Previous Part 2 - A Warning Sign
Hey everyone, so I'm not home for a few weeks and internet connection here is very very limited so prepare youselves for slow updates! I just had to watch three episodes of IPKKND in a row because I am so so busy and on top of that internet connectivity is horrible so ... anyway, here is part three to my short story, thank you for the awesome response to the first two parts, I am glad you have all enjoyed the story so far. I warn you of high angst so do prepare yourselves. I have decided to make this SS with five parts, so all will be revealed before then, bear with me please. Anyone wanting PM's please BUDDY me. Thank you all for reading x
Part 3 - Cracks in the Pavement
She stepped out of the car and turned around to face him, looking into the eyes that made her breath catch, she lied through her teeth.
"He said everything was fine"
She shook from guilt as she lied straight to his face, staring right into those eyes that she somehow knew would trust her every word.
She turned on her heel and walked up the narrow road before he got a chance to change her mind, hearing the engine of his car rev up once she was inside.
Walking in through the wooden door she looked over at her Buaji who was surprisingly calm considering how Khushi had left her that morning. She watched her mother and sister fuss over cooking in the kitchen and her Babuji watch all the commotion from within the confines of his wheelchair. The tears pricked away at her eyes and she ran to her room, locking the door behind her and breaking down in tears at all that had gone wrong.
What felt like hours later found Khushi finally unlocking the door to the room she had stayed undisturbed in all afternoon to wash her face rid of all the tear marks, glad that the colour of her dress matched that of the drops of blood that had stained it, camouflaging the cause of her pain. She took up the seat in front of her Devi Maiyya, and for the first time in her life, found that she had no words to say.
"Were you supposed to go see Anjali ji this morning?" Payal called, causing Khushi to look up from the statue she had been staring at.
"Huh? Anjali ji? Yes, yes I was meant to go see her but.." Khushi started.
"She called, she said there is no need for you to come over because she got everything arranged, she just wanted your help in picking some things out for the party she is throwing me and Aakash tomorrow!" Payal chimed, excitement evident in her voice "Can you believe this? I only just got engaged to him and another party, Khushi, help me pick out something to wear, Aakash is going to be there!" she jumped, pulling Khushi up out of the chair.
Arnav is going to be there - she thought, letting Payal drag her out of her misery as she thought of her family and how she would do anything to keep them happy. Happy and safe.
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Please do listen as you go along😊
Looking at herself through the lights in the mirror she felt like she was watching the image of someone else. Everything had felt so different ever since the morning before. Every moment seemed extraordinary, every second so uncertain, everything she had taken for granted seemed to stand out to her, caught like dust through a ray of light, every single speck blinded her with its shine.
"My sister is beautiful" Payal said, sneaking up behind Khushi and placing her hands on her shoulders, admiring Khushi in a green and red anarkali dress with a decorated neckline. It dipped low under her neck and looped around her narrow back, flashing her pale skin with her hair tied up in a loose bun with messy curls of soft hair falling around her face.
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He could still feel that dread, ever since he had walked away from her yesterday morning that feeling had been looming around him, unable to shake it off even after hearing she was okay from her, he realised that something was definitely wrong.
He watched her as she greeted his family and smiled. Fake and elastic, it stretched across her face but didn't reach her eyes.
She darted out of his sight before he even had the chance to say anything, towards the masses of people gathered in the sitting area, where the loud music beat against their ears. He followed her footsteps to find her standing in the corner of the room, but every time he found he tried to approach her, she either rushed away, or he was interrupted by a guest who he would brush off politely.
About an hour later he found that he was slowly losing his patience, all he wanted to do was talk to her. Why was she always so distant and unreachable? He scanned the room for her slight frame to no avail. He had been too distracted with his most recent greeter that he had not noticed her slip out of the room, but he knew exactly where she was and he swiftly excused himself and walked towards his bedroom.
He took each step up the stairs slowly, thinking of her. He had done so much and he hated to think about it because it reminded him of all the wrong he had done. She didnt deserve it, not one bit. She was just an innocent girl, so young, so naive. She had so much of the world to see, so much living yet to do, and he had only taken advantage of her inexperience. Laughed at her because of it. He realised now how wrong he had been. He realised how, somehow, Khushi knew so so little, but yet, so much more than he ever would.
She was there, like he knew she would be.
Her dress was arranged in a circle around her as she crossed her legs next to the poolside, one end of the gold border of the fabric dipping slightly in to the water near her feet. She had her face buried in her hands and he tried to reach out for her but stopped when he heard the sound of her murmuring to herself.
"Be happy, be happy, be happy, be happy" she chanted into her palms "You can do this Khushi Kumari Gupta, nothing is certain, just be happy, be happy, be happy" she continued, suddenly stopping when she felt his presence behind her.
She turned around to meet his eyes and made no effort to move, and he waited for her to acknowledge his presence somehow, but she only stared up at him, prompting him to settle himself down on the cold floor next to her, watching her skin glow through the faint light of the tiny bulbs draped around the trees.
"What is wrong Khushi?" he asked, watching her try to back away from him.
She didn't think she had it in her to do it again. To look into the eyes that kept her heart and lie again, so she looked away, at anything but him "Nothing, nothing is wrong."
