Arshi FF: Love Me Forever LINK #2 pg 153 dt. 21.5.15 - Page 38

Chapter 8

She added salt and red chilly powder then stir fried the vegetables. Garima slapped her forehead," oh god khushi, what did you do? You added so much of red chilli powder ..now who will have this?" She smiled and replied," arnav ji, likes it this way." garima kept her hands on her waist and asked," so is your arnav ji tonight joining us for dinner?" she bit her lower lip acknowledging her mistake, he was not here then why did she cook so spicy food? She forgot she wasn't making the dinner for him, "never mind I'll eat it." She said remembering how he had offered her the bowl of curd when she wasn't able to have that spicy food.

*********************************

He came back home it was close to midnight and without any thought sat on the dining chair. There was pin drop silence, he rubbed his tired eyes when he heard "arnav ji" and turned his neck around immediately asking," you're back?" with a faint smile on his lips but that didn't last long when he realized that he was all alone, she had still not returned. There was no one waiting for him, no one to serve him dinner, no one to share a meal with him. She was nowhere! He glanced at her empty chair where she would often doze off waiting for him even though he had told her many times not to bother about him but still somewhere deep down he too wished to spend some quiet moments with her and now when she wasn't around it felt a little strange. He dragged himself to the kitchen, opened the fridge to take out some food then dropped the idea he wasn't hungry anymore instead had a glass of water and walked back to his room silently.

While climbing up the stairs his gaze fell on the idol of Ganpati and automatically his feet took him there. Both daadi and she would together do the morning arti in fact she offered prayers in the evening as well. He noticed that no one had lit the lamp in the evening, he smirked at the idol questioning so there was nobody to take care of you too?

He recalled his own words when she had said that how could she leave the house like this? That time he had thought, what was the big deal if she went for a few days? the house did function earlier when they had not got married and it would continue to do so like it did before. He was partly right, it was functioning but like a house and not like a home in her absence. She had made a place for herself in everybody's heart be it daadi , payal or aman and even managed to leave her mark in each and every corner of this house in such a short span of time. He left for his room once again not before lighting the diya.

He took out his cell, wallet, watch and dropped them on the bed then laid on his back gazing at the ceiling fan. He opened his arms wide when his hand touched his cell, he picked it up, scrolled down to her number then stared at it for some time thinking whether to call her or not. His thumb traced the call button aching to press it but instead pressed the cancel button and threw the cell on the other side. It was too late to call her, she must be sleeping and even if he did what would he speak about? Moreover she would soon come back if not this week then may be in the next one, so there was no need to speak to her, his mind suggested also his ego stated if she didn't bother to call him once in the past five days then why should he?

His thoughts got distracted with the rattling of windows, he got up to close them when he saw it was raining heavily. He remembered the night she was getting wet in the rain, he opened the balcony door and went out. She appeared so content and at peace while getting soaked, wondered why? He too stepped in the rain to feel what she must have gone through, he outstretched his arms and lifted his head high just like her to allow the droplets drench him completely. He closed his eyes and began twirling slowly, he could see her smiling face and feel the contentment which his heart used to get on witnessing it, her smiling face would unknowingly wipe away his day long tiredness when he used to come back home in the evening. The rain drops were doing just the same soothing away his internal bitterness, anguish, resentment and making his heart feel light.

He heard his cell ringing, opened his eyes and moved his hands back through his hair, he went to the room to pick it up.

" hello" he said dryly. There was no response from the other side which irritated him.

"HELLO!" he repeated this time loudly when he heard a soft voice.

" arnav ji" it was her, he brought the cell closer to his ear to hear her properly.

"arnav ji" she said again sometime later when he didn't reply. It was definitely her, for a moment he was delighted to hear her voice after so many days.

"hmm" he said going back to his shell once again.

"where are you?" she asked hesitantly

"at home, where else?" pat came the reply, he raised his brow and questioned," but why did you ask?"

" actually payal told me that nowadays you return home late... outside its raining heavily so I was worried in case you got stuck somewhere." She had woken up to the thundering of clouds and immediately her mind went in his direction thinking whether he had returned home safely or not.

" I came back before it started to rain." He softened his tone a little bit. She nodded her head quietly.

"you had dinner?" she asked while coiling the telephone wire around her finger. He sighed deeply on hearing her question.

"how is your wound?" he didn't want to lie to her so changed the topic. She looked down at her burnt feet, they were much better, in fact absolutely fine.

