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Hi all, Thanks for the comments and likes. Here is chapter 2. Hope you like it.😊
Flashback is in Blue.
CHAPTER 2
A Sleepless Night
(Banner Credit: sameera_12)
Arnav closed the door of his room with a bang and turned to his sullen wife.
"What is the meaning of all this, Khushi?"
"Of what, Arnavji?"
"Don't test my patience, Khushi... Who is THAT? And what is she doing here?"
"I already told you THAT is my best friend and she is here to STAY..."
"And from when have you started to take such decisions all by yourself?"
"Come on, Arnavji... She is my friend, she needs help, don't you think I must help her?"
"Yeah, right."
"Cut the sarcasm, Arnavji. If you really feel that your house cannot accommodate her, then I can find a hotel where we can both stay."
"What the... you are not going anywhere... Understood?"
"And why shouldn't I?"
"Because... I, your legally wedded husband say so..."
"Oh... Last I heard was that India is a free country."
"Well those rules don't apply in my den, Jaan... Specially not to you."
He moved closer to her with passion filled eyes. She quickly pushed him away.
"Now don't you change the topic, what made you behave so arrogantly in front of Kalpi. I wonder what she thought about you... Why can't you be more civil?"
"I am Arnav Singh Raizada... And I don't need to be civil."
"Huh... Right, how did I ever forget that THIS is the great ASR who cares for no one..."
She quickly looked away so that he won't catch the angry tears that filled her eyes. Tears were a symbol of weakness and she didn't want to be weak.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I am tired with all the fuss you made downstairs. I need to rest."
Arnav took a deep breath to control his anger. All because of that one girl, Khushi was now angry with him. She thought she had fooled him when she had turned away but he had seen her tears and hated it. He pulled her towards him and gave her a hug.
"Come on, Khushi... Let's not fight over a silly girl, ok?"
She pushed him away with all her might. He was a little startled at her strength.
"Don't you dare call her silly, I told you she is my best friend. How would you feel if I treated one of your friends the way you treated Kalpi? For that matter how would you feel if I behaved rudely with Sheetal?"
"Come on, Khushi, why do you...?"
"I want to know Arnavji, tell me."
"You know Sheetal is different from THAT girl. Sheetal is a well-mannered, highly educated, Harvard graduate... Why do you want to compare her to THAT middle class girl?"
"Accha, so that is the issue... I belong to a middle class family too; I guess even I don't deserve any respect."
"Khushi, I didn't mean that... see..."
"Let it be, Arnavji. I am so glad I finally got to know what you really think about me. What a fool I was to think you had changed. Now good night."
She moved to the bed, took her pillow and shawl and walked towards the pool side. Arnav stopped her.
"Khushi... where are you going?"
"I don't think I have the class to sleep in the same bed as you Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada. Now let me go."
"Khushi, listen to me... I didn't mean..."
"I know what you meant."
Saying so she went outside, shut the French windows and without another glance at him, lay down by the pool and closed her eyes. Sleep was far away from her.
Arnav fisted his hand and closed his eyes. He knew that she was stubborn and that he had hurt her bad. He knew he had to wait for her anger to subside first and then knock some sense into her head. He went and closed his eyes trying to get some sleep but sleep was far away from him.
***
Kalpi stood by the window listening to the silent sounds of the night. Somehow this eerie silence spoke to her more about him, his love and his passion. She shut her eyes as memories of a silent yet wonderful night hit her.
Kalpi had finished all her chores for the day and was standing on the front porch gazing dreamily at the stars. The day had been perfect, he had taken her out for lunch and ordered everything that she loved. After that he had taken her to the park he loved where they had spent lovely moments by just being together. Smiling to herself she thanked the Almighty for gifting her such a wonderful man. Her chain of thoughts was interrupted by her mother's loud voice. She turned around to see her mother asking someone if they had their dinner and if they really loved her. Kalpi rolled her eyes at her mother's dramatic talks and could easily guess who was on the phone. Of course, it had to be Pakhi, her mother's daughter. A sudden pain gripped her heart as she realized that she had not yet eaten from the time she came home and her dear mother had not bothered to ask her if SHE wanted anything. Trying to catch some breath she rushed to the terrace so that she could get some time alone to collect her thoughts. Suddenly, she crashed with full force into something. She tried moving back to see what it was that hit her when the something held her tight. Then, it hit her that it was not something, but someone into whom she had collided, that too a special someone. She inhaled his masculine scent deeply as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. He put his arms around her holding her in his embrace.
