“Khushi, what are you
thinking about? Is it last night?” Shweta asked with a worried look on her
face. Khushi turned to look at Shweta, “ No, I was just thinking about how
lucky I am to have a friend like you that is so concerned about me, but you
have nothing to worry about I’m perfectly fine. Now stop worrying so much and
tell me what we’re going to do. You are the one that brought me here.” Khushi
said with a smile on her face as she strolled into the house. She looked around
the house and immediately felt at home. It was nice to stay in a place that
felt like home after such a long time. “Well… maybe we could go shopping. You
need to buy some new clothes because I don’t exactly think you’re going to be
wearing the saris you have for my wedding. Are you?” Shweta asked as she walked
in behind her and closed the door. “Well no. You’re my best friend how can I wear
one of those. Your wedding is still only two months away though...” Khushi
trailed off as if she was deep in thought. “But I suppose I could buy it now
but please can we go tomorrow morning before the conference. I’m a little tired
and just want to rest for a while I’ll go freshen up then maybe we can watch a
movie or something. ” Khushi turned around to walk towards the bathroom when
she stopped in her tracks and turned towards Shweta, “Ummm… I haven’t been here
before can you show me where the bathroom is?” Khushi asked with a sheepish
grin on her face. Shweta laughed and shook her head at her friend’s
childishness. “Follow me,” she said as she walked down the passage.
It had been a long day.
Arnav had been sitting in meetings and conferences the whole day and just
wanted to get home. He slammed on the brakes when he had reached RM. He grabbed
his bag from the front seat and got out the car. He couldn’t stop thinking
about what had happened last night. It had been so long since he’d seen her. He
wanted to touch her, feel her in his arms again but he knew he couldn’t, not
after what he had done to her. He remembered how she had run away from him. He
should’ve known she would do something like that. It was a good thing Sanjana
had called them and told them to come back. He wanted to talk to Khushi, he
wanted to see her again but he knew that after the way she ran away from him,
it was clear she didn’t want to see him. Arnav made his way up the stairs to
the front door. He walked into an empty house, that’s the way it felt. Since
Khushi left there was only silence. The rest of the family members hardly
spoke. Nani hadn’t been very well since Khushi left. She was always worried
about her. She didn’t know where she was and what condition she was in. Last
night Nani’s BP had gone high and Sanjana had called the doctor home. Everybody
had been worried about Nani but she had been like this for a while now. She
wouldn’t talk to anyone and hardly came out of her room. Arnav knew why Sanju
had phoned, it wasn’t because she was completely worried about Nani it was
because she knew Arnav felt responsible for the condition Nani was in.
Arnav walked into his room
put his bag on the table and walked towards Nani’s room. “She won’t speak to
anyone. The doctor just left after doing a check-up. I spoke to her and she
said she wants to be left alone.” He hadn’t seen Sanjana behind him and turned
around when he heard her voice. “I still want to see her,” Arnav said with a stern
voice. “You’re too stubborn, you know that. She doesn’t want to see anyone and
you’ve got nothing to say to her anyways. I don’t see the point.” Sanjana stood
in front of Arnav shaking her head. She couldn’t believe how stubborn her
brother was. This was the reason they got into this mess in the first place.
His stubbornness and the fact that he doesn’t like to listen to anyone always
creates a problem. “I need to tell her Khushi is okay. Maybe then her health
will improve because she’ll stop worrying so much. She has to get better
because I can’t lose anybody else. I’ve lost enough already.” Arnav turned
around to walk towards Nani’s room when he heard anger in Sanjana’s voice. “How
do you know about Khushi? How do you know she’s okay?” Sanjana stormed towards
Arnav as he turned around. “I’ll tell you later, I need to see Nani right now.”
Arnav left Sanjana standing in the hall as he walked away. She was stunned at
what her brother had just said. How did he know about Khushi? She was the only
one that knew where she was because she made sure there was someone there to
take care of her Bhabhi. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.”
Arnav had walked into
Nani’s room and sat down on the bed next to her. She looked so fragile and weak
almost as if she was going to break. “Nani…” Arnav said, his voice breaking.
“What is it Chhote? I told Sanju that I don’t want to talk to anyone but I knew
you were too stubborn to listen.” Arnav looked at his granny with tears in his
eyes as he told her everything that happened the night before. He was on the
verge of breaking down when he put his head in hos granny’s lap as he let the
last stream of tears flow. “It’ll be ok Chhote. Everything will be alright.
