Chapter 12

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 12 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

The team stares at her in horror. Arjun was saying the truth! Shree was guilty!................................

Rathore felt dizzy. That’s why he didn’t want to get the team involved. That’s why all the secrecy. Shree was the one trying to kill him or as Arjun had said, stop him from whatever he was doing. He couldn’t have afforded to let his progress leak to Shree. Tears rolled down his face.

His chain of thoughts breaks by the team’s cries.

Chotu: Arjun sir!!! sir aankhein kholiye na sir…

Ayesha: sir aap aisa nahi kar sakte humare saath…

Sakshi: Arjun dekho, tumne mujhe promise kiya tha ki tum mujhe date par le jaoge, tum aise mukar nahi sakte (shaking him) Utho!!!

Chotu: Rathore sir!!!

For the first time, the ACP did not have anything to reassure them with.

Rathore(cracked): I’m sorry Arjun par itni si galti ki itni badi saza mat do, tumhe ladna hoga, tumhara kaam abhi bhi pura nahi hua, hum tumhe kuch nahi hone denge, (taking control) Chotu!! Meri help karo!

He nods frantically. The duo try to pick him up. Chotu picks up his legs as Sameer supports his body from below the arms. Ayesha rushes to the driver seat while wiping her tears. Liza opens the back door of the car.

Arjun: are antim sanskaar kar doge kya?

All eyes turn to him in shock. He had a smile playing on his lips. Arjun opens one eye.

Arjun: tension mat lo Rathore, main tumhe baad mein ache se saza dunga, mujh par bharosa na karne ke liye

Rathore drops him: Saale!! Tu Zinda Hai!!!

Arjun winces as half of his body crashes to the ground: Rathore!!! …. Chotu pair chod!

Still in shock, he does as told. Arjun shakes his head and gathers himself before getting back up on his feet. Ayesha hurries out of the car.

Sakshi and Liza hug him immediately and start crying.

Arjun: uh… tum dono kya kar rahi ho?

Chotu joins in: Arjun sir aap zinda hai!!!

Arjun stumbles due to the weight. If that was not sufficient, Ayesha throws herself on them too. Arjun rolls his eyes.

Arjun: main zinda hun ab chodo mujhe!!

They separate from him. Sakshi hits his arm.

Sakshi: aise daraata hai kya koi? Tumhe sharam nahi aati?!

Ayesha: are ek second Sakshi, par sir goli toh asli thi fir…

Arjun: andar jacket pehna hai maine, aur (looking at the stain) ye toh sauce hai

Rathore was glaring at the scene in front of him all this while. He clenches his jaw as he could no longer contain himself. He lashes out at Arjun.

Rathore: KAMINE TUMHARA DIMAG KHARAB HAI?!?!!? KYUN KIYA TUMNE YE SAB?!!?

Arjun: shaant ho jao Rathore, mujhe pehle se hi shak tha ki shayad Shree koi na koi chalaki karega isliye maine plan B bana kar rakha tha

Ayesha: aur kya hai plan B?

Arjun smirked: batata hu

On the other hand, in the car-

Shree was driving furiously: Tum Uske Saath Kya Kar Rahi Thi?!?!

Riddhima: tum toh aise bol rahe ho jaise main gayi thi uske paas, pata nahi woh kaise us, ghar par tapak gaya, usne aur do admi ne, Tarun aur Avi ko bandhi bana kar mujhe blackmail kiya aur mujhe yaha ka pata dene ke liye majbur kiya.

Shree: ugh!!! Agar tum nahi hoti toh team ke saamne mera sach nahi aata!! 

Riddhima(hurt): toh fir kyun maara? Mujhe hi mar jaane dete!

Shree: Riddhima!!

She looks away tearfully. Shree takes a deep breath to control himself. He runs a hand through his hair in regret.

Shree(calmly): I’m sorry, mera woh matlab nahi tha yaar. Tu meri behen hai, tere liye ek kya 1000 Arjun Rawte kurbaan

Riddhima: par Shree, ab hum kya karenge? Aur Riya waha nahi hai?

Shree: nahi, jab hum Dadar pahunche aur maine Arjun sir ko dekha humare wait karte hue, mujhe tabhi shak ho gaya tha aur maine security se keh diya tha Riya ko lekar dusre waale bungalow par chale jaaye

Riddhima: oh, lekin ye log?

Shree smirked: chinta mat kar, jab tak ye log is shock se baahar aayenge ki ACP Arjun Rawte mar gaya hai aur Shree gunehgaar hai tab tak hum Riya ko lekar aaram se nikal jaayenge, aur unke admiyon ko bhi itni jaldi toh nahi pata chalega ki Arjun sir mar gaye hai, hum Jiju aur Avi ko aasani se aaj raat hi waha se nikaal denge aur pata chal bhi jaaye toh bhi, do logon ko thok na koi badi baat nahi hai

Riddhima smiled: toh iska matlab ki tum Arjun se jeet hi gaye

Shree sniggered: aur ab wazir meri hogi!

He drove to the other farmhouse, where Riya had been shifted. The security let them in. Riddhima was relieved to reach there. She was sure Shree would take care of her husband and child and hence, was not worried about them.

Inside-

Riya was sitting on the couch in the living room, surrounded by 4 guards. She did not know why suddenly they had picked her up and brought her there without any sort of warning, that too in the absence of Shree. They had never changed base in all those months until that day. She was guessing it might be due to Arjun closing in on Shree. At the same time, she was worried that the change of place would pose further difficulties for him.

