ARHI SS: Revival (Chapter 9 posted 08/07!) - Page 13

Originally posted by: ankitamishra201

interesting way of heading thr story

Originally posted by: reshmi24

Awesome update!!!!!!

Originally posted by: bubulswt

amazing update loving the way

story is progressing a strong Khushi

this is what I want to read

Originally posted by: rosalineak

I felt so wonderful reading this...only very few stories give you that feeling...

I'm loving this strong Khushi and the would be dad...

Please update soon.

Originally posted by: swtsam

Awesome amazing loved it...

Originally posted by: nisha_mehta

Hi

I have just finished reading all the three parts and I am in love with your story.. your writing...the characters and the concept. It's like love at first sight

Khushi and arnav are back...to have formed their choti si duniya and arnav is amazed at how easily khushi has accepted him back so easily...after having been through so much... He for the life of him cannot understand as to how he got so lucky..

Khushi is a sweetheart. She has always had a heart of gold. And the will power to stand up to any challenge that life puts forth. She has once again risen from the ashes and built her life...not to mention mother twince even though it is all talking a toll on her.

She needs to let arnav share some of her responsibilities. She has come a long way and there is no harm in taking a break. She needs it right now.

Waiting to see if arnav will go back to his business or not. He for sure is not going to let khushi out of his sight even for a short while

Continue soon

Originally posted by: Diva_Akorshi

Amazing.

arnav working hard to woo khushi...

Originally posted by: labi

Nice update.👏

Loved how you explained Khushi's routine.Arnav is really caring and trying his best to be a good husband and father to-be.

Even in our IPK, Khushi had this immense courage and ability in her to do something on her own.This Khushi is more determined and never want to take any favours from any one even if it is her husband.Loved it.👍🏼

Our workaholic ASR had taken a U-turn.It's hard to accept he has lost his interest in his work.😲It shows that nothing is more important to him than Khushi.Now only she can make him see some sense.

Originally posted by: barsana

Just came across this story...it reminded me of good old ipk days...i am loving this pls continue the good work...pls pm me if possible wen u update

His eyebrows pulled into a frown as he paused to study the contents of yet another mail. From the corner of his eye, he barely glanced at the number of unread mails in his inbox and resumed his furious typing.

He had occupied his usual table in the corner, and remained oblivious of the customers flowing in and out of the cafe. A mug of black coffee and a half-eaten butter croissant rested carelessly in a corner of the table, while illegible scribbling on notes peeked from behind the laptop bag that lay ignored on one of the chairs.

Suddenly an alert went off on his phone, making his fingers halt their movement abruptly. His eyes shot to the digital clock in the corner of the screen and he scanned his reply before hitting the send button. With a sigh, he shut the lid of his laptop and stood up, bracing himself for the video conference scheduled with his staff.

Arnav slid on his blazer and buttoned it up as he surveyed the room. Just as his eyes rested on Khushi, another alert went off on his phone. He glanced briefly at it, and saw that the message was from Akash, making sure that he remembered about the conference.

His lips lifted slightly in a wry smile as the irony hit him, and not for the first time since he had resumed his position at his company. Not long ago, he had taken pride in his relentless pursuit of his ambitions; he had thrived on his thirst for power and belittled the significance of any relationship in his life.

However with Khushi leaving the city, his pride and ambition had gradually slid away from him and dissolved into the ground. Her absence had concealed what he had believed to be his identity right from his late teenage years. It had made him question his beliefs and rearrange his priorities; abandoning the man the world knew him for, and losing his identity in the process.

And then she had arrived again, when winter had been the harshest and the icy winds had whipped through his heart. The warmth seeping through her hazel orbs had penetrated his soul, thawing the layers of ice which had began to cover his heart, and the fire in her eyes had challenged his disillusion.

Her soft cry had implored to the man hidden behind the shadows of longing, and he had felt something shift inside him when her fingers had trailed down his neck and clutched desperately at the lapels of his jacket. Yet, her heart had refused to give up the fight within herself. She had struggled to gather her strength and drank in her tears, even as her eyes had glittered with them.

He had watched her changing expressions paint a canvas of the war waging between her heart and her head as she had refused to let anyone from their families know that he had discovered her, or about the pregnancy. It was evident that she was not ready to sacrifice the well-being of three lives, or face the questions they both knew would be hurled at her before anyone came around to accepting their children or the way of life they had chosen for themselves.

In the past months, Khushi had forged a path for herself, one which had been wrought with burning iron and crowded with abundant obstacles. And through it, the pain of loss and the awareness that her own family would have willingly forsaken her had they known her reasons to take on that journey had clawed at her. He knew it, because unfortunately they had both been victims of the society they lived in.

It was a messed up world, and he had failed to protect her in the past. But he would be damned if he let anyone point so much as a finger at his family. And if anyone dared, he would personally make sure to greet them personally along with the thunderous wrath he had come to be distinguished for.

