The Trampled Butterfly #3 check index for Th4 link - Page 69

It was just another morning in the life of Arnav Singh Raizada, now 24 years old, as he sat in his Mercedes SLS, waiting for the red on the signal to turn green on the busy Earlsfield Road. As usual with the unpredictable weather of London, it had begun to slightly drizzle ruining a perfect sunny morning in mere minutes, along with his mood, and grumpily, he turned to his side only to notice a little girl in the car beside him.

She was just another ordinary girl, crying for some reason unknown to him. However, there was something about that little girl, her eyes to be specific, that struck the chord within him, as he was reminded about a similar girl in his childhood.

Hazel eyes.

Those haunting eyes he had tried so hard to forget every single time.

And with a flash, the events of that misfortunate day began to spring up before his eyes and the same uneasy guilty feeling stirred deep within him.

The signal turned green and he raced his car through the traffic, his mind preoccupied with the thoughts of that helpless girl, missing out the red signal in the next junction.

And the next thing he heard was the sound of a loud crash as another car entered the junction from the other side, crashing perpendicular to his car, the Mercedes only being recognisable as a piece of metal scrap.

Arnav traced the scar on his scalp, hidden beneath the grown hair, a painful memory of that incident. But he knew that even this pain could not measure up to the guilt he had felt throughout his life.

Every single day of his life, he had gone back to the memory of that fateful day, wondering, what if?

What if, he hadn't gone to visit his teacher's home that day?

What if, he had taken her along with him?

What if, they had gone to eat ice cream to the town like any other day?

What if, he had walked faster towards his home?

What if, he hadn't stopped to play with his teacher's cats?

What if, those thirty minutes could be erased from both their lives?

What if, he had screamed aloud witnessing that moment?

What if, he had run back to his parents and told them about it?

What if, he had simply walked on them and taking his bat, hit the monster hurting his best friend?

But these were only 'what ifs'. The reality had turned out to be entirely different, changing their lives forever and there was nothing he could do to change it back.

Lying on his bed, lazily sprawled across, he was suddenly disturbed by the knock on the door of his bedroom and feeling depressed, he groaned a loud "Go away." to whoever was at the door. It was already twelve in the afternoon and he hadn't even eaten his breakfast. Rather he had remained on the bed from the time he had woken up, not wanting to talk to anyone.

His mother had already visited him with the tray of breakfast, which still lay uneaten on the bedside table. And assuming it to be one of the servants who his grandmother had sent to call him downstairs, he refused to budge from his spot.

Until, he sat upright with a startle when he heard the door creak open.

And then, he saw Khushi slowly peeping in through the door and quietly entering into the room, closing the door behind her.

Once inside, she continued to gaze at him silently, without uttering a word, leaning back on the door, as if she was scrutinising him intently.

Recovering from the initial stun, least expecting her to come to his room after yesterday's scuffle, he looked down on his bare body, to reach out for his vest lying on the bed.

"You didn't eat your breakfast." Khushi finally spoke, rather stated, her eyes moving towards the tray on the bedside.

"What are you doing here? I thought maids weren't allowed to enter their owner's room without permission." Arnav replied bluntly, the hurt from her yesterday's words still fresh in his mind. He observed her face drop momentarily, only to have a faint smile lingering on her lips the very next second.

"I'm sure this owner doesn't mind me entering his room." She replied unwaveringly, beginning to stroll towards him, stopping right in front of him.

Arnav closed his eyes as her palm, now warm, encased his face, relishing the feeling of her touch. "Looks like you are well today." He spoke, snapping open his eyes and observed her face looking quite fresh and healthy today.

"Looks like it's your turn to be down today." She laughed, her fingers unknowingly brushing through his hair reaching out for the same scar that she was the reason behind for. "It doesn't work this way Arnav. How can you stay up holed in your room for one fight with me?"

His heart silently skipped a beat hearing his name once again from her mouth, confirming the fact that she wasn't really angry at him, atleast currently.

