ll Dear Arjun ll A Short Story ll Pt. 9 Pg. 23 - Page 10

I bit the inside of my cheek. I remember carefully putting back the album. I couldn't help myself – Arjun would never show me his childhood pictures and that was the perfect moment.

"YOU!" Ovi screamed while pointing her finger.

I remained silent as she began to let out her fury. I wasn't even sure if she knew what was stolen or if I even took it. Did she see me?

"OVI! Do you even realize what you're saying? Why would Purvi even take your stuff?" Arjun questioned, trying to calm Ovi down. I watched Arjun walk towards where I was standing for some unknown reason.

"Why wouldn't she? She's taken my mom, she's taken you, she might as well start taking my stuff!" Ovi yelled, glaring at me as her face turned red.

"Ovi," I began.

"Don't 'Ovi' me! I know very well what you did!" she yelled, stepping closer towards me, causing me to step back and knock right into Arjun.

I looked up at Arjun apologetically then looked at Ovi.

"I'm yelling at you and all you can do is stare at my husband! Yet everyone wonders why I'm accusing you, the perfect mahaan angel!" Ovi screamed as tears started to run down her face. Baba went over to Ovi and put his hands on her shoulders to try and soothe her.

Ovi's eyes went wide as she stared at me, then at Arjun. I could've sworn I saw guilt in her eyes before she stormed off into her room. Arjun returned my apologetic look and slowly went after Ovi.

Shortly after, Teju entered through the front door of the chawl.

"Woha, what happened here?" she asked, upset that she missed the drama.

"Typical stuff that would have happened 6 months ago," aai said while giving me a cold look. "Apparently Purvi took Ovi's stuff."

"What?!" Teju exclaimed. "That was me. . ."

Aai heaved out a sigh. She apologized to the priest and took me into the kitchen. I watched as she closed the door behind her.

"Why did you do that?" she scolded.

"Do what?"

"You didn't even stand up for yourself when Ovi was accusing you!"

I remained silent and looked down at my feet. I shrugged and looked back up at her. "There's no point in getting into more arguments. . ."

"Purvi – it's not even about the arguments. I'm worried that you can't stand up for yourself or fight for yourself! Why else would you give up Arjun?"

I shut my eyes tightly. At that moment, I just wanted to spill everything to aai. I HAD to talk to Arjun about this soon. I needed him back.

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"That means you should talk to him!"

"But I'm scared! Where should we go? The park?"

"I got it! Call him and tell him to meet you somewhere!"

"Onir, that doesn't answer my question of where we should go!"

"I was getting there! Anyways, I think you two should meet at Sunset Point."

"The big hill?"

"Yeah – no one will be there to disturb you guys, you know?"

"Except for you who will probably be here in time and recording everything on video!"

"What? No! Listen, I broke my phone so I have to use a replacement, but now's not the time to talk about that."

"Wait, you broke your phone?"

"It's a long story!"

"Okay. . . wait, how do you know about Sunset Point?"

"You don't recall ever venting to me about your dates with Arjun there?"

"Wow, that makes it a bit worse! Do you think he'll really go if I tell him too?"

"Purvi, the guy loves you to death. He took a bullet for you. He left everything for you. He ruined his life for you, for God sakes! What wouldn't he do for you?"

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'Arjun meet me @ sunset point @ 7'

'kya? Y?'

'just do it plz. . .'

'is everything ok?'

'no'

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My heart started pacing faster while I watched the minutes on the clock of my phone increase slowly. Onir was constantly sending me encouraging texts to make sure I don't back out. When I saw a shadow walking towards me, I just felt like running away. Thoughts of Arjun and I has a happily married couple taking caring of our baby together filled my mind. I HAD to do this.

"Arjun. . ."

"What happened Purvi?"

He stepped closer to me – there was a good amount of distance between us, but never had I been face to face with him and this close in so long. My heart started to beat louder than it had ever done so before, making me afraid that Arjun could hear it.

"Arjun, I have something really important to tell you!" I blurted out.

"Then tell me? I'm listening."

"Do you. . . um. . . remember what I said about how long my term was?"

Arjun nodded his head.

"Ok. . . well. . . you see. . . um. . . do you remember that night? The night before our wedding?" I asked in a gentle voice. I felt my eyes getting watery, but I didn't bother blinking my tears away. I knew either way I was going to be crying harder than it rained on the night I got Ovi and Arjun married.

Arjun closed his eyes and tightened his fists. "I'm really sorry Purvi. . . I should have controlled myself."

"NO! Don't apologize. . . it takes 2 people. . . to um. . . you know. . ." I spat out. That night shouldn't have happened. Arjun and I shouldn't have consummated early. However, it happened and I don't regret anything. I knew God makes everything happen for a reason – that night happened for a special reason.

"But I knew about your values and morals! I saw how nervous and scared you looked! You don't know how bad I felt about it since you left – it shouldn't have happened." After a few moments of silence, Arjun released his hands from the fists he had them in.

"Well. . . then I wouldn't be pregnant. . ." I spoke in a low voice. I couldn't even hear myself talking, instead it felt like the wind was blowing my words away.

