Cherished Wounds ( Updated Ch 14 ) Pg 140 22/06 - Page 19

Omg!!! I just caught up with it!!! I am loving it soo much!

Nice concept!

And dear, you truly do write sooo beautifully!!!! I mean it!! I really get mesmerized by your writing!

It was an very nice update and their first kiss was so sweet! the streetlamp flickered, making them break apart... it was described beautifully!

xxx

I just read this ff, all the updates are amazing and I liked how arnav and khushi are in a different situation in this ff. Awesome encounter between arnav and khushi. I cant wait to read more

Please pm for more updates

THANKS FOR THE PM

'So what happened with Arnav?'

'Excuse me? What do you mean what happened with Arnav?'

They were sitting on the very same rocks, at about seven in the morning, overlooking the winding grey lines below in the Valley, with tiny dots that were the small cottages. It had almost become a ritual for Khushi and Aakash to sit on those moss covered rocks, before their shift started at the hospital, with steaming mugs of caffeine, warming their hands.

Smiling mischievously, Aakash looked at the woman next to her and started speaking.

'I've seen the way Bhai was glaring at you the day he saved your life Khushi, and believe me when I say, it was not all anger and irritation. There was something else in his eyes, I think, no wait, I know for a fact that he has a thing for you.'

'He is your brother? And also Aakash, he doesn't have a thing, or for that matter anything for me. High school's long over.'

Khushi playfully shoved his shoulder, making him groan, and laugh heartily at the same time. She liked him. The very day since she had met him, she had hit off with him immediately. It was like connecting with a long lost friend.

'So what happened? Really?'

'We kissed.'

'What? You guys…kissed? Already?'

Khushi gave him a death glare as she saw Aakash smile mockingly at her.

'What was it liked? Actually, forget I even mentioned that, I don't think my innocent mind will be able to bear the details.'

As Khushi raised her eyebrows at him, he slid one arm around her shoulder, as they both looked into the vast expanse of snowy blue ahead of them, watching as if in a trance as a flock of Mynas seemed to emerge from behind distant mountains, the valley echoing their songs.

'You know Aakash; I never got to know how the wretched kiss began in the first place. We were standing there at one moment, and then it came out of nowhere.'

'Do you think it was something inappropriate?'

'I don't know. I don't think so. But it felt so right. I mean, I didn't stop him. It's like I've this connection with him, you know like this magnetizing pull.'

A thunderous laughter broke out into the chilly air, as Aakash said.

'Magnetizing pull? Seriously? And you think high school's over?'

'Screw you Aakash.'

---

Arnav was making his way down the mountains, towards the hospital. He wasn't able to concentrate on anything since that incident. He couldn't figure out what made him do it, he had never in his life acted on anything before giving it enough thought. But with her around him, his mind went into a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. It was like she literally switched on something inside him which he never knew existed in him until last night. Wanting to give the restless mind of his, some peace, he headed down to catch a glimpse of her face. Yet again, he didn't know why exactly he wanted to see her. He was sure of one thing that he didn't want to talk to her, not then, but still he headed down, unaware that his heart had started controlling him, already.

---

He saw them. Aakash's arm wound over her shoulder, her head comfortably resting against his cheek. He didn't why but the otherwise perfectly normal scene in front of him made his blood boil. He clenched his fists, as his jaw tightened, causing the winds to feel much more harsh than they were as they brushed over his face.

He turned around immediately and started walking uphill. If Aakash loved her, he wouldn't come in their way. Wait a minute, Arnav thought, get in their way? What the hell was he thinking; it was just one damn kiss? It didn't mean anything. As he let these thoughts invade his mind, his heart sent vividly different images to his brain, alternating between Aakash's arm on her shoulder and Khushi's lips gliding over his. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to block the incessant replay of those disturbing images, but in vain.

---

'Khushi there has been an accident. Arnav's father, Major Azaan, he has been attacked. They are making their way down here right now. Arrange the OT properly, will you?'

Khushi was shocked for a brief moment before she dashed into the OT and started out her work. Her thoughts drifted to the brief conversation she had with his father the night before and almost immediately she felt a tug at her heart as Arnav's image came into her mind. She couldn't begin to imagine the pain he would be going through right then.