"How can you be so sure that I'm here in this room because of you?" He immediately retorted back, only to have her look away embarrassed. However, the very next second she sobered up and turned back to look at him.

"Then, what's worrying you?"

"Gave up so easily? Don't you trust me even a bit?" he asked, suddenly pulling away her hand from his hair and kissing her palm gently and he didn't miss out a gleeful smile skittering on her face for a flash of a moment.

"It doesn't feel nice to see you all gloomy. I like the cheerful, mischievous Annyav. Can I have him back?" Khushi asked, only to have him chuckle at her words.

"Ofcourse, you can have him back, if you promise that I can have my 'kukku' back too? Do we have a deal?" he asked, holding out his hand to her. And sighing, Khushi reached out to hold his hand, nodding her head silently.

Maybe this was what he really liked about Khushi. Even though they fought bitterly at times, she would always be the first one to call out peace.

"Arnav?"

"Yes?"

"Will you go out with me?" Khushi asked hesitantly, earning a surprised look from him.

"You want to take me out? Where?"

"That will be a surprise." She exclaimed delightfully just like a kid. "But there is one problem. Since I don't own a car unlike you, you will have to walk along with me. Sorry." Khushi frowned with an apology.

"Duh! I can drive both of us wherever you want to." Arnav stated, reaching out to lightly smack her head.

"Duh! even I know that." She glared at him, imitating his tone, annoyed for considering her foolish. "But you know, when a guy asks out a girl, the guy is supposed to arrange everything right? So when the girl asks the guy out, it will be the girl's responsibility to arrange everything. That's how it is in movies right?"

"Ok, so you're asking me out?" Arnav asked with a silly grin on his face, only growing wider with every second seeing her face, while she nodded her head enthusiastically, relieved that he finally got the point she was trying to say. And suddenly, he looked forward to the very day he had abhorred since morning.

"I see, the English movies are indeed influencing you." Arnav drawled out, entwining both his hands with hers and bending her towards him, to give a quick peck on her lips and he observed her blushing scarlet in return.

"Yes, English movies." She smiled, but only she knew that it was a lie. The master plan belonged to someone else entirely.

"Ok, what time?"

"4 in the evening. And now, I've got to go. I'm late." Khushi immediately remembered her cooking class scheduled with Ranvijay.

"Why?" he whined like a little puppy annoyed that his treat was being snatched away and instead found her chuckling and pulling away, as she sauntered towards the door, a huge grin widening her lips. "Come down for lunch. I've prepared your favourite chicken dish." She added on the way.

"Khushi!" he called out, as she was just about to leave the room, making her turn around towards him.

"What?"

"Thanks." Arnav replied, as she smiled back at him and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

As Khushi walked down the stairs, she saw Ranvijay leaning at the wall and grinning at her, and she nearly had to hold the railing from skipping the steps and falling down, happiness simply flooding her, all thanks to the man in front of her, a new found friend.

And she remembered the conversation with Ranvijay two hours earlier at her cottage.

"He what?" She asked in surprise, as she continued to do the chores, while hearing Ranvijay exclaim out animatedly about the situation in the Raizada Manor.

"Honey, what did you say yesterday to your BF, that today he's not even coming down from his room?"

She hadn't been to the Raizada Manor today, specifically to avoid meeting Arnav after yesterday's scuffle. But now, her mind's resolve began to weaken, hearing her best friend's behaviour.

"I guess I said something I shouldn't have. I don't know, I was mad at him." Khushi had stopped all her work, going towards the window to watch the Raizada Manor perched above her, knowing that Arnav was still holed up in his room. "And what's BF?"

"Like seriously girl! You know what's menage a trois but don't know what's BF?" Ranvijay stared at her with wide eyes, eyes as round as oranges and this simply made Khushi laugh.

"You are not helping. You are making me laugh when I'm supposed to be, well, not laughing."

