Chapter 23

A/N: So....another late update. But, this time it wasn't my fault. I had the update all ready but I was away from my laptop for two whole weeks. Cousin's wedding and all. So, apologies once again. Next update will 100% be on time. :P

So here it goes!

Chapter 23

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ONE WEEK AGO

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After Akash left, Khushi sat down on the couch for a few minutes and revisited everything that just happened.

Akash’s silence before leaving was her only hope that her words had some impact on him.

She picked up her phone and checked the time.

3:15 pm.

There was still time before she had to go meet Arnav.

Thinking of him, she wondered why he didn’t pick up her call. She had called three times.

Was he talking to Malik Uncle? She hoped that he was.

She knew there was not much possibility of forgiveness between them but she wanted the two men to find some solace.

As she sat alone and thought more about what Akash said and what she said to him, she couldn’t help but be a little proud of her.

This was the hardest conversation she had ever had with Akash. And it made her realize that she indeed loved Arnav. And she will not wait anymore.

This evening, she will meet him and say the words she should have said then.

Deciding that, she got and changed her clothes. She thought to go see her father before going to Sheesh Mahal.

If she was going to admit her love to Arnav, she at least needed to give some hint of this to her father.

~~***~~

Instead of going home, Akash drove his car around the city for hours. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face Arnav. Khushi’s words were still running in his head and he needed to figure out what he was going to do next.

The more he thought about what she said, the more he began to loathe himself.

He surely has been the most selfish of the three of them.

He hadn’t even been able to listen to Arnav. He had all but rushed out of there to meet Khushi.

Akash wondered if Arnav would even speak to him after this.

Tired of the thoughts running rampant in his head, he decided to finally go home.

Parking the car in the garage and walking in, he went straight to his father’s room to check up on him.

Birendra Singh Malik was soundly asleep and Akash decided to spend the evening in his room.

As he stepped out of the room, he ran into the house help.

“Akash Bhaiya! It’s good that you’re back. Malik Saheb was asking about you before he slept” The woman informed him.

“Let me know as soon as he wakes up” Akash replied and began to move, but stopped.

“Did he say why he was asking for me? Was everything okay?” Akash asked.

The woman shook her head.

“Malik Saheb was not well. He almost fainted in the drawing room but Chote Saheb helped him to his room” Hema answered.

The news caught Akash’s attention and he rained questions on the woman.

“What happened? Why was Baba in the drawing room? I had left him in his room to rest! Why did he come out? Did Bhai call a doctor? Why didn’t he call me?” Akash asked.

The woman remained quiet.

“Speak up, will you?” Akash said.

“I don’t know why Malik Saheb was in the drawing room. I came when Chote Saheb called for help. He asked us to get water and then he carried Malik Saheb to his room. They sat there for some time and talked” The woman supplied.

“Where is Bhai?” Akash demanded.

“I don’t know. He said he is going out but he didn’t tell me where. I haven’t seen him since then” The woman said.

“Fine. Go and keep an eye on Baba. Let me know when he wakes up” Akash said before moving towards Arnav’s room.

Upon reaching, he knocked at the door once and found it open.

He peeped in to see whether Arnav was inside. He wasn’t.

As Akash turned to leave, his eyes caught notice of the mess on the bed and the half-open almirah.

Instinctively, he stepped in.

“Bhai?” He called out and checked the bathroom door.

Then Akash ran his eyes around the room and noticed that things were missing.

Essentials from Arnav’s table were gone. His laptop was gone. No files. The almirah looked half-emptied.

A strange kind of apprehension began to build inside Akash when he looked at the bags and found a suitcase missing.

He quickly ran down the stairs and called out the servants.

All six, including Ratan Kaka appeared before him.

“Did anyone see Bhai?” Akash demanded.

Everyone shook their head before Ratan Kaka spoke.

“He left with a suitcase”

The words impacted Akash like a brick.

“When?” He rasped.

“About four hours ago” The man replied, his voice cheerless.

Akash shook his head.

“Did he say why he was leaving? Did he say when he will come back?” Akash asked.

“No, Akash Bitwa. He didn’t say anything about why or when. But..” The man hesitated.

“But what, Kaka?”

“He looked very sad” The man answered.

Akash allowed the words to settle in his mind and when they finally did, he felt his legs shaking.

He quietly walked away from the curious faces of the rest of the servants.

Passing through his father’s room, he heard voices coming out.

His father was talking to Doctor Kumar who was apparently back from the hospital.

