AFTER 3 MONTHS:
Reaching for her vibrating phone, she squinted her eyes while turning the lights on.
7 a.m.
"Really?" She spoke into the phone in her complaining morning voice, "bas Saath bajein Hain Abhijeet. And it's Saturday!"
"Aur sone waali ho?"
Tarika nodded, smiling a little.
"Aise sar hilakar hasogi toh mujhe kaise samajh aayega?"
"Par tumhe samajh aa Gaya na."
"Uff," he dramatised his voice, " I forgot that I am talking to not only a breath-taking beauty but also an extremely intelligent woman against whom I can never win."
Tarika giggled.
"Ab toh hassi aa gayi... Neend Bhi chali gayi. Ab uthengi na aap Tarika ji?"
As he spoke, Tarika felt him smile. It was their Saturday morning drill. Abhijeet would make a wake up call that would last hours. Yes, there was duty but somehow they had managed... Without missing any Saturday.
On other days, they would catch up over text and Abhijeet would drive down to her place every first Friday. He insisted on doing the travelling.
"Tarika ji?"
"Mmmm..." she pretended to be sleepy.
"huh... Not fair at all."
"Mmm hmm..."
"Yaha toh humhe bhaav hi Nahi milta."
"Acha?"
"Aur Nahi toh," he feigned anger.
"Toh boliye... Kyu Hain aap humse khafa?"
"Hum kaun hotein hain aapse khafa hone waale?"
"Aap humare favourite senior inspector Hain..."
"Bus?"
"Aap humare dost Hain..."
"Humph!"
"Sabse kareebi dost se badhkar Hain..."
"Huh!"
"Aap humare cute se Abhijeet Hain..."
"Aur?"
"Dur hokar Bhi aap humare sabse paas Hain..."
"...aur?"
"Aap humare Hain Abhijeet."
"Itna yakeen hai aapko khudpar?"
"khudpar Nahi aap par itna yakeen hai."
"Ab zyaada muskurao mat," Tarika spoke after a brief pause, "warna Daya phir tumhare mazein lega."
"Tumhe kaise pata ki Daya hai mere Saath?"
"Voice call Kiya Tumne video call ki jagah, iska matlab tum field mein ho. Aur araam se baat Kar rahe ho... Matlb Kahi baithe ho aur – "
"Arrey bus bus Tarika ji... Samajh Gaya... Samajh Gaya mein. Kabhi Kabhi toh mein Bhi confused ho jaata ho ki hum dono mein se detective kaun hai."
After they shared a laugh, Abhijeet spoke again.
"Abhi Bhi gussa Hu."
"Toh batao kyun?"
"Waha jaakar subah tumhe khub sone Ka Mann karta hai..." His voice suddenly became whispering one, "Par Yaha toh tumhe mere Saath letna hi Pasand Nahi. 6 baje hi uth jaati ho. Aur mein tumhe rok Bhi Nahi pata humph."
"Achaaaa... Wo kyun?"
"Wo isliye Tarika ji..."
She heard him say 'ek minute abhi aaya' to someone and then she heard the door of a car close. That meant that he had moved to some place private.
"Haan... Toh wo isliye..."
"Hmmm..."
"you bring those soft lips close to my cheeks... And then you slip away from my arms. I just keep staring at that lace underwear...at that teasing skin underneath... And then I think of the things I would do to –"
"oh shut up Abhijeet."
"And while I am left staring at you... You walk away with your sexy hips –"
"Abhijeet..." Tarika felt blood rushing to her cheeks.
"And then I think of how I touched your beautiful self the previous night... How my fingers slipped between the hooks of your bra and how effortlessly –"
"Abhijeet ! Stop!"
"Uh huh. You want me to?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Really."
"alright then."
He smirked. If only she were there to watch that smirk.
"..."
"..."
"Abhijeet?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't..."
"I'm not speaking about it."
"Not that."
"Then what?"
Tarika's cheeks turned crimson from all the blood rushing to them.
"Don't..."
"Don't what?"
"Don't...stop..."
"I have a better idea. What are you wearing right now?"
"Grey shirt."
"Grey?"
Abhijeet tried to remember which shirt she was talking about.
"Yours."
"Did I ever tell you how hot you look in it?"
"Only every time you saw me in it."
"Did I tell you exactly how much?"
"I'm guessing you want to tell me now."
"That depends on what you're wearing inside."
"What if I say nothing?"
"Then I'd say I want to take you... Now!"
"I miss you."
"Me too."
"I...want to..."
"hmm?"
"I want to... Kiss you."
"someone is in the mood."
"thanks to your expertise at setting the mood."
"I wish we could meet sooner but –"
"You're not coming next Friday," Tarika couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.
"Tarika I... I wish I could but I really have to go to Goa."
"When did you know about this Goa thing?"
"Last to last Thursday."
"And you're telling me now?"
"Tarika I wanted to tell you over the phone... And I tried... Last Saturday but I..."
"But you?"
"I didn't want you to... I was just trying to..."
Tarika sighed.
"It's fine."
"Tarika –"
"I said it's fine Abhijeet!"
"You sound angry."
"I'm not."
"Upset?"
"..."
"Disappointed?"
"..."
"Tarika?"
"umm... I have to go Abhijeet... I... Err... Someone is at the door," she lied.
She didn't want him to figure out how disappointed she was.
She looked forward to meeting him all month... Jumping into his arms and kissing him hard... And never letting go. This came like a rude shock and even she couldn't hide her emotions. Not so fast.
"I'll hold like always..."
She heard his voice trail off as she cut the call.
...
...
...
She took a few moments to calm herself.
You've to be his strength Tarika.
His strength, his strength, his strength!
But did it have to be that weekend?
Oh you know his job.
The heart wants what it wants!
You've to be his strength... You've to be strong. For him.
For him.
...
...
Takjng a deep breath, she picked up her phone.
"How much are you going to miss me?" she asked before he could even say hello.
"You're the best."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"You had me worried a while ago."
"You should know me better than that."
"I know you, don't you think?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you closely... "
"Abhijeet."
"Intimately..."
"Don't start again!"
"As much as I'd love to... I've got to run. But I'll video call you in two hours?"
"In two hours."
Tarika smiled. It was going to be another perfect Saturday...away from her lab, away from his bureau, away from their distances... In a world of their own, with just the two of them and the love that binded them.
"And Tarika?"
"Hmm?"
"Keep that shirt on."
A/N : It's so far so good for abhirika. There is a small twist coming up... A minor one.
But this is mainly just for abhirika moments. So just have fun and read. Hope you guys are enjoying .