SS: So Darling, Save the last Dance for Me P8,Pg35 - Page 5

Originally posted by: Divvy

Thanks everyone :) Loving all the comments...

i wasnt going to do a third part...but i might just do one now :P

working on it :)

Part 3

Khushi's family gathered around her hospital bed showering her with love and affection. Arnav watched from a distance and his heart filled with happiness as he watched a smile play across her face. She teased her sister about something marriage related. He wanted to be by her side always yet didn't want to intrude on their family moment. "Arnav bitwa, uha akele mein kyu khade ho. Idhar aao. Baitho. Raat bhar bohut seva ki hai humri Titaliya ka. Hum nahi jante kaise shukriya kare." Bua ji put her hand on his head as he came and stood beside her. "tum theek ho ab?" he tried to keep a flippant tone so no one got the wrong impression about his concern. 'wrong?' his heart questioned his mind and he was lost in his own battle. His heart and mind never seemed to get along. It was a constant struggle. Khushi smiled softly at him "Ji, hum ab theek hai. Aap ne raat bhar soya nahi hai. Aap ghar jaake aram kar lijiye. " She turned to her sister "Jiji, aaj mehendi hai na, chalo ghar chalet hai, bohut kuch tayyar karna hai."

"BILKUL NAHI" Arnav roared at her. "Dimaag kharab hai kya? Tumhari puri badan mein zaher pheli hui hai. Tum ulti kiye jaa rahi ho. You have numbness in your limbs aur tum Mehendi ki bare mein soch rahi ho? Unbelievable." Her whole family nodded in agreement with Arnav. "I am going to talk to the doctor and make sure you can't go anywhere." Arnav turned on his heel and left.

"Laad Governor kahi ka! Hum ghar jayenge! Bus!"

"Khushi, nahi Mr. Raizada theek bol rahe hai. You have to be under observation for at least 36 hours. So kal subha tak you have to stay here. Nothing doing." The doctor explained. The nurse came in and informed of the end to visiting hours. "Aap sab ghar jayiye. Mehendi waise bhi ladki walo ka hai. So I have nothing at home. You go on. I will stay here with here."

"NandKisore tumhe humesha khush rakhe beta." Buaji put her hand on his cheek and they all cleared out. Arnav made a quick phone call to Hari Prakash and asked him to bring a change of clothes and his laptop to the hospital.

"Khushi dawai kha lo." He held out the medication to her and she turned her head away. He could tell she was very upset. "Kya hua?"

Her eyes welled up with tears and she looked at him "Aaj meri jiji ki mehendi hai. Hume bhi lagwana tha mehendi. Ab sub ladkiya mehendi lagwaigi sivai meri" and the pearls of tears made their way down her cheek. Arnav smiled at her childishness, gave her the medication again and told her that it would help her sleep. He stayed with her till she fell asleep and then made another quick phone call to his sister.

After changing he sat down on the sofa by the window and couldn't help but wonder where the scorpion had come from. The doctor had informed him that it wasn't a common scorpion bite. This was a deadly scorpion, bred for its poison. He finally let all these thoughts descend into his head. He couldn't think about any of this last night. But he was too tired now, sleep overcame him within minutes.

Arnav woke up to see Khushi still in slumber. He moved a few strands of hair from her face and watched her angelic beauty. He smiled again at her earlier childlike antics about wearing mehendi and shook his head. He walked out of the room to go the gents room when he bumped into his sister "Di aap?"

"Chotey! Uff! Dekho kya hogaya. Sorry sorry." She pointed at his shirt and his hand. There was mehendi all over him.

"Oh koi baat nahi. I will go wash it off. But why did you come?"

"Woh bol rahe the ke Khushiji se mill-le ek baar aake. Phir tumne phone kiya mehendi wali ko lane ke liye. Nani ne bhi accidentally devi maiyya ke paas do mehendi charade thi. Ek to chala gaya Payal ki yeha shagun ki mehendi hai na. And instead of wasting this, I thought mehendi wali ko de dungi."

"Ok whatever. Where is jijaji then?" he looked around.

"Oh he said he will meet me here. Abhi ajayenge." Anjali said and opened the door to Khushi's room while Arnav walked away.

"Khushiji!Apne to hume dara di!" Anjali put down the bowl of mehendi on the bedside table and sat by Khushi's bed just as Shyam walked in. Khushi smiled warmly at Anjali and then stiffened at the sight of Shyam.

"Aapne kyu takleef ki?" she addressed shyam

"Khushi ji, aap ko bichoo ne kaise kata? I mean kaha the aap? Aur kaha kata?"

Khushi turned to Anjali and asked her about the mehendi just as Arnav walked in with a girl behind him. "Khushi ji, Chotey keh rahe the ke aap ko mehendi lagane ki bohut shouk hai?"

"Nahi Anjaliji, maine to sirf yeh kaha ke Jiji ki shaadi mein…" Khushi started and Anjali held out her hand to stop her giggling. "main to sirf mazaak kar rahi thi aur aap to serious ho gayi."

"Aao lata, mehendi inhe ache se laga do khub sara lagana. Yeh raha mehendi. Anjali held out the bowl of mehendi towards lata was standing behind Arnav. Arnav took the bowl from his sister and handed it to Lata.

"Khushi ji aap theek to hai na?" Shyam enquired again. Arnav watched his brother-in-law and there was something in his eyes that he didn't quite like. He couldn't place it just yet. He didn't like the way he was looking at Khushi. But then again these days he didn't like anyone looking at her much.

"Jijaji, aap Di ko leker ghar jayiye. Khushi is fine." He ushered his Di and jija ji out speaking to them briefly about the wedding arrangements.

"Thank you Arnavji." Khushi smiled at him gesturing towards the mehendi.

"hmmm." Arnav busied himself behind his computer again. He suddenly thought of something and picked up the phone and dialled home. Hari Prakash picked up "HP, get the scorpions body from the poolside and keep it somewhere. I want to get that thing tested. Do not tell anyone. Just keep it for me."

"Oh no! whats this? " exclaimed the nurse as she brought in a tray of food for Khushi. Both her hands had mehendi on them and there was no way she could eat. "I don't have time to feed you, you silly girl. Sir I am sorry I have a lot of patients on the ward today." She looked apologetically at him.

Arnav shook his head and sighed loudly. "Chalo Khushi Kumari Gupta. Khana khaalo." Khushi mumbled something about not being hungry but he pulled up a chair in front of her and tore a piece of roti. He dipped it in the daal and brought the morsel to her lips. His finger grazed her bottom lip and their eyes were transfixed to each other. He nudged her lip slightly coaxing it to part to allow him to feed her. Her mouth closed over the roti and his finger.

Lata watched the two bicker over silly little things the entire time he fed her. Yet even through all of that the tender care he fed her with made her smile. They were just like a comfortably married couple. What did she call him earlier? Arnavji!

Arnav finished feeding her and gaver her medication which made her really drowsy again. He had the hospital put in a temporary bed in the room so that he could stretch out his limbs at night. He was getting tired.

**

The next morning Khushi wok e up delighted to see the mehendi that reached half way up her arm. Just like a dulhans she thought. She studied the patters thrilled with the rich dark colour. And then she screamed.

"KYA HUA? KHuShI? Tum theek ho?" he was by her side within seconds.

"YEH KAISE HUA!" she screamed again staring at her hand. He had this sudden urge to shake her, she wasn't making any sense. She pointed at the patterns at the c entre of her palms. He looked confused for a second and then he saw it.

In the centre of one of her palms was a picture of a doli and the on the other a heart. Each one had his name written in it.

" Arnav."

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