PART 6
He was running as fast as he could behind her, calling out to her but she was not responding. He called out to her again and again but she did not turn or acknowledge the fact that she had heard him. Why was she running away, he could see her moving further away, he was unable to keep up with her, he called out to her tried to make himself run faster. He heard a gunshot and he fell into an abyss, a never ending dark hole, it had no beginning, no end and no light. Arnav woke up with a start as if he had hit the bottom of the hole he was falling into. Sweat rolling of his brow, he was still in a trance, remembering the past that he had witheld so well until a few days ago. He was out of his bed, his watch saying it was 5 in the morning. He could hardly breathe, as he got dressed.
Within an hour he was at an asleep Khushi's bedside. He sent a tired Anjali home and sat down on the couch still lost in remembrance of the past. The gun shot had realized all the memories he had caged so long ago. He could no longer build the wall again that held back all the hurt and pain he had suffered after his parents death. The Khushi with her her cute smile and attitude had managed to develop cracks in the dam that withheld all the emotions and the incident with Khushi had broken the dam and today he had no power nor energy to fight it or rebuild the dam.
Khushi was staring at a lost Arnav, wondering what was bothering him and like it was with her she wanted to help.thoughtlessly she sprung out of the bed in a second trying to reach to him but the pain that followed her actions was unbearable. She doubled over in pain and a little scream escaped her lips before she could hold it back, breaking Arnav's thoughts. He held her and lead her back to bed a fear in his eyes that she had seen before only for Anjaliji.
"What the... khushi" but the lecture that would have generally followed did not come. "are you ok?" the concern in his voice made her heart melt and she would have said yes even if she had not meant it. She nodded her head, not sure if she could speak yet. His eyes spoke volumes while his lips remained sealed. She read the hurt in his eyes, the pain and the concern, things that he had never voiced once.
Her days at the hospital were lost in a blur, filled with everyone visiting her every day, getting her all her favorite foods and flowers. They visited and left, all except for Arnav. He was mostly at her side leaving for only a while to freshen up or eat. Her days were filled with him and his days with her chatter. As she regained her strength, she regained her ability of incessant talk. She would talk of everything under the sun, the weddings, food, lucknow, food, jiji and more food and he would listen to her patiently and with a tiny smile on his lips interrupting her only when it was time for her medicines or when he thought she needed to rest (or atleast he said so! May be he needed rest).
Arnav's days and nights comprised only of Khushi. He listened to her talks rarely interrupting just enjoying it with amusement at her animation. During the nights he sat besides her, rememebring the fact that she was scared of the dark. He worked only when she was asleep or when she was busy with some visitors.
Seven days of confinement were over and Khushi was as good as ever apart from the mark of the wound and the pain she felt if she over stretched herself. It was time for them to part ways in a way where she would return to her house and Arnav to RM. She was happy to go home while Arnav was reluctant to let her out of his sight. As he voiced his concern to his Di, she just gave a knowing smile and asked him to relax. She needed to go back home so that she could forget the past and move on. He nodded, unconvinced, agreeing only because he received no support.
With this the not so boring hospital days were over and the families decided to start preparing for two weedings instead of one. Akash had confessed of his feelings to Payal and she had accepted his proposal and both families had agreed, mami agreed thought not before much pleading and pleasing. The news had brightened Khushi's day considerably.
