Chapter 9

The Morning After The Night Before

Chapter 9

His honeymoon -third day - Finally Khushi's condition stabilised she had been hooked up to an IV for the last three days. Pale and gaunt she raised her head from the bed.

"Hi Arnav, what time is it?"

"Forget time do you what day it is?"

"No but I feel great"

"Unbelievable, you feel great, I am shattered ,exhausted - so if you're feeling great I am going to get some shuteye"

A relieved exhausted Arnav lay down next to her and fell sound asleep the best he had in the last three days.

He knew honeymoons were meant to be short on sleep but not usually for this reason.

A while later Arnav awoke and refreshed and his waking thoughts turned to Khushi.

So much for getting to know her , so much about remembering or gaining a few more snippets of his memory. He had to get her back to Dehli -either train or car that would take the best part of day.

Finally Arnav discussed their choices and together they decided unanimously car. They would leave tomorrow so that they could be in Dehli by the evening at the latest.

Khushi systems had returned to normality courtesy of the glucose/saline IV .She felt better than she had in weeks. More like her old self. She was married but still knew very little about her husband.Arnav Singh Raizada businessman 28 year old diabetic , no evidence of reported short temper. Looked gorgeous when awake and made her heart flutter when not being sick. Looked innocent in his sleep. He was kind, thoughtful and considerate. That was that. Thats all she knew about him.

They sat silently next to each other. The chasm of silence growing between them. Awkward silence filled the air as he drove. He was listening to the cricket and she was bored stiff as she looked out the window, watching the scenery begin to fly past her rapidly. Arnav's frustrations was growing as time went on, his foot was slowly pressing down further and further on the accelerator. Why didn't she say something, he was never one for small talk ,why didn't she ask him something. Maybe he could ask her , but what ? So what do you plan to do next Khushi - well that's stupid - he knew - she was going to have a baby. That's it he could ask her when the next doctor's appointment was - stupid - he already knew -it was in his diary. What could he ask her ? Did she like Sheesh Mahal - well she only really saw the inside of the honeymoon suite - all for the wrong reasons. Finally he thought I'll just ask her how she is feeling?

He spied a look at her face from the corner of his eye, not that she could tell. Her eyes were screwed up, her hands clenched and tight and her face ashen.

"OMG Khushi what's wrong ?" full of concern bringing the car to a stop .

"Are you OK? Feeling sick? Khushi Breath and relax and open your eyes.

Beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead. Slowly she relaxed.

"Sorry Arnav..."

"You OK ?"

"I hate fast cars!"

"Sorry - I didn't know"

"We always seem to be apologising to each other... I was in a car crash when I was a kid -my mum died"

"Sorry Khushi - I didn't know- you Ok -shall we carry on"

Khushi nodded

Arnav drove at a far slower speed than he was accustomed to - but the barriers seemed to suddenly have broken as Khushi started asking him questions. Along while later Khushi spoke "Arnav can we stop I'm starving."

He hadn't realised that they had been driving for 3 hours "Look a dhaba - Stop!"

"Khushi let's wait till the next town there be a 5 * hotel we can eat at this is a roadside cafe - god knows what you will pick up from here"

Arnav was talking to an empty space she was long gone -he was watching her almost running following the path.

"Sh**" did that girl ever think he quickly locked the car and caught up with her.

"Khushi -how can you eat in a place like this - God only knows what you will catch from here ?"

Khushi completely ignoring him "Aunti ji can I have large mixed thali"

Arnav continued to protest about the open air surroundings every objection raised by him Khshi retaliated with a comment.

"It's dirty"

"It will build the baby's immune system"

"The flies-Khushi"

"Extra protein"

"The cook's sweat in the food"

"Well we won't have to add salt "

"KHUSHI"

"Look I'm hungry- live dangerously"

The food arrived and Khushi's stomach growled on cue as though it was a standing ovation to the mouth watering platter before her.

Khushi dived in and ate in silence; Arnav watched in silence her savouring each mouthful and swallowing. Then she raised a morsel to his lips beckoning to him to open his mouth. Her eyes gazed into his pleadingly and unable to resist those hazel pools his mouth fell open allowing her to feed him. All resistance gone. Arnav couldn't decide if the food was delicious or that fact that she was feeding him. He was completely lost in her. Her eyes were a mirror to her feelings,laughter, pain sadness were readily reflected. Right now he saw passion burning there. He was not alone in the feelings she had roused in him. They were mirrored in her eyes.

"Bitia do you want more food - it's good to feed your man-he needs to keep his strength up -to keep you happy"

"Khushi if you're feeling better shall we hit the road ?"

"OK -i would have like to stay a bit longer but you're the driver !"

They hadn't driven more than 10 minutes when the car skidded to a halt.

Khushi was white trembling ,her eyes glazed over unseeing. She could here a voice calling her from a great distance "Khushi , Khushi tum teekh tho ho ?"

AllKhushi could see was her mum's lifeless body, the blood, there was so much of it everywhere, whose was it was it her's or amma's . If there was so much blood everywhere how much was there inside Amma. Khushi stared into her mum's icy cold piercing eyes. They were not her mum's - her mum's eyes were full of love and laughter. They exuded warmth. These eyes just stared unblinkingly -Khushi slowly realised it was the cold stare of death.

Her mum was gone.

"Khushi look at me- can you hear me ?"

Arnav shook her lightly trying to get her back but she was in a different world. Khushi let out an ear piercing scream "Amma- please don't leave me" hysterical sobs followed.

Arnav held her soothingly whispering "Khushi it's me come back sweetheart. Shhh "He stroked her hair and held her whilst he whispered reassuringly into her ear. He undid her seatbelt and pulled her across into his lap and let her cry it out of her system.

Damm,she had said her mother had died in a car crash -

He sat holding Khushi for the best part of an hour - her sobs subsided , her breathing returned to a steady pace. "Khushi we are goanna have to walk back to the dhabba . I can't leave you alone OK"

As they slowly walked back, to the world looked it like two lovers - one snuggled into her lover with his arm around her while she rested her head on his shoulder.

In reality Arnav was cursing himself -so far he was responsible for making his wife spend 3 days hooked to an IV line and now re live her mother's death.Some honey moon this was turning out to be.