The Unbreakable bond - Page 22

What!! How!!" a moan of agony escaped her lips, as tears burned the back of her eyes. "I coming home" she cried and ran to her room ignoring the worried Vineeta and the rest of the Patel family.

"Khushi what is it?" Vineeta asked as she walked into Khushi room seeing her bag open and Khushi throwing her clothes into it. "Is something the matter." She asked worried.

"I need to get home." She cried, furiously tossing her cloths into the open bag. She stopped, holding a baby towel in her hand. Huge tears ran down her face and a cry of anguish escaped from her throat, her legs giving way under her and she collapsed to the floor. Hugging the baby towel to her breast.

Arnav could not seem to concentrate on the business at hand, his thoughts wandering to Khushi. He had left her bed reluctantly, but the thought of giving an excuse to the Patel's made him leave her room before they got back from their ride. He didn't want Khushi to face any embarrassment. So he had been waiting for them when they returned and had made his excuses to them.

Now all he wanted to do was complete the deal and return home with Khushi. "I think that will be all Mr. Patel, I like the place and will get my lawyers to draft the deed. I'll set the time and place for the meeting and email you." Arnav told a beaming Patel.

They shook hands and got in the land rover and drove back to the homestead. Arnav knew something was wrong the moment he entered the house, Hetal's worried face as she raced to him and told him that Khushi was in a bad state ever since she received a call half an hour ago. He raced to her room and the sight that awaited him made his body go cold, fear crawled up his spine.

Khushi was on the floor in a melted pool of abject misery, curled in a feutel position, her hair spread around her, tears running down her beautiful face, now twisted in worry and terror, cries of anguish coming from her.

"Khushi !!!" Arnav cried in alarm, as he gathered her to his chest. "honey, what is it? What's the matter? Please Khushi tell me." His chest tightened as he felt her small body tremble in fear.

His voice and presence drew her out of the deep pit of despair she was flung in, she clung to him as if her life depended on it, he was here ,he would take care of everything, he would make it all better, "we have to go Arnav, we have to go to him, Pleasss" she sobbed.

"To whom Khushi." Arnav shook her confused about who she was talking about. The only person he knew she was close to was Malini.

With a strangled cry she said, "My Baby, Our Baby, Arushhh. He's hurt in an accident, with Maa." She cried into his chest.

Arnav entire body went still, as his mind tried to comprehend what she was saying. A baby! her baby! his baby! he!, What was she trying to say, that he had a son? Thoughts swilled in his mind as he looked down at her. She had a baby?, his baby? He could not grasp the emotions that flowed through him. Shock; elation; anger; rage; fear; anxiety. He looked down at the sobbing Khushi a million questions running through his mind. But this was not the time for question and answers. It was the time for action. He had to keep his head everything he held precious was on the line. His son, who he had even never met, had never even known. The bone numbing fear that he might never get to, pushed him into action.

"Khushi we are going home, look at me dammit." As she lifted her face to him the terror in her eyes nearly undid him, he shook his head taking deep breaths this was not the time to break. "It's going to be alright, I'll take care of everything, nothing, nothing is going to happen to our son." He said firmly. He handed her to Hetel and told Vineeta to get her bags ready. They were leaving at once.

He was on the phone to Rajeev. Barking orders and instructions while he tossed his belongings in the case within minutes, and got them ready. "I want their status, especially the boy's, keep me informed every five minutes. I want a car waiting at the helipad. And get the attending Doctor on line I want to speak to him personally."

He made a call the airport and told the in charge to get the helicopter ready it leave for Udaipur in fifteen minutes. Without wasting any time they wished the Patel's goodbye, promising to let them know of the status of the crises, the Patel's wish them good luck and good wishes for Arush to get well soon.

