An ocean of memories – an OS by JEALL

Hey there! This is an OS. Hope you like it. Sorry for not posting the next episode of my FF, I can’t take out time really, please wish me luck because I don’t want to get less marks.???

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Arjun looked at his daughter Samaira sleeping peacefully on the bed. He caressed his princess’s hair and slipped out of the room. He went to the kitchen, made a cup of black coffee, and stood at the balcony.

He felt so relaxed, so calm, now that Sam had slept and he had got some personal time. As he looked out at the surroundings and dwelled in the serenity of that moment, he found his thoughts wandering to his wife, Radhika. Samaira was an exact copy of her mother. The same dimples, the same Hazel brown eyes, the same dark black hair, the same high cheekbones. Arjun sighed and started getting images of his past.

…..

Flashback begins…..

“Arjun! Arjun! Wake up you Duffer!”

“Oh God, Radhika. What the hell? Shouting at your best friend early in the morning!”

“So what do you expect me to do? Do your Aarti?”

“Ufffffffff Radhika. Let me sleep, I am really tired.”

“No way you Duffer. Nandini Di sent me to wake you up. Now get up and go get ready. Someone is coming to meet you!”

Arjun finally opened his eyes, rubbed them for a good two minutes and stared at her blankly.

“What?”

“Radhika, you and Nandu will be the death of me. How can a guest be more important than my sleep?” Arjun rolled over and dozed off.

But Radhika was not going to bear it anymore. She went to the bathroom and got a bucket full of water, and threw it in his face.

“AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Radhika laughed while Nandu rushed in hearing arjun scream. She too was stunned looking at arjun’s state and joined in the fun.

Arjun glared at the two angrily and barged put of the room. Radhika had a tough time controlling her laughter.

Arjun’s POV: I will see who is so important that I had to get up to such a treatment by my own best friend.

…..

Downstairs, the guests arrive. Arjun too came there and saw a really pretty girl in a magenta coloured shirt and black tights. God, she looked glamourous. Arjun saw the girl looking at him and both of them blushed.

Nandini – “Samaira, meet him. He is Arjun, my brother and owner of Mehra industries. Arjun, she is Samaira, daughter of Mr. Khanna, the chairman of Khanna enterprises.”

“And I am Radhika, Radhika Mishra, arjun’s best friend since early childhood days.” Radhika comes in with a food tray and beams at the guests. Arjun smiles at her.

“Arjun? Could you take Samaira to your room and talk there? I am sure you guys need some privacy.” Nandini gave him a stern ‘don’t-you-dare-refuse’ look.

“Ummm.. okay. Come, Samaira.”

As Radhika watched them go, she did not like it. She felt really bad seeing Arjun’s closeness to Samaira, and also the way Samaira looked at Arjun.

Radhika’s POV: arjun never lets anyone except me or Nandu inside his room. Then why the hell did he take this new girl? And what is she doing here for god’s sake?

…..

Nandini – “So, how do you like arjun, Mr. Khanna?”

Mr. Khanna – “Your brother is really nice. And of course he is one of the biggest names in the industry.”

Nandini nodded.

…..

There arjun did not know what to say. Samaira too did not utter a single word. Both just kept on fiddling with their phones.

Finally, Samaira spoke up. “Arjun? Are you okay with this decision? I mean we hardly know each other. And everything happened so suddenly that…-”

“Wait, hold on! What decision, Samaira?” Arjun was confused.

“Umm… This marriage relationship…. I mean… -” Samaira seemed surprised that he didn’t get her point.

“What? What did you just say? Say it again, will you?”

“Umm this marriage was actually fixed so early…-”

Samaira gasped as she saw arjun furiously running out of the door.

…..

“Nandu! Nandu!”

“Yes arjun? Why are you shouting?” Nandini got worried.

“What’s this about marriage? You fixed my alliance? Without even giving me a hint? Who gave you the damned authority to decide my life partner?” Arjun screamed.

