Chapter 10
"To show her that she had claimed a position that until yesterday had belonged only to his sister. But today, Arnav had allowed his mask to slip in front her, had abandoned it almost entirely, and it was Arnav and not that mask that Khushi had cried for."
These lines were just fantastic and totally mirror what I think Arnav is actually going to do once the truth if out or at least I hope so.
"Khushi's blood pressure had already soared, and she now thanked Devi Maiyya profusely for the fact that they were going to the hospital again today; at the rate at which her heart was overspeeding, she was convinced that it would not be long before it would veer out of control. At least at the hospital she would get prompt medical attention, she assured herself, because she was in no doubt that her dhak dhak, resounding loudly off the walls of the bedroom, had attained a pitch and magnitude not completely healthy for the human body."
Hahahahaha! Khushi at her complete KKG-ness! Lol! 😆
Chapter 12
"He wondered whether it was humanly possible to despise himself, his ego and his existence, more than he did at that moment."
Can I tell you something? Every time Arnav smirks in this, I feel like punching his face in. But then you write something like this and I calm down and realize his smirk and his 'cool' nature is all just a facade to hide that aching, weak heart.
"He felt Khushi gently, but firmly twist her wrist of his hold, while her other hand calmly reached up for the tap as she turned it off. The sound of the water hissing against the bottom of the sink ebbed away, leaving the two of them in an eerie silence."
FCUK brilliant imagery! One of my fav ever. Great job!
And the whole Khushi changing her complete look to reflect what she is feeling was well done. I loved how she said what she did to Arnav and that Arnav felt the pain.
Chapter 13
But she did not trust him not to repeat what he had done. Khushi, suddenly weary, thought back to the countless times in the past when he had struck her, struck her where it hurt most. She remembered his apologising the first time; the ring of sincerity in his voice had moved her to tears then. But it was not long afterwards that he hurt her again. And again. And again. But she forgave him. Or perhaps she forgot. Or maybe even she made allowances for him without really asking herself why.
Very frickin true! I have been harping about it in all my fics on the current track. Lol. Its not about forgiveness or love, its about trust.
Chapter 14
" Once satisfied with his handiwork, he had driven off to pick up Khushi's mother and her aunt from Laxmi Nagar so he could take them to the hospital again. Although such mundane chores would on any other day have irked him, and he would probably have barked orders at the driver to carry them out instead, Arnav had felt an odd sense of belonging, of being at home, as he listened to Buaji animatedly prattling about the sweets she was going to make with her own hands for her Shashi Babua while Amma tried timidly to interject with protests that the doctor had laid down a specific diet plan for them to follow. Arnav briefly remembered thinking that these two were just like an older version of Khushi and Payal; Khushi the chatterbox would be chirping away to her heart's content and Payal would quietly insert a comment here or there. "
Such thoughts on Arnav's part are what makes me less mad at him and probably will make Khushi see him in a more positive, lovable and trustworthy light.
" A part of Arnav mourned the fact that she did not have such meaningless conversations with him. She has no conversations with you whatsoever, the small, cynical voice in his head reminded him primly. "
Okay, so this is crazy. I think I thought the exact same thing his cynical voice said after feeling a pinch at what he thought.
Khushi's eyes refocused. Her lips set themselves in a tight firm line. Her tiny hands fisted into the cloth of her saree as the hideously familiar music catapulted itself at her.
Arnav felt his muscles slacken as each note permeated into his skin, mingling with his blood. He felt his heart shake off the cold chains which had bound it moments before, as, rejuvenated, it picked up the staccato of the song. A song he knew so well.
WOW. Their contrasting reactions have been portrayed so well. Kudos. And to think that it had always been the other way round...or at least portrayed to be from Arnav's side.
The last strains of the music faded away, swivelling in front of them like steam above hot water, swirling and whirling gently as they mingled and disappeared into the air. Leaving behind two souls, wounded, alone, frightened, and desperate for each other, but with a world of devastation lying between them, keeping them apart.
Very beautifully and aptly put.
Chapter 15
He seemed to have a knack for always contorting the most heartfelt of words into cutting remarks that he did not mean, and more than half the time when he was speaking to Khushi
True that. :p
After all, hadn't he, continuously and mercilessly, drilled in the fact to her that her only incentive to be close to his family was their money? Hadn't he humiliated her time and again, telling her that when the time comes he'd just pay her for her trouble and kick her out of the house? Wasn't it in this very room, in fact, that he had picked out her choice of necklace and deliberately presented it to Lavanya?
Arnav closed his eyes as a particularly vehement spasm of painful regret shot through him. He had been exceptionally, horrifically vindictive then. He had played with Lavanya's feelings, put the reputation of his entire family on the line, to do everything he could to get Khushi to admit that his being engaged to someone else made a difference to her. While staunchly denying that her being engaged to someone else threatened to tilt his world out of its axis.
