(B)
Arnav stood outside the door for some time more trying to get himself to come into managing terms with his anger, but whatever he did the thought of his sister and wife's combined treachery made him rattle with un comparable fury. He clenched his fists, his back pressed up against the wall rubbing with it, while fabric of his shirt stuck to his skin in a way that one could only think that it was part of its skin hadn't it been its sea blue colored.
Inside Anjali's eyes searched the empty space outside her door, no sign of her brother, and for an instance she wanted to think he was gone, so that she just wouldn't have to act alright in front of him. The last thing she wanted right now was her brother seeing her like this, as if he hadn't seen enough already. Limping on her bad leg, the hurt in it only increasing she was about to reach the door to look for Arnav behind it, when he appeared in front of her, pain washing all other emotions that might have just portrayed his face. It took him quite some while to study the tear stricken sorrowful face of his sister, whose eyes he hardly had the power to meet, but when he did he surprisingly found out, that it was not him but her who could not meet his gaze.
Walking towards her, he closed the door behind him and secured the latch, while Anjali had swiftly turned around, tears flowing down her cheeks which she tried to stifle in her throat, however the more she tried the more it came, it was just so worse she could only feel like throwing her tear glands away. Arnav walked towards her in a remote motion not knowing exactly what he was supposed to say. Their was an uncanny silence that prevailed between the brother sister duo, while they both knew nothing about it was right, somehow in their own little way it was that silence that provided them the much needed comfort and security, things that words could not do.
Ar: (keeping his hand on Anjali's shoulder, her back turned to him) Di.
Anjali bit on her bottom lip hard, the blood oozing out of it, but she just care less about it, her tears cascading down her cheeks like an endless flow of of water that had no real stop to it. She closed her eyes in misery as she found her brother's hands resting firmly on her shoulder and turning her around to face him, every ounce of her self-restraint thinning away rapidly. Arnav didn't know really what he was doing but just that what he thought was right was what he was enacting about. If it was wrong he just did not care, but if he was right he just couldn't be more glad about it.
He brought his sister close to him, making her head fall on his chest practically hugging while she kept it willingly, without a moment's hesitation his heart aching with every tear of hers that was falling down on the floor and turning into nothing. If it was in his control he would preserve it all, but then right now their worries were so much, thinking about tears was something that would only make him go crazier. Arnavs hand wound around her waist protectively, as Anjali head lied on his shoulder ideally, her eyes still closed, tears flowing away.
What was like a second or so in that position the two stood like that, none knowing what to say until Arnav could feel Anjali's entire body weight falling on him, her knees buckling underneath her, just like the way it had happened earlier in the morning with Khushi. Fear seeped over him, and he let Anjali loose, keeping her hand around her shoulder, and flimsily led her to the bed to make her sit, which in fact being quite simple in terms was just a lot more harder than the most complex of tasks. Anjali's legs were rapidly losing the ability to communicate, not that they had much voluntary action to convey anyway, since her mind was hardly working upon any kind of action. Right now her state was just like a mannequin, who would do whatever she was being led into doing.
Anjali's slight detachment from her brother caused her to loose balance and it was only when she held on to his shoulder that she knew that something as still there, someone was still there who she could always hold on to. She opened her eyes for the first time, to meets Arnav's gaze penetrating into her, his anger his confusion, all flying out of the window in a matter of seconds seeing that pained expression on her face. That feeling of loneliness leaving her body left her body, and the overwhelming feeling that consumed her up was so hard to take in, she flung her arms around Arnav, who staggered a bit by the force of it, but luckily enough he was stable enough to hold her together in one piece as she bitterly sobbed clutching his clothes tight, just the way she had back then when it was their first night in Delhi alone.
Anjali hugged her younger brother tight, nto wanting to over burden his little shoulder with a problem more, but she just didn't know who to talk it all out too. She was the kind who couldn't keep it within themselves, she wanted someone by her side always, and there was no one better than her own brother when she was in a situation like that.
Anj: Chotte, I feel so lonely. So lonely. I miss Maa and Paa.
Ar: (rubbing her hair) Don't Di. You don't have to miss them. I am there with you, will always be.
