OS: Never Let Go (Sequel to 'The last kiss')

Six Months.

Six months had passed since Khushi left Delhi and began a new life in Chandigarh. To say it had been hard for her would be an understatement. In a new city, without any acquaintance or family, she didn't know how to start her new life. She had ended up in a small Dhabba in the morning after her journey. That was where she met Manpreet Aunty, a middle aged lady, the owner of that small Dhabba. She was the one who had offered shelter to this homeless, helpless girl.

And from that day onwards, Khushi had worked for that lady, helping her out with the chores of that Dhabba.

Manpreet Aunty was no less than a mother to this girl. She had lovingly welcomed her into her house, providing her with food, shelter and work. She too hailed from a lower middle class family, with the Dhabba being her only source of income.

What had started out as a small time business was now flourishing after the arrival of Khushi. With the fusion of Punjabi and Lucknowi tastes, Khushi had given a new direction to it. And after six months, they had expanded the Dhabba into a fully fledged restaurant. In her honour, Manpreet Aunty had even named it after Khushi.

There wasn't a day when Khushi used to not remember her family. Her Jiji, Amma, Babuji, Buaji. She even remembered the Raizadas. Most of all, she deeply missed that one man who had caused the most grief to her in her life. Arnav Singh Raizada. The man whom she loved.

Time heals all wounds.

Indeed it does. Initially, when she had first begun her life in Chandigarh, she didn't think it was possible to lead a life without him. But now looking back at those six months, she realized, everything was possible in life. Maybe all that happened was for her own good. If that day, Arnav hadn't ushered her to leave behind Delhi, she wouldn't have met a wonderful person like Manpreet Aunty, nor would she be co- owning a restaurant with her.

Life had only made her a strong and an independent woman.

But she always wished she could have had Arnav beside her when she achieved all these things. This happiness would have been even more magnified than it was now.

Six Months was a long time, especially for Arnav. He could never forget every single day he spent without her. It was no less than a battle for him.

That battle had begun when he had returned from the station, all alone, lifeless. The next morning he had been bombarded with questions about Khushi's whereabouts by his and her family. He had answered every single one of it. Afterall, he had been responsible for landing her into this situation. He had decided he would fight this battle for her. This was the least he could do.

He had confessed to every single crime he had inflicted upon her. How he had emotionally tortured her, physically hurt her, despite knowing deep down that she had been innocent all the while. He didn't bother what his family thought about him. He felt like a murderer, guilty of destroying an innocent soul.

That day onwards, he had changed for the better. He had realised to be sensitive and caring to people around him. He was no more the ASR but Arnav. That Arnav who had lost his heart to Khushi and had it shattered to a million pieces.

He didn't cry anymore.

He couldn't cry anymore. Tears refused to roll down his eyes. He was no less than a dead man living beyond his time. But he knew he had to move on. Lead a life without her. This would be his ultimate punishment for his deeds. She deserved a better life. He just hoped she was leading a good life wherever she was.

Everyday, he would visit the poolside and reminisce about those wonderful memories they had shared together. He could still hear the tinkling of her anklets, smell the sweet fragrance of her hair, feel the soft touch of her skin. He would close his eyes to remember her smile. He had tightly held on to that image in this mind. But somewhere, he also feared as time passed by, he would forget that smile.

Khushi came out from the bathroom after her morning shower. She got all dressed up wearing a salwar kameez, ready for the day's work in the restaurant.

"Khushi!" she heard Manpreet Aunty call out to her from another room. "Shall we go? It's already late Puttar!"

"Coming Auntyji!" she said and rushed to the dressing table to wear her Mangalsutra and put sindoor on her forehead. She looked at herself in the mirror, observing these two things that now had a completely different meaning to her than six months ago.

"We have lots of work today. We have to finalize the menu for today and check if they have delivered vegetables and other grocery stuff to the restaurant. And I hope the cooks have already started preparing food for the afternoon. They are making me crazy with their inefficiency. Atleast in the Dhabba, we both used to cook by ourselves. But now I don't trust these people." Said Manpreet Aunty with worrying creases on her forehead.

"Auntyji! Don't worry! I'm there right! I'll take care of all these. And Jeet is also there to take care of things." Replied back Khushi.

"Did anyone take my name?" Jeet said appearing out of nowhere at the mention of his name. "And what is this mother and daughter talking about?" A young man of about 25, he was the only son of Manpreet Aunty and took care of the restaurant too. Khushi had completely become a part of their lives, that he considered them to be a mother and daughter duo.

