*****

Sandhya,

You don't want to make us cry, but reading this update I couldn't stop my heart from crying for Arnav and Khushi.

First things first, I am really happy that Naniji and Anjali have recovered from the fatal accident. I am elated to see Anjali's life flourish with a happy marriage and motherhood. After what she's been through, she truly deserves all of this.

I cringed to see Arnav's state. Agreed that he is paying for this wrong doings and the wrong choices he made, I still can't help but feel sorry for him. He not only is living his pain but trying to live Khushi's pain too. He is hurting more to have hurt Khushi.

Honestly they both are in the same situation to me and they mirror each other's despair. What an irony? Khushi is alone somewhere away from everybody she loved but all of them still dote on her. Arnav on the other hand is amongst his family, all the people that are important to him, yet he is alone, just like Khushi. And adding to his misery is the loathing by everybody around him, with exception of Anjali. I am glad Arnav is taking therapy and I really hope it helps him.

I understand Payal and Anya's anger but why didn't they look for Khushi? They are best friends, soul sisters and didn't have any boundaries drawn between them? If not immediately, may be after couple of years they should have reached out to her. Is that not what friends do? I don't have much to say about Payal but I am disappointed with Anya and her attitude towards her own brother. I want to ask her, is this how she would have behaved or reacted, if it was Khushi who broke up with Arnav? I thought she was the more perceptive one amongst three siblings. Alas, she isn't able to see the turmoil of her own bother. But then she was away from the family most of the time and always relied on Payal and Khushi for any emotional support.

The kind of situation Khushi has gone through can either make you or break a person. One can really become bitter about life; built walls around them, become stone hearted, become insecure and stop believing in relationships. Or one can emerge stronger than ever. They will brace the situation and life as it comes and move on. Knowing Khushi, I am pinning for the latter here. I know she will hurt until she finds a closure or comes back to the life she belonged to. And just like Arnav, she will never stop loving him.

And if she really loves him then I wholeheartedly want them to be together but before that I want Arnav to get over his demons and make himself worthy of Khushi and her love. Because when two people are in love and their happiness lies in being with each other, then they should be together. Rights, wrongs, redemptions, forgiveness nothing else matters.

Sandhya, you do a fine job of balancing all the characters and staying objective. This is one story where we get to see all shades of every character and not get biased or averse to one or the other and very few writers are capable of that here.

Sorry about the lateness!!