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Part 14
"Mamma!! Mamma!!!" He tried to shout in his babyish voice.
Anjali stood up from the bed and looked at her Son , who stood huffing puffing in front of her, his face all red.
"What happened, Aryan?" Anjali asked as she knelt in front of him.
"I don't like Mamu. He said he shouts at me because he doesn't loves me." his chubby cheeks burned red with anger.
Anjali smiled and cupped his cheek.
"It's not like that , sweetheart. He just doesn't admits what he really thinks or feels.."
"But he said he loves Mami.." pat came the reply.
Sighing, Anjali stood up and took her little angel in her arms.
"Aryan, Mamma loves you. Your Mamu too loves you , it doesn't matter what he says. It should not matter to you what others say, you should see in their eyes to see what the truth is. What should really matter is what they make you feel. He irritates you, but you don't hate him, do you?" Anjali asked
Aryan shook his head.
"See, you shouldn't count what he says, ...By the way, he says that to me too" Anjali chuckled. Keeping Aryan on the bed, she caressed his hair. "Ok, you play , I need to talk to your Mamu..." Anjali stood up and turned towards the door. She knows how her brother is, but what surprises her is the ease with which he confesses his love for Khushi. Without any qualm, without any hesitation, we confesses his love for his wife. That day when he was asking about her health and wasn't getting any reply, in any other normal situation she would have seen her brother breathing fire and trashing the opposite person to pieces, but that day all he did was, just walking out.
Anjali shook her head, the more she will think on this, the more tangled it will get. It's better to know everything from the horse's mouth. Descending the stair, she saw Arnav sitting in the dining area, having his breakfast. Moving towards him, she took a chair near him.
"Good Morning, Arnav.." Anjali greeted.
Arnav took a toast and looked at his Di.
"Morning.." he replied.
"I want to talk to you about..."
"About your annoying Son? Looks like complaint box has opened his lid today.."
"Arnav stop this.." Anjali glared at him. "Sometimes it's ok, but everytime you berate him for one or the other reason. He will not take long before drafting a permanent image of you...And no , it's not about my annoying Son' I want to talk to you.. "
"I don't care what he thinks of me ... "
"What do you mean by you don't care? You don't care what my Son thinks of you? You will not care what your own child will think of you? You will not care what the coming baby will think of you?" Anjali stood up from her chair, offended to say the least.
Arnav looked at his sister, confused. Why will he care? Had he ever cared about what people will think of him?
"Di , look ..."
"I am NOT talking about people. It's family I am talking about. My Son comes and says you don't love him. Is this what you want him to think? What will you do with your baby?"
Arnav's face hardened. Pushing the plate aside, he stood up , his eyes blazing at his Di.
"That baby is not mine. Do not address him as mine." His eyes menacing.
Anjali's wide eyes just stared back at him.
"What do you mean by that, Arnav? You married Khushi, now she and her baby belongs to you. You are that baby's father. You..."
Arnav caught her arms, his frightening eyes threatening her not to continue further.
"No... I am not ...I am not his father ... The baby is growing inside her because Khushi wants that baby ...she cares about the baby ...and my concern is limited to just that"because Khushi cares and wants the baby. Its only about Khushi. For me that baby only reminds me that she was touched by some other man... She..."
Anjali jerked his hands away from her arms.
"Behave yourself, Arnav! Are you even listening to yourself?! You say you love her and still you are saying this? If you love her then what is your problem with the baby? Didn't you knew she is carrying her first husband's baby when you fell in love with her?"
"NO!" He turned his back to her.
"What do you mean by no? "
"I loved her even before she married that man."
Anjali's confused eyes just stared at his back.
"Arnav , what are you saying? If you loved her before she married then why..."
