IPKKND SS:Sins Thread 2 *COMPLETED* - Page 29

Originally posted by: EXPELLIARMUS

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Epilogue (Concluding part)

"Just what the hell do you think you are doing, dammit?"

Even as I shout those words, I still cannot believe what I have just caught her doing.

How can she do this even after I've told her not to?

Does she have no fear of the consequences?

She looks away now, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

"Arnav..I.."

"Have you forgotten what I told you last night?"

"I..no.."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Arnav, listen.."

"No, you listen to me Khushi Raizada! "

I wait until she looks up at me before I continue.

"I have told you a million times, there is no need for you to answer these calls to the helpline! "

"But I like to help out.."

"Help them in some other way, dammit! This whole center for victims of assaults belongs to us! Don't we have a team who has been hired to do that? I'm sure you can find something else to do!"

"But what is wrong with answering these calls? I can understand what these women might be going through..and I want to be personally involved with this center.Why do you have a problem with that?"

"You can do something else to help the center, like organizing charity fundraisers!"

"That kind of thing is best left to Mamiji and Jiji. They did a great job with the last one, didn't they? But I like to talk to the women who call here. Do you know what just happened with the last call?"

"I don't want to know! I'm sure it must have been very bad, judging by your pale face and anxious expression when I entered.."

"I'm fine, Arnav! But that woman who just called..it was just so horrible to hear that.How can a husband even think of assaulting his wife ?"

"Not everyone is like your Laad Governor, Khushi. After all this heartache, were you able to help her?"

"No, I wasn't. Her husband came home and she cut the call before I could give her the address of our center.."

"Are you telling me that all your anxiety and worry were for nothing? "

"Just this time, Arnav. But I'm sure I'll be able to help the next person who calls.."

"You will do nothing of the sort! I'm taking you home right now!"

"Arnav!"

"I'm not leaving you here, Khushi. Answering these calls is too upsetting for you, and I don't want that right now."

"I'm not made of porcelain, Arnav! I won't shatter if I hear something bad!"

"I wish you were! If you were a delicate porcelain doll, I could have locked you up in a cabinet and thrown away the key. And then I wouldn't have to constantly worry about you!"

"What? Laad Governor kahin ke!"

"You can call me whatever you want, but you are not coming here again. Not until.."

But I am talking to her back now.

She has turned around and is headed towards the exit, and I quickly follow.

She pouts all the way home, and when we are finally there, she slams the door so hard that Ananya comes running out, thinking that someone has set off one of her favorite firecrackers.

As I watch, Khushi takes my little niece into her arms, and kisses her cheeks.

Ananya is disappointed to learn that there are no fireworks here, but cheers up immediately when Khushi promises to tell her a story.

Khushi looks at me from the corner of her eyes while she is speaking to Ananya, and I know that she is up to something.

"Come, Ananya. Let me tell you the story of the raajkumar who was also a shaitaan."

I cannot stop the grin that spreads across my face.

I have heard this story before, many times.

And the hero is always a shaitaan or raajkumar, depending on whether Khushi and I have had an argument or not.

Yes, we still argue.

A lot.

And we still continue to place bets, and challenge each other.

She still makes me furious, and I still make her mad.

She still sings spoofs on various songs to make fun of me, and I still can't understand why she finds Salman Khan hot.

Jalebis are still her favorite food, and I still eat my parathas with a fork, even though she giggles when she sees me doing that.

She is still paagal, but cute.

And I wouldn't have it another other way.

Because even after all these years, I still remember that image of her silent, withdrawn self.

And every moment of every day, I am grateful to see her back to her crazy, spirited ways.

I follow them inside, and watch as Khushi takes Ananya into the kitchen while she talks.

Some things are still the same, and yet, so much else has changed.

The past two years have been eventful, to say the least.

The memories come back to me now..

During the last two weeks of her internship in A.R, we managed to put together the wedding of her dreams, complete with every ritual and ceremony that she desired. The wedding itself was held just before she was due to return to London, and I went back with her.

The following year was not very easy for either of us, since we had to balance her studies and my work, while still managing to find some time for ourselves. Added to this was the fact that I was constantly flying back and forth between London and Delhi..

There were two good things that came out of those flights, though. I decided to buy my own private jet, and I would always wait for Khushi's joyful welcome when I returned..

But then she finally graduated, and I was inordinately proud of her achievement...but the selfish side of me was glad that we would now be together, always..

We didn't return to India immediately. Instead , we chose to go to Hawaii for a much-delayed, two-week honeymoon.

