Chapter 6

❤️❓WAS THERE EVER LOVE?❓❤️

"Don't go." Arnav whispers into her ear.

"Arnav, leave me. Please." Khushi pleads. She shivers as he holds her against him.

"Don't go." Arnav keeps on pleading.

"Arnav, leave me. PLEASE." Khushi says his tight grasp looses.. She turns around and looks at him. She freezes as she sees him going white. "Arnav...ArNAV...ARNAV!" She screams as he slowly starts rolling his head and his eyes start shutting. "ARNAVVV!" She holds him as starts falling down slowly. Just as he falls into her arms heavily, the same officer runs into the cabin. He runs to Arnav, while talking on his talkie. He picks Arnav up while breathing heavily, and puts him on the table. Khushi runs to him, but the officer pushes her away. "I'm a DOCTOR!" Khushi yells at him, finally getting near Arnav.

Khushi checks Arnav's pulse, which is perfectly normal. She feels his warm skin turn cold, and sees him sweating profoundly. She runs to her purse, she pulls out some bucks and gives them to the officer, "Please...can you get some sugary food. He needs sugar, he's diabetic. And also some water." The officer nods at her and runs. Khushi goes to Arnav, wipes off the sweat as he sweats more. He slowly opens his eyes, making Khushi sigh deeply with relief.

"Khushi..." he tries to say, but fails as he starts shivering. Khushi hugs him on the desk, to stop him from shivering. Meanwhile, officer comes in with a water bottle and two bags of gummy worms and other security guards behind him. Khushi takes the bags from him and rips it apart fast. She pulls the shivering Arnav and tells him to eat. Arnav opens his mouth while trembling and eats the sugary candy. Khushi makes him eat all the gummy worms and afterwards as he slowly calms down he drinks water.

One of the security guards comes to her, "Miss, we have a car ready for you to take him to the hospital." Khushi nods her head, but Arnav shakes his head.

"N-nn-oo. I'Imm good. I just ff-forgot to take m-my p-pp-ill." Arnav says as shivers a little. Khushi turns toward to object. "No, Khushi. I'm good."

As they finally reach Arnav's house https://www.luxury4living.net/tag/luxury-homes-california-photo/ . Khushi follows Arnav into the house. She looks around the house, amazed at how big and luxurious it was. Sure her dad made huge income, but they still weren't able to afford something so expensive. Los Altos or California is an expensive place to live in. their house was simple and plain, yet it cost $2 million and this mansion she was now in was even more expensive but you could actually feel the reason to why it could be expensive.

"You like it?" Arnav asks her. Khushi turns around and sees him leaning against the door watching her. Yes. It just like the house I want. Khushi nods her head and walks toward him. "I knew you would." He says to her.

"Take your medication." Khushi just says to him. He nods his head and heads toward a room. Khushi just stands there unsure if she should follow or not. She walks over to the window and looks outs. She takes a deep breath as she sees the scenery https://pixdaus.com/pics/12578635668jpMq9j.jpg . She holds on the window trim to catch her breath at the sight of it.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Arnav comes behind her. She turns around and drops her dupatta as she sees another sight. Right in front comes Arnav wearing a white half-folded shirt and khaki jeans with it. He leaves his top button unbuttoned, revealing his toned chest. She tries to nod, but it turns out as if she got drunk. She turns around fast and looks toward the scenery. "Luckily, the landscape was large enough to build a large house because I could of just made 10 by 8 room only just for this scenery." He says to her as stands beside her now. Their arms slightly touching each other giving electrical vibes throughout Khushi's body.

"How are you?" Khushi whispers to him.

"Decent." He replies.

