Arhi FF 'Sandcastle' #2 Reposted all parts - Page 66

Chapter 20

Suriya,

This is strange. I wanted to ask you how are you and how have you been doing without me ;) but well, I do know what your reply would be, so its waste of breath. Actually, no... literally... I don't know it, I think. It's been nearly 18 hours that I last saw you. So, it won't be so strange if I ask you this. Suriya, how are you?

I never expected you to write back... answer all my queries. I'm glad you did. And mind you, it gives me hope Suriya. A hope that there might be "us" somewhere in near future. Knowing what song you would like on our first date... and the desires you have... sexually... it is encouraging me. I said I would write six letters per day but the strong pull that I have towards you... this is scaring me. I don't know what I'm doing, writing my deepest secrets to a stranger... trusting a stranger. But I think I'm really insane. All I know is, I liked you. I was attracted to you when I saw you. And with your last letter that you shared few things about you... your relationship with your family and present girl friend, and what you want to do with your life... slowly but surely... I'm falling in love with the real you. I know this is so early to name what I feel for you. And I'm sure I don't regret having this brief "relationship" with you too, Suriya. Whatever I will be offered... whatever you can give me... I will be happy with it. If these six letters is all you can... I'm ready to have that much. If you can take this beyond it for at least a day... I'll have the whole 24 hours with you. But give it to me all with your heart and I promise I will never ask more.

You know, you are not my first. I had crushes during my schooling. I loved this guy from final year when I was a fresher. And you will not be my last. I can't promise you that because I might end up falling in love with another guy if things didn't work between us. That, I'm sure. However, in this moment... you are all I can think. I don't make promises to you, Suriya, that you will be the only one. As long as I have you in my mind and heart, I will be loyal to you and my feelings.

Sometimes, I feel lonely. It's not that I'm alone in a room or something. Even now, I do have my friend Ramya sleeping ten feet away from me but still I feel lonely. There is something I would love to have, and have no idea what it is. Rather than spending my time with family and friends... rather than spending on things that make me smile... I wish to search what really makes me happy. Like listening to birds hums... the gentle breeze and dancing waves... and sometimes... the babies cries and adults tears. It's the purest form of emotion a man feels. Tears. I know, this sounds a little strange. But I think this is what I really want to do with my life. To wipe those tears. And to show the brighter side of life to them. My grandfather used to tell me that I had few health issues when I was a kid and they were all worried about me for years. He used to tell that though everyone were worried, he knew things would be in a better shape. That he had hope. He said that hope is what that strengthens and supports a man. If one extended their hand in the name of hope, there is no fear or sorrow that could wipe the smile. Lately, I started thinking on these very lines. Hope. Hope to live that life... the kind that would help the needy ones in one way or the other.

And I think, that is my call. I would like to answer that, Suriya.

Will you help me if I ever need it?

Actually, I'm not in a very good mood tonight. Earlier today, there was this place that we came across and well, there I saw few kids, barely dressed, laughing and running around together for a while before they started begging. And then, I saw a kid of about fifteen years working in a roadside dhaba. There is a difference between them, the kids. That made me thinking the differences. Only if there is a helping hand, the kids might escape from being grown up as beggars and the kid might end up being educated. There are such foundations, I agree. But, I'm not sure every kid is going to be offered some help by those people. Common people do need to join hands. Is that really hard for a man to do?

Well, I'm no one to judge them as I myself never offered such help. I couldn't offer as I myself am depended on my father.

But one day Suriya. One day in my life, I will be in a position where I can help at least a kid to find his righteous path, a path that he deserves. And I will never back off from lending a hand... a shoulder to lean on... to speak a word that meant something to others.

My life would find its meaning if I ever succeeded in giving it, hope, to the one that needed it the most.

In hope of achieving it...

Your Shona

"Is she in?"

Arnav asked the elder sister as soon as he stepped in. And he led his way in without waiting for Bindu to answer. He could feel her gaze on his back even as she followed him, along with her mother, while his sister stood where she was, confused at his behavior. It took him more than an hour to come in terms with the conversation he had with Khushi earlier that day and the first person he contacted was Kiran. But as expected, Kiran didn't let anything slip from him that could help Arnav from knowing the truth. Though the man did confirm that Khushi was the one RJing the program "Sandcastle", it was all Kiran revealed and it didn't take long for Arnav to understand that the man was not going to share anything further.

"She is sleeping, Arnav."

He heard Bindu from his behind but Arnav was far from behaving rationally. The day had been filled with shocking revelation. It was difficult to deal with. He never expected to hear those words from the girl he came to love as a friend in a short span. Everything made sense. The way she trusted him, a mere stranger. The way she spent her day with him without her family's knowledge. The way she cried in his arms saying that the man she loved was in love with another woman. The way she looked at him, boring her soul to him. Every action of hers made sense to him now. Her happiness belonged with him, and he couldn't give her that, when he was in love with his Shona - a woman who never liked the mere idea of him being with another girl.

