Chapter 19

Bloomie

@bloomie

Riya choukti hai: sir? (she picks up a bottle and gives it to him after unscrewing the cap) ye lijiye

Arjun gulped down half the bottle

Riya(tensed): aap theek hai? achanak kya ho gaya?

Arjun: pata nahi Riya…I’m fine

Riya: aap pakka theek hai? main drive karu?

Riya asked him purposely. If Arjun knew something was wrong and was hiding from her he wouldn’t refuse her offer. If he was fine he wouldn’t accept it because of a mere cough. However, fate was on his side.

Arjun: main theek hun Riya, dekho? Main kar lunga.

And she got convinced: okay, par pakka na?

Arjun took her hand in his: ha baba, pakka, itni tension mat lo tum. (Riya smiled) ab chale?

Riya nods. Arjun left her hand and started the engine again. Though he had managed to convince Riya, he mentally prepared himself to not lose control and thankfully, reached the parking lot of ETF office without any other anomaly. He thanked his stars as he got down but suddenly…

He caught hold of the door. His head started spinning again. He saw Riya coming out from the corner of his eyes and somehow controlled himself.

Riya: kya hua? Ruk kyun gaye?

Arjun: kuch nahi, chalo

A sudden itch developed in his hand. Arjun subtly scratched and left it. Riya called for the elevator unaware of what Arjun was doing behind her back. The elevator came and they entered it. The itching sensation didn’t seem to leave him. Arjun kept trying to subtly scratch it without Riya knowing it. His coughing fit started again as they started walking in the corridor.

Riya(shocked): Arjun sir!

She rushed to get water for him. Arjun downed the glass in a single gulp.

Riya was hell worried now: Sir, kya ho raha hai aapko? Aapki tabiyat theek nahi hai?

Arjun: main…main theek hun Riya

Riya: no you’re not, kabse dekh rahi hun…

Arjun: Riya mamuli si khaasi hai, itna hyper kyun ho rahi ho?

Riya: kyunki aap theek nahi hai!

Arjun held her shoulders: Riya main bilcul theek hun

Riya(sternly): mujhe baaton mein mat fasaiye Arjun sir

Arjun: Riya main tumse jhut kyun bolunga?

Riya: lekin

Arjun: main tumhare saamne khada hun na? sahi salamat? Tum khud dekho, kuch hua hai kya mujhe?

Riya looked at him from top to bottom. He was right. There was no other symptom of anything. She was over reacting.

She sighed: I’m sorry, pata nahi main…I…

Arjun: relax Riya, main jaanta hun tumhe meri fikar hai (cupping her face) but I’m fine okay? (Riya smiled) tum change kar lo, conference room mein milte hai

Riya: ha, aati hun

She turns to leave…

Arjun: are Riya

Riya: ji

Arjun: waise ab hum school toh nahi jaane waale toh uh….(sheepishly) tum kya saree pehen na chod dogi?

Riya blushed: Arjun sir, ye baatein hum ghar par karenge okay? Bye!

Arjun smiled as she ran away from the place. He shook his head in disbelief and went to the conference room whilst scratching his hand again.

Conference room-

The team was working on another case that they had received. All eyes turned to him as He entered.

Rathore(sarcastically): jo pata karna tha woh kiya?

Arjun: you bet!

Rathore glared at him but Arjun ignored him as usual and was about to take his seat when he started feeling dizzy again, this time it was bad. He closed his eyes tightly to regain control and slowly sat on his chair. His mind alerted as soon as he felt Riya enter.

Ayesha Arjun aur Riya ko case ke baare mein batane lagti hai. sabka dhyaan waha chala jaata hai. aur case ka discussion hi continue hota hai. sab aage clues aur leads dhundhne ki koshish kar rahe hai.

Rathore: Riya! Tum aur Shree us watchman ke ghar jao aur dekho ki woh sirf kaam se gayab hai ya fir ghar se bhi hai.

Riya aur Shree dono nod karte hai. Dusri taraf Arjun bilcul chup hai woh seedha dekh toh raha hai lekin uska dimag uske bas mein nahi hai. uske haathon mein khujli ho rahi hai. uske sar chakra raha hai lekin woh use dikhata nahi hai. woh use control karne ki koshish karta hai par kar nahi paata. Uska sar bhaari hone lagta hai. use ghabrahat aur bechaini hone lagti hai. utne mein Rathore, Riya ko Shree ke saath bhej deta hai. ek pal ke liye woh Riya ko bulane waala hai par fir hichkichata hai yeh soch kar ki woh zaroorat se zyaada tension ho jaayegi. Aur usi ek pal mein Riya nikal jaati hai.

