Posted:
Sick and tired of this stupid Sheetal track, so decided to write an OS about a track I actually want (kind of happening at the same time as the Sheetal track though)! If you guys like it, I may turn it into a TS/SS š
like/comment! š
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Arnav woke up, as the rays of dawn streaked through the French windows. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and turned to his side, expecting to see Khushi sleeping peacefully, only to be surprised by the empty bed.
He sat up immediately, panic filling his mind and got out of bed, worrying about where Khushi was at 5.30am.
He looked out at the poolside, not to find her there.
'If not here..she must be down in the mandir'. He made his way downstairs and slowed down as he approached the mandir, relieved to see Khushi sitting there.
'Khushi, tum wahan kya kar rahi ho?' He asked her gently, as he walked towards her to see her hair covering her head that was on her knees.
He put his hand on her shoulder, and started pulling her up, becoming more worried at her lack of response.
'Khushi? Khushi, answer me dammit, what are you doing down here so early in the morning?'
Khushi looked up at him slowly, her face devoid of emotion.
'Ji, Arnavji, woh humein maaf kijiye...actually I woke up early and I didn't want to disturb you so I thought that I would sit here today.'
'Khushi..tum jaanti ho mein kitna worried tha? Tum theek ho na?'
'Haan Arnavji..hum theek hai...woh..actually I was wondering, aaj hum Buaji ki yahan jaaye?'
'Yeah sure Khushi...but itna suddenly?'
'Nahin woh, it's been quite sometime, aur mujhe sab ki bahut yaad aa rahi thi...I'm missing Amma, Bauji aur Buaji'
'Theek hai, mein bhi tumhare saath chalta hoon'
Her head snapped up at this, a look of fear passing through her eyes suddenly. 'Nahin Arnavji, aapko, aapko aaj office jaani chahiye! You have a big meeting today, na?'
'Khushi, agar ek din office nahin gaya, kuchh nahin hoga. Vaise bhi, I'll get to meet everyone as well. And meeting postpone bhi ho sakta hai.'
Khushi looked increasingly nervous as she started fiddling with her dupatta, and replied 'Lekin Arnavji, woh kya hain na, if you come then Amma, Bauji and Buaji will be busy in fussing over you, and Bauji's health is still not too good, that's why I don't think you should come'
Arnav decided to listen to Khushi and acceptingly replied 'Fine Khushi, I'll drop you off and pick you up in the evening'
'Nahin Arnavji, I'll go and come by myself, you don't worry'
'No way Khushi'
'But Arnavji, you'll be late for office and then you will have to leave early as well! I'll go with Mohanji instead, theek hai?'
'Ok fine, but call me when you reach and when you're on your way back as well.'
'Ji, theek hai' she said as she plastered a fake smile to her face and left quickly.
---------One Hour Later------------------
As Khushi made her way to the willow tree off a desolate part of the Delhi-Lucknow highway, she walked past the tree into the empty patch of land with beautiful flower bushes and fallen leaves, marking the change of seasons.
She collapsed to her knees, as she looked up into the sky, wishing to see her real Amma-Babuji once again.
'Amma...Babuji...it's been 15 years. 15 years since you left me and went. Why? Why didn't you take me with you? Why did it have to happen so close to here? We had so many great memories here...and now I'm so scared I'm losing them. Amma, Babuji, i'm scared of losing you. Not only scared of losing you, I'm scared of losing Arnavji. You understand right? You understand why I'm doing what I'm doing. Aarav and Arnavji are just too similar...I can't help but feel that there has to be some relationship between them. And Sheetalji, acts different around Arnavji. She's so much better suited to Arnavji than I am. She's sophisticated, beautiful, she speaks English well, wears Western clothes, plays all these sports and she's independent. I'm not good enough for Arnavji. Why did he even fall in love with me? I can't share my pain with anyone, because no one understands. I have to live up to my name, so I hide all my hurt and pain beneath this mask of Khushi. Amma, all I want is for you to sing me to sleep again. Babuji, I want to dance on your feet again. When did life get so complicated? And while all this is going on...today is today. Today marks the 15th year of you both going.'
Khushi started weeping silently, as she made her way back to the willow tree, to feel into the hole in the bark as she retrieved the chest that had 'Khushi Sharma' engraved on the front. She opened it, and picked up the photo lying on the top, that showed a young happy couple, with a grinning 6 year old on her dad's shoulders. She determinedly wiped the tears from her eyes, as she walked back to the meadow, and sat down and started praying, doing her parents' barsi in her own way. As much as she wanted to, she didn't want to do the pooja of her parents' barsi publicly, because she knew that her adoptive family would feel bad, as though she still felt like they weren't her real family. So every year she made up some excuse or the other, to come out here, to the place where she held some of her most cherished memories with her parents, and prayed that their spirits were in peace.
After she finished, she went back to the willow tree that had her parents initials carved in it, 'S+R' enclosed in a heart. Her dad had carved his and her mum's initials into the tree when they had expressed their love for each other, they told her when she was a little girl. They used to come here all the time, and have picnics and she would play while her parents would look into each other's eyes, filled with love and tenderness. She leaned against it and hugged the chest closer to herself, as fatigue slowly washed over her and her eyes closed, as she let the sleep overwhelm her. Her dreams were filled with memories of her childhood, memories she had locked away for the past 364 days, and the grief she hid away in her heart finally was allowed to spread its shadows and make its way into each part of her body.
-----------5pm - AR Office------------
Arnav paced up and down his office. He hadn't had news of Khushi all day, only that cryptic message he received in the morning saying that yes she was fine, and she had reached Buaji's, and she didn't know what time she'd be returning. He immediately called Mohan to confirm that he'd dropped Khushi off at her Buaji's, who also said that yes, he had. To make matters worse, Khushi had anyway been acting weird the last few days, and Sheetal was back in his life, living at home which made things unnecessarily awkward.
'Enough is enough' he thought to himself, as he dialed Buaji's home number. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right, and he would put his mind at rest after speaking to Khushi at Buaji's house.
'Hello, Buaji?' he said, as she picked up. 'Yes, may I speak to Khushi please? She isn't answering her phone'
'What the?! She's not there? But...never mind Buaji. Haan, sorry I forgot she said she was going to her friend's house, not yours. Haan Buaji, we'll definitely come visit you soon. Namaste.' He hung up the phone, and muttered to himself 'As soon as I find this girl, we'll be able to come visit you.'
His anger was quickly replaced with worry, as he thought 'Why the hell would she lie to me about where she's going?'
'Dammit Khushi, where are you!?'
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let me know if you want me to update! LIKE/COMMENT š
INDEX:
Precap for Chapter 2: page 3
Cricket
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Hindi TV Shows
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