"You're blaming me? Haww' Maybe I should have poured more brandy down your throat. You would have been knocked off until now." Ranvijay animatedly explained, his eyes glistening mischievously at the idea, an evil smile already forming at his lips imagining the entire thing.

"What?" Khushi asked confusedly.

"You both should go out on a date." He finally said, holding his hands on either side of his hips. "Considering your experience two days ago. La la! Rain! Clouds! Cool weather! Kiss! Miss- kiss? French Kiss?" He winked at her, only to have her glare back at him.

"Date?"

"Oh ho! You don't know what's a date? Do you watch only adult movies with grandma or what!?"

"I know what's a date! But why would I go out on a date?"

"Because you like him silly girl! You just had a fight and now, he doesn't want to talk to you and going out on a date would fix up this problem."

"Where will I go out on a date?" Khushi frowned with disappointment, not exactly knowing how to proceed.

"Well, that's for your silly brain to think. Not mine." And saying so, he left the room, leaving her dumbfounded at his suggestion.

"So, did he agree?" Ranvijay asked, when they walked towards her cottage for the cooking class.

"You think, he would refuse?" Khushi smiled at him.

"Do you really trust him that much?" he asked, awed at the relationship these two shared.

"I've known him since he was a kid. I've known him enough to trust him more than me." Khushi replied, with an air of confidence in her eyes, as she pulled open the door for him.

o0o

"How much longer do we have to walk?" Arnav huffed, as they walked through the woods on a relatively unknown path, away from the commoners, going somewhere which only Khushi knew. They had been walking for nearly twenty five minutes now and the exhaustion was slowly beginning to creep up on him.

"Another ten minutes." Khushi, who didn't seem even the least bit tired, explained. And when she observed him getting tired, she did what they always used to do in childhood when they walked together - entwined her little finger with his.

Arnav immediately looked down at their fingers entwined, trailing upwards towards her face and a huge smile broke out on his lips, feeling energised, instantly at this one gesture.

He didn't realise when he had begun to match up every step with hers. Their hands had begun to swing in a rhythm with each other, their feet involuntarily hopping every third step, just like they used to do in their childhood.

And within ten minutes, the trees gave in way to an open land, and what Arnav saw left him simply awestruck.

Fog bordering on clouds surrounded the entire mountains around them, the evening sun peeking through the gaps. In front of him spread fields of daffodils, the yellow contrasting painfully with the green, the entire sight looking simply ethereal. A complete blanket of silence surrounded them, except for one woodpecker, pecking the bark of a deodar tree.

And all Arnav Singh Raizada wanted to do was lie down amidst those flowers, just like they had dreamed about when they were kids.

"What are you waiting for? Chalo!" Khushi pulled him into the field and before he knew it, she had found a dry spot and laid down on the muddy field, not bothering about soiling her clothes even for a second.

Arnav at first, hesitated. But then, concluding that he would be missing out on the fun, he walked to her side and lay down beside her, his hands under his head, gazing at the cloudy sky above him.

"You remembered?" he said, tears almost drowning his eyes, as he felt her eyes gaze at him from the side.

"I remember everything Arnav. Even our dreams." Khushi replied, raising her head with her hand and leaning towards him.

"When I grow big, Annyav, I'll own a very big field, full of flowers and then, you and I, can both lie down together, side by side and make shapes out of the clouds." The seven year old Khushi explained in her squeaky little voice, as they sat on the fields, tired after playing for the entire day.

"Yeah. And I'll build a big house in that field." The ten year old Arnav's eyes twinkled at the idea.

"Will you allow me to live in the house with you?" Khushi immediately turned around to face him with worry written all over her face, her cute pink lips turning redder with all the nervous chewing.

"Buddhu! Do you think I can ever live without you?" the little Arnav had laughed, smacking her head with his finger and a huge smile had broken out on her face.

"You found a field with flowers?" He smiled, feeling suddenly happy for his best friend.

"All you have to do is build a house in this field." Khushi replied, and he continued, "And we will live together."