Anjali raised up her head from his chest where it was lying and looked int eh deepness of his brothers eyes, his pain being over shadowed by the determination in his eyes and voice collectively. She knew him, he was always like this, but today the change in her never serious Choote, her Choote who knew nothing but hos to laugh, had lost every ounce of that humor, the hardness in his exterior scared her, and she had just that daunting feeling in her head, her Choote was lost. She had lost her Chotte with Maa and Paa.
Anj: (holding his hands into hers) Chotte please don't get lost like Maa and Paa, you are the only thing I have. Please Chotte please.
Ar: (his eyes affectionate, yet body cold) I am not lost Di. I finally found myself.
Arnav let that memory throw itself on the back of his mind, nothing that he had said back then making his regret even a single bit of it. The only thing he now saw, was how his sister had completely fallen in him arms, like a fragile doll who had lost all sense of the world around her and was gripping onto his shirt tightly, dampening the whole cloth as her tears flooded down her eyes and landed on them. Merrily enough he let her rest there for some while but then he pulled apart, and held Anjali by her cheeks looking at her in extreme pain, hurt evident in his eyes.
Ar: Di it's all going to right. I will make everything right; I will make him pay for everything. (dangerously threatening tone) For everything.
Anjali sobered a bit hearing the ferocity in her brothers voice, and she let go of him completely moving herself away from him, as she remembered everything that had crossed her mind in the solace of her own room, the turbulence that she had dealt with alone in the past few hours.
Anj: No you will do nothing. This is my war. I will fight it.
Arnav looked at the sudden change in his sister's expression with utter surprise and got his time getting use to of it, that far offhanded look on Anjali's face deeply troubling. It was hardly shocking that he was surprised, since it was the first time he had seen his sister act like this, a completely different outlook towards life. It disturbed him not because she was being strong, but because she was so dependent on everybody all the time he had gradually with years passing lost the capability to think that their was any strength of her own left at all too.
Ar: (Curiously) Di what will you do?
Anj: (in a messed up state) Anything. I don't know. Just that I don't want you to be mixed up in it. He betrayed me, I want to teach him on my own terms.
Ar: (aggravated) I shouldn't get mixed up? That pervert spoiled my Di's life, that pervert spoiled my Khushi's life and you think I shouldn't get mixed up? I am already mixed up!
Anjali raised her eyes at her brother, and looked ta him with a certain startlement, not because he was angry but because the kind of hatred he was showcasing towards her husband. Her eyes were soggy yet her mind was clear and that horrible feeling of everybody hiding the truth from her came back to her making her feel nausea tic
Anj: (in an angry hurt tone) He spoiled your Di's life, he spoiled your Khushi's life, that's what you said right? Then how come until today I never knew what he was doing? (accusingly) You knew everything didn't you Choote? You are Khushi knew everything? And maybe Payal and Aakash too right? None of you, not even one of you thought that I should know the truth?
Arnav looked at the change of expressions on his sisters face again, the way she was accusing him like she had done yesterday, the way she had scooted back into the direction of thinking about the people around her and not the muck that she had drowned in. He searched her eyes carefully, being vigilant to not let anything overboard off him, yet there was little he could hide from her, she knew him just too well to be fooled by his faade.
Ar: We knew Di. But we were just trying to protect you.
Anj: Protect me from what? Shyam ji? You were trying to protect me from something, which if I hadn't come to know about now, would have eaten me up?
Ar: Di its not like that. I did not until 3 days before, and the least I could do was just hide. What use would it have done if I told you? You came to know anyway.
Anj: (holding him by his collar) What do you mean You came to know anyway? All this time were you waiting for me to know on my own! (shaking him violently) What if I had not let you know? You would have let him destroy everything?
Ar: (gritting his teeth in anger) Until I am alive, I will not let him destroy a thing. He has done enough damage already.
Anj: He had gone far enough, to destroy Khushi, and everything in her from its roots. Do you even look at her, her declining health, the incidents now and then, I don't see how you can stop anymore damage.
Ar: Di. You don't understand. It's not the same now. Now you know the truth, before you didn't, and even if I tried to do anything Khushi would just stop me for you. But now even that is gone, now I am at a liberty to do whatever I like.
