UNSPOKEN LOVE #2 [Summary till Ch 25 Pg 115 || Ch 26 Pg 122](June 6) - Page 72

First of all, A Very Happy 5th Anniversary of IPKKND to you 🤗

Presenting to you, an important chapter on this special occasion 😳

_____________________________________

Link to CHAPTER 25

_______________________

Unspoken Love

Chapter 26

Khushi went out with the file. Arnav was waiting outside the gate sitting on the bonnet of the car. Khushi knew he was not at all in a good mood. She had already experienced his wrath. She didn't want to take any more risk now. She slowly walked towards the car. She was afraid to face him. She went ahead and stood behind him facing his back.

Arnav didn't notice Khushi come. He was engrossed in a deep thought, staring into the empty darkness. His seriousness scared Khushi more. His face bore mixed feelings... there was anger, there was hurt, there was agony, there was hatred, there was deep sorrow...

Khushi had a lump in her throat. Finally, with all her courage, she decided to speak...

"I am sorry Sir..." she said in a low voice, "I shouldn't have said all that... Main kuchh zyada hi bol gayi... I have no right to interfere in your personal life..." she said feeling guilty. "Please don't be angry... Please gussa mut keejiye... Mujhe bohot darr lagta hai..." said Khushi innocently. I am scared of your anger...

Arnav didn't say anything, nor did he move. Khushi didn't know what to say. Also she had to reach home before it was too late. But now she didn't think it right to ask Arnav to drop her after all that she had said to him. She knew Arnav needed to be left alone for some time. She spoke again...

"It's okay if you don't wish to drop me home..." she said, "I will go on my own..."

There was no reaction from Arnav. Khushi started walking ahead, looking around for an auto. She stopped suddenly when she heard Arnav speak...

"She is not my mother...!" said Arnav, still staring into the darkness.

Khushi turned around. "Jee?!" she said confused.

"Woh meri Maa nahi hai..." repeated Arnav. "Meri Maa toh..." he couldn't speak more. His eyes watered.

Khushi walked towards him in shock. "Yeh aap kya keh rahe hain...!!" What are you saying...!!

"Sach" he said. The truth. And a tear dropped down his eye.

Khushi was shocked to see tears in Arnav's eyes. "The" Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada could cry too?!! Of course he could... He too was a human after all...!!

"Are you okay, Sir?" asked Khushi.

Arnav was still sitting in the same position looking in the same direction.. still like a statue. Only his lips moved as he spoke.

"Saat saal ka tha main..." he said, "I was just seven years old. It was Sunday. Bhaiya and I were enjoying the holiday. Papa was at home. Maa was there too... My Maa... Veena...!" he smiled remembering his mother. "We were enjoying our Sunday lunch... Ma had prepared Aloo Paratha... our favourite! I had spilled water over my pant while drinking it. Bhaiya was teasing me. I was upset. Papa was scolding Bhaiya... showing fake anger just to make me feel better... Maa, as always, was on my side... She always supported me on such occasions..." he smiled as another tear rolled down his cheeks. Khushi was listening curiously. "Papa's phone rang. Some Nilima, about 28, who worked in our company, was fighting death in the hospital. She had to be operated on and her family had no money to pay" continued Arnav. "Papa toh humesha hi tayyar rehte hain logon ki madad karne ke liye... Being a generous man, Papa left for the hospital the next moment. Bhaiya and I were very upset. Sunday was supposed to be Family Day. Ek hi din tha jab hum sab saath mein khaate thay, khelte thay... But Papa had to go today too...! Maa tried to explain.. She always used to say 'Always try to help others... Doosron ki madad karne se humaara kuchh kum nahi hota... We never lose anything by helping others... We always gain many things... We gain respect, we gain blessings, we gain relations... and most important thing... we gain satisfaction...!!' Aur aaj Papa wohi karne gaye thay... kisi ki madad...!!" And Arnav's smile faded away suddenly. Scare filled his face. Khushi wanted to know more. She wanted to know what happened next. "Suddenly Maa started feeling restless..." Arnav became restless too while speaking... "She complained of chest pain. Bhaiya and I were scared. We were too small to take her to the hospital. Her pain was unbearable. I was crying seeing my Maa in pain. Bhaiya was a brave son. He told me to wait there with Maa and he soon called our neighbours. They made the arrangement to take Maa to the hospital. Bhaiya was trying to call Papa, but Papa was not picking up the phone. I was scared seeing Maa's condition. She was lying on the bed of the ambulance, unconscious. Mere toh kuchh samajh mein nahi aa raha tha... I just sat beside her, holding her hand in mine. During all this, Bhaiya had suddenly transformed into a mature and responsible son...! He was constantly trying to call Papa, but there was no response." Arnav was becoming more and more restless while narrating all this. "We reached the hospital and..." he stopped, tears flowing down his eyes endlessly. "How could they..." he sobbed. "How could they say it so easily... I didn't believe them. I didn't want to believe them. The doctors were joking... they were saying that my Maa was no more...! Maa aise kaise mujhe, hum sab ko chhod ke jaa sakti hai...!!" Arnav was breathless. Khushi's eyes filled with tears. "I tried to wake her up... I called out to her... I cried at the top of my voice... But the woman who could hear my unspoken words, was not able to hear even my screams today... She didn't even open her eyes to see that I was in pain..." Arnav's body shivered all over. "I was holding her tight... I didn't want to let her go... Bhaiya and others were pulling me off her body... and they took her away..." he paused to breathe and whispered... "away... forever...!!"

