Heya, this is the next update. hope you like it.
Also, my exams starting tomorrow. please wish me luck.
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Radhika looks at the lifeless guy in front of her while Ishan starts checking various machines that were there in that room.
Radhika can’t bear it anymore and runs out of the room, keeping her hand on her mouth. She swallows the hard lump that had formed in her throat and looks at the closed door of room no. 304.
“Why God why? Why did you have to do this to me? What wrong had I done that I had to bear and am still bearing this pain?
My best friend Saral can’t even move. He is living not on food and water but on medicines and machines. He doesn’t even know what all has happened in these five years.
Arjun? He hates me! Hates me for something I did not even do. I DID NOT kill his Nandini Di. I can’t even think of killing an ant. Nandini Di was such a good friend of mine! Hell, I was not even there when that incident happened. Only Saral knows the truth. And here, you have sucked the life out of him.
Why are you so cruel God? One proof I had, one sole hope of proving my innocence to Arjun. But no, you had to render me completely support-less. Now I don’t even know what to do! How can I tell arjun something even I am not 100 per cent sure of? It will only make him hate me further!”
Radhika cried profusely. Her tears just refused to stop.
*****
There Arjun is still holding the diary. He is in a dilemma, and is still wondering if it could be a prank.
Nevertheless, he opens the diary and the diary falls. Out comes a photo. He turns it over and is shocked.
*****
Sam cries saying that she lost the last piece of evidence she had. Neil comforts her and tells her not to worry, he will think of a way to track the thief.
Sam’s eyes light up at the word “thief”.
*****
Arjun is shocked to look at himself. It was his photo. Where did that come from?
Wait…. He remembered this one….. Oh yeah! It was on that fresher’s party….
His mind walks down the memory lane……
Flashback starts.
Arjun is getting ready and stares at his reflection in the mirror. He thinks of Radhika and smiles. His roommate (let’s keep him anonymous lol. He doesn’t play much of a role here) sees him and purposefully coughs to draw his attention. Arjun looks at him.
Roommate says “Oh someone is in love” and runs away. Arjun gives him an impossible look and sighs.
However he remembers what his roommate had said and smiles to himself.
Coming to the party, he sees Radhika. She looked like a real life princess of some fairyland. That off-shoulder gown ahhhhh!!!!! Arjun just kept on staring at her.
Radhika too seemed to be searching for someone and arjun felt his heart skip a beat when her eyes stopped at him and she shied away. Arjun could not believe his luck.
Later they dance, it was the best dance of his life ever.
Flashback ends.
Arjun has tears in his eyes and thinks, “Why Radhika why? Why did you do this to me? You had promised me that you will stay with me forever, all my life. But you in fact killed the person who gave me this life! You killed my nandu!” He throws away the diary and walks out of the house in anger.
*****
Radhika stops crying and looks at an idol of Lord Ganesha kept nearby. She walks to Him and lights the lamp.
The flame flickers but she saves it by protecting it with her hands. She remembers something similar had happened in the past too.
Flashback starts.
Arjun comes to Radhika and tells her happily that he had been selected for a walk-in interview at a reputed Delhi firm. Radhika hugs him and asks him to come with her to the Ganesha temple, as she had prayed for his success. Arjun agrees and kisses her on the forehead.
He is going to take out the car however she asks him if they could walk? Because it had been a long time since they had spent some time with each other.
Arjun realises what she said and replies, “I am sorry Radhika, I could not give you time right? From now on, all my time is yours.” He made a pout.
Radhika laughed at his cute antics. She said, “okay, let’s go for now.”
Arjun nods and they walk out, hand in hand.
When they reach the temple, the gates are closed because it was god’s “sleeping time”. Radhika was disappointed but arjun picked her up in his arms and took her to another place.
There was a small temple of bricks that people had themselves constructed under a huge Banyan tree. It had an idol of Ganesha. Radhika got happy and Radhika prayed there and lit the lamp.
As soon as they turned back, the flame got extinguished. Radhika feared that it was a bad omen, her mother had told her so. However arjun dismissed it as a superstition and took her hand and left that place.
Two days later, Nandu died.
Flashback ends.