“Calm down, Samaira is a good girl, she will keep you happy. Also, this marriage will act as a merger of the industry’s two biggest names.” Nandini reasoned with him.

Outside, Radhika who had heard all the commotion, came running in and froze at the word “marriage”.

“I am not getting married for the sake of my business! And the decision is final!”

“But why arjun? Samaira is a good girl. She is of equal status, and will support you always. Also, her-”

“I don’t give a damn, you know. I don’t. Conversation over.” He is about to go out of the room when nandini’s voice stops him.

“Are you in love, arjun?”

Arjun wipes the wetness that forms in his eyes at this question and turns back, “Yes. And before you ask me whether or not that girl will marry me, let me tell you, I don’t even know if she loves me yet.”

…..

Radhika did not know how to react. She had come to the Lake, her and arjun’s favorite hanging out place. She knew arjun would be there.

As she saw him, she realised the million questions in her heart. She had mixed feelings right now. On the one hand, she was happy that arjun had rejected Samaira. On the other, she felt bad knowing that Arjun loved someone. She tried to figure out who it might be.

Arjun sensed her presence and wiped his tears. He puts up a mask of being happy and gave her an artificial smile. Radhika sighed and shook her head.

“No need to pretend, arjun. I know you are upset.” Saying this she is about to hug him but he stands up and moves away.

Radhika is shocked and looks at his retreating figure. He picks up a stone and throws it into the lake. Radhika smiles seeing that he was still the same old Arjun.

Arjun walks to his car and thinks of the happenings. Nandini Di’s last question Echoes in his mind again and again. He thinks of his ill fate, he did not even know if the girl he loved loved him back.
He sees Radhika running up to him and smiles at her cute expression. He opens his arms wide just when Radhika reaches him and hugs her tight and revels in the beauty of the moment.

Radhika breaks the hug and calls him an ugly, rude and egoistic monster. He laughs. Radhika makes a pout and sits in the car. However he gestures her to come out.

…..

“You are now a couple. Please take the blessings of your elders.” The priest said.

The couple got up, held hands and walked to the elders.

“May God bless you, and may you lead a happy married life, Arjun and Radhika. Also, Radhika, welcome to the family, although you have always been a crucial part of it.” Nandini smiled at the couple.

…..

Arjun came into his room and saw Radhika had already changed and was looking at him angrily, with her arms crossed.

“Propose me!”

“What? Didn’t I do that already? How else are you my wife?”

“That was not even a proposal. It was simply yuck. Any other girl would not have accepted it.”

…..

Flashback :

Arjun asked Radhika to come out of the car that day, and hugged her tight.

“I love you Radhika. Please please become my better half. I know you consider me only as a best friend, but please, give it a try?”

“But I already love someone Arjun. I wanted to marry him.”

Arjun felt his world crumbling into pieces.

“Oh. I am sorry I guess I can understand. Just forget what I just said.”

“No I won’t forget. And you will have to bear the punishment now.”

Arjun looked at her sadly and nodded with a yes.

Radhika sat down on her knees and said, “I want to give you a lifelong punishment. Will you marry me, Mr Arjun Mehra?”

Arjun gladly said yes and shook his head vigorously. He made her wear the ring he had bought long back for her, and surprisingly, it fitted her perfectly.

Flashback ends.

…..

“Okay Madam. I will propose. Tell me what to do? Since you seem to be the more romantic one out of us.”

Radhika asked him to sit at her side. He complied willingly. She started telling how he should first buy a good gift and then a bouquet and….

She felt wetness on her lips and sighed. Eventually giving in, she shared a passionate kiss with arjun . They both lay down on the bed and made love.

…..

It was their third wedding anniversary, but Radhika was nowhere to be seen. Arjun kept on calling out for her when he got a call from Nandu saying that she would be late because she was at a Kitty party, and asked him to take care of Radhika as she was not well in the morning. Arjun was perplexed.

He finally broke open the door of the bedroom and saw Radhika lying at the floor. Arjun started weeping and rushed her in his arms to the doctor who lived in their neighborhood.