Fifteen days of bliss, a time that I still think of with a smile on my face..

After our return , she told me that she would like to work in A.R, and I immediately offered to make her part of my design team. But she refused, and decided to interview for the position of a junior member of the team. She was selected, of course, and I still remember the grin on Aman's face after he had interviewed her.

She has worked in A.R since then, and has just earned her first promotion..

I have loved having her in my office, where I can see her whenever I want to. Although she still insists on calling me 'Sir' there, to Aman's eternal amusement..

But through all this time, I had noticed that she didn't seem to be entirely happy with what she was doing. An air of dissatisfaction was apparent, and I questioned her about it one day..

She had then revealed that her job with A.R, while satisfying her creativity, did little to fulfill her in other ways.

As she told me the reason why, I was shocked to learn that for a few moments, I had managed to push the horror of that assault to the back of my mind..

Apparently, Khushi had been reading about several such cases in the newspapers, including one in which the victim had actually died after being assaulted.

And she had been thinking of ways in which something could be done to help..

That was how the Raizada Center for victims of assault and abuse was born. Khushi and Di took an active role in planning it, and with financial backing from A.R, the center opened it's doors some months back.

I was fine with her helping out at the center in the beginning, and I had to admit that she did a great job of balancing her work in A.R, volunteering at the center, and being the life and soul of my family.

But now, I am concerned about the effect this has on her emotional well-being. How can she stay happy and at peace if she insists on answering the phone calls to the helpline? I am afraid that those calls will bring back those terrible memories that she has worked so hard to get away from..

And I really don't want that to happen. Not right now.

As I come back to the present,I notice that she is ignoring me, and I decide to do the same.

I turn my back to her, and as I walk to our room, I hear her soft voice telling Ananya about a shaitaan who wouldn't even let the princess use the phone.

I grin again as I walk to the wardrobe. As I reach in to pull out a fresh towel, a leather-bound book falls out, and I look down at it.

I recognize what it is immediately, even though I haven't seen it for a while..

My journal.

A record of evil, a tale of repentance, and a tribute to the power of love..

I haven't written in it since two years, although I still read it sometimes, just to remind myself of everything that I came close to losing..

As I bend down to pick it up, a flash of red catches my eye.

The journal has opened to a page written in red ink, and I am confused, because I used to write in blue..

I straighten up to read the page, and at first, I cannot believe my eyes.

Dear Arnav,

If you are reading this note, it means that you have opened this journal.

And if you are planning to write in this now, then you must have committed a new sin.

So what is it, Laad Governor?

And why don't I know about it?

-Khushi.

I begin to laugh at the sheer audacity of the woman.

And then I find a pen, and write a reply.

When I am done, I have barely taken a step towards the door when she comes rushing in.

She stumbles to a stop as soon as she sees me, then ignores me again as she walks to the bathroom without saying a word.

I decide to say nothing either, but I make sure that she sees me placing the open journal on the dresser.

I know that her ever-present curiosity will not let her rest until she opens it, and so I smile as I leave the room, already imagining her reaction when she reads what I have written.

Dear Khushi,

What makes you think that you know everything about me and what I am up to?

Maybe I committed a sin just recently.

A sin that involves another woman, perhaps?

-Laad Governor.

A few minutes later, I am returning from the kitchen with a glass of water in my hand, when I see the journal on the dining table.

So she has decided to play along..

For the next few minutes, we play this game of speaking to each other without actually saying anything.

It starts with her reply..

Dear Laad Governor,

Have you forgotten that I am with you for most of the day in the office, and I sleep with you at night?

I know everything about you, including the number of times you say 'What the f**k' in one day.

And when did you recently find the time to have an affair with another woman?

Unless you mean Vimla Maasi. That could be possible, it might have happened when we went to visit my parents yesterday.

Or was it the waitress at the restaurant where we had dinner with Nanheji and Lavanya the other day?

Well, whoever it is, they better watch out.

I know taekwondo now, remember?

-Khushi.

Dear Khushi,

How could I forget the taekwondo, since you seem to practice it in bed as well?

And it wasn't the waitress, or Vimla Maasi.

Although I'm not ruling out Di's executive assistant at the office.

She is cute, in a quirky sort of way..

-Laad Governor.

I wait for a reply to this provocative note, laughing silently to myself as I think about Di's assistant.

I barely know her name, and I'm sure I wouldn't even recognize her if I met her on the street.