"What is it that is bothering you, Kalpi?"
"Hmmm... It is..."
He pushed her away slightly and tipped her face up so that he could see her. She opened her eyes and saw his questioning anxious gaze. She smiled at his concern and pulled him back into a hug.
"Now that you are here... You are all that matters..."
"But, Kalpi..."
"Shhh... Just hold me tight, Raghav, I don't want to lose this moment."
He had done as she had commanded and she had found solace she had longed for years in the silence of that night where the only sounds that could be heard were heartbeats. His and Hers, beating together in unison.
A soft snore brought her back to reality. She turned and looked at Gowri Tai sleeping peacefully under the influence of her medicines. Kalpi walked softly and sat down beside her and stroked her face. The old woman had gone through so much in her life and the care lines on her face clearly showed that.
"It's just you and me now, Tai. We only have each other. I need you and I promise, I will never leave you alone like him."
Saying so, she shut her eyes trying to get some sleep and forget him. But sleep was far away from her.
***
Just like every other night, Anjali lay silently on her bed as the vile face of her husband came in front of her eyes begging her to come back to him. She tried to push it away but somehow she couldn't. She had loved him so much and he had claimed to love her too. She had even gone against her family to protect him and what had he done? He had broken her, shattered her dreams and had left her at a point where she felt all alone. She knew, of course, that she had her family but... there were things you just couldn't share with them. She recollected his lies,
"Ranisaheba, you are the heaven and earth to me... I love you."
"Ranisaheba, I am sorry, I had to go. But, you do know that I love you, don't you?"
"Ranisaheba, Khushi is a two timing liar... I love you."
"Ranisaheba, our daughter, I promise that I'll be there for her... I love you."
"Ranisaheba... She is our daughter, don't you believe in these people, they are lying, you know right, I love you?"
She wanted to scream her head out. She, who used to lecture her brother on love, now detested the very idea of love. She tried to close her eyes and get some rest but as usual sleep was far away from her.
***
Elsewhere in Mumbai, a man tossed and turned in his bed trying to get rid of her accusing eyes. He was not guilty, yes he was not guilty. She had run away with that woman; it was not like he wanted her to go. He tried to push away that still small voice that said that he had been the reason. He got up and gulped down another bottle of alcohol trying to calm himself down but her eyes never seemed to leave him.
"I hate you, Kalpi. I hate you. I hate you."
He screamed out loud so that his foolish heat would once and for all get that fact right. He walked around his room, trying to tire himself out. As his legs wore out he sat down on his bed and closed his eyes and once again those beautiful eyes looked accusingly at him. He finally sighed in defeat as he realized sleep was far away from him.
***
P.S: Let me know how this was in the comments section😉
Chapter 3
Some Truths, Some Tears and Some Tales
(Banner Credit: sameera_12)
Arnav sat in the living room reading his morning paper and feeling grumpy. He had woken up with a sore temper because she was not by his side. He had tried to talk to her but she had avoided him and he knew that if his wife makes up her mind about something, she would be very determined. His family had not yet returned and his Di was still resting. He was happy that those guests were absent from the living room, but his happiness was short lived for as soon as he completed his paper, he saw Kalpi and the old lady walking down the stairs. He shot a glare at Kalpi which was fully returned. He rose up from his chair wanting to go out when he heard his wife calling.
"Suniye... Your meds. Breakfast will be ready in half an hour."
His heart gave a slight lurch as he turned and saw her face looking pale yet beautiful as ever. Her eyes were filled with concern for him. He gave a little smile and moved towards her. He bent down slowly and pecked her cheeks. Khushi looked startled at his display of affection in front of Kalpi and Tai. She quickly moved away and wished heartily that her nose would cooperate with her and stop reddening.
