Chapter 30
2010 Shanthivan Delhi
His smirk soon vanished. Kushi was thrashing around violently in the water. She suddenly screamed BABUJI & his heart almost stopped. Never before had he heard a more gut-wrenching cry for help. Her mad & violent ways was freaking him out. The pool was a shallow one more for ornamental purpose than for taking a skinny dip. You could actually stand up & the water would still come only till your chin. What the hell was she screaming for. She let out another blood-curdling scream which knifed through him.
He had no option but to wade in & pull the demented dimwit out. He started moving towards the pool when he stopped. He was wearing his favourite pull-over the one which Anjali had made for him when she was in hospital broken physically & mentally. No his heart screamed. He dint want to think of that anymore. Anyway common sense prevailed, he removed the pullover in one swift action, carefully draped it on the chaise & then waded into the water.
He reached her in a few seconds & tried to hold her. She flung his hands away & screamed "Don't touch me." He was shaken by the look of pure loathing in her eyes. She was crying hysterically, the angry tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hair had come loose & cascaded onto her shoulders framing her beautiful face. His breath hitched. Never had he seen such raw beauty. She seemed to be in severe emotional pain & it tore his heart. Those beautiful grey eyes of her had a haunted look & all he wanted to do was hold her & comfort her, tell her everything would be ok. He reached out & hugged her in an attempt to calm her down. All hell broke loose. She started attacking him with a vengeance. I hate you. I Hate you. I will not let you hurt me again. She screamed repeatedly. She was attacking him hysterically. She scratched his bare chest with her nails & he felt angry welts of red erupting wherever she touched him. She was acting like a woman possessed leaving him stunned with shock. Having had enough he slapped her hard to bring her to her senses. The slap stunned her momentarily. He used the lull to quickly lift her & started walking towards the edge of the pool.
She was completely still, limp in his arms. He knew that she was not unconscious because her eyes were wide open, unblinking staring at some far away point. He was painfully aware of her body held too close to him, her hair caressing his bare chest teasing him, driving him crazy. Her dress was completely drenched, clinging dangerously to her body. He could see the thin rivulets of water running from her forehead, tracking a mesmerizing path down her shapely nose, those enticing lips, that long neck & finally vanishing between that dangerous valley below her neck. He had a mad urge to retrace the path with his finger & then his tongue. He was feeling something akin to electric jolts run through his body. Never had he ever experienced anything like this before. He who was supposed to be experienced & well-versed in lust was now naked, defeated & defenseless before her pristine, vulnerable beauty. That moment he knew that he had lost the battle. She had brought him down on his knees. He could never win against her.
He laid her gently on the floor. Her immobility freaked him out. Kushi he started whispering. He was actually shivering slightly. He heard hurried footsteps.
"Chote Chote. What was all that screaming? Are you ok."
Anjali came to a stand-still & stood rooted to the spot on seeing the scene unfolding before her.
"That's Kushi. She works in my office. She errr... fell into the pool & suddenly started behaving crazily. I mean she is always a bit crazy but today even more so. I just fished her out & since then trying to get a response from her but the bloody nitwit still seems to be in shock."
Anjali bent & turned Kushi's face gently towards her.
"Kushiji are you ok." All the while caressing her cheeks gently.
She felt gentle hands touching her cheeks & suddenly she felt an overwhelming sense of comfort & security. She came out of her reverie to find an angelic looking woman bent towards her looking at her with compassion & care. She stared at her for a long time & saw the woman sit down next to her.
"She died. My mom. She died. She drowned right before my eyes."
The next minute she started crying, her whole body shaking. Arnav was stunned. Oh my god that's why she refused to get into the water. What have I done. Guilt wracked his body. He clenched his fist & ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.
Anjali simply held Kushi & the next minute she was hugging her tightly, crying, her tears drenching Anjali's shoulders & sari. Anjali dint speak a word & simply hugged her back.
Deciding that Anjali was better equipped to handle Kushi, Arnav left the place. Just before
entering his room, he turned one last time & looked back. He saw two women who had made a place in his heart, both apparently broken & bruised holding onto each other, comforting each other. Somehow it made his heart heavy & his eyes became misty. How he wish he could wipe away all their tears & pain in one swift stroke. How he wish he could bring only happiness & smiles in their lives. How he wish he could hold onto them, never letting them go far from him, never away from his sight. How he wish he could mend their shattered lives.
PRECAP
He smirked & looked at her with those intense eyes which always made her heart skip a beat.
"Well you can try & kiss the pain away."
She stared at him with her mouth open, shock written all over her face.
Edited by Angels11 - 13 years ago
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330