With pride beaming in his eyes and heart, he watched her interact with an old lady in perfect English. Throughout the past weeks, on various instances, he had been surprised to learn of the changes in her, and her knowledge of the language had been one of them. She had always been a quick learner; however, it had been in the loving care of the two women who had sheltered her during her period of hardship that she had truly blossomed.

Her face glowed as she inquired about the women's family, while she placed the packed brownies in a brown paper bag, efficiently calculated the bill and handed the receipt to the woman. Even when double her size, she still was a butterfly, fluttering from one end of the room to the other. A chuckle escaped him as heard her laughingly question the woman about a certain Mr. Mathai from church, and watched as the woman flushed a deep red and nervously handed over the money to her, as Grace joined in the teasing.

The playful glint in her eyes was unmistakable, and he noticed that the distinct craziness, the spunk and the zeal for life that formed her personality hadn't faded away. Instead, the difficult journey had elevated her wisdom and induced a sense of composure that had only surfaced on occasion in the past.

He remembered how he had quoted her to Akash, who after studying him carefully, had hesitantly questioned him about his sudden decision to resume work at AR. The relief in his voice had filtered through the screen, and he had felt his heart swell with pride when he had realised how efficiently his protg had managed to handle the company while he had abandoned it to collect the pieces of his world that had been rapidly falling apart.

"It is life, Akash. And I have to face it. I can't run away to flowering meadows, expecting everything to fix itself when I return. My responsibilities are my own. So, shall we get down to business?"

Carrying his laptop bag in one hand and the mug of black coffee in another, he strode closer to inform Khushi about the meeting. She smiled as she acknowldged his presence, and nodded at him when he pointed towards the room in the back which he had resorted to using for his video conferences.

However, just as he turned around, the old lady's voice made him pause, "Who is this young man? Does he know you Khushi, dear?"

Her gaze -- like that of all older people, pretending to scrutinize every little detail -- was narrowed at him as she awaited an answer. It was evident that she had noticed their little exchange, and not knowing what to do his eyes helplessly sought Khushi;s, who seemed just as incapable of forming an answer.

"The man who put those buns in her oven, obviously."

Grace chimed in, uncaring of the scandalised reactions she had evoked, as he watched Khushi's eyes widen. His own lips parted, before he shifted his gaze to the woman, who looked downright horrified at the revelation.

Wrapping her hand around the woman's arm, she continued, "He's a friend of mine, Mrs. Rodriguez. Come on now, aren't you getting late for your little garden date with Mr. Mathai?"

Winking at them, Grace started escorting a still stricken Mrs. Rodriguez to the door, and Arnav could see that Khushi was barely suppressing her amusement. Just as they were sure that the woman was out of earshot, they dissolved into helpless peals of laughter.

"You should be thankful I saved your ass there, Mr. Broody."

"Of course, Grace. But shouldn't you be thankful Aunt Emma isn't around?"

Suhana slid behind the counter, rolling her eyes at Grace and stood beside a still amused Khushi.

"Oh come on! Why do you always have to do that? I was just making Khushi laugh, it's good for the babies."

Watching the ladies engaged in conversation, Arnav started towards the room, when he was stopped in his tracks by Grace's voice.

"And where do you think, you're going Mr. Broody?"

"He has a conference, let him go", Khushi softly informed her.

"I would have, except he hasn't finished that butter croissant and no one leaves behind my butter croissant. If you want to go, take it with you Mr. Broody."

Arnav's mouth curved in a smirk as he heard the name she had given him, assuming that he sat brooding in the corner when he had first started accompanying Khushi to the cafe. In response to her command, he raised both his occupied hands and shrugged.

Grace offered to help him with the croissant, and launched into praises about her proficiency at baking as she followed him into the room. While Khushi shook her head at them and turned to Suhana, whose gaze was fixed at their retreating backs.

"What's wrong Suhana di?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Are you sure you want to go ahead and pursue this relationship?"

"I never stopped loving him, you know."

"And do you think love is enough? Khushi, please, if you are even thinking about being with him for the sake of your children, don't make that mistake. You are strong and intelligent, and you can manage on your own."

As silence pervaded over them, Khushi felt Suhana's concern -- in the breaking of her voice and in the furrowing of her eyebrows. She knew where her distrust for Arnav had stemmed from, and understood her urgent need to protect her and her children from harm's way.

Ever since she had first met Suhana, she had looked up to her. Her sharp demeanour and terse answers could have made anyone mistake her for an aloof, taciturn woman. However, she had seen the affection surface from behind her dark orbs, and she had witnessed the warrior shine beneath the facade of indifference that she had weaved for the world around her.

When she had been made aware of the hardships that Suhana had faced in the past, her own had seemed insignificant. And her heart had beamed with admiration when she had looked upon her and seen the fortitude emerge from behind her tough exterior. Suhana had been her inspiration, a true fighter who had fought that depths of darkness and emerged victorious, the phoenix who had valiantly risen above the ashes that her life had once left her with.