The thought flicked across his mind, forcing him to stop in his tracks and face Bindu. There were many things to consider and the most important was to find out what was wrong with Khushi. Though he hoped to find them from Kiran, he could see the reluctance the man showed. "None of them are my secrets to share." Kiran had said in a low yet determined tone when Arnav had been persistent. "I can't tell you whom Khushi loves. It's her who has to share it with you, Arnav. It's her or none, she had said. I respect her decision, even if all I wanted to do is enlighten her lover about her."

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, allowing her to understand the words. There was no point in using riddles. He had no time for that, if Khushi had less. He needed to help her, to save her. He needed to do something, anything, for her. And if one day was all she wanted from him... he was ready to give it to her. Even if it was something his Shona would hate - to see him have a day with another girl, he knew his Shona would have no problem with his decision. He knew that much - Khushi would never be the woman in his life and Shona would never hate him for having the day, which she wanted with him, with Khushi. "What happened to her?" He heard himself pleading Bindu.

He watched her watching him for a long moment before she let out a small smile, her eyes twinkled happily despite of the sadness that hovered her. "What do you know about Khushi?" She asked in a calm voice, circling her arms across her chest, waiting for him to speak.

Arnav took a deep breath as he avoided looking at her in the eye. "She is Megha," he whispered, "and she is having some... health issues."

He looked at Bindu reluctantly but taken aback to see her smiling at him, a genuine one."I'm not going to ask you how you came to know that." She replied gently and paused for a brief second and continued. "But if you want to know about her condition," she looked at him in the eye and confessed, "she has less time. If we failed to find a donor for heart transplantation, she will..."

"How can you?" Arnav demanded, shocked at the way Bindu said about Khushi's condition in the most natural way, as if it was nothing. He stepped forward and pulled her by her elbow. When he asked Kiran about the same, the change in the man had been obvious even as Kiran managed to control his emotions. But Bindu, on the other hand, was comfortable as she voiced the condition with the same calmness that she invited him for dinner on his first day in their house. "How can you say that with such ease?" He hissed at her. "Khushi is your sister and you seem to be actually relieved while speaking about her..."

"It's because I am." Bindu replied with serene that it scared him. "To speak with you about her... to tell you that she has less time... I am relieved Suriya, that you finally are aware of her condition. I am her sister and I can't see her suffer like that. She was happy even when she knew about her but you happened to her, Suriya. You came here and snatched her happiness. You showed her what love is and she is wishing to have that love all her life." Bindu stepped back as soon as Arnav's grip on her elbow loosened. "If you are the only one who could help my sister, yes, I am relieved that you know about her condition."

This time, Arnav stepped back. The truth was out, open in the broad light. Now, it was him to decide. To save Khushi, to help her, he had been decided to offer her that one day that she asked for. But not anymore. He was not sure that one day was all she wanted from him after what Bindu said. He was not sure that one day was all she needed to spend the rest of her life happily. And he hated the fact that he was helpless. As much he wanted to help his friend have that life, he couldn't give more than that single day.

"How can?" He asked her calmly, his eyes now boring into hers, as he considered his words carefully. "How can she love me without knowing anything about me? Where did she see me before, Bindu?"

Bindu smiled at him though her eyes were filled with tears as fear of losing her sister gripped her heart. "I am not the one to tell you about that, Suriya. All I can say is, she was attracted to you when she saw you for the first time and developed a strong emotion after following you. But she fell in love with you for who you are. I can see that in her eyes."

"She followed me?" He asked, stunned that Khushi actually did such thing and shook his head with a small smile. "So alike my Shona," he whispered softly before looking at Bindu."I would like to speak with her doctor, Bindu and then with Khushi."

"I will give you his number," Bindu offered without any second thoughts. "Uncle, Kiran's father, will help you understand her situation better. But Khushi is losing her hope that it is scaring me."

"She will," Arnav said in a high tone. "She will not lose her hope, Bindu. I will not let her do that. We will find a donor."

Bindu chuckled bitterly and shook her head. "We can't make a medical student believe that she will be fine when reports say that she will not."

Arnav's head snapped at her. "Medical student?" He asked and shut his eyes when she nodded. He stood there while the day's events and the facts that he knew about Khushi made its way through his mind for the nth time that day.

Khushi has less time

She loved him

Khushi was a medical student

She fell in love with him

Khushi followed him

She fell in love with him all over again

Khushi was fighting with death

She wanted to have a day with him

Arnav shut his eyes tightly as the words shouted at the back of his head with ferocity. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and followed Bindu to her room and saw Khushi sleeping peacefully cuddling into a teddy bear. He watched her, his eyes never leaving her, as Bindu went over to her and shook her gently. "Will you have some milk?" He heard Bindu asking her baby sister and stepped in, gathering his scattered thoughts together. He watched her sigh even in her sleep as she uttered lazily but tiredly.

"It won't harm me to skip milk for a day, Pussy cat. Let me sleep."

And Arnav halted in his tracks, his eyes opened wide as he stared at Khushi sleeping peacefully without any knowledge of him being in her room. "Pussy cat?" He heard himself whisper, his mind numb as he thought about his Shona.

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PS: This letter answers you as how Khushi knew which song Arnav liked and how. ;)

Try adding the song in your comment.