Girl Undercover

Chapter 15: A little heart to heart

AALIA'S POV(excerpts from her diary)

My friends were talking among themselves about Arjun, but obviously, while I paced around the very aesthetic living room. Alright, enough. I walk  through the dark passageway towards the stairway that leads to his room.

I knock and quietly walk in. He is sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Every mons.. person has a story. Tell me his." I say.

"Thanks for not calling him a monster." He says and looks up. His eyes are wet but there is no trace of a tear rolling down his cheeks.

"Arjun.." I say and sit next to him, pulling him into my arms.

He hugs back and we just sit like that for a while.

"When my mother was killed, he was broken. I was 10, I don't remember much. She was taken hostage on one of her very dangerous missions. She was then caught by the government of a foreign country. The RAW Disavowed her for the fear of the repercussions. So they tortured her, abused her; Mentally, physically, sexually. Emotionally and then killed her. The RAW was able to get her body back or what remained of it, through some sources. After that my father despised RAW, Hated it, wanted to bring it down." He says. There was so much pain in his eyes that I just couldn't look at him.

"And you never once wanted to avenge her?" I ask.

"I wanted to but then I got this." He passes on a small yellow blood covered chit of paper to me. I open it, there are two lines written on it,

"Today just one sacrifice of yours has saved a million lives. I am proud of you son. I have loved you and I always will."

"Always will." My brothers voice rings in my ears.

"Yes always will. Our families knew each other. There will be a few common words." He says smiling referring to my brother's last letter to me.

I look at him, not realizing I had said that out loud. I just give him a sad smile.

"Your father told us that she died of cancer." I the say.

"He lied though she did have cancer, she dint die of it. There is no record of her in the RAW so you couldn't know about it any which ways." He replies.

"She was beautiful." I say. I had seen her pictures at Mr. Bhatia's place.

"Yes that she was." He takes in a breath. "This letter stopped me from doing anything stupid. I knew what my mum wanted me to do and that was to protect the people of my country. So I am doing just that." He says and smiles.

"Desh prem bhee badee ajeeb cheez hai, kabhee jaan lene par majaboor karatee hai toh kabhee dene par" he says and I freeze. (Its in Hindi: Love for a country is a strange thing, Sometimes it makes you take lives sometimes it makes you give your own life.)

"That is what..." I say but he cuts me off.

"... Your father used to say. You know I feel like I have known you my whole life Aalia. Your brother used to tell me your stories."

I smile at the memory of it all.

He takes my hand in his, looks me straight in the eye and says

"Thank you Aalia."

"why?"

"You kept me alive."

"How?"

"Your stories. I've had days when I wanted it all to end. To kill myself and finish it all. But the girl so young yet so fierce and loyal to the country. Made it easier. Made all the torture worth it to meet you one day." He says with a smitten smile on his face.

"Glad to know, I at least saved one life." I joke.

He laughs. "Did I forget to mention funny and smart too?"

"Stop it or Ill think you're in love with me already."

He just smiles and looks at me.

"It is getting hard not to." He blushes.