Rathore Chotu aur Ayesha ko bhi instructions deta hai. woh dono bhi information nikalne mein lag jaate hai. Dheere-dheere Arjun ki tabiyat aur bigad rahi hai. use samaj mein nahi aa raha hai ki use ho kya raha hai. uski bechaini badhne lagti hai, dizziness badhne lagti hai. Arjun mv “mujhe Riya se keh dena chahiye tha….ugh! mera sar…kya ho raha hai mujhe?” Time ke saath-saath uski saansein heavy hone lagti hai. woh tightly arm rest ko pakad leta hai taaki grounded feel kar sake but to no avail. woh aaspaas dekhta hai lekin sab case mein busy hai. either way woh unmein se kisi ke paas nahi jaane waala tha aur Rathore se toh bilcul bhi nahi kehne waala tha. woh apni watch check karta hai. mv “itna time ho gaya, Riya aayi kyun nahi abhi tak?..... ek chai mangwa leta hun…shayad better feel karu.” woh kisi tarah khud ko stable karke intercom utatha hai.

Arjun: hello….ha ek chai lekar aao!

Rathore disbelief mein sar hilata hai mv “yaha case solve nahi ho raha hai aur ise as usual apni chai ki padi hai…kabhi nahi sudhrega ye!”

Shree and Riya entered a few minutes later. The peon arrived with his tea just behind them. Arjun stood up to take his tea, happy at the arrival of both his favourites. Mv “chai pee kar Riya se kisi tarah baat karni hogi.”

Riya saw his form from the corner of the eyes and smiled to herself seeing him paying more attention to his tea rather than anything else.

Rathore: kuch pata chala?

Riya: ha sir, hum uske ghar gaye the lekin waha taala laga tha

Shree: humne aaspaas puch tach ki aur…

But Arjun’s head started spinning again. He felt dizzy. His eyes were burning as he forced them to stay open. His body was weak. He took the glass from the peon and gestured him to go. Arjun brought the glass to his lips but before he could take a sip out of it the world turned black.

Riya saw the glass falling from the corner of her eyes: ARJUN SIR!!!

She tried to prevent him from falling. Shree was the first to react and helped her. Her scream alerted everyone. Rathore and Chotu rushed to the trio. They supported Arjun’s weight relieving the two physically weak ones.

Sakshi: Arjun! Kya hua Arjun ko?

Riya answered as she let go of him(shocked): inka shareer toh bhukar se jal raha hai!!

Ayesha(worried): par achanak kaise? Abhi thodi der pehle toh theek the

Rathore and Chotu carried Arjun to the couch in the conference room and laid him there. Sakshi attempted to go further but Riya reached before. She took his hand and started rubbing his palms. Rathore patted his face and tried to wake him up.

Rathore: Rawte! Rawte! Aankhein kholo Rawte!!... Arjun!! Damn it! Liza check karo

Liza comes to presence still shocked at what had transpired: ha..ha sir.

She goes forward and checks him. That’s when they discover that his hands had rashes. Sakshi too takes the opportunity and goes near him but wasn’t able to sit next to him due to Riya.

Ayesha: Riya? Subah theek the kya sir?

Riya was hell worried: ha bilcul theek the, bas, bas jab hum…jab hum aa rahe the toh ek do baar khaasi aayi thi

Liza: khaasi aayi thi?

Riya: ha kyun? Sab theek haina?

Liza comforting reply deti hai: Ha sab theek hai…

Rathore use daant ta hai: toh fir ye kya apne aap behosh ho gaya?

Liza: sir mera matlab ki koi major baat nahi hai, mere hissab se unhe allergy ho gayi hai.

Riya(shocked): allergy?

Liza: ha

Shree: tu sure hai ki sirf allergy hai, aur kuch nahi?

Liza: ha main bilcul sure hun, bhukar, khaasi aur ye dekho (gesturing to his hands) ye rashes ye saare allergic responses hai.

Riya racked her brain wondering how he had gotten allergy and that’s when it struck her!

Riya: Shit!! (muttering to herself) inki allergy choti nahi hai

Chotu: kya hua?

But she didn’t answer. She got up and ran to the table where her purse was kept and started rummaging through it. Taking the opportunity Sakshi sat beside Arjun and held his hand.

Sakshi: Arjun, aankhein kholo na please. Dekho main hun tumhare paas!

Riya retrieved a silver foil from her bag and rushed back. Seeing Sakshi there her worry turned to anger but she controlled herself.

Riya: Shree please paani la do (Shree nodded and went to get water) Rathore sir, please help karenge, inhe ye davai deni hogi

Rathore replied promptly: ha main….

Sakshi: davai? Kaisi davai? Tum davai kaise de sakti ho? Tum doctor nahi ho! Agar mere Arjun ki tabiyat aur kharaab ho gayi toh?

That was it….the last straw!

Riya blasted on her: SHUT UP SAKSHI! DON’T YOU DARE TEST MY PATIENCE WARNA WOH HAAL KARUNGI KI ZINDGI BHAR ARJUN KA NAAM BHI LE PAOGI!!! HATO MERE RAASTE SE!

