Manmarziyan……. Second Chance Life 16

Hello guys. I know that most of you don’t know me and those who used to know me, will probably have forgot me. If you ask me why I haven’t written for a long time, I don’t really have a good answer other than that of life just happening. I didn’t think that I would write today but by some chance I started writing and couldn’t stop. Probably you all will be hating me for not updating for a long time and for that I really am sorry….
This is the last chapter of SCL and I hope you all enjoy it…. Happy Reading!!!!!

All Radhika could hear was her elevated heart beat. It was as if her heart was trying to escape from within her. What she saw with her own eyes had to be a setup, all she had heard with her own ears had to be lies. She could never imagine some situation like what she found herself in. The fire inside her to bring the culprit behind her own tragedy faded and a new fiery anger burned inside her. She had to put a stop to this. She will put a stop to this. She will take these girls back to their family or die trying. She had no idea what she and Suraj started would end in this. Now she had support of her friends and with them she will show the world the cruel face of their favorite politician.

“We have to help them Arjun. We have to.” Radhika clutched Arjun’s hand tight with her own. Arjun looked down at her. He could see from her strained expression and tight set of jaw that she was having a hard time to process the things that they saw. He knew she felt a need to protect these girls, he also wanted that. But they had to be careful about their every move. From his professional experiences alone he knew that how bad a mission can go when not executed correctly. Just a single misstep from their part could mean that they along with the girls never saw daylight again. Too much depended on their actions.

“We will help them. I promise you. But we have to be careful. Paul did all this right under everyone’s nose. We can’t just barge in and save the day.” Arjun took Radhika’s face in his hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “I am with you. You don’t have to worry. I will keep you and all those girls safe.”

Radhika couldn’t help but smile at him. He was so cute whenever he tried to be the knight in the shining armor. Always ready to help the damsel in distress. Little did he know that this damsel in distress needed no rescuing. But she would keep this particular knight around as she liked him. She started at that realisation. She liked him. No, she loved him. Some time along the way since they have met, his constant presence have won over her dark secrets and nightmares. Now she needed this day to come to a happy ending inorder to tell him that she loved him.

Neil’s voice explaining things to Sam got Radhika out of her startling musings. She looked around her to see that Arjun, Manya and Jai were discussing ways to get Paul to admit to his crimes while they record it. The plan was that Arjun and Radhika will get Paul alone and talk to him as if they were interested in purchasing from him and slowly get him to admit everything without arousing his suspicions, meanwhile Jai and Neil will be around to make sure things don’t go wrong and to save them if things do go wrong. Manya was given the duty of keeping guard, making sure no one is suspicious of them.

They decided to part ways and start their mission. Arjun took Radhika’s hand and they made their way into the hall just in time to see Paul greeting a couple with great enthusiasm. They made their way towards him. As they reached him, he turned towards them with a warm smile as if they were long lost friends. They introduced themselves and inquired if they could discuss business privately. Paul readily agreed and led them off the hall towards a room upstairs. Arjun heard Neil and Jai confirm their positions outside the room through his ear piece. Everything was going according to their plans.

“So let me guess, you want to buy a package from me?” Paul enquired, turning towards them. Radhika could feel her blood boil from the careless and cruel way this callous man denoted the girls. You just wait, Mr. Paul Gilberts. I will make you pay for that. She thought.

Arjun’s face didn’t show any reaction to the term ‘package’ as he answered.

“Yes we would very much like that. So tell me how much is the bargaining price for one girl?” Just as he asked it, he heard static sounds from his ear piece. Neil or Jai or maybe both were trying to say something but their words were drowned in the static sounds. A glance towards Radhika’s face showed that she was also experiencing the same thing.

“What happened?” Paul’s slightly mocking voice said, ” Can’t hear well through that gadget you have lodged in your ear, Mr Sharma?” Both Arjun and Radhika were shocked as Paul continued on in a mocking tone. “Oh you see, the technology has grown so much. The things that one could do is very astounding. For instance, you could make all the amazingly little ear pieces and recorders stop working just by causing an interference. Or you could watch someone without them knowing for so many days or even months. Oooh and my personal favorite, you could bribe the authorities with all the luxuries and technologies in this world to keep and do your dirty work.” He smiled an evil smile. “Say, which one do you prefer? You two, or should I say six, have been so clever, planning this little mission. But what you don’t know is that I am smarter than all of you combined. Now it is time for you to say good bye. Have a nice nap.”