Arnav stared into those hazel eyes and all he found was a welcoming feeling, full of care and affection, and maybe love too. And unable to control himself, he pulled her over him, his lips closing down on hers.

She didn't resist. Not even a bit, but rather simply melted like a candle from the flame's heat. Her hands moved to his face, stroking his stubble delicately, their kiss only deepening with every second.

The irony of their surroundings didn't miss him out. They were on the earth, the mud, the nature which had never differentiated anyone based on religion or their economic status. They were free from the chains created by humans, free to live their life as they wanted to, with no one to stop them.

And Arnav was in no mood to stop, because he had finally found a name to the feeling that was stirring deep within him since the time he had set his eyes on his best friend.

Maybe, when they were just kids.

And he knew that it was love.

And he knew he loved Khushi a lot and would fight the entire world to keep her beside him.

He broke apart, to gaze into those hazel eyes, a new fire dwelling within them, and cupping her face with his huge hands, her face nearly fitting perfectly in them, he kissed her chastely on her lips before he uttered the words, he had never uttered to anyone ever.

"Be mine, Khushi. Be, mine forever."

And then, he was rewarded with a smile. A smile that she only reserved when she was the happiest. Pulling herself up, she sat upright, looking away onto the fields of daffodils, hiding away her face from his view. He followed her, resting his chin on her shoulders, her long tresses fanning his face as the cool breeze lingered over them.

He tried to figure out what had caught her eye. Was it the huge solitary oak tree on the far end? Or was it the tiny rainbow formed between the mountains?

When his hand glided over her waist to hold her, she trembled at his touch to move away, only to have her press back against him firmly, locking her in between his arms.

He patiently waited for an answer, for a reply, for anything after he had uttered those words to her. But she was encompassed with silence, refusing to even meet his eyes.

However, his patience didn't wear off. He knew he would even hold on to this moment for eternity just to know what her reaction would be. Did she also feel the same way towards him?

His arms strengthened the firm grip over her body, letting her know he would support her at every step of their life, that he would be beside her whenever she fumbled, maybe because what she needed wasn't words.

Because little gestures like these spoke a thousand words.

Her arms slowly glided on top of his huge masculine arms, stopping at the juncture of his fingers and encroached into the little space between his palms, cocooning herself inside his world.

And after what seemed like eons of silence, she finally spoke. "I'm always yours, Arnav. Always."

He didn't know when his lips had begun tracing a path down her ear, towards the hollow of her collarbone and pushing aside her hair to the front, he let his lips carry her like a feather on a windy afternoon.

If only, he had seen silent tears strolling down her eyes.

"I'm really sorry for yesterday. I know I should respect you for how you lead your life and your decisions are not something to be ridiculed by me." He finally said out what had been going on in his mind since their tiff yesterday. "Believe me, I just wanted the better for you in your life. I have never ever looked down upon you. Not even the first time we met. I was just jealous at that time because you suddenly seemed to encroach into my life, but even you know, you've always been an integral part of my life."

"I used to wait to talk to you over the phone whenever you called up Dadi." Khushi suddenly interrupted him, her voice clearly shaky and quivering. "But everytime I asked her to allow me to talk to you, you would disconnect the call." And Arnav felt his heart sink again once more. But this time, he didn't let himself feel low. Instead, he knew he had to rise and even raise his best friend.

"I was stupid, alright! But that didn't mean I never thought about you. Can you forgive me for whatever happened in the past? Can we have a fresh new start on a clean slate?" he asked, pecking her ear, enclosing his palms firmly over hers.

"I never hold grudges against anyone, Arnav, least of all, you. But even I'm a human too. When I feel sad, I say it out aloud." She replied, leaning back on his shoulder. They sat silently in each other's arms for a long time, neither speaking a word, just finding comfort and solace in the other. Maybe that was all that they needed in their life.

