|::|The Story Of A Stormy Night|::|

The windows were open and gentle night breeze was blowing outside. Due to the breeze the drawn curtains of the room were fluttering loosely. It was moonlit night and moon light was peeping in the room through the curtains but the room was still dark. A dim light was also trying to dispel the darkness by its faint gleam but failed.

Abhika was lying on the bed, holding a corner of Tarika's dress firmly. Tarika was running her hand in Abhika's head and humming a song. She was trying her best to lull her daughter to sleep but all her efforts went in vain. She found in semi-darkness that Abhika's eyelids were still trembling. Tarika sighed.

"Abhika come on baby, go to sleep. Mom has works to do", she said.

Listening to her mom's soft voice Abhika carefully opened her eyes and found Tarika staring at her. She looked at her mother with her big and guiltful eyes and said, "Mom kya main ek story sun sacti hoon? Please ek last wala."

Her pleading eyes melted Tarika's heart and she kissed on her daughter's forehead.

"Accha thik hai. Ek story aur uski baad aap so jaogi aur mom ko bilkul disturb nahi karogi", Tarika told her and a broad smile curved on the little girls tiny lips.

"Okay!" Abhika exclaimed and put her little hands around her mom's neck. Tarika snuggled up against the pillows and settled herself.

"Mom mujhe wo pappa wali story sunni hai", Abhika demanded.

Listening to her demand Tarika's eyes filled with tears. She turned her face and wiped her tear so that Abhika didn't see her crying. She carefully controlled her emotions but it wasn't easy. As the days were passing it was becoming difficult for Tarika to hide the bitter truth from her little daughter. Abhika always kept asking about her father but Tarika had no answer to give her.

"Um..Abhika aaj na mom lori sunayegi aapko aur story kal sun lena. Pappa wali! Thik hai?" Tarika suggested.

Abhika seemed to be disappointed but gave a nod and hugged her mom tightly and closed her eyes. Tarika wiped her hand over Abhika's cheeks and ran her figures in her hair and hummed a lullaby and soon her loveable daughter fall in sleep. Tarika slowly left the bed and sat on the edge of the window and undrawn the curtains slightly. Her curly locks were brushing on her face due to the breeze. She moved a wisp of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear. She couldn't help letting out a sigh. She leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Flashback

6 years back

The whole team including Forensic Experts were invited to a wedding ceremony of a renowned business person. When they reached, the ceremony already had begun so they went towards the wedding mandap where the couple were taking the wedding bows. The guests were strewing flowers at them and the CID officers also joined them. Tarika was strewing flowers at them and suddenly she felt the loose end of her saree was stuck with something. As she averted her face beside to see what it got stuck with she found Abhijeet. It was stuck with his sherwani. She was shy and she tried to slacken her saree but then her bangles got stuck with his sherwani. Abhijeet smiled mischievously. Tarika was feeling embarrassed and looking around carefully if anyone had noticed them but all were busy with themselves. She blushed scarlet. With a haste she pulled her hand holding the end of her saree and moved near Dr Salunkhe. Abhijeet chuckled himself seeing her so uncomfortable. During the ceremony Tarika stayed along with Salunkhe so that she didn't have to face Abhijeet after that embarrassing situation. They came together but in their owns cars.

So after the wedding ceremony everyone got in their cars and drove off to their homes. Suddenly in the midway Tarika's car stopped as the fuel tank was empty. It was dark and there was nobody around except her. Her heartbeat raised and she kept sitting in the car and she felt like that she was frozen. All of a sudden her eyes went on her phone lying on the seat next to her. She quickly took it and called on the first name of the contact list, "Abhijeet".

"Abhijeet meri car ki fuel khatam ho gayi hai aur main yahan pe...jungle ki paas...kya tum abhi aa sacte ho please", she said hastily.

"Tarika! shant ho jao. Main abhi aya. Kaha ho tum?" he said.

"Haan! Wo...highway se pehle jo jungle hai wahi par hoon. Abhijeet please thoda jaldi karo, mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai. Meri paas gun bhi nahi hai", her voice trembled.

"Haan main abhi aya", he hung up and went to his car. He didn't even bother to change his night suit. He drove off and as fast as he could reached there. Seeing him Tarika got out of her car, locked the car's door and entered his one. In the car Tarika said nothing. Abhijeet tried to start the conversation but she was still feeling a bit shy and she was hesitating a bit cause it was late night. Soon it began to storm suddenly and strong wind was blowing too. Both Abhijeet and Tarika got astonished at the suddenness of the incident. They saw a cottage a little further so Abhijeet drove there swiftly for want of a shelter during the storm. They got out of the car and ran towards the cottage and knocked on the door with a bang but no one replied. Soon it began to rain heavily. Tarika noticed that there was a lock hanging on the door. She took off a clip from her hair and tried to unlock the door but failed.

"Lao idhar main karta hoon", Abhijeet said and took the clip from her. He unlocked the door and both got into the house and bolted the door from inside.

Both were drenched due to heavy rain. Suddenly thunder roared. Tarika had just closed the door and hearing the thunderbolt she turned back with a shiver and accidentally bumped into Abhijeet, who was standing right behind her. He held her arm firmly with one hand and put his other hand around her so that she didn't fell and with one hand Tarika clawed his shirt. Water was still dripping from her forehead to her cheeks and down her chin. "Ouch!" she looked up and found him staring at her. She was uncomfortable from the time she called him and then when she found him so close and staring at her she had a very strange feeling with which she wasn't acquainted with. Her heartbeat was raising at every second. They were never this close to each other. Abhijeet was looking at her without blinking. Her hair was wet and some were covering her face. Abhijeet left her arm and smoothed away a wisp of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear. She closed her eyes and flinched at his touch. Again they heard a clap of thunder and Tarika got a sudden shiver that jerked her body and moved her out of that position. Abhijeet moved a few steps back and she walked near the glass window.

