Author's Note: Most of my one shots on Abhirika are sequel to each other. "After Love", "Life Is Going On" & now this. Hope you enjoy.
|::| Broken Heart |::|
It was deep dark inside the room. Both Abhijit & Tarika were trying to sleep. Tarika was lying with her back towards Abhijit & Abhijit was looking at the ceiling.
"Tarika, so rahi ho?" he whispered.
"Kyun?" she replied whispering.
"Disturb toh nahi kar raha?"
Tarika turned on the light & turned to face him carefully.
"Ab bolo! Pareshaan ho?" she wanted to know.
"Haan matlab! thoda sa", he mumbled. She gave him a questioning look.
"Tarika mujhe ek bohot important case ki silsile main sheher se bahar jaana hoga. Aur main tumhe iss halat main chodke..-" Tarika cut his words, "Aur tum mujhe chodke nahi jaana chate, hai na?" She sat leaning against the pillows.
"Tarika tumhari tab..."Tarika stopped him. "Main theek hoon Abhijit. Mujhe baas itna bata do tumhe jaana kab hai aur kitne dino ki liye".
"Pata nahi kitni dino ki liye. Aur Tarika, kuch bhi ho sacta hai", when Abhijit said 'kuch bhi ho sacta hai' Tarika felt like she was sitting alone in a deep dark place & everything around her was breaking down.
"Kuch nahi hoga tumhe! Suna tumne? Aur khabardaar agar aisi baatein dobara ki toh", she exclaimed.
"Okay I'm sorry...ab so jao aur chinta bilkul maat karna", he supported her to lie down.
.
Tarika was pregnant of nine months. She needed someone with her. The whole team was ready to stay with her but even all of them could not fill the absence of Abhijit. Tarika knew everything but she also remembered that her husband was a CID officer. He had responsibilities for the country as well as for her. For him duty came first. Work was his only priority but still he loved her, then they had got married & now they were going to become three. Abhijit fulfilled every responsibilities towards Tarika very well. Now it was her turn, she had to let go Abhijit for the mission though he didn't want to go & she needed him. She forced him & finally he was ready to go.
That day on which he had left home, since morning he was feeling restless. He felt like he was going to lose everything. He was standing in front of the mirror when Tarika walked to him. She just had her shower. She stood behind Abhijit & hugged him from back. He turned around & hold her face. Then he took a vermilion box from the table behind him, he opened it and took some between his index and thumb finger & slowly raised his hand and applied vermilion on her forehead. Her eyes filled with tears. She put her head on his chest & he wrapped his hands around her. They stood there silently but their silence kept telling a lot of things they couldn't tell each other the whole time. After Abhijit left Tarika began to feel restless. She felt that she had lost something precious, a very important part of her life. She banged out of her thoughts hearing the door bell. She carefully went to the door & opened it & found Shreya standing outside. She smiled & came inside. Tarika closed the door.
"Mujhe strict instructions diya gaya hai tumhari khayal rakhne ki liye. Toh ab tum baas araam karna thik hai!" Shreya smiled & made Tarika sit on the couch carefully.
.
Fifteen days passed after Abhijit had left the town for the case. Tarika was really worried about him. Abhijit didn't contact with her within these fifteen days but Shreya & Purvi used to tell her that ACP sir had spoken to him & he was alright. Well actually they lied to her because doctor had advised that Tarika should not take any stress. Abhijit was missing. He never called ACP or anyone else. A couple of days later all of a sudden Tarika felt a pain coming. The pain was rising. She called Shreya. Shreya was in the kitchen, listening Tarika shouting she rushed to her room. She found Tarika wincing & breathing heavily. She understood what was happening. She called the ambulance & took her to the nearest hospital as soon as she could. After she had taken Tarika to the hospital the doctors took her inside the labor-room. After a while other members of the team reached there. They heard Tarika screaming. They were talking to each-other anxiously & about an hour later a they were interrupted by the door to Tarika's room opening, and everyone jumped to their feet. The doctor gave them the news, an extreme good news. Tarika had given birth to a baby boy. That news made everyone very happy but they all were also worried because Abhijit was no more. He had an encounter with the terrorists & after that he was missing. A few days later of the encounter the other officers had found his dead body. Leaving all the worries aside they entered in the room with smile on their faces & congratulated her. She was really tired so the doctor told them to wait outside. But before they had left Tarika asked ACP about Abhijit. ACP's face became pale but he handled the situation saying that Abhijit will return within a few days.
