Chapter 25

Part 25 [NOCOPY] 

She smiles seeing his excitement. Riya starts opening the parcel. It felt like some sort of box. She kept the wrapping paper on the side and opened the box…………………….

A wooden plank cushioned with thermocol stared back at her. She gasped seeing their names on it. ‘Riya & Arjun’ was embossed on it, in cursive.

Arjun: name plate….pasand aaya?

Riya throws her arms around him, making him stumble.

Riya: I love you

Arjun kisses her forehead: I love you too

She looks at him: thank you…so much, main…

Arjun: Riya please nahi, finally tumhare thank you’s ka quota kam hua hai, firse mat badao

Riya: thank you

Arjun: Riya!

She giggles. He shakes his head.

Arjun: tum na kabhi nahi sudhrogi (Riya smiles mischievously) please bhaari joke mat maarna (she frowns making him chuckle) paagal ho tum pata hai?

Riya: thoda

Arjun (pulling her closer) acha? Sirf thoda?

Riya blushed: ha

Arjun caressed her cheek: main bhi hun…par thoda nahi (leaning) bahot zyaada…tumhare pyaar mein

He kisses her softly. She melts further into his arms as they imprint the memory in their hearts. He rests his forehead on hers as they break away. Riya blushed red. The intensity in his gaze made her more shy. She tries to move away but he pulls her back, hugging her from behind.

Arjun whispers in her ear: bhaag kar kaha jaogi jaan? Ye NGO nahi humara ghar hai

Her heart leaps hearing the words. She closed her eyes trying to calm her uneven breath. Riya feels his lips on her shoulder.

She turns abruptly, hiding in his chest: Arjun!

He smiles(placing a palm on her cheek): aankhein kholo na

She looks up and immediately looks away nodding negatively. He lifts her chin making her look at him. She turned into a shade of red that he didn’t even know existed. Her hand clenches his shirt as he leans in again. Their lips had barely brushed against each other when a shrill sound made them jump.

Arjun: what the…(checking his phone) is kamine ke paas koi kaam nahi kya?

Riya (trying to compose herself): kaam ho…

Arjun rejected the call and threw the phone on the sofa: koi kaam nahi hai uske paas

He pulled her again and was about to kiss her when the ringtone disturb them again. She raises her eyebrow, ‘I told you’. Arjun groans and curses Rathore as he leaves her.

Arjun: Kya Hai?!?!

She observes his expression turn from irritation to stone cold as he listens.

Arjun: toh main kya karu?... Nahi!!....I said NO!! Unhe Jo Karna Hai Karne De, Mujhe Koi Farak Nahi Padta!!

He angrily disconnects the call. His fists ball in fury as it ran through his veins. Suddenly, he felt soft fingers around his palm. He looks upto to a concerned Riya.

Riya: sab theek haina?

Arjun ran a hand through his hair as he exhaled deeply. He contemplated whether to tell her or not. She waited patiently for his answer. He sighs.

Arjun: Mr. Rawte ko heart attack aaya hai

Riya: what?!?

Arjun: Armaan office gaya tha kyunki main unke phone nahi receive kar raha, (he scoffed) apparently woh behoshi mein mera naam le rahe hai….huh! (shaking his head) khair! Tum us sab ke baare mein…

Riya: Arjun tumhe jaana chahiye

Arjun: What?!?

Riya: you heard me well

Arjun: Riya tum paagal ho gayi ho?

Riya: Arjun he needs you, tum na bhi maano toh bhi woh tumhare pita hai, woh hospital mein hai…come on

Arjun: So What?? He brought it upon himself! MAINE NAHI KAHA THA UNSE KI JAAKAR KISI LADKI KA…(he controls his words) Riya! Main Nahi Jaanewaala! That’s it!

Riya: unke liye na sahi, apni maa ke liye

Arjun: maa? Woh bhi usi din ajnabi ban gayi thi jab unke liye Meri Khushi Se Zyaada Apne Gunehgaar Pati Ki Fikar Thi! Mujhe force mat karo Riya!...aur tum! Tum mujhe waha jaane ke kaise keh sakti ho? After Everything He’s Done To You?!!? Saalon tak woh tumhara shoshan karte rahe aur tum ho ki…

Riya: kyunki main maanti hun ki mere andar insaaniyat hai aur, woh ache pita bhale na ho, toh bhi, tum toh unke ache bete ho na?

He stared at her dumbfounded. He looked away gritting his teeth.

Arjun: theek hai! tum chahti ho ki main jau toh main jaunga (she had barely smiled when) lekin meri ek shart hai

Riya: kaisi shart?

Arjun: tum mere saath chalogi

Riya: kya?!!?

Arjun crosses his arms: ha!

She stared at him in disbelief. He looked back determinedly. Arjun knew this was the only way to make her deter. He knew she wouldn’t face it all again. Riya understood too. She knew why he was doing it. He was trying to use fear as his last resort.

Riya mv “Arjun ye mera dar nahi raha, ye tumhara dar hai….ki kahi tum kamzor na pad jao.”

