Posted:
Since Shalu requested this, I had too. So my treat to you all a Valentine's OS-ArHi edition. I had to abbv. the title to include that this is Arnav's POV since some people like/dislike stories in Arnav's POV.
***Arnav's POV***
Valentines Day- A Beginning and An End
14th February. Would she come? I don't know. But it's still worth a try.
Like everyday, I got up with the hope that maybe she will come back. That small hope was all that kept me going. Maybe I'll be able to tell her how much I love her, that maybe I'll be able to hold her close to me one last time, that maybe I'll be able to tell her how sorry I am.
It's been 3 painful years since I last saw her. When I told her to disappear.
Vallentine's Day 2012
*Ring Ring*
I looked at who it was but wasn't shocked by seeing the caller ID.
*Ring Ring*
Disconnect. That's what that damn bi*ch deserves. I walked out of the house slamming the door behind me.
At Work:
"Sir, she's calling for the 23rd time today. I think you should..."
"You are paid to pick up my phone calls, give my clients directions to my cabin, and fix my appointments! I DONT PAY YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS! DONT TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD DO AND WHAT I SHOULDN'T! GET OUT!!" I yelled. I was being too nice with them for the past few days.
She walked away scared.
At Home:
I just came back.
"Chote, she's called here for the 78th time today. Please, tell that wretch to go wreck somebody else's home not mine!"
That was it I picked it up.
"WHAT THE F*CK DO YOU WANT? MONEY? S*X? PROPERTY? SHARES? WHAT???"
She was sobbing on the other line.
"Kya aap mujhe Devi Maiya ke Mandir me mil sakte hain?"
"Fine." I replied coldly . I thought dragging her out of the house and humiliating her in was enough but no. Well whatever happens to her now, she asked for it.
"Jaldi ayega. Baarish honewali hai."
I disconnected without a reply. She didn't deserve one. How dare her tell me when to come. I'll go whenever I feel like it.
2 am. At the Devi Maiya's Mandir.
Khushi was sitting on the steps drenched and sleeping. Her eyes looked like she hadn't slept in days, this slumber was probably her body collapsing from fatigue. Her waist was even smaller, she probably hadn't ate in days. He ragged Sari pallu was covering a medium sized box.
"Khushi." I said a bit too softly. No, this woman needed that hard, cold ASR.
"Khushi." I still said softly but a bit louder than the first time.
Rage took control of me. I was not her servent.
"KHUSHI!"
"Huh?" She said as I shook her awake from her sleep.
"Why did you call me here?"
She held out the box to me. It was securly wrapped.
"I know ki tum meri koi baat nahi manoge. Par phir bhi ek vinati karti hoon. Isse ghar jaa kar hi kolna." She said as she handed me it. "Aaj Valentine's Day hai. A day for lovers. But today I'm leaving you Arnav forever. I always loved you but I know you don't believe me. Ironic huh? Valentine's Day may have brought the world closer but Valentine's Day marks the 'The End' of our story. Good bye Arnav." She said as she walked away. She looked back once and then disappered into the darkness.
"I never want to see your face again either!" I yelled into the darkness. I decided to respect her request. Not everyone has to stoop as low as her.
At Home 3:30 am:
I opened the box impatiently. A camcorder, a letter, and a large bag-like pouch.
I turned on the camcorder. I felt as if the world around me was spinning. I couldn't feel my feet. Something just broke in my heart. I touched my face and I started crying.
"Khushi?" was all I could manage.
How could have I doubted her? How weak was my love that it refused to believe her without any proof. I claimed to love her. I should have needed no proof. Her one word should've been enough. I looked at my hands in horror. I dragged her out pulling her hair with these very two hands. I smashed them against the glass window trying to wash the sins they did with my own blood. Nothing was working.
Slowly I picked up the letter.
"Dear Arnav Ji,
Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, the big business tycoon, who's life was perfect until a clumsy silly damsel like me came. (I cried a bit remembering how my life changed.) I'm sorry for messing up your life, for entering it like a storm. Please forgive me and forget me like another bad dream.
I hope by now you have seen the whole truth. NK ji had recorded this and showed me it the day you kicked me out. I didn't want him to show you as it would've broken Anjali ji's heart. Hatred for me was more acceptable than complications in her pregnancy. Yes, I've heard. Congrats to her! But when the my family and jiji were affected, I had to do this. Please don't let anything happen to my family, ever. Don't show this to Anjali. She'll be devestated. Let them hate me but now that YOU know the truth please promise me that you will take care of my family. I am leaving you and everyone else forever. I have no complaints with you but I don't think I will ever be able to love you again. Again I don't know what relationship we had or what we have, all I know is that you wont fail in fulfilling my promise, I have faith in you.