I SO want Arnav to feel all this because watching it on video, I always thought to myself, will this man ever regret as openly as he wounds?! I want him to repent, to regret to have these conversations not only with himself but with people he has been so cruel to. Great job.
You made me smile at their sari game...Khushi got trapped in it quite unwittingly but still it just proves how she will always be tied to Arnav and vice versa. :)
'Khushi', his voice was husky from being so breathless; he was afraid he would be thoroughly inebriated if he inhaled too deeply into the intoxicating fragrance of her hair, of her skin. Only a breath of a distance remained between them; Arnav could feel the warmth emanating off of her luminescent skin. His brain shouted frantic instructions at every cell of his body, trying to rein them in before he succumbed to his desire to just pull her into his arms and keep her their...forever. It was too early for that. He needed to win her trust before he could win her heart. Grimly laughing at his own masochism, Arnav raised his hand carefully to Khushi's face, his eyes looking straight into hers, which had widened even more and reflected, clearly, every single emotion she was experiencing.
Just like looking through fine crystal.
She started slightly when she felt him touch his rough fingertip ever so slightly to the corner of her eye. Torturously slowly, not daring to breathe lest he lost the remaining vestiges of control, Arnav trailed the back of his hand across Khushi's blazing, soft cheek, before dotting her just below her ear with a spot of kajal.
Before either of them could recover, Arnav zoomed forward, his warm breath making her shudder, with strands of her hair wafting against it, and whispered into her ear.
'Kisi ki nazar na lage.'
Hum faintya gayye hain. And as much as I am not in the gushing for Arnav in this fic or most of the current track mood, this was my undoing. Damn.
Chapter 17
He wondered whether she had thrown the bangles away.
At this moment, I wanted to tell him (quite sullenly) that she most probably hadnt cos she is just like you in these matters. Remember the pearls, Arnav bitwa? :p
'This way', he murmured softly, 'you won't be in the dark, and you'll feel closer to my in-laws.'
*Brushes tear off her eyes*
Perfect. <3
You're making it difficult for me to remain angry with Arnav. Sigh. But well it was always ASR I was mad at, never Arnav.
Chapter 18
This chapter was expected. She was going to lose it sooner or later and she did. It was nicely written but honestly, I didnt like Arnav's whole YOU WILL LOVE ME thing but thats just him - always intermingled with ASR. Sigh.
Chapter 19
"Khushi had brought his mother back into his life again, and for that, he could never thank her enough."
No words.
Chapter 20
Arnav could tell, by the way her shoulders hunched over, that she had given in to his request. He just hoped, hoped ardently, that one day she would wear what he picked out for her because he would like it. Hoped desperately for a future where he wouldn't have to pretend to be on the phone, use his in-laws as an excuse, or some other ruse, to see her in all her glory, as bright as a candle-flame in the dark, belonging solely to him, for him.
Sigh. I think I have slowly started rooting for Arnav.
After all, if he could glue his brother to a chair in the past, this wasn't all that unusual.
Hahahahahaha! Naughty naughty, Nanav! 😉 😆
Chapter 21
'Oh, come on, Di', Arnav rolled his eyes at his Di's martyr impression, which was sufficiently marred by the huge grin on her face, 'You know you'll always be one of the most important people in my life.' He placed a hand on her shoulder as he steered her towards Bauji's wardroom, hoping the unmistakeable emphasis he had placed on the word 'one' had not gone unheeded by the person he had wanted to stress that to.
*Satisfied smirk of her own*
Arnav sighed as they reached the ward-room door. He turned to face his older sister, smiling her sweet, dimpled smile. Something in him knotted uncomfortably; a sinking feeling set in inside his stomach, and the familiar pails of ice threatened to tip over into the bottomless pit. Softly, raising both his hands to rest them on his sister's shoulders, he assured her, 'Di, I will always worry about you. I can't afford anything to happen to you. The reason why I kept hounding around behind you was because up until now I couldn't trust anyone else to look after you.'
On cue, the oxygen around him disappeared and Arnav, short of breath, managed to glance at the slight, yellow-and-pink figure standing a little behind Payal. Tension condensed in the air. Now or never. She had to know this.
'But now Khushi's with you, and I trust her more than myself to make sure that nothing can happen to you.'
You are hell bent on making me like Arnav again, arent you?! *Accusing glare*
Its working. Sigh.
The last part was extremely well written and emotional and has won me over. To Arnav's side.
Overall till now, you may have noticed I read chunks of your story together and then come up with such a ridiculously long comment but what to do, I have to be in the right state of mind to properly read and appreciate your brilliant writing and this fantastic piece.
Coming to Arnav and Khushi of this story, I think the reader starts off as feeling what Khushi might be and siding with her (at least in my case) and then getting won over by Arnav after going through phases of irritation, confusion, anger and finally a sort of acceptance of his repentance. In that way, you are brilliantly connected to the characters of this story and that is a job well done! :)
Great story so far. Update soon. :)
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