Her words sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. They had never seen Riya raise her voice in all those days and now when she did it was a clear signal to not mess with her. Riya shoved Sakshi aside and with the help of Rathore brought Arjun to a sitting position. Shree arrived with a glass of water.

Shree: ye lo.

Riya: thanks!

She somehow made Arjun swallow a tablet and then laid him back on the couch. Then, they waited…patiently. Riya sent silent prayers for it not to be late. The rest of the team too was standing around waiting for him.

Rathore had another thought which was also running through his mind mv “Riya ke purse mein Arjun ki davai kyun hai? usne pehli baar Arjun ka sirf naam pukara hai, mujhe toh laga tha ki dono ek dusre ko jante hai isliye Arjun uske saath comfortable hai lekin ye toh…pata nahi ye Arjun ke jhaanse mein kaise fas gayi? Mujhe toh laga tha woh Narvekar ke saath hai fir bhi Arjun ki baaton mein fas gayi? I hope ki samay rehte use apni galti ka ehsaas ho jaaye.”

Shree had placed a hand on Riya’s shoulder giving her silent support. Her eyes were teary. She just kept staring at the love of her life with his hand in hers.

Riya mv “please Arjun sir, aankhein kholiye. Main mar jaungi aapke bagair….please theek ho jaayiye.”

After half an hour, their wait bore fruit. Arjun’s eyes twitched.

Chotu: sir ko hosh aa raha hai!

His statement jolted everyone back to reality. Indeed, Arjun was regaining consciousness. Riya earnestly checked his temperature by putting her hand on his forehead. Relief washed over her as she felt the fever reduce significantly.

His hand tightened his grip on Riya’s. He shifted a little and tried to open his eyes and speak something.

Only one word came out of his mouth: R…iya…

The team was too shocked to respond.

Riya tried to comfort him: ha main yahi hun

Arjun: Riya…

His grip tightened further and he finally opened his eyes. Seeing her as the first person in front of him, he immediately felt better. As his vision cleared his gaze fell upon the rest and he realised he was in office. He jerked straight up earning a glare from Riya and surprising everyone.

Arjun(weakly): kya ho raha hai?

Rathore: tum behosh ho gaye the…

Arjun: toh? Sab kaam chod…

Riya wasn’t able to take it any further and rapped him hard on his arm shocking everyone further including Arjun.

Arjun: ouch!

Sakshi took the opportunity: Riya! Tum Kya Kar Rahi Ho? Woh Abhi-Abhi Utha Hai Aur…

Riya’s glare shifted to her: Tumhe Ek Baar Mein Batayi Hui Baat Samaj Nahi Aati? JAB TAK BOLNE KO NA KAHA JAAYE TAB TAK APNI CHONCH BAND RAKHO AUR CHUP CHAP KONE MEIN KHADI RAHO!!!

Arjun and Shree were the only ones confused at the reference. Sakshi was about to protest again when Riya turned back to Arjun and scolded him.

Riya: Aapne School Mein Fruit Salad Khaaya Tha?

Arjun gulped in fear. He knew she was angry. He knew any wrong answer could take his life.

Arjun: …h…ha

Riya gave him a death glare: sharam nahi aati aapko ha kehte hue?

Arjun: par main…

Riya: Aapko Pata Haina Aapko Pineapple Se Allergy Hai? Dhyaan Nahi Rakh Sakte? Aapko Pata Nahi Kitni Gandi Allergy Hai Aapki? Agar Mujhe Davai Dene Mein Thoda Bhi Zyaada Time Lag Jaata Toh? Jaan Chali Jaati Toh?

Arjun mv “itni aasani se marna hota toh kab kar mar chuka hota” but he decides not voice out his thoughts. She would chew him alive for the joke. Besides, there hadn’t been any pineapple in it, atleast none that he had seen. But then, there was also the fact, he was too busy staring at Riya to pay attention to what he was eating.

Arjun: par us mein pineapple nahi tha

Riya: Shut Up!

Arjun: lekin Riya sach mein uske andar pineapple nahi tha, main jaan kar kyun khaunga?

Riya’s anger was beyond control now: Mujhe Nahi Pata Aapne Jaan Kar Kyun Khaaya? Kis Liye Khaaya? Mujhe Sirf Itna Pata Hai Ki Uske Andar Pineapple Tha!! AB WOH AAPKO NAHI DIKHA YA FIR AAPKO SUICIDE KARNE KA MAN HUA MUJHE NAHI PATA!!!

She thrust the tablet foil in his hand and stormed off. The sight of the ACP Arjun Rawte getting scolded that too by a junior lady was sweeping the floor away from beneath everyone’s feet. Arjun felt his heart sinking when she left. He got up and swallowed another tablet before trying to find her……………………………………