DECEIVED TOGETHERNESS (Chapter 5)

Hey guys I am back with another update. This one has a new entry. Hope you all like it. Well, about the Arjun/Aryan confusion…it will be cleared in the next chapter. Till then enjoy and please, please do comment.

CHAPTER 5
It has been a week since Radhika last came across Aryan. She had engaged herself completely into work to forget about him. Even though she sometimes went through his file, she got nothing. It was as if everything was planned in there. All her questions answered and no loopholes.
It was eleven by the wall clock and Radhika was sitting at her desk going through some files for a recent lead, when Miss Perkins called her.
“Good morning madam.” Radhika said as she entered her boss’s office.
“Radhika, I need you to go and check it there is any truth in the story. Can you handle that?” Miss Perkin’s asked her handing over a file.
“Yes. I think I can.” Radhika replied in a firm tone.
“Well then, get to work now.”
Radhika went back to her desk and studied the file properly. The story was about theft. There was also an address given and Radhika decided to start from there.
“Southern coral beach.” Radhika said as she got into a cab.
The cab drove off. The beach was located at the southern end of the city. It was a long drive and Radhika loved each moment of it. She loved these journeys where she got her own sweet time to think. She always thought about Arjun and this time it was no exception. As the cool breeze touched her face, mingling with her open hair, she went into a trance right back to the day when Arjun had proposed her.

It was the award ceremony of the LAPD. Arjun was getting the bravery award for solving a very high profile complicated case by taking the risk of his own life. It was a huge gathering and Arjun had insisted Radhika to come. She was sitting at a corner chair feeling very awkward and out of place. She was cursing Arjun for getting her into this situation. She looked around and Arjun was nowhere to be seen. Radhika was in her Indian attire and found it totally inappropriate for the occasion. She was in a plain red sari with black border with no jewellery at all while all the other women out there were in their best. Some in heavy suits while others in sassy designer dresses.
Radhika was in her thoughts when the emcee grabbed her attention. The ceremony started and she eagerly waited for Arjun’s turn.
“Now the next award goes to Mr Arjun Mehra who like a responsible officer had put his duty before himself. He had undertaken great risks for his country and thus succeeded in this almost unattainable mission. So people please put your hands together for Mr Mehra.” the emcee announced.
The room got filled with a heavy round of applause when Arjun got on the stage to receive the medal. He was in his police uniform but Radhika was spellbound. She found him to be very hot at that moment. Well, not only her as she could hear a few gasps as Arjun came on stage. Radhika turned around and saw a group of young girls eyeing him. She frowned at that and turned her gaze towards Arjun. She clapped the loudest in the entire hall and felt truly proud at his achievement. It was then time for him to say a few words.
“Thank you everybody for such an honor. I would like to share a particular experience of mine with you all. When I came back from the mission, my colleagues had asked me if I was scared when I saw death so close to me. I had answered them that I was not frightened and I am pretty sure none believed me. Well, it so happened that when I was standing there in the middle of a group of armed men all pointing their guns at me, I had closed my eyes for a moment and that moment pulled me through. I saw the face of the most beloved person of my life and was determined to come back to her. That determination gave me strength and I fought back. And if you may ask who that person is then I would say that she is a ‘star’, actually a ‘wishing star’ who had come into my life to fulfil all my dreams. She is the one who completes me and I am no one without her. She is the love of my life, the only person I am willing to surrender to, the one who has got me captivated. And she is Radhika Mishra, my personal sunshine.” Arjun’s eyes were brimmed with tears while his smile was soft and revealing. One can easily guess the depth of his emotions just by looking at his face.
Arjun continued, “Radhika, love I know you are here. Please come to me star. I LOVE YOU… you are my life, my everything and I just can’t be without you…”
Arjun hadn’t finished yet when he felt a thud. Radhika had run to him and finally hugged him. Arjun stumbled to maintain balance but at last managed and hugged her back. Radhika was crying. She had been sitting frozen at her seat holding her breath while Arjun confessed his heart. Now she was overcome with emotions and could wait no more.
“I LOVE YOU TOO, handsome.” She chirped still in his arms.
The entire hall broke into a loud applause while they kissed celebrating their new found love.

Radhika was jerked out of her thoughts when the car came to a sudden halt with a deafening sound.
“What happened?” Radhika asked the driver.
“I think the tyre got punctured” replied the worried driver.
Radhika got off from the car. The place was deserted and she didn’t know why but she had a negative vibe coming.
“Madam this is going to take time. The force of the tyre burst tilted the tyre handle” the man said inspecting.
The address was near and so Radhika paid the fare and started to walk there.
Radhika was walking along an empty road with no people and houses but only open fields. She took in the fresh air and let them fill her lungs. She felt fresh.
It had been fifteen minutes before Radhika heard footsteps behind her. She could hear them approach her in an abnormal speed. It was as if someone was running towards her. Radhika stopped abruptly and turned around. To her utter shock there were two men in dark clothing who had just reached her and a silver knife gleamed from one young man’s fist.
“Give us your purse!”
“Now!” they ordered her.
Radhika was stunned and scared. Those two men were drug addicts needing their next fix. And when addicts need money, they would do anything to get it. She started to step back slowly when the one without a knife caught hold of her arms.
“HELP!” she cried out at the top of her lungs while she fought him, tears rushing from terrified eyes. She felt faint but kept fighting him through the dizziness that descended upon her, kicking and hitting. It did no good. She had no training.

All of a sudden the police siren was heard even though the car was nowhere to be seen. Those two men were startled and looked around confused. The sound grew louder and louder and the men got scared. They left Radhika and fled away without even looking back to see if the car was actually coming or not. After they ran away Radhika breathed relief and tried to calm herself down. She was waiting for the police car to arrive but it never did. Out of the blue Radhika saw a car coming with a girl driving it. She stopped the car near her and stepped out. She was tall and slender and was smiling. She came up to her.
“Hi. Are you okay?”
“Yes. But who are you?” Radhika asked puzzled.
“I am Samaira Khanna, your saviour.”
“What?”
“There was no police car around. It was me.” And with that she winked at Radhika.
Now Radhika realised what had actually happened. She smiled and thanked her.
“Not a problem at all. Come, I will drop you home. It is not safe here.”
Radhika felt it was wise to go back home after what happened. She obliged and sat in the car.
“Why were you here?” Samaira asked on the way back to the city.
“Work. You?”
“I was on my way to the city.”
“Thank you. I will never forget the favour. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.”
Samaira was silent for a moment and then she said, “Actually you can help me.”
“How?”
“By suggesting me a place to stay. I am from California and have recently moved here. I have no place to stay. I am presently in a motel but don’t think can stay there for long.”
“You can stay with me. I have my house an hour drive away from the city. I stay alone so it will be good to have some company.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes”
And with that Samaira shifted with Radhika. It was not very long before they became good friends. Samaira was working for a travel agency company. She would often drop Radhika to office and also pick her up. She was too concerned for her safety. Radhika felt like a school kid then but she loved the care and concern Samaira bestowed upon her. She never knew her family and was brought up in an orphanage. So she was deeply affected by these small gestures of Samaira.
The days were happy ones for Radhika but still she would sit with the files each night and try to find a clue that would lead Aryan to be Arjun. But she never got one. It was all so perfect. Radhika sometimes wandered if Aryan was actually Aryan and all of this was true but again her heart never agreed with her logical mind. It was waiting to beat again for that one man who had taken her breath away.