Shattered Dreams - Thread 2

Friends thanks a lot for your support. I am proud to start Thread 2 for Shattered Dreams. Request you all to continue encouraging me with your comments & feedback.

Special mention to Sharmi (Cindrella255). Thanks for ur wonderful comments dear 😳

"It meant nothing to me. After all I have had better. Well looks like it's useless to expect anything from you even in bed. Definitely in business terms I should just write you off as an unprofitable investment."

Having said his piece he stormed out of the room leaving her devastated. She was beyond even tears. This past 6 months she had shed so many tears that now she was bereft of even that. No more tears left to be shed & no more emotions to be expressed. She had continued to battle hoping that one day her Devi Maiyya would answer her prayers & she could salvage her broken life. But now she finally realized that she was fighting a losing battle. He hated her so much that even the word HATE was not enough to express his feelings towards her. She crumpled to the floor & laid her head wearily on the bed which still carried his scent & the remnants of their love making. NO. Love is the wrong word in this context. They had just completed the age-old ritual of mating. Just two bodies coming together with no feelings from the heart. No that was not true. Her bruised heart had nursed feelings. Feelings unrequited & unreturned. She came alive when he touched her. He had aroused erotic feelings in her though he tried his best to hurt her.

She had loved twice & both the times her dreams had shattered. Maybe that's what her Devi Maiyya had intended. Maybe love was never destined for her. Maybe it would always be a mirage. An illusion, which kept her running throughout her miserable life, to be always cheated by cruel fate. She was destined to love & love hopelessly. But she would always face only cold indifference, suffocating greed & blind hatred. Nothing else in her barren life. She closed her weary eyes too weak to even cry. This was the day that something inside her died. Her love, her hopes, her laughter, her happiness, her soul. She ceased to live though she continued to breathe.

This was the day Kushi Kumari Gupta died. Doctors would call her medically alive but according to her she was just a living corpse.

Index given below

The story so far.

The story begins with ARHI consummating their marriage but its not a happy event since Kushi had tried seducing Arnav which was misunderstood by Arnav who ended up having sex out of anger. He immediately regrets his action.

The next day Kushi recollects how she met Shyam & fell in love with him. Arnav comes there, realizes that she is thinking about Shyam & leaves for office dejected without having breakfast. He remembers their first encounter when she joins office & he draws a contract welcoming her to hell & how he saved her from a run-away car. Kushi misses him back at home & remembers his infamous temper & how he flared up when he overheard her calling him as Rakshas. Arnav returns home tired to find Kushi waiting in his room with his dinner. He is about to faint due to low suger level. Kushi helps him & scolds him for ignoring his health & being reckless. Arnav hurls hurtful words at her regarding her ex-lover Shyam. She slaps him & leaves in anger. The next day she goes to his room to find him ill with high fever. She calls her childhood friend Dhruv who is a doctor who gives him medicines & leaves after reassuring her. ARHI share a tender moment during which Arnav apologies for his behaviour. Kushi remembers the time when the designer Mona insulted her & how Arnav apologized to her. Anjali comes to visit Arnav & ends up talking to Kushi. They confess to each other & make up finally leaving behind all their misunderstandings & anger. Arnav is touched to see them on friendly terms again. Arnav & Kushi fight over Dhruv who is supposedly attracted to Anjali. That night Kushi has a nightmare. Arnav comforts her & Kushi makes violent, passionate love to him. She ends up confessing to Arnav the truth behind her mom's death who drowned before her eyes when she was 8 yrs old. Arnav finally realizes that Kushi indeed loves him & not Shyam. He wakes up to find her snuggled up to him & remembers their previous encounter when he had pushed her into the pool & had witnessed her hysterical attack. At that time Arnav had challenged her to kiss his pain away & had been shocked when Kushi complied. Coming back to the present Arnav has a nightmare about his mom & makes Kushi promise that she will never leave him no matter what. Kushi promises him & he falls into a slumber.

C 1-4 : ARHI consummation

C5-6 : Kushi recollects her meeting with Shyam & how she fell in love with Shyam

C7-8 : Arnav leaves without eating & thinks about his past in the car

C9 : ARHI's 1st encounter in asr's office where they end up fighting

C10-12 : ARHI think about each other & Kushi remembers how he lost his temper when he overheard her calling him Rakshas.

C13-14 : Arnav remembers how he saved her from a run-away car.

C15-16 : Kushi remembers the 1st time Arnav laughed when he dropped her home.

C17-18 : Arnav returns home to find Kushi waiting in his room with his dinner but has fallen asleep.

C19 : Arnav's sugar level drops & he insults Kushi who slaps him

C20 : Arnav regrets insulting her.

C21 : Arnav is ill & Kushi takes care of him

C22 : Kushi remembers how Mona insulted her & how Arnav came to her rescue & also apologized to her.

C23 : Anjali visits Kushi & they resolve their differences. Arnav is touched to see this.

