IPKKND FF | Broken Strings (ON HOLD) - Page 8

Originally posted by: shay1990

Chapter Five ' Beautiful Nightmare

A seething Khushi marched in to the Raizada house, walking determinedly towards an elder woman ' taking extra care to ignore the incessant remarks from the smug yet slightly worried looking Arnav hot on her trail

"Lata Aunty! Your son' Your stupid son has crossed all limits today! Do you know what he did?!"

"Arre Khushi bitiya, calm down! Come here, come and sit next to me"

She motioned to the chair next to her as Khushi reluctantly took a seat, crossing her arms in aggravation.

"Ok, now tell me, what did my shaitaan son do this time?" She enquired, whilst she eyed her son knowingly

"What did he do?! He stole my homework!! He took my essay, which was due in today by the way, and took it so he could copy it!!! HE'S NOT EVEN IN MY YEAR! And he didn't even tell me Lata Aunty ' so I got shouted at by my teacher in front of the whole class. It was so embarrassing!"

Khushi by this point was fuming; her arms flailing about her as she complained; her eyes brimming with ferocity ' glaring at Arnav every so often to give him the finger when his mother wasn't looking.

"Mamma she's over-reacting!"

Arnav wasn't doing anything to conceal the increasing grin on his face ' thoroughly enjoying seeing his best friend so riled up. Khushi growled at him as she jumped off the chair and launched herself at him.

"You inconsiderate little brat!"

His mother had leapt in between the two by this point, seeing that this wasn't going to end well ' as usual.

"Chup ho jao tum dono!"

She glared at her son

"Chote how many times do I have to tell you?! You can't go round doing things like this. Now apologise and then go do your homework!"

She stood there awaiting her sons response as Khushi stood behind her with a self-satisfied expression etched on her face.

"I know mamma I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose!"

Arnav smirked at Khushi as his mother turned her back towards them, shaking her head as she walked towards the kitchen; knowing that it would annoy his friend even further.

"You can just shut up OK! You're one hell of a useless friend you know that. Just get lost; I don't even want to see your face"

The flash of anger that sparked across his face was so prominently evident, even then at 15 years. He hated when she said stuff like that. The anger was soon enough replaced by an evil glint as Arnav grabbed her in a headlock, messing up her hair as she clawed at him in an attempt to free herself.

"Yea right' You're not getting rid of me that easily Khush"

ooo

The remnants of those empty words shattered around her as she heard them echo through her soul. She could feel a bitter eruption of air wash over her ' her eyes clouding over with an agonizing sting as she willed the tears not to fall.

Her first thoughts swam around in her head as she felt herself become light headed.

'He's alive'

She could barely comprehend a single iota of reality as she stayed bundled in his arms ' looking straight in to those beautiful eyes; the very eyes she had been aching to see for so long. She tried to voice something. What that something was, she didn't know. She wanted to say something; anything. But it was caught somewhere at the back of her throat as she felt it close up.

So she just looked at him.

She took him in. She took the whole of him in as she felt him slowly place her back on the ground, letting his hands graze over her every curve.

She just looked at him.

It was at that very moment that the realisation hit her.

He did this

Her gaze gradually became attentive; it became distant as her eyes flitted around the building.

'AR Designs,' she thought

'Arnav Raizada,' she thought

Her thoughts travelled back in time; memories of his fathers company flickering before her. They bypassed the severed ties with Anjali. And they grew to a realising halt at the man in front of her ' his eyes full of recognition and sickening guilt.

'He did this'

Arnav Singh Raizada swiftly turned around and stood on the spot. His hands clenched; nails carving incorrigible groves in to his skin as he struggled with himself.

'Why is this so hard,' he deliberated

'It wasn't supposed to be like this,' he thought as he mentally pictured himself giving in; falling to his knees in remorse as he begged for her forgiveness.

His gritted fist started to shake as he goaded himself for being so weak ' the doubt seeping through him as his resolve began to fracture.

'NO!' you've come way too far to cave in,' he thought to himself, as fragments of his scattered life resumed their continual mockery. He needed to walk away.

But he had to say something right?

He turned around; bracing himself for the uproar he knew was coming. In his mind, he geared himself up' geared himself up to push her away; to shout at her till she went away crying; to wreck her so badly that she'd never want to come back to him.

But what he saw, was not what he was expecting.

Khushi Kumari Gupta had gone.

~

Khushi stared at her reflection in the mirror as she splashed water on her face ' the ice cold flecks somewhat soothing her heated extremities.

Her mind was blank. Completely blank.

'If only Lavanya could see me now' she thought with a humourless laugh.

It was him... It was all him.

The continuous chant was resonating persistently through her head. The way he had looked at her; the way his eyes bore in to her ' willing her to say something; to give him the ammunition he needed to gun her down.

It was all him.

She now understood. Khushi knew Arnav Singh Raizada well enough to know that this was all his doing.

She understood perfectly' She just didn't know why.

