Posted:
im sorry to hear about ur friend on a positive note all your hard work shows you write beautifully
i look forward to ur updates always :)
Okay a few authors' notes at the beginning so do read them first =].Firstly, I just wanna say a massive thank you to everyone whom wished me strength and support to get through this tough time. It is always heart breaking to lose someone who was a huge part of your everyday life. You guys is kind words have really touched my heart. It's amazing to know that people from all over the world who do not even know me are there for me offering me support. That is quite an amazing thing to have so thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.
Okay secondly on a more lighter note I am amazed to see the amount of people whom are reading my FF. I do count each and every single one of you guys to be my friends. I have always wondered whether my writing appeals to guys or girls or both. So this time when you guys do comment on my work please do state whether you are a guy or a girl that sorta thing. I just want to know what kind of people my work appeals to. Do not worry I am not a crazy stalker. And just to prove that to you I am gonna tell you a little about me too. My names Jenna obviously so I am girl. I am from the UK.There that was me. Now it's you guys is turn =].
Okay I shall shut up and let you guys read the next chapter
Chapter 23:
Khushi pinched herself as she watched Arnav walk away. She was definitely awake she thought to herself as she felt the impact of the pinch upon her upper arm. Khuhsi found herself at a strange and difficult point in life. What should she do believe Arnav when he told her that he loved her more than once just like he had done a few seconds ago? Or should she believe what he had told her almost four years ago. Should she believe the words that had been ringing in her ears and pricking her heart since the moment she had heard them for the last four years. I hate you. That was what he had said to her that day when he had told her why he had liked to see her suffer. He liked to watch her suffer because he had hated her.
She stood there until Anjali touched her gently on her shoulders and asked her to get ready and come along to the temple with them as it was their final day in Shimla before they went back to RM. Khushi asked Anjali where Aryan was as he was getting late to which Anjali replied that Payal had taken him to school along with Akaash. So after seeing that Aryan had been taken care of Khuhsi got dressed in a daze all the while having what Arnav said on a loop hole in her head. 'I love you'. 'I hate you'. Which was she to believe? Did he love her or did he hate her? If he loved her like he said he did then why did he hurt her? Love was not meant to hurt. It was meant to feel beautiful. It was meant to feel like heaven or earth. Loving a person was not meant to feel like a piercing pain that Khushi had been feeling within her heart the day she realized that she had fallen in love with the man whom hated her above all else.
Despite her messed up thoughts she left with Anjali to the temple. There they all completed all the rituals. Once they were done they went home to start packing to leave for RM once again. Khushi went into Aryan room with Payal and they both started to pack up all of Aryan's things. At one point Khushi stood and watched as Payal oh so delicately packed away her newly discovered nephew's things. Payal had changed so much in the last few days. The first day that Khushi had met her in Shimla she had been in a vegetative like state. She had just sat there clutching a photo of Khushi not even caring about the world around her. And now her she was a few days later living and breathing. Khushi could not thank DM enough for bringing her sister back to life. Though Payal was not her sister by birth Khushi never even acknowledged that. To Khushi payal was her older sister. The one who made her childhood memorable. The one whom made her childhood liveable through. Resting her head on Payal's lap at the end of every day after losing her parents at such a tender age was the only place she could find solace.
Though she had stayed back for Aryan's sake more than that she had stayed back for Payal. Her older sister. That sister she had grown to love more than she would have her own brother or sister. As she watched Payal pack away Aryan's things she felt a sudden need to hug her sister to her hearts content. 'Jeeji' said Khushi and ran straight into her arms. Payal was a little taken back by Khushi's action but it only took her a second to wrap her hands secularly around her baby sister in a protectively motherly like way. 'Kya hua Khushi'. 'Kuch nahin Jeeji baas apki baho main honei ki maan kiya. Etni dino jo tumsee duur rahee adat nahee hain isileyeh jee baarki apni jeeji seh galeh laganki maan ki. Pata nahi phirseh moka milega ya nahee' said Khushi. 'Areh pagli esa kyun bolrahee hain too' said Payal and slapped Khushi affectionately on the head. 'Too ab kahee be anhee jayengee meri he paas rahengee hamesha keh liyeh sumjee?' said Payal to which Khushi just nodded and hugged Payal tighter.