Anj: (firmly) You most certainly are not Choote. *pause* Until Khushi does not get fine, none of us will do anything, do you get me?
Ar: And you?
Anj: I can manage myself Choote. If you wouldn't have come to my room right now, you would never have known that something had happened.
Ar: (stubbornly) I would have. You are my sister.
Anjali felt silent completely lost in her own thoughts now. She let her sight wander away in the stillness of her room, while Arnav sat frozen to his spot, his own mind formulating something of subsistence to counter Shyam. After a lot of while Anjali finally turned and looked at him with questioning eyes, her eyes searching his lost in deep thought face,
Anj: That day when you came home late at night and Khushi went to find you, was it the day when you came to know about it?
Arnav looked taken aback by her sudden query but responded with a nod, causing her to further probe more questions.
Anj: How?
Ar: (his voice slow and distant) I went to Buaji's house. She told me and Aakash that Shyam was a PG at her house when we showed her your and Shyam's picture.
Anj: (stopping her tears from flowing fearing the worst) And?
Ar: She said Khushi was going to get engaged to him.
Anjali tried to sport an expression that said she did not care, but inside all the broken pieces of her heart were cutting at her rib cage making her wince in pain. The last thing she wanted to know about was an inner view of her husband's relationship with her sister in law. Arnav could see the deadened expression on her face, and kept his hand on her hand comfortingly, knowing exactly what he had been going through that day.
Anj: And Khushi? How did she know? By that picture (pointing at the polaroid picture in front of her)
Ar: (looking at the portrait grimly) I think so. I never asked her.
Anj: Chotte can I ask you something?
Ar: (looking at Anjali quizzically) Yeah.
Anj: Do you think any of this is Khushi's fault?
Arnav felt slightly stunned by Anjali's straight forward question, not being used to of having such blunt questions thrown his way, specially by his sister. He knew sometime somewhere, this situation would arise, when he would be questioned about it, but he had hardly any idea that it would be this straight.
Anj: (impatiently) Answer me Choote. Is she at fault?
Ar: No.
Anj: Then why did you tell her that it was her fault?
Ar: (surprised) How do you know?
Anj: I heard you and Aakash talking. *pause* Don't you trust her?
Ar: (his voice regretful) I do. Just as much as I trust you, but..
Anj: (knowingly) You let your anger take over you didn't you?
Arnav felt silent. He didn't how he was supposed to answer his sisters blind yet very apt accusations. None of him felt sound right now, he just wanted to run away some place which he could have to himself, and not worry about what would be happening next. He wanted to plans things his way, he was tired of having them all over the place.
Anj: Have you ever realized how unfair you have been to her?
Ar: (guilty) I know.
Anj: (squeezing his hands) But you know what's best about her, she never returns the same back to you.
Ar: (tears stinging his eyes now) I know. *pause* (looking at Anjali questioningly) Di how come you trust her so blindly?
Anj: Because I have seen it in her eyes. That love for you. The silent promises she makes for you to herself. The silent prayer she does to Devi Maiyan every day for you. I know she won't betray you.
Ar: (curiously) It is strong enough that you side lined the thought of you husband not betraying you?
Anj: (confidently) Yes it is.
**********************************************
Precap
Kh: Arnav I am ready to talk.
Arnav looked at her questioningly and then remembered what she was referring to, nodding in response and was about to walk out of the room, when she much to the hard work he had done over the weeks stood perfectly alright on her two feet, and stopped him with her un injured hand to turn him around looking deeply into his eyes her tears falling on his hand.
Kh: I am sorry for making you wait.
Ar: (putting his fingers on her lips) No, I am thankful you asked for your time.
************************************************
P.S: I know short, but I am on a shortage of time coudnt do anything, I will try t be regular with everyday updates, sorry for the inhumane two day gap, just coudnt get myself to writing at all.
I am sorry for not replying to any of your comments on the previous update (Thread 2) but I promise to do so, when i get time on the same thread, will scrap you when i reply so dont take the trouble of stalking it.
Leave back your likes and comments behind, i will be more consistent in liking and replying to them from now on.
Love,
Batool😳😳
Edited by nav_bat - 13 years ago
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
