Sameer was shocked to see his entire team doing overtime at once. He had known something was fishy the moment he entered the bureau. The excited whispering was not lost to him. Now was the hush that fell over them as soon as he or Arjun walked towards them.
Sameer- "Aaj tum sab ko saath me overtime kyun karna hai?"
Sakshi- "Kyunki hum sab ko kal office se jaldi nikalana hai."
Sameer frowned- "Kyun?"
Ayesha- "Hum sab ko birthday party me jaana hai."
Sameer amused- "Really? Kiska birthday hai kal?"
"Ashi ka." all of them said at once.
The smile dropped from his face. It didn't shock him one bit that the group was invited to her birthday. Her one week in ETF was enough for her to befriend all of them. However what ached his heart was his absence from her birthday party. He couldn't help but relive the past memories.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Flashback (6 years back)
7 years old Ashi was sulking to the moon and back. It was already 7 in the evening. More than half of her birthday gone and Arjun was still not home. She had refused to cut the cake without her dada.
Sameer sat down next to her with a thud. She looked at him sadly and then again looked down, making him sigh.
Sameer- "Come on,kiddo! Aise birthday ke din koi sad hota hai kya?"
Ashi- "Aise birthday ke din kisi ke dada Ghar nahi aate hai kya?"
Sameer gave her a sympathetic look. She was really upset. He took out a chocolate from his pocket and held it out for her. She looked at it but then shook her head. She was not in the mood.
Sameer tickled her sides making her whine. He again tickled her, earning a laugh out of her.
Ashi laughing- "Nahi Karo bhaiya!"
Sameer shrugged, all the while tickling her- "Mai kuch nahi kar raha. Maybe it's a ghost ticking you!"
Ashi tried to get up but Sameer held her back, making her fall down on the couch and continued tickling her. Once he noticed that her breaths started to get heavy, he finally stopped. She glared cutely at him while breathing heavily. He gave her a cute look in return and handed her the chocolate.
She snatched it from his hands and ate it happily. The dopamine did wonders on her ruined mood and she gave him a smile.
Sameer- "Abhi cake cut kar le, kiddo. Your friends are waiting for you."
Ashi shook her head meekly- "Bina dada ke nahi!"
Sameer- "Tere dada ki flight delay ho gayi hai na? Woh aa jayenge thodi der me."
Ashi- "Mai cake bhi thodi der me kaatungi phir."
Sameer looked at the clock. It was already 7:15. The party was supposed to get over by 8. The parents would be flowing in to pick up their kids in a short while and here the birthday girl was refusing from cutting her cake.
Suddenly an idea popped in his mind and he took out his phone.
"Ashi" Arjun's gentle voice called out her name. A smile flashed on her face and she looked at Arjun who was smiling at her.
Arjun- "Kyun sabko pareshan kar rahi hai? Tere bhaiya hai. Vahini hai aur dadu bhi toh hai na? Unke saath cake cut kar le."
Ashi pouted- "Par mujhe aap chahiye! Kidhar ho aap? Jaldi aao na."
Arjun sighed- "Baccha, I am at the Delhi airport. Flight 6 hours delayed hai. Mai nahi aa paunga."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran off to her room. Arjun tried calling for her but she was already gone.
Sameer turned the camera towards himself and glared at his friend.
Sameer- "You are a moron, Arjun Rawte! Kya zarurat thi usse batane ki? Bol dete thodi der me pahuch jaoge and video call pe cake cut karwa lete."
Arjun sighed again- "You really think that would have worked, Sam? I know my child. She would have never agreed!"
Sameer angrily - "Isme bhi Teri galti hai! Itni zidd usne tujhse hi seekhi hai. You have spoilt her."
Arjun gave him a look- "Really? Maine spoil Kiya hai? Jab bhi usse daantata hu toh tu aur teri woh behen beech me aa jate hai uske saviour banane."
Sameer growled- "Stop being a jerk and mana usse chal ke!"
Arjun- "Ab kya tere phone ke par hai ki khud pahuch jaayenge? Apne pairo ka istemal kar aur chal!"
