The Unbreakable bond - Page 35

"Of course, you also watched loads of cartoons in the meantime."

Khushi hugged Maa warmly. Then taking a couple of tissues form the box she was holding she walked to Arnav and Arush. She gently wiped away the chocolate mess from his cheek, then turned to clean Arush's chocolate covered mouth.

"I see you have been charming chocolate out of Dadi. "she said sternly with a frown. Arush gave her his most charming impish smile threw his arm around her neck pulling her close to Arnav and himself and kissed her cheek "But you love me, Amma" he smiled impishly. Arnav threw back his head and roared with laughter.

"You, little champ are a true lady killer." Arush grinned at his father very pleased with himself.

They spent a leisurely day by the lake, playing with Arush, holding Khushi's hand and talking to Malini who invited Arnav to call her Malini Maa. Malini regaled Arnav with local legends and stories and some of the local history. He found Malini to be a wise and astute woman, And was happy that Khushi had found a friend in her when she was left all alone. His heart twisted in pain to think about the hardships Khushi had, had to undergo. And wished with all his heart he had been there for her. Malini had sagely said to him, "Arnav beta, there is no point in regretting the past, especially when it was not in your hand. Look at the bright side, what ever happened has made Khushi stronger, and a better women totally worthy of you, she never gave up loving you, never gave up on life and this has made her stronger." Arnav nodded as he looked at Arush and Khushi collected wild flowers.

Malini was right; his Khushi had always been spirited, though naive. And her childish antics had some times infuriated him. This Khushi was still spirited but had acquired a new maturity; while still maintaining her innocence and zest for life; she had gained a sensuality that he found irresistible.

Arnav had never spent a peaceful day of doing absolute nothing. Khushi had made him switch of his mobile. They played rummy with Malini where Arnav lost most of the games. Till, he got the hang of it and started winning. They ate the picnic lunch they brought, and then Arnav took Arush to the lake to feed the ducks with leftover bread. Leaving Malini to rest in the shade; Arnav, Khushi and Arush took a walk around the lake simply holding hands, Arush ran up ahead of them, stopping time and again to make sure they were following.

On their way back home they dropped Malini home and made sure she was comfortable. By the time they reached the villa; Arush was fast asleep totally exhausted from his outing. Arnav carried their son gently in his arms, and laid him on the bed, Khushi removed his shoes and outing clothes and dressed him in his PJ. They kissed him after tucking him snugly into bed.

"You go on Khushi, freshen up, I'll be right with you, soon." He said softly, planting a kiss on her forehead.

She left him watching Arush sleep. Going to their room she showered and got ready for bed. Exhausted she must have fallen asleep, and did not know when Arnav came to bed. He simply got into bed with her and pulled her into his arms and she snuggled closer to him and went back to sleep. Arnav content to have Khushi in his arms held her close to his heart as he let sleep overtakes him.

Days later Arnav was in his office talking to his sister on the phone, "I'll send the car for you and Jijaji."

In Delhi Anjali spoke into the receiver "Chote you sound different, and you have been sounding different since you reached Udaipur, tell me what is it please" she implored.

Arnav chuckled, "it's a surprise Di, and you will get your surprise once you come here. So get on with the packing; I'm keeping the phone."

Arnav was happy, he was happy beyond word, after a very long time his life was perfect, he had not told this family about his impromptu marriage to Khushi and that he has a son. He had wanted to keep them to himself for a while not willing to share them with anyone else.

Khushi was busy with the gala, and he spend any free time he got with Arush. The cast was off and Arush's hand had healed well, his skin marred only by a thin but neat scar. Arush didn't care, he carried the scar like a trophy and just love to show it off to everyone he met, regaling them with stories of how he got it. Though it annoyed Khushi to no end, as the memory of their son in pain made her cringe every time. Arnav didn't mind, he only looked on at their son with pride, as nothing seemed to dither the little guy, he liked the fact that at 3 years old, Arush showed strength of character and never feared anything. He loved his unrelenting curiosity and thirst to know about everything.

Once he had had no patients for triviality, now he answered Arush's hundreds of trivial questions as best as he could without scandalising his son, he also found himself giving childish and creative answers to some of Arush adult oriented questions, like why do you kiss Amma on the lips for so long.?

He had accidently walked in on them in a passionate moment and they had been oblivious of him. "What are you doing?" came a petulant voice of their son. They had jumped away from each other like guilty teenagers, Khushi had made her escape, leaving Arnav facing Arush's curious stare.

"Why were you kissing Amma on her lips for so long?" He demanded "she only kisses me on my lips like this." He pecked the back of his hand in demonstration.

He cleared his throat and told him "that's the way Papa's and Amma's communicated when they want to tell each other a secret."

When Arush wanted to know the secret he told him, "it was only a secret that Papa's and Amma's are allowed to share and that they can not tell anyone else, otherwise it would not be a secret".

Arush had promptly asked him "how come Ronan's Papa shared the secret with Aunty Sheela."

To which Arnav had replied "I told you Arush that Papa's only shared the secret with Amma's."

To which Arush floored him by simply saying "But Aunty Sheela is not Rohan's Amma." And Arnav could only stare at his son with his mouth opening and closing like a gold fish.

Later when he had told Khushi about this incident she had laughed uproariously. Haa Khushi, his Khushi she brought so much joy into his life; he felt at times he would bust from it. They could do anything together; they would make love for hours, lost in each other's arms. Stealing kisses in the office like a couple of teenagers, and a couple of times they got carried away and made love in Arnav office with the door and blinds tightly shut. Much to his delight and her embarrassment. She had told a grinning Arnav, that he was a bad influence on her.

They talk for hours about anything and everything. He found himself telling her about his childhood before his parents' death and how happy he and Di had been. About how his father had short himself on Di's wedding day when he came to know that his brother had swindled him out of everything, leaving him bankrupt. He had not even had the money to pay for all the preparations for his daughter's wedding and his mother unable to live without her husband watching him shoot himself, simply dropped dead with grief. It had been devastating to lose both his parents' so suddenly and tragically. He had told her how their uncle had thrown them out on the street after their parents' death; he had had to be strong for his soft hearted sister and had vowed never to let emotions rule his live.

But alas in that he could not succeed as Khushi had entered his life and shattered everything he believed in; turning his life upside down and inside out. He had tried fighting his feelings at first. Telling her how he had tried to push her away by being mean to her. But she has somehow got under and above every barrier he put up, touching him and his frozen soul in unbelievable ways.

He had told her what he had gone through when he had gone to her house that morning 4 years back only to find her gone, and her family had simply disowned her. "Not Babuji, he would never do that, I had the courage to run because he told me to." These words had got him thinking. That would mean that Khushi's father knew about the man who had nearly destroyed his and Khushi life and threatened their families.