Who would look twice at any other woman when their life is full of one very beautiful, very sexy, and equally crazy wife?

But Khushi doesn't know this, and I cannot wait for her reaction in the journal.

The reply never comes.

I wait for a few minutes, walking around the house to check if she has left the journal somewhere.

When I don't find it, I walk towards our room, to see if she has left it there.

But a very different sight is waiting for me as I get there.

A sight that paralyses me for a second.

And then panic sets in as I realize just what is happening here.

Khushi is standing in the center of the room, looking down at the wet floor.

She looks up me, and I stare right back before I react.

"Khushi! Tum theek ho?"

"I..I think we need to go to the hospital now..'

I have her in my arms before she can say another word.

I cannot believe this is finally happening.

After all those months of waiting..

I yell for help, and HP rushes in immediately, quickly followed by Payal and Di.

I carry Khushi out to my car, listening with half an ear to Di's conversation to the doctor.

I place her gently on the back seat, and try to straighten up, but she stops me from doing so.

She is already wincing from the pain, and she has a tight hold on my hand as she struggles to speak.

"Khushi, sweetheart..it's okay, I'm here. Just breathe, don't try to speak right now!"

"But..but this is important.."

"Whatever it is, it can wait. For now, let's just go.."

"But Arnav, I need to know.."

"What is it, dammit?"

"Are you..really having...an affair with..Di's P.A?"

"What?!"

"Chotey!"

"Di! I'm not having an affair with anyone! "

I look down at my wife, lying on the back seat of my car while struggling to breathe.

"Khushi, I was just joking, sweetheart..you are the only woman in my life.."

She leans back and closes her eyes.

"Oh. That's fine then.She's really nice..I would hate to..hurt her.. We can go to the hospital now."

I look at her calm face, and then look up at the shocked faces of my family.

The absurdity of the situation strikes me suddenly, and I begin to laugh.

"Chotey, what's wrong with you? We need to get going now!"

I get into the car and start driving.

The next few hours seem to fly past, and move at a snail's pace all at once.

My memories of that time are not very clear.

I remember the doctor checking Khushi's progress and telling us that it shouldn't take too long now..

I remember her family arriving, and Buaji's cries of 'Hai re Nandkishore' filling the corridor.

I remember sending Akash out to get some jalebis because Khushi was yelling for them at the top of her voice..

But these are all hazy memories, overlaid by one single, overpowering emotion.

My anguish as I see her in pain.

Over the past few years, my single greatest aim has been to keep her happy, and away from suffering.

At one point, I was ready to give her up to do so.

But now, I can do nothing.

Nothing, except hold her hand and whisper that I love her, over and over.

I don't even know if she can hear me at this moment.

Soon , it is time for her to make the final effort, and she finally opens her eyes to look at me.

"A..Arnav.."

"Khushi..save your breath.."

"No..I need to tell you this.."

I know that she will not rest easy until she has said whatever is on her mind.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember...that dargah in Lucknow...where we met.."

"What? Yes..I do.."

"I had asked for something that day...do..you know what it was?"

"What?"

"I had asked..that I should find my prince soon..my raajkumar. But that never came true.."

I am stunned by what she is saying, and my power of speech deserts me.

"I got someone way..better than a raajkumar. I got..my Laad Governor.."

For the first time in years, tears spring into my eyes.

I clutch her hand in both of mine and kiss it, but she isn't done yet.

"I love you, Arnav.."

They are the last words she is able to speak for quite some time.

Later, I am told that it took only twenty minutes.

But at that point of time, it felt like hours.

And through it all, I cling to her hand, trying to infuse my strength into her struggling body.

Finally, after what seems a long, torturous eternity, I hear a cry.

I close my eyes even as I hear the doctor call out to me.

I don't know if I am ready for this.

Years ago, I was a hardheaded, arrogant, self-centered businessman, until a beautiful girl literally fell into my arms..

Through the past two years, I have learned to open my heart and let her love fill all the cracks within..

But can I do the same for another person?

Do I have the capacity to do so?

And then, I have no more time to think, because the doctor has just placed a bundle in my arms.

I look down at the red, wrinkled little being.

And I am still afraid.

But then she opens her eyes, and I am suddenly looking into clear pools of hazel.

Stunned, I look up from these eyes into her mother's.

And then, I fall in love all over again.

******************

PS: That's it, folks!

With this epilogue, I hope that I have managed to erase some painful memories of that journal..

I know that I have said this many times, but I would like to thank you again for reading my story.

Rabba Ve, everyone!