Next morning
She lay in her bed, staring at the high roof with her eyes
wide open. Sakshi hadn't slept a wink all night.
Watching her father's
mutilated body and witnessing his honour being shredded to pieces before her
eyes had scarred her for a lifetime; so much so that the visions haunted her in
her sleep as well. A sleepless night hardly mattered to her now, yet something
was different today.
After a few more
minutes of tossing and turning in bed, she gave in to the temptation and sat
upright clutching the woollen duvet closer. She
had work to do..
Sakshi quickly freshened up and tied her hair into a
ponytail. Wrapping a shawl around herself, she tiptoed out of the house, taking
care to not disturb her uncle sleeping in the next room.
The cool morning air hit her as she stepped into the
verandah and made her way towards her secret spot near the lone mango tree
behind their house. She glanced around once to make sure her secret was well
guarded and took out her cellphone.
While she waited for the person on the other end to answer,
she happened to glance at the faint outline of the Police academy across the
river. The nudging feeling she had been having all night returned.
His steady, unwavering gaze while she walked away had made
her jittery. Though she had initially brushed it aside as a cop's inherent
nature and his kind gesture, the suspicious and inquisitive journalist that she
was, kept telling her to look at it from a different perspective.
Just then a husky voice spoke from the other end, snapping
her out of her thoughts.
"Sakshi! Finally I get to hear you..", a male voice crackled
through the phone.
Sakshi sighed and a faint smile appeared on her face as she
remembered her partner.
"There's a new recruitment at the academy, Jay." She paused
and thought over it for a few seconds, "I met him today."
She knew she had his attention when he cleared his throat
and asked, "What do you need?"
That was the question Sakshi was almost afraid to answer. Her
mind drifted to the last night inevitably.
The stranger's eyes held something
deep in them; an emotion so intense that she couldn't find the right words to
describe it. She felt as though he was guarding a secret or perhaps shielding
himself from the world.
Try as much she did, Sakshi could not get it all out of her
head. Her years of experience and solid intuitions kept hinting at something
far more deep and fishy.
His offering her a lift and then making sure that she
reached home safely displayed his kindness and Sakshi wasn't going to be
ungrateful for it.
However, the fact that he lied about being new to Dhanaulti
didn't go unnoticed by her.
She had caught him twice but didn't let it show. But she
couldn't do away with her suspicions as well. She realised the odds were very
few but her job had taught her that overlooking even a small clue could be
dangerous.
She shook her head dismissing her judgemental convictions
and answered, "I need some concrete information on ACP Rawte."
Sakshi paused to think over her words. His name rang in her
ears several times during the night, but despite trying hard, she couldn't
point a finger at where she'd heard it first.
She released a restless sigh.
Jay heard the name and stared hard at the flooring. He knew
who she was referring to. And if he indeed was present at the Academy, they had
to pull up their socks and figure out why. But now, more than that something
else bothered him.
"Sakshi. You have to be very careful if he is who I think he
is. They say he can read minds and break even the best without even laying a
finger on them.", Jay warned.
"Is it?", pat came the reply. "We have one more reason to be sure of our
success then, Jay. They've sent one of their best to the rescue. Which means.."
Jay interrupted her, "Let's not jump to conclusions already.
But yes, maybe you're right."
He quickly scribbled the name on a notepad and said, "Uh.
Okay. Let me see what comes up. I'll send you the details as soon as possible.
By the way, what happens to your budding friendship with Mrs. Ayesha Rathore?"
Sakshi's eyes widened at the mention of the lady she had
befriended a few months ago. "I've told you this before. She's a really nice
person and I will not use her for gaining an entry into the Academy, Jay. We
have to come up with something else.", she said sternly.
Jay shook his head and stood up, "You're not thinking
straight, Sakshi. You're not there to make friends and I hope you haven't
forgotten that. There's too much at stake."
Sakshi, however didn't need to be reminded of it. She had
made up her mind, "No Jay. I cannot do it. There has to be another way to do it."
She very well understood what the current assignment
demanded of her. Though she wasn't new to faking relationships with her clients
to seek vital and secretive information, she had her own set of principles too.
She was shrewd but not a cheat.
She hated lies and despised liars. It was an irony that she
was in a profession where people seldom spoke the truth and sometimes it was
better that way, she thought.
Lies and deceit were the perfect masks for one to
hide their true self. And she herself was treading along the same path, though
half-heartedly.
He figured he had to trust her on this one, "Fine. But
quick, Sakshi. The clock is ticking. It's been more than 2 months. And you do
realise we're both answerable to people on top. I won't be able to cover for
you if you mess this up."
His words rang loud in her ears, reinserting the hidden
nuances behind them. She replied confidently, "I won't. I cannot fail this
time, Jay."
Soon, the valley was flooded with warm sunshine peeping from
behind the clouds.. Sakshi was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of
ringing temple bells ringing in the distance. She rubbed her arms and walked
back into the house, shrugging her thoughts aside for the time being.
A little while later, as soon as Professor Khanna woke up,
the aroma of ginger tea hit his senses and his feet led him into the kitchen.
