In Your Heart - ArHi OS :)

In Your Heart - ArHi OS

The sun had set hours back; darkness enfolded the vast sky with flecks of light twinkling far away. Delhiites lay deep asleep safe and warm under their roofs, yet Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada sat basking in the moonlight, with the stars reflecting in her soft brown eyes, by the favorite corner of her home- the poolside.

In the deep silence, the stillness of her posture, the softness of her breath and the rhythm of the wind chimes, she seemed like a fairy in her magical manor. She was dressed in a simple peach-colored suit; her hair, a shade of dark brown, long, untangled and free.

Her doll-like porcelain face is perfect, yet a crease on her forehead has masked the serenity of the moment. This line of worry transpired as a distraction to the spectator who until now stood silently watching her. A moment longer and the crease deepened, Khushi bowed down her head, wrapping her arms around herself, as a result peaking the concern of her spectator.

Arnav Singh Raizada, sporting his Rugby shirt and casual track pants, having shed away the braggart identity he held for the world couldn't hold himself back any longer, and sat next to her, tapping her shoulder lightly.

She looked up to find him smiling at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked casually, entwining his hand into hers. She smiled as she firmly held his hand and casually shrugged; her eyes once again at the stars.

"Just the usual" was her soft response.

"Are you complaining to your mom about me?" he asked trying to make her smile again.

"No" she shook her head; the crease deepened and so did Arnav's concern.

"Are you okay Khushi? Is something bothering you?" he asked.

She turned to him with eyes full of worry and unease. She stared at the bandage which covered his forehead, where the wound was. Her lips parted yet she didn't give word to her concerns. She looked away again and frowned to herself. Arnav sighed and tugged at her hand, signing her to look at him and she did.

"Just tell me" said Arnav.

"Today for a moment" Khushi answered. "I was a step away from disbelief. When you met the accident, I saw you covered in blood, I saw your eyes close as your hand fell limp, and I felt your breath stop. For a moment I couldn't feel you around. For that moment I thought I Lost you. And for that one moment I didn't believe in anything anymore."

"And in that one moment" she continued. "I felt I couldn't live anymore"

"And after that one moment, our love strengthened" said Arnav, his eyes assuring. "After that one moment, our faith has doubled, after that one moment, we believe in everything all the more, After that one moment we say, together we can live much more"

Khushi smiled despite herself, her eyes back at the vast sky above.

"I was thinking of all that happened today, and then this horrible thought came to me" she sighed.

"Which was?" he asked looking at the vast sky himself.

"What If you weren't here by my side, What if I had lost you today? If you were gone would I believe you to be watching over me as a star?"

"Would you?" he asked interested.

"No" she answered with all honesty and a sense of hollow in her voice. "I wouldn't. My faith in the stars would never win over. All these years I found my parents in them, they told me they would become stars, the child in me found comfort in the thought but do I believe in that today? I don't know. I don't see my parents anymore. Today they seem just stars"

Arnav couldn't come up with words of comfort.

"It feels like they were never there" Khushi sighed resting her head on his shoulders.

"No Khushi, you are looking at the wrong place" he answered comfortingly. "You can feel them, inside you, they are with you..."

"With me?" Khushi asked like a child seeking reassurance.

"Yes Khushi" Arnav nodded. "Right in you, they are with you. In Your Heart"

Khushi closed her eyes, listening to her own steady heartbeat, her tensed form relaxed and a moment later she opened her eyes.

"What if I had lost you today?" she asked.

"Yeah you wouldn't find someone as good-looking as me" Arnav joked.

"Arnav Ji!" Khushi pushed him away annoyed. Arnav laughed and pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her. His laugh resounded across, merry and affable. However the smile died as he looked at their entwined hands and with all honesty, turned to gaze at her. "Then you would live Khushi" he answered. "You would take care of Nani, you would console Di, help Mamiji, Support Akash, You would make them smile again and I will live through you"

Khushi wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes this time listening to his steady heart.

"We lived through today" she said.

"Yes we did" Arnav agreed. "And just like that we will live through the coming days, whether we are by each other's side or not. In your heart I will live, and in mine you will"

And with a smile Khushi's face was perfect again as the crease eased and the serenity of the moment returned.

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That's all, I know it's short. But it feels complete and i did have a smile on my face as I ended it. GoodBye ArHi and thanks a million IPKKND!

Hope you guys had a good read. Thank You 😳