OS | Jalebi *Link to Part4 UP!*

Khushi heard Arnav walk out with a sigh. She was right...He was indeed growing tired of her. Feeling tired, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over her.

After lunch, Arnav walked upstairs again and saw Khushi asleep. His heart clenched when he saw the wet pillow sheet under her closed eyes. He walked upto her and tried to say something, but tears muted him. He had been very inconsiderate for the last few days and insensitive to what she had been going through.

He heard someone behind him, and turned around to see Sheetal, standing uncomfortably at the door. "Is she-"
"She is fine Sheetal" he said, and turned back to Khushi. Realizing now was not the time, she walked back.

By evening, the entire family knew something was wrong with Khushi; she had come down once. She had served food and was leaving when Nani asked "Bitiya, you haven't eaten anything...Have something."

"No no Naniji. My work is over." Saying so, Khushi walked upstairs, ignoring the stares. 'Work is over'...that sounded so...so STRANGE. Payal glared at Arnav once more, who looked away, making Payal all the more suspicious. "Now what did you do Arnavji" Payal muttered.

Arnav went to his room, highly disturbed. To distract himself, he began to work on his laptop. He did not know when he was asleep.

Khushi woke up in the middle of the night, and saw Arnav asleep on the recliner. Tears filled her eyes...Was he THAT tired of her? He did not even sleep with her! The tears flowed freely. Frustrated and confused, she threw of her comforter and tip-toed out of the room

Arnav heard a tinkling sound and opened his eyes slightly, saw Khushi's silhouette tip-toe out of the room. He sat up alarmed. Was she leaving?! Then he saw her empty hand and relaxed...She was not going anywhere...Deciding not to let her know he was awake, he waited for her to come back.

Khushi silently went to the kitchen and in ten minutes prepared batter for Jalebi. She put the first set into the hot oil and saw the raw swirly-batter sizzling. My life, is like a Jalebi's, she decided.

She was once like the batter; unmoulded and free.

And then, all of a sudden, she got thrown into hot oil; she met Arnav Singh Raizada. Her life was havoc!

Initially, she sizzled like those jalebis, but slowly calmed down.

Behind that anger, she began seeing the masked sweetness...It was like she was suddenly take out out of the oil...She was falling in love.

And then, she was plunged into the hot-sweet syrup; she had gotten married to him for six months.

Initially, all she felt was the heat. But then...The love returned into their relationship...Just like the jalebi's begin absorbing the sweetness.

She stared, as if in a trance at the now brown swirls of jalebi's in the oil, and watched them slowly turn darker and darker. Her eyes filled with tears automatically as she realized that now, just like these Jalebis, her life was burning away.

As if hypnotised, her hand slowly extended towards the hot oil, completely numb to the heat.

Arnav waited, but she did not come. Suddenly, he comprehended a burning smell. Panicking, he got up and ran downstairs to see Khushi in the kitchen, with a far-off look in her eyes, staring down at something. He walked towards her, and watched in horror as her hand slowly extended towards and through the thick fumes that were now emanating. A few more steps and he realized that her hand was extending towards HOT OIL.

Within two strides, he reached her and grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. His touch broke her trance as she confusedly looked around. He switched off the stove and carried Khushi upstairs, who was steel confused and feeling weak.

After putting Khushi in the bed, he walked back downstairs to clean the saw someone in the kitchen and as he neared he saw Payal staring at the stove and her eyes travelled up the fumes.

She heard Arnav come in, and the shock disappeared from her eyes, replaced by anger. Payal marched straight to Arnav. "Arnavji, tell me the truth. What happened!" she asked threateningly.

Arnav looked at Payal's face, and took in her anger at peak. He hadn't seen her like this. He told her about how Khushi had gotten the DNA test done and Payal's mouth dropped open. "And inspite of knowing she was insecure, you went ahead ignoring her...God, are all men blockheads!"

Had Payal just called him a blockhead! "Payal, look I-" he began angrily.

Payal looked at him calmly. "Look Arnavji, not everyone will put up with your anger like Khushi. You made things go haywire, you set them right." With that, she walked away. Arnav looked at the sleeping Khushi, and began feeling bad again. He sighed and slipped into the bed next to her. Slowly, hesitantly he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Resting his face at the back of her neck, he slept.