Riya: mujhe manzoor hai

A lightning bolt strikes him. How the hell did she agree?

Riya: chale?

Arjun snaps out of his stupor: huh?....h…ha

He clears his throat and reaches for the jug of water. He had no other option now. He chugs down an entire glass in one go. He somehow manages to compose himself. They leave for the hospital.

City Hospital-

Armaan and Shweta were outside the ICU. Armaan’s unsuccessful trip to the ETF office had only added to her angst. However, neither of them had any option except wait. She was praying continuously while he walked up and down.

Armaan was conflicted ever since the engagement. He couldn’t believe his father could do such a thing. He couldn’t fathom that his mother was still supporting it. His brother had completely cut off ties, crushing him further. He didn’t know whether to follow him or stay to fulfil his duty as a son. In all the chaos and confusion, he had somehow ended up in the latter.

His gaze fell on Arjun and Riya coming through the corridor: Bhai!!!

Shweta looks up: Arjun!! (standing up) Arjun tum aa…

She attempts to hug him but he steps away. Her heart crushed under the weight of his ignorance. Her gaze falters to Riya standing a few steps away reigniting her anger.

Arjun addresses Armaan: kaha hai woh?

Armaan collects himself: ICU mein

He nods and goes to the door. He was about to open it but hesitates. Taking a deep breath, he pushes it open and enters. He’d rather get done with it and leave.

Suryakant was lying on the bed attached to a saline and few machines. Arjun had never thought he would ever see him in such a condition. His thought breaks when he hears murmurs. For a second, his mind moves back to the bitter memories. He loathes himself for even being there. He somehow manages to control himself. Arjun sits on the stool beside the bed.

Suryakant: Ar……ju…..Ar….j…

He was not in complete consciousness. The effects of the operation’s anaesthesia hadn’t worn off.

Arjun: Mr. Raw….(sighing) yahi hun main

His eyes crack open on hearing his voice. His hand trembles as he tries to pick it up. A blurred vision of his son was the only thing his brain could register. 

Suryakant: Ar….jun….

Arjun: ha?

His hand tries to hold his. Seeing it shiver uncontrollably, Arjun reluctantly holds it.

Suryakant: be…ta, tum…aa gaye…(he doesn’t respond) main…kabse…tum…tumhara, intez…zaar kar…kar raha tha…Arjun…tumhe…tumhe pata…nahi par, main…hume…humesha…tum tumhare…case dekh…ta tha…. bah…. Bahot garv hota…..tha…par, kya kar karta….ego nahi…nahi chod p, aaya….nahi, pata….tha ki…ki ek din…usi bete ke…ke nazar mein….guneh…..gaar ban jau…(his breaths become laboured) jaunga…ho…ho sake toh…mujhe, mujhe maaf…kar…

Arjun panics hearing the machine beep frantically: DOCTOR!!! DOCTOR!!!!!!

Suryakant grips his hand tighter when he tries to leave:….maaf….kar…dena…

The Doctor and Nurse rush in with Armaan and Shweta in tow.

Shweta: Suryakant!

Armaan: Dad!

The Doctor starts tending to him immediately. Arjun just stares at him as his difficulty increases. His left side clenched again. The ECG was getting weaker by the second. Arjun was confused with everything going on. The words of Suryakant were ringing in his ear. He was jerked out of it when a long beep stunned the people in the room. The hand in his grip limped. He stares at it.

Shweta: Surya!!

The nurse switches on the defibrillator. The doctor administers shock rhythmically but to no avail.

The doctor sighs apologetically: I am sorry, the stroke was fatal.

Shweta collapses on the bed crying bitterly. Tears flew out of Armaan’s eyes as he tries to comfort her. Arjun goes out of the room mechanically.

Riya was sitting on the bench. She looks up at the sound of the door opening. He collapses on the seat next to her, still in a frenzy. She look at him worriedly. He pinches the bridge of his nose trying to comprehend what all just happened.

Arjun turned abruptly to her: he’s dead (she is shocked) he just…unhe firse stroke aaya? (he looks away again, rubbing his temple) woh maafi maang rahe the? I …. Mujhe kuch samaj nahi aa raha…he’s actually dead? Par…unhe, unhe koi problem nahi thi Riya, woh bilcul healthy the, fir heart attack? Woh…

He sighs to make sense of all the firing going on his head.

Riya: Arjun?

Arjun(distressed): main…main kya….mere kuch samaj mein nahi aa raha Riya, kya ho raha hai Riya? tum…main…

She holds his hand: agar tum nahi aate (he looks to her) toh kya tum khud ko maaf kar paate Arjun?

Moisture envelopes his eyes as he lowers his gaze, ashamed at himself. Whether he had refused to come, that’s why? Or whether he was still feeling for his father after everything, that’s why? He did not know.

Riya eased his dilemma: the world isn’t black and white Arjun, it’s grey….aur yahi reality hai

He nodded as a tear escaped his eye. She held his shoulder in comfort.

Arjun(softly): thank you!

She tightens the grip on his hand as she silently consoled him. He buries his face in her shoulder to take comfort…………………….