Part 6
Arnav was about to take the stairs when he stopped, listening to his sister. He moved few steps back to peep inside the room, from where the voice was coming.
"Sweetheart, stay here... I will soon send your Mami to you, ok? Don't miss me..But I will miss you. Be a good girl like always, ok? Mummy will be back soon.. "
As he saw, she dropped a kiss on her forehead, on her cheek, on her lips and placing pillows on both sides of her, she stood up. Arnav moved back, taking few steps back to hide himself. As he saw his sister coming out of the room and making her way down, he moved and walked inside the room.
Looking at the beautiful girl lying on the bed, her beautiful hazel eyes staring at him, he found himself losing to her. She was looking so small and innocent. Feeling his eyes sting with hot tears, he moved towards her and sat on the bed.
"Hi.." he greeted as he took her one little finger in his hold. "How are you? " He asked as she just continued staring at him. He bent and kissed her lips. "Mamu is so sorry for ignoring you... I am so sorry, baby ...so sorry ..."
"Arnav ji ..."
Arnav heard his name being called and turned back.
"You here?" Payal asked as she looked at her brother-in-law. What is he doing here?
Arnav looked at Payal, she stood there, her gaze confused at finding him here. In the last 7 months he had seen Buaji expressing her hatred for him, Khushi's Amma and Bauji helpless in front of their Daughter's love for him. But Payal? She remained the same, the same quiet, shy, never initiating any talk, never hating him for whatever he did to her sister.
Payal came forward and stood beside the bed.
"Di and Dadi went to temple, for some havan. They can't take Muskaan there, so I stayed back to take care of Muskaan.." Payal said, looking at Muskaan.
Arnav stood up from the bed, ready to leave, but stopped. He looked at Muskaan, not wanting to leave her.
"Payal, today is Sunday, I am going to spend whole day with Khushi. Can I take Muskaan with me?" Arnav asked, hopefully.
"I cannot answer your question, Arnav ji. Ask Di." Payal replied.
Arnav looked at Payal and can't help but ask what he asked next.
"Don't you hate me, Payal? For whatever I did to Khushi?"
Payal turned to look at her brother-in-law. Staring in his molten eyes for few seconds, she again turned back to look at Muskaan.
"You alone were not responsible for whatever happened with Khushi... everyone was ... Even me ... The day I will start hating everyone, including me, I will start hating you too ..."
An awkward silence hung in the air as no one spoke after that.
"Call Di and ask about Muskaan, if she says yes , I will pack her bag." Payal's word cut the air like a knife and traveled to him.
Arnav nodded and took out his cell. His fingers hesitated at his sister's name. It felt like a decade he had started any conversation with his Di, and it seems like he have forgotten how to greet her. Confused at how to speak, he still called her.
"Chhote?"
The happiness in her voice didn't go unnoticed by him. He swallowed hard and gathered few words to speak.
"Di...I ...I was going to meet Khushi ... Can I ... can I take Muskaan with me?" he asked.
"Yes... yes you can, Chhote ... Khushi will love to spend her day with Muskaan .." Anjali replied, too happy. Her Chhote was talking to her after so many day.
"Thanks , Di.." Arnav said and disconnected the call, not knowing what else to speak to her.
Arnav looked at Payal.
"Di said yes, Payal. You can pack her bag now" Arnav said to Payal.
Payal nodded her head and went to collect Muskaan's bag and other stuffs from the cupboard. Packing all the things in the bag, she picked Muskaan and went towards Arnav ji.
Arnav took Muskaan and her bag from Payal.
"Thank you.."
Payal nodded her head at him, and saw him leaving the room with Muskaan in his arms.
Arnav entered the house as Buaji opened the door for him, ignoring him as usual. As he walked inside, he saw Khushi at the dining table, having her breakfast. A beautiful smile grazed her lips as she saw the person in his arms. Getting up from the chair, she came near him.
"Di is not at home, she went to temple for some havan, so I brought Muskaan here." Arnav said to Khushi.
Khushi took her in her arms, and held her close to her chest, loving the feel of her soft skin and odor.
"Muskaan is again here? " she planted a kiss on her chubby cheek. "I have made something for you, do you want to see?" she asked Muskaan, who just stared back at her. "No? Yes? " She flickered her nose with her, smiling at her.
"She will stay whole day with you, Khushi. You can show her anything you want to." Arnav said smiling as he extended Muskaan's bag to her.
Khushi took the bag from his hand.
"Really? Baby is going to stay with me, whole day? Really baby?" she nuzzled her cheek.
She looked at Arnav ji, who was staring at Muskaan. She don't know what to make out of him. She don't know if she can trust him or not, but after she had woken up from her comatose state, all he had given her is --- reasons to trust him and believe him. That day after leaving with his niece, he had called her, too happy to share with her the name of his niece. Everyday he comes here, telling her how much he loves her, doing things to infuse some trust in her, asking her to come back to him, asking her if he can stay with her. She has forgiven him like always. She don't know why she can't hate this man, even when all she want to do is hate him for whatever he had done to her. Still she is helpless when it comes to this man. Her heart is not in her control when this man comes into picture. But she is scared to trust him again, she can't bear that pain again. This time she will not survive.