"Khushi, there is something I need to talk to you about." Arnav finally said, knowing that they desperately needed to talk about that day which changed their lives fifteen years ago. Otherwise, he would never be able to raise himself in her eyes.

But at the back of his mind, another tiny feeling kept bothering him. How would Khushi react to him? How would she feel knowing that her best friend had witnessed everything that had happened to her and yet, didn't help her? That he had remained silent all throughout these years?

"About what?" She asked, finally turning around to face him. The tears were dried up, leaving no trace behind. Instead, he only found curious and concerned eyes waiting for him.

Inhaling a deep breath, he waited, not knowing how exactly he could begin. "I know what happened that day." That's all he said and he was sure, he found her instantly flinching away from him. However, before he could say anything else or react, his phone rang and he was sure he hadn't cursed anyone to this extent in his lifetime for interrupting him.

But all Khushi needed was one moment of excuse and pointing at his phone, she stood up, leaving him no other choice than to attend to his phone. It was the call from the church regarding the wedding arrangements and he knew he had to attend the call.

Within two minutes, he was done and when he turned around to find her, she was standing a few feet away from him, gazing at the saffron and amber beginning to streak the sky as the sun set in between the mountains. And all he did, was walk up to her and hold her back, as they together watched the sun set, a new memory etched in their lives, and Arnav knew that he had to wait to have the conversation on some other day.

CHAPTER 21

Extremely sorry for the delay. But I was caught up with real life. However one advice to all my readers - Don't spam my thread asking me for update because, how many times ever you ask for an update, if I'm not in the right frame of mind to type the update, I won't be able to post it. It's not like I'm having fun not posting an update, but it's a simple fact of life. Real life trumps over virtual life. And typing this story is not easy. If you appreciate the depth of emotions I provide in this story, please know that it takes lots of time and efforts to type up all this. That is the main reason why my updates may be late. I don't appreciate sub standard work and I know neither do you. I know some readers really understand my situation, and I love you all for that. But this was for people who don't seem to understand. Maybe you are teens and you don't have that much to worry about in real life, but once you are an adult you do have lots of problems. So I request you to please respect the writer too, who has a life in the real world too.

Thank you.

And secondly, you are NOT ALLOWED to post this FF or my other FF in any other website. I had only allowed Mirage to be posted on FB because I knew the person who posted it. However, it is not fun to post it in myeduniya or other websites like that and don't ask me permission regarding it, even if you give credit for me. As it is, I don't include Members only tag and this FF is open even for non members. But if it gets posted elsewhere, I won't be able to track it. That is my only concern, because if I ever decide to pull down the FFs from internet, I won't know where would I have to go to hunt them.😆

"It doesn't feel nice to see you all gloomy. I like the cheerful, mischievous Annyav. Can I have him back?" Khushi asked, only to have him chuckle at her words.

"Ofcourse, you can have him back, if you promise that I can have my 'kukku' back too? Do we have a deal?" he asked, holding out his hand to her. And sighing, Khushi reached out to hold his hand, nodding her head silently.

loved d way bth tryng 2 brng bk annyav n kukku

superb idea of ranvijay 2 khushi abt date

surprise was awsum

"All you have to do is build a house in this field." Khushi replied, and he continued, "And we will live together."- dats so sweet of khushi n arnav was left spellbound⭐️

"Be mine, Khushi. Be, mine forever."❤️

"I'm always yours, Arnav. Always."❤️

arnav's wait fr convo gvng khushi her space n tym implies hw much he loves khushi

p.s: stalkng lwz helps though nt fst 2 comment atleast scnd😉

Originally posted by: molten_lava

La la! Rain! Clouds! Cool weather! Kiss! Miss- kiss? French Kiss?" He winked at her, only to have her glare back at him.

Originally posted by: molten_lava

The irony of their surroundings didn't miss him out. They were on the earth, the mud, the nature which had never differentiated anyone based on religion or their economic status. They were free from the chains created by humans, free to live their life as they wanted to, with no one to stop them.