ARSHI -SS- The Rise of the Phoenix update page 14 - Page 6

Hi ,

sorry another sad part but this story is about the sadness in two peoples lives and how they overcome their grief to still find happiness in life -its about second chances.There will be a happy ending

The Rise of the Phoenix
Chapter 7

Khushi thought about her mother - she had held her hand and taught her how to walk. When she stumbled and fell, her mother caught her. When those men got their claws into her ,they executed their plan not a thought for her -just how much was she worth? A chattel to be sold and bought -marriage had no value in their world. When she fell a second time it was her mother who caught her. They had destroyed her, how could those men exchange her soul for a business deal. There plan was executed without a flaw, they dug their claws deep in her, their faces full of lies, she didn't see through their disguise, till their words could not conceal till their true colours. Her wounds would not heal. Arnav had said he was busy listen to them her father and his -sign the documents -they would do what was best for them.
All Khushi could see was divorce papers that she had to sign on one hand and on the other her father negotiating the next business deal and she was the icing on the cake she came free.
Her father, his father and him, had sold her - they called themselves businessmen, pioneers but they were only pimps and she was the item for sale.
Khushi was too naive and trusting, she had loved, two men her father and her husband and they had murdered her naivety and innocence. How could Arnav let her go, how could Arnav and her father sell her off the highest bidder. They had ripped her heart out that night and left her innocence bleeding; they had raped her innocence and introduced her into a whole new world -where she couldn't survive. Khushi had wanted to run then and here - but run where to? There was nowhere for her to hide ? For her to lick her wounds and think? Why had he said he loved her when he only wanted her for a few months? Was she no better than a library book on loan with an expirey date. Khushi died that night and withdrew into the safe zone where no one could reach her; here no one could hurt her. Here she would stay -here she was safe. Here they could not touch her.
She was the second woman to disappear from Shashi Gupta's life.
This was how her mother had found her locked away in her world of silence. It was she who had brought her back to the world of the living. No longer existing in no man's land. It was her mother who held her hand for the second time and led her out of the darkness into the light.
It was her mother who held her while her soul cried for her lost love. It was her mother who gave her hope and told her of the changes in her body -a new innocent life had taken hold in her. For the sake of this innocent she had to try and live again. But Khushi was already so weak would she be able to sustain this new life and live herself. Her body was weak; her heart and mind carried the battle scars what had she got to live for now?
Khushi had lived in the shadows of her mother. They were both invisible to the world -not drawing attention to themselves living quietly at the edge of town in Major SIngh's house.
She carried her baby with hope -she tried to her baby safe ,was it to late -she would protect the new life growing in her. But in the end it was not enough as the pain ripped through her she lay there to weak and exhausted to continue. Unable to push, eventually her body expelled the foetus out but it was too late.
Her daughter had not lived -Khushi had lost someone else that she had loved. She held her cold child to her heart -where she should have been warm with a beating heart, mimicking her mother's heartbeat. All she felt was the icy cold stillness of her daughter's heart. There were no crying sound. She had no name they said she hadn't breathe so she hadn't existed but she needed a name -proof that she had lived on this earth all be it in her mother - Lavania - meaning pure. This innocent had not been tainted by her family's blood.
How could they say that she hadn't existed , she had been perfect ten little finger ,ten little toes one little nose and in her sleep she smiled. They wouldn't let her be cremated; the priest said that she hadn't breath -they couldn't cremate her. How could they stop this little one free from sin from entering heavens doors -when she knocked.
Khushi had no time for men like this - how dare they say she hadn't lived- Khushi had carried her daughter for seven months. She had lain there for close on thirty hours fighting with her daughter not to let go, to hang on and give her hope. She would fight for her daughter to be cremated.
Khushi, she set fire to the funeral pyre that carried her daughter's body-maybe the gods had decided to go easy on the innocent - take her from this world before she could be destroyed at the hands of her father and grandfather.
As she watched her daughter's body turn to ashes, she heard her mother's voice from the past Khushi you need to come back , you need to live , don't let your daughter's death be in vain, you need to live in spite of her death or her existence will have been of no value. Her death even less.
Who will remember her - you need to come back Khushi. Her mother had held her again, as only a mother could and let her cry . Grieve one final time for her lost love, her child.
Khushi had said don't tell me to how to cry and grieve
Lavania' s birthday cake would have no numbers. Her tiny feet had left prints across Khushi's heart but there would be no imprints of her in the world
No one would remember her. Except Khushi .
Was her daughter's life worth so little that no one would remember the innocent soul.
That day Khushi died and Phoenix arose.
Her mother and Piyush had helped her. They had given her a second chance. Piyush had held Garima's hand and together they helped Khushi back onto life ladder of success.
Slowly as Khushi learnt about art and design her hidden talent surfaced and Phoenix was born.
The Phoenix knew the stakes that she would be playing for she spent eight years planning.
As time passed she made friends initially NK and then later Preeto.
NK had been Major Singh's son from his first marriage. Slowly over time what his father had done for Khushi's mother NK had done for Khushi.
Now here she was finally sitting at a gala dinner dressed to kill. She had to gain his acknowledgment -he was changing the rule book they played by. She had to get him back on her terms. She was a women after all -and was still married to him -time to turn the sex appeal up and hook the man before reeling him .

She knew his eyes were on her from the time she entered the room. She swayed just that little bit more she move just that little bit more sexily as she sat and Nk placed her chair in she made sure she brushed his legs.

Arnav, felt the fire course through him as though it was yesterday,after all this time what was she playing at? He had to be careful, till he knew what she was up to. That was the only salient fact he knew about her -she was up to something -she had resurfaced as suddenly as she had disappeared.

She sat through dinner, entertaining as only she could, Arnav listened as she spoke.She was well versed with all the topics that people spoke about but she was careful never to voice her opinion.

As the music started up Khushi turned to NK to dance . As they danced Arnav saw NK hands on her back -her dress, that dress -how could she wear it had no back, but it allowed him an unadulterated view of her back.

He walked up to NK and said "May I?"

Khushi looked him up and down and Arnav felt her gaze strip him " NO"

And NK twirled her away from him leaving him standing in the middle of the dance floor-alone .

"So now Mr Raizada gets his first taste of rejection -NK but his interest is definitely back on the table. Now I have to play the game carefully- not overplay my hand

This chapter is dedicated to those parents who have lost a child.