C24 : ARHI fight over Dhruv-Anjali blooming friendship.

C25 : ARHI insult each other.

C26 : Kushi has a nightmare, Arnav comforts her & Kushi makes passionate love to him & then confessed that she killed her mom.

C27 : Kushi confesses the truth about her mom's death to Arnav.

C28 : Arnav realizes that Kushi loves him & only him.

C29 : Arnav recollects how he pushed Kushi in the pool earlier before their marriage.

C30 : Arnav remembers how she attacked him hysterically when he tried to get her out of the pool.

C31 : Kushi remembers how Arnav had got naughty with Kushi after pushing her in the pool & had asked him to kiss his pain away caused by her hysterical attack.

C32 : Arnav has a nightmare about his mom & makes Kushi promise that she will never leave him no matter what. Kushi promises him & he falls into a slumber.

Chapter 33

Shashi stared lovingly at his bride who was returning his stare with an equally tender look.

"I, Shashi, take you Vidhya, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

His bride sported her trademark heart breaking smile which made him fall in love with her all over again.

"Vidhya…………….". The ageing patriarch was wheezing painfully & Garima visibly flinched & turned away to hide the pain etched on her face.

Shashi continued to whisper in his broken voice.

"Vidhya I am sorry I failed you & Kushi. I was a bad husband & a worse father. All I pray for is that when I finally meet my maker he doesn't spare me. I hope I am punished mercilessly for my shortcomings especially for letting down my angel Kushi."

Garima stared at the stiff, dignified man standing before him. The man who had married her that morning in a simple ceremony shorn of any extravagance.

"I promise that I will always treat Kushi as my daughter. I will never make her feel the absence of a mother." She hesitated & then advanced cautiously towards him & placed a comforting hand on his weary shoulders. "While I don't purport to be able to replace Vidhya as a wife & a mother, I promise that I will try my best to at least alleviate the pain caused by the untimely demise of Di."

Garima wept silently at the bowed down figure pleading for a respite from his silent & prolonged nightmare. She had failed & failed miserably. All she had to show for her effort was a broken house & equally broken spirits.

"Arnav………….." She gasped in pain & her voice was hoarse. "Promise me that you will always be by Anjali's side. Though you are much younger you are way stronger than her. Promise me beta once I am gone you will look after her, protect her. Promise me beta. Please………………….. "

"Maaa…………………………………………………….." The desperate scream echoed emptily.

He had let down his mom. He had failed to protect his Di & worse, been a weak, unworthy spectator once again allowing history to repeat all over again. He was just a miserable failure. He wept inconsolably.

Kushi stared at the handsome face of Arnav contorted with pain, eyes closed in a restless slumber. He had still not confided in her his fears, his nightmares & all she could do was stare helplessly at his limp figure drenched in sweat.

"Arnav please help me in helping you. I can't do this alone without you. Believe me I will do ANYTHING, ANYTHING to exorcise you of your ghosts, drive away your pain. I promise that I will always love you. As long as I breathe this heart beats for you. In fact my thoughts would be with you even after I am long gone from this mortal world. I promise you all the happiness in the world & beyond. You have the word of Kushi Kumari Raizada."

Promises. People make them quickly without thinking of what they are actually signing up for or what would be the repercussions. It's only later that they realize the burden of the spoken word, the enormous commitment which comes uninvited when they give their word. But then it's always sadly a little too late.

Little do they know that words given in haste always come back to haunt us. While the intention is noble in most of the cases, promises always extract a heavy price from the person who has made the promise. In the end all that is left are shattered lives, shattered dreams.

oOo

2010 Karim's Delhi

The uber cool restaurant served to only increase her nervousness. They have been dating for more than 4 months & she realized that she was hopelessly, head over heels in love with Shyam. He was every girl's dream come true. He was handsome, funny, kind, polite, chivalrous at times & very tender. Most importantly he was extremely patient & understanding.

She flushed at the memory of last night when he had tried to kiss her & she had pulled away quickly, mortified at her own reaction. She was still confused over her behavior. She was not prudish or did not carry any outdated thoughts about morality but somehow the attempt at intimacy had made her squirm & she was worried by this turn of events. It was obvious that Shyam wanted to take their relationship to the next level but was she ready for such a huge commitment. Every time she liked a guy her past came back to haunt her. Love she thought bitterly. Was she ever destined to find that elusive dream ever in her lifetime.

"Kushi………………….."

The soft voice jerked her out of her pensive musings.

"Kushi I am sorry for what happened yesterday. I had suffered a breakdown yesterday & your presence was comforting making me lose my senses momentarily."

She was embarrassed. After the snub by her he was still apologizing to her as if he had erred while it had been her mistake.

"Shyam I am sorry. I really don't know what came over me yesterday. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

He held her hand gently & pressed it in a reassuring manner.