Sakshi looked at him and pointed at his cup of tea placed next to his newspaper
on the table behind him.
"Tu phir bazaar jaakar le aayi? Kitni baar kaha hai Sakshi,
main school jaakar padh loonga. Itni thand mein bahar jaane ki kya zaroorat
thi?", the elderly man said scolding her.
"Uffo Mamaji. Mujhe pata hai, jab tak taaza taaza khabar
nahi padh lete, aapka din shuru nahi hota. Aur waise bhi, chai ke liye doodh
toh laana hi tha, saath mein aapka newspaper bhi le aayi.", she replied and
smiled heartily.
Her uncle had his gaze fixed on her as she moved around in
the kitchen, rolling rotis for lunch
and boiling water on the stove for his bath. He felt guilty about the fact that
she was staying back in the village for his sake, leaving behind a job which
she loved and a life that she rightfully deserved.
He had tried his best to coax her into returning back to
Delhi but to no avail. But not anymore..
He looked at her sternly and cleared his throat, "Kab tak
beta? Aur kitne din sacchayi se aur apne aap se bhaagti rahegi?"
He paused when she looked up, "Aap phir se shuru ho gaye? Maine
kaha na aapse, main khush hoon yahan, aapke saath. Mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye.
Aur waise bhi yahan jo aaram hai woh sheher mein kahan?", she winked stretching
her arms playfully.
"Ek rishta aaya hai tere liye.", her uncle stated.
That grabbed her attention, her face paled and she stood up
dusting her flour smeared hands.
Professor Khanna looked at her when she sat next to him.
"Meri baat maan lo, Sakshi. Shaadi kar lo. Aakhir kabtak aise akeli rahogi,
beta?"
When she didn't answer him, he patted her head
affectionately.
She looked at him and asked, "Unn logon ko Papa ke baare
mein bataya aapne?"
The guilty look on his face answered for him.
Sakshi shook her head and held up her hands exasperatedly,
"Papa aur unse judi hui harr baat meri life ka sabse bada sach hai. Sach ko
chupakar naye rishtey nahi jodey jaa sakte na, Mamaji?
Aur batakar bhi kya hoga? Woh mana kar denge na? Toh karne
dijiye. Jo log mere Papa ki respect nahi kar sakte, woh meri kya izzat karenge?
Nayi zindagi shuru karne ke liye, main apni asli pehchaan nahi
chupa sakti, Mamaji."
She paused and inhaled a sharp breath. "Aur waise bhi, ek
deshdrohi ki beti se kaun rishta jodega?"
Her voice softened and had an almost painful edge to it. She
walked back to the stove and began rolling rotis.
Professor Khanna knew that she wouldn't relent easily. He
didn't want to force her into a marriage either. But his ailing body was slowly
giving up.
He knew his little girl too well. She was strong and
pretended to be even stronger, but inside she would shatter if something
happened to him. She had none other to call her own.
Like every other parent, he only wished for her to be happy.
He was hoping that once she resumed her work, got married and settled into a
new life, the bitterness and resentment harboured in her heart would slowly
fade away.
But now, when she refused the fifth marriage proposal
without even considering it even once, he was thoroughly disappointed.
He saw her lift the pail of boiling water as she emptied it
into a bucket for his bath. He took a deep breath and prayed for her.
He wished a day would come when he would see his daughter
marry an honest man; one who would love her unconditionally and shield her from
the world's malice. He hoped there was one man in the big world who would
accept Sakshi for who she was and heal her with his patience and love..
Sakshi stood in front of the mirror, running a brush through
her hair absently. Dismissing proposals and watching disappointment widen on
her uncle's face hurt her as well. She knew he only wanted her to be happy. And
her heart knew how much she ached to be happy, even if it meant just for a moment.
Like every other teenage girl, she too had woven dreams. She
had always wondered if the highly overrated Prince Charming even existed for
real and if he did, Sakshi wanted him all for herself.
She hoped one day she would find a man she could love with
all her heart. Someone, who would be her best friend, a lover and her husband,
all wrapped into one. She wished she had someone who would make her life worth
living for, one she could stand beside during good and bad days.
She had hoped for a happily ever after..
But now that her life was toppled upside down and she had
turned reclusive, shutting out everything that made her feel happy about it,
she only wished she would never meet him.
Sakshi didn't have it in her to bear the brunt of one more
incomplete relationship. She would rather let her heart remain intact and let
it ache for something she could never have than to face it all and sink into
sadness if fate tricked her a second time.
****
Ayesha shook her head and gave them a hard look. The spicy dalia remained untouched while the
two men were engaged in a silent glaring session, under the pretext of scanning
the newspaper for a catchy news.
She tapped her husband's shoulder who lowered the newspaper
and looked at her over his shoulder. "ACP Rathore, aaj koi special occasion hai
ya phir aap chutti lekar ghar par baithnewale hain?", she asked sternly but
with a teasing smile playing on her lips.
Arjun lifted his head too and saw her point at the clock
hanging on the wall. He suppressed a chuckle upon watching his friend's pitiful
state.
The smug smile was wiped off his face when Sameer glared at
him and distracted his wife, directing her towards Arjun.
