This update is dedicated to AnjuRish and badfaith4u for being a regular reader of this story and letting me know what they think about each update, which makes my day. Thanks a ton for it friends !!!!!
ArHi SS: A Thing Called Marriage
Chapter 20
Arnav didn't know what he was supposed to do now after knowing that Khushi is just an innocent girl, bitten and punished by the twist that her life chose to take. Isn't it what he himself felt four years ago when he realized that his parents are no more? Wasn't it true that he had blamed himself for his parent's death back then, contemplating if he wouldn't have left them then maybe they would have been alive today?
His whole life was based on a lot of ifs'. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. And right now, while standing in front of Khushi who was sitting on the recliner with a file in her hands, looking up at him with her big, innocent eyes, he felt more clueless than ever.
Why do things have had to be this complicated? Why there was a possibility of ifs' and buts' in every incident of his life? Can't accepting a girl as his wife be as simple as breathing?
He sighed knowing that Khushi was still looking at him. Walking inside, he kept his laptop bag on the coffee table buying himself more time and then looked up uncertainly "Hi."
"Hi?????" Khushi's greeting sounded more like a question as if not certain about Arnav's intentions. Giving him a small smile, Khushi walked up to him helping him in taking off his coat.
"So how was your day?" Khushi asked, walking back to the closet to keep his coat. Alright, maybe Arnav's calm and composed behaviour might have caught her off guard few minutes ago, but now she understood what he was trying to do.
He was trying to bring normalcy in their life. If he was taking the first step, then how could she not follow him leading their life to a more blissful and happy path?
"It was good." Arnav said looking tired. He didn't have the courage to tell her that all day he was thinking about her. Guilt, shame and regret clouded every other emotion including his ego, his self-respect.
"I will bring you a cup of tea." Khushi said, already walking towards the door. She was about to exit when Arnav called out for her "Khushi!!!"
"Hmmm." Khushi hummed, looking back at him. She saw him meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment, before looking away struggling to say something.
"I just wanted to say that whatever I said last night, I really mean it. We both should forget what had happened in the past and move on. If you blame yourself for anything, then please don't." Arnav said slowly, now meeting her gaze.
Khushi looked at him first surprised and then touched by his words.
"Thank you, Arnavji. I will keep that in mind." Nodding gratefully at him, Khushi smiled before turning away once again.
"You didn't let me come to AR today. How am I supposed to know how the preparations of the show are going on?" Khushi complained as she walked with Arnav back to their room, after dinner.
"Khushi, you looked so stressed and disturbed yesterday. I wanted you to take rest for some time. You can ask Aman about it tomorrow." Arnav replied his eyes glued to the screen of his blackberry phone.
"I didn't know you can be so concerned about me." Khushi teased, her eyes twinkled as she smiled. Seeing him so concerned about her made her feel good.
Feeling that at least he cares about her now as a person. Ever since they got married, Arnav tried so hard to be rude to her yet she was able to see ahead of his stubbornness. Yes, he had hurt her a lot but the pain she saw in his eyes now was more. He was feeling guilty, she knew.
"Got used to it over years, I think." Arnav shrugged his shoulder casually, a bit embarrassed. Hearing her saying all this made him feel like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. They entered in the room together.
"I know. In last 4 years, you took care of me like no one can; going out of the way to make sure I am okay." Khushi said now looking serious. She smiled.
"I don't have any idea what you are talking about." Arnav said, looking away now. He turned to take out his laptop from bag refusing to meet her eyes.
"Hiring men to watch over me when I was with Payal Jiji in USA, making sure that I am comfortable at my workplace- I know everything Arnavji. Just because I am acknowledging your effort doesn't mean that you need to be embarrassed about it. Sometimes it's good to share things with others that you have always kept in your heart, it'll make you feel better, Arnavji." Khushi shook her head gently, looking at Arnav with a smile.
"I was just keeping my promise, Khushi." Arnav replied simply, brushing away her words of acknowledgement and gratefulness.
"Still it means a lot to me." Khushi persisted, not accepting her defeat.
Arnav didn't said anything after that. He just looked up at her, watching her smile. How can she see goodness in him even after how he treated her, he wondered.
_______________________________________________________________
Anjali sighed, stepping out of the car and walked towards the college quietly. She stopped for a second and looked around. She looked ahead, feeling her eyes getting moist.
He wasn't here today as well. It had been 4 days since she last saw him.
She should have known.
She should have known how good it was to be true to even think about getting back to Shyam?
She was cursed. Once again, her life was disappearing into darkness once again. Why it happens with her always? Why when she thinks that she can be happy, she found herself isolated and alone to mourn over how pathetic her life is?
She sniffed, blinking her eyes rapidly to stop her tears from escaping and trailing down on her cheeks. No, she won't breakdown. She will be damned if she started crying over this, showing how weak she is.
She held her chin high and quickened her pace towards college, totally missing a dark silhouette lurking behind a tree, eyes fixed on her.
He quickly hid behind the tree as Anjali looked back once as if sensing that his presence.
______________________________________________________________
Khushi turned her head sideway to look at Arnav, who now was parking the car. Today, they had come AR together as Anjali insisted, saying what was the need to travel separately if they are going to the same workplace.
