Part- 37 (Last Part)
(if you please listen to this while you read this part)
As Arnav took her in a backward drive of memory lane Khushi only felt blessed and blissful. Content with the realization her husband loved her then and now. They roamed around the places they had visited before together.They had their dinner in the same studio of ASR Designs' Office, where they had spent a passionate, love filled night long back after such same dinner. The censored details of which, from Arnav's mouth, made Khushi all flustered and red in face.
Arnav only chuckled and then asked her for a dance just like last time.
Same song,
Same surrounding and decor,
Same Arnav-Khushi,
Only difference tonight was, their feelings were mutual and none tried to hide them.
**
Arnav finally took her to the place where it all started, Anjali's Boutique.
Arnav looked at the door to enter the main office and then at the little confused but smiling face of Khushi beside him. He stretched his lips in an attempt to smile but inside, the dread of losing her gripped more tightly. So much so that he felt someone was squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe.
He left a painful shuddering breath and ushered Khushi in with him.
Khushi walked with him without asking a single question. She was sure they had some shared memory of this place, which she didn't remember and he had brought her here to tell her only.
She smiled lovingly thinking of the night from the beginning. A date cannot be more perfect, A date she could never forget, A date so precious and memorable for all her life.
Arnav slowly pushed the door of Anjali's cabin and switched the lights on. The room came alive reveling Arnav's ghostly pale face.
Khushi walked in thinking what significant incident would have happened here that he brought her here tonight.
**
Arnav's voice broke her trance and he sounded gruff and pained, "It all started from here, where an angel fell in my arms like a piece of star from the sky to lighten my darkness." He looked straight in her eyes which held love and faith for him and continued, "but the fool I was, didn't understand the worth of the life the fairy was offering to me and tried to make her pay for even daring to step in my world."
Khushi frowned but Arnav continued in a daze, "I tried every trick in the book to break her but I couldn't take her never ending spirit out of her and the fire in her eyes, which never failed to burn with a new vigor with every hardship I put her through. But finally I succeeded proving myself the worst kind of animal living on the face of earth." He sighed.
His dazed eyes now looked focused and he took out her diary from the inner pocket of his jacket, he was wearing. He held the diary for her to take.
Khushi's hand trembled for the first time in whole evening. She felt trepidation as she took the diary from him.
She recognized her diary at once but couldn't feel happy after getting it. She apprehensively opened it but heard him say, "It has entry until your accident. You have written everything here. So It would be better than hearing from me to read it in your own words."
Khushi looked at him unable to decide what she should say.
Should she ask, that why didn't he gave her this before when he had it all along with him?
Should she be angry, happy or scared because, that was what she felt at this moment. Scared more than ever.
Should she open it? Or, give it back?
Or should she ask him directly what secret it has which he is finding it hard to tell her? Demand answers??
But anyways curiosity won and she turned the first page to read but, she looked up shocked when she heard him say, "I am waiting outside Khushi. Read it. Take your time and, he paused for a moment before adding, Try not to hate me, please, though I deserve nothing better." And with that he left the room.
Khushi stared after him at the closed door astonished and then dragged a chair to sit and continued reading feeling little shaky inside.
**
Two hours later, after reading the diary for several times, Khushi still sat staring at the pages of her own diary.
Her heart refused to believe what was written there but then it was her own hand writing and her own tear marks on the pages, then how could she not believe it?
Her eyes again fell on the page where it had another hand writing, which belonged to her..., no her ex-husband...
It read,
I am sorry Khushi, I truly am. But what I did, is a sin and one apology is not enough. I am repenting Khushi since long and I am going to repent my whole life for what I have done with you.I know you might have a hard time believing me after reading this but trust me, if you can, I love you Khushi and Love You so much that it feels hard to breathe without you. Can you please not leave me after reading all cruelties towards you?You can punish me for my whole life and I won't complain. Heck, I would be glad even if you kick me everyday... Can you not push me away from you?I can only wish but it is completely your decision... I have no right on you and what you decide.But just for you to know, when you go out of this room, you are no more Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada but Khushi Gupta, who is independent to make every decision in her life. Khushi Gupta who would have power to write even Arnav Singh Raizada's fate. Yes it is now in your hand Khushi, if you want to keep me in your life or kick me out. Though I deserve the later but I would always wait for the former one to come true.At your mercyArnav Singh Raizada.Khushi slowly left her seat and dragged her numb legs to the door to open it.
**Arnav, who was sitting on the floor resting his back on the door stood up in a rush hearing the door knob click and saw with a heavy heart as Khushi came out, pale and devoid of any emotion which were there just two hours back.
She stood on the threshold and said in a deadpan voice, "I want to go home."