She’ll come back one day then everything will be as it was before.” Arnav sat
up and looked at his granny. “Maybe you’re right Nani. Maybe she will come back
one day.” Arnav got up and left Nani alone. He knew she felt better know and
would worry less about Khushi.
“I want answers, Bhaiya and
I want them now. You can’t make excuses anymore.” Arnav was sitting in the
lounge chair next to the pool thinking about Khushi when he heard his sister
behind him. “Answers to what Sanju?” he asked without moving or even looking at
her. “How do you know where Khushi is? When did you see her?” Sanjana asked as
she walked and stood in front him. He looked up at her, “I was in Lucknow with
Sameer yesterday when you called. We were at a cocktail party that Arav was
throwing.” Sanjana stood shocked. She had never expected this to happen. She
sat down on the marble at the edge of the pool as she listened to her brother
telling her what had happened. She couldn’t even imagine how he must be
feeling. After everything he went through when he found out the truth she
didn’t think it could get worse but it looked as if it could right now. By now
Arnav had gotten of the chair and was sitting next to her on the edge of the
pool. She put her arms around her brother and embraced him. She didn’t know
what else to do but she couldn’t let him fall apart. She wouldn’t. She hadn’t
realized that she also had tears streaming down her face. She wiped away her
tears and got up. She needed to be alone for a while and think about everything
that had happened. She was about to walk out the door when she remembered what
she supposed to tell him earlier, “Arnav I forgot to tell you that I can’t
make it for the designers conference tomorrow so you’re going to have to go. I
asked Aakash but he said there were some meetings with Mr Oberoi and he
and Sameer had to go.” Arnav looked at her with pain in his eyes. She could see
that he didn’t want to do anything right now but it was the only distraction he
had. “Okay, I’ll go. Make sure you tell Aman to cancel all meetings for
tomorrow when you get to the office.” Sanjana nodded her head and left him
alone. It was dark now and he could see the stars in the sky. He looked for the
brightest star and whispered an apology to his mother. He wanted her to know
that he was sorry for what he’d done and he’d never repeat the same mistake
again.
Arnav woke up a little
later the next morning because he didn’t have to go to the office. He got out
the shower and put on his suit. He didn’t have much of an appetite and hadn’t
eaten since last night and still left without having breakfast. He walked out
the house and got into the car. He was still thinking about her and didn’t
think he’d be able to concentrate on anything. He had to go back to Lucknow and
find her. He had to tell her he was sorry. She had to know he felt guilty and
knew everything was his fault. He had to tell her that he should’ve trusted
her. He had to tell her that he loved her.
Khushi and Shweta had also
slept in and forgot to set the alarm clock so they were running late. They were
running around the house trying to get dressed and do their hair. When they
were finally ready Shweta had called for taxi to take them to the conference
centre. Khushi was walking out the door while she was putting her scarf around
her neck and felt it bare. She turned around and ran back to her room and grabbed
it off the dresser. How could she have forgotten it? She locked the door on her
way out and got into the taxi. “What happened? Why did you run back inside?”
Khushi opened her hand to reveal the string of black beads on her palm. She
didn’t put sindoor (red powder worn in hair parting as symbol of matrimony) anymore but still wore her mangalsutra (wedding necklace worn by hindu women). She had always
managed to kepp it hidden beneath her scarf and no one had ever noticed.
“You’ve been wearing it all this time and we haven’t noticed?” Khushi nodded
her head, “It doesn’t matter what he did, Shweta. I’m still married to him.”
Shweta smiled at Khushi but she knew there was another reason behind wearing it
but she just couldn’t say it. She still loved him.
They had been in the
conference for about an hour when it finished. When it was done they walked around
the centre looking at the different designs from other companies. They were
walking down the aisle when Khushi saw some of their designs and looked at
Shweta questioningly. “What? They invited us for the conference and asked me to
send a few designs.” Shweta said as she shrugged her shoulders. Khushi rolled
her eyes and Shweta stuck her tongue out at her. Just then her phone rang.
Khushi raised her eyebrows, “And now?” Shweta looked at the caller id on her
phone and looked towards Khushi mouthing sorry as she picked up the call.
“Hello, what Adi?” Shweta asked she walked away from Khushi. Khushi laughed
softly and carried on looking at the other designs when she started feeling a
bit uneasy. She turned around to see if Shweta had come back yet when she walked
into someone. She was about to fall her when someone grabbed her by the arms.
She knew that feeling. It had been a long time but she would never forget. She
turned towards the one who stopped her from falling. She looked up to see those
familiar honey brown eyes and the face that she could never forget.
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