ArHi SS: Humsafar
Chapter 9
Nothing looked right to her. The air around her was mourning along with her, gently caressing her cheeks as if trying to sooth her burning heart. Everything looked dull to her, almost lifeless since the time he had left.
It has been 20 hours since Arnav had left and still he didn't find time to call her. Does it mean that he don't care for her like she had assumed? Does it mean he don't love her like she had assumed?
What was she supposed to make of his disappearing act? Her head spun with all the questions as she closed her eyes.
"Khushi, are you listening to me?" Khushi opened her eyes and looked up at Payal. She had come out with Payal for shopping.
Payal had noticed that Khushi was waiting for Arnav's call since yesterday, looking disinterested in everything around her. In morning, she saw how Khushi's eyes looked red and puffy as if she hadn't slept at all which was the truth eventually.
To cheer her up, she had forced Khushi to come out with her but it looked like she was still stuck on Arnav. Damn her best friend and brother-in-law for being such a workaholic!!!
True Akash hadn't called her at all but she was least perturbed as she was used to it. But it was a first for Khushi. Atleast, Arnav should have thought about it.
"How is this one?"
Khushi hummed in approval without even looking up. Dropping the dark green-black banarasi saree she had been holding, Payal sighed and looked at Khushi.
"Khushi, please don't worry about Arnav. He is alright, I am sure. He must be busy in work that's why he hadn't called you." Payal tried to console Khushi.
That got the exact response that she wanted from Khushi. Jerking her head up, Khushi looked at her with wide eyes and stuttered "I...I...hope...so...Payal."
"You know what's common between us?" Payal asked, trying to divert Khushi's attention to other topics.
"What???" Khushi asked lamely.
"That we both are married to workaholics. You know when Akash joined AR, he barely used to call me and we didn't even meet for few months. He was so engrossed in his work that I had to threaten him of breakup to get his attention back on me." Payal asked with a nostalgic smile on her face.
"And don't get me started on how we got married. He came home from work barely 30 minutes ago before the baraat was about to start for the wedding venue. He got dressed and then left with baraat." Payal laughed now, startling Khushi.
"But how can you be so happy about it?" Khushi asked, wondering the same.
"Haven't you understood? Amidst all this craziness, he managed to steal some moments with me that I still cherish and for that I forgave all his other mistakes. It's not about spending all the time with each other Khushi but having moments that we can never forget even if we want to." Payal explained patiently to Khushi.
"That means you are not angry with Akashji at all, even after knowing that he took romantic ideas from Arnavji to woo you?" Khushi asked, looking adorably confused.
"Nope, I am not. I know Akash enough to realize that it wasn't his ideas at first place. Even if Arnav gave him the ideas to woo me, it was Akash who worked hard to make them a reality right? I am just watching how far Akash is willing to go, to get me talk to him again." Payal replied with a wicked grin on her face.
As they both walked inside the food court for their lunch, Payal turned to Khushi "I know it's hard for you to decipher your feelings Khushi as you had an arranged marriage. But just ask this question to your heart, can you imagine a future without Arnav now?"
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Can you imagine a future without Arnav now?
Khushi asked this question again and again to her heart and the only word she got back in answer was a big, NO.
Why? She didn't know.
Finally giving up on waiting for him to call, Khushi picked up her phone and dialled his number, her heart beating very fast. She prayed for him to just pick up the phone.
She just wanted to know if he is alright, nothing more or less. But her call was disconnected abruptly making her throw the phone away in frustration.
Why the hell wasn't he picking up her call now?
She ran her fingers through her perfect waist-long hairs, messing them. She froze, hearing a rather loud ping from her phone, informing her of the arrival of a new message. She ran back to her phone, desperately unlocking it, to read the message.
"Busy right now. Will be back soon."
She read the message and breathed in relief. Finally he replied something. Though it wasn't the words she was hoping to hear from him, but it was much better. At least now, she knew that he is alright.
The only thing left for her to do was to wait for his return.
And it was the very same thing, killing her right now.
Little did she know that she will have to spend one day more in this desperation.
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After waiting for almost three days straight to see her husband again, Khushi was tired and lost. Is it how much she matters to her husband?
Tears kept moistening her eyes as her heart felt heavy. Was he taking any kind of revenge from her for not reciprocating his love?
Though Arnav's parents and Payal sympathized to her situation, Khushi felt alone and shattered. On top of that, she wasn't able to call her mother as well. She'd not wanted to make Garima worry just because of all this.
That night, she didn't know when she fell asleep on the recliner while waiting for her husband's call or any message or maybe arrival. The one week of her married life kept flashing in front of her closed eyes, making her stir in her sleep again and look around to see if Arnav has come back.
The frown on her face eased as for the first time in 3 days, she felt a pair of strong arms picking her up, hugging her close. She smiled inhaling the familiar scent which was very dear to her and rubbed her cheek again the soft fabric, her hands clung desperately to the collar.
Her eyes flew open as she heard a chuckle. She looked up with her sleepy eyes to glimpse at the face she was dying to see. She smiled, mistaking it as one of her dreams her tired mind had conjured like past 3 days and closed her eyes again.
As she prepared to fall asleep again, she heard IT.
A heart beating loudly against her ear, giving her a reason to believe that it wasn't a dream. She held her breath as she felt herself getting lowered on the bed and someone slipping next to her under the comforter.
