Kismat Connection

Part 19

Next morning brought with it a fresh new air......an air of love and colors......Riya woke up to find red roses waiting for her on the table....She couldn't believe what she saw......She got up in a startle and picked it up....it had a note 'Good morning jaanu......yeh phool ki tarah smile karthi rehna.....I love you"........

It was the first time that Arjun had gifted her flowers....and it was the cutest thing that ever happened to her in her life.........She smiled and kissed those flowers......inhaled the fragrance and muttered "I love you too!"

It was the day before diwali and all were in festive mood...Though work was going on full swing, the entire team was also having their quotient of fun time..........Shree was trying his best to catch Sheen online but she was completely offline and wasn't picking up calls or replying to his messages.......She just messaged once..."Very busy.....will chat with you later!!" Shree was pissed off and logged off for the umpteenth time from messenger......"ek baar baat bhi nahi kar sakthi.....itna busy??? Kya kar rahi hogi???"

It was going to be noon and Arjun came back to his room......Riya was all alone and looked disappointed and angry with something.....Offlate, he could read her face very well....all her moods were easily interpreted by him......He came nearer......

"Riya, kya hua?? pareshan lag rahi ho, bathaao kya baat hai??"

Riya: kuch nahi.....

Arjun: jhoot! Kuch toh hai.......aur drama nahi....jaldi jaldi bolo.....

Riya: Sonali ne promise kiya tha ke woh mujhe mehndi lagaa degi.....mehndi cone aur design book bhi laayi thi....dekhiye.....[points to the cone on the table]

Arjun: ok....ab problem kya hai??? lagaa lo na??

Riya: jaise hi lagaane waali thi, Rathod sir ne usse phone karke bulaa liya.....aur woh "paanch minute" bolkar chali gayi......almost 1 hr hogayi!

Arjun: call karo na??? poocho kab tak aayegi....

Riya: dus baar phone kar chukhi hoom....phone switch off aa raha hai.....

Arjun: toh Rathod ko call karo na......iss mein itna problem kya hai??? rukho, main abhi poochtha hoom.....

[Riya gestures "No" but Arjun has already called.....Sameer picks up after a couple of rings...."haan Rawte, bolo".....he sounded a bit irritated with the call....."

Arjun: Sonali kahaan hai??? woh yahaan Riya ko mehndi lagaane aane waali thi....

[Rathod starts to laugh at Arjun's talk....he had never once heard Arjun speaking such things.....except for the case details, they never had casual talks in the recent times....actually such things were never a topic between them......]

Arjun: aisa kya keh diya maine??? Tum itna kyun hass rahe ho Rathod???

Rathod: kuch nahi...just soch raha hoom....tum kitna bathal gaye ho Rawte....maine sapne bhi nahi socha ke tum aise baat bhi kar sakthe ho......

Arjun: [a little annoyed] pakao matth Rathod....Riya sonali ki wait kar rahi thi...isiliye call kiya.....

Rathod: [a bit embarrassed to reply] Sonali abhi busy hai....tum Riya ko manaalo Rawte......[he cuts the call before Arjun could ask further]

Arjun: [looking at the phone and at Riya alternatively] cut kar diya??? Ab isse kya problem hai??? Riya, tum phir kabhi lagaa lo....Sonali ko kuch kaam hai....Woh nahi aayegi.....

Riya: hmmm.....

[But her "hmmm" was enough for Arjun to know how disappointed she was......He came nearer to warm her up.....but she refused to budge......]