"What are you doing?"
He pulled her closer to him and kissed her ears lightly and whispered,
"Loving you... so... About last night... You do accept that I am right, don't you?"
She pushed him a little and bit her lips to control her temper. She didn't want to create a scene in front of her friend. Clutching her dress tightly, with a voice so soft and unlike herself, she replied with a forced smile on her face,
"Back off... Just because I gave you your meds, doesn't mean I have forgiven you... It just means that I don't shirk away from my duties as a wife just because I am angry."
She quickly walked away from him, leaving him stunned.
***
Kalpi had stood watching the scene playing in front of her eyes with growing pain in her heart. As she saw Arnav bend and kiss Khushi, she just couldn't stop herself from thinking of the day he had first kissed her.
It was almost 8 pm and everyone had left office except her. She had been so immersed in her work that she had completely forgotten about the time until a phone call from her father reminded her where she was. Wrapping up her work quickly, she took her bags and walked towards the door, only to fine it locked. The guard had completely forgotten about her and locked the doors and gone for dinner. She sighed. Now, she had to wait there till he came back. She called her dad to inform him that she would be late, walked back to her seat and decided to work some more while she waited. Another half an hour went by and there was no sign of the guard when suddenly, there was a power cut. As the lights went out, fear began to grip her fast beating heart. She took out her phone and tried to switch on the flash light when her phone went dead. Thoughts of vampires, ghosts, mad men, murderers and thieves began to fill her imagination. Scolding herself for being foolish she tried to think of happy thoughts but her memory just then seemed weak. In a fit of impulse, she ran into his cabin and gave him a ring from his landline. She heard his sleepy voice at the other end as he picked up her call. She gave a sigh of relief as her heart calmed down at the sound of his voice.
"Helllooo"
"Sir... I..."
His voice immediately turned sharp.
"Kalpi? What happened? And... wait... Why are you calling from the office phone? What are you doing there?"
"Sir, sir... calm down... I am fine... I got stuck in the office..."
"What? At this time? Wait there... I am coming."
He cut the call and a slow smile rose to her lips. She went and sat on his chair and closed her eyes a warm feeling spreading her heart as she knew he would be here soon. And just as she thought, he was there in 10 minutes. He rushed into the room and pulled her off his chair with a jerk.
"Are you mad? What made you stay here this long? What if something had happened to you? What..."
Her eyes filled with tears. The long working hours, the stress she had gone through just now, all those moments alone in the dark finally took its toll as his angry voice penetrated her ears. He stopped abruptly as he saw her tears.
"Kalpi... I..."
"I am sorry, sir... It's just that I got a little scared..."
He cupped her face with his hands and wiped her tears.
"Shhh... I am here... It's okay... Don't be scared anymore"
Saying so her placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and pulled her into a hug, running his fingers on her back and soothing her. It was the first time he had shown concern for her and Kalpi had loved it.
She was brought back to reality when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the concerned face of Gauri Tai. She smiled at her and whispered.
"I am okay, Tai."
Gauri just smiled back as her heart clenched as she realized where her thoughts would have been. It was all her fault.
***
"Kalpi... Why are you standing there come here na? Such a long time since we last met. We really need to catch up"
Kalpi looked up as her friend warmly invited her. She gave a broad smile and walked towards her after helping Gauri Tai sit comfortably. Arnav too sat down telling to himself that he really sat there to prevent that girl from poisoning his wife's mind.
"Yes, Khushi... It's been such a long time... I really missed you."
"Me too... So how have you..."
Her voice was interrupted by the doorbell. Khushi smiled at Kalpi.
"I guess everyone is back, let me go and see."
"Hold on, Khushi, I will open the door."
Saying so, Arnav went and opened the door. The entire family came in laughing and chattering about how they enjoyed their time. They stopped short as they saw Kalpi and Gauri sitting in the living room. Nani suddenly dropped the bag she was carrying and rushed towards Gauri.
"Gauri... Gauri? Is it really you?"
