IPKKND:SS: A New Hope ~~Chp 18 Uptd on pg 35 - Page 4

With the speed of lighting he got barked some orders on his cell and went for a shower, Rushed to his Chopper.

6 AM... Lucknow... The sleepy by lanes of the rested town awoke to the rude jarring of the chopper, as he landed he found a SUV and some men, He agn barked a few orders got Directions, took the keys and like a arrow he shot in the darkness of the dawn. He reached his destination. Aman was already there he gave his directions to Him, Arnav entered a old depleted bldg and moved to one side of the bldg, there he saw her sitting in one corner, for anyone who saw her would see someone gazing the sun and enjoying the morning rays, he saw her pain glazed eyes, he saw her depth, he saw saw the structure that was left after his assault, but he could let just those emotions creep in he resolved.

He moved towards Again as if she knew it was him, sensed him as if the wind whispered in her ear, she turned. Her eyes caught his outline and world stopped for her, she greedily drank his sight, a sight so the reason for her living, but she just couldn't show him.

He stood in front of her... He didn't know how to start , he was at loss of words for the first time.

He just said "Khushi", seeing the fear in her eyes , his soul cried he wanted to reassure her that he is nvr gonna harm her, what he had done was already repenting but just at this moment he couldn't.

He said "Khushi" again, "How dare You?", she looked with such pained eyes that once agn his resolve moved, he took a step towards her, she moved two steps back, he gasped "how dare you? U had committed 6 months and still you ran KKG is that your commitment?, I shouldn't have trusted you, those sweet honey laced words, Oh how you love to rant & rant abt Love and commitment yet at that first chance you ran", this was enough for Khushi to snap. she replied "think whatever you like and it doesn't affect me any more I am done, your Di is now safe I made sure and come hell may I am not gonna be with you ever agn."

He agn tried to Threaten using Payal , she replied she knows abt payal and akash's relation, their comfort and commitment in each other, again he tried but this time nothing worked the harder he tried the farther she moved away from him, finally for the first time, he felt he was losing to his Khushi but he couldn't do it now not until she had met Di.

Finally He threw his Boomerang, His DI... he knew if this was return than he was fighting a lost battle but he had faith somewhere in his mind, it will not come back. Listening the word, he saw a myriad of colors pass through khushi. yet he knew this will work

She turned & asked" hows she doing now, is she back home... ?" He replied "she needs you wants to meet you and I will do everything in my Power to take you to her",she just looked at him and her resolve went down the drain.

She stood and didn't make move,

He moved and looked with Questions in his eyes, she responded, "U can do anything in your power yet I would hv not come with you, but as you are here yourself leaving Di in Delhi means its important but I need to get that reassurance from you before I go with you". He Asked her " What" u never gone tell me again what to do and will not force me for anything if you gv me your word I will accompany you otherwise you can leave .

Arnav grudgingly agreed "Ok"

In 15 mins she got ready, and off they were

In 2 Hrs at the Hospital, Arnav slowly knocked the door, the nurse peeped, he said "Khushi is here",

Nurse replied "Let me check, they waited".

within seconds the nurse came back and she said "Please come Ms anjali is waiting"

As khushi entered the room, skeptically she looked around, She saw anjali sitting on the bed with arms wide open for a Hug, Khushi just ran to her with tears coursing down her face, they kept hugging each other and crying again and again, arnav couldn't understand anything, later he realised that his sister was grateful to khushi for all she had done for the family and khushi had been comforting her saying this is my family, again Arnav felt as he had been crushed to million pieces.

Di said after some time" khushi I am sorry the way Chote behaved but you and he are married and I would like you to return to our RM you are his wife no matter what." Please accept my apologies on his behalf and please return to our lives, which will be incomplete with you."

She stood speechless, even though she loved her Arnavji more than life itself she cant return back to RM, but again Di's delicate condition,

She hesitated yet again looking at Anjali she knew she couldn't leave her at this moment, when she needed support and also she had been always a sister to her.

with almost a voice which wasn't audible she shook her head in affirmative. Arnav felt as if his breath had been returned. He nvr knew he was holding his breath.

Khushi Almost turned to him and said I will stay with di for now.

he still didn't go he was waiting, finally anjali told him I"ts OK Arnav, you can leave", these were the first few words his Di had spoken to him. He returned to work.

Work was his elixir always but today even his work couldn't sooth him, he felt a turmoil of emotions raging like fire arnd him.

he kept thinking abt his Di & Khushi, Khushi a women whom he had wronged, he remembered their first meeting how he had discarded her as a nobody, & how they kept crossing each others path after that. How at each instance he mocked her and her mentality, her preferences ad today just bcz of her he had his most precious thing with him, His di, how this nobody had won hearts even without an effort, his own di was not standing with him when it came to Khushi, How had he lost, lost himself to her, her family and above all his thinking, today he was ready to think the way khushi wanted him to think Love was the most important thing in life, like she said always.

today everywhere he turned he could see her smile her happy naughty eyes, eyes which hid tons of pain in them yet always smiled. The staff at AR, The staff at RM and his family even the audacious mami was missing Khushi like anything. It felt as if they all felt sumthing missing from their life if Khushi wasn't there and he had been through personnel hell when he entered everyday his own home, his own sanctuary. no where he looked he didn't find image of her.

