New Ariya OS: Dil Mil Gaye.. :) 11/1

Heylos! Here I am.. Well, this one's an achievement in itself, since it's a record first time that I've written ann entire story in a single day.. All thanks to a cancelled conference! Here's the end result.. Hope you like it.. 😃

P.S. There're two-three surprises in the later parts.. 😉😃






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He sat in the dark house with only an eerie silence and Jack Daniel's for company.. Shree's words continued to resonate in his ears,
 "Rathore Sir, woh.. Ri has sent an invitation.. Sir.. woh.. actually.. She's getting married in two days.."

A lump rose in his throat for the umpteenth time since he had heard the dreaded news.. His jaw clenched as her face danced in front of his eyes..
He clutched the glass harder and then flung it in a far corner of the room and watched the alcohol spread onto the marble flooring..

He grabbed his cellphone and dialed a number,
"Mujhe do ghanton mein yahan se pick up kar lena.. Main chal raha hoon.."

He slumped on the rocking chair and closed his blood-shot eyes as a pretty dimpled face flashed in front of them, yet again..

Tere bin.. main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin..

lekar yaadein teri.. raatein meri kati
mujhse baatein teri karti hai chandni

Elsewhere, she tossed on the bed restless with sleep being the last thing on her mind. She lifted her left hand and glanced at the white rock sitting on her ring finger..
Tears welled up in her already swollen eyes and she pressed her chin into pillows to prevent her sobs from being heard..
Riya felt as if her vocal cords had paralyzed and only a whisper left her lips, "Arjuunn.."

Next Morning, the ETF had reached Advocate Kapil Mukherjee's palatial residence at Dehradoon. They weren't surprised to see the place bustling with so much activity.. His elder daughter, Riya was getting married today..

The ETF members exchanged uneasy looks and walked into the lawn to be greeted by the bride herself..
She had sprinted towards them the moment, she had seen them alighting from the car..

The men stood still, as they took in her form. She no longer looked like the bubbly, pretty, nerdy research specialist that she had been a week ago..

This girl in front of them, clad in a pale pink churidar had hollow eyes.
Her smile lacked warmth and her eyes were fixed on the blades of grass as she introduced them to her parents..

"Aur yeh.. ACP Arjun Rawte.. My' Boss.."

Arjun's head shot up at the pause between the last two words and he saw Mrs. Mukherjee nod in disappointment..

And so it was decided; that the haldi ceremony would be held in some time followed by a lavish wedding ceremony at night..

 

Few hours later, she walked into the lawn clad in an orange and gold saree; her skin glowing after the turmeric and sandalwood paste had been washed off..
She joined the team, her extended family for a cup of coffee before she headed up to her room to get dressed for the wedding to be held tonight..

Riya felt his heated gaze on herself and shifted in her seat uncomfortably, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.. Rathore decided to put an end to the tension prevailing there and cleared his throat,
"Congratulations Riya.. Humein toh pehle vishwas hi nahi hua.. I mean tum chutti lekar ek haft eke liye ghar aayi thi aur achanak tumhari shaadi ka invitation card mila.."

Riya glanced at Arjun and then turned to Rathore,
"Hmm.. Yeh sab itna jaldi ho gaya ki mujhe aapko batane ka mauka hi nahi mila.."
Arjun balled his fists realizing that the explanation was meant for him..

 

She looked away and picked up a cream cracker,
 "Mom-Dad ne Prateik ko pasand kiya.. Humare family friends ka beta hai.. He's a doctor settled in Boston.. Usse ek conference ke liye jad hi wapas jaana hai aur isliye yeh sab itni jaldi mein.."

Shree and Chottu exchanged worried glances and Shree finally spoke up,
"But, Ri! Shaadi ka faisla toh tumhara apna hona chahiye na? Aise kaise bina mile; bina pyaar ke?"

Riya bit her lip and lowered her lashes; she could feel his anger rising every with every passing second..

 

Mrs. Mukherjee walked in with a tray of lunch for everyone and settled down next to her daughter, patting her head,
"Prateik bohot hi accha ladka hai, Shreekant.. Hum uski family ko kaafi saalon se jaante hain.. Aur Riya bhi.. Dono ek saath hi school gaye the.."

She glanced at Arjun, "Aur beta, pyaar ka kya hai.. Woh toh dobara ho jayega.. Iss waqt humare liye, Riya ki khushi sabse zyada important hai.."

All five of them hadn't missed it..

Arjun's patience was hanging by a loose thread that was threatening to snap any moment.. He exhaled sharply and their eyes met that very instant..

His, questioning her decision.. While hers, pleaded with him to end her turmoil..

She jerked back when her mother motioned her to come along and left the place without a single word or even a backward glance..

