Note: Many of you must have read it already as it was written for #IPKKND 7th Anniversary contest.⭐️
Heal Me
Arnav was watering his plants but flashes of Khushi running into his arms and crying on his shoulder in hospital aren't ready to leave him. He cursed himself for not giving her the support, she unknowingly searched in him. But how can she find comfort in him, when all he have always done I hurt her, taunt her and torture her for no reason?
He closed his eyes in frustration as Lavanya walked inside his room, blabbering about what Nani is saying but the mention of Khushi's name got his attention. "It's been many days but Chamkili is still not here, it's not like her staying with her babu ji all the time would recover him from paralysis."
Arnav looked at her angrily "If you can't emotionally support her then it's better you don't speak at all. You're talking about her father, at least try to be little more sympathetic." Anjali who was limping towards them. "Chotte, I want to visit Khushi ji and her family" Arnav nodded as his face brightened "Sure Di, You wait downstairs, I am coming." Arnav looked at him with wide eyes "You're also coming?"
Arnav turned his back to her as he picked another pair of clothes to change "Of course Di, I am not letting you go there alone." Anjali smiled and left knowing very well that won't ever accept that he actually cares and Lavanya also followed, irritated.
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Arnav frowned looking at the crowd gathered in front of Gupta house and looked at Anjali who looked equally clueless. Parking his car on side they got down and walked towards her house only to stop abruptly. Arnav's eyes widened looking at the crying faces and statue like Khushi sitting on another side, her eyes on the body laying in front of them. He gulped painfully as flashes of his own painful past flashed in front of him, Anjali clutched his hand as both siblings tried to support each other.
Arnav tried to take step back and run away from the scene but one look at Khushi who was sitting like stone and he stopped. He was just going to take step towards her when his sister's grip on his arm stopped him and he looked her who was looking shocked, his eyes turned to see what she is looking at and his eyes widened looking at his Jija ji who giving shoulder to the body of Khushi's Babu ji. He looked at him confused and was going to ask what he is doing here when he saw Khushi finally moving as she tried to run behind her Babu ji's body asking them to not take away her Babu ji.
If the events till now wasn't enough shock then what happened next left him more shocked. Khushi's aunt pulled her back, not even letting her touch her Babu ji, she was cursing her, calling her bad omen. He looked at her angrily as Khushi continued to cry looking at the direction of her Babu ji but the woman was busy in blaming her and then pushed her, resulting her to fall back on ground.
"Shashi Babua shouldn't have given shelter to this bad omen, first she gulped her parents and now my brother. Ungrateful girl, couldn't even complete his last wish." She bellowed when her sister Payal tried to support her. Unable to take anymore he marched forward "Stop it! Her father also died and instead of supporting her, you're cursing her?" He shouted at her aunt.
Khushi looked at him with wide eyes "What is he doing here? And why is he speaking for her?" She thought. "Who are you to speak in our family matters?" Madhumati shouts back. "If it's your family matter then you shouldn't be making scene on the roads." Arnav said looking at Khushi, Anjali was also standing beside her now.
"I will keep saying that she is a curse. If only she would have married Shyam babua then at least Shashi Babua would have died in peace, knowing his one daughter is settled in life but no she snatched that also." She cried standing beside Garima who was herself crying. "Married whom?" Arnav asked as Anjali& him suddenly felt unknown fear creeping inside. His Jija ji was here, carrying Shashi Gupta's body when they didn't even know about his demise and now Madhumati talking about Khushi's marriage with some Shyam.
"Shyam? The guy who carried your brother's body? How do you know him?" Arnav asked looking at his sister who suddenly looked pale and whatever they heard next made their worst fear come true. History is repeating, they have been cheated again.
Arnav was instantly on his sister's side and when others looked at them confused, a raged Arnav told them everything about Shyam and how he is cheating both of their families. His eyes were on Khushi who again went back to her stone self. He thought at least now her aunt will support her but she started cursing her again, paying no attention to Payal's pleadings. He looked stunned when she returned back with two bags and threw outside. "There's no place for bad omen like you in this house now. I won't let you snatch whatever we have left with." She said folding her hands and started pulling Payal inside.
Anjali and Arnav looked at each other as they remembered how they were thrown outside their house when their parents died. Something inside him snapped looking at at Khushi who was sitting on ground with no reaction and empty eyes. She tried to find comfort in him that day in hospital because something inside her trusted him enough and though he have failed her that day, he won't fail her today.
Leaving Anjali to stand on her own he walked towards Khushi and made her stand "Madhumati Gupta" He screamed making everyone to look at him "She's not alone. I take her responsibility from today but let me tell you, you'll soon regret whatever you're doing today." He looked at Khushi who was looking at him with no expression and hugged her. Anjali smiled proudly at her brother as she picked Khushi's bags. Arnav holds both his women in each arm and made them sit inside the car.
He called police to have Shyam arrested while driving towards Shantivan and that night when he walked inside Khushi's room, she was still laying there gazing at ceiling with no expressions. He tried to make her speak but she didn't react, in those moments he realized that this mere, tiny girl have become someone really important in his life. He can't give any name to this emotion right now but he vowed to protect her from every bad. She won't face the cruelty he have faced, he will bring back really Khushi.
The End.
I am not satisfied. Really, I am not. I wanted to write more but the competition has word limit and I had to delete many scenes in this update also, forget about writing more. :(
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