Arshi FF: Destined To Love #2 LINK TO#3 Pg151 - Page 34

Why in every story of yours ...Arnav is a gangster that is to be a shaarif badmash.

Why this Khushi is so pure where as she is from a very different and not acceptable back ground...After reading her past...feel really sorry for her as her mother is not with her who use to love her. Step father and husband has just done wrong thing with her. She started loving Arnav I think or may be a respect for him.

Your Shalini is a selfish as one can be living in the high society. Shalini knows how to use emotions of people around her to get her work done. She is a big question mark for me that she is just worried about a baby whereas nothing to do with Arnav.

I hate Shyam, after reading what he did with his wife after their marriage and then left her in the bar. What type of world this is we are living in...and on other hand she has Shalini...who is equally worse than her husband. Poor Khushi has been suffering a lot all because of them.

Shalini is trying to use Khushi to convince him to let them stay away from home. I can imagine how helpless he must be thinking between the two women. Let us see what he will decide...But I will be glad if Arnav can protect her from Shalini as visiting her frequently and try to be close to his child too. Is there are any chances to be Khushi and Arnav to be together. I am sure she will feel jealous to see ARSHI together but she was the one who brought up by herself. They have drifted apart both emotionally and physically.

I wonder what's gonna happen in future...

Beautiful teaser.

Chapter 22

Leaning against the kitchen counter, khushi thought back at the conversation or heated argument she had with him. This was the second time she was unwilling to follow his orders. Even though both the times she defied him because she wished to see him happy in the long run but at the moment she was only getting on to his nerves. How much she wished to see and talk to him but ever since he had come down to meet her she had only fought and argued with him.

laxmi while washing the vegetables watched her from the corner of her eye. The excitement and enthusiasm in khushi's eyes to go back to ratnagiri was somewhere missing, instead she was all quiet and deep into thoughts.

" what's wrong?" laxmi asked seeing her grim. She shook her head and shrugged off the question. It had been quite sometime since he had left home in fury. It was getting dark, he should've returned by now. Peeping out of the window every now and then she waited anxiously for him then shot her eyes at the huge wall clock in the hall. Time was ticking, only few hours were left for the day to end and then he would not be here anymore. The thought of separating from him once again twisted her heart. The days of not being able to see him, hear him were back again and a feeling of emptiness seeped within the pores of her body.

Gulping the lump formed she glanced at laxmi who was about to cut the vegetables, she stopped her instantly," today I'll cook." It had been a long time since she had cooked for him and she didn't know when would be the next time she would get this opportunity. laxmi seemed amused, this was for the first time that she was volunteering to cook.

" let me help you ." laxmi didn't want her to exert herself by preparing the whole dinner on her own thus picked up the knife to cut okra (lady's fingers).

" no, mausi don't chop, I'll make stuffed oakra." .

" arnav ji likes it this way." She added further and smiled remembering how he enjoyed having okra stuffed with masala.

" and keep the stuffing a little spicy ..arnav ji doesn't enjoy bland food." These tiny little revelations were not pleasing laxmi, she was surprised to see how khushi remembered clearly his tastes and preferences. Surely tonight she was preparing the dinner just for him!

" but you don't like spicy stuff." laxmi tried to remind pragya.

" never mind I'll manage." Little bit of spice adds flavor not only to life but also to a dish. laxmi noticed how her expressions were changing slowly, the spark that was missing earlier was now back... Strange.

khushi washed her hands then dried them with the end of her sari, okra, dal and rice, all were done! She was having a glass of water when she heard him yell out," khushi..khushi." she was about to choke in surprise, for the first time he was calling her out so loudly.

She hurriedly went out in the hall, shalini was already standing near the dining table, shooting him a puzzled look. But did it bother him? Nope.

" for you ." He said while handing over khushi a box.

" mobile..for me." She squealed in excitement and began unwrapping the box quickly.

" it has games ?" she asked while pressing various buttons of the cell phone.

" yeah ."

" and music ?" music was her life, she loved listening to them at night.

" hmm."

" where's the camera ?" if a cell phone had games and music then a camera would definitely be there. She was really happy on getting one.

