…….chup chaap so jaavo”….having said that, Arjun walked away casually……

Though Riya was sad that she couldn’t continue her chit chat with her long time friend, somewhere deep down, she sensed jealousy in Arjun and that made her happy…….She smacked herself for being so crazily in love with Arjun……”ekdam Akdu hai….par phir bhi kitna cute hai!!!”

[To be continued]