"No Kushi. Maybe all this is a little too fast for you. It's quite natural that you need time & space. I am ready to give you both. I have decided since our fateful meeting during your fashion show in NIFT that you are my soul mate. But I realize that you need some breathing space to mull things over. I am ready to wait even if it means my whole lifetime. Remember Kushi I will always wait for you."

His words only served to make her feel more miserable. Was she simply incapable of warmth, love? Was she a replica of her mom she had wondered on many sleepless nights?

"Shyam I know that you got agitated after watching that news clipping back home. I want to know why it caused you so much pain. Remember if you consider me your soul mate then you must trust me & open up to me. All I can remember is that it was about some business takeover by AR Industries."

Shyam closed his eyes for a few seconds & when he opened them again she was shocked by the wrathful fury blazing in those eyes.

"I can't stand the sight of that B*. First he wrecked my life. Then my sister's. Now he is sabotaging my business."

He noticed the quizzical expression on her face & elaborated.

"His sister Anjali fell in love with me Kushi but I dint. I never liked her. She is just a spoil arrogant ruthless woman who simply wants her way irrespective of how many lives are crushed to cater to her whims & fantasies. And her brother Arnav is just her stooge ready to do her bidding, wrecking people's life without any qualms to satisfy the twisted desires of his precious Di. When she realized that I was not ready to acquiesce to her demands she went squealing to her brother. He tried coercing me into marrying her. When I refused he quietly went behind my back, made acquaintance with my sister Preethika who is incidentally just a teenager. She gradually became infatuated with him which goaded him to sleep with that poor besotted teen. After toying with her feelings for some time he mercilessly dumped her. By then she was pregnant with his child which he forced her to abort."

Kushi gaped at him with her mouth open.

"Not being satisfied with that he went ahead & wrecked my business. Yesterday's acquisition was another blow to Shyam Enterprises. We have suffered huge losses thanks to that jerk who used nefarious means to wrench that deal from us."

He clenched his fists violently.

"I swear Kushi, one of these days I will kill him. For what he did to me & most of all Preeto."

Kushi was aghast at the emotions displayed by Shyam. During their entire courtship she had never seen him lose control or his temper. She couldn't stand his pain. The trauma that that young girl Preeto had suffered at the hands of that B* made her blood boil. She caressed his hand gently her face a picture of controlled fury.

"Shyam I will help you in getting back at that F* B*"

She saw him raise his eyebrow skeptically. She forestalled him by raising her hand.

"Please Shyam. I have the brains & the guts required. Fortunately I am in the same industry. I can help you in avenging your loss by sabotaging HIS business thus getting back at him by making him taste his own medicine. Make him understand the pain of loss, financial & emotional."

Shyam shook his head vehemently.

"No Kushi I will NOT I repeat NOT drag you into this mire. I will not let you near that conniving swine. He will hurt you badly & I can't stand anything happening to you. It will break me."

Kushi was touched by his concern but remained adamant.

"No Shyam. I will not allow anyone to hurt you. And after hearing about what he did to Preeto I can never ever forgive him. If you really love me then let me help you. I will do ANYTHING, ANYTHING for you."

She missed the glint in Shyam's face before he made his face impassive again. It was only for a split second but still the triumphant gleam had flitted quickly across his handsome face which Kushi unfortunately failed to notice.

"Kushi please…………………………."

"No Shyam. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Well first we need to get you into AR. That should be the first step. Plant you close to him & then make you win his confidence."

He bent closer to her & began to chalk out his plan. Finally Kushi straightened & looked him straight in his eye.

"Shyam leave it to me. I promise you that I will bring ASR down. I will make him regret every living second the injustice that he meted out to Preeto & you. You have the word of Kushi Kumari Gupta."

oOo

2011 Shanthivan Delhi

Kushi's cheeks were tear streaked. She touched his face gently & whispered in a low, husky voice.

"Arnav I love you more than my life. I will never allow anything or anyone to hurt you. EVER. I will do ANYTHING, ANYTHING to make you happy even if it means my destrtuction. It's a promise."

She kissed his eyes tenderly.

Promises. People make them quickly without thinking of what they are actually signing up for or what would be the repercussions. It's only later that they realize the burden of the spoken word, the enormous commitment which comes uninvited when they give their word. But then it's always sadly a little too late.

Little that they know that words given in haste always come back to haunt us. While the intention is noble in most of the cases, promises always extract a heavy price from the person who has made the promise. In the end all that is left are shattered lives, shattered dreams.

oOo

great update!!! :) :) :) N thank u 4 the pm :)

omg!!!! awesome update ya!!!😊

Nice update! I love how we see all their point of views :D

Wow. Fantastic.. update.soon shyam is such a.Erghh!! He actually manipulated khushi..:(

so good to get a PM from you.. its been a while now.. love the weaving of the story.. very intricate and fine.. and thoroughly gripping.. write more.. waiting impatiently.. Cheers!

Wow dear 👏