Every time he went to poolside, he felt her. she sleeping on the floor,

singing by the pool that funny la lal la...

every time he looked towards the sky, he could see the brightest stars together, her whispering those are my parents. every time he was abt to eat anything sweet, her hard, ur not supposed to eat that.

Everytime he bumped into something, her instant reaction to chck if everything was alrite with him. He couldn't believe how could she care for him so much, so much when he had hurt her with words actions.

At 7 pm in the evening, he reached hospital Khushi was still with anjali di, she was tending her and was telling her some funny stories Di was smiling, only Khushi could do that, make his Di smile at such a bad phase of her life. he was thankful to her again.

Nani, Mami, Mamaji, Payal & Akash and everyone else was also there.

soon the nurse came & informed evreyone visiting hrs were over, they all decided to go home, and he waited for Khushi in the foyer, when she came she instantly moved in with nani towards Akash Car, He called her Khushi, will you come with me, I need to talk to you, she came to him and he said we gonna drive together home.

She sat quitely next to him, he turned to tell her abt the seat belt but it was already on it place and this time she hadnt had any problem in with the latch. strange he felt.

At RM he asked HP to put Khushi's stuff at his room, she went staright to naniji and asked abt the dinner and adrah wali chai, soon she went to kitchen and made the adarak wali tea for everyone and sat with Naniji.

After dinner, she went to their room,took her nightly things and went to bathroom. when she came out she had changed for her nightly routine.she took her pillow& blanket and moved to the poolside. He called Khushi... U can sleep on the bed as before, she just looked towards him and moved.

He remembered her words "u never gone tell me agnain what to do and will not force me for anything "

he kept quiet. he kept looking outside again & again, yet he found her unusually quiet. after how many hrs he slept he did not know.

Next morning when he woke up he saw she was already ready and sitting in front of the dresser, she had her sindoor bottle in her hand, she looked as if unsure if she wanted to put or not, finally she put the sindoor and moved to kitchen, again he felt his helpness.

At the breakfast, he found is plate and his oats and evrything as she used to put before she left, she always took care of diabetes. soon HP bought a bowl with his pills and water, when he was leaving for office, his eyes started searching for her as if she sensed, she appaered he told her "I am going to office and hospital before, if you need anything", she softly told him, "Can you send the car around lunch time bcz I need to go to hospital with lunch for Di". "Ok" he said.

At abt Lunch time, He got a Lunch pack, which his driver had bought for him, he said Mrs Raizada has sent for you.

again he felt his breath had been lodged in his throat.

In the evening when he reached to hospital everyone was there like the day before today again khushi was bzy chatting with Di, making her smile with her own tit bits.

The doctor came after some time and told evryone that Anjali's condition has considerably improved in last couple of days and she was fit to be discharged and if they want they could take her the nxt day. Everyone felt relieved.

The next day Everyone was bzy preparing for Anjali's return flowers being arranged, decorations , lamps evryone wanted to show Anajali how special she was for them, Payal & Khushi were bzy in kitchen making all the delicacies Anjali enjoyed, Arnav went to nani and informed her that he was going to pick Anajli di,

As he reached near the door, Khushi called "Arnavji", His feet automatically halted, she came and said" I would like to go to hospital too."

At the hosital, she quickly packed his Di's Stuff handed her a freshly ironed saree and then she looked towardshim, as if sensing something in her eyes, he left the room, and when he returned his Di had changed, as she was bending to pick her footwear, Khushi stopped her and got her footwear and before she could it put it on her feet she pulled a bottle of oil which had a pungent smell and she applied that on Anjali Di swollen feet, for the first time Arnav realised that Di feet had been swollen by lying on the bed and khushi had sensed this. she told di that buaji had told her how to prepare that oil and it will be great for swollen feet..

When Di started walking arnav promptly reached for her but Khushi was there before him, she had been holding and supporting his fully pregnant sister on her tiny petite shoulders, he went to her other side, the whole way Khushi kept supporting his Di.

Even at RM she did support her di, evryone welcomed Anjali in their loved hugs and arms. Khushi ran and bought some pillows when di was about to sit on the couch.

He was surprised and felt immensly proud of the fact that his Khushi was taking care of his Di, slowly the days started to fall in routine but Arnav regretted the fact that evrytime he came near Khushi, she shrugged in pain, every moment spent in there room was torcher for his soul bcz gone was the chirpy resislent Khushi. Instead she would follow everything he uttered like a mute doll and tried to spend as little time as possible in his vicinity, most nights he would notice her gazing at stars and smiling a Smile which didn't reach her eyes.