The main door opened. Her eyes darted to it. She felt disgusted on seeing Shree and Riddhima enter in. He had a wide smirk on his face. She clutched the edge of the sofa seat and looked away.

Shree: hi Riya, kaisi ho?

Riya(angrily): ab tum mujhe yaha kyun lekar aaye ho!?

Shree: are main kya karu? majburi thi

Tired due to the stress, Riddhima collapsed on the arm chair, throwing her head back and closing her eyes.

Shree: tumhare pyaare Arjun sir mujhe itna pareshaan jo kar rahe the

Her eyes darted to him hearing ‘the’. Shree stepped closer.

Shree: are aise kya dekh rahi ho? tension mat lo, ab woh dobara kabhi hume pareshaan nahi karenge

Her heart sinks in anticipation. A part of her already understood what the underlying meaning was but the rest of her refused to accept it. It was impossible!

Shree: maine unhe maar diya, ab woh tumhara peecha nahi karenge

Riya jumped up in surprise: NAHII!!! TUM JHOOT BOL RAHE HO!!!

Shree smiled smugly: main bilcul sach bol raha hun, maine khud unhe apne haathon se goli mari hai

Her body shivered not in fear or cold but in fury. She proceeded to strangle him.

Riya: HOW COULD YOU SHREE!!!!

Unfazed, he gestured to the guards behind her. They lunge towards her.

She elbowed one, punched another and kicked a third. However, they were strong enough to bear it.

Riya: MAIN TUMHE CHODUNGI NAHI!!! TUM AISA NAHI KAR SAKTE!!!

She flailed her arms and legs but the four men caught hold of her arms on either sides forcing her to stay put.

Riya: NAHI!!!! CHODO MUJHE!!!!! CHODO!!!!

Shree: Kyun lad rahi ho? baahar 20 log hai, yaha 4 aur tum mushkil se do ko hara paogi. Inhe harane ke liye tumhari marital arts kaam nahi aayegi

They drag her a few steps behind to control her and she finally breaks down.

Riya: ARJUN SIRRR!!!!

She weeps as her knees buckle away, unable to take her defeated form but the men were still holding her up. Only one name kept leaving from her quivering lips, one that she had wrapped her life around. She felt a hole in her chest. She kept screaming, kept calling out for him as if he could hear her, as if he would just come and taunt her for being unnecessarily emotional as always. Her mind played memories of him, making her more miserable. The way they fought outside Raghu sir’s house, the way he pulled her to him in Kalki Devi’s house, the way he smiled for the first time when she expressed to be like him, the way he comforted her after her first encounter. It all played like a movie till the moment that he discovered she was alive in the hospital. She was never going to be able to see him again. The man she had come to love was nothing more than a memory. The very thought of losing him forever broke her tear gates again and again.

Shree rolled his eyes: oh come on Riya, us akdu ke liye itne aansu?

She didn’t respond. She wasn’t in the right mind either. All she could see was a bleak future, all she could think was Arjun sir and all she could feel was an ache in her heart. It felt like Shree had ripped her heart apart into two with his bare hands and left her to bleed.

Shree: main tumhe itna acha din aise aansuon mein waste bilcul nahi karne dunga… oh wait, sorry! Abhi din nahi hai (slyly) abhi toh raat hai

He approached her and lifted her chin, bringing her partially to the present.

Shree: aaj toh celebration banta hai, haina sweetheart?

Her eyes widened in horror(mumbling): nahi…

Shree: aaj toh tumne woh kar diya jo shayad pura underworld karna chahta hai

Still distraught, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Shree: are Arjun Rawte ko maar diya, obviously pura underworld tumhe dua de raha hoga

If Riya was shaken by the news of his death, now an earthquake hit her!

She could barely manage her whisper: maine?

Shree: of course, maana ki trigger maine dabaya lekin us par haath toh tumhara hi tha, maine tumhare liye hi toh unhe maara (he emphasizes, attacking her psyche) toh tumhari wajah se hi toh Arjun sir ki jaan gayi toh tumne hi toh Arjun sir ko maara na?

Riya felt numb. She would have collapsed on the floor if the men were not holding her. Her breathing turned heavy.

“tumhari wajah se hi toh Arjun sir ki jaan gayi”

“are Arjun Rawte ko maar diya, obviously pura underworld tumhe dua de raha hoga”

“tumne hi toh Arjun sir ko maara na?”

She felt dizzy. Her head felt heavier and heavier as her thoughts spiralled out of control.

Shree: So! Of course celebration banta hai!

He slips his hand into his pocket and removes a silver foil. A small tablet falls into his hands as he breaks it open.

The sound of the foil lands on her ears. The sight in front of her made her pale.

Shree: chinta mat karo Riya, tumhara dimag toh chalta rahega lekin bas tumhara shareer mere hissab se chalega

Her stomach clenched in fear. She shakes her head as he comes forward. Shree tries to shove the tablet into her mouth.

Riya: Nahi!!!

She uses her legs to attempt and kick him. Her right leg meets his shin. The men hold her more firmly in an effort to restrain.

Shree: ouch! (angrily) You!!!

Enraged, he picks up a knife from the fruit bowl and slashes her leg, just below the knee.

Riya: AAAHHH!!!

Blood oozed out from the cut. Throwing the knife away, Shree grabs her hair making her wince.

Riya: Shree!!!

Shree: Muh Kholo!!

She turns her head away as he tries to force the tablet. He tugs her hair sharply making her scream. Just as he was about to pop the tablet into her mouth, the door broke down.

Arjun: SHREEE!!!!!............................