"Because ... because ...Because I pushed her ...I pushed her out of my life ..." he sat on the chair and clutched his head between his palm. "I ...I...We loved each other ... nothing was perfect , still everything seemed perfect with her... She was the only girl whose tears held the power to affect me ... and I don't know how she made a place for herself in my life ... in my heart ... I really wanted to accept her , without any insecurity , without any fear. Whenever she use to say that she loves me .. that she will never leave me ...I trusted her ... I really did , Di... But only for that limited time... the time she use to share with me .. After that ... after that those insecurity and fear of her leaving me use to tussle back ... I ...I had never had something this beautiful in my life, Di...Never lived this exotic feelings .. and I feared losing all that ..I always wanted her close to me ... always demanded to never leave me ... and she always assured the insecure demon inside me...But that day ..that day I was out of town ...someone called me and said ... she said Khushi is not like I think of her .. that she is cheating on me... The caller said Khushi is at my farm house with ..with some man...I didn't wanted to believe her...but still I went there and she was there ..She was there with one man .. I ..I lost my cool...The insecurity and fear was back again .. and I ...I don't know what I said to her,...But I know it was something very hurtful ... Hurtful enough to make her never look back at me again ... She was gone ... and after she left I came to know she was preparing a surprise for me ..for my birthday .. It was my birthday that day ..You know I never celebrate my birthday ..I never did ... And I completely forgot that it was my birthday that day .. But it was too late ... I came to knew about the truth after she married .. the very day she married .. I ...I went to see her ...I asked her to come back ...come back to me ...But she denied ...She said she will never come back to me ... I even .." He closed his eyes, his throat hurting. "I even told her husband that we ... We were in physical relationship ... I did whatever I can ... But she refused ... But that day, seeing her lying lifeless , all because of me ..I had to leave and... I left ... You know I was in States from two years ... But then I got the news of her husband's demise ... I returned back Delhi and went to see her ...I don't know why ...but after seeing her ... seeing her empty eyes , I can't help but ask her to marry me..." he lifted his head to look at his Di. "And she did ... Because ... because she thought her husband left her because I wanted that ... And ... and I will harm her Baby too ... I ... don't know what to do ..I just want to love her ... I want her to love me .. But ..she .. she had build a wall around her, not allowing me to break that wall ... I ... don't know what to do ... But that child ...I can never accept that child ..I can never Di ... " he stood up and caught his sister's arm. "How can you expect me to love and accept that baby, Di? How can you? What if you were in my place? You would have loved the baby?" his earnest eyes asked the genuine question.
"Arnav .." she cupped his face. " I ... I didn't knew all this ... You never told me all this..." She looked in his eyes " I understand you ... What you did was not right ... But I know you have your own reason to be what you are today... Whatever happened was not right ... but now the truth is that, you both are married ... Khushi is your wife .. her baby is your baby too .. You will have to accept and love the baby as your own .. because now you are his father , Arnav. .. You know how a child feels when his father doesn't loves him , don't you? You can't subject that baby to the same misery ... You shouldn't , Arnav .. "
Arnav moved back, letting his Di's hand fell from his cheek. The past's demons hitting back at once.
"Arn..."
"Mamma!!" Aryan came running in the scene. "Mamma, I am hungry. Can I have my breakfast with Mami today?" Aryan asked cutely.
Anjali nodded at him and looked at Arnav, whose blank eyes were still staring at her.
"Arnav, breakfast.."
Arnav averted his eyes from her.
"I...I will take breakfast to Khushi..." Saying that, he filled the plate and turned to leave the place.
"Mamma, give my breakfast, I will also have my breakfast with Mami and the baby. " Aryan looked at his mother.
Anjali smiled at him and handed him the filled plate and soon saw him running upstairs.
Arnav sat on the bed and kept the plate in front of Khushi. He lifted his eyes to look at Khushi, whose eyes were staring at the plate.
"Khu.."
"Mami! " Aryan sprinted inside the room and jumped on the bed, settling himself near his Mami, he began. "Mami, I will not spoil your bedsheet with my toasts's crumbled pieces, promise, now can I have my breakfast with you?"
Khushi giggled."Of course you can ..."
Aryan smiled and shifted close to his Mami.
"Thank you ..." he lifted his toast to his mouth and looked at his Mamu, who was staring back at him. "What? Feed Mami.. Or you want to shout?" Aryan asked as he took a bite.
"No. I don't want to shout, is that of any use? You have your breakfast and spoil my bedsheet."
"I am not talking to you." Aryan looked away.
Arnav rolled his eyes. Picking a morsel, he lifted it to Khushi's lips.
Khushi stared at him and then at the hand extended towards her.
"Eat, Mami ..." Aryan encouraged.
Khushi awkwardly smiled at Aryan and opened her mouth.
"You know, Mami, Mamu sings... but he never sings when I ask him to. Last time when we were here, he had sung when Mamma had asked him to. Does he listens to you?" Aryan asked.