"Yes, Khushi! What would I have done without you!" she said hugging her. "Now let's go!" she said hurrying everyone out of the house and locking behind the door, leaving to their restaurant a few metres away.

Arnav had been idly sitting in his hotel room in Chandigarh. He had arrived three days ago to attend a conference of Fashion industry. Today evening he was supposed to leave back to Delhi. But he had been free for the morning. He stared outside the window, looking at the serene city view in front of him.

This city wasn't full of hustle bustle like Delhi. It had a quieter and calmer atmosphere to it. He remembered Khushi. She must be living somewhere in some corner of this city. He wasn't even sure if she still lived in Chandigarh.

When he had first arrived in the city, he had to fight all his urge to go and find her. No, he couldn't do it. For her happiness, he had to stay away as far as possible from her.

Still lost in thoughts, he heard someone knocking at the door.

"Come in!" he ordered in a loud voice.

"Mr. Raizada! I'm sure you must be bored sitting inside the room all day. I heard your flight is in the evening. Why don't you go around the city and get to know it. I can send my driver to give you a tour. He knows all the best places here." Said the man who entered the room.

"It's fine Mr. Khanna. I can manage myself here." Arnav replied with a polite smile.

"No Mr. Raizada. You have to go and enjoy the world out there. It is waiting for you." He said with an exciting voice, which matched his extrovert personality very well. "Paaji!" he called the middle aged driver who was standing outside the door. "Will you please show him the city?" he requested.

"Yes for sure. Raizada Saab, Please come along with me." He requested Arnav, who had no other alternative but to relent to his request.

The drive in the car was a quiet one. Arnav hadn't spoken a word with the driver. He had been only staring at the scenery outside. The driver too hadn't engaged himself in a conversation with this man, except for introducing the famous landmarks of the city.

After roaming for a few hours, the driver finally spoke.

"Raizada Saab, I know of a very good restaurant here. It isn't a big one, but the food you get there is one of the best in the world. So shall I take you there for lunch?" he asked Arnav, breaking his chain of thoughts.

"Ok!" he replied casually, not wanting to refuse. He didn't mind where he was going, where life was taking him. He just went along with the flow. If the same question had been asked to him six months ago, he wouldn't have entertained the driver's request. But now, he was a completely different man.

"You know Saab, I have been visiting that place even when it had once been a Dhabba. But now, it has been upgraded to a restaurant. The name is 'Khushi'. Oh, they named it after the owner. Khushi Chaddha. She is a very nice girl and prepares the best parathas ever." The driver continued with his chatter praising her.

Arnav's ears perked up when he heard the name 'Khushi'. The name that was his life. But then he heard her full name. Khushi Chaddha. Ofcourse, there could be so many Khushis in the world. Just because the name was same, it didn't mean that she was the same person. Putting away his thoughts, he continued to stare at the green trees that covered the either sides of the road.

After about five minutes, the car halted to a stop and they both got out of it. Arnav stared at the bold White letters engraved on the wood. 'Khushi'. His heart skipped a beat reading the name on the board. It was as if he felt something in his heart. He sensed her presence, as if she was very close to him. No she couldn't be. It was just a figment of his imagination. He convinced himself.

Khushi had been busy ordering the staff in the kitchen, when she felt that familiar presence around her. Something she hadn't felt for the past six months. Was he near? No, it couldn't be. It was impossible for him to be in this city, let alone in her restaurant. She dismissed these thoughts and continued with her work.

The Driver led Arnav inside, to reveal a restaurant bustling with activity. All the tables had been occupied and one could see waiters running helter-skelter with the orders.

The driver went inside the kitchen, leaving behind Arnav at the door and returned back with a middle aged lady.

"Raizada Saab, meet Mrs. Chaddha, the owner of this restaurant." He said introducing the lady to him.

"Satsriakal Puttar!" She greeted him folding her hands with respect. Arnav returned back the gesture with the same respect. "Come with me! I'll take you upstairs. Here it is a bit busy now." She said embarrassed at the chaos around her.

She led them upstairs into a quieter section of the place that was reserved only for special occasions. Arnav noticed that no one was present in this part of the restaurant.

"Have a seat!" she said leading them to a table. She herself plopped down on one of the chairs at the table, making herself comfortable. "So I've heard from my friend here, you are some big shot businessman. So what business do you do Puttar?" she asked animatedly to him.

