SS: It was always you...Completed - Note on Pg70 - Page 3

Kalyani,

One thing about your stories that really make them stand out is the strong female protagonist. Her strength in her conviction, her career and her ideals make the story larger than life.

I really like the beginning of this, your Khushi loved her man enough to live with him without societal sanctions and loved him enough to leave him when she thought it was best for him.

Not just your Khushi but Manorama is also not a usual character but progressive enough to "see" the strength.

Fantastic work.

Cannot wait to read more

y do i think arnav is the husband in question, the reference to a needy sister strengthened my belief!!!

Originally posted by: Kalyaani

[THIS IS A MEMBERS ONLY POST]

The Author of this post has chosen to restrict the contents of this Post to Members only.

SS: It was always you...

"Love is the only kind of fire which is never covered by insurance" - Anonymous

Her story...

Sinking into her worn-out leather chair Khushi shook her head with resignation, as a doctor she had seen many, many patients in her life. Demanding, understanding, annoying, flirtatious and even threatening, but she did not understand the lady sitting in her consultation room. It was her fourth visit in two weeks and she would admit first, the lady was an ideal patient to have, if ever one fell into that category. Mrs. Malik first came to her with a complaint for severe stomach pain six months ago and since then, had been visiting her with some ailment or the other. It seemed odd for a healthy fifty-five year old, she came way too often to her for consultation, without any major age related concerns. In the past few months she had forged a friendship with the lady and though did not take it outside the consultation room or the phone calls, which more often than naught was every day and initiated by Mrs. Malik.

"Mrs. Malik, you are perfectly fine, there is no need to conduct any tests or medicate you unnecessarily. I have conducted all the necessary investigations and the report clearly states you are in perfect health" Khushi explained as patiently as she could, unknowingly her tone had turned to one which she reserved for her younger patients. "Khushi, first you have to start calling me Manu aunty for me to listen to you" Mrs. Malik said, with her face covered in a sulk, resembling someone one-tenth her age. Khushi looked at her with unmasked mirth as she could have sworn she saw a pout too.

When she did not look at her but continued to stare at her certificates on the wall, Khushi sighed out loud and spoke "Manu aunty..." she started softly, going against her rules to befriending a patient beyond the necessary. To which the lady's face broke into to a wide smile and near squeaked "yes Khushi" as Manorama had never refered to Khushi as Dr. Gupta, as the sign clearly stated on the door of her consultation room. Her first time in this very room was when she refered to her as Dr. Gupta and that was the last, it was always Khushi or Beta or darling at times.

Khushi raised her brow in mock sarcasm and retorted "I have spent many years, tears and sweat; not to forget the number of sacrifices I have made in life to earn the title of doctor, the satisfaction when someone calls me one, is inexplicable..." she was cut short by Manu's incredulous question "even family?" and Khushi was left stumped. There was one thing Khushi did not take lightly and that was invasion of her privacy. Her eyes flashed anger for a second and calmed down almost immediately and this did not go unnoticed by Manorama. She watched Khushi close her eyes for a few seconds and look at her visibly calmer. When she spoke her voice was devoid of any emotion "I'm an orphan Mrs. Malik, so there is no one who calls me by my name other than a few friends or colleagues...no family."

A mother's heart called out and immediately Manorama sprung out of her chair and pulled Khushi into her arms. "Don't ever say that again, as long as I am I alive, you are my child and my family is yours" rubbing her back to soothe the pain she knew lay in the young girl's heart. Khushi had a very sad smile on her face, someone had also said this before and how the events in her life had changed after that. It did not miss Manorama, Khushi did not return the hug nor respond to her warm inclusion in her family, there was a lot about this girl she did not know as she was not let in to her world.