“He helped me once again, Kumar. And then we talked. About us! I cannot explain you how surreal it was. My son was sitting before me, talking to me. And even in all this, I could not offer him any solace. He was so anxious. Because of my decision, my ignorance!” Malik was saying.

Failing to contain him anymore, Akash stepped into the room.

Both the men looked at Akash and his vexed face.

“Akash! Good that you’re here, son! Come sit. We need to talk” Malik addressed Akash.

Akash perfunctorily walked up to his father and sat down.

He listened as Malik began by apologizing to him and saying how he has made a grave mistake in arranging Khushi and his alliance. Then he told him how he overheard his conversation with Arnav and later Arnav came to talk to him.

“Only you can redeem this situation, son! We have to take Arnav in our confidence that we care about him. I cannot tell you how surprised he was when I told him I would support him. He almost could not believe him. But, I told him that I will stand by him. I told him that you will come around and all this mess that I created can be solved”

Akash cleared his throat.

“Hema said you fainted in the hall. How are you feeling now, Baba?” Akash asked.

“I have never been better, son. I think our family can be whole again if you help me one last time. You were marrying Khushi only for my sake! Now you don’t have to do that. Everything has sorted on its own. We just have to go where the fate is guiding us” Malik said, his exuberance not failing.

“The fate has never been with us, Baba” Akash replied.

“What do you mean, Akash?” Doctor Kumar asked who had been watching Akash all this while.

Akash stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

“I mean that everything has been utterly ruined. Now, this family will never be whole. And it’s all my mistake! I acted rashly. I didn’t think what I was saying and doing. I didn’t think that Bhai would leave. I didn’t..I”

“Arnav wouldn’t leave? What are you saying, Akash?” Doctor Kumar looked at Malik whose face was paling now and then he looked at Akash.

“Yes, Uncle! Bhai has left. He is gone” Akash said, his voice dropping.

“You must be mistaken, son! He must be here. He told me he loves Khushi. He told me she loves him. Why would he leave like that? I am sure you’re mistaken” Malik said.

“I am sorry, Baba! It’s all my fault. I hurt Bhai with my rashness. I didn’t even listen to him when he was talking to me. I told him that Khushi wouldn’t love him and then I left him standing there. And now he is gone. I checked his room. It’s half-empty. Ratan Kaka saw him leave hours ago. By now, he must already be in Delhi” Akash said.

“Who must be in Delhi?” It was Khushi’s voice that followed and the three men looked at the door to see Khushi walking in.

“What’s going on, Doctor Uncle? Is everything alright?” Khushi looked at the ashen faces.

Akash looked everywhere but at Khushi.

“I will call Arnav right now” Malik said, looking around for his cell phone while the rest two men remained quiet.

“Uncle? What is happening?” Khushi asked Doctor Kumar again because Malik looked too uneasy and was now looking around his bed for his cell phone.

“Akash! Call Arnav. Call him. He cannot go. I need to talk to him” Malik said in a loud and demanding voice, unable to locate his phone.

Khushi heard Malik and felt her nerves prickling.

“Akash! What is Malik Uncle saying? What is going on? Where is Arnav?” Khushi immediately turned to Akash.

Akash refused to look at her.

“Why is no one calling him? Khushi bitiya! You call him. Call Arnav! We cannot let him go. We need him here. I need him here. There are so many things that I need to tell him” Malik was ranting now.

Khushi looked at the old man and then at the stoic face of Doctor Kumar who was now trying to calm down Malik.

Khushi realized that a chilled dread was spreading inside her.

Has Arnav gone back to Delhi?

She pulled out her phone and dialed his number.

“The number you’re trying is currently not available. Please try again later”

The mechanical voice on other end said.

Khushi tried one more time.

“His number is unavailable” Khushi said, more to herself than others.

Hearing it, Malik began to shake his head.

“I will go to Delhi. I will bring him back. I will not sit back one more time as my son is taken away from me. I will not let him down. I will bring him here and I will do everything exactly the way he wants things done” Malik said.

“Calm down, Malik. You’re increasing your blood pressure. Calm down” Doctor Kumar kept repeating while Khushi walked up to Akash.

“Akash, don’t remain quiet! Say something. Where is Arnav? Is what Malik uncle saying…”

“He is gone” Akash said, turning to her.

Khushi noticed the guilt and sorrow filling Akash’s eyes.

But she didn’t care.

“No! That can’t be. He was supposed to meet me here! He told me he will meet me in the evening. He can’t just leave without saying anything. Without telling me” Khushi said, her voice shaking.