She came out of the car, now walking beside Arnav.
She inhaled feeling the tension coiling in her stomach. The way Arnav walked, the way he glanced at every one arrogantly was something that she was never used to.
True, only few days ago she had come with him but that day, she was in a hurry. Today, she felt like the clock was ticking slowly taking its own sweet time.
The way everyone looked at Arnav frighteningly before looking at her was something that bothered her.
But she didn't let it show on her face, nodding her head as everyone wished her after wishing Arnav good morning' which he hadn't even bothered to acknowledge.
They entered in AR together for the first time. Everyone stood up, knowing that Arnav has arrived. Khushi who was scurrying after Arnav, avoiding everyone's gaze couldn't help herself from looking around.
And it was then she noticed it.
The way every female employee looked at Arnav as he passed by them. The way they held their breath, wishing him in a dreamy voice and then staring at him, literally swooning over him. The way they turned to look at him.
Khushi's eyebrow shot up in surprise. She stared at Arnav wondering what made them behave like this? He was dressed in his usual black three-piece suit, his hairs gelled back.
But it was the way he carried himself, looking very confident was something to be admired about.
She averted her eyes, realizing what she was thinking about. She flushed remembering how when she first saw him, she had admitted to herself that she had been married to a very handsome, good looking man.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she has stopped walking, blushing while standing like a statue.
"Are you coming or not?" Arnav who had realized that Khushi wasn't walking behind him anymore, turned to look what held her back. He was irritated when he saw Khushi standing still, lost in her own thoughts. He noticed her flustered state and wondered what was cooking in her mind.
Khushi looked up startled, snapping out of her thoughts. She hurried towards him, nodding her head frantically. Chiding herself mentally for even thinking like that, Khushi sobered up immediately.
Arnav resumed his walk though not fully assured, with Khushi in tow. They walked together and entered to their separate cabins positioned opposite to each other.
"WHERE THE HELL IS IT, AMAN?" Arnav roared in his cabin, shaking each and every foundation of AR designs, scaring each and every employee present in there out of their wits.
"ASR...I...I don't..." Aman stuttered, sweating badly.
"STOP stuttering, Aman" Arnav bit out, his hand fisted at the sides.
"I don't know, ASR." Aman said in one breath, praying to his deity to help him in going out of this cabin in one piece.
"Then SEARCH for it, DAMMIT. It's my sketch book and I haven't allowed anyone to touch it." Arnav roared again, thumping his fist on the table with such a force that Aman flinched, jumping away from the table.
"Okay ASR." Aman tried his best to calm Arnav down. He had seen Arnav at his worst while working for him through all these years but still the way he looked at him menacingly whenever he was angry, scared Aman to no end.
He was about to make a quick escape from the cabin when someone knocked.
"Come in." Arnav said, turning away clenching and unclenching his fists to calm himself down.
Aman looked on as Khushi entered with something in her hand. His eyes widened instantly realizing that it's ASR's sketch book. He gulped now praying for Khushi's safe being to his deity.
"Arnavji, woh I took your sketch book. I was looking through it to get apt designs for showstopper dresses." Khushi explained unaware of Arnav's anger, waving the book in her hand in front of them.
Arnav turned to her then, meeting her eyes. Khushi flinched, sensing pure anger brimming in his red eyes as he struggled to not lash out on her.
"GET OUT." He shouted again, making Khushi and Aman look at each other confused over whom he talking to.
Thinking that it must be her, Khushi moved to go out when Arnav spoke again "not you, Khushi. Aman, get out."
Shooting a sympathetic look at her, Aman walked out thanking his deity for the narrow escape. Khushi kept looking at Aman, frightened as he walked out.
Who, exactly WHO told her to take anything for Arnav's cabin without his permission? She is such a gone case, totally.
When silence prevailed between them, Khushi couldn't help herself from looking up and saw Arnav now walking towards her with slow, calculated steps.
His gaze was fixed intensely on her.
Involuntarily, she started walking back not knowing what else to do. She gasped, halting to a stop feeling the wall against her back.
She looked up and saw that Arnav was still walking towards her, looking determined. She was trapped.
She closed her eyes instantly, feeling scared keeping her hands back on the wall behind. She gasped as she felt Arnav invading her personal space, leaning towards her.
Then, she felt his breath fanning her neck making her tremble.
Truly, she is a gone case NOW.
Readers, I am not feeling well since few days so please don't expect me to update soon as I need to recover and then type the update. Then, now I am focussing on Humsafar for the time being as the story is about to end soon.
The next few updates are crucial and I want to focus on it completely. So have patience.
Plus, now I am thinking about updating only when most of the readers have read the update. It happens so often that I update quickly and many reader still lack behind.
Many of you would think that how it matters to me? It matters to me a lot. A reader's comments be it is just a word, is something I value the most. Unfortunately I am not being able to reply to each and every comment separately like I used to do in my earlier SS thread, I still read reader's comments and cherish them.
If you read a story and then drop few words on it, you don't know how much that makes a writer happy.
Will see you all soon with an update hopefully. Please hit like button and do comment,
Aditi
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