Healed by Love - ArSh OS - FOR SABZ

 Dad! 

He looked up at the sound of her sweet little voice and instantly he knew something wrong happened. The way she had called him, the pain, the confusion and the pleading in her tone pierced his heart.

"Neha-" He begins with a soft voice, but soon he was interrupted when she threw herself at him and encircled her too little hands around his leg.

Hearing her sobs was unbearable for him; he couldn't take to see his daughter in pain, ever. And seeing her tears flowing constantly killed him.

"Hey...what happened to you? Sweetie, what's wrong? Tell me..." He bent down and carried her in his arms, stroking her hair and wiping away her tears. With a choked voice, she difficultly managed to tell him everything...

*

"How dare you?! She's just a child, damn it!" He roughly blurted at her when entering the kitchen. He was in such rage but still tried to watch his voice, not to scare Neha. And she noticed how angry he was, by the movement of his jaw's muscles, his veins visible on his bare forearm and neck, and the look on his face... She knew she had touched the sensible point...

"Armaan-"

"What did you tell her exactly?" He interrupted furious, chest heaving, ready to burst at any moment if he didn't get his answer.

Taking a deep breath she looked directly at him and answered "The truth, Armaan. She was asking me about her mother, I gave her the answers she needed to hear-"

"Shut up!! You have no right, you hear me?!" There was fire in his eyes.

"Yes I do. She's my grandchild and I'm the one taking care of her while you're working." Ananya was shouting by then, all the anger she felt towards the situation her son was facing came out "Where is she Armaan?! Tell me! For how long are you going to live like this, wondering if she's not trying to kill herself while you're out? Yeah, she needs to know that her mother is crazy, otherwise she'll go mad-"

"Don't." He firmly said. "Don't go there." He paused, his eyes burning with tears of both pain and rage "You can tell me whatever you want, but let Neha out of it. She doesn't need that, she's just a child trying to deal with her mother's illness, what she needs is-"

"What she needs is a mother Armaan." Ananya interrupted.

"She has one!" Armaan snapped, determined.

"A mother who can raise her, not one who gives her fear and pain-"

"As far as I know, you're the one giving her pain!" With that he put an end to their argument. "I'm going to take Neha. I'll find another arrangement. Thanks Mom."

She sighed, shaking her head out of guilt, looking at her son walking away "Armaan, don't take it like that. It's just... I can't see you in so much pain; I want you to be happy again-"

"Then support me." He snapped at her over his shoulder "Because the only way I will be is with her." He finally added with a choked voice, his emotions getting the best of him. Taking his daughter, he was out of the house.

Looking in the rear mirror, he saw she had fallen asleep and was thankful for that. He could finally have a break and let out his emotions, without fearing to raise questions from his daughter. He felt bad for her. He remember the day she was born, how much happiness she brought with her, how much he promised himself to keep her happy always, to give her nothing but the best. They were all happy... SHE was with him, his Shona... But that didn't last long.

Their story was beautiful, full of love. He met her in India, the summer of his 20^th birthday. It was the first time he had gone there, as his parent didn't want anything to do with the country that had caused them too much harm anymore. But then, when they heard about Armaan's grandfather dying, they couldn't refuse his last wish of meeting his grandson. That's when he met her...

She lived in the nearby village and she had come for the funeral with her family. She was 16 at that time, yet she looked so mature, so wise, he had a hard time getting used to her age. He still remembered her wearing that simple green and beige Patiala suit, her long and black shiny hair lose and dancing around her fair face.

Then, like sensing his gaze on her, she looked up, and that's when he noticed them...her eyes... Her big, beautiful, emerald eyes... They were telling too many stories and it happened that he grew curious about one and each of them...

The first time he talked to her, her priceless expressions, her proud and bold attitude blew him away and he knew he needed her and nobody else in his life. It took him time to get her to smile at him but when she did; he fell for her even more...

Soon enough, he discovered the hardness of her life as long as the reason of her strong attitude and her endless distrust. Still young, she had seen her dad dead in front of her eyes while she couldn't do anything. Her father had committed suicide for a reason that escaped her, and with her mother getting too affected about it, she had to take care of her younger sister and brother.

She had a really hard childhood with lots of responsibilities while she constantly had to fight her mother harshness after her dad's death. Nothing was easy for her. But then Armaan came and won her heart...

He got back to America but not without keeping in touch with her. The whole year he would call and write to her, and whenever he had holidays he would catch a flight for India and spend his whole time with her. Four years went like that and once he was settled with a good job and a house and was sure of his credibility, he proposed to her. She agreed immediately to his proposal, but then when she realized it meant going with him to America, she refused. She couldn't let her mother...

Finally, within hard circumstances, they married and moved to America together. Even if it was a little difficult for her at the beginning, she get used to it, used to the situation, the country, to him and gradually learn to smile, to live, to be happy. They both were really happy and they spent a blissful year together which led to Neha's birth.

But their happiness was short-lived. It was months after that they learned about Shilpa's mom death. Even if she wasn't showing it, Armaan knew it affected her more than she was letting him know. He wanted them to go to India and attend the funeral, she refused. She said her mother didn't want her there. He couldn't understand but he never insisted as the topic was putting her in such anger. She didn't shed a tear for her mother and somehow he knew she was holding it all inside.

But as time went, everything was normal again and he stopped worrying about it, until the day she woke up with a nightmare, then another, and another one... The nightmares not only didn't stop but she had begun to project them in daylight as well. He remembered the first time she screamed with terror when her 2 year old daughter called for her. Not understanding he tried to hold her but she pushed him away as well, accusing him of making her life miserable...

Numerous incidents happened and Armaan decided to take her to a doctor, scared that she might unintentionally hurt Neha or even herself...

From doctors to doctors, one had finally diagnosed her as mentally unstable. Shilpa was suffering from stress post-traumatic. Armaan was devastated... He got the hint but he wouldn't believe it. He didn't want to. And that's how everything begun...

His mother has started suggesting that he should maybe let her in the care of doctors in a hospital and move on with his life. She tried to convince him that maybe marrying another woman who could, according to her, give him other children, take care of herself as well as her house and family would be a good idea.

Armaan was outraged by his mother's words and they both used to argue because of that. But the truth was that Armaan knew his mother was not completely wrong when she said he needed a wife. Of course, he needed one, but he needed his, no one else. He missed her like hell... Life was too difficult without her... He wanted her back...

Sighing he noticed he reached home. His break was over.

Carrying his 7 year old daughter in his arm, he entered the house.

"Hey...Where is she?" Armaan addressed Muskaan, a friend of him and a nurse by profession that watched Shilpa during his absence. After she spent months in the hospital, Armaan decided to bring her home and agreed with the hospital to provide her sufficient care at home as he wanted her to be in a familiar environment; secretly he hoped it will bring her back to normal...

 "She's in the kitchen; she said she wants to prepare dinner for you." Muskaan smiled faintly.

"What? You let her in the kitchen alone?! Muskaan, you're-" He shouted in a whisper, careful not to wake Neha.

"Armaan, she's fine! Don't worry..." Placing a reassuring hand on his arm, she tried to soothe his concern and saw him sighing.

"Thank you Muskaan."

"Don't you dare thank me. Now, go take care of her. She needs you." And she saw him nodding his head.

"Why don't you stay? It's late." He said when he saw her getting hold of her coat and purse.

"Oh, I'm not walking. Rahul is picking me up, don't worry." She smiled at him.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah Armaan." She rolled her eyes at his concern.

To be continued...