Okay.. Time for Surprise no. 1 & 2..

Few minutes later, Arjun composed himself, stood up and headed upstairs towards the terrace.
He needed to get away from everything for a while.. His guilt and pain had become unbearable now.. It was choking him..
He stood against the railing, leaning onto it..

The last three years flashed in his mind..

Their first meeting.. him snubbing her.. her attempts to console him.. them bickering everyday.. her slowly developing feelings.. his changing attitude towards her.. his attempts to push her away.. her attempts to hang on to him.. his helplessness turned into anger.. their first kiss.. him ignoring her.. her hurt eyes begging him to stop her once.. her leave application and now this!!

Today, as he stood at crossroads of life, he couldn't help but feel helplessness sink into his bones..
For the second time in life, fate had struck and had snatched away his happiness..

He heard a couple of muffled voices behind him and couldn't help from eavesdropping since one of them belonged to her!

Mrs. Mukherjee:  "I'm sorry beta, woh galti se maine.. But I'm really happy for you..
Prateik is a nice guy.. Woh tumhe bohot khush rakhega.. Aur tum dheere dheere iss sab se bahar aa jaogi.. Tum unhe bhool jaaogi.."

Riya bit her lip and latched on to her mother's arm,
"Mom.. main unhe kabhi nahi bhula sakti.. He's my first love! Jab se maine pyaar ko samjha hai, jaana hai, bass unhi se pyaar kiya hai.."

Riya's mother held her shoulders,
"Lekin tumne dekha na, unhe iss shaadi se koi fark nahi pad raha hai.. In fact woh toh yahan tumhari khushiyon mein shareekh hone aaye hain..
Tumne bilkul sahi kiya hai, beta, iss shaadi ke liye haan karke..

Ab tum zindagi bhar toh unka intezaar nahi kar sakti na.."

Riya leaned against the window panes,
"It's okay Mom.. Aap chinta mat kijiye.. Main theek hoon..
Main aapko ya Dad ko sabke saamne sharminda nahi hone doongi.. Yeh mera faisla tha aur main isse har haal mein nibhaungi.."

Mrs. Mukherjee walked out of the room, closing the door behind her..

Riya stood in the middle of her room and paid her last respects to his memories.. Yes, it was next to impossible for her to stop loving him; but she had to give it a try.. For her family's sake..

She sat decked up in a magenta pink lehenga, adorned with precious stones, artfully done make-up and tears streaming down her face..
Her younger sister, who had just walked in happened to realise her turmoil and walked up to her shutting the door..
Avni hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, "Ab bass bhi karo Di.. Stop crying.."

Riya spun around and hugged her baby sister, her best friend and confidante.. She cried her heart out on  Avni's shoulder until her tears had tried up..
Avni parted from her and dabbed her face with a tissue,
 "Di.. Ab bhi waqt hai.. Please don't do this to yourself.. Hum abhi jaake Dad se baat karte hain.. I'm sure woh aapki baat zaroor samjhenge.. He loves you a lot, Di.."

Riya gulped a glass of water and managed to finally stop the hiccups,
 "No Chutki, it's too late for it.. Main sabke saamne apni family ka insult hotey hue nahi dekh sakti.. Aur phir aisa kadam uthane ke liye, mere paas koi wajah bhi toh nahi hai, na..

Tumne dekha na.. He hasn't even spoken a single word since they've come.. Unhe koi fark nahi padta.. Woh saare pal, jo humne saath guzaare the, unhe bhulaana unke liye kitna aasaan hai, hai na..

But anyhow, main ab kamzor nahi padungi.. Bass afsos iss baat ka hai, ki mera pehla adhoora reh gaya, Chutki.. Adhoora reh gaya.."

 

Avni couldn't stand her tears anymore and sprinted downstairs into the lawn where the guests had assembled.. She found them standing in a corner with stern faces and walked towards them, determined..

Rathore had been frustrated now and slowly his frustration was being replaced by rage.. He saw Arjun's bag flung over his shoulder and waited for him to speak up.. And he did..

Arjun glanced at the brightly lit palatial residence and her words echoed in his ears; he had no reason to stay back now..
Contrary to what people believed, he did have a heart and there was only so much pain it could possibly bear.. And hence, he had decided to leave..

He found his colleagues, now friends looking at him in disbelief and cleared his throat,
 "Main wapas jaa raha hoon.. Mala he sagla aavdat nahi.. Tum logon ka jab mann bhar jaaye to aa jaana.."

He had just turned around, when a strong palm landed on his shoulder.. He looked back and saw Sameer Rathore glaring at him, like never before..
Rathore grabbed his bag and threw it down on the floor,

"What the hell do you think of yourself, Rawte?!! Jo mann mein aayega karoge? Tumhe kya lagta hai, tumhare aage peeche koi nahi hai? No! You're wrong!
Tumhara yeh bachpan ka dost ya ab tumhara Chief, jo samajhna hai samjho, tumhe aise jaane nahi dega.."