He saw her exploring the cell phone like a child who played excitedly with his new toy. After a minute or so he spoke again," you know you can also use it for talking purposes ." Just in case she had forgotten that cell phones are essentially meant to communicate. Raising her eye lids she looked at him and pursed her lips, of course she was aware about this fact, there was no need to be sarcastic.

"thank you."

" use this phone to speak to me whenever you want to." He had saved his number and she could call him at anytime, he no longer had to rely on shalini to know about her health.

" it has my number ..if you have any problem ..call me at once." His voice was stern and he was dead serious about it. Glancing at shalini for a second he stared into khushi's eyes and continued," don't hesitate even for a second ." The scene of her being alone and wincing in pain was still fresh in his mind, even though shalini was out to get a doctor still he didn't wish her to take any chances in the future.

The message was loud and clear, both the ladies couldn't afford to take him for a ride again in the future. khushi nodded her head silently while shalini crossed her arms before her chest, once he let his guard down then he did what he thought was right, caring a damn about what others thought about him...how typical of him!

Shalini rolled her eyes, as long as they were staying back, she didn't worry about the rest. Her roving eyes halted at the kitchen. laxmi was sticking her head out to overhear the conversation. Shalini gave her a hard glare and moved her hand, gesturing her to back off.

khushi insisted on having dinner at the dining table. After so many days her seat wasn't empty, in fact both the seats on his left and right were occupied. Taking the first bite he at once stared at his plate and then at khushi. She tried to read his eyes. Did he know that she had prepared the dinner? Maybe...the realization made her heart do a happy dance. All were silent only the sound of cutlery conveyed that some people were actually around to have a meal.

After enjoying chapatti with okra he moved on to have rice with lentils, he didn't wish to admit but with every spoon his temper and annoyance towards both the women especially khushi was coming down. Her hands were magical, he concluded. Eating food prepared by her made him realize how madly he missed it back in RM.

His eyes softened and strayed towards her only to notice that she was frowning at him. He narrowed his eyes and stared back at her. Raising her finger she touched the corner of her lower lip. A hint of irritation was beginning to creep within him but that gesture of hers seemed familiar to him and then on his own he brushed his fingers over his lips and found a rice grain stuck at the corner of his lips. He remembered how some time back in RM, same thing had happened at the dinner table. He had got upset with her thinking what an outrageous gesture she was making only to know later on that she was actually pointing towards that rice grain on his lips.

Probably the memory hit both of them at the same time, she pressed her lips to suppress her smile and he turned his neck instantly to avoid her gaze. He had kicked himself mentally on making a fool of himself in front of her and tonight again he was feeling the same but somewhere he found it amusing quite like her. She noticed how hard he was trying to hide his embarrassment.

He felt her gaze on himself but preferred to ignore when suddenly she began coughing hard. The spicy okra was hurting her throat, shalini at once reached to her side and began rubbing her back. Khushi was still coughing.

" have water." Shalini held the jug hurriedly to pour the water however stopped in the middle on seeing him offering his own glass of water to khushi. The concern and anxiety in his eyes somewhere pricked her, she placed the jug back on the table with a thud and called out laxmi.

" mausi, why is the dish so spicy , don't you know to cook?" Her eyes were enraged as she questioned the housekeeper who had nothing to say. khushi felt bad for her and looked up at shalini while replying," di, it's not mausi's fault. I made the dinner." After saying so khushi's eyes travelled from her plate to him.

He was glaring, clearly not happy with her, she shouldn't have made the food so spicy just to please him. Feeling guilty, khushi lowered her eyes. Shalini noticed the silent communication between the two and pressed her lips hard. She was irked to see the comfort level shared between them however didn't let it show on her face and tried to maintain her calm thinking that all this was temporary.

Agreed he was displeased with her and things were rough between them but deep down she knew that all this wasn't permanent. Today he was bonding with the woman who was pregnant with his child and it was quite natural on his part but circumstances would change eventually. The one who was carrying his child would not be around forever and ultimately the child would land up in her lap and then obviously he would come back to her. After all for how long could he ignore the sacrifices she'd made as a wife. The distance that was widening between them would be bridged as soon as the baby would come in this world. For the moment he could throw his weight around but at the end all would be fine...she was sure of that. Seeing that khushi was all okay, she silently left from there.