Arnav could feel his temper rising, why was she so adamant on hiding things from him? He wanted to share her worry. Here he was, opening his arms out for her, and all she was doing was looking away.
"Khushi.." he started, only to have her abruptly stand up and he followed her motion.
"I said I'm fine" she said harshly, contradicting her words by holding her head which had started to buzz from the rush of blood to her head. She shouldn't have stood up so quickly.
He reached out for her shoulder to have her take a step back avoiding his touch, she didn't want to melt, not right now, not when she was feeling so vulnerable already. She wanted to be that strong Khushi Kumari Gupta that her mother had spoken of.
That was the last straw. He stepped forward and grabbed on to her shoulders roughly.
"Khushi what is wrong, don't look me in the eye and lie to me, you don't look happy, even a fool can tell that, talk to me dammit" he scowled in anger.
She stared into his eyes, taking in his soul, not knowing what to say next. She knew she didn't have it in her to lie again, so she remained quiet only to have him roughly shake her again.
"Tell me Khushi" he shouted.
He watched her eyes quiver from shock and saw a glimmer of deep red begin to appear on her skin under her nose again, scaring the wits out of him. She quickly wiped away at the warm blood streaking it across her face and finally speaking up with a voice no more than an accusation.
"Tell you? Why? Tell me why I should? So you can help me?" she said sarcastically "Like all the other times you have done before? Or so that you can show me my place, tell me that I should always keep my status in mind, is that why I should tell you?" she added, staring at him as he eased his grip on her shoulders and slowly let go.
"So that you can drop me from a first story office, or kick me out of your home? Or throw dirt all over me and leave me in the middle of the road, TWICE" she almost screamed "So that you can leave me in a cold room in the dark and so that you can tell me how you don't care? How you don't care whether I exist or not, or whether I get engaged or don't get engaged" she finished, chest heaving from the air she was taking in after her rant. She knew it was wrong of her, she wasn't bitter about all of those things, not at all. They had been long forgotten in the moments of his affection and care. But she was angry at the world for having to make her forget all those moments, frustrated at how helpless she was, and he was there for her to let her vent it all out, and so she did.
He watched her face scramble up in regret of the words she had just spoken and for once in his life he wasn't angry, only worried. Worried at what could have made her so upset in the first place and worried that a trickle of red had begun to reappear under her nose again.
He softly held on to her shoulders, supporting her weight as she continued to breathe heavily and blink foggily. She could make out his eyes, marred by concern for her before the entire image in front of her eyes went hazy and faded out into black.
She couldn't see anything, but she felt the warmth of his body colliding with hers as he held her up with his arms wrapped around her.
"Khushi" he asked softly, feeling the softness of her hair pressed up under his chin and watching as her eyes fluttered open a few seconds after she had fallen against him.
She looked up at him with drowsy eyes and corrected herself, using his shoulders to help herself lean up.
"I'm fine" she whispered.
Arnav felt the rage build up inside of him at her refusal to open up to him as he clenched his jaw and held her wrist to stop her from moving away "You are not fine!" he almost shouted "This is not what I call fine, you are coming with me to the doctor now, and I am staying with you in the room, I don't care what you say, I am NOT having this" turning on his heel only to have her rip her wrist out of his light grip.
"NO! I said No, just let me be" she shouted at him, tears running down her face at how much she just wanted to fall in to his arms, running past him through the doors to his room.
He waited for a few seconds, shocked at her reaction then followed her footsteps back down the corridor and stairs into the hall where everyone was swaying along with the music. He searched the room for her, scanning high and low and every face to find her missing again. Maybe he had missed her? He went through his house, cursing himself for wanting to buy such a big place and walked down the corridors calling out for her. He couldn't find her anywhere, every room, every hallway, every open space, found her missing.
She heard him call out her name and sniffled in a sob, crying into her scarf. She had headed out to the hall only to turn around knowing that he would follow her there, and she couldn't face him so she had run to the store room and sat on the cold floor, hearing his footsteps outside as he called her name.
It was dark in the room, but she was more scared for the man outside than the lack of light. It had scared her for so long, ever since her parents had left her. But today, she realised there were things that were so much more fearful than a bit of darkness. Like losing the one you love.
She cried harder every time he called out for her, feeling her heart tear into a thousand little pieces with his voice.
Why was it that when everything was perfect, she always found an excuse to get in the way. And now, when it was all falling apart, like a puzzle with a thousand missing pieces, she realised she would give anything in the world to go back to before, back to those little imperfections that had made the world feel so safe. It was all gone, ripped out from under her.
She wanted him, and she knew she could never have him, but at the same time, she felt another feeling clawing away at her insides, the feeling of wanting to share her life with him, and she didn't know which side would win.
That is part 3 for you, depressing I know, but I hope it was entertaining to read ! Here is the (very short) precap for the next part. Please do leave likes, comments and criticism to let me know how it was. Love, Hayley xx
Also, it is my birthday tomorrow so I would love if you guys could leave a comment once you read, it would be a wonderful present 😳
"Khushi?"
She nervously cleared her throat and held back her tears at the sound of his voice.
"I..need to talk to you" she said.
