CH 5 || Mine

FLASHBACK(3 MONTHS BACK) CONTINUED.....

Namit

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I never knew that I will ever have to deal with a situation like this one day. But I am thankful that I have these two idiots beside me. So now we are seated in the living room and obviously, they need answers, I too need answers but I don't know whom should I ask. I think I will have to figure it out later but before that, I need to tell Arjun and Dhruv the truth because only they can help me in finding those answers.

"Namit, we are waiting. You said you will tell us everything that's why we stopped bombarding our questions on you. But for that, you have to speak."Arjun said. I can see how worried and anxious they are, and to tell them what happened I have to start from the beginning.

"I saw her in college in Dhruv's section when I went to return his jacket. She was so cheerful, so fun-loving. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I had never seen someone like her. Dhruv was not in the class so I was returning and suddenly a guy came to me running and handed me a book and told me to give this to a girl as he was late for some committee meeting of the college when I looked towards the direction he was pointing, I saw her. He was pointing towards that beautiful girl. Before I could say anything he went away. Suddenly the bell rang and everyone rushed out of the classroom, when I looked towards her seat, she was gone. I opened her book and got to her name.....SAMAIRA." Arjun and Dhruv were looking at me shocked. They glanced at each other for a moment and motioned me to continue my story.

"I thought of returning it to her but I didn't know how as whenever I tried to reach her my heartbeats used to pace faster and I didn't know what to say to her. I also didn't want to misplace her book. So when I saw the class empty one day, I put a sticky note on her desk with my locker number and the information of her book being there. I didn't lock my locker that day and I waited but she didn't come to take the book so I thought she didn't see the note. The next day when I opened the locker the book was gone and I found a Thank You note with a bar of chocolate there. And that's how everything started. We started to communicate like this. I started to put things for her in my locker and used to put a sticky note on her desk to inform her and she used to collect it and she also used to keep things for me there and soon we exchanged our numbers. I bought a new phone and didn't give my new number to anyone. We used to chat for hours. I was already in love with her and falling in deep every day. I knew that she liked me too but we never confessed to each other. As I was helping Dad with work and I have aligned some new projects I was not able to give her time and we started talking less but whenever I got time I used to text her and sometimes even between meetings. It started getting very difficult for me as I was not even able to see her because of office works as I had to skip college most of the time, so I decided to meet her in person. I wanted to confess my feelings to her. I told her I want to meet her as I wanted to tell her something and she agreed as she also wanted to tell me something. I knew she wanted to confess too. We decided to meet each other on spring party night. But on that day everything changed, everything destroyed. I was betrayed, she never had any feelings for me. She was just talking to me for fun."

"You met her that night?" Dhruv asked.

"No, I didn't. I was not in my right mind to meet her."

"Then how did you come to know that she betrayed you.?" this time it was Arjun.

"I received some pictures and a voice note of her saying how she was just playing around."

"Can I see those pictures?" Dhruv asked me. He was looking very furious. I don't know what was the reason but it seemed like Dhruv and Arjun knew something which I was unaware of.

"Wait, I will bring them." I went to my study room and started looking for my laptop in the mess I created in the morning. I found it in a corner of the room. I checked it, the screen was cracked, but luckily it was working.

I went out and opened it. It was tough for me to open that folder again. I don't know why I never deleted those pictures. I never tried to look at those pictures again, I didn't have the courage. Those were pictures of Sama kissing someone.

I opened the folder and didn't look at those pictures and turned my laptop towards them. They were looking at those pictures, actually not looking but observing.

"These pictures are morphed," Arjun said.

"I checked them Arjun, I did ask some professionals to look at them but these are not morphed," I said

"Dude I am a lawyer, I have dealt a lot of cases like this, do you think I won't be able to recognize it? Are you doubting my work?" Arjun was furious.

"No, I am not doubting you.....Do you think I wanted it to be true...Do you even realize how much I wanted these pictures to be morphed? Not even once, not even twice but thrice...I asked three people and they all said the same thing." I so much wanted it not to be true but it wasn't the case. I hit the table hard and was going out when Dhruv asked something and I stopped in my tracks.

