ArShi Intense FF(Collab): Destiny That Unites|Part 12|16/8 - Page 27

Arnav and Payal reached the Gupta house in sometime and Arnav insisted that he wants to talk to Garima once. As they neared the entrance of the building after Arnav parked the car in the drive-way, they were surprised to see that the door was unlocked and left ajar. Slowly, they walked into the house to hear some voices. They followed these voices into the drawing room which was almost a secluded section divided by an arc like structure as partition. As they entered, both were shocked and worried to see the whole family in tears and then their eyes moved to the person who was hugging Garima. As she turned around to look at Shashi, they were astonished to see the person and both involuntarily hid themselves behind the arc as the discussion in the family continued. Little did Arnav know that he was in for eavesdropping a most pleasantly surprising conversation, for him.
There stood in front of them, Aahat Singhania and Arnav's Khushi. Clad in pale colours, and with tears in her eyes, Aahat went and hugged Shashi
"Bauji, Amma, Bhuaji aap sab humaare saath Singhania house chaliye. Vahaa hee apki asli jagah hai. Humein vahaa aap sabki zarurat hai", confessed Aahat. (Bauji, Amma, Bhuaji, all of you please come to the Singhania house along with me. Your rightful place is there and I need you there with me.)
"Par Khu...Aahat hum nahi jaa sakte vahaa. Kis muh se jaaye hum? Jeeji se kiya gaya vaada humne pura nahi kiya. Aaj humaari...unki beti iss haalat mein sirf humaari vajah se hai. Sab humaari galati hai, Arav bilkul theek kehta hai", said Garima, before breaking into fresh sobs. (But Khu..Aahat, we cannot go there. How can I face all of them? I broke the promise that I made to jeeji. Today, my...her daughter is in this state only because of me and my past. It is all my fault, Arav was right in blaming me.)
"Khushi...aapke liye hum Khushi hai, siraf duniya ke liye aur Singhania parivaar ke liye hum unki Aahat hai. Aapke liye hum humesha aapki Khushi hee rahenge, aap ki Sanka Devi rahenge"(Khushi...I will always remain Khushi for all of you. I am Aahat only for my Singhania family and the outside world. For you all, I will always remain your Khushi or your Sanka Devi), leaving both Arnav and Payal shocked, along with the Gupta family.
"Amma, ismein aapki koi galati nahi hai, aapne Kuch nahi kiya. Jo bhi hua vo humaari kismat thi aur Kuch nahi. Yeh sab Devi mayyia ne humaari kismat mein likha tha aur honi ko koi taal nahi sakta. Aapne humein itna badaa kiya, humaari identity chhupa ke bhi aapne humein itni acchi parvarish dee. Arav abhi chotta hai aur aapne usse nahi pala hai, isliye vo aapki importance nahi samajhta. Aapne humesha humein itna pyaar diya hai. The Singhania house is your rightful home. Please manaa mat kijiye. Please?" (Amma, nothing was your fault, you certainly didn't do anything. Devi mayyia wrote all this in my destiny and no one can change destiny. You have brought me up, you hid my identity for my well being, and you gave me such good values and such great parenting. Arav is immature and you haven't brought him up that's why he misunderstands you and doesn't recognize your importance. You have always showered so much love on me. The Singhania house is your rightful home and you deserve to be there. Please don't say no. Please?)
Payal, who was hiding behind the arc was left in tears and just glared at Arnav, whose guilt was evident on his face.
"Par Sanka Devi, hum vahaa kaise reh sakat hai?" asked a hesitant Madhumati. (But Sanka Devi, how can we stay there?)
"Haan titaliya? Hum vahaa nahi reh sakat hai", agreed Shashi. (Yes titaliya? We cannot stay there.)
Aahat looked at them through her clouded eyes and then walked towards Shashi and held his hands in hers. "Bauji, kya aap humaara parivaar nahi? Agar aaj hum Aahat Singhania sahi maayino mein hai toh vo aapki vajah Se, isliye uss ghar pe jitna humaara hak hai utna hee aap sab ka. Agar aapne humein itni mushkile lekar badaa nahi kiya hota toh hum iss position pe nahi hote. Hum maante hai ki yahaa kuch kam nahi hai par vahaa vo luxuries hai Jo aap sab deserve karte ho. Humein aapki zarurat hai. Agar iss poori duniya mein humaare dil mein Mumma Papa ke baad koi hai toh vo aap sab hai aur phir baaki sab. Aap dono humaare Amma Bauji hai aur humesha rahenge. Aapko pataa hai ki hum kitne lucky hai kyunki humaare paas itna badaa parivaar hai aur sabse upar chaar parents. Mumma, Papa, aap Amma aur aap Bauji. Chaliye humaare saath?" said Aahat before she choked. (Bauji, aren't you all my family too? If I am Aahat Singhania today, in all my glory, it is all because of you, that is why you have as much right on that house as I do. If you wouldn't have taken so much pain and brought me up then I wouldn't have been in this position at all. I admit that there is nothing less that you get in this house but there you have the extra luxuries that you all deserve. Moreover, I need you. If in this whole wide world, there is someone who occupies space in my heart after Mumma Papa's position it is you both and then everyone else. You are my Amma and Bauji and will always remain so. You know how lucky I feel because I have four parents. Mumma and Papa there, up in the sky, and you both here, with me. Please come along?)
"Aur hum, hum nahi hai ka tumharaa parivaar. Kyun bhai Sanka Devi? Iss bhuaji ki toh kauno zarurat hee naahi hai tumko", exclaimed Madhumati dramatically, faking hurt and anger in order to lighten the mood. (And me, I am not your family, is it Sanka Devi? You don't need this bhuaji of yours only.)
All of them present there laughed through their tears and Aahat moved towards Bhuaji and hugged her from behind, "Haye re nandkishore, aapko kai se bhool sakat hai hum Bhuaji. Aap jaanat ho ki aapke iss dialogue ko toh humne Salman Khan ki picturo se bhi zyaada miss kiya humaari pyaar Buaji!" and placed a final kiss on Madhumati's cheeks. (Haye re nandkishore, how can I forget you bhuaji? Do you know I miss this dialogue of yours more than any movie of Salman Khan himself, my dearest bhuaji!)
An involuntary smile creeped Arnav's lips as he once again saw a glance of his Khushi in the woman in front of him, the Khushi that he had missed for more than a month now. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Shashi questioned Aahat, "Titaliya, uss raat ke baad ka tumhaari Arnav se baat hui?" (Titaliya, did you speak to Arnav after that night?)
The question sent shockwaves through the whole room and Aahat just remained silent, for silence had now turned into her solace. The Khushi who couldn't stay quiet for even two minutes had now turned into Aahat, whose signature trait was silence. But finally, after a long pause, she wiped a lone tear from the corner of her eye, which didn't go unnoticed by Arnav, and lied, "Nahi bauji," as she averted her gaze and looked everywhere except at Shashi. But having brought her up, Shashi immediately understood her, although she had become an expert at hiding her feelings lately. He quietly eyed Garima and then started, "Khushi, we are your parents. You cannot lie to us, even if you want to. We know that your love for him was too strong and you cannot just forget him in the blink of an eye. That's why you married him in the first place. No matter how much you ignore the fact, you ARE married to him. He is your husband and you two are legally wedded husband and wife. Either you make a final decision and divorce him or try to talk to him. Titaliya, we know how hurt you are but this separation will result in even more drastic consequences and it will hurt you the most.
"Look, I am not telling you to forget or ignore what happened but try and analyse his side of the story also. You know him better than any of us, Khushi, you know him in and out. There must surely be a reason why he arrived so late...only to postpone the wedding. And even though the wedding was postponed, he still is your husband, Titaliya," Shashi's tone softened as he looked at Khushi's eyes glistening with tears, "Khushi, even he has a past to deal with. Do you remember how you used to have nightmares when...when jeeji and jeejaji died in the accident? It isn't easy for him too. Arnav had to choose between his mother's memories and his love for you. You know right, that he is still dwindling between his parent's suicide and his present. Do you think it was easy for him to suddenly relive all those memories? But most important is, how do you feel about it Khushi?" asked Shashi. But Khushi didn't answer.

