CHAPTER 14 - THE NOTE
Short note - The flashback is still going on, and Nil is not there in this. He met her after 4 years...
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Arjun's POV:
'I know who AK is. Meet me at Harry's Coffee tomorrow morning. Only you and Priya Mehra'
I stared at the note for a few moments, flabbergasted.
"How did the person find out we were looking for AK?" I thought suspiciously. "I should tell Mehra," I decided. I immediately dialled her number. She answered almost immediately.
"Hello, Arjun?" she asked.
"I have something very important to tell you, Mehra," I said, my heart beating a mile a minute.
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Priya's POV:
I stopped by a bakery on my way to the centre to get some chocolates for Nila. My phone rang as I was paying for them. It was Arjun.
"Hello, Arjun?" I asked more than said. Why was he calling me now? Hadn't we just spoken a few minutes ago?
"I have something very important to tell you," he declared.
"What is it?" I enquired.
"Where are you?" he countered. "I'll see you in person. This isn't something I can explain on the phone."
"I'm heading to the centre," I replied, nervousness seeping into me. What was so important for him to meet me in person?
"Okay, fine. I'll see you there," he answered back and hung up.
"What is so important that he can't tell me over the phone?" I kept pondering.
When I arrived at the centre, a cheerful Nila embraced me. She inquired about her adoption. She was ecstatic about the whole thing. I was relieved because she was recovering quickly from her disastrous past; all she needed was love and care. After a while, I noticed Arjun approaching us. His long strides got to us faster than I could have walked here. He was holding a package.
"Hey, Nila," he said in a soft voice as he handed her the packet. "How are you?"
I could see her hesitation, but she quickly recognised him. But my mind was focused on the softness of Arjun's voice as he spoke. It was different to see him talking so humbly to someone. It was almost...sexy.
'Get your sense back, moron,' I mentally scolded myself.
"I'm fine," Nila said. "What should I call you?"
"Arjun," he replied chuckling at her innocence. This Arjun was so distinct from the one I know. Where was the obnoxious jerk who is constantly making fun of me? I chuckled as I took in his transformation.
"Why are you laughing?" Arjun inquired with his brows furrowed. Nila was not with us anymore. I saw her in the park in front of us. She was preoccupied with playing, or perhaps attempting to play with new children.
"Nothing. You wanted to tell something important. What is it?" I asked, not wanting to push the previous question of his further.
"Wait," Arjun said, handing me a note. "You'll have to read this first."
I read it as soon as I opened it.
"What?!" I yelled in a state of shock. "How do they know that we are looking for him?"
"That's exactly why I wanted to meet you. I didn't want to take any chances," he said, shrugging.
"We should meet them," I said, looking at the note.
"But what if it's a joke?" Arjun asked.
"I don't believe anyone will try to play with the police. If they did, they should be aware of the consequences as well," I huffed angrily and the aspect that this might be a joke.
"Yes, you're right," he said. "So, Harry's Coffee tomorrow morning," he confirmed.
I gave a nod. We both said our goodbyes to Nila and headed home.
I arrived home and collapsed on the sofa, exhausted. My house was a two-story structure with a well-kept garden that had a variety of plants growing near the wooden fence that marked the boundary of my yard. It was designed by my sister, who was studying interior design. My house was the epitome of a comfortable home.
The living room was large and modernly designed, with navy blue accent chairs and decorative pillows standing out against the soft grey furnishings in a transitional style.
Suddenly, I felt something cold on my throat. A knife?! I became hypervigilant. Has there been a break-in?
"Who are you?" I asked. There was no reply. The grip tightened. I quickly performed my defence technique and snatched the knife away. I pulled my gun out of my holster and pointed it at the intruder.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled at my terrified sister.
"I was just pranking you," she said, her eyes widening at seeing the gun pointed at her.
"If I hadn't been in control, you'd be lying dead on the floor by now," I yelled. How can she act like this? She appeared surprised.
"I'm sorry," she said, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"The next time you do something like this, I will kick your ass," I warned.