Ashi kept her head on Roshni's lap and was crying bitterly. She wasn't taking the situation well.
Aki-, tried to distract her- "Stop being a crybaby, Ashi!"
But that only worsened the condition. Her cries increased in volumes making Roshni glare at him. He bit his tongue and gave her an apologetic look.
Roshni gently- "Ashi,baccha, aise koi rota hai kya apne birthday Wale din? Tere dada ko kya accha lag raha hoga ki unke wajah se unki princess aise to Rahi hai?"
Ashi shook her head as her tears subsided.
Roshni made her sit up- "Kal jab tere dada aayenge toh hum sab milke unki aache se khabar lenge! Bas Aaj cake cut karle. Please."
Ashi nodded sadly. She didn't how to not listen to her Vahini. She was so gentle and understanding that obeying her came naturally to her. Not out of fear or even respect but out of pure love and adoration.
Sam was standing on the door all this while- "Dekh! Abhi meri behen ki hi burai kar raha tha tu. Teri tarah khadoos nahi hai phir bhi Ashi listens to her more than you!"
Aki interrupted them- "Mere dada khadoos nahi hai!"
Sam ruffled his hair- "Aa gaya dada ka chamcha! Tere dada super khadoos hai, samjhe...ya samjhau!"
Aki poked out his tongue at Sam while Sam raised his hand to whack him but ended up ruffling his hair all over again.
Aki looked at his dada on the screen- "I am missing you, dada! Jaldi aao na."
Arjun smiled- "Kal subah tere uthne se pehle aa jaunga Mai! Promise."
Aki gave him a wide smile at that. By then, Roshni reached the door with Ashi by her side.
Arjun- "Good girl, Ashi! I am proud of you."
Ashi rolled her eyes at her dada and stomped out of the room,sulking. Roshni didn't even look at him and marched out of the room annoyed. Arjun was shocked!
Sam- "All the Best, Rawte!"
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sameer was sitting in his cabin with a hand over his head. Over the years, his bond with his kiddos has seen a major downfall. That day, he had not just lost his sister but also his best friend and his kiddos. He had lost the only family that he had. For the namesake, he had a big family back in Rajasthan but the day he decided that he'll stay back in Mumbai and join the police force, he had become an orphan.
Back then, Arjun was his support system, his sounding board. Someone who stood by his side, no matter what. Roshni, his college friend, someone whom he treated as his own sister, was no less. With Arjun, he had gotten a beautiful family and Roshni had completed that family. Those were their golden days. When they had been truly happy.
But one fateful night and everything changed. It took a turn for the worse. His best friend lost the love of his life, his kiddos lost the only mother they knew and he...he lost his entire family. Blaming Arjun for what happened that night was his way of dealing with his grief. Deep down, he knew that he was taking out all his anger and frustation on the wrong man. He was blaming the man who loved his sister the most for her death. But he could not help it. Not after how Arjun blatantly ignored all his warnings of not messing with Sikandar. Not after how the man let his anger and impulse overpower his logic and rationality. Not after how he unwillingly became the reason for her death.
His kiddos were a completely different story. They were being punished for a sin they never committed. They took lost a lot that day. His friend was no longer the man he used to be once. He was no longer the fun brother who let them run wild or for that fact, the man whose optimism and playfulness made everyone's day better. Arjun Rawte was just a shadow of the Arjun they adored. Yet the kids had to make do. They will have to make do. And he, their bhaiya in the name, was of no help. He didn't approach them then and he does not know how to approach them now. It's been years since he met them. He yearns to meet them every single day but some wishes die as wishes.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door.
Ayesha- "May I come in,sir?"
Sameer blinked away the moisture in his eyes and nodded.
Ayesha- "Sir aapne yeh file mangwayi thi."
Sameer nodded and went through the file.
Ayesha- "Sir aap bhi Aaj overtime kar rahe hai? Aapko Ghar nahi jaana?"
Sameer- "Aaj tum sab yahi ho toh maine socha Mai bhi thoda extra kaam khatam kar lu. Waise kal kitne baje nikalna hai tum sab ko?"