Silence, again.

The whole atmosphere had become tense after this much delayed confrontation. There, first, Arnav couldn't come to terms with his past and now, here, Khushi couldn't quite bring herself to look at Arnav's side of the story. The pain that she was experiencing had left a void in her heart. Something, that she had created herself from her self-proclaimed isolation. Today, words didn't seem to come out of her mouth and she closed her eyes to prevent her tears from falling but they betrayed her, like her love had on what was to be the happiest day of her life. Visions of herself, standing on the mandap, waiting for Arnav to arrive, started haunting her mind. Her own naivety surprised her as she recalled her state of mind, how her heart was full of trust and love and hope. HOPE. But all her hope had shattered that day and she had become the same six year old girl who had been fighting for a new and bright future, who had isolated herself in the memories of her parents, the little girl who had cried to sleep night after night. The only difference was that she was that six year old in the body of a twenty four year old adult, with memories of both, her parents and her ARNAV.
Finally, her self control was lost and she sank to the floor and started crying hysterically. Everyone's heart melted then and there at her state but they let her cry her heart out. Her journey towards a new beginning had to cross the path of the past and the path of tears, unfortunately or fortunately. Meanwhile, after looking at her like that a part of Arnav died. With each tear she shed, he cried with her, his heart bled with her and the man who never cried, the self made Arnav Singh Raizada had tears of repent in his eyes.
Garima sat down on the floor and hugged Khushi, who hugged her even tighter in return and she vent her heart out, she said what she had wanted to say for so long, "I love him Amma, I still love him. I have always loved him. But each time I try to say to myself that he was disturbed, my heart contradicts it. Was my love so weak? Couldn't he accept my past like I accepted his? Is this my fate? Has my destiny chosen to distance me from whoever I love? Don't I deserve to be loved, to be happy? Why my love is always betrayed? Why do I suffer denial, delay, and silence always? Papa mumma became silent forever. My past came in front of me so ruthlessly; it denied me a simple life. Arnav wanted to delay our wedding.

He denied my rights to me.

He made my love suffer.

He made my love silent.

He made my love painful.

I want to forgive him but maybe it's my past that comes in front of me each time this thought crosses my mind. I am scared Amma, I am scared to suffer rejection again, to suffer delay. I cannot bear to see my love for him suffer pain again."
Suddenly, Khushi started to breathe heavily. She felt her body go numb and in that moment she knew what was happening to her. As she hyperventilated, her hands started to shiver and visions of her parent's accident flashed in front of her eyes. This was followed by visions of her and Arnav in the temple, he was applying vermillion on her forehead as tears rolled down her eyes. And finally, she saw her lips meeting Arnav's. She collapsed to the floor as she finally lost her body control and finally closed her eyes before repeatedly chanting something.
"I love him amma, I still love Arnav."
She had suffered from another panic attack.

________

Hope you like it!!

Please like and comment!!😊