He dug his fingers into Arjun's arm,
"Tumhe kya lagta hai, hum yahan iss naach-gaane ke liye aaye hain? No, dammit! Hum yahan tumhare liye aaye hain.."

Arjun's head shot up at that and found Shree and Chottu standing behind Rathore, lending him support.
He opened his mouth to protest but Rathore beat him to it,

"Bohot ho chuka, Arjun.. Ab bhi waqt hai.. Jao aur roko usse.. Ek guilt ka bojh lekar itne saal jee rahe ho, ek aur bardaasht nahi kar paoge.."

Arjun realised there was no use running away; they already knew..
He freed himself of Rathore's grip and turned around,

"Ab inn sab baaton ka koi matlab nahi hai, Sameer.. Riya ne faisla kar liya hai.. Maine khud usse apni Maa se baat karte hue suna hai..
Maine bohot der kar di.. Aur ab meri yahi sazaa hai ki main zindagi bhar apni khushiyon ke bagair hi jeeun.."

Rathore shook his head and grabbed his best friend's shoulders,
"Yeh sazaa tum apne aap ke saath saath, Riya ko bhi de rahe ho..
Kya tumhe waqai mein dikhayi nahi deta, ki woh iss shaadi se bilkul khush nahi hai..

Aur yeh kya hai.. Tum aise Hindi filmon ke hero ki tarah kyun baat kar rahe ho? Maine bohot der kar di..
Be the man  that you are, Arjun! Maine aaj tak tumhe Bhagwan tak ke saamne ghutne tekte hue nahi dekha hai, phir aaj tum kismet ke saamne kaise haar maan sakte ho? Go and get her.. Jaao Arjun.."

Arjun looked up and saw his colleagues hopeful faces and he made up his mind.. He would not let her leave again..
With Roshni, he had been helpless, but Riya, he still had hope..

He would go straight to her and confess his feelings.. And if he'd understood her silent pleas correctly, he knew her answer already..

He nodded his head slightly and was about to turn back when a soft voice called out to him, "Arjun ji??"

He spun around and saw a girl in her early twenties, standing in front of him with moist eyes..

She held the pleats of her saree and walked up to him,
"Main Avni.. Riya Di ki chotti behen.. Mujhe aapse kuch important baat karni hai.."

Arjun and the others were surprised to see her there.. Arjun nodded his head and motioned her to step forward. She glanced around and spoke,

"Riya Di ne mujhse aaj tak koi baat nahi chupayi hai.. Lekin iss baar poori baat batayi bhi nahi hai..
Main nahi jaanti ki aap ki kya majboori hai? Lekin please, agar aapne kabhi bhi.. ek pal ke liye bhi meri Di se pyaar kiya hai, toh please unhe yahan se le jaaiye.. Please iss shaadi ko rukvaiye.."

Arjun was taken aback at her straightforward talks and fumbled for words..
She realised his hesitance and spoke up,

"Di jabse Mumbai se lauti hain, bohot upset hain..
Aur phir jab Mom Dad ne unke saamne yeh proposal rakha, toh woh toot gayi thi..

Maine khud dekha hai, unhe baar baar aapka number dial karte hue, lekin pehli ring ke pehle hi disconnect kar deti thi..
mere khyaal se woh apni jagah sahi bhi thi.. Woh kehti toh aakhir aapse kya kehti?"

A lump rose in his throat as he imagined what Riya must've gone through in the last few days.. He felt a soft palm on his shoulder and looked up at her and saw a familiar pair of eyes pleading with him,

"Main Di ko bohot achhe se jaanti hoon.. Woh yeh shaadi sirf Mom aur Dad ki baat rakhne ke liye kar rahin hain.. Lekin woh kabhi khush nahi reh payengi..
Kabhi Prateik se pyaar nahi kar payengi.. Kyunki unhone apne hisse ka pyaar toh kar liya hai, hai na?"

Arjun slowly shut his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek.. He composed himself and held Avni by her shoulders,
"Tumse kissi ne kaha hai, ki tum Riya se bhi zyada baatein karti ho?"

She chuckled and smiled at him, "Hmm.. Di humesha kehti hain.. Lekin ab aap aur der mat kijiye.. Samjhe.. Ya Samjhaun?"

Wokay.. let's put an end to their tears.. 😃


The guests and family members were heard speaking in hushed tones..
Rathore turned back and barked at Shree,
"Arjun ko bulao, dammit!! Chottu, usse ghaseetkar yahan lekar aao.. Right now!! Go!!"