“I am sorry” Akash said and walked out of the room.

Khushi stood stunned for a minute. Is this really happening? Has Arnav really left?

She shook her head and tried the number again. And again. It said unreachable every time.

A few more minutes passed and Khushi turned back to see Doctor Kumar giving an injection to Malik.

“This will help him sleep. We cannot afford his health to suffer in any way. The operation is tomorrow” Doctor Kumar said to her as he disposed off the syringe.

Khushi only blinked. She had no idea what to say or do. She felt blank, unable to figure out what went wrong and where.

Last when she had talked to Arnav he had told her that he missed her and asked her if he could see her in the evening. She had told him they will meet in Amra Kunj and when she arrived, he wasn’t there.

Then, she came to the Mahal and now Akash is saying that Arnav has left?

What is she missing?

When she didn’t move or speak for a few more minutes, she felt Doctor Kumar’s hand at her shoulder.

“Don’t lose heart, Khushi. We will figure this out” He said to her.

It was then Khushi felt the first tear sliding down her cheek.

“Why did he leave, Doctor Uncle?” She asked, her voice slow and shaking.

“I don’t know, Beta! From what Akash told us, all I can think about is that he didn’t want to cause a rift between Akash and you. That’s the only thing which comes to my mind. And knowing Arnav the little I do, he would never want the people he loves to be hurt because of him” Kumar said in a slow voice as he guided Khushi out of the room where Malik had drifted into a deep slumber.

“He is hurting me, uncle. He said he loves me and now by leaving he has hurt me” Khushi said, wiping her tears.

“Love is a complicated thing. Sometimes it makes us do things that we never want to do. Sometimes it stops us from doings things that we really want to do” Doctor Kumar said.

Khushi considered the words.

“What do I do now, Uncle?” She asked.

“I don’t think I am the best person to suggest you that, Khushi. My share of mistakes in life is quite high. I didn’t stand up for my love when Malik’s father drove my family away from here. I walked away and let Sujata manipulate him. And then I let Sujata manipulate me. There were so many times in my life when I knew I was not doing what I really wanted to do, yet I did them. I was too much of a coward to face the world. I wanted to shield myself, my family and Malik from the disgrace and dishonor I knew our relationship would bring. So, I went where life took me. It was too late before I realized that nothing matters in life if you’re unhappy. No amount of respect, money or success can replace happiness. So, I eventually embraced what I wanted. With Arnav and you, things might take a little more time, but everything will figure out, Khushi. You just have to be brave enough to seek your happiness” Doctor Kumar said.

Khushi listened to the words and nodded her head.

“I will keep calling him until he talks to me. And then I will tell him that I love him too. And then I will ask him if he is brave enough to choose what he wants” Khushi said.

Doctor Kumar only smiled and placed a loving hand against her cheek.

“Do that and everything will be alright. Now, I have to go and talk to Akash. He seemed very perturbed. I have to get his mind alright because this operation is going to be very crucial for Malik. It decides everything” Kumar said.

Khushi nodded her head and walked out of the Mahal, dialling Arnav’s number one more time.

DAY TWO

Khushi’s heart beat with anticipation as the phone rang on the other side. It was no longer unavailable.

But her hopes began crashing when the line went unanswered. She tried two more times after that.

“Hey! What’s going on? Where are you? Answer the phone” She typed the message and sent.

As the day progressed her messages grew desperate.

“Please call me back. I am worried about you. What’s going on, Arnav?”

“I miss you. I want to talk to you”

“Call me. Please”

She was on the verge of tears again when her phone rang.

She immediately picked it up.

“Arnav!” She said.

It was followed by silence on the other side.

“It’s me” It was Akash’s voice.

It was Khushi’s turn to be silent.

“Can you please come to the hospital? Baba is being operated and it’s been four hours and I haven’t heard anything from the doctors yet. I don’t know what to do, Khushi. I need you here with me”

Khushi felt the worry hanging in Akash’s voice, and she knew she cannot say no. No matter what was going on in their lives, Akash was still her friend. And he needed her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there in an hour” She replied.

When she reached the hospital she found Akash sitting numbly on a bench.

He only noticed her presence when she sat down next to him and reached for his hand.

Akash looked at her and instantly hugged her.

“It’s alright. Everything is going to be fine” Khushi said to him, unable to feel angry any more.

She held Akash for a few minutes before he composed himself and pulled away.

“Thank you for coming” He said to her.

“You can thank me by getting me a new dress. You completely ruined this” Khushi replied, pointing to the moisture left by his silent tears.