I don't know what to sign off as.
Your sister-in-law's sister,
Khushi.
I let out all the tears I could ever produce until my eye's were incapable of making anymore. I looked at the letter again. I opened up the pouch.
It was the bangles I had gifted her, the small bindi, the two silver coins, the red diwali sari, and some 200 rs.
It was all acompanied my a small note.
Dear Arnav Ji,
Here are somethings that I feel like I don't have the right to keep. A extra 200 rs. for anything I maybe forgetting right now. I know it's not much to you but it's all I was able to accumulate in such short notice. Washing bartans is not a high paying-job you know, like a business tycoon secretary. ( A tear fell on the paper.) Thank you for everything.
Your sister-in-law's sister,
Khushi.
I couldn't cry any further so I yelled in agony. She washed bartans like a maid for me. She stayed hungry yet saved the money she made attempt to pay me back. I couldn't live with my self. I looked at myself in the mirror, my own reflection was disgusting me. I broke the mirror as I couldn't stand looking at myself. I picked up the bangles and cried picking each and every piece up. I held on to the sari as if it was my life. I could still smell Khushi's jasmine fragrence in it. I could still feel her.
"Agar kismat chahegi to hum phir milege, issi din par, ussi jage." I promised myself.
Present Day.
I wiped the tears that started to fall from my face while remembering the day. And like I promised myself, I would go to that mandir every Valentine's Day in hopes of meeting her.I would go super early just incase she came a bit early, I wouldn't want to make her wait again and I would stay till late night incase she was going to be a tad bit late. But she never came. Not once. But last time gave me hope. I didn't meet her but I found her payal lying around on the steps of the mandir.
It was 4:30 am. I better get going then. I got there at about 5. And sat there waiting, eye's thirsting to see her face, ear's listening for her sound, soul longing for her presence. I waited and waited. Every Valentine's Day I would realize how it felt like to be Khushi on that day waiting and waiting for someone as unworthy as me, who was never gonna come or at least not soon anyways.
It was 3 am. I decided she wasn't gonna come today either. I got up tired and defeated when I felt it. The same gust of wind, the same butterfly feeling, the sam dhak-dhak I would feel when she was around. I turned around to find nothing. I took the payal out of my hand. If she was here, I was determined to find her today. I looked through every pillar and every corner of the mandir but no luck. I was fully defeated when I turned around to leave when...
"Aah!"
I couldn't believe my ears for a moment. That was her voice. I ran.
"Khushi? KHUSHI? Tum kaha ho? Khushi? Tum teek to ho na?"
I yelled. Now I knew she was here. Now I wasn't gonna leave anytime soon. I searched around like a madman. I couldn't see anything. I was gonna run to the back to check when I saw Khushi holding on to a piller.
"KHUSHI!" I ran as fast as I could taking her into my arms giving her the hug that I was desperate for. I hugged her as tight as possible, making sure not to hurt her, but I had no intention of letting go. I picked her off her feet and stroke my hand on her back and cuddling my cheak to the curve of her neck. I finally let her go but she fell to the ground.
"Khushi?" I said holding her by her shoulders helping her get up when she insisted.
"Arnav I'm fine it's just dizziness."
"Are you sure."
"Yes Arnav, positive. Let me remain seated please." She said fighting my attempt of helping her get up.
"Alright." I said helping her so the piller would act as a support for my back.
I looked at her letting my eyes soak up the sight of her. She looked exactly the same. Hair loose and simple sari. Allthough her eyes looked like she never slept much like that day in the mandir. Her mouth looked like it hadn't been stretched into a smile for years. I was responsible for this. I could never forgive myself but I vow to at least try to make this all better.
"Khushi, I'm so so sorry." I finally began. I didn't know how I was going to ask for forgiveness of my lowly deeds. But I was going to do my best.
"Arnav, really I mean, it's ok..."
"No, Khushi. It's not ok. And please let me speak today. Khushi." I said gathering her small delicate hand into mine.