After a while Payal and Khushi had finished in Aryan's room. At that point Khushi realized that it was time to go and pick up Aryan from school. But just as she was about to leave to go and pick up Aryan the door opened and in walked Aryan and Arnav hand in hand. She was about to take Aryan to get him cleaned up and ready for dinner but just then Payal came down and asked Khushi if she could and Khushi immediately agreed.
Leaving Aryan with Payal Khushi walked into her room and packed away her things. She was done in a matter of minutes as most of her things were still in boxes. She then moved slowly until she approached Arnav's room. She knocked on the door lightly but there was no answer. So cautiously she opened the door and looked inside. He was not there. She walked in and started to make a start on packing his things up. She opened up his cupboards and started to pack his things. She was almost done when she felt to arms snake around her waist. She stiffened at first but then her heartbeats started to go wild. So she relaxed. Because her heartbeats recognised that touch. And her heart had never mistaken that touch. She was going to tell him to move. But when he rested his chin on her shoulder lightly she realized that she liked his weight on her. It made her feel safe and secure.
Arnav's phone rang. She felt his grip loosen as he was about to answer his phone. She felt a moments despair as she felt his grip loosen from around her waist. She quickly dropped his shirt that she was holding in her hands into one of the suitcases and held his hands firmly on her waist so that he could not move them away. Arnav smiled as he understood that she did not want him to let go. He did not say anything. He began to stroke her stomach with one hand and with the other he pressed the answer button on his Bluetooth and then wrapped both his arms back around Khushi. He again rested his chin on Khushi's shoulder as he continued with his phone call occasionally caressing Khushi's stomach. Khushi said nothing as she continued to pack his clothes into the suitcases.
She finished just as Arnav's phone conversation ended. They both had some many things to say. But neither knew where to begin. Just as Arnav opened his mouth to speak one of the servants knocked on the door and informed them that they were ready to leave. So Arnav took all his luggage down and left it on the landing for the servants to put into the car. After t hat he thought that he should go and see if Aryan is ready. He was half way down to Aryan's room when he realized that he had left his wallet and car keys on the bed. He had dropped them on his bed earlier on when he had walked into his room and found his wife in his room where she belonged. 'Khushi' he yelled 'Jee?' replied Khushi. 'Mera wallet aur car keys bed paar hain jab tum neecheh aw toh voh lekar ana theek hain?' 'Jee acha' replied Khushi.
Khushi walked carefully to his bed and picked up his car keys and wallet. Just as she was about to take them both down she caught sight of part of the wallet. She could see a picture of a girl in there. He had a picture of a girl in there? She thought to herself as she got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She slowly opened up the wallet carefully, frightened as to who's picture she might find. What if it's a picture of Lavanya she thought to herself? She opened it fully and what she saw inside made tears well up in her eyes. It was a picture of her. It was taken on the day of her friend Preetika's wedding when she had forced him to go and stay with her at her house.
She did not know what to make it of that. So she did what she did best. She avoided it. Pretended that she had never seen it in the first place. She walked down with his car keys and wallet in hand and made her way downstairs. Once downstairs she saw that everyone was waiting for her downstairs. Aryan was holding onto Payal's hand with one hand and Anjali's hand with the other. He asked both of them if he could go home with both of them. Payal and Anjali were both delighted and agreed straight away. So Arnav and Akaash switched cars so that they would be more comfortable as Akaash would be driving more people whereas as Arnav and Khushi would be riding together so it made more sense.
They all made their way into their cars. Finally after what felt like hours they all arrived back at RM. Everyone got out of the cars one by one. Payal took Aryan in to put him to sleep as he had fallen asleep during the journey home. Mami, Mama, Nani and Akaash were busy getting the luggage sorted. Khushi walked slowly up to the threshold of RM. She hesitated on the threshold. She did not know whether to step into the house or not.
Except it was not a house. It was her home. It had been since the day that she had married Arnav. Even back then she had considered RM to be her home. But then one day she had to leave her home. She was scared to step back in there. Because she did not know if she could leave again. Khushi knew that the second she entered that house she would be engulfed by all those memories again. The good ones. The ones with whose help she had stayed away for home for the past three years.
