Arhi FF: The Storm Thread 2--LINK TO THREAD 3 PG 147! - Page 25

He suddenly saw Khushi turn forward, the drape swaying as his eyes flashed to her, making him stiffen as he noticed that she was breathing heavily, her eyes scrunched up, her chest rising up and down, visible through her blue salwar.

"Khushi..." her breathing suddenly came out quicker, in short gasps, her hands digging into her stomach, nails biting into the fabric of her suit.

"Khushi!" he panicked, thrusting up the armrest, putting a hand to her cheek which met with a tear drop. "Can we please get a flight attendant here?!" Arnav exclaimed, his eyes still on Khushi.

She suddenly stopped breathing heavily and her eyes burst open and she looked up at Arnav, panic evident in them as she attempted to breathe out, but instead came a sickening high pitched squeal out of her.

Tears slowly trailed down her face as she looked up at Arnav. Her eyes were wide open, as if beseeching Arnav to do something.

To get her to breathe.

"Damn it!" Arnav screamed. "Come on, Khushi, come on. Breathe, breathe!" the squeal still not diminishing, flaming his ears, he tapped her back not knowing what to do.

Khushi suddenly coughed violently her entire body lurching forward as he caught her by the arm to stop her from falling, feeling the breath of air as she expelled it against him, gripping her to him, clutching onto the fact that she was now breathing.

He pulled back to look at her, one of his hands still on her back.

"Khushi," he breathed, his hand reaching up to hold her cheek, but she moved back.

"I'm fine." She retorted.

His anxiousness was fused with frustration as his anger seeped in.

He hated the wall she was putting up, understanding why she was doing it, but still despising it and it was shutting her out.

"Can you stop it! You bloody well are not fine!" Arnav almost shouted, his hand that was still on Khushi's back clenched up in tension and he kneeled down closer to her, his eyes boring into hers. "I know you have not forgiven me Khushi, but that doesn't mean that you act like you're okay, when clearly-"

"What do you care?" She answered, rubbing away the tears, "what is it to you?"

He stiffened at her question, peering at her; did she honestly feel like he didn't care about her?

She was still breathing unusually but she swallowed, and opened her mouth as if to say something else when suddenly a clear, pristine voice interrupted. "Is there a problem here?"

A flight attendant stood, smoothening her navy skirt with both hands, plastic smile on her face as she looked at Arnav.

"There was." Arnav said, coldly, "But it's taken care of."

"Oh." The short woman said, her spurious voice dropped and she gingerly walked away.

Khushi threw him a look at his rudeness but chose not say to anything, turning her back on him, knocking away the hand that was on her back.

Just then the man named Rohan, stumbled into his seat. "Flippin' hell." He muttered. Then looked down. "Yikes!" he pulled up his revealing zipper and then looked forward attempting to glance at Khushi.

Arnav watched as disappointment flickered through Rohan, see him shrug his shoulders and extract a pair of headphones, blasting himself away, his head bopping up and down.

Khushi sighed deeply, her face leaning against the cold window, she saw the. She observed her breathe fog up the window and breathed again. Khushi leaned back slightly and with her little finger drew a perfect heart.

Again her lungs had coiled up and restricted her breathing.

She swallowed hard, inhaling, thankful for the oxygen that was now successfully entering her system.

What did this all mean?

She closed her eyes.

They would find out what was wrong with her soon, what was to happen-

The hospital appointment was tomorrow, less than twenty-four hours, she thought, feeling her palms sweat.

She chanced a look at Arnav to see that he was sitting forward, back hunched in tension, eyes fixed on the seat ahead of him, fists clenched to his side, so much so that his skin stretched over his knuckles, moulding them.

It was as clear as water that he was agitated by what had just happened, probably scared that it would happen again, and scared as to what was to come.

She sighed, wishing he'd stop.

Wishing that he'd just leave her to it, not to offer any comfort, nor concern that was so deeply engraved into his eyes, it really wasn't making ignoring him any easier.

She was scared that she'd crumble and so, once again, was revisited by the memories that made her flinch and clench her jaw, annihilating, for now, any waver of weakness. Those memories dominantly owned by her husband that sat next to her.