.
Outside the labor room Dr Salunkhe was talking to ACP Pradyuman. Both were very anxious about Abhijit & Tarika.
"Pradyuman humare paas aur koi dusra raasta nahi hai", Dr Salunkhe exclaimed.
"Kya matlab hai tera Salunkhe? Tu kehna kya chata hai?" ACP wanted to know what was in his mind.
"Ye tumhe bhi pata hai ki main kya kehna chata hoon. Tarika ko agar ye pata chal gaya ki Abhijit encounter main..." he couldn't say Abhijitwas no more. "Toh wo bardasht nahi kar payegi", Salunkhe explained. "Dekho boss wo mera assistant jaroor hai lekin main ushe apne beti jaisa maanta hoon. Maanta nahi, actually wo mere beti hi hai. Aur main apne beti ko uss haal main nahi dekh sacta, jo ushe sach pata chalne par hoga".
"Toh kya karna chata hai tu? Dhoke main rakhna chata hai ushe? Wo bardasht kar payegi?! Dekh Salunkhe Tarika ka fikar hum sabko hai. Lekin tu jō keh raha hai na wo nahi ho sacta. Areh! Abhijit ki jagah koi aur le hi nahi sacta. Tarika do minute main pehchan jayegi".
"Doctor né kya kaha suna hai na tumne? Boss Tarika ki haalat aur bhi bigar sacta hai", Salunkhe said.
"Hum uski saath dhoka nahi kar sacte. Meri baat samajh Salunkhe!" ACP tried to prevent Salunkhe to do something he shouldn't do.
"Tum mera saath do ya na do mujhe pata hai ki mujhe kya karna hai", saying this Salunkhe rushed somewhere & ACP kept looking at the path he had gone through & thought, " Salunkhe..bohot galat kar raha hai tu, bohot galat!".
.
Tarika's condition wasn't stable. So the doctors didn't discharge her. Two days later, she was sleeping with her baby, lying next to her. When she had opened her eyes, she couldn't believe her own eyes, it was Abhijit standing near the bed. She smiled & he sat next to her.
"Ye Aditya hai na?" he smiled patting his little champ's head lightly.
"Hmm, tum kab aye?" she mumbled as she was really tired.
"Baas! abhi abhi".
"Idhar aao", she said.
"Kyun?" he became uncomfortable.
"Abhijit, idhar aao", she took a deep breath. He lowered his head & Tarika touched his face. It seemed like Abhijit was feeling awkward.
"Ye scar kaisi hai?" she wanted to know & that made Abhijit anxious.
"Wo encounter main lag gaya. Tarika mujhe jaana hoga. Main thodi den main aata hoon", saying this he rushed outside where Dr Salunkhe & ACP Pradyuman was standing silently.
.
Flashback
The previous day, at a slam area. Dr Salunkhe was waiting for someone. He was looking at his wrist watch again & again. After a while he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Itni der kyun laga tumhe?" he asked.
"Kyun bulaya mujhe yahan pe?" the stranger asked.
"Dekho tumhe jō chahia main dunga, lekin ye kaam kar do. Main tumhare aage haat jorta hoon", Salunkhe begged with folded hands in front of him, which made him feel embarrassed.
"Haat jorne ki jarurat nahi hai. Thik hai main karunga magar usko shak toh nahi hoga na?"
"Shayet, lekin humare paas iske ilawa aur koi raasta nahi hai. Main apni beti ko aise takleef main nahi dekh sacta", Salunkhe almost cried.
"Pareshaan maat hoiye. Main apni puri koushish karunga", the stranger assured him.
Flashback over
At the hospital.
"Dekhia doctor sahab, mujhse nahi hoga ye! Main uss ladki ki saath itna bada dhoka nahi kar sacta. Usne mujhe dekhte hi mujhe iss nishaan ki bare main poocha, age pata nahi aur kya kya..." the guy exclaimed.
"Rocky baat samjho! humain bhi accha nahi lag raha iss tarha se Tarika ko dhoke main rakh ke" Salunkhe replied.