"I'm sorry Khushi for everything I did. I treated you worse than scum, called you every possible bad thing possible, made sure to make your life living hell, told you that you don't matter, for telling you that Idont love you. But let me tell you today Khushi. I Love You very very much. I can't live without you. I can't. Pleas come back Khushi, I love you too Khushi more than anyone else in the world. I promise to never doubt you again, to never let a single tear shed from your eyes , to fulfill your every desire. Pleas Khushi come back." I said lowering my head onto her lap. She raised it.
"Arnav, there is no need to be sorry it's ok. I've forgiven you long back. I have nothing against you but..."
"No Khushi, you can't let me go like this. Please punish me. Please Khushi."
"Fine," she said wiping the tear that rolled onto her cheek. "Don't ask me to come back. Ever."
My heart shattered into a billion pieces again.
"Please Khushi. Anything but this. Your putting yourself through hell by this too."
"I don't love you Arnav."
Each of those words that came out of her mouth hit pierced through my heart.
"Khushi please." I said holding onto her hands.
She looked away trying to hide the tears that fell from her face.
"Please Arnav. Don't make this harder than it already is. You said any punishment. Well this is it. Endure it or I will believe that you never fully loved me." she said trying to hold back her voice from becoming teary and broken.
I got up. What kind of dilema is this? What was I to do? I loved her and if that meant going through hell for the rest of my life than so be it.
"Fine." I said as I started to walk away. The payal's jingle in my pocket made me return.
"Khushi, I know you want me to never see you again but I have this payal of yours, can I put it on you."
"F-f-fine." She said almost as if she didnt want me to.
I put the payal on slowly as this would probably be the official last time I would see her.
"So you came, every Valentine's Day?"
She looked away. "Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't find it necessary to answer you." She said fiddling her necklace.
"Isn't it because you love me?" I said quietly.
"What?"
I couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Because you love me dammit. Isn't it because you love me? Face it Khushi, you come here because you love me. To let your eyes soak me up to last for another whole year. You love me Khushi, you still love me." I said crushing her small petite body to mine.
She cried into my suit. "I-I-I can't Arnav. I can't."
"Why?" I demanded. After all why was she hell bent on ruining 2 lives.
"I don't want to be a burden on you." She said pushing me away.
"Why do you think having you back in my life would be a burden on me Khushi?"
"Nothing Arnav just please leave."
I walked away but looked at her for the final last time but I saw her leg was bleeding. I gave her a small cut
while putting the payal on. I cursed myself for hurting her again.
"I'm sorry Khushi, let me go get a bandage." I said to her.
"For what?" She said looking at me as if nothing had happened. As if...she..felt...nothing.
"I don't want to be a burden on you!" her voice echoed in my head. My voice broke while saying this.
"K-K-Khush-sh-sh-shi, t-t-tumhare pair." I managed out while pointing to her foot. She saw the blood coming out and dabbed it with her hanky which stopped the bloodflow.
I looked at her and fell to the floor.
"Yes Arnav. My left foot is paralyzed." She said looking away disgusted with herself.
"Please leave me be Arnav. It's for the betterment of all of us. You deserve better. I don't want to be a burden on you. I am not worthy of you." she said looking away.
"Shh..." I quieted her while controlling my tears. Why did bad things only happen to good people? "You deserve better but you still love me. I am the one who is not worthy of you. If you still accept me than I will consider my life to hold some value and please Khushi, don't ever think that something like this can EVER keep me from loving you. I love you Khushi just the way you are."
Her eyes teared up as she pulled me closer to her. This feeling was the best feeling in the world. Her hands roaming all over my hair felt right. Her tight grip and her pull made me feel loved. I loved her back pulling her closer.
"Arnav I..."
I shut her up with a much needed kiss. She broke apart gasping for air.
"That's it. I've had enough of your bak-bak. You've let all of the 3 year's bak-bak bottle up to be released today." I teased.
"Meanie!" she said hitting my chest with her delicate hands.
I picked her up.
"Arnav, my crutches." She said pointing down to the crutches lying on the bottom of the mandir. Khushi had dropped them which was what let out the initial "Aah!" from her. I thanked god for making her drop them and I took it as a signal.
"You won't be needing them as long as I'm here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you liked it! Depressing-ish I know but Happy-Ending! This could've been a SS or at least a 3 parted OS if I exagerated/added more important details but I already have one being written.
Like and Comment,
Ashu <3
Pondering over if I should PM for this or not, I probably will with my next update PM. If you want PMs for future works buddy me.
Writing Index:
^ Check it out!!! ^
Anupamaa
Hindi TV Shows
Cricket
851