"Forget it. How's life?" she asked, huffing.
"Why are you suddenly interested in my life?" I asked, suspiciously. Something isn't right.
"Alright! Mom's curious if you have a boyfriend. She's found you a new match. She bribed me to ask you this question," she explained as she sat beside me, her legs resting on the tea table.
"I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not interested in any match she finds," I said, swatting her legs with my hand. "Put your filthy legs down."
"Fine," she said, throwing her hands in the air in a dramatic gesture. "How about that hottie at your office? What was his name? Ashwin?"
"Arjun," I corrected through gritted teeth.
"Yes, Arjun. Why aren't you pursuing him? He's hot," she said, poking my arm.
"How do you know he's hot?" I asked, curiously. I didn't know that my sister had seen Arjun.
"That means he's hot," she said, a creepy grin on her face. "I saw a picture of him in the papers."
"Oh, I see," I said absentmindedly.
"Do you like him?" she asked with a sly grin.
"No," I responded right away. A little too quickly, in my opinion.
"Why?" she pushed. She's such a nosy knucklehead.
"Because I'm a lesbo," I said, checking my phone casually.
"What the actual...?! Stay away from me! Does Kashi di know about this? I should warn her too," she said, laughing.
"Get out before I throw you out!" I yelled the warning. But that didn't stop her from laughing her ass off.
"By the way," I said, "I wanted to tell you something." She finally put on a serious face.
"I'm going to adopt a child," I explained in a rush.
"What?! Really? Wow!" she exclaimed, delighted.
"I said I was going to adopt a child. Not you," I laughed.
"Whatever the case may be, your child and my child are the same. I'm so happy! We will finally have a sane member in our family," She burst out laughing at her clumsy joke. Weirdo.
"Will Mom and Dad be okay with this?" I asked, concerned.
"Dad will be proud of you. But I don't think Mom will accept this easily," she said with a frown. She was right. My mother was a bit traditional.
"I'll convince her," I said assuringly.
"You'd better. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't work out. Besides, I don't believe you will be pregnant in this life either. You'll die a virgin," she snickered.
"You know what, just haul your ass off my chair and get the hell out!" I yelled.
"Of course, I'm going. I'm not going to stay with this insane virgin ass," she said as she picked up her bag and keys.
"You're acting as if you aren't a virgin," I countered.
"Of course, I am. But I'm not going to be one when I'm your age," she responded with an I'm-great-unlike-you smile.
"Let's see who falls for a nosy bitch like you," I chuckled. She was shooting daggers at me as she stood at the door.
"Anyway," she said, more like ordered, "I want to meet my niece this Sunday."
"Okay, I'll take you as long as you don't do anything stupid," I laughed. She gave me a blank look and got into her car. She was about to drive away when she came to a halt and looked at me.
"I'm taking the choco-chip ice cream and the packet of dairy milk with me," she exclaimed, driving away before I could respond. Those were my favourites.
(The next day morning)
Dark clouds rumbled in the sky as I approached the station and saw Arjun outside. He was dressed in a grey shirt and black pants. He was leaning against his SUV, one hand in his pocket and the other engaged in some phone activity.
"Morning," I wished as I shut the car door.
"Morning. I was waiting for you," he responded while keeping his phone in his pocket. "We should leave now."
"Don't you think it's a little early?" I inquired. It was nine o'clock in the morning.
"No, because we don't know what time he or she is coming. So I figured that we should get there early," he said. I gave him a nod.
Ping
Arjun's phone rang and he received a message.
'I am waiting at the cafe,' it said.
When we reached the location, we rushed into the cafe. We took a look around when we arrived. A server approached us and handed us a note.
'I'm on the terrace,' the note said.
We asked for directions to the terrace and dashed there. We entered through the terrace door which Arjun had thrust open. A man was standing there with his back to us.
"Excuse me?" I said this in an attempt to attract some attention. He turned around, and it was-
"You?" Arjun exclaimed, flabbergasted.
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