Arnav exhaled, swallowing hard and brought up a hand to wipe his brow with a quivering hand.

He glanced at Khushi, watching her shoulders rise and fall, reassuring him that she was still there, with him.

Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow they would find out what the doctors could do to help her.

He knew very well that Khushi was now suffering, and it was due to the cancer. The fact that was showing symptoms, but not knowing what they meant sent Arnav into a spiral of panic. She had still not received any medication, yeah sure painkillers had been given to her, but that was just to ease her pain. It was in no way part of the curing process...

The sudden voice in the overhead speakers broke Arnav out of his long reverie. "Ladies and gentlemen we are ten minutes away from landing; I ask you all to fasten your seatbelts. Cabin crew prepare for landing."

As he felt the wheels of the aeroplane roughly touch the ground, his eyes went to Khushi once again and saw her lips pursed and her hands to tighten in her lap. As a result, he imitated her putting his hands in his lap, to avoid temptation of reaching out to her.

*******

They carried out the necessary paperwork, arriving at a small desk unit.

The man behind it, nodded at the papers handed over by Arnav and finalised his approval with two stamps as it noisily echoed throughout the room.

They had then filed to get their luggage that had met them on a revolving belt.

"Let's go," Arnav said, pushing the luggage-filled trolley.

They headed towards the automatic doors that swished open as they approached it, leading them to another furnished hall, one that was much noisier.

Khushi's eyes swept over all the people, watching the variety in skin colours, hearing conversations in languages that were foreign to her.

"Keep close," Arnav murmured, relief washing over him as he saw her shuffle towards him slightly.

*********

"Here you are, sir," the driver said, pulling the car to a gentle stop, "like I said, you should get the rented car at eight."

Arnav nodded at him, opening the door and getting out of the car, holding it as Khushi appeared moments later.

He shut the door behind her and waited as the driver opened the boot and took out their luggage, Arnav thanked him, allowing him to drive away.

Darkness had now completely fallen over the sky, the sun hiding well and truly out of sight, the streetlamps making a feeble attempt to atone for its absence.

Khushi looked in front of her to see a large building with many windows and occasionally balconies accompanying them.

"We're going to be staying in an apartment," Arnav said, pointing to the towering building.

Khushi nodded, pulling up the handle on her suitcase, ready to roll it towards their new home when Arnav stopped her.

"Let me," he said, reaching out for her luggage, only for Khushi to shake her head at him.

She could his face only just in the view of the streetlights, saw him look down at her hand grasped tight around the handle, see him swallow, and then nod at her, reaching out for his own suitcase.

They approached the tall, towering building, meeting white glass closed doors, a silver card reader on the door closest to Arnav as he took out a matching silver rectangular card from his inside blazer pocket and swiping them through, the doors swishing open as they parted from each other.

Khushi looked at the technology, her eyes widening slightly, a smile appearing on her face out of sheer fascination.

She met his gaze, the smile dissolving, sighing heavily and stepped inside the brightly lit lobby.

"We're on the third floor," Arnav said, striding towards the two sets of lifts, pressing a button that was between them, calling of them, watching as the number above one of them changed as the lift quickly made its way to the ground floor, the silver doors opening with a 'bing'.

They rolled their suitcases inside the small space that was surrounded by mirrors; Arnav pressed down on the button shaped in an elegant '3' and so the lift clanged shut, the floor speeding upwards.

Khushi could see the reflection of his face from the mirror on her right, she watched as he exhaled, his whole face falling.

The metallic doors opened once again, her eyes snapping ahead, following Arnav out of the lift.

A dimly lit hallway came into view with white marble flooring and dozens of deep brown doors that had been plastered on all sides with white numbers plated on top.

"We're number thirty-five," Arnav said, glancing at the doors, moving further down the hall, and spotting it, "here," he said, pointing to one.

He waited for her to approach, noticing how she kept her eyes on the door behind him.

He took out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open, glancing at Khushi who was peering curiously inside.

He had stayed here before for a meeting a year ago, he remembered.