Riya's mother moved away and leaned against her husband, narrating everything..
Avni couldn't move away because, Riya's fingers were still entwined in hers..
She rested her head on her sister's shoulder, sobbing herself, calling out to her, begging her to respond to her call..

Rathore cupped Riya's face and made her look into his eyes,
"Riya.. Look at me! Kuch nahi hua hai.. Kuch bhi khatam nahi hua hai.. Arjun yahin hai.. He'll be back.. Bass tum himmat mat haarna.."

She heard him mention Arjun's name and absent-mindedly looked at him..

Rathore gulped his tears and couldn't help but marvel at the couple's love for each other.. Here she was half-dead merely by the sight of him having walked away from her.. And Arjun, he knew Arjun's plight would be worse..

He strode out of the lawn and had walked into the parking lot.. Her crying and disheveled face haunted him.. Arjun leaned on the bonnet of their car and clenched his eyes shut to attempt and get rid of the disturbing images..
However, they failed to leave him.. The last three years flashed in front of his eyes..

He walked to the driver's seat and pulled the door open wanting to get away from the place.. He had just lifted his foot to sit in, when her words from evening echoed in his ears,

Aapne bohot der kardi, Sir… Main apne parents ko disappoint nahi kar sakti..

 

He clamped his palms over his ears and fell on his knees with an animalistic roar…

He couldn't leave her crying and shattered like this.. To hell with the world and to hell with her reasoning, he was going to claim what was his!

He stood up with a jerk and saw Shree and Chottu sprinting towards him.. Shree reached him first and held his arm, trying to catch his breath..

Arjun saw their white faces and instantly knew something had gone terribly wrong..
He grabbed Shree's shoulders and shook him,
 "Shree… Shree.. Speak up! Bolte kyun nahi? Kya hua hai?!!"

Shree leaned against the car, panting and pointed towards the house, "Riyaa.."

That was it! Arjun sensed the urgency in his voice and sprinted towards the house across the lawn..

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Mukherjee had managed to narrate everything to the bridegroom's family.. They had all been taken aback firstly, but one look at Riya and their hearts had melted..

They had called off the wedding but had stayed back to lend support to their friends.. The guests had left one by one leaving the two families to deal with their personal issues..

Rathore was still patting Riya's cheeks, talking to her mentioning Arjun's name atleast thrice in a sentence, since that was the only thing she seemed to be responsive to..

 

Every head, at the venue except Riya's, turned around upon hearing a husky voice call out to her.. They saw a man, dressed in a black 3-piece suit struggling to catch his breath..

Riya's parents and Avni were ecstatic to see him back and glanced at Riya.. Rathore saw him and realised he had come back to her forever..
He held her chin up and made her look towards the door, where Arjun stood..

She slowly lifted her eyes and saw him approaching her, one step at a time..
She exhaled sharply and shifted in her seat.. Rathore and Avni helped her to her feet and slowly walked her down the stairs..

Arjun stood a foot away from her and motioned the duo to leave her..
She stood still, eyeing him affectionately for a minute and then slumped down on the floor..

Only Arjun was quicker this time and gathered her in his arms before she could hit the floor.. He let his body slide to the floor taking her along..

He held her by her shoulders and drew her closer, making her lean against him..

He felt her fingers twitch against the fabric of his shirt and slowly rose to his feet cradling her in his arms..
Riya's parents and Rathore led the couple back into the house and up the stairs towards Riya's room.

Arjun lightly placed her on the bed and rolled his eyes, when she clung on to lapels of his jacket..

Avni scurried out of the room and walked in with a bottle of water and an empty glass..
She poured some into the glass and handed it to Arjun..
He sat down on the bed next to her and made her sip some, cradling her in his arms..

Riya's parents exchanged relieved looks and turned to Rathore, who reassured them that things were just fine, now!
They walked out of the room, leaving the couple alone..

Avni adjusted the room temperature and pulled out a comforter from the wardrobe.
She covered Riya with it and handed Arjun the bottle of water,

"Aap bhi pee lijiye.. Di ki toh aadat hai, sabki saans atkaane ki.."

Arjun smiled and looked back at Riya, who had closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into his palm..
He handed her the bottle and thanked her for everything she'd done for them tonight..

She had just turned around to close to door when Arjun called out to her,
"Waise Chutki, tumhari behen ki issi ada pe main bhi flat hoon.."

 

He dimmed the lights and knelt on the floor next to her head and lightly stroked her cheeks.. He saw her swollen eyelids and leaned down to kiss them..

Her eyes flew open that instant and their eyes met.. She flashed him a relieved dimpled smile and he bent down to kiss her forehead..

Tears rolled out of their eyes as the realization finally sank in,