"Good. Just take you medicine on time; you know how dangerous it could be for you. Like to-." Arnav nods. "Okay, I'll go now." Khushi says as she turns around to head toward the front door, but Arnav grabs her again. "Why do you keep on leaving?" Arnav murmurs to her as he pins her to the nearest wall. Khushi starts closing her eyes slightly from being near him, getting butterflies in her stomach as he gazes into her. He leans inward into her as she slowly starts leaning toward him as well, but as they are centimeters away she gets the flashback. "You were dating her to just fu***in sleep with her,... Khushi pushes Arnav away and jumps away from the wall. Arnav looks up at her with cold eyes fuming with anger and slowly starts to calm down. "Sss-ss-sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Right." Khushi says to him as she walks away

"Where are you going?" Arnav questions as he sees her picking up her luggage and purse.

"Home." She whispers back while looking at him. Just as she says the word, she thinks about the times she thought of Arnav as her home. Her and Arnav living in this type of house, and then having two kids in this type of house; Them spending their life together for eternity. . It would've been their home, but not any longer. Khushi, now, didn't perceive the real scenery in front of her anymore. All she saw was all of her dreams burning down. In which he existed.

"I'll drop you off."

"No!...you need rest. Get some rest."

"Then, at least let me call Armaan." Arnav says as he gets out his cell. Khushi opens her mouth but Arnav stops her as he texts. Khushi stares at him. Arnav looks up at her, "He'll be here in twenty or thirty or so minutes." Khushi nods her head. "You must be hungry; you didn't have any lunch today. Come on." Arnav says as he grabs her hand softly.

Khushi stares at him as he leads the way. Wondering if he was the same guy she fell in love with him? Wondering if he was the same guy who tried to use her? Wondering if he was the same guy she once told all of her secrets to? Wondering if he was the same guy she kissed for the first time with? Wondering if he was the same guy who is the half owner of her heart? Wondering if he was the same guy whom she dreamt of everyday? Wondering if he was the same guy whom she thought of all day?

As they get to his kitchen, Arnav lets go of her hand. Khushi watches him as he goes his fridge pulls a tray containing six pizza slices. He turns on the oven while putting the tray in. Finally, Khushi opens her mouth, "Do you have a maid? This is a big house...unless someone else is leaving in with you. Maybe she-"

Twenty minutes go by, as they silently eat the pizza slices. Khushi feels Arnav gaze on her the whole time she eats, but she doesn't have the courage to look up at him. She doesn't have to courage to look at the face that betrayed. All she wanted know was where she dump all of this misery, but there was no place. For heaven's sake, she couldn't even cry properly. Khushi wanted scream, make jalebis, and do something to take the pain away. But here she sat, in the house of someone whom she once loved. To whom she once trusted to her soul. What's worse was that her cousin and brother hid this from her. From her, who wanted answers? Wanted answers why he talked to her in the first place? Why asked her out? Why he talked about himself? Why they always kissed each other as if there was no tomorrow? Why he dumped her?

But know, as Khushi got the answers, she wasn't sure if really wanted them. The pain she was suffering from didn't decrease, but increased. She didn't understand why everything goes the opposite way as she plans. Why couldn't Devi Maiya help her? Why did she have to be so nave? She used to being used, but this was too much? She would be happy if people talked about her, about how good of doctor she was or about her stories online, but they talked about her as trash. She wanted to cry, cry, and cry. But she couldn't. So she took another slice.

"THIS IS ENOUGH KHUSHI! ENOUGH! Is this some type of a joke? You can leave for four years and never communicate to us, and come back. Then Raj tells us surprisingly that you're leaving today, AGAIN. And now you come back...and then what leave and never come back again!" yells her dad. Raj and Armaan, who stand there, bow their heads down. "And what's more disappointing is that you done this over a guy! A GUY! Were these the morals I taught you!"

Khushi shakes her head, knowing her dad will get even madder if she doesn't respond back.

"If this happens again, I will take your passport. You kids think this is some type of a joke, when you get the freedom, you can do whatever you want! Disappointed." his dad continues to lecture.

"Stop it Sh-" Khushi's mom tries to say but her dad interrupts her again for the fifth time.

" I thought better of you, but you're turning out to be the WORST!" her dads says.

