Chapter 6

It has been months after the day Sushma died and Annu was injured. Annu has completely recovered now and back to her own dangerous lifestyle scaring and fuming Aisha even more. Sameer was back home too and had recovered from his wounds. There wasn't much change in Sameer and Arjun's confronting relationship except for the fact that both avoided mourning for their losses in front of the other. Now they worked together efficiently without getting back to their personal conflicts recurrently. One more thing which has recently started in both their lives was, they have started receiving a common visitor at their places threatening and indulging them with her weird wishes. Though Sameer and Arjun both pampered their guest with all their might, sometimes it even brought out their hidden selves and relationships.

Annu has become a frequent visitor at Sameer's house, Arjun's lodge and the ETF office. Yes, she had cleverly found out Arjun's hideout one bright morning when her school had suddenly closed for the day owing for a mishap in the school premises the previous night and she had hopped down to the ETF office dragging her favourite chauffeur, her grandmother, Nani, with her. But it had broken all her planned mischiefs when she found the whole office in smearing darkness, owing to the early hours of the day.

Her nani had somehow convinced the reluctant annu, to get back home, who was planning to stay there and surprise her friends when they arrive. But finally a sad Annu and her relieved nani had just walked out of the building and started walking towards the bus stop when annu heard an ETF SUV zoom out from the parking and turn towards the other side of the road. Annu's sharp eyes hadn't missed her Climinal in the driver's seat. She had instantly started yelling to gain his attention but Arjun was too lost in his thoughts to hear her calls. But this gesture from him angered this little angel and with the help of her nani, she started following Arjun's SUV in a hired cab.

Arjun was in the shower when he heard someone knock on the door repeatedly. He had opened the door only in a wet towel to find a pair of eyes grinning at him. It could be called one of those miraculous days when Arjun Rawte was shocked and embarrassed beyond words. He had silently welcomed the devil inside and walked inside the washroom to complete his unfinished bath. Though the day followed with lots of anger, mocking, giggles and glaring competition between the host and the guest, but at the end of the day Annu had earned the permission to enter his forbidden premises effectively.

Sameer's house has now become her second home where she would visit without any hesitance, accompanied by Shree or chotu, sakshi, or even Aisha or her nani. Sameer never objected, nor was he allowed to.

*******

It was one of those rare occasions when ETF team was granted a leave of 3 days, after their endless work schedule during the festive season and they had planned to enjoy their days in a short outing. The place planned was Goa and the arrangements were done for the whole ETF team and offcourse Annu too.

But spoiling everyone's enjoyment, Sameer and Arjun had sternly rejected to join them, stating some weird work related reasons, though everyone knew their actual reason. Had it been sometime else or a year back, ETF team would have forgotten their seniors and walked out to enjoy their leaves, but now they had a sharp weapon which could defeat both of them together with a single feeble blow and bring them along with the others.

Their Brahmastra Akansha Kapoor.

Annu was informed about the same and she had willingly taken all the responsibility to bring the two arrogant, angry cops with her.

*******

Arjun parked the car in front of Aisha's house and looked up. The lights in her room were glowing. He signed and looked down chuckling to himself. This lady had the guts to get the rugged angry headed man to his knees. He recalled the call from her in the afternoon.

Arjun was returning back from the crime spot after a heated argument with the suspect's arrogant and influential grandfather, when his phone buzzed. He picked up the call irritated and without looking at the caller. But that's when her voice brought back his lost calmness.

'hello,' he shouted into the phone,

'climinal...' her soft voice sounded scared,

'annu...' his tone mellowed down instantly.

'haan main...tum chilla kyu lahe ho?' she shouted this time,

'wo thora pareshan tha...bolo kya baat hain?' he replied parking the car at the side of the road,

'paleshan ho? Kyu? Kya hua?' she asked showing her concern,

'ek case aya hain...ussi main kisi ke saath thora behesh ho gaya...' he replied signing out loudly,

'main tumhe help kalu?' she asked him firmly,

'tum help karogi? Kaise?' he asked forcing his lips to curve in a smile,

'uffo mujhe kaise pata hoga..tum bataoge na...tumhe to kuch bhi nehi pata climinal,' she replied back angrily,

'nehi meri ma..mujhe kuch nehi pata..ab tum batao jaldi..kyu phone kiya?' he asked her,

'ale main to bhul hi gayi...wo tum aj mele ghal aaoge? Mujhe tumse kuch im-po-tant baat kalni hain...' she replied back,

'im-po-tant baat? Kya baat hain?' he frowned,

'uffo, tum ghal aao na...aise nehi bata sakti...abhi aao jaldi se,' she replied,

'Annu, main abhi nehi aa sakta...main sham ko aunga, chalega?' he replied,

'haan..aul mela ice cleam leke ana...tumne abhi tak apni tleat nehi di..aul aj to mummy bhi late se ayegi...samjhe..ya filse samjhau?' she retorted back arrogantly,

'haan..samaj gaya...ab phone rakhu..kam bhi karna haina,' he replied embarrassed,

'haan bye,' she replied and the phone disconnected before he could bid her.