But she didn't want to know. That look in his eyes; the recognition they held, had replaced her hope with hatred. It was him. It was all him.

If he was waiting for her to confront him; to shout at him ' to implore, to beg and cry to him' Then he was going to be waiting a hell of a long time.

She had no business doing such things. She didn't owe him anything.

'He's the one that left. He's the one who left himself dead in everyone's eyes. He's the one with the explaining to do. Not me'

Khushi felt her anger rise up above her and come crashing down. She felt it course through her ' cutting in to her veins as it pulsated within her. Memories from her past flashed rapidly before her very eyes as her anguish tore through the remaining shards of her hope. There was none left.

She felt her self shake violently ' her whole heart, her whole body; her whole being ripped into pieces of confusion. She just wanted to run in to his arms at the mere thought of just knowing that he was ok; that he was safe. At the same time she wanted to scream. She wanted to tear down his god forsaken walls and demand he explain himself. She wanted to cry herself hoarse and rip out his heartless charade. In her mind' she was drowning in his selfishness.

But he didn't deserve her emotions. He didn't deserve anything.

Khushi Kumari Gupta looked at herself for a final time and smirked. There was no way he was going to get his way this time round.

'You lose Arnav Singh Raizada'

~

'Akash, will you interview this one for me, I'm running behind schedule'

Arnav refused to look at his cousin as he handed him Khushi's application. 'No wonder I didn't know she was coming, she was one of Akashs' choices,' he thought as he pretended to keep himself busy with paperwork.

'Err yea, sure thing Bhai'

Akash looked at his cousin confused. Something was definitely bothering him. He was about to ask, when he though the better of it. 'He'll probably end up murdering me with those gusseh wala stares' he thought, shuddering at the very thought of it.

As Akash left the office, Arnav stopped what he was doing ' his pen falling from his hand as scenes from their dramatic meeting played over and over again in his head.

He couldn't deny it. She looked good

He mentally corrected himself as he envisioned her one more time.

'She looks beautiful'

He had seen her. He had seen her even before she had fallen. He had watched in shock as he saw his best friend lose her footing and attempt to regain her posture. He had known she wasn't going to make it.

He didn't know what he was thinking. Perhaps he shouldn't have thought at all. Perhaps he should have just let her fall.

But he didn't. He had always been there to catch her when she fell ' And he was ashamed of himself for reverting back to the person he was before.

'It was just an instinct' he told himself reassuringly.

But even as he heard himself say those words, he knew this was going to be harder then he thought. Her agonized features were already carved in to his head to the point of no return.

The way the loose strands of hair had cradled her slender neck - her full, pouting lips that had been slightly ajar as she stared at him. He could still feel her in his arms; he could feel her presence ' as if she'd left her mark; as if she had etched her figure in to him. Her soft curves, accentuated by that figure hugging outfit of hers. She looked so classy' She looked so different.

Of course.

Khushi wasn't a girl anymore' She was a woman.

It was her eyes that had thrown him the most. Her eyes had always shown him her every emotion. And it was no different this time. Even after so many years, he could still read raging thoughts as if they were displayed to him on an extremely open bookshelf.

But what he saw, wasn't what he wanted to read.

His hands were once again clenched; gritting his teeth as he tried to gain some sort clarity within all this confusion. He could sense himself feeling all the more ridiculous by the second as he willed himself to remember just why he was doing this in the first place. He willed himself to tear out the image from his brain; to tear out those accusing stares

She knew

And now' he didn't know what was going to happen.

It was at that very moment, he saw her.

She was walking up the stairs determinedly towards Akashs' adjoining office, her heels clicking purposefully on each step. She looked so graceful.

At the back of his mind, he couldn't stop himself from being proud of her as he watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath before entering Akashs' cabin.

'My brave Khushi'

~

'Ok so, it's Khushi Right?'

Khushi smiled at him gently, nodding her head slightly as she fought with herself to keep her emotions at bay. 'Come on Khushi' You can do this. You need this job. Don't let him ruin this chance.'

Akash pondered to himself - intently watching the girl in front of him as she took out her portfolio and laid it on the desk between them. 'Is this the Khushi that Bhai and Di were talking about?'

He proceeded to ask her questions, stopping every now and then to glance at her portfolio. He looked at her again and again, taking in her every move ' her every expression. She looked so downcast, yet the confidence was spilling out of her profusely. She was so odd.

'Is that why Bhai looked so tormented just now?'

When the interview was over, she shook his hand, thanked him, gave him another light smile and walked swiftly out the door without so much as another glance in his, or any other direction.

Something definitely wasn't right

~

If you asked her, she'd never be able to tell you how she had managed to get herself home that day. Everything around her just seemed to melt under her blazing thoughts. Everything was eerily silent. Everything was still.

She walked aimlessly in to her house ' her eyes distant and sore as they quickly scanned her surroundings; thankful that no one was at home.

Khushi walked in to her bedroom, locked the door and fell to the floor.