"Mujhe kuch nahi samajh na..." ACP cuts his words,"Toh kya aise hi uski haalat bigar né de? Kya ek baar bhi socha hai tumne Rocky, agar Tarika ko kuch ho gaya toh uss masum si bacche ka kya hoga? Anaath ho jayega wo".
"Dekhia main né aap logo ki saath jō bhi kiya uski saja mujhe mil chuka hai, toh phir ye sab mujhse kyun karwana chate hai aap log?" Rocky asked frustrated.
"Kyun ki isse pehle bhi tum Abhijit banne ka natak kar ke hum sabko dhoka de chuke ho. Tumhe Abhijit ki bare main aisi bohot si baat pata hai jō humain bhi nahi pata", he twisted his fingers. " Aur mujhe pata hai ki tum kahin na kahin ek accha insaan ho. Warna tumhari madat hum kabhi nahi mangte. Rocky humain tumpe bharosa hai aur mujhe yakeen hai tum ye bharosa kabhi nahi todoge". Rocky lowered his head, gave a nod & said, "Thik hai".
.
A couple of days later Tarika had been discharged from the hospital & Rocky took her home. Everything seemed to be normal but Tarika felt something strange. She had noticed that Abhijit was behaving really strange. But she didn't get what the matter was. So one day she tried to talk about it with him.
Rocky was having his breakfast. Tarika had made Adi go to sleep & walked to the dining table & sat beside him.
"Kya hua Abhijit, tum aaj kal aisi behave kar rahe ho?" she asked.
"Kaise?" he frowned.
"Tum aaj kal mujhse baat nahi karte, ghar se jaldi chale jaate ho aur raat ko der se aate ho. Baat kya hai? Tum toh aise nahi the", she looked woebegone. Rocky felt something happening inside him. He put his hand on her's & said, "Kuch nahi baas teen case ek saath aa gaya hai, toh kaam thoda jiada hai".
.
That day Rocky went to meet Dr Salunkhe at forensic lab. Seeing him Salunkhe became anxious & took him outside the lab. Rocky told him that it was enough. He couldn't betray her anymore. It was then became impossible for him to do so. Salunkhe tried his best to convince him but failed. When Rocky turned to leave both of them were shocked. Tarika was standing behind with Adi in her lap. She was standing motionless.
"Sir...Abhijit kaha hai?" she asked in a dry bare voice.
"Tarika,..ye Abhi.." she cut his words, "Sir Abhijit kaha hai".
"Tarika meri baat suno beta...", he tried to explain.
"Sir mujhe bataiye Abhijit kaha hai?" she raised her voice & tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Abhijit ab kabhi wapas nahi ayega Tarika", he shouted.
Everything seemed to be frozen around her. She sat on a chair & hugged Adi tightly & cried loudly. Her pain was reflecting on her face. Salunkhe felt like to bang his head on the wall for betraying his little girl. All of a sudden Purvi & ACP Pradyuman entered the lab. Dr Salunkhe had informed ACP about Rocky so he came to talk with him. But he became shocked when he had seen Tarika sitting & crying.
After a while, Tarika stood up & returned to her home & put Adi in his baby cot. She stood in front of the mirror & pulled apart her wedding chain & threw it on the floor. Tarika took her vermillion box & threw it also. The vermillion spread on the floor. She smudged her forehead with both her hands to remove the vermillion & began to sob. She slowly sat on the floor & began to cry, her voice raised & all her pains came out. Adi also began to cry. Tarika stood up, took him & hugged him crying.
.
Five years later
Adi was then five years old. Tarika left Mumbai & went to Delhi. There she had chosen the profession of a school teacher. She never tried to contact with any of the CID members, not even Salunkhe or Rajat. She could never forgive them. They tried to replace Abhijit from her life. And Rocky! how did he do it?! He tried to become Abhijit. What was he thinking! They all betrayed her.
She was happy with her life. Adi gave her the reason to move on in life. Adi meant everything to her. He always kept her busy, the whole day he was like, "Mumma ye, mumma wo"... If Adi wasn't in her life she would have died hearing Abhijit was no more.
Whatever had happened with her, she tried not to remember but Adi was the reflexion of Abhijit. Whenever she became upset she just looked at his face & all her anxiety were vanished & she thought to herself," Zindegi shayet itna bura bhi nahi hai".