ArHi SS/FF: Time After Time - Pt22 Pg 98 - Page 65

He walked into his room with the intention of changing before calling on Khushi. He had seen her door closed and assumed she was doing the same. The whole family had given him a roaring applause for the show. Everyone was present except for the one person he wanted so desparately to see. Lavanya had given him a secret thumbs up and gestered towards his room.

He went to hit the light switch to turn on the lamp but changed his mind and pulled the curtain strings instead. He wanted to enjoy the glow of the moon for it was a full moon night. He pulled the heavy crimson drapes in his room to let the light come in. The nights were getting quite cool as winter was settling over Lucknow. His memory of winter nights from this room were vivid. For many nights he had watched his mother sit in the rocking chair by the window staring out into moonlit gardens. The marble terrace providing an eerie glow, magnifying the soft moonlight. The nights had quietly watched from the covers of the bed as his mother shed silent tears. Tears for a man who would never be hers. Tears for a future she would never have. Tears for a love that would never be returned,when one day it all became too much. His father. How he loathed the man. How he promised to never be like his father, going so far as to changing his birth name. Yet somehow he had managed to become the very man he hated. Sure he wasn't a womaniser. He wasn't married nor did he have any children. But he had broken a promise. He had hurt someone who had always been true to him. He had always put his ego before everything.

Not anymore. He had lost too much in that game. And it was a dangerous game. Never again.

***

Anjali stood at her balcony looking up towards the skies.

"Ma,I promised you that I would look after Chotey. I promised to support him and to guide him. I was so scared that I had failed. Everyday I would try to remind him about the importance of love only for him to throw it back at face each time. I started believing him. I was so scared that he would turn out just like Papa. I thought I failed you. I got so cought up in my own miseries that I failed to notice his needs. Ma, Khushi is an angel. For the first time today I saw a side of Chotey that gives me hope that he will be happy. A side that showed me that he hasn't lost faith and that he will fight for his life forever. Ma I didn't fail you." With that she collapsed onto the hard marble floor allowing the tears to finally escape from their prison.

***

"So you like what you see?"

"No."

"What?"

"I love what I see."

"mmm'.." he closed her in his embrace and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"we need to go on another honeymoon."

"we just got back from our second one!"

"Lavanya darling, your point is?"

"Ah, oh'mmm'" Lavanya giggled as her husband nuzzled the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck. "Jaz will wake up. Stop" she tried to push him away. He turned her around so that her back was to his chest and they both faced the bed watching their slumbering daughter.

"She's so beautiful when she's sleeping like this. ASR put up a picture of Jaz and I from a couple of years ago in the slideshow, my baby is growing up so quickly!"

"what would you say if I said I wanted another one?"

"I would say we need to start trying right now." He smiled mischievously giving her bottom a quick squeeze.

"I need to take a shower first'wanna join me?" she waggled both her eyebrows at her husband and yanked him by the tie towards the bathroom.

***

Khushi stepped out onto the marble terrace. For the first time in years her heart felt weightless. For the first time she felt like the past didn't matter anymore. Was this weightlessness a result of that? Had the past really been that heavy on my heart? She thought to herself. For years she had tried to move past Arnav Singh Raizada but for reasons unknown to her she could never pull free of him. He was always there in heart.

There was always something about Arnav that had felt right. For years she had tried to make Sydney her home. To move on with life, but had always felt like a visitor. Like she didn't really belong. But everytime he held her in his arms she felt like she was home. Where she always belonged. She closed her eyes letting the moonlight wash over her body. The nineteen year old girl had finally been healed and the twenty-five year old woman was ready to move on.

***

"Daddy gimme extra kissy" Piyush mumbled in his sleep. Akash ruffled his son's hair. "He is going to be one jealous big brother!"

Payal smiled at her son and watched as her husband gentle lulled the boy back to sleep. He was a perfect father and a loving husband. She had never thought that her life wold turn out to be so fulfilling.

She walked over and sat next to Akash on the bed and put her head against his shoulder. He took her hand and their fingers intertwined. He kissed the top of head, "tired ho?"

"nnn-hunn" she shook her head. "Khush hoon bohut"[i am very happy] She smiled and her husband gave her a knowing smile. "Jab se Khushi ayi hai tumhari chehre pe chain sa chayi hui hai. Humari to bhai koi bhao nahi hai iss shaadi mein. Khushi sub kuch?" [Ever since Khushi has come you look so much at peace. Its like i have no worth in this marriage - Khushi is everything?]he teased his wife and she swatted him away playfully and settled back into a pillow as Akash got up to change.

"I missed her Akash. I missed her so much. And I was so scared that Arnav Bhaiyya would stuff it up again and she would have to go back to Sydney. Away from all of us again. But tonight, after the show even Khushi Kumari Gupta will be speechless ' aur yeh koi aisi waisi baat nahi hai." [and thats not easy]

"hmmm'they will work things out Payal'don't you worry about a thing." He picked up his wife's swollen foot and started rubbing soothing circles. "Arre yeh aap kya kar rahe hai'" [Oh, what are you doing]

"shhh'.so jao." [go to sleep]

***

Arnav had stood standing still as Khushi had walked to the terrace. He had wanted to go out but had held back for a while, choosing instead to watch her as she gazed out into the moonlit night.

She was a breathtaking sight. Her hair blowing slightly in the breeze a striking contrast against her glowing face. He watched her for a while longer before quietly making his way to the terrace.

"Hi." She whispered almost inaudibly hearing him behind her. He walked up to her and encircled her waist in his arms resting his head on her shoulder. "Talking to your parents?" they both looked up at the starry sky. "I searched for Ma but I could never find her." He kissed her shoulder on to of the lehenga and she turned her head briefly to look into his eyes and then turned back to the sky.

"There she is." She pointed to a bright twinkling star. Arnav looked up following her gaze and his eyes rested on a star he knew very well. He looked back at Khushi and stepped back. He took her outstretched hand in his and then pointed at the star himself. "That one there?" he swallowed, "Yes. Its funny I don't think I have seen that star in Sydney. I looked for it. But could never find it. So I guess your Ma never leaves you." She smiled totally unaware of the magnitude of what she had just said.

Arnav faced the star and closed his eyes. Although Khushi didn't know it, Arnav did understand the significance of that star. She had pointed out the North Star. The Pole Star. The Polaris. The one star in the sky that remains a constant throughout the changing seasons. The star that guides lost sailors from turbulent seas safe to shore. The star that's always pointing the way the safety. Khushi was right, she never saw this star in Sydney because this star always stayed with him ' the North Star would not be visible from the Southern Hemisphere.