Seven years.
Life brought her back to the city where she had lost her everything.
Seven long years... Time was a rather inexpressive measure. It was not as simple as that - It was years of longing, of tears, of hopelessness... Of helplessness - the more she tried to forget, the more she remembered.
And after all those years... she stood in the same room as Him.
It was almost laughable... How life always took you back to square one.
As Salunkhe sir introduced her to the officers standing in the lab, she tried to control her wandering eyes that wanted to settle on him.
...
...
Finally he stood in front of her.
"Senior inspector Abhijeet."
For her, sir's voice faded into the background as their eyes met.
Small, almond shaped brown eyes. She was losing myself in them... After all these years.
'Stop,' she chided herself
His eyes familiar, yet his gaze was strangely unfamiliar.
'Stop, Tarika.'
He stood there, shaking hands with her. His touch warm but distant.
She tried to return his friendly...gentlemanly smile. But she couldn't... she was a mess of emotions.
A day hadn't passed without him crossing her mind... Without her trying to not relive the memories they made.
He was on a mission. She too, was on no less than a mission of endless waiting... Till...
Till he was declared missing in action. And all knew what MIA meant.
It was just a cruel euphemism for... death. At least that's what she thought…until she found out about him, about his memory.
Her fingers awkwardly slipped out of his palm as he pulled his hand back.
I missed you.
I loved you.
...
...
...
I love you.
Words got stuck in her throat. Well, it was their old habit.
"Toh Dr Salunke kya pata chala lash ke bare mei?"
He turned to Dr Salunke, ignoring her completely. He didn't even look back twice. She didn't have ability to keep him staring at her for hours. She didn't make his heart beat faster anymore. She's stranger now, a mere newly joined Forensic expert. She sighed and then looked away from him.
She tried not to but ended up looking at him again and again. He's listening to Dr Salunke very carefully. She moved towards her desk and resumed her unfinished work.
"Toh test kijiye na." He spoke for the first time in entire conversation, making me to look up at him. His voice so rough and tough. He changed. His soft nature had changed.
"Test Tarika kar rahi hai." Salunkhe pointed at her.
Her heart skipped a beat as he looked at her. His eyes so boring and lifeless- made her heart ache. The test tube in her hand threatened to fall down but she held it tighter.
"Inhone tooh aj hi join kia. Unhe thik se pata toh hai na?" He asked.
Was he questioning her ability?
"Don't underestimate her. She's topped the exam and also had two years special training abroad."
"Underestimate nahi kar raha hu. Bas puch raha tha."
He moved near her desk.
"Kya kehtey tests?"
She was at a loss of words. She didn't know what to say.
"Bhaisab," Dr Salunke came to her rescue, "Ye test time consuming hai. Abhi hua nahi. Jab ho jaiga, maiai bata dunga apko. Thik hai?"
She shifted her gaze from Dr Salunke to him. He was looking at her only, with suspicion. She seemed way too nervous. She looked down but still could feel his gaze on her.
His phone rang and picked by breaking his concentration.
"Haan Daya, bolo. Ok. mai ata hu."
He cut the call. She didn't look up but she could tell he's watching her again.
"Mai chalta hu. Test ho jai toh phone pe bata dena result." he said to Dr Sakunke and left the lab.
With his leaving the lab the atmosphere became light, as if a heavy weight from the atmosphere had been lifted. She breathed out deeply. So it'd happened. After so may years. She's been imagining this meeting since weeks, since she'd got her transfer letter. She imagined a lot. It was easier than she thought.
He didn't recognize her
It hurt.
...
…
….
Keys in her hand, she walked towards her car. The day was finally over... She had been looking forward to this time all day. She wouldn't have to face him... Not until tomorrow.
And by tomorrow, she would teach herself to be strong... To be not affected by him.
Slowly she would learn, she hoped.
"Doctor Tarika," she heard a familiar voice.
Doctor Tarika... It echoed in her ears.
So now she would have to get used to him addressing her like that... Professionally - with no emotions, no affection attached.
She sighed.
Well, she couldn't expect anything else, could she? That's all that she was... A colleague.
"Haan." she turned around to face hum.
"Haan ji... Sir," she added.
She reminded herself what she was.
A junior.
That's what she was.
"Hope your first day was a good experience."
She nodded.
He hadn't changed that much after all... He was the same, warm, helpful person that he was.
The only difference was that he wasn't hers anymore.
A man could fall in love once... Twice maybe, she thought.
But could he fall in love twice with the same person?
"Aap Kaha se Hain?" He broke the silence.
"Wo mein Del-delhi se"
"Forensics mein aapko interest kaise Aaya?"
Tarika's eyes widened. Everything in her mind came to frozen halt.
So he started asking her questions about her life... But she couldn't paint a picture of herself without somebody whose hue was mixed with every shade... Every part of her life.
Abhijeet cleared his throat.
"Umm sir... Wo... U.S. forensic institute - "
She half mumbled, failing to arrange her thoughts clearly.
But he just smiled at her. She looked away, embarrassed.
"Doctor Tarika... Do I intimidate you?"
Tarika smiled nostalgically to herself. So his habit of trying to read her still lingered... A good thing or not, it was sure not going to be easy.
"Der ho rahi hai... Sir."
Abhijeet nodded and she got into her car. Her knees weak, she somehow managed to press the accelerator and the clutch.
She drove off. Abhijeet looked at the car disappearing before his eyes. This girl was mysterious. Her behaviour- she's hiding something. She surely was hiding something. Years of job in CID and he wouldn't know when a person was trying to hide something!
Delhi! Hmm, she'd indeed came from Delhi. The biodata said so. Wait! Biodata! He didn't go through that properly but surely it's feeling something strange.
He turned to go back into building when he bumped with Daya.
"Hello, kaha?" said Daya.
"Wo.. ek file bhul gaya le ata hu."
"Kal le lena yaar. Abhi chalo. Mera car servicing ke liye gaya hai.. mujhe lift de do."
Daya dragged Abhijeet with him to his car. They got in.
"Mai khamakhahi etna socch raha hu uske bare mei. Shak karneka bimari ho gaya hai mujhe." he thought and chuckled as he started the car.
"Apneap muskura rahe ho? Kay bat hai? Kahi koi larki ka chakkar toh nahii?" Daya teased him.
"Kya tum bhi. Tujhe pata hai.. mujhe in fizul ki bato mei koi interest nahi."
"Fizul ki bat? Dekhna.. ekdin koi larki aigi or tumse ye tunhare pingere keid kiye huye dil ko chura ke le jaigi."
"Kal koi movie dekh liya kya jo aise batey kar rahe ho."
"Tumne dekhte jao bas. Acah suna hai nai Forensic Doctor jo ai hai kafi khoobsurat hai."
Khoobsurat! oh, now when he thought, she's beautiful indeed.
"Kisne kaha tujhse?"
"Wo, Vivek keh raha tha yaar. Ku nahi hai?"
"Pata nahi.."
"Tumhe keisey pata hoga bhala. Larkio ko dekhna toh pap hai tumhare liye."
"Ho gaya tera?"
"Haan.. wo gaya ajke liye."
Abhijeet shook his disbelievingly.
After dropping Daya Abhijeet reached his house. He freshened up and got in the bed. He closed his eyes. Her face appeared. He sat up with a jerk.
"Etna ku effect kar rahi haai yaar. Mai kuvh jayadahi soch raha hu sayad. Par wo etna nervous ku thi? Bat tak nahi kar rahi thhi thik se. Uff, kal jaldi uthnna hai.. so jata hu."
He lied down leaving his haphazard thoughts away
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