"Auntyji, I do fashion designing business." Arnav replied politely not wanting to sound arrogant or haughty to her. He instantly began to like her for her lively and entertaining attitude. She continued to bombard him with questions, all of which he politely answered until she suddenly remembered, "Oye Puttar! You have come to eat over here and see me, like a fool, I have completely forgotten to ask you what will you have for lunch? Silly me!" she said letting out a chuckle.

"It's fine Auntyji! I enjoyed talking to you. And you can offer me whatever you like. I'm sure whatever you give me will be the best." He said smiling at the lady.

"Jeet! Come here!" she called out in loud voice downstairs. Soon they heard someone hurrying up the stairs. A young well built man, appeared in front of them.

"Tell Khushi to prepare Parathas for our guest here and whatever Curry she wants to prepare. Tell her to hurry up. We don't want to keep him waiting for long, right?" she ordered her son, who instantly disappeared downstairs.

For the second time, Arnav ears perked up at the mention of her name.

"Actually, Khushi Puttar prepares the best Parathas in the world, if I can say so. You will love it so much that you will end up licking your fingers. And whatever curry she prepares, I can guarantee you it will be the best." Mrs. Manpreet Chaddha replied.

Funny, he thought remembering his Khushi's own food which he had loved the most. He was suddenly transported back to his first month of marriage, when he had first tasted the food prepared by her. It was at par with his mother's food, something that no one had been able to accomplish. Remembering this, he secretly smiled to himself, something which didn't go unnoticed by the woman seated in front of him.

"Why are you suddenly smiling huh?" she asked in a teasing tone. "Remembering someone special?"

"Actually yes Auntyji, I am remembering my wife." He replied shyly. Ex-wife! He corrected himself mentally. "Even her name is Khushi. And she too prepares the best Parathas in the world." He said, while his smile suddenly turned into a sad expression. "But she isn't with me anymore." He continued.

"Don't say like that Puttar! The people you love are always with you. Take myself for example. I lost my husband to an illness few years ago. But I still feel he is around me. I don't miss him anymore. It is like he never left me." She said holding his hand.

Meanwhile, Jeet reached downstairs to the kitchen. "Khushi! Mummy asked you to prepare Parathas and your special curry for our special guest."

"What! Can't you see I'm busy." She replied back scribbling notes in a notepad.

"He looks like some big shot guy! He might bring more business to our restaurant." Jeet replied to which Khushi glared at him.

"Is he? Then, I will have to give my best to impress him." She said and got down to work.

Twenty minutes later, Jeet came up with a tray in his hand. Mrs. Chaddha helped to serve the food for both Arnav and the driver.

Putting the first piece of the Paratha in his mouth, the deliciousness of it transported him directly to heaven. It actually tasted just like his Khushi's food. Wait! Was it possible it was her? He was actually frightened to raise his hopes. After enjoying every bit of that wonderful meal, Arnav couldn't stop himself from licking his fingers.

"Too Good Auntyji!" he exclaimed making her and the driver giggle seeing his actions.

Khushi had been busy with ordering around the staff and hence hadn't gone to see this so called businessman at top. But after finishing her work, she realized she needed to have a glance at her potential customer and see his reaction to her food.

"Jeet, is he still there?" she asked wiping her hands with a towel.

"yes, come let's go meet him." He said and both of them went upstairs. Entering the room, she saw him seated with another man, whom she recognised as the driver uncle, their backs facing her.

"Auntyji!" she waved out at her, raising her eyebrows asking whether he had liked her food or not. Manpreet Aunty replied with a smile assuring her that he had loved it.

Arnav had been busy drinking lassi, when he suddenly heard that familiar voice from behind him and he froze in his actions. Only one word echoed in his mind. Khushi. He closed his eyes tightly as he felt her near him.

Khushi went towards the table with a huge smile on her face. She turned around her head to see his face, when she froze completely like she had seen some ghost.

"Puttar! This is Mr..." Aunty introduced only to be interrupted by her voice.

"Arnav Singh Raizada!" she whispered in shock seeing that face, his face, which she had been dying to see for the past six months.

"You know him!" both the mother and son asked at the same time, while Arnav opened his eyes to see her face. He felt like he would lose consciousness any moment from now. Was this true what he was seeing? Was it just a dream? "Khushi!" he whispered unsure whether those words reached her ears.