Khushi looks up at him. She never heard her dad say this to her. She couldn't stop it this time; she opened all the pathways of tears that she blocked for today. She cried cripplingly and ran to her room upstairs. She screams, she wails, and she quivers, not caring who saw or heard her. She was done with this life. "WHY ME...DEVI MAIYA...WHY ME?!" she screams hoarsely.

"KHUSHI!" runs Garima into her room as she sees Khushi breathing heavily. Her mom takes her into an embrace trying to calm her down.

"Why me maa?! WHY ME?! What did I ever do so wrong, that God has turned evil on me..." Khushi asks her as she cries.

After few hours, Khushi wakes up. She goes to her bathroom and washes her disorientated face. However, her swollen eyes stay the same. She changes her clothes to red t-shirt and black baggy sweats. As she descends down the stairs, she hears Raj and her dad having a conversation.

"Papa, please you shouldn't have yelled at her at this time."

"Then tell me, Rajpreet, when should I yell at her? I don't care what wrong time it was, but she needs to wake up. She needs to understand that running away won't fix any problems. I know she's been through a lot, but I just can't see the pain she's suffering anymore. I'm confused, puttar, what if she does som-"

Khushi runs down the stairs and hugs her dad from behind. Her dad turns around and looks at her, Khushi touches her chin, "I would never do anything, I swear Papa, and I would never do anything to erase your honor."

One month goes by, as Khushi dissolves in working at the hospital. She rejects herself of going to any parties, knowing who will be there. Every time she sees her parents, she smiles and laughs, to keep them happy. However, once she gets alone, all she could do is sit there in a lost depressing world. The only thing she was happy about was that it was her and not another girl. She rather have this miserable life than somebody else going through it. She had everything, but some others didn't. She added this to her list of prayers. She always prayed every day that let the whole world get happiness from her happiness. Let Devi Maiya give her all the sorrow than the world, let her suffer. And now she was, and she was happy. She was happy of seeing others smile, laugh, and twirl. She felt happy of carrying the sorrow of others. Everyday when she went home she would listen to her favorite singer, Leona Lewis. She listened to her song Happy, everyday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSTYgeor9k8. Trying to keep herself happy. Happy from the pain she feels inside.

She exits one of her patient's room and heads toward her lounging area, where all the interns are. As she gets inside the lounge, she finds it empty. She walks over to her cabinet, and just as she's about to take her white coat off she feels soft hands over her eyes. Just as she's about to shake the hand away the stranger speaks, "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe'"

"MUSKAAN?!" Khushi asks as she yells. She turns around and sees her cousin, Muskaan and Armaan's sister, https://www.trilulilu.ro/sylwya/9fb3d3b2859f18 . She smiles as she sees her cousin, who is just as bubbly as her. "When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me when you came back?"

"Now, where would the fun be if i told you? Anyways, MEANIE, why didn't you tell me you came back? I HATE YOU! I missed you sooo sooo much!" Muskaan says as she hugs Khushi tightly, "nothing is fun without you yaar. NOTHING" Muskaan groans.

Khushi chuckles softly, happy seeing Muskaan the same. Muskaan, is also like Khushi. She never did anything stupid. She went to clubs, but never drank or did the other things. She just went to dance at the beat. The only thing that was weird about Muskaan was that she always wore weird clothes, always to bright and always having a ribbon in her hair. But Khushi loved it, she liked her like this. The only thing she found annoying about Muskaan was that sometimes she was really stupid and speaks without thinking, liking speaking about her life in front of people.

"Hey! You forgot the third musketeers!" Anjali runs to them and hugs them. Khushi smiles slightly, happy having someone hugs after a while. She smiles at seeing her two sisters talking mechanically about everything already. "Hey! How about we dine out today?! And Atul won't mind."

"Yeah!" Muskaan leaps in the air, "Let's go to La Hacienda please. And Avinash too! "

"Umm." Khushi says, "How about you guys go, I have other work to do..."

