Arnav pushed open the double doors to his room. He heard the sweet, tinkling sound of wind-chimes that he knew weren't actually there.
Stepping inside, he wondered just how mercilessly Khushi would tease him if he admitted to missing them and asked her to put them up again.
He could almost see her now, standing on the bed with her things strewn about, arguing with some unknown vendor about the 'kaality' of goods.
'Hum halwai ki beti hai aur businessman ki patni'
Her words had sown seeds of doubt in his mind and given him many sleepless nights.
How could one woman be so precious?
He'd tossed and turned, afraid to consider the possibility of her being an innocent bystander in Shyam's connivance. His own words had come back to haunt him-'Adha time tum hosh me hi nahi rehti, tum kya kar rahi ho aur tumhare saath kya ho raha hai tumhe pata hi nahi hota'.
But in the end, the memory of Shyam and her on the terrace had overpowered any and all of his misgivings.
Even today, the thought of that creep with his arms around Khushi left a bitter taste.
Arnav was a man who understood and appreciated the power of memories. They weren't always clear-sometimes just broken images, distant echoes and vague sensations but their ability to influence one's emotions was consummate.
The death of his parents, Shyam and Khushi on the terrace, Di's miscarriage- they had all plagued his mind.
Realization had been a gradual process for him. No lightning struck, no bell had gone off and even today he couldn't pin-point any one instant in which he learnt the truth. He simply knew, quite in the way that a child comes upon its own name.
And ever since, he had discovered the healing power of happy memories. And it came as no surprise to him that like this particular favourite of his, they were all of her.
He reached for his keys and wallet on the bed-side table and was about to straighten up when something caught his eye.
The edge of a note-book was peeking out from inside the pillow-case on Khushi's side of the bed.
He leaned across the bed and retrieved it, surprised that he had never noticed it before.
Was it her diary? He wondered, feeling vaguely excited at the potential ammunition in his hands.
On the first page, written in her neat hand were the words-
'Arnav Singh Raizada ko sathaane ke sau tareeke'
"What the'" Arnav found himself saying.
He flipped through the pages and several tiny notes floated out.
"Bhai"
Akash's voice jolted him.
With a surprised smile, Akash helped him pick up the notes and he tucked them back inside the book.
He recognised his own scrawny hand-writing at once and even without reading them, he knew exactly what they were.
"Bhai, I just came to say, I think aapko aaj rest karna chahiye" Akash said, when it became apparent that his brother wasn't going to elaborate on the slips of paper or the book he was staring at with fascination. "Main Khushiji aur unki family ko drop kar deta hoon"
"Huh" Arnav said, looking up.
"Bhai, are you alright?"
"Yes, of course" Arnav said.
A fierce battle began in his mind- drop Khushi home or stay back to peruse this little book?
When Akash asked for the keys, he handed it to him with a barely concealed grin.
Laying the book down on the night-stand, he followed Akash out to say bye to Khushi and her family. Should he drop a hint that he'd discovered her diary? He could imagine the shocked look on her face, her lips forming a perfect 'O' and colour rising in her cheeks.
But she would probably throw a tantrum and chase him around the house for the book.
No, telling her tomorrow night would be a better idea, he thought with a smirk.
He shook his head and hastily rearranged his features to neutral when he caught Akash shooting him questioning looks.
'Unbelievable' Arnav thought, with a sigh. 'The day has finally come when ASR is plotting to stalk his won wife and read her diary'
'Liar' said another voice in his head as they made their way downstairs. 'You've been stalking her since the day you met her'.
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Comments (2)
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pakpearl @pakpearl
+ 2
2 years ago
I m happy to discover it...
manjiri @m4manju
+ 7
2 years ago
ASR the stalker. :D nice update