They were lost in each other, completely oblivious to the other three who were gaping at them completely shocked.

"Khushi!" Jeet finally shook her body to bring her back to reality. This broke their eye contact and they suddenly looked elsewhere feeling a bit awkward being caught in their moment.

"Arnavji! What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed trying to sound as normal as possible. "This is the same man who I used to speak about." She whispered quietly to Manpreet Aunty making her let out a huge 'Oh'. She turned back to Arnav, "This is Mrs. Manpreet Chaddha, the lady whom I have been staying with for the past six months. She was the one who helped and looked after me. And this is her son, Ranjeet Chaddha, whom we lovingly call as Jeet." She said introducing both the figures to him.

"Hi Arnav!" Jeet waved out his hand.

It was then Arnav noticed the mangalsutra and sindoor on her forehead. And suddenly, he remembered the Driver's words. Khushi Chaddha! Wasn't that what Khushi was referred to as? Did she..? Hundreds of questions attacked his mind as the realization dawned upon him. A minute ago he had felt his hopes resurfacing alive. But now he felt his heart crash into millions of pieces, completely devstated.

The others decided to leave both of them to themselves and went downstairs.

Khushi sat on the chair next to him, quietly getting accustomed to the face in front of her. "So what brings you here? I can't believe I'm seeing you after such a long time."

"I had a conference to attend over here. So by chance I ended up in this restaurant." He replied quietly. Silence lingered as they both didn't know what to speak about.

"How is everyone at home? Nani, Jiji, Di, Buaji and all others?" she asked after a long pause.

"They are good." He replied letting out a sigh. "They miss you a lot."

"And you?" she shot back before continuing, "How are you Arnavji?" she asked with a caring tone, full of affection and love.

"I'm good Khushi." And I missed you too. He said the latter being uttered quietly in his mind. "So you are the owner of a restaurant and all that? Nice! I'm proud of you." He said smiling back at her.

"I should be thanking you, for if you hadn't let me go, I wouldn't have been here. " She continued to explain her whole journey from the beginning. After the whole story he replied back, "You seem happy here." He felt a strange happiness knowing that she was happy here.

"Yes!" she replied but deep inside she knew she was missing something or rather someone, the person in front of her. Happiness would never be complete without him.

"Well it was nice meeting you Khushi! Take care of yourself. I've got a flight to catch in the evening." He said as he got up from his place. "And thank you for the lovely lunch. It was perfect just like old times." He complimented her before shaking her hand and turning around to leave.

Khushi couldn't believe her eyes at what was happening in front of her eyes. Wait, was he leaving for real? Did they just meet only to part once again? Maybe he had really moved on in life. Maybe he didn't want her back. She felt dejected and disappointed mostly with herself, that she still thought they could make it. As he went down the stairs, she felt the last hope fade away from her life.

Suddenly she saw Manpreet Aunty enter the room. "Khushi Puttar! What are you doing? Go and get him!" she ordered furiously with her wide eyes. Khushi could only stare at this woman with surprise.

"What are you staring at? Did you forget all our conversations every night these past six months? Do you want me to come and smack your head for you? He is your true love and I have personally seen his love for you in his eyes. Men are emotionally handicapped at times. They don't know how to express their love so easily. So in such times, it is your duty to take charge of the relationship and take it ahead. Now go, before it is too late!"

"But what about this restaurant?" she murmured.

"Don't worry about it. We are here to take care of it. Your husband needs you and you need him, more than us." Aunty replied.

For a moment, Khushi froze unable to comprehend what was to be done. She remembered all the times he had hurt her. How much agony he had caused to her. How much her life had been destroyed by him.

But she also remembered all the times that he had cared for her. How he had protected her. The love for her in his eyes. All the good times they spent together. She loved him. She definitely loved him.

Everybody deserved a second chance and she was damn going to give him one.

She ran downstairs in full speed, outside the restaurant and found him leaning quietly against the car. She ran like never before, lest he be gone forever. With every step, she felt hope, happiness and sanity returning back to her soul. "Arnavji!" she called out loudly, gasping for air, making him turn around to her direction.

He didn't know what was happening. But the next second, he felt her crashing into him, embracing him with the fiercest hug, crushing down all the barriers of his heart. She began to sob on his chest. "I cannot let you go away this time. I won't let you go. Do you understand?" she screamed the last words on his face.