Khushi thanked Devi Maiya when Akash managed a small smile.

“You got it” He replied.

“So, what’s going on inside? Why didn’t you call me earlier? Before the surgery began?” She asked.

“I didn’t have the stomach to face you. After what I..After everything” Akash replied.

“So, you got a new stomach in four hours?” Khushi asked.

“I got desperate. They said the surgery will not take more than three hours and it’s been almost five hours now. I don’t know what’s happening. I needed my friend” Akash replied.

“You’ll always have your friend. No matter what” Khushi said with as much honesty as she could gather.

It made Akash’s face more somber but he smiled anyway.

Both of them sat and waited for another hour before the doctors began pouring out of the surgery room.

Akash was instantly on his toes.

“How is he?” Akash asked to one of the three doctors.

“We are keeping him under observation. Nothing can be said before he regains consciousness, and we run a few more PET scans on him” The doctor replied.

Akash was about to ask more when Doctor Kumar also emerged from within the room.

Both Khushi and Akash rushed to his side.

Doctor Kumar’s face was tired and taut with tension at the same time.

“Uncle?” Both Khushi and Akash said at the same time.

Doctor Kumar looked at them and then moved to the bench.

“I told him not to worry but when has anything been in our favor? His blood pressure level was off the charts! We had to give him an injection for that which is generally something we avoid. Then there was tissue damage inside the lungs. PET scans normally don’t catch these things. It was a mess. Now we have to keep him under observation and hope the test results are in our favor” Doctor Kumar said.

Akash processed the information while Khushi told Kumar that everything will be alright.

Doctor Kumar nodded.

DAY THREE

Khushi stared at her phone for hours before she decided to call him again. The call went unanswered one more time. It made Khushi feel as rejected as heartbroken.

She wondered every minute what her fault was.

Did Arnav somehow change his mind? But that was not possible. Khushi knew it was the most unlikely reason. So, why?

Was it because of the conversation Arnav had with Akash?

But, she had talked to him on the phone after that. He had not even hinted at something like this. In fact, he had told her to meet him later.

The question of why kept nagging her. It pained her almost same as his absence.

What should she do? She thought.

Malik Uncle was still in the hospital. He had regained consciousness but was to be discharged in two days. Both Dr. Kumar and Akash were spending all their time in the hospital. So, she could not talk to them.

After their meeting in the hospital yesterday, Akash had dropped Khushi home. But, he hadn’t mentioned Arnav. All he had talked about was Malik Uncle and what would be the best way to get him recovered as soon as possible.

Khushi had tried her best to not hold her anger against Akash. She knew he was already in a difficult place. The time to talk to him would come later. Once Malik Uncle was back in the Mahal.

For now, she had very little to do. Which meant sitting for hours and thinking about Arnav.

She kept going back to every conversation she had with him, trying to figure out where she went wrong.

She hadn’t even visited the Mahal since the day Arnav had left.

Unable to do anything else, she called him one more time.

DAY FIVE

Birendra Singh Malik was discharged from the hospital and Khushi wanted to visit him. But, she knew going back to the Mahal will only remind her of the person who was no longer there.

But, she also knew she had to go.

So, she got ready and told her Babuji that she will be back in some time.

Shashi Gupta merely nodded his head. Khushi believed that her father was aware that she is upset, yet he was holding his silence. Which according to her was a good thing. She didn’t know what to tell him any more.

So, she wished him a good day ahead and reached all the way to Sheesh Mahal.

Walking in, she ran into Doctor Kumar who looked weary and exhausted.

“How is uncle?” She asked him.

Doctor Kumar shook his head.

“He is still too weak from the surgery. And that’s not even the biggest concern. He is obsessed with getting Arnav back here. He has called him ten times since he has gained consciousness but there is no response. And it is making him restless which is not something I want him to be” Doctor Kumar replied.

Khushi could only nod her head because she felt the same. Within the span of a day her life had turned upside down without any reason.

“What about Akash? Did he try to get in touch with..” Khushi trailed the words.

Doctor Kumar looked at her sympathetically and shook his head.

“I don’t know what is going on with him. He barely leaves Birendra’s side” Doctor Kumar said.

Khushi nodded and made her way to Malik’s room.

She was not surprised to see Akash there.

He gave her a weak smile which Khushi found unable to return.

Instead, she sat with Malik and asked him how he was feeling.

“You have to talk to him, Khushi. He will listen to you. He loves you. He told me that” Malik replied in answer to her question.