After a while Abhijeet came to her with a towel which he found in a room of the cottage. Even there he couldn't help being investigative. Poor thing! Anyways, giving her the towel he went near the fireplace to set on the all the lights of the house were out.

When he was setting on the fire Tarika came near him slowly. A soft, faint light spread from the fireplace. The light fall on their faces and when Abhijeet turned his face towards her, he saw the unprecedented beauty of her's. She sat on the couch adjacent to the fireplace. She was rubbing her curls with the towel, ruffling them back and forth. Abhijeet didn't want to stare at her but her indefinable beauty made him look at her without blinking. Suddenly Tarika noticed that he was staring at her. She felt a deep sense of shy and embarrassment. She signed him by her eyes to sit down and he leaned himself in the couch beside her. Till than she had wrapped the towel around herself as her saree was all wet and the curves of her body were visible through the chiffon saree which was making her really uncomfortable. His gaze made her blush and her face turned reddish. That increased her beauty much more. He was gazing at her in awe. She stood up and walked near the fireplace and Abhijeet cleared his voice and averted his eyes.

It was still storming and the wind was gusting again and again outside and the glass of the windows were trembling due to strong wind. Tarika walked near the window again and gazed out through the glass window seeing the nature turning wild. And Abhijeet was sitting in the same place as he was. Suddenly Tarika felt her blouse hook was open. She didn't realize it before because she had covered herself with the towel. She was really nervous. She again walked across the room and sat beside Abhijeet. He looked at her and understood something was wrong with her. The nervousness and fear was clearly seen on her face.

"Kya hua, tum pareshaan lag rahi ho?" he asked.

"Kuch nahi!" she replied nervously. But how could she lie to an experienced CID officer. So he asked her again.

"Tarika! tum mujhe bata sakti ho. I mean agar tum batana nahi chahti toh it's okay", he told her, gently. Still she hesitated cause they were never so close that she could tell him but the problem was she couldn't reach the hook. So she told him.

"Wo..ac-tually...wo Abhijeet meri...wo -" she stammered and averted her face. "Meri blouse ki hook khul gayi hai", she said her whole speech in one breath. He got embarrassed as he didn't even think something like that could happen. But he didn't want to embarrass her more.

"Main laga doon?" he asked, raising his one eye-brow. But she couldn't see his expressions as she was staring at the flames of the fireplace nervously.

"Uh! tum..!" she mumbled. He didn't wait for her reply and moved closer to her and removed the towel from her back. Tarika was nervous. Really nervous. She nearly went numb. Abhijeet closed the hook, unhooked it and closed it again. He teased her by touching her bare back, nuzzling. He was so close to her that her bare back could feel his body touching her's. She turned around and found him so close that a shiver went down her spine. She rested her eyes on his face which was getting closer at every second. She tried but couldn't stop him, not even herself though knowing it was not right but it was also true that they loved and trusted each other. He leaned over her and their lips locked. Thunder roared again and they parted. She slowly brushed her lips across his cheek, nose and near his lips. They didn't even realize what were they was mesmerized by her touch.

She stood up and had turned back. He too stood up and walked to her. He put his hands on her shoulder and slid them down feeling every inch of her arms and put them around her waist. Abhijeet kissed Tarika on neck. Tarika who is breathing heavily faced him again twisting herself around. He kissed her on forehead and eyes. As he was about to touch her lips again. Tarika was unable to take the tension and pushed him with a jerk and walked across the living room of the cottage. Abhijeet followed her or should I say she attracted him like magnet attracts iron. She went near a column and stood there holding it with both her hands. He approached towards her continued kissing her on her neck and shoulder and teased her by touching her bare back. Tarika flinched at the touches of his lips. She held his hand with which he was teasing her and put it round her waist and touched his face, not facing him. Touching her finger tip Abhijeet slowly slid down his hand down her arm and turned her towards him. He held up her neck and kissed on the front side of her neck and brushed his lips up to her cheek. Tarika was dazed, confused but she was also wanting to be close to him. Both were completely mesmerized by each other. His kisses made her skin feel weak.

Abhijeet lifted Tarika in arms and walked to the bed-room. Tarika draped her hands around his neck and reaching the room he put her on bed. Lying down on her he pinned her one hand above her head and put his other hand on her waist and she put her hand on his. They were close. Really close. Feeling each other from heart. Abhijeet rolled around and she was then on top of him and Tarika got up from bed. She moved forward but Abhijeet held the end of her saree. As Abhijeet pulled her closer by the end of her saree she had no other way but surrendering herself to him. He sat on the bed and made her sit in front of him and draped her saree around her and nibbled on her ear. Tarika was shivering. So he pulled her closer to his chest and made her lie down again and took off her saree. He pushed him close to her. She flinched and clutched the bed-sheet and her chest heaved and she took heavy breaths. After a while they fall asleep.

Fate brought them together but later on the circumstances tore them apart. May be because God had thought something better for them .

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Author's Note : Phew! Well this is my last story in Fanfiction. So really really hope you liked it. Do review.