Sometime later laxmi again came out to collect the dishes and saw both of them engaged in a conversation without shalini being around. khushi was learning different features of the cell phone from him. The whole situation was baffling her to no extent..khushi pregnant with a married man and his wife taking utmost care of her and the child! What the hell was going on? There were so many questions that were storming her mind but she couldn't voice them as shalini had strictly asked her after returning from the hospital to shut her trap. Since then she had done that but didn't know how long she could continue with it. Over this one month she had developed a special relation with khushi, she almost looked at her like her own daughter thus it was difficult for her to see khushi having a child out of a wedlock. The admiration that khushi had for him and her growing closeness towards him didn't please her one bit. She was aware of her limits and had absolute no say in the lives of these three individuals still her conservative mind and anxious heart didn't allow her to rest in peace.

While washing the dishes her wavering mind went back to arnav and shalini, what kind of a marriage was this? The tension and aloofness in their relation couldn't escape her experienced eyes. Last night instead of sharing the bed with his wife he was sleeping on the couch! They were surely distant and yet they were indifferent towards this distance... Weird.

And khushi, what was she doing with herself and her life? Couldn't she see that he was a married man and still she was carrying his child and that too without any regret. What was she hoping that he would leave his wife for her or was she prepared to be the second woman in his life? After going through a bad and traumatic marriage what was she getting into? It was a deep dark well that would only drown her.

The soapy plate slipped from her hands and broke into pieces, laxmi glanced at the scattered pieces and cursed herself, would khushi's life also slip from her hands and shatter like this?

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Slipping his hands in the pockets he strolled lazily on the terrace. The moon was adding beauty and splendor to the darkness of night. It was cold and windy, the strong breeze ruffled through his hair. The atmosphere was surcharged with calmness and quietness unlike the clamor and noise of ratnagiri. Standing near the railing he looked over the expanse of green fields, flowers and fruit laden trees that were clothed in the shine of moonlight. The sweet fragrance emitting from jasmine flowers, the dancing of petals to the wind and the trees whispering to each other was rendering an absorbing sight.

There was beauty and peace all around him yet his spirits felt dampened and distressed. Hollowness and loneliness imprisoned his soul. The despair that his heart experienced a month back when all of a sudden he was left alone in RM began to torment him once again. He was isolated, had always been isolated and tonight the vacuum within him was only deepening. Solitude was beginning to show him its claws and was getting prepared to pounce on him when he heard," Arnav ji" from behind.

" huh" he said as her sweet voice stirred his senses.

He turned around slowly and just then it hit him that she'd climbed up so many stairs to reach the terrace.

" you shouldn't have come up here." he sounded irritated with her but she shoved it off, she wasn't that weak as he was assuming.

" oh ho..i'm fine..can you just edit your name?" he gazed at her outstretched hand that was offering him the cell phone. What did she mean by changing his name in the cell phone?

" I call you arnav ji." She cleared his confusion. Shaking his head he began editing his name that he'd saved from 'ASR' to 'Arnav ji', for such a small thing she'd come up..silly!

Her whole world revolved around , 'arnav ji' the realization elated him somewhere and it sounded special from her lips.

Without saying anything he handed her the phone back and turned to watch over the fields again. She stared at his back for sometime and pondered whether to open her mouth or not. He could sense that she was still standing behind him.

" can I ask you something ?" she was still unsure to ask him.

"hmm"

" are you sure I can call you anytime ? ... I mean whenever I want to?"

He drew his brows together, what kind of a question was this? Of course she could call him any day any time! The reason why he gave her this cell phone was to enable her to keep in touch with him.

Looking over his shoulder he replied casually, " of course ." As though it wasn't a big thing but for her it was!

A quivering smile danced on her lips after hearing his answer. Nobody not even he knew how much this 'yes' meant to her, it meant that without worrying about anything she could speak to him. The hesitation in picking up shalini's phone on seeing his name flash would not be there anymore. She remembered the times when she would be eager to hear his voice, to share her thoughts with him and the phone would keep ringing in front of her but she wouldn't dare to take his call fearing that she might be coming in between him and shalini.