This was the one place she didn't have to kid herself; where she didn't have to put on a front.

So she cried her eyes out.

The tears that she had been building up gushed down her face as she hugged her knees ' choking as the air flow became restricted in the midst of her wracking sobs. She berated herself for the constant thanks she had been sending to Devi Maiyya since the moment she lad laid eyes on him. She hated herself for feeling so relieved when all that was pounding through her head was his disgusting attitude.

It was at least half an hour before her tears gradually subsided. Her head was throbbing so much she almost wished it to burst. Her thoughts were so blurred that there was now no line between her heart and her mind ' She was quite simply, confused.

As she made a move to lift herself off the ground, her bedroom door opened suddenly, presenting her with the horrified faces of her family.

Payal was the first one on the floor as she held her little sisters puffed up face in her hands

'Khushi?! Kya Hua?! What's happened Khushi? Bolo na, tum kyun roh rahi ho?!'

Khushi's eyes bored in to hers as her expression slowly became blank. She hated herself for caring this much. She hated this full stop.

She turned to look at her Amma, her Babuji and her Buaji as she addressed them all.

'He's alive'

~

Khushi just sat and listened to her Buaji as she cursed every bone in Arnavs' body. She observed her sister as she Berated Anjali for keeping everyone in the dark. She silently took in the disapproving head shakes from her Amma and Babuji. She just stayed still.

Not a single word could have explained just how bad she felt right now. As much as she wanted to shout at everyone' it all came down to one fact only.

That Arnav Singh Raizada was safe.

This is what she had prayed to Devi Maiyya for right? And that is exactly what she got. Did she really have a right to complain?

Before she could deliberate over this thought any further, there was a knock at the door. They all looked around; thrown by the sudden interruption within the tense atmosphere surrounding them.

Khushi forced a smile; looking at her family as she made a move to get up.

'I'll get it'

She sauntered to the door with heavy feet and tired eyes ' she wasn't at all up to entertaining people today. As she opened the door, she prepared herself to make herself somewhat hospitable ' as pathetic as she felt. But what she saw on the other side threw those thoughts out the window as she felt a fresh wave of anguish hit her like a ton of dirty, jagged bricks.

'Khushi?'

_____________________________

Succhh a long update i know Thank you to all of you for sicking with me though.

Hope you all liked it!
shay X

Originally posted by: DropofDew

Me first!! 🥳 yeyy! Now that was good timing 😆

Anyway now for the update. It was written so beautifully that I have been left speechless. Her agony, her anguish has been described so painstakingly beautifully that I can't help but applaud you, seriously. I could feel her every emotion as she slowly began to crumble and then breakdown completely, the devastating effects of praying that someone was alive for so many years only to realise that she had been made a fool of. That her heart that she had held out only for him had been mocked and made a fool of. And I completely agree with her, why should she give him the satisfaction of a confrontation? He does not deserve anything from her. Khushi is just too good, she still believes that it's okay though, as long as he is alive, which is always really all that she wanted. Aw I love her!

Arnav on the other hand, I'm glad that you've wrote more from his perspective too. It helps me understand him a bit more, that he isn't just a selfish old git; that he does have some common sense and emotions hidden underneath that cold shell of his. Not that it makes him look any better in my eyes. I can't say I feel bad for him because he's the one that's caused all this but I am glad that he feels the need to go comfort her, that he does feel guilty, but then again maybe not enough. And I'm happy that things obviously have not worked out the way he had hoped they would. Oh dear ASR and you thought you could escape your own heart; make it not falter in front of the one person that you have truly fallen for.

I'm guessing that was Arnav again at the end and I hope he's arrived with an explanation, or an apology at the least, not that it will help but it would be a start.

Anyway aaah I could go on forever and I have lecture notes to make 😒. I saw that you had updated and couldn't help myself 😛.

Thank you for the PM and the quick update! 😃

I'll say it again, beautifully written, I love how you make your words flow! And I hope Khushi gets Arnav back for all that he has done to her. Someone needs to clean his brain!

Oh and P.S. I think I love Aakash too, he seems cute and funny! 😃

And please do try to update soon! x

Originally posted by: sargamfriends

👏 wow this is such a well written ff...i just read the 5th chapter and i am in complete awe of ur writing style...lol cmng to the story...i feel so bad for Khushi...she had faith tht he is alive evn though everyone knew he was dead...and Arnav i dont knw why he had to pretend to be dead to everyone...but well wht i love the most in ur story is tht she did not demand an answer...it was actually at tht moment i fell in love with the story evn more...i am glad tht evn though she is hurt...she dint shw her weakness to him...she gave him the exact opposite of wht he expected...i am glad tht she chose this path...if he dsnt wnt her in his life his choice she will live her life...i loved the strength of ur character...haha i woud love for her to give him a taste of his own medicine...she is hurt but she strong...i love tht abt her 😊...👏kudos to u for nt making it just another ff...