She inhaled sharply feeling a moist, lingering kiss placed in the crook of her neck as she was pulled backwards, her back resting against his front.
This isn't a dream, she concluded as a strong arm was wrapped around her waist while a chin was rested on her shoulder, warm breath fanning the side of her neck.
She turned in nestle of the strong arms and opened her eyes to see Arnav staring down at her, smiling tiredly.
"Arnavji?" She said uncertainly.
"Hi"
Just one word spoke in his husky voice was more than enough for her to confirm that indeed her husband was back. She shot forward in his arms, bridging any gap between them. Hiding her face in his chest, she felt safe, happy and at peace again.
Surprised by Khushi's sudden hug, Arnav stilled for a moment before hugging her back. His affectionate smile dropped however as he felt his shirt getting wet.
He pushed Khushi a bit, ignoring her reluctance to part away from him. He peered down in concern making Khushi bit her lips, preventing herself from sobbing loudly.
Her constraint however broke as Arnav tipped her chin up and saw tears streaking her beautiful face. Khushi was crying!!!
"Khushi what happened sweetheart?" Arnav panicked at once, thinking someone might have hurt his wife in his absence.
"You. You happened to me." Khushi accused, now making no efforts to hold back her tears. Arnav frowned not understanding anything, but he didn't say anything. He waited patiently for Khushi to continue.
"I was so happy with my life and then you married me, showering me with your love and care. You made me believe that I am the most important person in your life. But it was all lies, isn't it?" Khushi questioned in a broken voice as her heart dreaded to hear the answer.
"What? No, you are the most important person in my life sweetheart. Who said all that to you?" Arnav immediately rushed to explain, his anger rising at the person who fed all these lies to his innocent wife.
"Your negligence did. In past 3 days, you ignored me like you never cared for me. Like you never loved me. What am I supposed to assume when you don't pick my call and don't text me at all?" Khushi complained, her lips puckered in an adorable pout.
"I am sorry, sweetheart. I was surrounded by the employees most of the time, hearing their complaints and working to find a solution to it. You didn't know the situation was so bad there. Luckily, Akash and I managed to get everything back to normal in 3 days otherwise it would have taken more than a week." Arnav explained, wiping her tears with utmost care.
"But you could have called me once." Khushi refused to succumb to her husband's comforting warmth and love.
"I am sorry, Khushi." Arnav whispered looking extremely guilty of hurting his wife. Closing her eyes, Khushi took a deep breath.
Opening them again, Khushi whispered "It's alright Arnavji."
She was about to turn away from him when he stopped her, trapping her effectively in his arms. Nudging her nose with his, he said "I said, I am sorry sweetheart. Still if you want, I can make up to you for it when we will leave for our honeymoon tomorrow."
Ignoring the heat rising to her face, Khushi teased "How?"
"Just wait for it baby." Arnav winked naughtily, making Khushi's imagination run wild. She gasped, jerking back from her thoughts as his hand creep to her body, caressing her waist gently.
Stopping his hand from wandering further on her body, Khushi looked up and almost begged "Please don't leave me again, Arnavji. I can't live without you now. I love you a lot, Arnavji."
He drew her up against him, holding her chin gently while kissing her leisurely on mouth. Familiar heat, excitement ran through her body making her kiss him back fiercely. Reluctantly he pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers.
"Never, sweetheart." Arnav nodded at once, tucking her head safely under his chin. He was over the moon, seeing the love and desperation in her eyes he always wanted to see. His love was being reciprocated by her finally.
Cocooned in the loving embrace of her husband, Khushi drifted into a peaceful slumber but not before concluding the most important truth of her life. We may love or hate someone more with each passing day but we cannot measure our feelings for any person at any point of our life and cannot stay glued to it.
We can only decide with whom we want to associate our rest of the life.
We can only decide which person matters to us.
As everyone say life is a journey which you will cherish the most if you have someone by your side through your ups and downs, your happiness and sorrows, Khushi knew she has found that person.
It's him- Arnav. The only person she cannot live without.
Khushi's humsafar, Khushi's Arnav.
Author's Note:
And this story is over. I am leaving the rest to your imagination readers and I am not going to provide an epilogue for it. Please don't request for the same.
This story is very close to me as this is ME. Khushi and Arnav are partially taken from my personal beliefs and thoughts.
For instance, Khushi's thoughts about arranged marriage is what I think. Arnav's thoughts about loving Khushi is what I feel whenever I think about love. Despite being born and grown up in Delhi, I firmly believe on arrange marriages and have left everything on my parents you know when it comes to marriage.
The teasing part included in it is inspired from what I personally lived with my cousin sisters. It's been years though, but I still remember whenever I used to attend my cousin sisters and brothers weddings, the teasing we used to do with the bride and groom is still itched in my mind and I was reliving every moment of it while writing this SS.
As a writer, I firmly believe on not stretching a story and that's why I am ending it soon. I came across many comments where readers called this story unique and I am flattered to read that readers. I have a list you know about writing different genres of stories and whenever my list will get empty, I will stop writing.
Please remove me from your buddy list if you don't want to read another story of mine. I will start a story soon but of a different genre. Thank you every one for reading it.
Till we meet again,
Aditi
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