Arnav hurriedly took out the car keys from his pocket saying sure but her next set of words sent his every hope flying out of the window.
"I want to go to my home in Laksmi Nagar."
**
"I want to go to my home in Laksmi Nagar."
All she said, after coming out of that office room.
And that's it.
The drive till Lakshmi Nagar was nothing but sheer torture on his senses.
She didn't cry as expected from her in that situation. As if she had taken vow to not fall apart before him. To become weak before her nemesis.
She didn't look at his direction, not even with an accusing glare. She just stared ahead. Making him unnerved.
He was ready to scream just to break the tortured silence in the car, but nothing came out from his choked throat.
He was ready to plead her to accuse him, abuse him, if not then rip him into pieces but he couldn't utter a single world before her calm facade.
Facade it was, because he knew after coming to know that she was living in nothing but a pure farce named marriage with him, with the person, who was curse a to her life, how come she can feel calm, anything but calm.
He wanted to beg to her to not leave him, as he believed she would, but his shame and guilt didn't let him utter even a single 'please'.
And thus Arnav Singh Raizada, the ASR, the tycoon, the winner saw, defeated, his ex-wife descended the car and walked away towards her small home not sparing a look backward, where she thought she could seek solace and comfort, after her world had fallen apart for the only person she loved. He felt his life slipped away from his hand just like that.
He watched from distance covered in the cloak of darkness, she passed the threshold and closed the door behind only pausing for a moment to look at his silhouette.
And he fell on his knees losing all strength to stand on his legs, crying and loathing himself for his own doing.
If only he could finish his life at this moment...
**
Khushi made an excuse to her parents and buaji about how she was missing all of them and came to see them and spend some time with them.
When questioned she said half truth that Arnav had come with her but had got a call just as they had halted before the house, about some important work and had to leave promising to come and catch up with Babuji later.
Satisfied with her answer Buaji asked only logical question that if she had come to spend sometime as in some days with them then where was her luggage?
In that Khushi slapped her forehead saying that she had forgotten to take her bag out from the car in hurry so she will manage with her old clothes here.
In that note buaji fondly called her Sankadevi before sending her to her room to change into something comfortable, giving her the much needed respite in her room so that she could release her pent up emotions of last three hours.
**
She locked the door behind and slid down of it, crying, cursing and thinking how wonderfully the evening began only to end up like this, shattering all her happy dreams with her husband, whom in spite of her memory loss she had ended up loving again, hoping for a happily ever after, forever...
**
One look at Arnav's torn face and Anjali knew what she had feared had happened.
She thanked all her and Arnav's lucky star that all other family members had retired for the night, with Shyam, when she couldn't, until she saw her brother.
And what she saw made her numb for few moments before she crossed the distance between Arnav and hers in few long strides and gathered her broken brother in her arms when his limp body gave up, taking down Anjali along with him on the floor.
Anjali shaded silent tears when Arnav cried in agony and berated, loathed and cursed himself on her bosom, but stayed tight mouth letting him vent out, rocking him back and forth soothing him with her silent support.
**
5 Days Later...
The laptop was open and some excel sheet showing on the screen. Some files lay sprawled over the table around the laptop and Arnav stood by the French door, looking out with unseeing eyes.
5 long days passed, but no phone call, no news from her end.
Anjali had managed to tame down the family saying that she had gone to her parents after asking her, after their date night.
Arnav knew that Khushi called only Di, but never had she told what they talked.
He also knew that Khushi came to boutique but that's all.
His time passed like life was going in slow motion as you watch in movies.
Nights felt longer than ever, turning and tossing on the cold bed.
Days were nothing less than pure torture over already wounded body and mind, when you fake your normal self, when you were anything but normal, the only thought whirling in his mind, if she decides to leave me then? And he dared not to go to the answer of that then, because he could see nothing but darkness when he so much thought of thinking in that direction.
He closed his restless eyes as he felt something sharp twisting in his heart making it hard to breathe. But they snapped open as he heard some commotion downstairs.
The commotion was not what that caught his attention but the sound of someone calling Anjali, "DI"...
**
Arnav hurried down the stairs but his feet halted in the middle, one foot dangling in the air and then very slowly he stepped on to the next step and stayed there as if he had grown root.
Khushi stood there, in her simple white suit and red shawl, looking just like a dream, hugging Anjali in middle of living room, both of their eyes gleaming with unshed tears.
The other members stood rounding them smiling as if welcoming some VVIP.
And then it happened...
As if she had felt him and looked up and what he saw he couldn't believe...
He was forgiven...
He just sat down on that step where he was standing as his legs turned jelly when the wave of relief washed over his whole body.
He was ready to give any price in return but nothing would be enough in comparison to what he felt just in that moment.