"Are you Samaira's Mr.Stranger?" I looked at him. I remember I didn't tell them yet that she used to call me Mr.Stranger as she didn't know my name.

"How do you know that?" I asked him. I was desperate to know.

"First sit and then I will tell you." I sat down and Arjun was busy on his phone.

"Remember I told you there is a girl whom I consider as my sister," he said and I nodded a yes.

"It's Samaira" he added.

"She told me about her Mr.Stranger and how much she.....loved her Mr.Stranger." my eyes widened on his statement. He said she loved me.

"Yes....she loved you.....I warned her that she should not trust anyone whom she has never met, but she was so adamant, she said he is not anybody and he is her Mr.Stranger and she trusts him."

"Then....what....what about those pics...pictures?" I was stammering and trying hard not to cry. I didn't even cry when she left. I just became a ruthless jerk but now when I know she loved me, it's difficult to control my emotions.

"These are morphed and here is the proof," Arjun told me and gave me his phone.

"I asked my assistant to look into it and you know he is professional. See for yourself." The pictures were really morphed. I couldn't believe I tried to hate her all these years for no reason. But what about the recording, I heard her saying she was just playing around. I need to know.

"And what about the recording?" I asked Dhruv.

"What recording?" He asked me. Then I played the recording.

"It was the dialogue of the play. We were about to do that play and these dialogues were of someone else and Samaira was just helping her and reciting those dialogues." And that was it. I tried to hate her just because of some stupid misunderstanding. I didn't even ask her and believed a lie like a fool.

"It means someone played them both," Arjun said, he was shocked. I couldn't understand what was he trying to say. What does he mean by both?

"What do you mean Arjun?"

"Namit.....what about those pictures? Why do you have those pictures?" Dhruv asked me this time to show me that old phone. I told them what happened this morning and how I am still unaware of those pictures....whether it was her or not. Those pictures were of a girl trapped in a dark room and her body was full of bruises. The last picture was a little clear which showed her face. It was my Sama.Shit those pictures...I need to go to India...I need to see if she is ok or not.

"I need to go...I need to check on her...I need to see if...if she is okay or not." I started panicking when I was reminded again of those pictures.

"Namit listen...Namit for God's sake listen." Dhruv was shouting at me but I just wanted to see her. How can I forget about those pictures...I need to go and when I got up Dhruv pushed me and said "She is fine.....Samaira is fine and well. You have to calm down if you want to see her."

"She is fine?" I asked

"yes Namit she is fine and I have recently met her," Dhruv replied.

"What about those pictures?"I asked him.

"Okay, guys now let me speak and not as a friend, but as a lawyer," Arjun said and we both turned to him.

"Dhruv already told me about those pictures and as a lawyer, I have analyzed things so you both have to listen okay," Arjun said and we both nodded.

"So here we go.....Namit saw Samaira and fell in love with her and they started talking and soon Samaira also fell for him, but....someone didn't want them together and he sent some morphed pictures and that audio clip to Namit and this someone was so aware of Namit's every move that he knew he will try to check if the pictures are morphed or not so he sent his own people as professionals and Namit believed them and on the party night someone went to Samaira and told her that her Mr. Stranger is waiting for her at the backside of the college and when she went there she was kidnapped."

"Kid...Kidnapped?"I asked them. I was sweating profusely by then.

"Yes Namit, Samaira was kidnapped," Dhruv said.

"Let me continue guys," Arjun said and continued further.

"So that someone probably wanted to harm Namit, so he sent those pictures to Namit and tried to threaten him that if he wants to save her then he needs to meet that person, but Namit never saw those pictures."

"What exactly happened to her.?" I wanted to know...tears were in my eyes as I was not able to control anymore. I was so frustrated and I turned my hands into a fist. It was difficult to believe something bad happened to her and all because of me.

"She was tortured for a week. She was beaten every day. We tried every way to track her. Her family, friends, I was trying to find her. I even contacted Arjun for the same. Since you already left for London and you were already dealing with your heartbreak I didn't want to bother you so I didn't tell you. I am sorry Namit...if I would have asked for your help that time things won't have turned out like this." Dhruv told me, his face was down but it was very evident that he was hurt, after all, she is like a sister to him.