'Kya hua Khushi aap ruk kyon gayeh? Asked Anjali' 'Di'' began Khushi.' Main yeh sochrahee tee keh kya main andar jao. Kyunki hum jante hain keh iss baar jab hum undar jayengeh toh vapas janeeh kee takat nahee hogee' said Khushi. Anjali's heart swelled up at that. Khushi was still scared to enter her own home because she still had doubts as to whether everyone in the house loved her or not. 'Ap aseh kyun kehre hain Khushiji. Aap jaante hain is ghar main sabloog apseh aur Aryan seh kitna pyar karte hain' said Anjali.
Arnav had stood there quietly listening not saying a word guilty seeping in through ever corner of his soul. This was his doing. Khushi was scared to believe that everyone loved her and that was all because of him. He could not take this anymore' So he approached Khushi and lifted her into his arms like he had done on the day of the ghar pravesh. The difference between how he had felt about her then and how he felt about her now could clearly be seen in the way he lifted her this time round. The last time he had lifted her like that he had practically yanked her, carried her in and then practically dropped her on the ground before walking off had it not been for her earring which had gotten stuck on his button. But this time he had picked her up as if she was the most delicate and rarest flower in the world. Not only that the last time Khushi had been scared to wrap her hands around his neck for stability. This time she was able to do it straight away and her hands did not shake one bit.
Arnav carried her gently into the house letting her know through his iron grip that she would never be leaving this house again. He then gently placed her in the centre of the house and closed the main door behind him. 'Ab dekhteh hain tum yaha she kaiseh jateh ho. Ek baat ache tarha yad rakna Khushi keh jab Arnav Singh Raizaida koyi fesla sonadeta hain toh kissikee himmat nahin hain osko badlnah. Sumjee tum'? And with that he walked off leaving a stunned Khushi wondering if he had just voluntarily out of his own will brought her into the house and then tell her in his most authoritative voice that she would never be leaving ever again.
Khushi was left standing there for a few seconds still in a daze from what happened. She only stepped out of her trance when she saw Arnav come back downstairs to give Anjali her medicines which had been in his pocket. As Arnav sat about helping Anjali with her medication Khushi started to walk upstairs. Her bags had been left in the hallway in between the guest room and Arnav's room. She picked up her bag first and walked half way up to the guest room she hesitated and then walked up to Arnav's room and also hesitated. She did this a few times not noticing that Arnav had been standing there watching her as she tried to make up her mind where to go.
Arnav felt heartbroken. Despite the fact that he had just carried her into the house and made it clear that she was not to leave again she still could not decide whether she should enter HER OWN room or not. Had he broken her so much to the point that she felt as if she had no right to enter her room anymore. Guilt seeped through him all over again. He knew what he had to do this time.
He walked up behind her and again lifted her into his arms again. He walked straight past the guest room with her still intact in his arms straight into their room. He gently placed her in the middle of the room he then stepped back out and began to pick up all her luggage and one by one began to bring them into their room. Meanwhile Khushi stood rooted to the place where he had placed her and slowly began to look around the room. She saw each and every wall was covered with photos of her. And by his bedside cabin stood the photo of them both that was taken at her friend's wedding. The one that he had taken from her hands and smashed into a thousand pieces. But despite that here it stood all glued together with no cracks in the frame almost as if the frame had not been broken to start off with.
She closed her eyes and remembered everything that had happened in this room. Though most of the memories she had that included the room were sad ones that brought sad tears to her eyes. She did have a scarce amount of amazing memories that included the room which overpowered the sad ones and brought happy tears to her eyes like the day Aryan was conceived and the last week before she left the way he had treated her.
Khushi opened her eyes and saw Arnav advancing towards her. Normally she would move away from him the second he came close to her. Bu this time she felt as if he could not get close to her soon enough. She stood firm holding her ground. He was only two seconds away from her but it seemed like he was miles away. Two seconds felt like two hours.
Finally he reached her. He said nothing just wrapped his arms around her. And the second he did that her head fell to his chest. She became engulfed in his hug. And she slowly wrapped her hands around him too. The minute his hands slid down to her waist and his lips bent to kiss her forehead Khushi closed her eyes with a coy smile upon for face for she could feel it. She was now finally after years of heartache and pain she was home. The minute he wrapped his arms around her the ache within her heart was erased immediatley until it became a distant memory. And that was when it hit her that she was finally home.
Okay so I spent two days on this. Hope it was okay. I still have doubts about this chapter so I was a bit hesitant to post it. But I shall let you guys decide how it was. Do like and comment.
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