"Suhana di, I don't entirely blame him for what happened to me that night, I never did. Yes, I was bitterly disappointed to the point that I thought my life was over. But had all that not happened with me, I would never have found my family here, or never been able to get the strength that I have from you. I found my chance in the knowledge that my children are growing inside me, and now he deserves to rebuild his life with us in it."

Placing her hand over her shoulder, Khushi tried to ease out the worry lining her face. She felt Suhana search her eyes for any concealed truth as she simultaneously tried to read her expression. Finally, she tore reluctantly tore her gaze away with a sigh and stated fiddling with the strap of her wrist watch just as Grace entered the room and occupied a seat next to them.

"Ruhaan is coming home for his winter vacations today, isn't he?"

Her sullen expression transformed dramatically as she heard the mention of her son -- just as she had known it would. Khushi watched her eyes twinkle with excitement, and her lips stretch into a rare, bright smile that made her entire face glow as she launched into details of her plans with her son for the holidays.

Just as she was about to be presented with a chocolate chip cookie from the best batch for her approval, they heard the wind-chime break into its usual melody as the door burst open and an excited ball of energy dashed across the room towards them.

"Maa!"

All the three women rose from their seats in unison to greet the young boy as he flew across the room and wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, who kissed him in return and broke into a string of customary maternal questions.

Formal greetings and tired answers, however, were forgotten as he scrunched his little nose and finally spotted the tray of his favourite cookies on the counter. Settling into one of the chairs, he helped himself to one cookie and began his theatrical narrative of one of his adventures from his boarding school -- a manner only a nine-year old could assume.

However, his serious account of the tale was unceremoniously interrupted by another chime that announced the arrival of another man into the cafe. Dressed in a brown leather jacket and faded jeans, he strolled in leisurely and immediately, his gaze attacked the tray of cookies.

Casually picking up one, he greeted the people present in the room and patted the boy's shoulder, before biting into the cookie.

"So...has he already finished the story about the cats in the principal's room?"

"What cats?" asked Suhana sharply.

"The stray cats your darling son made sure went astray in that snobby principal's room?"

"Ruhaan!"

He hurriedly hid his face behind his glass of milk, as honey coloured eyes -- much like the man -- glinted from behind it. His lips lifted in an impish grin, before he pouted and looked directly into his mother's eyes.

"He had ordered the kittens to be removed from the school grounds, and they had nowhere to go. So, I thought I'd put them in his office and show him how cute they were."

As his mother shook her head at his antics, bowing to the innocent hilarity of the situation, he continued his tale from where he had left it off and started narrating it to an equally interested Grace, who sat with her hand tucked beneath chin and listened intently.

"Don't you dare give him any more recipes for trouble, Samarth," Suhana warned.

"Come on, don't forget he has inherited that streak from you," he winked at her, knowing just how to push his sister's buttons.

Khushi chuckled as Suhana thumped the counter with an empty tray and frowned severely at her brother. Realising that it was time to interrupt their perpetual war, she cut in, "Cut it out, you two. Tell me, what are the dinner plans?"

Samarth strode towards the counter and leaned against it. Flashing his most charming smile at her, he whispered, "Dinner plans can be as you want them to be, sweetheart."

She arched an eyebrow as he embarked upon his traditional flirting, making her his first victim for the day. Suhana coughed from behind him and mouthed 'Best of luck' as she walked into the kitchen.

Amusement made her lips curve as he offered to take her on a candle-light dinner, with roses and Jalebis, and decided to go along with him.

"You really don't want to do that. I'm having my aversion to Jalebis, and you wouldn't want that romantic setting to be destroyed by my puke."

"Ah, that won't be very nice, would it? But name any dish you want and I shall put it on your table, madame."

"Oh, you wonderful prince. Then prepare bitter gourd and I shall be yours for the night."

His face twisted in disgust at the mention of the vegetable and laughed as he turned to using bad pick-up lines on her.

It was then that Emma walked in through the back-door, rubbing her cold hands against her scarf and almost collided with Arnav. His stance was rigid and his eyes rested on the them, as he stood watching the exchange. His clenched fist and taut jaw was indication enough of what was going through his mind. Slowly, she went and stood beside him, and smiled as her gaze swept across the room.

"He is Suhana's brother, Samarth. The one person who has supported her throughout her life. Trust me, you don't want to make rash decisions and regret them later. Respect her and the decisions she takes for herself. She has accepted us for a reason. If you love her, trust her and the relationships she has chosen for herself. Now, go and meet him."

A/N - I've read each one of your comments and am truly humbled with the kind of response this story has received. However, there are a few things that I need to say. I have been receiving Buddy Requests from quite a few of you guys. However, please note that I need to see some form of participation before I start sending out PMs to a bunch of people I've never interacted with. Please do so, and I shall accept the requests pending on my Dashboard.

Also, those of you who have been active and wish to receive PM updates of the story may send me Buddy Requests or follow my blog:

https://whimsicaltales.wordpress.com/index/

P.S. - Don't forget to check out 'The Cast' on the blog!

I hope you guys like the chapter. See you all next Wednesday!