Gauri looked at her confused and then recognition dawned on her face.
"Jiji... Oh... Jiji... I really don't know what to say. Kalpi... Kalpi... this is my sister Devyani... Oh look at her..."
Nani hugged her sister as tears filled her eyes.
"I thought you were dead... that's what they said and where were you all these years? Didn't you even think of your own sister?"
"I am sorry, Jiji... I really am. It's a long story... Oh but, Jiji I am so happy."
"Me too... Me too..."
Devyani looked around to see the shocked family and gave a small smile through her tears.
"This is my little sister, Gauri. She was born to my parents only after I got married. So, she was like a daughter to me, just like Ratna. I raised her as my parents passed away soon after she was born. She moved to Bombay when she got married. She used to write letters to me about how life was and she even used to call me. Then all of a sudden, I received a news that she had passed away along with her husband in an accident. I rushed to see her but they said they had already cremated her. I never thought I would see her again in this life. But... here she is... in front of me... I can now rest in peace."
Gauri silently hit her sister and looked at her with reproach.
"Jiji... I just met you and you are talking about resting in peace... I am not going to let you rest."
Devyani smiled at her,
"But how are you here? And who is this girl? Is she your daughter?"
Kalpi immediately nodded in the negative.
"I am... uh..."
She thought of something to say when she was interrupted by Gauri,
"She is my daughter-in-law, Jiji."
Kalpi was about to speak when Gauri silenced her through her eyes.
"My daughter-in-law is Khushi's childhood friend. We needed a place to stay in Delhi. She kindly offered a home for us. If it's okay with you, jiji, can we stay here till my daughter-in-law can find us another place to stay?"
Devyani gave her a glare.
"Another place to stay? Do you think I will allow you to go somewhere else, when I am here and have got you after so long? You are staying here. That's my order."
Gauri looked gratefully at her sister. Payal who had been silent all this moved towards Kalpi.
"Choti? Remember me?"
Kalpana smiled at her.
"Of course, Jiji... I think I can still call you that?"
"Yes, Choti... You are just like Khushi to me. My darling little doll."
With that she pulled Khushi and Kalpi into a hug as everyone in awe watched the reunion of the sisters. Everyone that is except one girl, Sheetal.
***
Everyone sat down in the living room after breakfast. They had all wanted to sit down immediately and catch up but Khushi had said that breakfast came first. After that Arnav made sure that he sat beside Khushi. She had eaten so little at breakfast and had said that she was too excited to eat when Di had asked her. The family had given a smile and continued with their food but he had felt guilty. Kalpi looked at Payal and Khushi and gave a smile,
"So, Khushi... you finally succeeded in marrying into the same house as your sister, just like you said, huh?"
Everyone laughed as Khushi blushed deeply and looked at Kalpi.
"Come on, Kalpi... Please..."
"Okay, Okay, I won't embarrass you..."
She looked at Arnav and gave him a smile.
"Hi... I am sorry about yesterday, I was in a bad temper and when I saw you shouting at Khushi, I just couldn't control my rage. I really am sorry for talking to you without understanding who you are... Her blush says that she loves you very much and if she loves you... You must be really good. So let's start afresh. I am Kalpana, Khushi's bestie... And you are?"
She extended her hand towards him. Arnav was surprised by her forthright behavior but something in her honest face and the way she apologized made him smile and take her tiny hand in his.
"I am Arnav, Khushi's husband... But, you already knew that."
Kalpi gave a chuckle as she shook his hand.
"Of course, I do... What do you do? How did you meet her?"
"I own AR Designs. She was working in my company, that's how we met."
Kalpi's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she looked at Khushi.
"Oh my... you are the Fashion King ASR... Wow, Khushi, you really did pursue your dream of fashion designing... you even worked at India's largest fashion house? I never thought that you would, even when you used to bore us to death with those lectures about the dress materials and stuffs... whoo, Khushi, you..."
She was interrupted by a surprised Arnav.
"Khushi wanted to be a designer? Why, Khushi you have never told me this before."
Khushi looked down and whispered softly,
"Have you ever bothered to ask?"
***
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