THAT'S NOT ALL

7. NEW CITY-NEW LIFE

It was monday.. as everyone knew, a new forensic specialist was joining the team. All boys were extra eager for everything they had heard of her.. But one man was totally disinterested and was dipped into the case they had. 

Hi. I'm Naina.. I entered the office with a sweet smile on her face.. this was my 1st posting with the most reputed crime branch.. 1st time I was going to help out in finding criminals... And dealing with real stuffs and not just....... 

Shree... Anayta.... Samir... And Kunal introduced themselves one by one... 

"I thot you were 5 in the team... And I'll be the 6th one." I asked. 

Yes you thought it right. Shree jumped on front... The 5th one is Arjun sir.. he's the backbone of the team... The most efficient one... But he's not interested in all this.. so he's inside... You'll see him when we'll go for the case.... I nodded... But a wierd feeling caught my heart after hearing Arjun. My heartbeats paced up like I was near him.... 

"Kunal have you sorted the locations of acquaintances as I told...." He stopped in between as his glance fell on me..... My world shook... My heart skipped a beat. He was staring at me... Fate brought us together again... There he was.. Arjun Malhotra... My Arjun... We were gonna work together.. we... 

"Yes Sir".. Kunal broke the silence forwarding the paper Arun asked for towards him... 

"Arjun, she's Naina... Our new forensic specialist.." Samir said He was still staring at me.. The heat of his stare was piercing through my body.. 

The phone rang and everyone rushed towards the conference room... He got back into the case... And I was left alone in that room in utter silence... I held a chair and somehow sat down.... How would I control myself ......... From not running to him and hugging him tight... From not collapsing into his arms... From not crying my heart out... And apologizing for everything that happened to him because of me... But the thing was... I didn't know his life now... What was going on... What was happening... It's been 5 long years... 

A research specialist became the best ACP... And I didn't know what else had changed. We ignored each other throughout the case and somehow completed the case... 

First few months passed like that. 

One day I got to know that he was going to nearby city... For some meeting regarding a case... I found it the perfect time to know about him... I was sitting with kunal and shree... We three had already started to bond well... Samir and anayta went for a dinner... I casually started asking about every team member since I should know them too... They both started with there stories... And proceeded to samir's and anayta's... I gotta know they were seeing each other... And Arjun sir? I asked curiously... He.... 

The phone rang... Samir sir just gave some important works... And told them that he and anayta will take care of the field.. All the purpose of my question went in vain... Adi had went to a camp so I had no reason to rush back home.. so I stayed helping them.... We completed everything by 2 am... And they proposed to drop me home.... And I agreed....

With lots of courage I again asked... You were telling about Arjun.... Sir.. 

This time kunal answered... What to tell about him.. noone knows him... He stays reserved... He comes for work... Does his work and leave.. All we know is something tragic happened because of which he no longer believes in love.............. 

That last line broke the last piece of my heart, I was holding on throughout... 

"Hadn't he married???" I asked... Lost in there words.... 

"No... He lives alone..." They answered together..... We reached my apartment.. they dropped me and left... It was hard for me to reach the 2nd floor cause all my senses were shaken... I somehow reached inside my house and fell on the sofa.. After staring the roof for the whole night I decided to talk to Arjun... We already lost 5 years, I didn't want to delay it further.... ................................................ 

I reached the office next day.. I hadn't slept the night before but there was no evidence of tiredness in my eyes... He was already there inside the conference room .. briefing the team about the case discussed in their meeting... I went inside my working lab.... And fixed the day routine... I somehow had convinced Samir sir to let me accompany them to the field... I said that it'll help me know the job better as I was new here... And he agreed... 

They 4 had Left so I was Left with Arjun.... We took the XUV ... And left for the field.... I tried to talk to him.. but he didn't let me... He was clearly ignoring me and was avoiding any kind of talk.... We reached there and inspected the field... The case proceeded for 5 days till we caught the culprit.... Everyone was happy as it was a high profile case... But I was broken.... Broken by his ignorance... He was deliberately distancing himself from me.... He wouldn't even see me once... He would change his path, if he even hears my voice.. 

This was painful.... More painful than anything else.... I wanted to ask him why was he doing this??? All I wanted was to talk... I wanted to explain him what happened these years... But he was not ready.... Things just went on like that for almost a year.. There was this silence.. this strangeness that was hurting us both.