The Contract of Hearts (Last Part Updated Pg.97) - Page 31

Originally posted by: -Vishwa-

OMG!! You've even got me confused hahaha...
really feel bad for ASR...this is wat happens wen a man get jealous
only if he knew Sam was not a wall between him n Khushi...
great update

Originally posted by: NaDzGirl

crap im da last to comment!! sooo sorry shailu!!

loved da update as usual... y s arnie boy scared to love?!?! plsss somebody put some sense into this man's head!!

lukin forward to love in singapore!! yaaay!!

Originally posted by: asmita223188

Poor fellow sigh😭 felt bad for ASR.
but it seems he doesn'n even want to forget his past.
he doesn't want pain which according to him is accompanied by love, but he is so blind not to see that he feeling that pain since his childhood by not moving on.
Now he will not let khushi come near himself so that she may put balm of love on his wounded bosom 😭
thanx for such a lovely update Shailu this was awesome👏👏
nice portrayal of ASR's dilemma 👍🏼
u never disappointed anyone dear 😊
its just that we are addicted to you updates😃

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

ASR's reaction is similar to the reaction of a prisoner imprisoned in an underground cell avoiding light instinctively because his eyes have got used to the gloomy darkness of the cell and not the outside world. It's the same with ASR who has a terrible past. He avoids love as a defense mechanism to save himself from pain. He too has to get used to love just like the prisoner of the underground cell and stop running away from it. That will happen at Singapore!

The Contract of Hearts: A FF

Part XVIII: BANGING ON A LOCKED DOOR

Arnav had been avoiding Ms. KKG on one pretext or the other for the past six days. The D-day when they were to leave for Singapore kept inching closer and closer. The whole trip seemed to send shivers down his spine. Just the two of them together with nobody to disturb them! He had made the resolution that he would stay away from her. But such a resolution is easier made than kept! And, he Arnav, knew it in his heart of hearts!

Khushi was at her wit's end on what to make out of this fashion tycoon who was literally driving her crazy. She even started having doubts whether what she had imagined to be his love for her was just a figment of her imagination. He spoke harsh words to her but his eyes seemed to convey something else. She could neither make head nor tail out of this mystery.

But all Khushi knew from what ASR had let slip on her birthday about his mother and his past, was that it would be extremely tough to wheedle out that confession of love from him. Something had gone wrong in his past; she wanted to ask what it was. But she was afraid to do so for fear that she would offend him.

Khushi hoped against hope that he would open up before her and share his problems just as she did hers, but in vain. It was like battling an invisible enemy. The past was a barrier in the path of their love. Her sixth sense and intuition told her so, but she had no means to discover what it was and how to tackle it. She prayed to her only hope and support, Devi Maiyya, to show her the path.

She was truly and deeply in love with him to retreat or give up. This Singapore trip was perhaps the best opportunity she had to make him speak up and confess what was really in his heart. She wanted to share his pain, sorrow, anger, resentment, and angst, and pour the soothing balm of her love on his troubled soul. But how could she when he seemed to shut all the doors to his heart and soul from her?

Both of them were in his car driving to the airport. He was driving as though she didn't even exist. They had not spoken a single word after he came to pick her up at Buaji's house. She was feeling very sad and disappointed with his behavior. She wanted to cry and even her eyes started welling up with tears which started forming at the corners of her eyes. But being different from the rest and not the one to lose hope, she started humming an old melody from a Hindi film to divert herself:

Zindagi ek safar hai suhana, yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Arey o leiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo(yodeling bit)

Chandh taaron se chalna hai aage, asmaanon se badna hai aage Pichhe reh jayega yeh zamana, yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

Haste gate jahan se guzar, duniya ki tu parvah na kar Muskuraate hue din bitana, yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

Maut aani hai ayegi ik din, jaan jaani hai jayegi ik din Aisi baaton se kya ghabrana, yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

Zindagi ek safar hai suhana, yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Arey o leiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo(yodeling bit)

This song of Kishore Kumar never failed to lift up her spirits and pep her up for the forthcoming challenges. When she came to the yodeling bit, she literally forgot herself and started yodeling to her heart's content aloud. Even Arnav started laughing hearing her pathetic yodeling which was a very poor imitation of the original yodeling by Kishore Kumar.

Khushi was very happy to see him laughing to his heart's content even though it was at her. This was the Arnav she loved, and this was the real Arnav, and not the hard and cold ASR he projected to the rest of the world. However ASR quickly recovered himself and was back to his old gloomy and brooding self. Khushi, lamented to herself, "So it's back to square one again!"

They had checked-in and were waiting for the take off of their flight. She was making all attempts to get a decent conversation going while he was answering in just mono syllables. Finally ASR had decided that he had had enough of this conversation and went aside on the pretext of an important business call. Khushi could clearly see that he was avoiding her. She sat down extremely dispirited with whatever was happening between them.

There was still half an hour more for boarding. ASR who went aside to make the call had not yet returned. Khushi thought to herself why not make a call to Payal Jiji just to kill time instead of sitting here all alone. She called, "Hello, Jiji! Hum air port aagaye hain -----------" She just stepped aside for the sake of getting better signals.

Arnav came back after making the call and saw that her seat was empty. He was very flustered and anxious and started searching and enquiring for her all over the place. Arnav to himself, "Where did this girl go? She must have been angry with me. Did she go back home? Or is she in the restroom? How careless of her! Who will take responsibility if something happens to her?"

A hundred bad thoughts crowded his mind when he did not find her for just a second. Khushi returned to her seat, completely unaware of all this, when Arnav shouted, "Are you mad? Where did you go all of a sudden without telling me? I was searching for you like mad. What if you get lost?"

Khushi opened her mouth in complete astonishment. She retorted, "I'm not a baby to get lost. I can take care of myself. By the bye, I just stepped aside to call Jiji as I was not getting the signals from my seat."

Arnav now knew that he had made a perfect fool of himself. But only he knew what passed through his heart when he could not find her for a single instant. He practiced a studied silence for the rest of their journey till Singapore.

They reached their hotel when they were confronted by another problem. By mistake the suites booked for them were connecting suites. They were informed with great regret by the hotel staff that there were no more rooms or suites available and it would be next to impossible to get two single rooms or suites in another hotel as this was the peak season in Singapore. Arnav sighed, "Oh no!" while Khushi did a jig in her heart of hearts.

(To be continued with Arhi and Maneet to meet at Singapore)