Arjun stepped down from the SUV and turned towards her home. He ran inside holding the large pack of a Chocolate ice cream bar and reached at her door. The door was ajar and her nani was watching her serials sitting in the living room. He knocked and walked inside. Aisha's mother greeted him and he handed over the packet of ice cream to her. Her nani looked embarrassed and shook her head at her grand-daughter's stubbornness. Arjun smiled and held out the packet to her, but she rejected and asked him to take it to the devil, who was waiting for him in the room.

Arjun hurried to her room and peeped through the open door. Annu was pacing in her room with her hands held together at her back.  She looked angry and restless. He smiled at the sight and brushed his fingers through his hair, thinking of various excuses for getting so late, when he heard footsteps behind. He turned back to find Sameer hurriedly taking the steps towards him.

Sameer was so lost in thoughts that he forgot to notice the man standing at the top most step and almost banged into Arjun. Arjun held him before he fell back and glared at him, while Sameer glared back instead of apologizing.

'tum yaha kya kar rahe ho?' Sameer asked him,

'shhh...apke dost ne bulaya hain...kuch impotant kam hain..' Arjun whispered,

'mujhe bhi yahi keheke bulaya...Arjun kuch to choot raha hain...' Sameer replied trying to peep inside,

'dekh kya rahe ho? Mausam kafi garam hain andar,' arjun replied,

'aur isiliye tum ice cream leke khare ho? Chalo andar...Arjun Rawte ko daar suit nehi karta,' Sameer replied and stepped up at the door.

Annu was sitting on the bed tired of walking along the room. She was glaring at the floor tiles when Sameer knocked on the door. She looked up and instantly jumped down from the bed.

'dost!!' she yelled smiling at him,

'main bhi hu,' Arjun peeped from behind earning a glare from her.

Both walked in and Arjun showed her the box of ice cream. She snatched the box from him and looked back at the door. Annu smiled finding the place empty and instantly sat on the floor to open the box. She opened the flaps quickly and her face brightened. Pure chocolate ice cream decorated with chocolate chips on the top. She asked them to wait and ran downstairs, tiptoeing towards the kitchen. She pulled out a large spoon and ran back to her room before her naani could spot her.

Sameer and Arjun were looking around the room when she returned back and sat with the box. Scooping a spoon full of ice cream she started licking into it and looked up at the happy men infront. They sat looking at her while she ate a few more scoops when Arjun snatched the box back and kept it on top of a table.

'Climinal!!' she barked loudly,

'itna eksaath nehi khate, tabiyat kharab ho jayegi, aur tumhari mummy mujhe daategi,' he replied,

'dost, dekho na..lauta mujhe paleshan kal laha hain...' Annu leaned over Sameer's legs, glaring at Arjun.

'Annu..Arjun thik kehe raha hain...aise ice cream nehi khate...' Sameer told her,

'dost, tum mummy ki talah kyu baat kal lahe ho?' annu complained licking the empty spoon.

'annu...dekho idhar...tumhe kuch important baat karni thi na? wo nehi bataogi?' Sameer turned her to face him,

'Ale haan...ye laute ne sab bhula diya..' she glared at Arjun who gave a confused look,

'acha ab to batao..' sameer nudged back saving his second in command,

'Dost..mummy ne bataya tum humare saath ghumne nehi ja rahe ho? Kya tum sach main nehi jaoge?' she asked innocently, looking at Sameer's face, while Arjun took a seat beside him,

'mujhe na yaha thora important kam hain...isliye nehi jaa sakta...' Sameer replied cupping her cheeks,

'jhoot mat bolo, mujhe pata hain..tumhe kam nehi hain...ye climinal ki sa-zi-ssshh hain,' she glared at Arjun again,

'maine kya kiya?' Arjun asked her hurriedly,

'Tum nehi jaa rahe ho..isliye tumhi ne dost ko jane se mana kiya haina? Mujhe sab pata hain...' she fought back,

'tumhara dost ek nasamaj chota sa bacha hain? jo main mana karu aur wo nehi jayega?' he replied back,

'climinal...mujhe pata hain..tumne..dost ko...black...' she tried to remember the word,

'blackmail..' Sameer helped her,

'haan...mujhe chotu ne sab bataya...' she replied,

'chotu ne bataya?' Arjun looked around in anger,

'tum chotu ko kuch nehi kaloge...tum kitne bule ho climinal...' she hit him at his stomach,

'tumne mujhe marne ke liye bulaya?' arjun asked softly,

'haan...' she replied laughing...

'fir to ice cream bhool jao...' arjun stood up to get the box from the table,

'climinal..usse haath mat lagana..nehi to...' annu hanged herself from his waist and he had to drag his legs with her along,

'Annu...' Sameer tried to hold her, but she wouldn't leave Arjun so easily, nor would Arjun stop.

'kya karogi captain spark?' he asked smirking at her,

'dost dekho na climinal ko...' she complained,

'Rawte, kya kar rahe ho? Choro na usse...annu bachi hain...tum nehi ho..Annu idhar aao, mere pass..' Sameer dragged a reluctant angry annu towards him and placed her on his lap. She was still glaring at Arjun, who picked up the ice cream box and scooped a spoon full of ice cream smirking at her.