Chapter 15

abjeya

@abjeya

Chapter 14

Seeing Riya’s eyes struggle to stay open, Khushi said “Hume nikalna chahiye, Lavanyaji ko aaram ki zaroorat hai.” Everyone agrees and make move to leave. Riya catches Khushi’s hand. Seeing her catching, Arjun said “Agar aap logo ko aitraaz na ho, toh Arnav and Khushi kuch der aur reh sakte hai? Lavanya ko acha lagega.” Arnav and Khushi gave their consent and others also agreed. Everyone left except Arnav and Khushi. As soon as the door closes, Riya takes out the pillow and throws it at Khushi. Khushi yelps as the pillow hit her and said “Riyaji, aap mujhe kyu maar rahi hai?”. Riya furiously gestures for the writing pad and writes “Tera hi idea hoga, Shyam ko phirse ghar me lane ki. ASR toh itna acha bhi nahi hai.” Arnav and Arjun hide their smile while Khushi pouts. Khushi said “Hum kya karte? Doctor ne kaha hai Di ko stress nahi dena chahiye aur Di Shyamji se hi stress le rahi hai. Ghar aa gaye toh Di ka stress todha toh kam hoga.”. Riya took the pen and next threw at Arnav. Arnav said “What the? Ab tum mujhe kyu maar rahi ho?”. Riya gestures again for the pen and Arjun gives her.  Riya wrote “Tu iski support kar raha hai.”Arnav said “Hello, mai iski support nahi kar raha hu?”.

Riya wrote “Matlab, tu har baar ye nahi dekhta ki Khushi jahan par bhi tumhare Nazaro ke saamne hi ho aur Shyam uske aas paas bhi bhatke nahi?”. Arnav said “Ha, woh toh mai karta hu magar?.”Riya wrote “Toh support kar raha hai”. Arnav again said “What the?” but before he could argue, Khushi said “Arnavji, ab aap Riyaji ke saath behas mat chalu kijiye, aisi haalat me behas unke liye achi baat nahi hai.” Looking at Arjun,Khushi asked “ Abhi investigation me kya hua? Kuch pata chala?”. Arjun said “Investigation chal raha hai Mrs Raizada, hume information share nahi karsakte. Ha par hume aapke ghar par rukna hoga kuch dino ke liye. Riya aur aapki parivaar ke safety ke liye yeh step lena zaroori hai.” Arnav said “Matlab khatra abhi bhi hai.” Arjun silently nods his head. Arnav heaves a sigh and said “Thik hai, mai rooms ka intezam karta hu. I think hume abhi chalna chahiye Khushi, der ho chuki hai aur mai Di aur Shyam ko zyada der ke liye akele nahi chodna chahta.” Khushi nods her head and after wishing everyone good night, they took their leave.

Arjun sits on the sofa and took out the laptop to type. Riya just silently stares at him and Arjun said “Staring does not solve anything Riya. Kuch puchna chahti ho, toh likho.” Riya opens her mouth, closes it and opens it again. She then took the writing pad and wrote “You saw the video?”. Arjun sits beside her and read the question. He nods his head. Riya then wrote “You told me, you will forgive me, when I wake up. So do you forgive me?”. Arjun simply said “No.”  Riya looks down and tears immediately begins to fill her eyes. Arjun tilts her head up and said softly “Riya, I cant forgive you for a mistake you did not commit. After, hearing everything you had gone through, I would have taken the same step you had taken if I was in your place.So how can I forgive you, when in the end what you did was right.” Riya smiles a soft smile. Arjun grasps a hand and said “But this brings us to a question? We are married now, legally. So what do we do? Do we divorce after everything?”. Riya looks at him in puzzled confusion and wrote “I thought you hated me. You would jump at the idea of divorce. I thought after this mess is sorted out, you would be happy that I am giving you divorce.” Arjun smiles bitterly and said “That would have been true one month back.” Riya looks at him in confusion.

Arjun takes a deep breath as if fortifying himself and said “Riya, when I first met you, for me you were just a rookie. A person who did not know the one important skill required to survive in this profession. But as I got to know you, I realized, you wanted to always know the reasons behind the actions taken. You wanted to know whether it was worth to learn how to shoot. Not in that case, but even when it was statistics, you always found logical reasons to support my theories. I started to slowly trust you, realized that sometimes, it is better to think before you act. And then we got married.”

Arjun looks at Riya stiffening and he continues saying “I will be honest Riya, I was mad when the marriage happened. Here was a person, whom I was beginning to trust and she broke my trust again. I thought I could never trust you again. But slowly, I realized that there was a reason behind your action like always. From that day, your gaze always held a sense of sadness and guilt when looking at me. But even then you never stopped supporting me. How much ever I shouted on you, you still would appear with a chai from the tea seller, even though you wrinkled your nose at the unhygienic condition and wiped the glass before placing it on my desk. Making sure I have food on time, by sending Sakshi to me with the food plate, even though you knew she would end up flirting with me. Staying late in the office, hiding until I leave, or go to sleep. I knew everything you did Riya, and I started to derive comfort from it.”

Arjun said looking down at the clasped hands “After Roshni’s death, I was a dead body Riya. I had only one aim, Sikander’s destruction. For 3 years, I survived everyday on that goal only. But when you came into my life and I joined the ETF team, I started surviving for that goal but I also started living for another goal: justice for the victims we have. Before Roshni’s death, when every case ignited in me to find justice, after you came, with your questions, you started making me feel compassion for the victims along with the fire. And after our marriage, somewhere it settled something in me, knowing that there was someone with me to share compassion with me.”

Arjun looks at Riya finally and said “I am not a perfect person Riya, and I am definitely not a perfect husband. I have my bad days, and I know in the future I will continue to have my bad days. I can’t guarantee I will love you Riya, but I do promise you that I will see you as my partner, and our relationship’s foundation will be based on trust. I trust you to know me, and I hope you can trust me to know you. However this relationship was made, but there is relationship between us now, and I want to continue to be your husband. So Mrs Riya Arjun Rawte, will you give me the permission to be your friend, partner and your husband? Will you accept this relationship of husband and wife between us?”

Riya looks at Arjun, the honesty present in his eyes, and she slowly nods her head in a yes. A smile appears on Arjun’s face and he hugs her and she hugs him back. Breaking the hug, he adjust the pillow, and he places his forehead on Riya’s forehead and breathes her smell in. He said “I promised on the wedding day something hateful to you. Today’s I give you a new promise Riya. Mai wada karta hu, ki apni aakhri saans tak mai tumhe apna patni manta hu. Tumhare Jeevan me ek saathi banker hamesha rahunga, chahe who Khushi ho ye gham mai hu. Aur ye Arjun Rawte ka wada ha,mauth ko tumse pehle mera saamna karna hoga Riya. Aaj ke baad, ek aanch bhi mai tumpar kabhi aane nahi dunga. Ye mera wada hai.”

Riya looks at him, as he takes out a box. Opening the box, she sees that it is sindoor. Arjun silently looks at Riya, for permission. Riya nods her head and taking a pinch of sindoor, he places it on her maang and fills it. And a sigh of something primal settles in him as he sees her sindoor filled head. He makes her lie down, and closes her eyes and waits and watches as her sleep evens out, her hand still grasping his even in her sleep.  

END?