"What?"

"Um. . . a month after that night I found out I was pregnant. . ."

"That's my baby?" he asked, sounding as if he was out of breath. There was hope in his eyes.

I nodded slowly.

Tears welled up in Arjun's eyes, causing tears to run more heavily down mine. I turned around so he wouldn't see me bawl. However, I felt him wrap his arms around my shoulders and hold me in an awkward embrace.

"Purvi – we're going to be parents! Of our own child!" Arjun exclaimed.

I left his embrace and turned around to face him. I couldn't help but grin widely. "Yeah! You're the father! This is our baby!" I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Arjun's reaction. With Arjun on my side, I felt like I could take on the world. I felt like I could do anything. Most importantly, I felt like I could fix the mess I've made.

Suddenly, Arjun's grin turned into a frown. "Wait, Purvi – you knew for 6 months and you didn't even bother to tell me? And what about Onir?"

"No Arjun, I didn't mean to! It's just – everything was already so bad between you and Ovi and all – I couldn't make it worse!" I tried to explain, sidelining the Onir question.

"Nothing has changed Purvi! So, what made you tell me now?!" Arjun yelled - the realization and anger creeping into his voice. I could see in his eyes how hurt and betrayed he was.

"Arjun, I'm REALLY sorry. . ." I didn't know why I was even bothering to make things better. I knew I was wrong, but it hurt to see Arjun in pain – to see his excitement go to anger.

He heaved out a sigh. "Purvi – didn't you think I had a right to know?"

"Yes! I was thinking about how I would be telling you every day while I was in Kolkatta! Onir and I aren't even married – he's like my best friend! He felt that we should do all this just so my name wouldn't be 'tarnished', but trust me! I could have cared less about that! It's just I was really scared and I didn't know how to tell you and then I wanted to tell you when I met you in Kolkatta, but then I found out that Ovi was pregnant too and I thought you listened to me and moved on, so I felt like I should move on too and shouldn't cause the family to break even more since I always tend to ruin everything an-" before I could finish my blabbing, Arjun put his finger to my lips. My eyes went wide as I watched him retract his finger.

"Don't ever say that again."

"Say what?"

"You do not ruin everything."

"Arjun, stop being so nice to me! You know damn well that I ruined your life, I tore apart the family when we dated, and this news is going to ruin everything even more!"

"You ruinED my life. My life would only be ruined by you if you left it and you're back in it now."

"Okay, I can't take this. You should be yelling at me!"

"The only thing you deserve to be yelled at for is hiding the pregnancy. Honestly Purvi, I can't believe another man was helping you care for OUR baby! I don't care if he's your best friend or if that whole marriage was a joke! That should have been ME!"

"I know. . . but then there was Ovi!"

Arjun sighed. "That's a different story."

"What?"

"Maybe I should wait 7 months to tell you."

"ARJUN!"

"Purvi, it really bugs me how I'm not even the first to know! And I'm the father!"

"I really wanted to tell you though! It's just it seemed like you moved on with Ovi. . . she's pregnant too you know."

"It's not what you think and I can't really explain it – it's Ovi's personal problem."

"Arjun. . . do you remember how I told you about my childhood, how I grew up, how I was treated, what I did on certain holidays and all that stuff?"

Arjun nodded his head yes.

"I don't want our baby to go through that. . ."

"Neither do I."

"So. . . I think we should work together and not make that happen. . ."

"It wouldn't have happened if you didn't turn me into a prize in a game on our wedding night."

I blinked multiple times to try to stop the tears running down my face. I looked into Arjun's eyes and saw the same hurt and betrayal I had seen earlier.

I went close to him and wrapped my arms around him. Just when I figured that he wasn't going to return the embrace, I heard Onir's voice and stepped away.

"Purvi – let's go."

I looked up at Arjun as I stood in front him. This time, I let the tears fall – I didn't try blinking them or wiping them away. "I'm sorry," I choked out before I turned around and started to walk away. Arjun was watching – I could tell.

I looked back one last time and saw him running his fingers through his hair. Why was I so stupid? If I didn't accept Ovi's stupid deal, then I would be the one by his side, this wouldn't have been a problem, and I would be able to comfort and console him whenever he was in trouble just like my heart wanted me to.

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Dear Arjun,

I love you and that's all I really know. I hope you're not suffering everyday like I am without you. I've been dying just to experience what your hugs and kisses still felt like. I could have really used your comfort at times from these past 6 months, but I really don't deserve it. I finally got to see you again and hear your voice. It really hurts knowing how bad your relationship with Ovi is. I don't know if you know this, but I really miss you – I miss us. I'm going to try my best to make things right again, don't worry! It's getting really hard to tell you everything I want to say, but I'm trying my best. Why can't we just go back to those innocent days where we together and in love - just us against the world? You finally know about our little one, but I knew it wouldn't a fine and dandy encounter. The hurt in betrayal in your eyes killed me, Arjun. I'm not the same old Purvi anymore, though. I'm going to fight and stand up for our love and for our baby. I just wish I could hear you say you love me one more time. . . it's been 6 months since the last and that's what's been keeping me going.