Before they could respond a gas began to fill the room. They saw Paul exit through a side door. Radhika’s eyes began to tear up and she began to choke. Arjun was coughing beside her and then reached for her. She felt panicked just like when she had the accident. But this time she knew for sure that she won’t survive. Arjun left her to try to kick the door open, but to no avail. She felt faint and black spots began appearing before her. She felt light headed and reached for Arjun mumbling his name only to fall back onto the floor. She felt strong arms wrap around her. The last thing she heard before the world went black was the man she love calling out to her. Then there was only peace.

“She will be waking up soon. She just inhaled too much of the harmful fumes. Added to the fact that she was vulnerable due to mental stress, it was a given that her body would shut down. But now she is okay.” The doctor left after smiling at them reassuringly. Neil looked at Arjun and realized that he needed some time alone with Radhika. Neil gathered the others and left after giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Arjun looked at Radhika and felt his heart shrink with pain. He could have lost her today. It was too close. So much has happened since she fainted that it felt like a decade has passed since then. He took a seat beside her bedside and held her hand tightly. He wanted her to wake up now. He wanted to tell her all that he have been meaning to tell her since she fainted. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and wanted to marry her right then if that was possible. He squeezed her hand hoping that he could give some of his strength to her through the contact.

It felt hours have passed before she opened her eyes. He was right there before her and he was the first thing she saw.

“Arjun… What… What happened?” She croaked in a husky voice.

“You fainted.” He got up from his seat and poured her a glass of water. She drank it as if she had not seen water for a decade. He lifted the bottle to pour some more and she shook her head.

“Not that. I meant with Paul. What happened to him?” She asked as she watched him take a seat beside her.

“After you fainted, I was helpless. I wanted to help you but didn’t know how. Just then Sam opened the door. I carried you outside and called an ambulance. while waiting for you to wake up, I learned that Paul was arrested. Apparently Sam does not take orders well. after she heard about the auction, she decided to help us. She sneaked in through the servant quarters and then felt her ear piece go out. She rushed up to save us, since she knew something has gone wrong. She saw Manya tied to a chair and Neil and Jai fighting with Paul’s people. She called the police and rushed to save us. She had her phone with her and started everything as proof for when the police arrived. She was able to record our conversation with Paul and then ducked out of sight as he locked the door. After that she unlocked us.”

“By then the police had arrived and Sam gave them the evidence but only after making a copy in case any corruption occurs. Luckily for us, after a search, the police found the girls involved and now Paul is under arrest.”

“How did he know about our plans?” She asked him.

Arjun grimaced before answering. “He has connections with some police officials in high rank and heard through them that your parents’ and brother’s murder was being reopened due to some threatening letters. He checked upon you regularly and left you alive only because you forgot everything. Paul bribed some officers to get the live feed from the cameras that I set up inside your house. He had been watching our every move.”

Radhika shuddered hearing that and Arjun stroked her hand soothingly.

“I have to tell you something.” They both said at the same time. They looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

“Okay you first.” She said.

Arjun took a deep breath and then exhaled it slowly. He looked at her intently, making her feel like a million butterflies was flying around in her stomach.

“You scared me today. I was so scared when you fainted like that. I have never been so much scared in my entire life. It felt like I couldn’t breathe when you stopped breathing. I was so scared of losing you, losing the best thing in my life, the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Her breath got caught up in her throat. She couldn’t believe her ears. It was as if all her wishes were coming true.

“I love you Radhika. Very much. More than you can ever imagine. You have become my whole world.” He finished talking and after what felt like a long time she smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. It was that smile, that smile that he saw in her photo when he took her case, that smile that he missed when he first met her, that smile that he always wanted to see on her lips, that smile that he swore silently that he will never let leave her lips.

“I love you too Arjun. So much more than anything in my life. You are my life.” She said through happy tears. Arjun smiled his crooked smile, “Well, in that case you better make an honest man out of me and marry me?”

She laughed out loud and agreed by giving him a tight hug.

From that day on, Arjun’s favorite smile never left Radhika’s lips. It was a smile that had no shadows of her past pains, but only the hopes of the sweet moments that were sure to follow.