Ayesha crooked a brow and sat next to him at the table.
Arjun groaned softly and began stabbing at the food on his plate.
"I should have gone to the mess.", he mumbled.
But his sharp ears heard it and Sameer smirked, "Kyun mere
ghar ke khane mein zeher milate hain?"
Ayesha glared at her husband and handed the men a glass of
juice each. "Aaj aapka cereal aur toast nahi bana payi. Bina bataye jo aa gaye
aap."
And then as if remembering something she turned to him again, "Aapko kuch
aur chahiye toh bata dijiyega. Main market ja rahi hoon. Le aungi."
Arjun merely nodded ignoring Sameer's scornful gaze and
began eating, "No. This is really good. Thanks Ayesha."
"Aaj ghar jaldi aa jaana, Sameer. Humein mandir jaana hai.
Sakshi ne kaha tha aaj sham wahan havan hai. I really want to go.", Ayesha
pleaded while handing him his gun and cap.
"You know I won't be able to make it, Ayesha. We're still
struggling with arrangements for the new batch. Aise mein mujhe ek hafte ki
chutti bhi leni hai. Tum chali jaana and I'll join you there.", he said before
glancing at Arjun.
"Waise agar chaaho toh apne dost ko bhi le jaa sakti ho.
Thoda dimaag bhi thanda ho jayega janaab ka issi bahane.", he remarked and drove away towards
the Academy.
Ayesha saw her husband's softened gaze upon his best friend,
when he wasn't looking and knew exactly what Sameer was thinking about.
The night before, after being caught red-handed by her,
Sameer had expressed his concern about Arjun leading a reckless and reclusive
life. As much as he disagreed with him on several things, including DIG Anand's
innocence, he still cared for his well-being.
He wished Arjun would let go of
his stubbornness and start living once again but couldn't get himself to strike
a conversation with his best friend just yet.
Ayesha, however had found a silver lining amidst the gloominess
in Arjun's life. When Sameer too agreed with her, albeit a bit reluctantly, she
took it upon herself to voice it out to him.
A little while later, Ayesha placed his books in the shelves
and turned around admiring her work. Arjun was busy arranging his belongings
into his closet.
His quarters which consisted of a furnished and cozy living
room, an open kitchen and a bedroom overlooking the valley, were just next
door. They were neighbours, with their houses separated only by a wall in the
garden.
The garden was in a bad shape and Ayesha made a mental note
to help him with trimming the grasses and planting a few plants once he was
settled in. The sight of his empty house reminded her of something and she
walked up to him.
Before she could speak, he beat her to it. "Iss jagah se
itna pyaar ho gaya ki ab permanently ghar bhi basa liya yahan?", he asked
sarcastically.
Ayesha ignored it and shook her head, "Of course. Quarters
hain toh kya hua? Ghar toh uske andar rehnewale logon se banta hai na." She
paused when he looked away and said, "Ek baat poochun aapse?"
The softness in her voice forced him to look up. When he
didn't respond to that, she spoke again, "Kab tak aise akele rahenge aap, Sir?"
His hand stopped midway and he drew it back after folding a
shirt neatly. He looked at her with not a hint of anger or offence which
surprised her.
"Mere quarters ko filhaal quarters hi rehne dete hain,
Ayesha. It's better that way", he said casually.
"I don't agree, Sir. Mujhe lagta hai, aapke ghar ko aur
akelepan ko ek saathi ki zaroorat hai. A home is what you need, Arjun.", she
said honestly.
Her seemingly simple words had struck a chord deep within
him. Arjun leaned against the wall and
pondered over what she implied..
It had been years since he had let his mind and heart wander
towards a girl. Not that he wasn't interested in relationships or did not
believe in the institution of marriage, but he simply hadn't had the time for
himself. His training at the academy, his immediate postings and later, his
mentor's tragic death had left him with little time for himself.
Years later, he got so occupied with his own anger and
revenge that he did not want to let in anyone else into his life.
Though he would never accept the fact that Rathore's
abandonment of him hurt him, it also made him feel lonely at times. He was
slowly turning into a recluse and there was very little he could do about it.
Each time he saw Ayesha and Sameer together, he sensed the
void in his life. He too pined for a family of his own but he was afraid.
He didn't want to disappoint a girl, if he couldn't keep up
his promises to her.
He didn't want to hurt that one person who would probably
mean the world to him.
Ayesha saw him lost in thoughts and a slight smile crept up
on her lips. She knew just what he was thinking and hoped he would act on it
soon.
Like her husband, she too wished for him to move past his bitterness and
anger and make a new beginning. Though it seemed difficult for now, Ayesha was
hopeful that he would go back to being the Arjun, she had known and heard only
from stories narrated by Shree and Chottu.
She walked through the now deserted corridor of the Academy,
heading towards her husband's office when her cellphone rang.
She glanced at
the number and quickly answered it, "Hello Ma. Yes, we'll be there for Bhaiya's
engagement. Hum dono kal raat nikal rahe hain."
The mother and daughter's conversation went on for a few
minutes unmindful of the fact that someone else had witnessed it too..
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