Holding her by the shoulders, she continued the kindness in her eyes matching the voice "I know not what has transpired in your life, but would want you to let me in, it must now be obvious that I am more than fond of you. Child, I did not say you have a family in mine, without meaning it." Khushi smiled at the genuineness of Manorama's words. She had to ask the questions that were swimming in her mind. "Why are you this fond off me? Why do you like me in the first place? I am just your doctor, whom you should have stopped visiting months ago and here you are visiting this often. Wanting me to be a part of your family as your child...Why?" she did not realize when her voice had turned to a desperate plea seeking reasons for this unasked for gift.

Manorama smiled like the wise old hat she was, there was no point in not telling Khushi the real reason behind her frequent visits to her hospital. Manorama urged Khushi to sit on her chair and drew another one close to hers and sat. Taking her hands in her plump wrinkled ones and stated the matter as simply as possible. "Khushi the first time I met you, there was a bond that formed unknowingly. I know not the name that can be bestowed on this feeling, I see in you the daughter I never had, and sons are no fun" she smiled more at Khushi's teary eyed acknowledgment. "There is more Khushi, apart from my child, I consider my brother-in-law's children as mine this lovely brother and sister duo, and I have nursed a hope of you being that life partner for that son. I have taken every opportunity to know you better, not once have I doubted my opinion of you. So much so that I am asking your hand for him, without consulting him, I took it upon myself to find a fitting a life partner for him''.my searched stopped at you" she paused for a second to catch her breath and watched in alarm as the color drained from Khushi's face.

Khushi with deliberation removed her hands from Manorama's hold and looked at her left hand at the slight discoloration on her ring finger. It brought back many memories, mostly beautiful and one heart wrenching one. How was she to tell this kind lady about herself without reliving the pain of the past two years? She had survived the days clinging on to memories, something which scared her no end. The heartbeat was erratic and her mind was numbing, she just wanted to get away from this place, turning to the lady sitting in front of her she knew escape was impossibility. "Mrs. Malik, you know nothing about me and you have decided about me and this man" in a low voice, trying to keep herself together. On receiving no answer but a steady gaze, she continued with a defeated sigh "I can't marry, not the man you recommend so highly or anyone else."

"He is not any random man I am asking you to consider marrying Khushi, he is my nephew. It was a silly misunderstanding that grew into something terrible and we had not been in touch with them for a very long time. Life was kind enough to give us another chance at a happy family and now my husband and his brother's children have reconciled, it has been a good eighteen months now. I know my nephew well enough during this period and with this knowledge, I seek your hand in marriage for him. It is with absolutely no doubt I say, you will be perfect for each other" Manorama finished giving her reason for the proposal. Khushi listened to her without moving a muscle or reacting even, much to Manorama's surprise. They sat like that for a while, not saying or moving, waiting for the other to initiate the next level of conversation.

Manorama looked at Khushi with worry, concern and a ting of irritation; one does not turn down a proposal on a whim without even checking out the basics of the same. She wanted answers, in her heart she had already decided to help them choose the name for their babies. It was a golden opportunity and she was not going to let it go, if Khushi was stubborn, she was twice that in size. In an unspoken manner she demanded her answers. It was clear that Khushi had to revisit her past, scratch the wounds to show just how deep and painful they were.

"I'm married Mrs. Malik and have separated from my husband for the past two years" she spilt her truth in those words, hoping the lady would let it be and leave her to suffer the fresh inflictions on her heart. "Khushi you never mentioned anything to me, I was always under the impression you were not in a committed relationship, as you were so focused on your career" stringing words to make sense of the whole situation. She was rewarded with s dry laugh, "I hope you now don't want to pursue this matter further" and swiveled her chair towards the face of her desk to ask for her next appointment to be sent in. Again she was stopped, this time more firmly than earlier, the look of determination on Manorama's face, forcing Khushi to send a silent prayer to God, to seek help in any form.

"I am going to ignore your opinion of me Khushi, I am not that regressive nor narrow minded. If the supposed divorced status is anything to go by, I am more determined to pursue this matter. I would still want your future for my son and with him" she spoke eloquently, to which Khushi responded with stoic silence.

