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Originally posted by: IPK007

I thought these lines were apt for your Arnav's state of mind...:)

Main hoon gumsum tu bhi khamosh hai
Sach hai samay ka hi sab dosh hai
Dhadkan dhadkan ek gham rehta hai
Jaane kyu phir bhi dil kehta hai
Jee le zara, jee le zaraa
Kehta hai dil jee le zara

The war as old as time itself, that between the mind and the heart.

And this is a war that's raging within Arnav as well as Khushi. Arnav's mind, primed by his unfortunate childhood experiences is holding on to cynicism and bitterness as a shield against love...emotion he distrusts and doesn't set a great deal by and maybe is even afraid of. Apart from his distrust of love, he doesn't seem to have any faith in his own nature or even deem himself capable of inspiring love in or being the source of lasting happiness of another human...

It's sad the amount of damage a failed marriage is capable of, including the aftershocks that resound for decades in the mental universe of it's byproducts..

Khushi's plight is comparatively more straight forward. She just doesn't want to believe the constant signals that her heart is sending her way and expose herself to hurt once more.

Loved how you penned Arnav's mental conflict and how a part of his mind is looking for a respite from years of loneliness...Beautiful 😊

The opening scene was highly effective in conveying the freshness, buoyancy and hope that are an essential part of Khushi's disposition. Problems in her love life don't deter her from being thankful for whatever good, life still has to offer. Her enthusiasm for Christmas was so endearing..

Her thoughts are succinct, honest and untangled...Clearly, here's a lady who doesn't believe in lying to herself and tackles unwelcome thoughts, head -on..!

The attraction between them is explosive and Khushi reminiscing about the intimate details of their making out session..😳.Most likely Mr. Raizada is similiarly employed :D

Your descriptions of Nainital brought it alive in front of my eyes, though I have never been there.

Mamiji...being Mamiji! Well, what can you do! Hope Payal finds a way to effectively deal with her..!!

I love Nani...bas! She is such a loving, graceful lady :)

The mental vision of Arnav running along a mountain road, lost in the thoughts of the 'Nymph', who's made an unexpected yet impactful reentry into his life...was very delightful!

Aha...someone's jealous...! That's a step in the right direction for sure...

I love the smell of Magnolias..! It's so heady and intoxicating, Arnav doesn't stand a chance against that.! Nah...

Their conversation in the green house was scintillating, very enjoyable to read especially with that underlying current of passion crackling between them..

The end result of this conversation was Khushi drawing her armour closer around her and Arnav resolving to destroy it. Very exciting state of affairs..!!

But what does Arnav seek to achieve by doing this is the question, which I'm sure you'll answer in the coming updates..

PS: Don't worry about the pmsing IF😡, Sandy, this chapter was so engrossing that the font size didn't matter at all. In this particular case, size and type don't matter...hehe...