Guys,
I am apprehensive about this chapter, and have a feeling you won't actually like it...
I hope you do, and this was what a lot of you were against, but this was how I had planned
it in the end...
-Amzy <3
Chapter 10
Khushi froze. She looked up to see Arnav looking right at her, as if daringnher to defy him. Everyone looked on silently as Arnav resumed eating after giving his 'command'.
"Arnavji, I-"
Arnav cut her off. "Look, you are staying here and thats final." He finished his breakfast, and wiped his mouth with a tissue. "Uh, Khushi come upstairs please. We need to talk."
Khushi looked around at everyone, but they were just staring at their plates. Sighing, she finished her food. "Adi, Aditi. Look after Krithi. I will be back."
She went apprehensively, praying that Arnav does not accuse her of knowing about Muskaan being alive all along and hiding it from him. She walked to their room and peeped into it. She stepped inside and looked around cautiously. Suddenly she was pushed to the wall; gently. She looked up to find herself against the wall and Arnav blocking her with his hands on either side of her.
"Ar-Arnavji?" she said, more like squealed.
"Khushi, why didn't you tell me that Nikhil was your brother?" he asked.
"I was hurt. I could not believe you could think of me like that even after the whole of Shyam fiasco."
"Didn't you ever think of what would happen to me when I found out the truth...It was bound to be unveiled eventually, right?" he said, his voice breaking.
Truth be told, she did think about that. She had been angry and decided to leave that night, but as their fight peaked, she had decided to use their fight as an opportunity to protect Arnav from the news of her cancer… So if she died, he would be hating her anyway and her being gone wouldn't have affected him much. She had thought of telling him if and when her cancer got cured, but she hadn't counted on the fact that Aditi and Aditya met Krithi in secret and that she and Arnav would find out at the same time.
And right now, she wasn't ready to tell Arnav about her cancer, so she just kept quiet.
Though Khushi had changed, she was still an open book. He could read the answer to his question in her eyes…. She wasn't sure whether she'd be alive by the time he found out… But he wanted Khushi to tell him the truth by herself and so waited for her answer. All he got in return, was silence.
After Mom and Dad left, there was a pin-drop silence on the table. All of us had our heads turned up towards Dad's room, waiting… Aditi and I exchanged a worried glance and Aditi was still on the verge of tears. I sighed and got up. "Aditi, Krithi. Let's go up…."
Krithi jumped out of her seat and ran to me and caught my hand, while Aditi was rooted to her chair. Krithi went and tugged at Aditi's hand. "Di, let's go!"
"Aditi, I want to spend some time with Muskaan…" I plead.
"Yes Di… I want to talk to my Di Two!" Krithi pouted.
With a sigh, Aditi got up and the three of us headed to where we knew Muskaan was asleep.
When we reached her room, we saw that she was wide awake and staring at the ceiling with a smile on her face. "Muskie?" I called.
Muskaan looked at us and her face brightened. Krithi was hiding behind Aditi, her head peeking out from behind Aditi.
Muskaan looked at Krithi and stared at her for a few moments. "Is that my baby sister…?"
Aditi gave a small smile and nodded. She reached out to behind her and pulled Krithi out gently. "Muski, this is Krithi…"
Muskaan smiled and Krithi smiled back unsurely. "Krithi, this is…"
"….Muskaan Di…." Krithi said softly, making Muskaan's smile brighten. I knew she was delighted that she wasn't the youngest anymore….
"Do you like Barbie dolls…?" Krithi asked.
Muskaan nodded. "Yay, let's play!" Krithi exclaimed.
Smiling again, Muskaan agreed.
Krithi ran out to Aditi's room where her Barbie dolls were and was back soon.
Moments later, both were busy playing a Barbie pretend game. Me and Aditi just sat on the bed and watched them play.
"I wish Mom stays…." I muttered
"But Dad doesn't deserve it Adi…" Aditi said distantly.
"That is the feminist in you talking. I want Aditi to answer…."
After a brief silence, Aditi said "I want her to stay too…"
"Khushi, you didn't answer my question…" he whispered in her ear.
Khushi tried to calm herself down and to suppress the butterflies, as being away from Arnav for three years and being this close to him so suddenly was more than her heart could take. Arnav cupped Khushi's face and kissed her forehead, and the overwhelming emotions that Khushi felt began to show in the mist that her eyes seemed to have formed.
"Arnavji…" she whispered softly, the shock evident in her voice.
"Khushi, I love you…"
Khushi's head jerked up and she looked straight into his eyes. Her heart constricted at the amount of love she could see in them… Just like old times. But in the old times… She wasn't a patient to a fatal disease!
And so without a word, she ducked under his arms and headed to the door.
Arnav was momentarily taken aback, but he understood why she was defying him… Truth be told, for Khushi, their separation had not been based on a misunderstanding the minute the fight had happened… For Khushi, it meant keeping Arnav protected from heartbreak…. And Arnav knew it.
Many of you are probably disappointed that Khushi forgave him this easily, but you guys need to understand that here even Khushi is feeling guilty and in fact, IS guilty. Yes, she should've walked out after what Arnav had accused her of, but ONLY after she had told him the truth… (That is MY opinion… Yours could be different…)-Amzy <3
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