Arshi FF: The Broken Hearts#2 NEW LINK ADDED pg 153 - Page 47

Chapter 16

Part 2

The initial two years in New York were quite hectic for Arnav. His job was extremely demanding. He'd have to slog himself from Monday to Friday, but he didn't complain. After all this was what he wanted, to reach the top and for that he had to work hard. However the weekends would be lonely, with no family and friends around. Those were the days when he'd miss Khushi. Back in India he didn't realize how her short and sudden calls would reduce his stress. Listening about her daily routine would divert his mind from his job and keep him grounded. At the same time she would patiently listen about his new developments at the work front. If professionally he was moving ahead then he had someone to share it with. But here in New York it was different, he was moving ahead but he was alone. There was nobody to share his achievements. He was getting successful like he wanted but he couldn't enjoy that success. If he stopped and looked around then he had no one by his side who would be happy for him. And could he blame anyone for this? No, he himself had chosen this busy, successful and lonely life.
There had been someone in his life who had made him feel wanted and very special but he'd not valued her.
Sitting in his lavish apartment, loneliness would often creep in and compel him to think about Khushi. What would she be doing back in Delhi? Had she completed her graduation? Did she miss him? Had she moved on in life?
And when this emptiness would grow deep then it would strangle his conscience and force him to see his ugly face. How ruthless and selfish he had been with her!

Not once but several times he'd wish to pick up the phone and talk to her...hear her sweet voice. But he'd fight the urge. His mind wouldn't let him succumb to his heart.

Like this two years passed. Now he was free from his contract, he could go back. But did he want to?
His heart wanted to, because it still loved Khushi, it still craved for her, it still desired to be with her. But...Like before, his ambitious and selfish mind, crushed his once love filled but now lonely heart. After moving so much ahead would it be wise to step back? Moreover this was not the end of the road for him, he still had some milestones to achieve. What about his dream of setting up his own business, had he forgotten it? And by moving back what would he show that he was weak and his decision of giving up everything to chase his dreams was wrong?
So he made up his mind to stay back in New York to start his own business venture. His job had given him quite a bit of exposure in the fields of finance and marketing. Hence he decided to enter into fashion business.
While setting it up he met Lavanya.. Lavanya kashyap who had also been a part of the marketing team of his previous job. Like Arnav she too wished to do something big and not just work under someone. So Arnav offered her to lead the marketing department of his new firm. She immediately grabbed the opportunity and worked along with Arnav to establish A R enterprises.
Arnav was impressed by her intelligence. He liked her practical approach towards life and her drive to succeed fascinated him. Their interests and mindsets matched well, so one fine day he proposed to her. Professionally he was achieving his goals but on the personal front, that vacuum was still there. At some point in time, he had to settle down in life, so why not with Lavanya who was so much like him. He invited Anjali and Dadi for the wedding. But neither of them could make it. The kids were growing up and Anjali couldn't leave them to be a part of the wedding ( it was just an excuse, deep down he knew she was disappointed with him for the way he had treated Khushi.) And Dadi wasn't fit enough to travel alone, so on his D day no one from his family was by his side.

Over the years his business grew bigger but something else too grew deeper...and that was, emptiness in his life. He was married but still he was a loner.
He and Lavanya instead of walking ahead, hand in hand, started to drift away as they chose to follow different paths.
Lavanya no longer wished to be the marketing head of his company. She wanted to stand on her feet. She didn't wish to be known just as Mrs. Raizada. She wanted her separate identity. She wanted to do something more substantial. She wanted to be a model!