Ayesha- "Shaam 6 baje sir."
Sameer just nodded. He didn't know how else to respond.
Ayesha- "Aap theek toh haina sir?"
Sameer looked up at her and gave her a small smile- "Haan Ayesha. Mujhe kya hoga?"
Ayesha gave him a smile- "Khushiyan baatne se badhti hai sir aur dukh baatne se Kam hota hai." With that she turned to leave his office. Sameer looked at her and called out her name.
Sameer- "Ayesha...Aaj free ho toh dinner pe chale?"
Ayesha's heart skipped a beat at his question. She pressed her lips to control her smile. She turned towards him and gave him a polite smile.
Ayesha- "Sure sir."
^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^^^••••^^
Ashi- "Dadu! Bolo na..aap karoge meri help na?"
Aki glared at her- "Tu agar mujhse hazar baar ek hi sawaal puchegi toh mera jawab nahi badlega Ashi. Na hi mai Teri koi help karunga aur na hi tujhe koi utpatang harkat karne dunga."
Ashi glared back at him- "Mai bhi dekhti hu aap kaise rokte ho mujhe! Dekh Lena aap kal ke baad Dada and Sakshi di will definitely come closer."
Aki's jaws tightened- "Agar tune koi bhi aisi waisi harkat ki toh mujse bura koi nahi hoga."
Ashi sassily- "Aapse bura koi hai bhi nahi."
Aki got up from his spot and took threatening steps towards her. Her eyes widened and she ran away on the other side of the table. Aki chased her across the table in a bid to get ahold of her and show her just how bad he his. He got a hold of her hands but she yanked it away. His hand collided with a glass kept on the table and it fell down shattering into pieces.
Two sets of eyes widened at the broken glass. Ashi glanced at him with a nervous smile while he continued to glare at him. Before he could say anything, Ashi started,
"11 baj rahe hai! Bas 1 ghante me Mera birthday start ho jaayega. Aap mujhe abhi nahi maar sakte."
Aki narrowed his eyes at her- "1 hour is enough for me to thrash you severely, Akshita Rawte!"
Ashi let out a loud shriek and ran towards the living room, colliding straight with someone. She would have fallen if a pair of hands didn't steady her.s
Arjun looked down at her with a frown- "Kya kar rahi hai,Ashi? Ghar me daudne se kitni baar mana Kiya hai Maine tujhe."
By then, Aki too came out chasing her and stopped when he saw his dada. Arjun looked at the duo with a raised eyebrow.
Arjun scolded- "Time dekha hai dono ne? Itni raat me pure Ghar me kyun toofaan macha rakha hai?"
Ashi hugged him- "Dadu maar rahe hai,dada!"
Arjun glared at Aki- "Maine chua bhi nahi isse,dada! She's a liar!"
Ashi dramatically- "Dadu is calling me names!"
Arjun sighed. Neither of them could ever cut him any slack!
Arjun- "5 minute me aaunga Mai dono ke room me! I want both of you in bed or else...Samjhe..ya samjhau?"
They both gave him a wide eyed look and left the living room at once. While Ashi landed straight to her bed, Aki stopped near the kitchen and walked to the table. He looked at the broken pieces of glass and bent down to pick them up.
Arjun- "Yeh kya kar Raha hai Aki?"
Aki- "Glass Tut Gaya mujhse dada. Wahi saaf kar raha hu. Aap dinner karne aate aur aapka dhyaan nahi jaata toh chot lag jaati aapko!"
Arjun walked towards him and made him stand up- "Jaa so jaa! I'll clean it warna tu khud ko chot laga lega."
Aki protested- "Aree I'll clean it dada aap..."
Arjun cut him off with a gentle whack- "Kitni behes karne laga hai tu Aaj kal? Chal bhaag yaha se. I'll clean it. Go!" He nudged him.
Aki sighed and got going. There was no use arguing with his dada. He always did what he wanted to.
The three Rawtes slept peacefully that night unaware of the chaos that was awaiting them.
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