In the ocean of life, a man lost his willingness to live. His life hung on the thin thread of desire. Desire for REVENGE. However, unbeknownst to him, he was the anchor that supported the life of a certain little girl. Her world revolved around the...
A man in his late twenties was sitting helplessly on the floor with corpse of his wife in his arms. He was covered in the blood of his dead wife. His tears had already dried off a good few minutes back. Her last words rang in his head,
"Ar-Arni ka khayal rakhiyega, Arjun."
The police force entered the backyard with their guns drawn searching for any traces of the killer, Sikandar. Their eyes trailed off to the broken man sitting there caressing the head of a corpse in his arms. At first they didn't even recognise who it was but once they took a closer look of the couple, realisation dawned on them. It was Arjun Suryakant Rawte, the most feared cop in the entire police department. The one who shot first and interrogated later.
However, the man sitting there didn't have a trace of the man they idolised. Sitting over there was a helpless, broken and defeated man who was buried under the guilt of not being able to save the woman whom he vowed to protect.
They tried to detach the dead body from him but one glare from him and they got the message that touching this woman would mean further bruising his already shattered pride. But only Arjun knew that the woman lying there lifelessly was much more than just his pride. She was a part of his heart, a part of his identity, a part of his soul. She was the love of his life. His life.
"Uth Arjun. Ye tutne ka samay nahi hai." a commanding voice said.
Arjun didn't even look up. The voice was way too familiar to need a face for recognition. However, the words did not register. He was too lost in his own grief to pay any heed to his words. He wanted to go to his Roshni. To see her angelic smile. To hug her lively body. He wanted to bring his heart close to hers and kiss her soft lips.
"Arjun!" Kabir tried again but no such luck. He himself was badly shaken. Seeing the lifeless body of the woman he considered his own sister was heartbreaking. But he knew that he couldn't fall weak. His friend needed him to be strong, to help him to become strong for the one who needed his friend to be strong. The innocent soul sleeping peacefully in there has no idea that the loving mother who showered her life on her had no life left. Her mother had left her and her father was broken to the core.
Arjun stood near the burning pyre with an emotionless face. All his emotions had died with his wife. He had himself set his life on fire. He stood their gazing at the hot flames of the fire as if daring it to hurt his wife any further.
"Arjun." Kabir called. "Sambhal khud ko. Woh toh chali gayi par tere paas jeene ki abhi bhi ek bahut badi wajah hai." he said.
"Sikandar ko maarna hi mere jeevan ka lakshya hai. Jis din Mera yeh maksad pura ho Gaya Mai bhi apni Roshni ke paas chala jaunga." he said in a grave voice.
For a moment, the finality in Arjun's voice scared Kabir. He composed himself
"Aur uska Kiya jisse tum dono iss duniya me iss ummeed se laaye the ki tum usse duniya ki saari khushiyan doge?"
"Jab usse laane wali hi iss duniya me nahi Rahi toh uss ummeed ka kya?"
"Toh Mai toh kehta hu ki abhi hi maar do usse. Kyun uss nanhi hi Jaan ko aisi zindagi Deni jisme woh kabhi Khushi na reh paaye?"
"Usse uske haq ki khushiya paane se koi nahi rok sakta par Jo uske haq ka nahi hai usse zyada koi de bhi nahi sakta." he said simply.
Kabir heart ached at his friend's words. The little angel would be deprived of her share of happiness for a crime she did not commit.
Arjun collected the ashes in a holy vessel and covered it with a red cloth. Letting go of those ashes meant that he had accepted the fact that he lost his wife and was now hoping for her to have a peaceful afterlife. But he won't let her leave him so soon. Her peace lied with him so he would keep her ashes with him up until the point he went to her. But that won't be happening until he himself strangled the life out of his wife's killer.
Unbeknownst to him, his vengeance would cost him the love of his wife's living remnant, his only daughter.
3 year old Arnika was lying on the floor furiously throwing her hands and legs in all directions while Kabir and Tanuja were trying their best to control her. She had been crying for her Mumma-Papa ever since she woke up. Subsequently, her cries turned into angry wails and wailing turned into a full fledged tantrum.
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"Arnika." a deep voice boomed throughout the living room. Arni stopped struggling at once. Finally, her papa was here. She got up and ran to him.
She stumbled on her way and would have fallen down if Arjun's strong arms didn't support her little frame. He looked down at her emotionlessly. Her small face was a stark reminder of what he lost. She was an exact replica of her mother except her eyes. Rather than her mother's shiny black eyes, she had inherited his light brown ones.
She started at him with a pair of innocent eyes, he identified as his own.
"Papa, Mumma kidhal hai?" she asked too innocent to register the harm she caused to Arjun's already broken heart with that question.
Tanu came towards them. "Arni, baccha, dekho papa aa gaye na, chalo ab aap kuch kha lo." she said gently.
"NO" she shouted.
"Arnika! You don't shout at others. Apologize!" Arjun ordered harshly, not realising that her tone was the least of his worries.
Arnika flinched. Her papa didn't like her shouting. Last time he heard her shouting, she got a time out..
"Sowwy." she said quietly.
Tanu kept a comforting hand on her head. The little girl had no idea what she had lost.
"Arni wants mumma." she told her.
Tanu looked at Arjun, hoping that he would explain her about her mother's loss but he didn't say a word.
"Aapki mumma bhagwan ji ke pass gayi, baccha." she told her trying her best to contain her tears.
"Kab waapis aayegi?" she asked innocently.
Tanu closed her eyes. How could she explain a 3 year old that her mother would never return. "Aapki mumma na angel thi and bhagwan ji ko angels se bohot pyaar hai. To unhone aapki mumma ko apne paas hi rok liya hai."
"But Arni wants mumma." she said stomping her foot. When she didn't get any response, she stomped her foot again and again preparing to have another round of tantrum.
"Enough!" Arjun said glaring dangerously at her until he was sure that all the protest has left her body. He then turned to Tanu and said,
