ArHi SS: ThE BrOkEn BaNgLeS *Chap 04* Pg 100 | Apr 5 - Page 37

Khushi froze hearing the news that the youngest son of Raizada clan was going to arrive and who was none other than the love of her life Arnav. She was initially shocked to note the harsh reality and how the fate manipulated her future. The boy she loved since her childhood was now her brother-in-law. She didn't know about this reality when they met in St Stephens and fought with each other. A part of her was happy to know that despite of all the odd she still like Arnav from the very start when she first layed her eyes on him in the collage. That time she didn't know he was the one to whom she shared her first lollypop when she was a kid and she can never forget that the kiss which remained incomplete was actually completed by him when they were kids. She still remembered the chuckle of his lips against her chubby cheeks when he kissed her. The only person who had foreseen their growing affection at that tender age was Khushi's father, who worked for Arnav's father for more than 25 years as his obedient driver. Arnav's father Aarav Raizada was a kind hearted man and so was his mother Avantika. They loved Khushi like their own daughter. After dismissal of her mother at very early age Aarav and Avantika took Khushi's entire responsibly financially. But Khushi's father Shashi Gupta was a man of honour and he couldn't take advantage of his master's kindness. Arnav and Khushi clearly became close in no time and he had to literally drag a weeping Khushi out of Arnav's room every night against her daughter wish. He was also aware of Khushi's protests not wanting to leave Arnav. He had also seen the little boy's face when he helpless looked at his best friend with teary eyes. In several occasions he requested her mom to keep Khushi in their house and not in the driver's quarters so that they could play whenever they wanted without any restrictions from Khushi's father. He also used to say he would marry her if Shashi kept Khushi at a distance. Shashi knew that two of them couldnot be together. He would have classified as a gold-digger and opertunist. Though he knew Aarav and Avantika would have treated Khushi as their own and Arnav would have loved Khushi like no other man could but the shame, the humilation he might have gone through forced him to part Khushi from Arnav when she was only 6 years old. The society would have acted like a vulture taunting him and Khushi for manipulating his own master who has done more than what he deserved.

**

Arnav opened his eyes and immediately winced in pain. "Aah".

The nurse hurried towards him and held him by his shoulder. "Please relax Mr Raizada".

Feeling an unfamiliar touch Arnav flinched and looked at the middle aged woman standing beside him.

He narrowed his eyes and asked, "where am i?" sensing the unfamiliar atmosphere around.

"Hey Arnav how are you young man?" the doctor entered his suit.

"I am fine doctor chacha. What is the matter why am I here?" Arnav tired to seat up with the help of the nurse holding his unaffected hand.

"Relax, son. You are in the hospital due to your accident 3 days back. You lost your consciousness and drifted to coma and stayed like that for 72 hours. Thank god you gained your colour", with that the doctor checked his pulse and eyes. "Do you feel pain?" he enquired.

"Yes I do. I do feel terrible pain in my head. Damn..that accident".

And then he remembered everything, his encounter with Khushi. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes to recollect. How he couldn't bear her tears when she left the hall. In rage he left after her and drove aimlessly on the roads of London. Despite of repetitive warnings he speed up the car and finally hit himself against a big tree near the outskirts and after that everything became blank.

After few quick examinations when the doctor confirmed that he was out of danger he planned to bring up his brother's misshap.

Arnav went numb and he tried to gasp the whole news. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His beloved brother was dead? How can that be possible? He spoke to him 4 days back when his brother told him that he was about to get married very soon and that his parents are very happy for him. The line got disconnected before he could say with whom he was going to get married. But Arnav was excited to hear such amazing news. He also bought a very expensive rolex watch and matching ladies watch for his spouse. He couldnot wait to meet her. His instinct told him that he was going to be as close to his spouse as he was with his Eldest sister-in-law Anjali.

In one abrupt movement he tried to get up

"Arnav you can't go in this condition", the doctor held his shoulder and pushed him back on the hospital bed.

"Doctor Chacha you don't understand, I have to go. My brother..." he chocked, tears rolling down his dry bruised face. "My brother is dead".

"I understand Mr Raizada, but you have just regained your conscious. And you need to be under observation for at least a 48 hours and your limbs are badly affected", the doctor tried calmed him down. "So we can't allow you to go anywhere right now".

"But I have to do doctor", Arnav hugged him and broke down miserabily. "I have to go to my house...my...my brother..bhaiyaa..." he screamed and then passed out.

**

After four days he landed in Mumbai airport clutching his suitcase. He was greeted by his driver who took him to his house. His head was still bandaged and he was high on medication. He had a sling around his left hand and he still limped.

After 45 mins of torturous drive he finally entered the big wrough Iron gates of Raizada mansion. When the car moved inside he knew nothing was going to be same. Burning tears prickled his soul and he look out to distract him from loosing it. He had to be strong. He was not alone. He had to take care of the whole family and specially his bhabi anjali who fainted many times when she spoke to Arnav over the phone. She was a very soft hearted and affectionate woman and she was not able to cope up with the situation. Being the eldest she took care of Arnav and his brother Ankush like a mother so that they don't miss out their mother's love. And then he had to face that woman's face for the first time. His heart contracted thinking what his brother's wife must be going thought. Married for just few hours and her fate took away her husband. How was he going to face her? What would he say? How would he console her when he himself was unable to get a grip?