Radhika wipes a lone tear that had escaped her eye. She sees ishan coming out and asks him if there was any hope. Ishan gives her a dull expression.
*****
Samaira decides it was enough and she needs to talk to Radhika about her past. One thing was clear, the guy she had fallen in love with while at college was none other than Arjun. But what had happened that Arjun had turned into such an obsessed hater of hers? Since the day she had come back, Radhika had been receiving letters and gifts from anonymous addresses. No, not anonymous. Radhika had known all along it was him. That is why she used to dread the sight of all those things and shiver while opening the envelopes or the gift wrappings.
But. Where was Radhika now? She herself had messaged her telling her about Neil’s arrival, and now was nowhere to be seen. True, Mala aunty did not like Neil because of some estranged family relationships, but Radhika and Neil absolutely loved each other. After all, they were cousins.
*****
Ishan : “I am trying my best Radhika, but there’s not much hope. It’s been a long time since he moved last. Could you, if you don’t have a problem, tell me what led to this terrible condition of his?”
Radhika looked at him blankly. Was it worth risking her own health and recalling the past? The last time she had remembered the incident, she had suffered a dreadful panic attack, and had been admitted to the hospital for two weeks. But, at the end of the day she wanted to see Saral alive. She needed her answers. Because, because she wanted her arjun, the old arjun back.
Radhika cringed as the old memories started returning.
Flashback begins…
“You will not go to him! If you love me, you won’t even see his face anymore.”
“But arjun, Saral is just a friend. Why do you have a problem with him?”
“Enough is enough, Radhika. For you, he might be a friend. But for him, you are something entirely different.”
“Arjun, you are just over reacting. There is nothing of that sort. Yes, we are good friends, but Saral doesn’t think of me in any other way. Trust me.”
“Radhika, I trust you. I trust you more than I trust myself. But, saral-”
“Chuck it, Arjun. I am fed up of the same fight everyday. You want me to prove my view?”
“Yes. But I will prove you wrong. If I know him even one percent, Saral will propose you today.”
“You wanna bet?”
“Never bet on something you have no chance of winning at.” Arjun smirked and caressed her cheek.
“We will see,” Radhika angrily stomped off.
…..
She went to Saral, who was at the cafeteria and called out to him.
“Radhika? I thought you were with arjun right? Is everything okay?”
“No! Umm.. I mean yes, no problem.”
“Cool. So, what brings you here?”
“I – I — wanted to ask you something. Be honest, okay?”
“Before you ask me anything, I want to tell you something.”
“Yes?”
“Listen, don’t take me wrong, but- but I — I love you. I mean, I know you are in a relationship with arjun, and I don’t want to come in between, but. I just thought I should confess, so that you know who to come to in case you need a backup option.” Saral grinned sheepishly.
“Wh- what?” Radhika could not believe it.
“Yes. Look we both know my batch is bidding adieu to the college tomorrow. So just before leaving, I thought to tell you the truth.”
Saral sat down on his knees and brought out a rose.
“Radhika, I feel that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know you are in a relationship, but trust me, I love you. I will wait for you … till my last breath.”
Radhika was too numb to be able to speak. Arjun had been right all along. Saral wanted to take their friendship to an entirely different level. He had never considered her as a “just friend”. She looked at the guy bent on his knees in front of her and the next thing she knew, Arjun was right by her side. He held her hand tightly and took her out of that place, leaving her alone after that to organise and make sense of her muddled thoughts.
Flashback ends.
*****
Ishan : But Radhika, how is that related to saral’s present condition?
“I don’t know Ishan, all I know is this is the last memory I have of him. I did not see him after that, ever. He did not turn up for the farewell party, nor had he attended the convocation of his batch. Nobody knew where he went, where he stayed, what he did.
I had lost him, Ishan. I had lost my best friend. I soon made peace with the fact, thinking it was my mistake that I let him fall in love with me, and that his staying away from me was a way of Karma to punish me. Until one day-”
*****
Flashback starts.
“Hello?”
“Hello, who is speaking?”
“Thank God you picked up the call Saral. Where have you been all these years? And-”
“Madam, this is someone else. Mr. Saral has met with an accident, I am the police officer in charge of the case. He is in a serious condition and-”
Radhika was ready halfway through the door.
…..