Khushi didn't know what to say. She could feel Arnav's pain.

"And then Papa came..." Arnav continued, still staring into the empty darkness. "His phone was on silent mode when he had gone to hospital to help Nilima... And when he came to know about Maa's death, he was shocked. And it took him many days to come back to normal..." Arnav took a deep breath and wiped his tears.

"She was wrong..." he said. "Maa was wrong... Helping others never gives us happiness. Papa had gone to help someone... And what did that give us? What did we gain? Nothing!! Instead we lost her... I lost my world!! I lost my Maa...!" Tears streamed down Arnav's cheeks. And suddenly the sorrow and pain on his face changed to anger. "And all this was because of Nilima...!! She was responsible for Maa's death...!!! If Papa were at home, we would have been able to take Ma to hospital sooner... And she would have been with us today...!!" he said in anger. "And that was not all, this Nilima later came to marry Papa?!! How could she even think of it!!!" Arnav was boiling with anger. "How could she think that she can take the place of Maa...!!! How could she think that she can replace someone for whose death she herself was responsible...!!" Arnav's anger was at its peak. "I hate her...!!! I just hate her...!!!!"

There was silence. Khushi was still trying to digest all that she had heard right now. She wanted to speak but waited for Arnav to calm down. After a while, Khushi spoke...

"I am really sorry to hear about your Maa..." she said sadly. "But how can you say that Nilima ji was responsible for all this? She herself was on death bed... She didn't do all this on purpose... right?" Khushi tried to clear Arnav's mind off his hatred towards Nilima.

"Yeh sab main nahi jaanta...!!" said Arnav. "I just know that she is unlucky for us...!!"

"Sir, for once, try to think in the other way..." said Khushi gently. "Everything happens for a reason... Everything happens for good... and..."

"So you are trying to say that Maa left us for good?!!" Arnav yelled back.

Khushi calmly said, "Maybe..." Arnav was very angry now. Khushi continued... "Maybe, if she had lived then, she would have had to tolerate immense pain... Maybe she would have had to face painful health problems... and death relieved her from them."

"I don't believe you are saying this...!!!" said Arnav in disbelief.

"We need to think positively and move ahead in life... Life is full of ups and downs... Everyone has problems in life... But not everyone is always sad. People are happy too... It depends on how we face and handle situations in life... It depends on our perspective... It depends on how we look at things... It depends on how we respond to situations in life..."

"Be positive, haan?!!" said Arnav. "Okay, then tell me... what is positive in Mrs. Raizada getting married to Papa?!!! Is there anything positive about it?!! C'mon tell me...!!" he yelled.

"Yes!" said Khushi. "You all needed someone to care for you, and she was there...!!"

"Care?!! Huh!!! She came because she cared for us...?!! She came to care for us like Maa used to?!! Impossible!!! She can never ever take Maa's place...!!" said Arnav.

"Aap ne kabhi unke nazariye se dekhne ki koshish ki hai? Have you ever tried to understand her? Have you tried to understand her decision? Her feelings? Her point of view?" asked Khushi.

Arnav was silent.

"Which young woman would readily get married to a man about some 10 years elder to her, who had lost his wife, and who already had two kids?" asked Khushi. Arnav was shocked at the question. Khushi continued, "Maybe somewhere she felt guilty... maybe she felt responsible for the death of her saviour's wife... maybe she felt sad that two kids lost their mother because of her... She could have easily got someone else, someone younger to marry. But she married your father... Because she wanted to see this family through... She wanted to give you all that your Maa would have given if she were alive..." said Khushi. "This is not easy... not at all...!! She sacrificed her wants for you all...!! And that is a very big thing... Not all can do this...!!!"

Arnav had never thought that way. He had always hated Nilima right from the day Maa left him.

"You cannot deny that she loves you a lot... she cares for you... probably more than your Maa would have... She always tries to fulfil all your wishes... She always wants to see you happy... Am I wrong in saying this?"