Once they were safely in the air flying towards Udaipur, Arnav received a call from Rajeev, who informed him that Malini Metha and her grandson were in an accident. He them spoke to the Doctor who informed him that Malini had a couple of cracked ribs and a concussion. But the boy was presently in the operation theatre, he had fractured his hand and the Doctors were at the moment working to reconnect the bone. Hearing this Arnav felt sick, he looked into Khushi anguished face, and could not bring himself to tell her. So he said "he will be fine Khushi, Malini Metha has a few broken ribs and a concussion, and is going to be fit in no time.

"Arush!!?" she whispered her eyes pleading. Seeing him hesitate, she clutched his arm dread in her voice. "and my Arush! my Arush??" she pleaded.

"Khushi please don't worry, he will be alright, his hand is fracture," she gasped more tears running down her face; "the Doctors are fixing it right now."

"I've never left him alone before, not ever, this is my fault, our baby is hurt" she said sobbing.

'Our baby, not my baby' this intrigued and warmed him, that she referred to the child as theirs not only just hers. Does it mean she always thought of the child as theirs? If so why did she keep such an important fact for him for four years? He made a mental calculation the child must be about 3years 3months old, so much time lost. He thought with resentment. How could she keep this from him? He was angry; no he was furious with her. But at this moment he could not have it in his heart to yell at her. He could not bear to see her so broken; one of them had to keep their wits about them, for Arush's sake.

Arush he thought rolling the name in his mind Arnav and Khushi, Arush. he felt his heart skip, she had named their son after them. The thought made his heart swell with an emotion he could not put a word to. He looked at Khushi sobbing into his chest. "We are going to be there soon." He assured, he wanted her to stop crying, but she just couldn't. Worry tore at his heart; he knew that she was worried out of her mind. He remembered when he had been nine and had fallen out of tree while climbing it, he had broken his leg and his mother had brought the entire house down.

"You hate me" she corked miserably

"I will not lie to you Khushi, I am very angry with you but I don't hate you." he said in a stern voice. "And this is not the right time to talk about what has happened; right now we need to take care of our son, ok"

She nodded wiping her tears and the helicopter made it's decent, she took deep breaths to get her bearings. A jeep was waiting for them; they got in and drove to the hospital. At the reception they were directed to the ward, Rajeev came to the lobby to meet them and escort them to the ward. He spoke quietly to Arnav.

When Khushi saw Malti and Purab waiting outside the ward she ran to them. "Where is he? How is he? Tell me Malti" tears welled in her eyes.

"Khushi calm down, Arush is alright, he has fractured his hand but the doctors say he will be ok." Malti assured her.

"I want to see him; I want to see my baby"

Malti indicated the door, and Khushi rushed towards it, only to be stopped by a nurse, "I'm sorry you can't go inside the patient needs rest."

"It's alright sister Ms. Metha and Mr. Raizada can go in, the child needs them" said the doctor who was walking with Arnav and Rajeev.

Khushi rushed in running to the lone hospitable bed, sitting on the edge of the bed she saw that his left arm was encased in a plaster, and his right hand had needles stuck into him feeding him IV solutions. She gasped putting her hands to her lips. She wanted to hold her son, whimpering she put her face against his ear whispering "it's all baby, Amma is here and papa too. So you just get better ok I'm here." She kissed his tiny cheeks and forehead keeping her hand on his small chest feeling his steady heartbeat.

Arnav stood stunned at the sight of the child on the bed, was like of shock of emotions he had never felt before, one look at the child; and he felt like one of his childhood photographs that his Di had preserved all these years had come to life. There was no doubt in his mind that the boy laying in the hospital bed was his son. The resemblances was uncanny. Anybody looking at the two of them together would know that they were father and son. He felt as if he heart was on fire, a low burning flame that provided warmth to his entire body. His heart felt elated, and a sense of pride overcame him. He walked to the bed and placed his hand against the child soft cheek, noting how they shared the same jaw line, and chin and the jet black hair. The back of his eyes burned and a couple of tears ran down his cheek, he wiped them away quickly. He looked at Khushi and could see regret on the face like she understood his pain.