Khushi and Muskaan come to the restaurant, dressed in dresses. Khushi wears a v-neck long-sleeve gray dress with black tights and in a soft straight ponytail https://www1.macys.com/shop/product/t-tahari-dress-frida-v-neck-long-sleeve-ruffle-tie-knit?ID=619826&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=sp%3D4%26spc%3D844%26ruleId%3D72%26slotId%3D155 , https://www.findingnew.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sleek-ponytail-girl.jpg . Anjali, Avinash and Muskaan chat constantly as they sit down, while Khushi just pretends to be listening. She hated this restaurant. It was where they always came to dine. They would always come here, it was there favorite restaurant. But now she wasn't sure, if it was really her favorite restaurant.

"Well, well, look who's here. Ladies!" Says a strong voice. The three of them look up and see Armaan, Arnav, Raj, Atul, and Rahul come. Rahul was Arnav's childhood friend and also his other best friend. He works with Khushi too at the hospital.

"Tum! What are you doing here?" Muskaan yells to Rahul. Muskaan and Rahul never got along, they always fought over everything, just like them. Though Khushi dated Arnav, they always fought too. She would brag about his behaviors, and he would do so back.

"What I can't be here?" Rahul says as he walks up to their table.

Khushi quietly eats her dinner, while the guys talk about work and Muskaan-Avinash-Anjali talk about their social lives. Khushi eats her dinner quietly, knowing their nothing to talk about. She has no social life. She just came here, afraid of having Muskaan torture her for rest of her life. However, once in a while, she feels his gaze on her. But when she looks up, she finds him talking to Raj.

An hour later, they leave the restaurant.

"Hey! Look there's Orange Leaf! Come on, let's go have ice cream?" Muskaan says.

Khushi takes her cake ice cream and walks out of the shop as others stay in and eat. As she walks out she sees him leaning against the wall and looking at the stars. She walks up to him as she eats her ice cream. "Are you taking your medication?" He nods at her. "Good, you glucose level is already critical and if you don't its really risky f-"

"Good to know you care about people beside your patients and relatives." He says to her. Khushi looks away, also wondering why she was even talking about his health. She eats her ice cream silently.

"Khushi?" Arnav asks her. Khushi looks up at him.

"Hmm?"

"Can we start over?" Arnav asks her as he walks closer to him. Khushi freezes. She turns and looks at him.

"Stt-ttart oo-vver? D-ddate-" she stutters as he comes near her. She backs against the brick wall.

"Can we start over and be friends?" he says to her and leans into her, "or we could start dating again, like you are saying?" he says to her. Khushi goes numb as she smells his cologne and his eyes that intoxicate her. She drops her empty cup as he stares at her. She subconsciously raises her hand and brushes his dark circles. They look at each other.

Khushi paces in her room. "Friends? He wants us to be friends? How can he say something like that? He did he forget what happened? Did he forget what he did? How can I be friends with him? How can we be friends? How can be friends after all this? ...And what was that? Why did he lean into me? Why did it touch him? HEY DEVI MAIYA...what are you playing at? Do you want me to suffer more?!" Khushi talks to herself.

Today was March 3, 2012, it was Muskaan's birthday tomorrow but they were celebrating it today because tomorrow was Sunday. Unfortunately, Khushi would be arriving late to the party because her patient's report was coming back. But for Khushi, fortunately, she wouldn't have to meet or hear who talked trashed about her because she would arrive late. She hurriedly went home and changed into a saree she just bought recently for the party. It was beige and multi-color saree https://www.cbazaar.com/party-wear-saree/vivid-impression/scintillating-net-and-patola-saree-p-sakaac7709.html .

Within ten minutes, she arrived at her massi's home. She saw everybody in the backyard, but she decided to go into the house to put Muskaan's gift in a safe place. She had gotten the Muskaan an art doll supply set and a pink dress she remembered Muskaan kept on hinting her. She went to Muskaan's room upstairs and hid it under the blanket and kept her third gift to prank Muskaan that she forgot to get the set and dress. As she went downstairs, she heard a strong voice cursing on the phone. Look's like somebody's having a bad day. She thinks to herself.

