Hey Guys,
Thank you for your love to the previous chapter. Now it's my turn to post the next one.
So here presenting you the next chapter of the story.
Chapter 3
Payal was still unsure of Khushi living in the outhouse. She was not getting a good feeling about Arnav's reaction on this. Lamenting in her thoughts, she marched towards the kitchen in a hurry. Though she never cooks, she always takes charge of the menu.
“You here?” Payal was shocked to find Khushi in the kitchen.
“Hello Payal Ji.” Khushi smiled at her as continued stirring the curry. “I thought of cooking the dinner since I have nothing to do all day.”
“But, HP cooks for us, you really don’t need to bother.” Payal said politely.
“It’s okay, HP ji has other works to do, I can cook from now on. Only if you don’t mind.”
Payal looked at Khushi, she didn’t know why but she somehow felt attached to her. She couldn’t deny her request.
“I’ll talk to my husband and brother in law.” She sighed.
Arnav entered into his room after having dinner. His mind, on its own accord, still wandered to all the memories since his childhood. They were a happy family, his father, mother, his elder sister Anjali, his little brother Akash and he. Everything was so perfect for them, until…
His thoughts stopped short. That memory was too painful to think of, even now. Every time he came across fire, he felt fragile. Those thoughts made him weak. He had always managed himself on being focused in all situations, but every time those memories engulfed him, he so wanted to break down. Tears filled his eyes, but they just wouldn't spill out. He was too stubborn to let them.
“Bhai?” a voice from behind him broke his trance. He turned towards the door only to find Payal looking at him with a concerned look on her face. He couldn't possibly tell her that he was lost again. Lost in memories that he ought not to. But, he was sure that she'll understand somehow, because he couldn't hide anything for long from her.
"Yes Payal?” He asked as she came inside.
“ Ah.. Bhai, how was the food today?” Payal asked in hesitation.
“Good. I mean.. It was different than other days, and good.” Arnav remembered the tasty food he ate after a long time few hours ago.
“Actually, Khushi needs help and she doesn’t want to be a burden, so she offered to cook today and you said it was good.. So I was thinking if we could, you know..”
“Hire her.” Arnav completed her. “Okay, I am anyway tired of tasteless food cooked by HP. We need a change. ”
“Really? Thank you so much Bhai! I have already arranged her stay at the outhouse.” Payal chirped and left the room in order to share the news with Akash.
After finishing her work in the kitchen, Khushi went back to the outhouse. She was glad that there were still good people like Payal and her family in this cruel world. She always wanted to be independent. But her psychopath husband never let her.
“You are married to me now. And you need to follow my orders!”
His words were still echoing in back of Khushi's head which he had said on the first day of their marriage. How can he say that? She was a human, his wife, not a slave who would follow his orders blindly.
She had felt suffocated the moment those words left his mouth. But she had tried to convince herself to adjust with him and work on her marriage but Shyaam would never leave a chance to mistreat her, humiliate her and torture her.
Emptiness crept in her heart again. She still remembers when her stepmother had fixed her marriage with that jerk.
She didn't give her a chance to even think about it.
Khushi went to the terrace, looking down at the city. The dusk was quickly becoming dark. The street lights were making the city glow beautifully in darkness.
What in the world has been destined for her, she thought. But it didn't fail to make her realize that prince charming and perfect, happily ever after exists only in fairy tales.
As time elapsed, Khushi found herself staring at the palm of her hands, slowly tracing the bruises provided by her so called husband. Her vision blurred as a single tear drop fell onto her palm. The tear that personified her hidden feelings of pain, fear and loneliness.
She raised her eyes towards the sky.
“Why is my fate so cruel?” she asked the heavens above. “Am I destined to live unhappily for the rest of my life?”
She couldn’t help the tears from falling down. Her heart ached, She wanted to scream her lungs out. The pain was unbearable now, she was crying bitterly on her fate but there was no one who could listen to her, who could take away her pain and who could heal her fractured heart.
Arnav walked inside his study in the condition worse than ever before, he was frustrated, dejected. He couldn’t understand why was he still not back to normal yet. He started searching for his canvas and brushes. It was high time he paints something. Painting was only thing that provided him peace, after every time his past bothered him. He couldn’t believe he had been so messy with his stuffs in the room.
The room was built for his paintings but now what he could see were only files, papers, and the office stuff.
After his little battle in finding all his required stuffs, he climbed up the stairs to reach the terrace again. He placed the canvas in his favourite spot and opened his colours and palette.
Even after searching few topics on google, Arnav just couldn't find the inspiration, he sat for nearly an hour staring at the white canvas. Irked by his own state of mind, he began to mix the colours absentmindedly, with no actual goal or plan - at least not at first.
He suddenly looked up towards his outhouse, a silhouette of a petite yet attractive figure standing on the terrace caught his eyes. She was gazing at the stars, her long, wavy hair flew making her look more mesmerizing. Arnav’s hands were inspired and he began working on the background on the plain canvas.
By the time his brush had completed its work, he realised that it was his best piece of art, It had small sparkling lights and lanterns hanging in the surrounding. In the middle there was this girl gazing at the stars, making her hair flow. He had drew exactly what he was seeing in front of him.
An involuntary smile spread across his lips. He was happy with his work. He looked back at the girl to complement his work when he realised that she was gone. Sighing, he took the canvas to his room admiring his own painting for the first time.
Khushi was busy cooking breakfast when she heard few sounds from the hall.
“It’s so good to see you after so long, Di!” Akash said.
“Same here, Akash.” Khushi heard a new, feminine voice.
“Di, where is Jiju? He came with you right?” Payal asked.
“Oh yes. He is parking the car.”
Khushi peeked through the door and saw a beautiful lady seated on the sofa with Payal and Akash sitting on both sides.
“Here he comes.” She said.
Everyone gazed towards the door including Khushi. She held the door tight watching the man enter into the house who she never wanted to see again. Shyam Manohar Jha.
-to be continued-
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Regards,
Shiri ❤
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