"my feet are okay. I had bought the ointment." She replied, it felt a bit strange talking to him on a phone and she had thought twice before dialing his number but the feeling of worry for him was stronger than her nervousness so in the end she managed to call him.

" what about the cut you got on your forehead?" he didn't forget that she had hurt her head as well. She saw herself in the mirror, that wound had also healed up just a small scar was left.

" the cut is also fine."

Again there was a long silence between them both not knowing next what to talk about at the same time neither of them wanted to hang up.

" so should I keep the phone down?" she asked nervously after waiting for a long time.

" hmm" he wished to prolong their conversation and say "no don't disconnect the call" but instead said "yes". She reluctantly moved the receiver away from her ear and was about to keep it down when she thought she heard him say something. She quickly brought the receiver back to her ear.

"you were still awake?" actually he wanted to ask when she was coming back home but instead ended up inquiring about her being still up. She frowned at his question and he scratched his temple for asking such a stupid question, of course she was not sleeping that was why she was chatting with him otherwise how could anyone in his/her sleep call up and talk.

" no, I was sleeping but woke up because of lightning and thundering of clouds." She said. He wished she told him on her own when she was returning home but no, she had again gone all quiet and he didn't want to show her his eagerness so said gently before disconnecting the call," good night khushi." Hearing him disconnect she too kept the phone down slowly and moved back to her bed.

She was happy to know that he was concerned for her and didn't forget to ask her about her wounds, this she wasn't expecting from him, she knew he cared for her but never said it openly, it was always camouflaged behind his anger but tonight his tone was comforting and tender.

He got rid of his wet clothes and changed into something more comfortable then sprawled on the bed. He gazed at her side of the bed and moved his hand over the empty side with a faint smile playing on his lips, he missed hearing her delicate voice and was glad that she had called him herself to know about his whereabouts, he could well imagine her concerned face in front of his eyes.

Later he closed them and slowly she left his thoughts and entered his dreams.

****************************

Garima was chopping the vegetables harshly when she came from behind and covered her eyes with her hands, garima dropped the knife in irritation and said," khushi, don't trouble me. I have work to finish."

She knew her mother was upset with her because now after spending more than a week there she wanted to go back to Raizada mansion but she being a mother didn't want her daughter to leave so early. She hugged her from behind and rested her chin on her mother's shoulder and spoke childishly, " maa, don't be angry..look I've been staying here for so long..now I should go back."

garima freed herself from her hug and turned around," it's only been a week. Can't you stay for some more days?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest and continued, " moreover arnav beta is not asking you to come back and tell me one thing, why do you have to go today only?

Khushi knew that he would not call her back, that was not his character but now she wanted to go back more so as tomorrow they would be completing one month of their marriage, though he would not remember but she wanted to be with him on that day. She held her hand lovingly and tried to convince her mother," arnav ji remains busy with his work but maa I need to return."

Garima turned around once again and started chopping the vegetables disappointingly, she knew her daughter was stubborn and would not listen to her," okay fine..your baba will drop you in the evening." She was now aware of her father's greedy desires and didn't wish him to create a scene at her in-law's place so replied," no need maa,payal is sending the driver to fetch me." She shook her head in defeat, she had no other choice but to allow her to leave.

*********************************************

Khushi sat in the lawn chatting with daadi and payal, she had so much to tell and hear from them.

Soon the sun began setting down but her eyes were fixed on the drive way waiting for him to come back. After when it seemed ages he returned home, looking tense but what was new in that his forehead remained creased most of the time. He was talking on his cell and didn't notice her at all while entering the house. Daadi caught her staring at him and smiled inwardly." Khushi beta, you must be tired. Go and rest, I'll sit here with payal."

Khushi nodded her head and went inside, she was about to climb up to her room when she saw it closed, so he wasn't there, must have gone to his cabin instead, she thought of making a nice refreshing cup of ginger tea for him it had been a long time since she had done so.

Arnav sat on his huge revolving chair and glared at his very old agent who had cheated on him. He had dealt with him for years and trusted him a lot but today he too broke his trust by selling him fake diamonds from that new dealer. He was suspicious of that dealer but didn't know that his long trusted agent would betray him for some money. He flared his nostrils and clenched his teeth firmly, once again someone close to him had let him down just for money, he could tolerate anything but betrayal.

He stood up and walked toward him who was shivering in fear, he took out his gun and aimed at his forehead.

He pulled the trigger when he heard loudly," ARNAV JI" from behind, the bullet went out and he turned around to see her collapsed on the floor with pieces of broken tea cup next to her.