**
Khushi walked in his bedroom with trepidation. She had seen his reaction as soon he had seen her and also knew he was happy, more than she could imagine, yet she could not help the feeling of nervousness, when she stood before him.
He was looking at her like she was some mirage and would vanish as soon he would try to reach for her. His unblinking eyes drinking in her sight like he was lost in a desert for these five days.
**
He tried to move but couldn't.
He tried to lift his hand but it felt paralyzed.
He tried to say something, his lips moved, but nothing came out...
He wanted her to reach for him as he didn't feel too confident to do the same... but she didn't.
**
She stood in her place where she had stopped, rooted. Her eyes on him, her hand clasping and unclasping and all she wanted was to speak what she wanted to... but her voice betrayed her, hence she stood silent.
**
After long a torturing silence she opened her mouth unable to bear the silence anymore, but her voice came out croaked, A..Ar..Nav...Ji
Arnav closed his eyes feeling glad and ashamed at the same time.
Glad to hear his name from him.
Ashamed, for her unsure tone.
But his eyes snapped opened hearing her speaking again, this time much clear but slowly, very slowly and softly... she asked...
"Can... Can we... get married again?"
Arnav didn't know what to make of her question...
Because he couldn't believe he could be this lucky!
What did he do to get her forgiveness so easily?
Why wasn't she angry?
Why wasn't she accusing him?
Why wasn't she letting others know that what he did to her?
Why wasn't she beating him up into pulps?
Why wasn't she kicking him out of her life?
Why wasn't she making him beg for her for forgiveness?
Why wasn't she making him grovel at her feet for her mercy, to keep him in her life?
And he opened his mouth to ask his doubts, but she cleared everything in one single confession,
"I LOVE YOU ARNAV JI"
Arnav closed his slight open mouth and stared at her astonished, as if she had grown two more heads...
Khushi spoke like she was in a trance and Arnav heard every word of her like his ears had been waiting for her sound form centuries,
"Punishing you means punishing myself... and I can't do that... I don't remember anything what happened before my accident... Yes I read my own diary, my own words but they were just that... words... after reading and re-reading them for hundred times also I don't remember anything, any of those incidents." She sighed not feeling too glad.
"Yes I felt terrible; I cried thinking of my own pain and sufferings. But it felt like had happened in my previous birth, because I couldn't feel the pain slicing me when I think of it now, I cannot feel it eating me inside, killing me in slow death." Her words came out like she was in a hurry to finish what she wanted to say in a breathe.
She said after a pause little tiredly "Yet...
"I feel pain, gnawing me inside, when I think living without you in my life." Her eyes glittered with tears ready to cascade down her face...
Arnav swallowed very very slowly unable to believe what he was hearing, feeling his chest heart with her honest innocent confession... her lost memory... could be a blessing in disguise for him, for both of them. Unless how come one can forgive his sins... He closed his eyes feeling ashamed but couldn't help but feel blessed selfishly. Fate had provided this chance to him to repent and rectify all his misdeeds and he would spend all his life doing just that, he promised in his mind even before he heard Khushi's next words.
Khushi was still speaking,
"I felt it in these five days... And believe me Arnav ji it is unbearable... Death would be easy I guess..."
And I couldn't stay away...
"May be Devi Mayiaa made me forget all those nasty memories so that I can start again, and this time with your love, not hate...
"So I am asking again Arnavji Can we get...
She couldn't complete as she felt herself wrapped in vice grip of Arnavji, who was whispering in her ear, almost inaudibly and crying hysterically, again and again...Yes... Yes... Yes... Khushi... Yes...
She sighed and wrapped her arms around him too... feeling him near her heart ... the warmth left her feeling contented...
they could talk later...
they would talk later...
right now this was all they wanted...
Peace in each other's arm.
They wanted to take their fill for each other for the lost five days, for the time they had wasted before, vowing to never be that foolish again, especially Arnav.
they let themselves absorb the feeling of the other's in their mind, body and heart...
they stood cocooned in the warmth of love they had in their heart for each other...
Glad that they made it Before its too Late to reach each other...
**
And here is the end dearies 😃... hope to give you an Epilogue next week clearing every doubts (if you have any) with it ...
Yeah I know it was a quick finish... I could have written one or two more chapters reflecting on their life in the separation period, but I didn't want drag it and trust me this is how I have imagined the end of the story since the beginning ... so you know *shrugging* Its better like this than make it boring.
Hope you had a good time reading this story because I had a great time sharing it with you lovely people...
This story was my very first attempt towards writing so forgive me all the mistakes and errors...
Thank you for all your support and patience .
Love ya all🤗
Will be back with the epilogue next Saturday.
Till then Take care and Enjoy life 😃
Edited by Moumita_2014 - 11 years ago
Hindi TV Shows
10