Khushi placed a hand on Malik’s hand.

“He doesn’t, uncle” She replied in a shaky voice, convincing herself along with Malik.

Malik shook his head.

“He does. You weren’t there. You didn’t hear what he said. You didn’t see his face. I was there. And I know all of this has happened because of me. This is my mistake. But, how do I fix it? He wouldn’t even receive my calls. How do I tell him that this time I will not let him down? How do I change everything?” Malik said, his voice breaking before Akash stood up and asked Malik to calm down.

Khushi watched the tautness on Akash’s face but Akash wasn’t looking at her. She knew he was purposely avoiding looking at her.

Was he feeling ashamed? But, even if he is, does that change anything for her?

No. She realized and got up.

“Take care, uncle” She said and left the room.

She realized she was done. With the Mahal and everyone inside it. If not for forever, then definitely for a long long time. There was nothing left here for her.

Deciding that, she started taking brisk steps out. She was still in the hall when she heard the voice.

“Khushi bitiya” It was Ratan Kaka.

She stopped for a second and turned.

The old man was walking towards her.

“Ji Kaka?” She asked without letting her emotional turmoil get the better of her.

It is good that she can see the kind man one more time.

“How are you, bitiya? I have been waiting for you to come to the Mahal but you didn’t come for so many days. That day you came, I was not around” Ratan Kaka said.

“I am sorry, Kaka but I have been busy with Babuji and helping him on the shop” Khushi lied.

Should she tell him he wouldn’t be seeing her in the Mahal any more?

“It’s alright, bitiya. Actually, I have a message for you. When Chote saheb was leaving, he told me to tell you something” the old man said.

Khushi realized her palms were suddenly sweating.

Arnav left her a message?

“You saw him leaving, Kaka? What did he say?” She asked, her eyes filling up on their own.

“I saw him leaving with his bag and I asked him if I should call some one but he said no. And then he said to me tell this to Khushi. He said to tell you that it’s alright. That it was a dream anyway” The old man said in a sad voice.

“I don’t know what he exactly meant, bitiya, but he looked very sad. Seeing him made me recall the day when he left for the first time. The time he ran away. I don’t think he was so sad even then. This time...it was different. He looked totally hopeless” The old man continued, his words forcing the tears out of Khushi’s eyes.

“Why didn’t you stop him?” It was Akash’s voice that broke the silence in the hall.

Khushi turned and saw the anguish on Akash’s face. He looked as upset as she felt.

“I didn’t know what to do, Akash bitwa. It all happened so fast” Ratan Kaka answered in a distressed voice.

Akash shook his head and moved to Khushi.

“We have to do something” He said.

Khushi, who was still reeling with the impact of the words said by Ratan Kaka shook her head.

“There is nothing left to be done. Didn’t you hear what he said to Kaka? He said it was a dream. He said it is alright. He has already given up” Khushi answered, unable to stop the choking in her voice.

It was at this time that Ratan Kaka decided to leave the two alone and walked away.

Once he was gone, Akash held Khushi by the elbow and turned her towards him.

“Really? Of all the times, you have decided to give up now? Didn’t you hear what kaka said? Bhai was sad. He didn’t want to go. And if he is gone, then it is definitely because of me. Because after the huge declaration of love he made before me, nothing else could have made him leave. And I will not let myself be the villain. If he has left for my sake, I will tell him how wrong he is. Because he loves you. No matter what you feel right now, I will not let you believe that he doesn’t love you. That’s what I came out to tell you. You said to Baba that Bhai doesn’t love you. But he does. I think more than I ever could have. He loves you enough to let you go. And like I said last time, two people who love each other should be together” Akash said.

Khushi watched Akash with wonder.

“What are you saying, Akash?” She asked.

“I am saying that I will take you to him. We will go to Delhi and I will talk to him” Akash replied.

“But why?” Khushi asked.

“Because I love you. And I don’t mean it in the way you might think. I have always loved you. As my friend. That was the reason I never told you what I actually felt. I love my friend more than anything else. And Bhai? I love him too. I will not be able to live with myself if I become the reason of his pain. Baba is right. Bhai has to come back. This is his home. Together, we will go and talk to him. We will bring him back. Baba needs him. You need him. I need him” Akash said.

“What if he doesn’t want to see us?” Khushi asked.

“Do you want to see him?” Akash asked.

“Yes” Khushi said.

“Then we are going” Akash said.

DAY SIX

Khushi sat before her father and described in detail why she needed to go to Delhi.

Shashi Gupta listened to her without interrupting.