He looked again to see only outlines of furniture, switching on a light as he stepped inside the apartment, the furnished room coming into view.

There were the familiar white leather sofas implanted in the middle of the room, a wide-screened flat television in the close distance, and a long deep blue coloured blind that had veiled the window.

He turned his head, seeing a countertop that separated the living room with the kitchen that was on the left side, glass cabinets present that hung above a sink, a metre after which came a gas-stove, a small oven underneath it.

Around the corner of the kitchen was a medium-sized table, around which stood four delicates chairs that had intricate designs embedded into them till the tip of their legs.

He looked ahead, a white door in the magnolia-coloured wall, their bedroom.

He glanced at Khushi whose eyes were exploring their apartment, saw her glimpse at a clock that was sitting on one of the tables next to a sofa.

It read ten o'clock, his eyes shifted to it again, feeling that it was much later than it actually was.

He could feel her eyes on him, but as his flashed to her, he saw that she took a step away from him, feeling the sting of the movement, he looked down.

"What now?" He heard her say, he glimpsed up to see her glance at the bedroom door.

"Let's sleep," he said, motioning to the bedroom door at which her eyes snapped to him, "there's a bed and a sofa there," he added.

He led them to the bedroom, stepping aside so Khushi could too come in, feeling the heat emanating from her body.

She looked around the room, the bed in the middle of it, pushed up against the wall, whilst cream-white floor spread beneath a long sofa that was light blue in colour, behind which half-transparent blinds stood that hinted patio doors which lead to a balcony.

She glimpsed at her right to see another door which led to the bathroom.

"You should sleep," she heard him say, and with that he walked out the room, leaving her confused, only for him to walk back into the room with her suitcase, "get changed," he said, setting it down, about to walk out the room when he caught himself, his hand playing against the doorframe, side-glancing at her, "just in case you don't know already, you're sleeping on the bed," he said with finality.

"Why?" She countered, "Di's not here, you can throw me out and happily make me sleep on the balcony," she said, clutching onto the retortion, trying to fuel her own anger and placed a curtain over his regretful eyes as well as his soft words.

She watched him turn around to face her, sadness etching into his face, opening his mouth, "I'm sorry, Khushi."

She held onto her anger, "it's not good enough," she shrugged.

He nodded at the floor, "I know," he whispered, his voice prickly and with that he walked out the room.

She stood there, feeling her anger evaporate quickly as soon as she had slackened her grasp on it.

She glanced at the sofa, knowing that if she slept there she would only find herself in the bed and Arnav on the sofa by the morning.

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

The sun's rays shimmered through the light blue curtains that hung above the patio door, spreading towards the bed where Khushi lay. The light's vibrant colours pushed itself, settling on her hair, making it shine a golden brown.

Khushi smiled slightly in her sleep, the warmness just breezing over her skin.

After a few minutes she began to stir, stretching out her arms, about to do the same with her legs when she felt the familiar pain searing through her ribs, making its way down her body.

She gasped slightly, her eyes now wide open, the shock of the sudden and unannounced pain flooding through her.

She breathed through her nose, the movement of her chest due to the intake of oxygen only causing the searing to become more intense.

She waited for it to subside, leaving only small waves of throbs as she stood up, her hand pressed against her ribs.

"Khushi?" Arnav called, walking into the room, not seeing her quickly place her hands to her side, wiping away any traces of physical pain.

She looked up at him.

He was fully dressed in his usual outside attire, wearing a black blazer and a maroon coloured shirt, along with dark grey trousers.

"How are you?" He asked, his phone occupying one of his hands, whilst the other was curled up, his elbows bent so that it tucked underneath his chin.

"I'll just get ready," she said mechanically, choosing to ignore his question as she turned around to pull the blanket cover over the pillows and along the mattress, effectively making the bed, signalling for him to leave the room.

She heard his footsteps slowly move away from her, subsiding in the living room.

Now I know this update was slightly boring, but from the next update it will pick up pace!

Don't forget to comment please!😃

Oh and I know some of you are wondering when I will be updating "our happiness and grief", I shall send out PMs hopefully soon :)