Arnav stood looking outside the window of his room. He couldn't stop thinking of those beautiful brown eyes. They had a mixture of emotions - there was sadness, there was fear, there was pain. Why? Was she really in pain? Was it because he was lying over her when they fell down? No... It was the pain of a deep wound, something she kept to herself... something that she had burried deep into her heart. Those eyes had something hidden in them... a mystery. Arnav looked at the rain outside and he remembered seeing the girl from his balcony. "Khushi..." he whispered. He remembered those words of her...
Yeh bhagya ke wohi kaale baadal hain,
Jo srishti ko khushiyon ki barsaat de gaye...
Lekin meri zindagi mein yeh baadal aise chhaye,
Ki kabhi na dhalne waali raat de gaye...
(Meaning - These are those clouds of fortune that have given rains of happiness to the nature... But the same clouds brought with them those never-ending dark nights in my life...)
Why did she say that? Arnav was sure that something bad had happened with her in the past and that she had not yet come out of it.
Kaveri Mausi came there to call Arnav for lunch. Arnav went with her to the dining room.
*****
Everyone sat around the table. Khushi made sure she sat away from Arnav. Ramu too joined them. Kaveri Mausi always insisted everyone to have lunch and dinner together, be it the famous writer or his servant. For her, everyone was equal and Arnav too agreed, except for the interns. But today, he didn't have any objection to have Khushi there. Kaveri Mausi didn't fail to notice that. She smiled. Arnav was frequently looking at Khushi as she stared down at her feet. Both didn't say a word. Assuming that they were seeing each other for the first time, Kaveri Mausi introduced Khushi to Arnav.
"Hi..!" said Arnav with a smile but Khushi remained silent. Kaveri Mausi was very surprised to see Arnav greet his intern with a smile. That was unbelievable for her! Arnav was shameful that he didn't get up immediately when he fell on her. He was sad that it may have created a bad impression of his on Khushi. He just wanted to make clear that the fall wasn't intentional.
Kaveri Mausi told everyone to begin eating. Everyone was silently eating. Only the sounds of munching and clatter of plates and spoons were audible. The silence, especially silence of Khushi, was disturbing Arnav. He couldn't refrain from speaking. "Kaveri Mausi" he said, "I would like to share with you a couple of lines I came up with a few minutes ago..." Everyone looked at him waiting to hear. Khushi too was curious to know what he was about to say. Arnav glanced at Khushi as he said these lines...
Kab tak kaale baadal dhak paayenge sooraj ko,
Chaahe woh chaaro taraf se ho baadalon se ghira;
Chaahe raat kitni hi lambi kyun na lage,
Harr raat zaroor dhalti hai de kar naya savera...!!
(Meaning : No matter how the clouds surround the sun, they can never block the sun for long. However long the night may seem, after every night there comes dawn!)
Khushi was stunned to hear those lines. She was surprised to know that Arnav had heard her when standing in the balcony. And she understood that Arnav's lines were a reply to hers. Kaveri Mausi and Ramu praised Arnav for his lines. But Arnav was waiting for Khushi's reaction. Khushi looked at him knowing not what to say. She was surprised that he understood her pain behind those lines. Her eyes watered but she composed herself. Arnav was waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't speak. Though Khushi was silent, Arnav could make out her thoughts through her eyes. He had a faint smile on his lips as he looked at her to say that everything will be fine.
*****
After the lunch, Khushi and Ramu helped Kaveri Mausi to clean the table and the kitchen. Arnav was waiting for Khushi to walk past his room so that he could talk to her. As Khushi was going to her room, Arnav called out to her. She stopped, clutching her mobile tightly in her hand in nervousness.
"Khushi, if you are upset about whatever happened before lunch, I am really sorry! I didn't mean to do that... I swear I didn't fall over you intentionally!"
Something inside her told Khushi to believe in him. She turned to face him, still looking down at the floor. "I am not upset any more, Sir!" she said.
Arnav felt better. "Thank you!" he said, "And one more thing, I am working on a new book. I will brief you about it tomorrow, and then your work begins!"
Khushi nodded. Arnav was about to go into his room when Khushi called out to him. "Sir!" she said, "I have read all your books so far... And I love your writing! The only thing I don't like about your stories is that you have ended all of your stories have on a sad note. Why always sad? Does every story have to end that way?" Khushi's voice was wet. Tears filled her eyes. "Sir, if you are planning your next story too with a sad end, I am sorry but I will not work on it with you!" she said in a determined tone.
"What the..." Arnav was shocked and angry. Now an intern will tell him what to write and what not to write?!! "How dare you say that!!" he yelled, "Don't forget you are just an intern! You work for me! Who are you to tell me what and how to write?!!" he was fuming in anger. Khushi couldn't believe he was saying that. He looked at her in anger and said, "Tomorrow morning I want you out of here!!" Saying so Arnav went into his room and locked the door.
Khushi stood shocked at her place. Listening to Arnav's loud voice, Kaveri Mausi reached there. She looked at Khushi who was standing there with tears in eyes, staring at the closed door of Arnav's room. Kaveri Mausi got an idea of what must have happened. She approached Khushi to talk to her, but Khushi ran to her room and locked herself in. Kaveri Mausi felt sad for her.
*****
Khushi sat on the bed embracing herself. Arnav's words had hurt her. Those words were reverberating through her mind. How dare you say that!! Don't forget you are just an intern! You work for me! Who are you to tell me what and how to write?!! Khushi's eyes watered. She tried to compose herself, she tried not to cry. But she couldn't help of thinking about Arnav's words... Tomorrow morning I want you out of here!! Now Khushi couldn't stop herself from crying. "How can you be so rude?" Khushi said as she wept. "Why is the world so cruel to me?!! Why?!!!" she cried, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why..." she whispered. She was all alone in the room, no one to listen to her cries, no one to console her, no one to share her sorrow, her pain... "I hate this world!!" she cried, "And I hate YOU Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada!! I just hate you!!"
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Indian Mythology
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