Before she could think further, the OT door was opened with a loud bang and a stretcher was thrust in, Arnav and a few other soldiers hovering over a profusely bleeding Azaan. Khushi took in Arnav's tormented face before Aakash ushered him outside, with a group of nurses barging in. She couldn't help but think that not even once had he looked at her, spared her one small glance. But she dismissed her thoughts thinking that he would be worried about his father, as she started giving anaesthesia to the man lying in front of her.

---

It had almost been an hour since he had watched the light shine brightly over the OT entrance. He was scared as hell. Arnav ran a hand over his face, rubbing away the exhaustion in his eyes. A few minutes later he felt a small hand over his shoulder and looked up at Khushi's worried face.

---

'Everything will be okay,' Khushi whispered softly, trying to calm him.

'Don't touch me again.' Arnav shouted on her face, getting up and shoving her hand away from him roughly.

Khushi's head struck on one of the metal benches with full force, as she hadn't seen that coming. Hot tears pricked her eyes and before she would breakdown right in front of him, she spun on her heels and dashed into the locker room.

---

Arnav didn't know what came over him. He closed his eyes as a sense of regret swept over him. Why the hell had he lashed out at her like that? She had done nothing but tried to calm him down. A sinking realization set into his mind that he might have hurt her, both physically and mentally.

'Arnav, he is all right. We'll be shifting him into the ICU in a few minutes and you can go visit him.'

Arnav hugged him, and muttering a quick thanks ran towards the ICU.

---

Khushi cried and brushed away the fresh batch of tears that spilled from her eyes repeatedly, causing her cheeks to become a dry, harsh pink, the chilling wind only helping. With shaky hands she tried to put the Band-Aid over the tiny cut on her fore-head as she sat down on one of the blue wooden benches in the dimly lit locker-room.

She tried to convince her treacherous heart, that she hated him. That he was nothing but a heartless, cold monster. But it wouldn't listen, as the images of their kiss replayed in her mind, over and over again. Her heartbeat increased erratically, in a very painful way, as a fresh batch of tears erupted from her bloodshot eyes again. She heard a creaking noise behind her, as the door opened, causing her to get up and move forward to find him standing there, his face expressionless as ever.

---

'What are you doing here?'

'I might ask you the same question. Shouldn't you be attending to my father right now?'

'I would be if I didn't have a cut on my fore-head to cover up.'

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.'

Arnav's hand unconsciously moved up to her face, where she had put the Band-Aid, as Khushi flinched at his touch.

'I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was my father…or.. Anyhow I shouldn't have…'

'It's okay, I get it. You can go now,' Khushi's voice came out much harsher than she had intended it to be, but his next words pierced into her heart like razor blades.

'It didn't mean anything. The kiss. I thought you should know. It was a mistake, I acted very inappropriately, I apologize for that.'

After a few brief moments of suffocating silence, and silent tears streaming down Khushi's already moist cheeks, which Arnav couldn't see because of the flickering dim lights, her voice trembling, yet determined.

'I know, it doesn't mean anything. I acted inappropriately too. I'm sorry.'

---

To say he was shocked would have been an understatement. He had expected anything but this. He had wanted her to fight back, shout at him, and scream profanities at his ruthless words and thoughtless actions. But all he was rewarded with was the same cold behaviour he had so openly showered on her. Giving her a curt nod, he went out of the room.

---

Khushi slid down the door through which he had exited moments ago, and fell on the cold floor like a ragdoll. She cried her heart out, not bothering to wipe them away this time. What kind of a man was he? Pretending to be a gentleman all of a sudden? Was it only her who had felt the electric jolts the day before. She literally wanted to slap him in the face. Till a few minutes before she had portrayed the kiss as something beautiful and now all of a sudden after hearing his spiteful words, made her cringe at the very thought of seeing him again.

She got up and cleaned her face looking back at her image in the mirror. It had barely been two weeks since she had come to Kashmir. It was an opportunity for a new life. And she silently decided as she walked out of the dark room into the light, that no man was going to destroy that for her. For once she thought, she would let life take its course, and she would play along with it.

---

Res

Edited.

😭

More MU?

Aww. You write beautifully, I feel bad for them! Great update!

Thank you for the Pm!