"I...I don't know ..." Khushi looked down, not knowing what to say.
"I like him when he sings, not when he shouts." Aryan showed his big eyes to his Mamu. "Do you want him to sing?" Aryan went on his knees and asked Khushi, his big eyes smiling.
"I ..." Khushi looked in his anticipative eyes. "If...if you want then ... then yes ..."
Aryan grinned and jumped off the bed to fetch the guitar which was lying on the recliner.
"Mamu.." he extended the guitar, his grinning continued.
Arnav gave him a look.
"Can't you see I am feeding her?"
"Ok..." again climbing on the bed, he sat beside Khushi. "I will wait, you will sing, right? Mami also wants you to sing.."
Arnav looked at Khushi, her eyes downcast. Looking at Aryan again, he nodded his head, making his grin widen. Making her eat her breakfast, he handed her her meds. Making her lay down on the bed, he took the guitar from Aryan's hand.
Sitting beside Khushi, he pulled the right chord.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxnGlOPitw[/YOUTUBE]
Direct Link--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxnGlOPitw
"Laut ke aana tera ye mumkin nahi ...
Phir kyun lagta hai ke tum chale aaoge ...
Hmmm...
Khud se zyada bhi hai mujhko tujhpe yakeen..
Maut aane se pehle chale aaoge..."
Chale aaoge ... cahle aaoge ... tum chale aaoge ...
"Laut ke aana tera ye mumkin nahi ...
Phir kyun lagta hai ke tum chale aaoge ...
Khud se zyada bhi hai mujhko tujhpe yakeen..
Maut aane se pehle chale aaoge..."
"Chale aaoge ... cahle aaoge ... tum chale aaoge ..."
Arnav looked at Khushi's misted eyes, which spilled a pearl soon. Resting his palm against her cheek, he wiped the tears which rolled down the corner of her eyes.
Khushi closed her eyes, biting back a sob. The song bringing back memories she doesn't want to relive.
"Khudse hoge jo tanha kabhi tum agar...
Beeteen yaadon me meri gheere jaaoge ...
Ankh baand karoge tum thak kar agar ...
Usme chehra tum har pal mera paoge...
Hai yankeen mujhko teri pyaar me ...
Usko paane ko tum phir chale aaoge ..."
"Chale aaoge ... cahle aaoge ... tum chale aaoge ..."
Arnav pulled the blanket on Aryan to fully cover him and bending down, he kissed Khushi's cheek, making her eyes jerk open.
"Roothke chal diye door mujhse bohot ...
The jo shikve gile tumne kyun na kahe ,.."
Aryan pushed the blanket away, angry.
"Roothe ke chal diye door mujhse bohot ...
The jo shikve gile tumne kyun na kahe ,..
Hoteen hai yun khata pyaar me toh bohot ..
Tod ke pyaar ka rishta kyun chal diye .."
Teri rab ki razaa bhi mere sang hai ...
Uske kehne se tum toh zaroor aaoge ..."
"Chale aaoge ... cahle aaoge ... tum chale aaoge ..."
"Laut ke aana tera ye mumkin nahi ...
Phir kyun lagta hai ke tum chale aaoge ...
Khud se zyada bhi hai mujhko tujhpe yakeen..
Maut aane se pehle chale aaoge..."
"Chale aaoge ... cahle aaoge ... tum chale aaoge ..."
Arnav's eyes kept staring at her as he completed his song, meaning his every word, pleading her, requesting her, promising her and wanted her to remember her promise. Her eyes were drooping, the meds taking its toll on her.
"Are you sleeping , Mami?" Aryan looked at his Mami's closed eyes.
Khushi opened her drowsy eyes and nodded at him.
"But its morning, you just woke up."
"I am on medication na ... " Khushi replied slowly. "My medicines make me feel drowsy.." her eyes dropped close.
Arnav tucked her inside the blanket properly and looked at Aryan , who was staring at Khushi.
"I am leaving for office. Don't leave her alone, ok?" Arnav asked.
"Ok.." Aryan accepted the responsibility gladly.
"Thank you. In return I will not shout at you... for today.." Arnav added the last part after a small pause.
"Only today?"
"Yes. Only today and now bye. Do not disturb her." Arnav warned and taking his blazer and laptop bag, he rushed outside the room.
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