When Khushi was done, Shashi Gupta stood up.

“I think going there is a drastic step, Khushi” He said.

Khushi nodded her head.

“I know, Babuji. But, how can I live the rest of my life without knowing why he really left? Without knowing if he really meant everything he said to me? And I need to ask him whether it was an easy choice for him?” Khushi replied. She had thought this through the entire night.

“I understand, Khushi. But what if you don’t get to hear what you want to hear? What if you come back more unhappy? Are you prepared for that? Have you thought what you would do in such a case?” Shashi Gupta asked.

“I can’t think anything beyond now, Babuji” Khushi replied.

Shashi Gupta thought over it for a few minutes.

“I will need to talk to Akash before you two leave. Also, I need to talk to Malik Saheb” Shashi Gupta said.

“Okay” Khushi replied.

The rest of the day, Khushi sat in her room packing and staring at her phone. Unable to stop herself, she wrote a text message as well.

“I am coming to Delhi”

She hoped that would get her some response.

It didn’t.

It further made her feel dejected.

How did he become so uncaring?

As the day ended, Khushi received a call from Akash.

“We are leaving tomorrow morning” He said.

“Did you talk to Babuji?” Khushi asked him.

“Yes. Both Baba and I talked to him. He came to the Mahal” Akash said.

“What did he say?” Khushi asked.

“That’s not important at the moment. Just be ready at by eight in the morning. I will pick you” Akash said.

Khushi said okay and disconnected the call.

DAY SEVEN

By the time Khushi landed in Delhi, her insides felt shaky.

“Should we call him?” Khushi asked Akash.

Akash considered that.

“I am not sure if Bhai would be at home or in the office. But, seeing that he hasn’t been receiving calls, I think we should go straight to the house” Akash said.

“Let me try one more time” Khushi said.

She called twice on Arnav’s number.

“I am in Delhi” She then wrote a text message.

Akash watched as Khushi’s shoulders fell. There was no response.

“Come on” He said to her.

Together, the two of them hailed a cab and Akash gave the directions to the driver.

Khushi realized she was beginning to lose her calm. Her hands were trembling and her heartbeats were heavy by the time they stood before the gates of imposing Raizada Mansion.

“Shantivan” Akash read the plate before the house.

“That’s never seemed more ironic to me” Akash said.

Khushi did not respond.

Both of them walked up to the gates where the guards instantly greeted Akash.

Thereafter, they were led inside by another servant.

As seconds ticked by and Khushi stepped into the house, she began to feel the tension in her limbs.

What would she say to him? What would he say to her?

“Akash Bhaiya” It was a man in his late forties who greeted Akash once they were inside the house.

“Hari Prakash” Akash greeted the man.

“Is Bhai at home?” He further asked.

“Ji. He is with Nani ji” Hari Prakash answered while he looked once at Khushi.

“Can you call him? And don’t tell him that it’s me” Akash said to the man.

Hari Prakash looked at Akash and then nodded.

“Okay, Akash Bhaiya” He said and scurried away.

The next two minutes seemed like an eternity to Khushi. A number of thoughts went through her head about what she should say first.

Before she could decide on anything, she noticed him. Once more, she could feel her heartbeats in her ears. They were so loud and uneasy.

She looked at Arnav with bated breaths as he reached to them.

“Bhai” It was Akash who spoke first.

But, Khushi was unable to look away from the eyes that were staring at her.

So many things she wanted to ask him. But, most of all she wanted to hug him. Yet, she couldn’t move.

“What are you two doing here?” He finally spoke.

And the words cleared whatever haze had covered her brain.

She felt an instant rush of anger. Anger so potent that she hadn’t felt before.

After seven days of disappearance and indifference, this is what he asks her?

What is she doing here?

She didn’t know she was even moving, but then she was standing right before him.

And he was still looking at her like he had no clue what he had put her through. It angered her more.

Before she could stop herself, she had slapped him.

“You’re a liar!” words rushed out of her.

He didn’t so much as blink. He still looked at her like she was a ghost, that might disappear in a second.

This time, she purposely slapped him.

“You’re a liar AND a coward” she said.

Because that’s what he was for running away.

Yet, he didn’t respond. Didn’t speak anything! He was still looking at her.

Tears filled in her eyes as Khushi raised her hand for a third time.

But, the hand was stopped mid-air.

Khushi watched as an old woman stepped in her line of sight.

And the way she was looking at him, Khushi knew who she was.

Devyani Singh Raizada.

_________________________________

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