“How’s he, doctor?”
“Wait, are you Radhika?”
“Yes, but-”
“I am glad you came, the patient has been asking for you since the second he was brought in. He wants to tell you something. Please meet him, we have to begin his operation soon.”
Radhika rushed in while trying to stop herself from choking. Seeing real blood was not her cup of tea.
…..
“Sa- sa- Saral?”
Radhika cried seeing his bloodied face and limbs. Saral moved his head to look at her, with a great difficulty.
“Thank goodness you- you came. I – I wanted to say – that Arjun- Arjun-”
“We have broken up, Saral.” Radhika turned her head sideways to prevent him from seeing her tears.
“Radhika- you don’t-”
“Nandini Di died. Arjun blames me for her death. She and I met with an accident. I rammed my car into hers.”
“Radhika, i- I want to say that- that I know Arjun and you- you guys broke up. But- but I know the truth- the truth behind Nandini’s death. She- she was murdered, you did- did not cause her accident.”
Radhika was shocked. Surely he did not mean what he was saying?
But looking at his pitiable condition, Radhika felt a pang of guilt within herself. How could she doubt him now? Why would he lie to her in this state?
“Listen- I was there- in that mall- Nandini was with this- this tall guy- he was bald- and they were fighting. Then- then they walked to the parking- lot and I followed. But- but before I could do- do anything, he put something- like a tablet- forcefully—- ”
“Tablet?”
“I don’t know- something in her mouth. She- she choked but drove away, crying-”
“Saral, she was there at that cliffside. I rammed my vehicle into hers. She was sitting in that stationary car, and -”
“Will you shut up? I- I am saying the truth. She might- might have been dead already—– and then your cars collided- so there was blood- ”
“Who was that guy, Saral? Who was it?”
“I have no idea. Never- never seen him before- but today I saw him- and he was saying to someone that he – he had successfully ruined arjun- both professionally and personally. Then- I realised that you had been blamed and-”
“Speak up, Saral. Speak up. Please.” Radhika shouted and looked up from the diary she was making notes in.
But Saral did not move after that. And he has been lying in the same position since then.
Flashback ends.
*****
Ishan discovered a new side of Radhika that day. She was still in love with her arjun, despite her vehement refusal to admit the fact.
“And then, the doctors tried whatever they could. But he never regained his consciousness. It’s been five years, Ishan. I do not have a solid proof to prove my innocence to the world. Just like arjun did not have any solid proof against me during the trial.
You know what, I am so lucky to have friends like Sam and Neil, who supported me during those difficult times. And thankfully, my family never even got a whiff of all this.
By the way that reminds me, I have to go somewhere. Please take care of Saral. You are my last hope. And yeah, tell me if you need anything.”
Ishan could do nothing except smile and nod at her.
*****
“Come on, Neil. Please. I am really worried.”
“But Sam, you know this is unethical.”
“Unethical my foot. She might be in some danger. Do you understand? She never switches her phone off.”
“Fine, bring my laptop. Lets see what we can do.”
“Listen Neil, if you don’t track down her location, we won’t know what she is up to. I promise we won’t go to her. Please.”
Neil agreed. He too was getting worried now. Radhika never stayed away from him this long, if she knew he was in town.
*****
Arjun got off his car and came to that familiar spot. The spot which had changed his life five years ago. Turned it upside down. He cringed at the memory and shut his eyes in pain.
*****
Radhika kept on pressing the accelerator but still, to her, the speed was less.
*****
Nesam finally sighed and took a breath of fresh air. They had tracked down her phone successfully.
However as they saw the moving red dot on the laptop screen, they froze. Radhika was going along those same old paths, that too really fast. The paths she had never moved along in the past five years. The paths which had changed her destiny. The paths which had ruined her life.
Nesam looked at each other unbelievably.
“It’s Nandini’s death anniversary. Fifth death anniversary. And she has gone to the cliff.”
As reality hit upon the two, they ran out of their home and jumped into the car.
*****
Radhika came out of her car and looked at the faint outline of the man standing in front of her. As she saw him approaching her, she smiled.
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How was it? Sorry for leaving you hanging again. I think it must be becoming interesting now.
Bye,take care, love you all, don’t forget to comment.