"Shut up. Just shut up." Says the owner of the voice, "I signed the papers, so what do you mean that there is a flaw made?" Khushi stops as she realizes whose voice it belongs to. She stops in her tracks, not wanting to go down, and meeting him. She avoided him for a week. "Fix it. I don't care how, but the next time I call you, I need it fixed." She hears him sigh and visions him running his hand through his hair. After few seconds, she slowly tip toes down the stairs thinking maybe he left. "You look appealing." He says as Khushi stumbles and slips her foot.

She closes her eyes half over falling down the stairs and half knowing he'll catch her and stare at her. She slowly opens her eyes and sees him staring at her. She quickly gets out his grasp and makes a run, but he catches her wrist, "You still didn't reply to my question." Khushi moans from his grasp, he pulls her closer to him, "Can we be friends?" he says as twists her wrist making her squeal.

"What are you doing?" she whispers back. He leans into her, holding her waist. She breathes deeply as she feels his body aligning with her body perfectly as if they were posing.

"Why are you always so afraid?" he whispers into her ear as he twists her wrist a little more.

"Because you exist." She whispers to him without thinking. He lets go of her and pushes himself away. She turns around, sad that he let go. She sees his eyes turning cold.

"Because I exist? You're afraid because of me? Fine. I'll leave, if I'm really that horrible. Here, I am, trying to fix everything. But you just won't give it a break." He sighs and turns away from her. Khushi stands there not sure what to do. Her heart tells her to run to him, but her head tells her might be just pretending. But he's changed. Khushi talks to herself.

"Arnav..." she utters. Arnav turns around.

"Khushi, just one time. Just one time tell me when I touched or talked to dirty. I talked to you because I wanted to know you. And think about it, if there was no deal, then..." He points at both of them. Then I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. Khushi says to herself. "But that's it. I'm done with this shit. I can't take this anymore, trying to talk to you and all you do is fire something back. I'm done. Because of you, my friendship is tensed. That's it Khushi Kumari Gupta, I'm done trying to take you back." He says as walks toward the back door. He stops and whispers to her while looking back. "I fell in love with a girl who changed me. She made me realize how important life is and how beautiful it is. She taught me morals, that I didn't even know. She brought me happiness, which I never felt before. But one day, she left me. It killed me, really killed. I felt I couldn't breath because I wouldn't be able to see her. She wasn't the only one suffering for four years, it was me too. I didn't sleep and I didn't eat. Because of her, I had to make a lot of visits to the hospital. And then she came back. And now, all she does is make me suffer. She makes me suffer from seeing her always sad and in tears. She makes me suffer because she doesn't feel my presence anymore. She makes me suffer because she doesn't looking into my eyes anymore. I never thought I will fall in love, but I did. But I don't think it will work. So I am leaving her and our past. ... and her name was Dr. Khushi Kumari Gupta. " and he leaves.

Khushi stands there shocked. She can't move, her heart beats fast giving a loud dhak-dhak sound. She grabs onto the railing for support. She breathes deeply, as if she's having an asthma attack. He loved me. Khushi says as tears form in her eyes. She wants to scream and wail over excitement and loss. She wanted to run to him and kiss him, but she knew him. She knew that once he made his mind, he didn't think twice. She knew if he told someone it was over, it was over.

❤️❓WAS THERE EVER LOVE?❓❤️

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POEM OF THE DAY (DO READ THIS ONE):

A friend is like a flower,

a rose to be exact.

Or maybe like a brand new gate,

that never comes unlatched.

A friend is like an owl,

both beautiful and wise.

Or perhaps a friend is like a ghost,

Who's spirt never dies.

A friend is like those blades of grass,

You can never mow,

Standing tall and proud,

In a perfect little row.

A friend is like a heart that goes

Strong until the end.

Where would we be in this world,

If we didn't have a friend.

Chapter 5 Part I: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/2662408?pn=34