Whereas Arnav didn't wish to see his wife, clad in skimpy clothes, walking on the ramp or posing before photographers. He knew how the industry worked so he definitely didn't want his wife to enter this glamorous world. On the contrary he wanted to start a family with her...bring a little new one in this world. He deeply wanted to be a father. He wanted to have a daughter and call her Shona!
But unfortunately the world didn't work as per his desires and Lavanya was very much part of this world. The idea of motherhood didn't appeal to her. She was young, beautiful and talented, so why would she waste her time on raising a family? She knew what she wanted and she went for it. So what if Arnav didn't support her? So what if he refused to let her model for his company? His opinion and permission weren't important for her. She was an independent woman and knew how to get what she desired.
So she went ahead and joined Arnav's rival company that gave her a chance to face the limelight. From there on there was no looking back and indeed there was no looking back.
Once again Arnav would return to an empty house that could never turn into a home. Before marriage he was alone but after marriage this loneliness spread like termite into his life and turned his heart even more hollow. In the silence of his room where he wished to hear laughter of a child, all he heard were helpless sobs of Khushi.
He never wanted to be a part of the crowd, he always wanted to stand out. And he'd actually find himself standing alone in the crowd. During his days of success Lavanya would not be there holding his hand and during his nights of loneliness, she'd be drinking, smoking and partying with her friends.
Instead of sharing their lives together, they would only indulge in fights and bitter arguments. As much as Arnav would have wanted to be a part of her life , he would always feel unwanted.
And to solidify that hurtful feeling, one day she threw divorce papers on his face. She no longer desired to be with him. She wanted to end their relationship. In other words she wanted to break up with him!
This wasn't the first time that Arnav was facing such a situation, it had happened before...but it felt different. Because he wasn't calling the shots, he wasn't snapping ties...Instead he was at the receiving end...he was being left! And the feeling wasn't pleasant...it was painful!
Breaking a relationship is easy but accepting it with its flaws and pursuing it, is tough. This he had learnt from Khushi. Her aunt was horrible with her but she never left her home and broke ties with her. When he had insulted her in the library and claimed that they were just friends, still she didn't stop loving him...She gave him and their love a fair chance.
He would do the same, so what if he didn't love Lavanya, she was his wife and this marriage was important for him . He wouldn't end it so easily. He would try and accept her with her dreams and ambitions. She wanted to be independent and make a name for herself so he floated a new firm in her name, where she'd be the boss and he wouldn't interfere.
The next few months went by peacefully. There were less arguments because Arnav made sincere efforts to save their marriage. And he felt that now things weren't slipping from his hands, till one day something terrible came into his hands.
It was Lavanya's medical report. It stated that she'd went for an abortion. Arnav couldn't believe his eyes? Did he read right? Did he understand right? Or was there any kind of confusion?
Sadly there hadn't been any misunderstanding. When he confronted Lavanya, she admitted that she was indeed six weeks pregnant but she didn't want the baby so she terminated the pregnancy.

She killed his baby and she didn't regret it.

The timing of this baby didn't suit her. Recently she had been offered to be the brand ambassador of a leading lingerie line for two years. And she had accepted the offer. In such a situation the pregnancy would ruin her figure so she went ahead and aborted the child. Simple!
She was pregnant and she didn't even find it necessary to tell him that she was carrying his baby. She knew how badly he wanted to be a father, yet she terminated her pregnancy and didn't bother to consult him before doing it.
When he went back to the hospital, the doctor told him that it was a girl. Arnav's eyes burnt with unshed tears of grief, pain and anger.

She had killed his shona!

The baby didn't only belong to her, it was his as well. How could she take such a huge step without letting him know? How could she do this to him?

Enough! Now he didn't wish to stay with her. In fact he didn't wish to stay in this city itself. No, doubt it had given him a lot but at a very hefty price.

He went back to India, to his family and filed for a divorce. Both Anjali and Dadi only knew that he wasn't compatible with Lavanya, hence had decided to separate. Only his lawyers were aware of the exact reason of his separation, not his family. It was his grief, his loss and he wished to bear it alone. It had been over an year and still the divorce proceedings were going on. Lavanya's name was still stuck with his.
all that happened was the punishment that he deserved for leaving Khushi. Once he had decided to pursue his dreams but at the cost of crushing Khushi's dreams. Now Lavanya had done the same with him. She walked over his dream of being a father, to fulfill her dream of becoming a super model.
The decision of breaking up with Khushi had been taken by him, without caring to discuss with her when it was not just about his happiness but Khushi's as well. Similarly Lavanya also aborted the child without consulting him when his happiness was also at stake.
Just like his ambitions had blinded him and he failed to see Khushi's tears, Lavanya too shattered his heart to achieve her goals.
Khushi's love had been an obstacle in his path, so he crushed it. Likewise his baby was an obstacle in Lavanya's path, so she killed it.

So all this ache and misery that he endured , he rightfully deserved it!

Somewhere down the line he had always wished to see Khushi in Lavanya. But instead of Khushi, Lavanya showed him, his face. She showed him the real Arnav, who was selfish, heartless and unworthy of true love!
He wanted money, power, control...He had all that yet his hands were bare and his life empty.
Today he hated Lavanya but he couldn't hate her without first hating himself!
He had taken Khushi for granted, her love for granted and carelessly broken her heart...Today his own heart was in pieces!

Thanks for reading

Rose