When the drive put the car at a stop, he almost chocked stepping down from it. It was almost a week since he had lost his beloved brother.

Anger, Anxiety, hatred roared him. Just because of that woman he couldn't come to see his brother for the last time. He cursed Khushi for that night. If she haven't behaved in the way she did, he wouldn't have lost his mind and met with the accident. Only for that one woman he couldn't attend his brother's function and the worst he couldn't see his brother's face for one last time.

He gripped his clutches and took the steps and stilled immediately feeling her presence.

"Grr..no way..why can't she leave me alone? I don't want to think about her.. not her..not in this circumstances..", he growled on his own thinking and closed his eyes. Why in the earth was he thinking of her, feeling her when he was supposed to feel for his family members and the loss that he had incurred loosing his brother.

"Damn", he saw her teary face in his mind and then as if the wind whispered across the news of her presence. He hit his head hard to remove her thoughts from his mind and that's when his sister-in-law Anjali came running across the foyer and hugged her brother-in-law tightly before bursting out in tears.

"Chotey..." she chocked and fainted in his arms.

"Bhabhi..." he screamed and both of them slid down on the ground. Arnav held Anjali tightly in his arms while patting her and simultaneously shouting at the house guards for help.

**

Later when Anjali gained her conscious she hugged Arnav tightly in her arms and wept bitterly.

"Iss sab mein dosh wohi ladki ka hai...manhus hai woh ladki" (each and everything this house is facing is just because of that woman. She is a bad energy in this house).

Sumitra Devi, Arnav's grandmother growled with her thick taunting tone.

"Bas dadi ji bas. Aap aur kitna us innocent ladki to blame karengi? It was just our fate. It has nothing to do with her". Anjali tried to remain as polite as possible unable to bear the torture her grandmother in law was giving Khushi.

Arnav held the glass for Anjali and made her drink some water.

Arnav never had a very good relationship with his dadi due to her behaviour towards Raizada bahus. Arnav was aware of her torture towards his own mother and then Anjali. How anjali miscarried her first child in order to obey dadi's zid for keeping karwachaut. And now her latest bait was his new bhabhi? He thought. Unknowingly his instinct told him to protect the woman who was innocent in all these. After all she was the one who had lost the most her precious husband.

"Arnav please", anjali cupped his face and made him face her instead of dadi. "Iss mein chutki ki koi galti nahi hai. Tum to usse jante ho na? tumko lagta hai she can be evil?"

Arnav froze for sometime trying to grasp what Anjali was telling him. Chutki as in his childhood friend? Colours drained from his entire body, he stared feeling numb. How can that be possible? Chukti was not in town then how come his brother was married to her? And why chutki agreed to marry when she knew he loved her so much? This cannot be true he thought. His chukti cannot marry anyone else other than him. Very funny, why wont she? Did he ever try to talk to her when she was taken away? How could he? Driver kaka made sure no one knows where she was and where she studied. He tired his best to find out but as the time passed he lost all hope of meeting her. And when she never initiated for contacting him, he stopped all his efforts. He thought she had moved on. It has been long and they were just childhood friends. It was his mistake that he could never take her face out of his system and right now also hearing her name, hearing her presence he wanted to rush to her and pull her in his tight embrace no matter what everyone else might have thought. His chutki was back and he desperately wanted to see her, her innocent eyes, her chubby cheeks and her rosy lips. His best friend was back...back..back...back...it kept on churning like a mantra in his head.

As if his legs had their own mind he stood up and shook Anjali vigorously. "Where is my chutki?" Arnav asked trying to reduce the overwhelming feeling.

"My? Are you out of your head Arnav? Us ladki to tum..." Dadi spatted.

"Shut up. I don't want to here anything against my friend. She has lost everything and you are blaming her? How typical of you Dadi?" Arnav glared at her. Then clutching his stick he limped up the staircase after Anjali confirmed him in which room Khushi was staying.

Arnav fisted his fingers until his knuckles turned white unable to enter the room. He was so shocked due to the events after events one after the other that his mind stopped working. But right now he knew that was the right thing to do. He had to be there for his friend. Go Arnav go and hug her. His mind told.

Without knocking he entered his brother's room and saw a haunted place. He controlled his emotions and walked inside and saw a woman sitting on the floor beside the recliner. Her long hair brushed the floor, her back was facing him. Her figure looked familiar and extremely vulnerable.

Sensing someone Khushi stiffened. Arnav could make out from her composure that she had sensed him.

"chutki.."he called her by her childhood name and she froze all the more.

Arnav was not expecting this. He thought when he would call out her name she will come and leap into his arms. Maybe she was afraid and maybe Dadi's taunts restricted her from doing so.

Arnav strolled across the room and stood right behind her.

"Milogi nahi mujhse?" Arnav said in a small voice.

Like a lightening beam Khushi stood up and was about to move away when caught hold of her bare wrist hating to see the white saare wrapped around his best friend's body.

"Didn't you recognize me?" Arnav asked her still holding her hand.

With a jerk she set her hand free and turned panting heavily.

Arnav's jaw dropped...his mind told this cannot be possible...it cannot be Khushi whom he was seeing...not at this moment...she cannot have that much of an effect on him...

But it was her, his heart told him, his fingers still tingled from the touch and he knew it cannot be anyone other than Khushi because it was she who made her feel like this.

"Khu...Khushi" he narrowed his eyes, her heart pumping strongly against his ribcage and he practically lost his voice.