"Please Khushi, I really want you to meet him, just once...sure I have not told him about you or my intentions but at least give it a try" she beseeched. "Give it a try...give it a try...do you even hear yourself Mam, I am not trying out an outfit as per your suggestion, it my life you are talking about. I beg you don't belittle it" Khushi hissed harshly. Manorama was taken aback, never in any of her interactions with Khushi had she heard the girl raise her voice, let alone say something mean or rude; she was well-mannered and polite to a fault, her constant visits would be a good example to support that theory. Khushi had tolerated her for all these months; it had to be something unbearably sore for her to react in this manner. The silence hung like a thick shroud around them, waiting for it to be removed. It may just cleanse her heart if she was to share her pain with someone and Manorama Malik may just be that person to pour her heart out to.

Khushi turned again to face Manorama again and started recounting her past "I met my husband on my first day of medical school, he had come to meet the dean to discuss the design for the new facility of Oncology and I was there to discuss my eligibility for a scholarship. I always told him that our love started from that day, I was all of seventeen and he was a gifted architect, the seven year age gap did not mean anything then and does not even to this day. When he proposed to me on my eighteenth birthday, the answer was nothing but an empathic yes. It's been ten years since and I cannot think of anyone else in my life, no one but him" she stopped to look outside her room window lost in her thoughts after a few long seconds she resumed "we were there for each other all the way and we did not need the sanction of society or the institution of marriage to validate our togetherness. We lived together for seven years in unblemished bliss." She found it difficult to continue and reached out to the bottle of water on her desk to take a few desperate gulps.

"If you loved him so much and were together for no less than eight years, why did you not marry him? What happened in that one year before you decided to leave him? Why did you leave him?" Manorama tried but could not understand the logic behind this relationship. Khushi smiled wanly "when we started living together, marriage, rituals and things like that it did not matter...all that mattered at that point in life was us being there for each other. We did discuss marriage and kids and the whole beautiful family picture, but he had responsibilities and I wanted him to fulfill them before we thought about us."

Manorama was touched to see love this deep and selfless, this did make her respect Khushi a lot more "you refer to him as your husband and you were not married. You love him this passionately and yet you are here away from him. I want to know Khushi, so much pain it must be heart breaking to carry around, child" she asked softly. "He gave a promise ring when he proposed and when I turned eighteen I changed my name, I wanted that part of him to be with me too. I felt more married than most women I have known, he is my husband" Khushi explained in a matter of fact manner again looking at her left hand ring finger, she was not defending her relationship with her man, stating how it really was and what it meant to her, if she was being judged, it did not matter. "Why are you not answering the most important question I have repeatedly asked Khushi?" Manorama asked with a ting of irritation in her voice and when Khushi looked puzzled at her reaction she repeated her question slowly "why did you leave him?"

Khushi closed her eyes to block out the world and not answer the question, but she wanted to hear the words her head had been screaming for the past two years. "I had to leave him for his own good; he would have to choose between his sister and her family or me. I made the choice for him and left him. I really don't know if I had not done what I did, I would have been responsible for separating a sister from her brother; nieces from their uncle." She continued to narrate her side of the story and the women were left with tear stained faces and saddened hearts, when the receptionist came to check if the consultation was over as it had gone on for nearly two hours.

Manorama walked out of that room, with a heavy heart and her resolve strengthened to make Khushi meet her son. He was coming to see her today after eight long months, she would tell him about Khushi, everything and request him to let his life be graced by this angel. She would have to do something about it, her husband would call her meddlesome but it had to be done, someone like Khushi and her son had a right to happiness and she would try her best to ensure they got what they truly deserved.

A/N - Thank you for reading, please do hit the like button and leave a comment if you found the update/story interesting enough.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY UPDATES TO OTHER SITES, THIS UPDATE IS MEANT EXCLUSIVELY FOR INDIA FORUM MEMBERS.

A fist full of colour - Kalyaani's writing korner