“Congratulations, Mr Arjun. Your wife is pregnant.”

Arjun went in and hugged Radhika and kissed her all over her face and thanked her for coming in his life and promised to take care of her and her baby when she got irritated and bluntly asked him to shut up.

…..

Radhika was in the labour room, Arjun was standing tensedly outside, with Nandu and Radhika’s parents at his side.

The doctor came out and said, “Congratulations, it’s a girl.” Arjun’s happiness knew no bounds as both families had been wishing for a girl child.

“How is Radhika, doctor?”

“She is doing pretty well. She will regain consciousness within half an hour.”

“Thank you, doctor. I am much indebted to you.”

The doctor patted his shoulder and left.

…..

The scenes were becoming hazy. It was as if someone had blinded Arjun. All he could understand was a lot of voices.

“Get the injection!”

“Check the pulse!”

“See if there is any O+ blood in the stock!”

“Come on, hurry up! She is losing her consciousness!”

“Her BP is dropping really fast!”

“Take the baby to the post natal care centre!”

“Get me the head of the department! The case is becoming serious.”

Arjun could not make head or tail of whatever was happening. One moment, he was walking into the labour room to meet his wife and princess. The next moment, he was being dragged out side while the doctors told each other some incoherent things.

All he knew was that his wife, his Radhika, his better half, his best friend, his life and the mother of his child, was struggling to live. And was seemingly failing at the attempt.

…..

Arjun was brought back to the reality by his princess’s shriek. He rushed to her room and saw she was crying.

“Oh God, what happened?”

“Daddy my Barbie has fallen down. And my teddy threw her.”

Arjun smiled at her pout and was again surprised at the similarity between Samaira and her mother. He picked up her barbie doll and faked scolding her teddy, and tucked the blankets and put her back to sleep.

…..

“You can meet her now.”

Arjun lifelessly went into the general ward and looked at his wife sleeping peacefully, with her long dark black hair spread all over the pillow. He touched her hand and then thought it would be better not to disturb her, as she was already very tired and needed some sleep. A long sleep.

…..

Two days later, he gave fire to his wife’s body. And after completing all the rituals, he went back to the hospital, where his family was still there to take care of the last remaining piece of Radhika, their baby.

The baby had been diagnosed with a rare heart problem and transplant was the only option available. After two days of search, the hospital authorities had finally found a brain dead patient whose heart matched the baby’s.

Arjun went to beg for his daughter’s life from that patient’s family.

He was shocked to see Mr. Khanna and realised that the prospective donor was none other than Samaira, the girl he had refused to marry.

After two hours of coaxing, Mr Khanna relented, on the condition that he would be allowed to meet the baby and also, that she would be named Samaira and that she should call him NANU. Arjun was only too happy to accept this.

…..

At her first birthday, Samaira wore a pink frilly frock. She had started speaking in bits and pieces and finally said something that day, which arjun had been so impatient to hear.

“Ma- maa- ma- maa-” Samaira babbled on.

Arjun rushed to inform Nandini who cried in happiness. Till now, Samaira had pronounced everything but mumma.

…..

As Arjun stopped by Sam’s room and checked in on her a last time, he remembered Radhika.

…..

Flashback:

Arjun and Radhika were celebrating her seventh month of pregnancy when she suddenly turned serious and said, “Arjun? Do you think we will be good parents?”

“Of course. We will be the best parents in the world.”

“How can you be so sure? Suppose we try our best and still fail at it?”

“Radhika, all I know is, we will give our child the utmost love and affection, teach him/her good values, and make a beautiful child out of him/her.”

Radhika smiled and leaned on to his shoulder.

Flashback ends.

…..

“You see Radhika, I kept my promise. WE kept our promise. I know you are not here, but still you watch over her and protect her like a shield.” Arjun looked up at the star-studded night sky.

Almost immediately, a star in the sky seemed to glow brighter.

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So how was it? I won’t give any author’s note. Please forgive me for the typos if any, I am writing this at 4:00 in the morning and am really sleep deficient.

Bye, love you all!?