Arhi FF 'Sandcastle' #2 Reposted all parts - Page 89

Chapter 23

"Enough of your Samosa, Megha. You have had more than you are allowed to."

Khushi stared at her friend as she licked off the curry from her finger, her eyes pale and tired even as she smiled. "Here I'm in a delusion that I can have whatever I want, Viswa." She stressed his name before gazing at her plate only to find it snatching away from her friend. "That's not fair!" She cried aloud, gaining attention from people around them and lowered her voice as she continued to hiss. "Give me the plate. NOW."

"No." Viswa said calmly, his eyes dark and intense as his fists stayed on the table, securing the plate away from her. "Stop acting like a bitch, Megha. Just stop it before I lose my patience."

After taking several deep breaths, Khushi looked at him. "What part of "leave me alone" doesn't make sense to you?" She asked plainly, as gently as her irritation allowed her to, "what part of "let me live my life" is so difficult for you to understand?"

"And what part of "I can't leave my friend alone" is so hard for you to accept?"

The question was serious, and immediate. She shook her head, her eyes closed in exhaustion as she tried to make her family and friend understand her emotions... and actions. It was becoming hard. To constantly have one of them hovering over her... to have them to take care of her... to have them worry about her... "I appreciate it, Viswa." She said in a low tone, "I really do. But I want to face this alone. Why can't you..."

"Alone?" Viswa hissed, his fist banged on the table as he leaned further. "How are you going to do that, Megha? By having this hide and seek game you are so keen to play with Arnav as Shona? By sending mixed signals as Khushi? By running away, in either way, just because he happened to wish a normal and happy life with you, as Khushi and thinking to move on from his Shona? How, Megha? How exactly are you going to face this alone?"

Khushi lowered her eyes guiltily as she shifted in her seat. She couldn't counter back Viswa when he was stating mere facts. She was trying to act normal in front of him but like always, Viswa never failed to look past her faade.

When Arnav said that he wanted to move on, by forgetting Shona, earlier that morning, all Khushi felt was betrayal. Even as it was the very thing she ever wanted and wished for, she couldn't help but feel being betrayed by him. She hated the way Arnav said those words. She hated him for taking such decision and confessing about the same to her with such ease, that she almost felt like she had no idea who Shona was. As if she had fallen in love with Arnav the day she had seen him in her room as their PG. As if she was not Shona and she never communicated with Arnav through letters.

But she was Shona. And she was Khushi.

All that mattered to her in that moment was, her Suriya, who loved Shona, was readily proposing to another woman.

Khushi had pushed him away. She had run away from him and towards her friend, hoping to find solace. She had hugged Viswa and cried, wishing that whatever happened between Arnav and her in the car was a dream. A nightmare. A figment of her imagination. Except, Arnav had followed her to the cabin. She watched as Viswa hissing at Arnav, asking him to leave the cabin and her. She watched as Arnav whispered something to Viswa before leaving.

Finally giving up the will to get the plate back, Khushi chuckled at her own helpless situation. While the man she loved readily gave up on her based on the note she had written for him few days ago, here was this man - the friendly soul with everlasting smile - stayed alongside with her even after knowing that his sentiments would never be reciprocated by her.

"Love indeed is funny." She stated at last as she forced herself to look at him, her eyes devoid of emotions just as her smile disappeared, her face pale and lifeless. "What it does to a person!"

Viswa stared at her for a long minute before looking away as he nodded more to himself. "Are we going to blame love for being more complicated?" He shook his head as he continued. "No. Never can we do that. Are we going to change ourselves for someone who can never be with us the way we wanted them to be? Yes. Why, Megha? Why can't we stop loving the person who gives us pain and nothing else?" He then looked at her as he whispered, "why can't I leave you as you ask me to?"

"Because," Khushi said seriously, her eyes locked his, "I don't see any point why Hermione and Ron should leave Harry even if his company threatened their lives."

Viswa stared at her, confused at the sudden diversion of their conversations but burst into laughter as the words made sense to him. This was his Khushi he was talking with and he was bound to expect un-related talks pop up between them. He shook his head as he smiled at her, his hand absently taking hers as he leaned forward. "I love Hermione and her love for Ron. Of course, I don't see why Harry is as famous as he is but well... what can I say... I love Ron more than anyone in the series. And I'm glad he's paired with her."

"No chance!" Khushi snapped, irritated, just as the friends fell into their usual-self of verbal fighting regarding one of their favorite series. "I don't see why Hermione can't be paired up with Harry. And I don't really like Ginny in earlier series for her always shying away from him."

This was what brought Khushi and Viswa closer when they were kids. They read them together, watched the movies together, and also, in the most childish way, tried to use the charms and fly on the broomstick only to break their bones. He watched her as she carried on and on as how she felt for each of the character and smiled. If there was one thing in her that he liked and loathed the most, it was her way of diverting herself from the most serious conversations, and in any given time. He felt a kind of pride when Khushi hid her true emotions from the world and compose herself as a strong and self-made girl, but he felt miserable that she, most of the times, considered him to be a part of the rest of the world.

"While we are on the topic," Khushi said at last, placing the glass container after emptying her filter coffee, "it's been long since we haven't spent some time watching them. Care to have a night-out with me, Mr. Ron?"