"She feels guilty that she never got a chance to meet her Mr.Stranger. Even after all this she still thinks she is at fault," he added.

"It's all because of me. I am a ruthless monster. I destroyed everything. I didn't trust her. I detached myself from everyone. I hurt you guys as well. I am not even a good friend." I said I was hurt, my heart was aching and I wasn't able to control my tears.

"Guys it's no one's fault, please stop blaming yourselves. And Namit don't you dare to say that.....You are not only a good friend, but you are also the best brother. We are brothers by heart....you forgot that.....you were always there when I and Dhruv needed you so stop blaming yourself for everything."Arjun said and hugged me and Dhruv also joined.

We pulled away and I asked them "Did you guys find him?"

"He tried to run away and got into an accident and died at the spot. Police were not able to identify him as his face got destroyed. And we couldn't ask Samaira how did he look as she was not in a good state. Since he died the case got closed."Dhruv said.

"How...How is she now?" I asked.

"She is fine....but not the same. It took her one year to become normal. She suffered a lot Namit. Actually, you both were suffering."Dhruv said.

"I will not let her suffer anymore. I will bring back her smile. I will bring my Sama back." I said to them.

And then Arjun's phone rang and he told me it was my uncle. He picked up the phone and put it on speaker.

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Uncle:-" Hi Arjun, have you met Namit today? I have been calling him since morning but he is not picking up and when I called at his office, his secretary informed me that he didn't go to the office today. It's very unusual of him to skip work. Can you check up on him?" Uncle was very worried.

Arjun:- "Uncle, don't worry, I am with Namit and the phone is on speaker."

Namit:- "Hi uncle....sorry....actually I lost my phone and I was out with a client today, that's why I didn't go to the office today. By the way, why did you call this late anything urgent?"

Uncle:-"I was just checking up on you since you were not receiving your call...I will call later my boy."

Namit:- "Uncle please drop the formalities....tell me why did you call?"

Uncle:-"Actually I wanted you to do an interview."

Everyone knows how much I hate being interviewed, those journalists ask so stupid and irrelevant questions.

Namit:-"Uncle you know I don't like being interviewed, and....."

Uncle:-"I know, but Aditi is a famous journalist and a friend of my employee and my employee personally asked if I could arrange and I couldn't say no. That employee is like a daughter to me...."

I wanted to say no again but Dhruv interrupted.

Dhruv:- "Hi Uncle, it's Dhruv...I am also here...Is that journalist Aditi Mehra?"

Uncle:- "Yes.

Dhruv:- "Uncle can you tell me the name of your employee?"

Uncle:- "Samaira...Samaira Kashyap."

It's her. She works in my uncle's company. My Sama works there and my uncle already considers her as his daughter.

Dhruv:- "Don't worry uncle, Namit will do the interview. Right, Namit?" Dhruv asked me as if it was not evident what I wanted. Of course, I will interview my Sama.

Namit:-"Yeah...Yeah...In fact, I would love to."

Uncle:-"Thanks, son.....I will talk to you guys tomorrow.Bye." Uncle said and disconnected the call.

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Now I have to think of a way to get my Sama back.

Aditi was coming for 3 months as she had some work apart from the interview. When she was about to meet me, Arjun and Dhruv already filled her with everything. At first, she was reluctant to help me get my Sama back, as she thought I couldn't even trust her so I am not good for her. She even cancelled the interview. But I went to see her every day, I made every efforts to make her believe me that how much I love my Sama and Arjun and Dhruv were of great help. And at last, she got convinced. We all made a plan and the only thing left is the execution.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"Namit...we reached." I heard uncle's voice and looked at him.

"What....don't tell me you forgot your own house....." he said. I looked around and found out that we reached home.

"No, Uncle I didn't....let's go," I said and stepped out of the car.

Samaira Kashyap, I have come back for you. I will protect you always and love you like no one ever loved anyone but for that, I will have to make you MINE.