Arshi FF: The Broken Hearts #3 NEW LINK ADDED pg 146 - Page 21

Part 2

Payal lowered herself in the basin and vomited for the second time in the evening. Khushi standing next to her, gently patted her back.
Payal washed her face and dried it with a towel.
" have this." Khushi gave Payal a glass of lemon juice. After taking a few sips, Payal sat on the recliner and rested her head back.
" thanks Khushi, I badly needed this." She said through closed eyes and relaxed.
" feeling better?" Khushi asked.
" hmm."
" why this sudden nausea and vomiting?" Khushi bit the inside of her cheek. " are you pregnant?" She teased Payal, who immediately sat up. " I hope not."

Payal quickly glanced at the calendar, did she skip her due date? Thank god, she hadn't.
Khushi giggled seeing her reaction. " relax Payal, I was just joking."
Payal smiled and again lay her head back. " divya, is so young. I'm not prepared for a second child. Moreover all that nausea, vomitings, mood swings..please give me a break."
" true. The first trimester, literally drains you out." Khushi added.
Payal opened her eyes and looked at Khushi in surprise as she continued
" Though pregnancy is a wonderful experience but it can be very exhausting, both physically and mentally." Khushi glanced at Payal, the wary look on her face made Khushi realize what she was blabbering .
" pregnancy? How do I know about it so well?" Her question made Payal shudder, did she remember about her pregnancy and Sia?
" have I ever been? No, no its impossible..I'm not even married." Khushi reminded herself and peered at Payal for reassurance.
" ah ..you're right..And being a woman we are generally aware of such things." Payal tried to dispel the doubts if any cropping in Khushi's mind.
" Yeah. But you know I feel deeply connected with Sia. Though we aren't related..but I feel otherwise. She's more than a responsibility for me." Khushi looked at Payal with mixed emotions, there was a hint of both sadness and fondness in her eyes. " She brings out a mother in me."
Now Payal was at a loss of words, what Khushi felt was true..but could she tell her that?
Payal silently sipped on the lemon juice.
" I think you should have something light for dinner." Khushi suggested.

Payal nodded. " it's indigestion, I guess."
Divya came to her mother. " I'm hungry."
Khushi stood up at once. " I'll get the food on the table."
" by the way where's Sia?" Payal asked.
" She must be in Arnav ji's room looking for him. These days, every morning I'm finding her there and before going to bed, she will peep into his study, to check if he's working there." Though Khushi found it sweet and endearing, Payal felt different. This bonding only worried her.

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

Four days later.

" so, have the divorce proceedings ended?" Payal asked.
" yes, finally. One more day to finish the paper work and then Arnav can breathe peacefully." Replied Aakash.
" hmm he'll be a free man."
" you don't sound happy saying that." He could sense the disappointment in his wife's tone.
" after ruining Khushi's life, how can I be happy for him?"
Aakash rolled his eyes. " then what do you want?"
" I wish to see him suffer." Pat came her reply.
" And how will that happen?"
There was a long pause. " I don't know."
" Payal you're being unreasonable. You know Arnav has had a tough marriage, he has lost his child yet you like to believe that he hasn't suffered at all."
" not as much as Khushi. And even if he has then it's because of his own decisions that went wrong. But Khushi, she's been innocent all along." Payal argued.
" yes Khushi has endured pain without any fault of hers, I'm not denying that..But Arnav's pain and loss shouldn't be ignored just because he made some poor decisions."
" it's not that I wish to be harsh on Arnav, when I think about his child, I do feel bad for him..but.."
" but what Payal? You can see he regrets leaving Khushi and he is doing all he can to mend his mistakes." Why was his wife seeing just one side of the coin?
" honestly speaking Aakash, it might sound crude but as an outsider, I see Arnav having the best of both the worlds. He has Khushi who is madly attracted to him, in every talk she has to mention him and then there's Sia who just can't stay away from him."
Aakash agreed with Payal to a certain extent, even he had seen both Khushi and Sia getting sad and upset when they were leaving for New York, but then could Arnav be blamed for that?
" Arnav didn't care about Khushi and left her right? Now when Khushi's family has abandoned her, he has taken her responsibility, he's not again ignored and moved on in his life. Instead he's making all efforts to protect Khushi and see that nothing harms her. And even you know he's doing all this from his heart. Now if seeing his good side, Khushi is falling for him then what is his fault?"
" but Aakash.."
" no, please listen to me Payal. Khushi though has forgotten everything but still her heart beats for Arnav. What does it show? Their love though buried somewhere but still it's breathing."
" the day Khushi recovers, this love shall die forever and then what will happen to Sia? The poor child sees him as her father..a father that he can't be."
Aakash let out an audible sigh. " what happens tomorrow , we all don't know. But I can surely say that Arnav deeply loves Khushi and Sia."
" he loves his shona , not Sia."
Aakash shook his head in dismay. " you know he loves kids , he's very close to his niece and nephew..even with divya, he's so sweet..And Sia, is such an adorable child, how can he not love her? And tell me one thing had he not showered love on Sia , would you not have accused him of being heartless, in spite of losing his child he couldn't love another fatherless child?"
Yeah probably she would have.
" Okay I admit he's trying to correct his mistakes but he's doing it out of guilt and not love."
Aakash was now surprised by her statement. " really Payal you think, it's all guilt and not love? The way he dotes on Sia, it's not love? And remember how he had bashed that drunkard who had slapped Khushi, if not stopped, he would have probably killed that man. Still you think he doesn't love Khushi..can't you see it in his eyes?"
" if he truly loved Khushi then he wouldn't have left her and gotten busy to pursue his dreams."
" was he the only one who left Khushi and got busy?" Aakash asked in a low voice.
Payal furrowed. " what do you mean?"
" what I mean is that it's very easy to point a finger at Arnav and hold him responsible for Khushi's miseries but even he can ask you that after he left Khushi, what did you do as a friend? Today you are all protective towards your friend but six years back, where did all this concern go?"
" Aakash, we were newly married then, we had a home and our careers to balance."
" exactly like Arnav, we also moved ahead in our lives leaving Khushi behind. If Arnav wasn't a great lover then we weren't great friends too."
Payal lowered her head as guilt started to prick her heart. His husband was somewhere correct but then career pressure, family duties forced them to leave Delhi and stay in Mumbai for two years and during this time she completely lost contact with Khushi.
" Aakash please stop acting like Arnav's lawyer."
He smiled. " sweetheart, I'm your husband first and then Arnav's legal consultant. All I'm trying to say is that we all made mistakes because we are humans, we can't be perfect. At some point we all have been selfish but that doesn't mean we don't love Khushi. We do. We do care about her. Yes Arnav's mistake can't be ignored but today if he's repenting and truly loving Khushi and Sia then why ignore that as well?"
Payal scratched her forehead. " you make sense. But I need time."
" you've seen Khushi cry for Arnav and now you're seeing her smile because of him. What you wish to hold and what you wish to let go, is up to you. For once think from Arnav's point of view as well, that's all I urge."