Arnav was silent. He recalled the days when he was in distress or whenever he was not well. Nilima used to stay awake all night only to see to it that Arnav slept well. She used to become restless whenever Arnav used to be late from school. It was Nilima who always read Arnav's mind, whether it was good or bad. He remembered it was Nilima who had cried the most when he had left for his higher education abroad. She cared for him more than anyone else. And what did Arnav gave her all these years? Just hatred and sorrow! She had to face his wrath for no reason. Still she never said anything. She tolerated all his misbehaviour just because it made him feel better. Now Arnav realized what Khushi was trying to say. His eyes watered. He had never tried to understand Nilima. He felt guilty for the way he had treated her all these years.

"Main bohot bura hoon... Buss logon ko takleef deta hoon... Why can't I give happiness to anyone? Why do I always hurt people...? Kya main itna bura hoon? Kya main..."

"Shhh...!!" said Khushi, trying to calm Arnav down. "Aisa kuchh nahi hai... You are a good person... Aap bohot achhe hain... Buss haalaaton ne aap ko badal diya hai... Circumstances have forced you to change... Ask yourself... Don't let circumstances control you... Listen to your heart now... and you will know how beautiful life is...!!" said Khushi smiling.

Arnav couldn't control his tears.

"Arey, kya hua?" asked Khushi. What happened?

"Maa ki bohot yaad aa rahi hai... I am missing Maa very much..." said Arnav. "Whenever I used to be confused, I used to go to Maa. I am missing her guidance badly. Not a single day passes when I don't miss her..."

"I understand..." said Khushi. "Afterall she was your Maa... And I can see how attached you were to her... And there is nothing wrong in it...!! Lekin yahan koi hai jo aap ke munh se "Maa" yeh shabd sunne ke liye itne saalon se taras raha hai... Koi hai jo aap se pyaar paane ke liye taras raha hai... Jo log ab nahi hai unke baare mein sochne se ya unhein yaad karne se woh wapas toh nahi aayenge... It is always better to think more about the people who are with you, around you... whose lives you can make better...! Think about and care for the people who have made you what you are today... who are always with you to support in all phases of life... who can be happy just with a few beautiful moments spent with you..." There's someone here who is desperately waiting since years to hear "Maa" from you... There's some one who is longing for your love... Those who are no more won't ever come back how much ever you keep thinking about or remembering them...

Now Arnav was feeling better. He had realized what Nilima meant to him. He wiped his tears. He was feeling as if a huge burden was off him. The haze in his mind was clear now. He looked at Khushi.

"Thank you...!" he said. "Khushi... agar tum nahi hoti... yeh sab nahi kehti... toh... pata nahi..." Khushi... If you weren't here... if you hadn't said all this... then... don't know...

"Buss buss..." Khushi interrupted. "I didn't know you are so emotional..." she said smiling.

Arnav immediately said "Please don't tell anyone that I cried in front of you okay?"

"Nahi bataungi..." said Khushi. "Top secret!" she whispered and winked. Both laughed. It was a rare sight to see Arnav laugh heartily.

Just then, Khushi's phone rang. Garima was worried for her. Everyone was waiting for her back home.

"Sorry... Meri wajah se tumhein late hua..." said Arnav. Sorry, you got late because of me...

"No problem at all... I was glad to meet a different Arnav Singh Raizada..." she said. Both smiled.

They got into the car. Arnav inserted the key and then stopped.

"Khushi, maine yeh sab baatein aaj tak kisi se nahi kahi thi... I haven't spoken all this even with Bhaiya or Bhabhi. Pata nahi aaj kyun laga ki tumhein batana tha... Tum se baat kar ke achha laga... Tum ne jo bhi kaha, Maa hoti toh woh bhi shayad yahi sab kehti...! Atleast tumhein toh lagta hai ki main bura insaan nahi hoon!" I haven't spoken all this even to Bhaiya or Bhabhi. Don't know why, I felt like telling you... Felt good talking to you... Whatever you said, I am sure Maa would have said the same! Atleast you think I am not a bad person!

"Aap hi ne toh kaha tha na ki main aap ko samajhti hoon...!" she smiled. Hadn't you said that I understand you? Arnav smiled too.

They left for Khushi's home.

Garima was waiting at the door. She saw the car arrive. Khushi got down and shut the door. She looked at Arnav.

"Thank you!" he said smiling.

"Life is a much better place..." said Khushi as she smiled and turned to leave.

"Khushi!!" Arnav called her.

She turned.

"I wanted to tell this since morning... Tum achhi lag rahi ho...!" he said and drove away. You are looking nice...!

Khushi was pleasantly surprised.

Aaj aap ki yeh baat sun kar

Khushi se jhoom utha hai yeh dil mera...

Yehi dua hai dhal jaaye yeh raat...

Aaye aap ki zindagi mein ek naya savera...!!

______________________________________________

Link to CHAPTER 27

______________________________________________

PS : Don't forget to hit LIKE... Waiting for your precious comments 😳