"What are you saying?" Arnav said trying to grasp what was happening to him.

"I am coming with you. I am going back to my home. To be with you." She uttered cupping his face.

"But I thought... you had moved on... you married that guy at the restaurant... You changed your surname." He said stammering, unsure of what he was saying.

"What! NO! I'm only married to you. The one and only Arnav Singh Raizada. Here people assumed that I was Manpreet Aunty's relative. Hence they know me as Khushi Chaddha and Jeet is like a brother to me. You foolish Raizada!" she said smacking his head bursting out into a chuckle muffled with sobs.

"So you wore the sindoor and Mangalsutra of my name all these months? Why Khushi?" he asked in a soft voice, completely stunned and surprised at her.

"Initially, I used to remind myself not to wear these. But everytime, I used to forget my resolution and involuntarily apply the sindoor on my forehead and wear this mangalsutra around my neck. Then I realized I had gotten so used to being your wife, that I couldn't bear to part away from it. I realized that I still considered you as my husband even after our contract marriage had expired." She paused to look at his moist eyes.

"You are rightfully a Lard Governor! Maybe you don't deserve to be loved by others. But you definitely deserve to be loved by this Sankadevi. Lard Governor and SankaDevi deserve each other! Am I clear here?" she stated as she stood on her toes and raised herself to claim his lips in a sweet, desire filled kiss, something she had thought would never be possible again.

He felt life entering back into his soul once again as he felt her soft lips on his. That moment felt like eternity as they stood in each other's arms, oblivious to every thing around them.

She broke apart to gaze lovingly into his eyes. "I think we both deserve a second chance. You and I have both made mistakes. But we never ever meant to hurt each other. Circumstances forced us to do things we shouldn't have done. But love is above all. And most of all, love is forgiving. If our love has survived through all these hardships, misunderstandings and separation, it can withstand anything that comes in life. Even though I tried living a life without you, at the end of the day, it felt incomplete. Most of all, I missed you. Every single day, hour and minute. Arnavji, I really missed you."

"I missed you too Khushi. It's just that I thought you deserved someone better than me." He replied back placing a soft feathery kiss on her forehead. "Do you really want to come home with me?" he asked to which she vigorously nodded her head. "Yes!"

"Let's go home then!" he said holding her hand tightly.

"Arrey! Don't you want to bid goodbye to me?" They suddenly heard Manpreet Aunty's voice behind them. "Sorry!" she said embarrassed, "But I couldn't stop listening to the love birds conversation." She continued with a sheepish smile on her face.

"No Auntyji! We were going to come.."Khushi replied only to be interrupted by her.

"I am happy for you both!" she said hugging both of them. Then she pulled aside Arnav in a separate hug and whispered into his ears, "All she needs is a little love and support from you. You will be surprised to see how much she will return back that love to you."

Then she hugged Khushi and whispered into her ears, "Never let go of him. Hold on to him tightly. He loves you more than you know."

She pulled back herself and said, "Now you can go. But don't forget to call me. And do visit me whenever you miss me!"

Khushi and Arnav both nodded and turned around, as they held each other's hand and got into the car. She saw Khushi whisper a quiet 'Thank you' from the window as the car sped away from her.

Arnav finally rested his head on top of hers, relieved of the nightmare he had been living for the past six months. He would definitely give his best this time to make their relationship work. He was getting a second chance and he wasn't going to let it be futile. He held on to her hand firmly promising to himself that he would never let her go away from his life till the very end.

Every end has a new beginning. There is a day after every night. A light to clear away darkness. A hope of victory for every battle. All that is needed is to never let go of the belief in yourself and the one whom you love. Fight for what is truly yours!

How was it? I tried to keep it realistic. I didn't want Khushi to come back running jumping from the train in a dramatic manner.😆 I wanted her to live apart for some time. Coz I wanted to show, yes, it is possible to live after separation or death. Life continues.

Leave your comments if you want to say something. It is NOT MANDATORY to comment. I won't remove you from my Pm list if you don't comment. Nope! I ain't that evil.😆 But Press the like button if you liked even a tiny bit of it.😃 It is encourages me.

I have randomly removed 25 of you from my PM list and added 50 more to it🤣. If you didn't get the PM's for this, but you want Pm's from me, go and check if I'm still in your buddy list. If not send me a request once again.😃

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Me going on a long break for now! 😉 Coz I heard ppl don't like me around here.😈

Bye Bye!