But now by gifting her, this phone and allowing her to talk to him, he had himself given her some right over him. For the world it might be a small or frivolous gesture on his part but for her it meant a lot. Glancing at the cell phone in her hand she thought, she wasn't excited on getting a new hand set, she'd bought and lost so many in the past but what mattered to her was that now she wouldn't have to depend on shalini to know about him nor she would be intruding in shalini's private space because he himself had given the phone in her presence, there was nothing that they were doing behind her back, everything was clear and out in the open.

It was getting late and it was getting cold still she didn't have the heart to go down and sleep. She ran her hands up and down her arms to keep herself warm , the cool breeze was hitting her but she wished to be with him. She took a few steps ahead and stood next to him near the railing.

The flowers, the trees, the whole atmosphere was bathed in the beautiful light of the moon but her eyes were stuck on him. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to feel her gaze on himself. With longingness floating in her eyes she looked at him for some time, hoping that he would share something with her. His hands were gripping the railing strongly, she could see his knuckles turn white and jaws clenched as though he was holding back a storm within him or was fighting a defeated battle with himself. She attempted to scrutinize his thoughts but couldn't as his face was refusing to give away anything. That solid wall which he'd built around himself to prevent anybody from entering his domain was still there, although she had managed develop cracks in it but she could only peep through those cracks and holes , she was still not allowed to bring down that wall and enter. His unbreakable silence turned her hope into disappointment, maybe like always he had nothing to say to her.

Dropping her gaze she turned around to leave. The end of her sari was dancing in the wind and landed up on his face bringing him out of his reverie. He closed his eyes as the soft fabric caressed his eyes and lips.

" you're leaving ? stay for sometime." his hoarse voice cut through the silence. She stopped in her tracks, had she heard correct? Did he just ask her to stay back? Looking in his direction she found him facing her. She stood there surprised for a minute before walking back to him. He folded his hands before his chest and stared down as his eyes scattered the floor. Even though he had nothing to say still he didn't want her to go. He didn't know why he desired to hold on to this moment and if possible stop the hours from ticking away.

Expecting him to start a conversation was too much to ask for hence she decided to initiate it.

" yesterday when you saw him how did you feel?" she asked while feeling her stomach. He lifted his lashes and glanced at her protruding belly. A soft smile tugged his lips as he recalled the moment when he was with her during the ultrasound. The small hands and legs of the baby immediately flashed before him. The latest image of the baby was well etched in his mind.

" wonderful ..something I can't express in words." The moment was blissful, there is nothing more beautiful in this world than to see your child growing. She smiled seeing him delighted. He closed his eyes savoring that image. However it wasn't long when the doctors words rung in his ears and he snapped open his eyes. The smile had faded away instead anxiety reflected in his dark pools.

" you still think you made the right decision ?"

For a while she failed to understand what decision he was talking. When his gaze fell on her stomach that's when it hit her. He was still worried about her health. He was still not convinced with her decision to carry on with this pregnancy. She sighed deeply, she didn't wish to get into an argument with him, especially when he would be leaving in a couple of hours. She shook her head, gave out a reassuring grin and teased him before leaving," don't worry , you're not getting rid of me so easily ." She believed that she was a tough woman and would definitely make it through this pregnancy, he would not get rid of her so easily, she smiled at her thought.

However he didn't find her statement amusing, she was playing with her life and there was nothing funny about it. He glared at her retreating back and spoke through gritted teeth.

"even I won't let you leave so easily ."

She halted in her steps and furrowed her brows. Turning around she looked at him hesitantly. Did he say that he wouldn't let her leave?

His eyes were cold and his face was serious. He meant every single word that he'd uttered. For the first time his determination made her jittery. She didn't know how to react and what to say. His words simply left her stunned!

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The next day she smiled weakly as he started the car and drove away. She waved out to him, obviously he didn't wave back instead looked at her through the rear view mirror. As he drove off into the morning she stood there for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading

Rose