When Payal returned to the room she found Sia sitting on her rocking horse with Khushi kneeling beside her, holding the cellphone before Sia. They both were talking to Arnav on Skype. Payal didn't wish to intrude, so she stepped out in the balcony.
" hey shona, how are you?" Arnav smiled seeing Sia before him. Even she was thrilled to see him and immediately tried to grab the phone as if she could pull Arnav out of the phone. They would talk every day and every day Sia would be super excited to chat with him.
" I miss you so so much." Sitting before the laptop, Arnav spread his arms wide to show how much he was missing her. Seeing that Khushi giggled and said. " even Sia, misses pa a lot. Isn't it Sia?" To which Sia started blowing kisses at Arnav. Moisture seeped into his eyes seeing her innocent love. He wished he could then and there pick her up in his arms.
" Sia, ask pa when will he back?"
" tomorrow."
" yay." Khushi showed her excitement. " And then no work."
" absolutely no work, only play..we'll plan a picnic."
And then suddenly Arnav sneezed loud, startling both Khushi and Sia.
Khushi turned the cellphone toward herself. " Arnav ji, you've caught cold."
Arnav sniffed. " hmm I think so."

Khushi looked at him carefully, his eyes were red. " And what are you doing for that?"
" Khushi's it's common cold, there's nothing to worry..anyway you say, what should I get for you?"
Khushi gave him a disappointed look. " first cold and then you'll catch fever."
" do one thing, have a big cup of ginger tea." She suggested.
" Khushi, you know I don't like tea."
Khushi rolled her eyes, how could she forget his love for black coffee. " okay don't have tea but at least have chicken soup before going to bed."
Arnav sighed in agreement, as if he was doing a favor on her.
" fine I'll have chicken soup. And you've still not told me what should I get you?"
Before Khushi could part her lips, Arnav sneezed again, this time harder.
" Arnav ji you don't look good. Listen to me , mix honey with ginger and have it. It will help."
Arnav made a dirty face. " no way, that tastes yucky."
Khushi glared at him. " stop behaving like a baby. Either you have it on your own or I'll ask Aakash to force it down your throat." Seeing her angry only amused him and he openly grinned at him. " how many times do I have to tell you, that you look very cute when you're annoyed."
Khushi frowned at his statement, he found her cute, that was nice and he has told her this before..but when?
" Khushi, I'll take care of myself. I promise. And now can you please tell me, what should I buy for both of you?"
Khushi smiled. " nothing. Really nothing. We have everything. You just come back home..quickly."
" I will." Arnav smiled back and waved his hand before disconnecting the call. She had no idea how desperately even he wished to return to her and Sia. This place only drove him lonely, the memories here were painfully bitter..his happiness was with Khushi and he couldn't wait to be by her side.

After putting Sia to bed, Khushi went to the balcony. Payal was still there. Her chat with Aakash was playing on her mind. She was harsh on Arnav, she admitted to herself and he was regretting his mistakes..but still he had a long way to go. She was nobody to punish him..He was Khushi's culprit. And how would Khushi react on knowing her past with him, would decide his future.
" not sleepy?" Khushi asked bringing Payal out of her thoughts.
" it's nice out here. So thought of taking a stroll." Payal smiled and glanced at Khushi. " what's the matter, you look very happy?"
" Arnav ji, is coming back tomorrow..the house seemed empty without him." Payal could see the excitement in Khushi's eyes.
" though Arnav ji, isn't talkative but still his mere presence is so comforting. I'm glad he'll be back soon." God she couldn't stop talking about him, as if besides him there was nothing else to think and talk about.
" And you know Payal, Arnav ji has caught cold..And he doesn't wish to do anything about it. When it comes to me and Sia, he's so particular..but for himself, he's very careless..I'm so worried about him..I think I should.."
Payal suddenly interrupted her. " Khushi, do you love Arnav?"

Khushi's mouth hung open and her heart skipped a beat.