Viswa chuckled as he extended his hand to her, pulling her chair in gentleman manner when she loathed the most in him. "Sure, Miss. Hermione," he said while suppressing his laughter, "this way, please."

Laughing at their rather dramatic behavior, Khushi slapped his arm and turned around, looking at him over her shoulder. "No wonder we lasted all these years with our craziness!" She was forced to stop speaking as she felt herself collided into a solid mass, her eyes squeezed shut in fear of falling but it never came. Instead was a pair of arms circling around her, balancing her on her feet. "Sorry..." she uttered but stopped, her eyes wide open as she took in the shocked pair of dark eyes staring back into her hazel.

Gulping, she stepped back, unable to take her eyes off his even as she watched his hand ran through his jet black hair, eyes twinkling as initial shock replaced by relief as he whispered, "Shona!"

Khushi shook her head, blinking back hot tears as she took another step away from him. But she was late. Too late, indeed. She felt Viswa's arm around her waist as she heard him speak, "Hello, Mr. Mathur." Viswa extended his hand as he continued speaking, as Aman fixed his eyes on her, "I'm Viswa... I'm the one to call you."

_______

Suriya,

I know I promised to meet you tonight. And I am really sorry to say this. I am forced to go back to Hyderabad. If I had a chance to change this, I would have left everything behind to be with you. But the thing is, Papa wants me to come home and I am leaving Goa in a while. It was nice meeting you, Suriya. By the time you read this letter, I'll be in train... miles away from you. I'll call you once I reach home.

I love you. I will always love you. I so wish to have that day with you but fate always have its own plan.

Please don't wait for me.

Shona

Arnav sighed as he sank further deeper into the leather couch, his hand still holding the pile of letters. He had been feeling a cocktail of emotions - happy, sad, angry and betrayed. He hated Khushi for playing with his feelings by not confessing her identity even after knowing that he had been waiting for her all the while. And he hated himself for being so strong headed that he failed to see through Khushi, taking her antics as childishness. To be precise, he hated himself for avoiding looking through her.

When he knew who his Shona was, he was unable to go and confront her. He was afraid that if he did approach her, he would be forced to hear the truth which he wasn't ready for. He didn't want to hear about her sickening condition. He didn't want any such thing happen to her.

He acted on his instincts that morning and visited Khushi and her friend. He had given into his desire and kissed her. He had said her that he wanted to move on from his Shona, all the while, wanting her to feel the pain she had inflicted on him. But now, as he sat alone in his room, which was truly hers, he was not sure of his plans as he had been that morning. He didn't want Khushi to suffer in any way while she had been suffering throughout her life. Yet, he wanted to make her confess her true identity. How hard he tried to let go of his hurt and betrayal, he couldn't help but think to make her confess it at any cost.

He placed all the letters on the table and walked to the small kitchenette and filled a bowl with water to heat, needing to have coffee. He then picked up his mobile and punched the numbers impatiently. More than coffee, he knew he needed to speak his heart, and his fears, out and who would be the better person than...

"Suriya! What a surprise! You still remember me?"

And for the first time since he came to know the truth, Arnav felt a genuine smile broke at the corner of his lips as he shook his head at his mother's craziness.

"Unfortunately yes," he replied, keeping his voice as stable and normal as he could.

He heard his mother laugh and sighed. He was going to be alright, he chanted silently. Everything was going to be alright.

"Well, I was wondering whether to call you or not." His mother's voice broke the chain of his thoughts. "It's been a week since you called, you know?"

"Amma I..." Arnav shut his eyes, words failed to come out of his mouth. "I'm sorry." He managed to say but his words were silenced as his mother's voice filtered through the phone.

"What happened, Arnav? Are you okay?"

Arnav considered what his mother asked. Is he okay? He shut his eyes further tighter as he considered his answers. He could either push his mother as he always did or open up... "I don't know, Amma." He heard himself say without any second thoughts, his voice pale and a hoarse whisper. "I'm not sure anymore. I don't know what's real and what's not. I don't know whom to trust. I don't know what to do, Amma."

His mother didn't speak for a long moment. Arnav watched the decoction brewing in the filter as he tried to gather and arrange his thoughts in order. "What do you want, Arnav?" She asked finally.

"Shona," escaped his mouth even before he considered the question, and smiled. It was what he really wanted. And nothing else mattered. He knew it. "But it doesn't seem as simple as it always did, Amma. Shona is... I know who she is, Amma. And I know what forced her to stay away from me all these months."

"The reason... if it's something you can't handle, then think about what's in your control, Suriya." His mother advised softly.

Arnav smiled painfully as Bindu's words haunted him. His Shona was battling with death and he could do nothing about it... except to stand by her, and fight along with her.

"Amma, one second..." Arnav said to his mother and ran back to the table where his laptop laid. Switching into his account, he added the attachments and clicked the send button just as he balanced the mobile against his ear. "I've mailed you her photo, Amma. And I know you will like her. Thanks Amma."

He heard his mother chuckling as she said, "I'm happy you find your soul mate, Suriya."

He smiled as he nodded. "I'm happy too, Amma."

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