"Khushi?"
Her reverie broke as she heard her name being called.
"Khushi, are you not coming to help Vimla?" Buaji asked.
Khushi looked at her Buaji and then at the baby in her arms. They had promised to help Vimla chachi in the preparation of her daughter's wedding. But now seeing Muskaan in her arms, all she wanted to do was cuddle in the bed with her.
Arnav sensing Khushi's line of thought, Arnav started.
"Buaji , I will help you. Khushi wants to be with Muskaan, let her be."
"No , thank you. We don't need your help. Khushi, if you don't want to come then it's ok." Buaji directed towards Khushi and was about to leave the house when Arnav again stopped her.
"Buaji, let me help you, please." Arnav requested. He knew, not only Khushi, he had wronged each and everyone. And it's high time he mends some of his damage.
Buaji turned to look at Khushi.
"Khushi, this is not my niece's marriage where I and everyone else will tolerate his drama." Saying that, she left the house.
"I guess that means...Yes" Khushi told to Arnav ji as he stood their , looking at the retreating back of Buaji. "With a warning" Khushi added as he turned to look at her.
Nodding his head at Khushi, he followed Buaji.
It's been four hours Arnav ji had left with Buaji and both had not returned till now. Khushi looked at Muskaan lying beside her, she was asleep after having her milk. Khushi smiled as she saw the frock she was wearing. She had brought clothes and made few frocks for her. And as she had laid all the frocks in front of Muskaan, she had seen her staring at the red frock and then lifting her tiny hand to touch the same. She had liked the red one. Just like her Mamu. Thinking of Muskaan's Mamu, her mind again fled to him. She looked at the clock, which showed 1 pm. It was time for lunch and no one was home. Picking the sleeping muskaan, she got off the bed and exited her room.
She saw myriads of people, running from one corner to another, trying to get things done. She passed through them, trying to locate her family and Arnav ji. She saw her Amma and Buaji with the cooks, helping them with vegetables. Then her eyes wandered to find Arnav ji.
"Khushi? Madhumati ji told you will not come, what are you doing here with a baby?" Khushi heard vimala chachi ask as she stood in front of her.
"Woh... Chachi hum... hum Arnav ji ko dhoond rahe hain .." Khushi said.
"Oh... I saw him just now... I guess he is near truck, unloading the rice bags.."
"What?!" Khushi asked shocked. She turned and marched outside where the truck stood. She went behind the truck to get the shock of her life. Bathed in sweat, he was unloading big bags of rice with two more people.
"Arnav ji!" Khushi called aloud.
Arnav turned to look at Khushi, his breathing heavy. He smiled at her and keeping the 25kg rice bag inside the shed, he worked towards her.
"Hi Khushi. What are you doing here?" and before he can get his reply, he saw Khushi holding his hand and dragging him with her. Confused by her act, he just walked behind her.
Once inside her room, she locked the room and placed Muskaan on the bed. And then turned to look at Arnav ji, who stood there confused.
"What were you doing?" Khushi asked.
"I? .. I was helping them... your neighbors?"
"Yes, I saw that ..." she held his hand and made him sit on the bed. Catching his wrist, she inspected his palms. "See this bruises,...soon it will turn into burns.. Why did you do that?" She asked with tears brimming in her eyes. Leaving his hand, she went to the side table to extract ointment. Taking it, she sat beside him.
"You should stop doing this. Buaji is not going to melt by all this. Just give her some time, she will be fine." Khushi said as she applied the ointment on his palms.
"I know ... But I wanted to do that ..." he looked in her eyes. "Help your neighbors.. You had promised them that you will help them, so I was working in your place..." Arnav said as he wiped the tears that ran down her cheek. "And this is not the first time I had done some hard work ... yes, one in a very long time... but not for the first time ... So it's ok..." he smiled.
Khushi stared at him for few second before launching herself on him.
"Why can't I hate you... I want to hate you ... hate you for whatever you did , for whatever you said , but I can't ..why can't I? Why?" Khushi sobbed, confused and helpless.
Arnav hugged her back.
"Because you are Khushi, not Arnav Singh Raizada. You don't know how to hate people. You just share happiness , only happiness Khushi ... sorry for whatever I did ... So sorry ... please come back to me .. come back please..." Arnav pleaded.
Khushi just stayed in his arms, not wanting to move away from his loving warmth.
Arnav pulled back after some time. Clearing the damp strands away from her face, he kissed her forehead. "It's ok, I will wait ... wait all my life for your yes..." He smiled.
Khushi nodded at him.
"I .. I will bring your lunch ..." she said and moved out of the room.
Arnav saw Khushi leaving and leaned back against the headpost. She is not ready yet. And he will try till she is ready to trust him again.
He looked down at his niece, who was sleeping, but was in different cloth then he had brought her in.
"So this is what Khushi wanted to show you?" Arnav asked as he caressed her tummy. "It's very nice and cute, just like you.." Arnav smiled. "Don't worry, you will get more cute stuffs like this." He held her tiny finger. "I promise to bring your Mami back, then she will make more cute stuffs for you.." Arnav promised his niece.
Hope you all liked it :)
And many had asked for Muskaan's pic, so here it is ..

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