Differences Between Us :: Arshi FF [COMPLETED] - Page 34

"I don't love her," he told her again.

Arnav lifted his head and opened his eyes to find her orbs lowered and close to flooding. He gently made her look at him.

"I love you," he whispered.

Khushi bit her lip and nodded. "Issi liye..." (That's why...)

He drew back in shock, frowning down at her without releasing her though. "What?"

"Humein issi liye boora lag raha hai," she mouthed tearily. "Agar aap humse pyaar karte hain, to aap unse, Pallaviji se shaadi nahin kareinge. Lekin yeh aapki Maa ki ichha thi, na? Aap voh kaise bhool sakte hain?" (That's why I'm feeling bad. If you love me, you won't marry her, Pallaviji. But that was your mother's wish, right? How can you forget that?)

"What rubbish?" Arnav gasped. "Tumne uss aurat ki baat maan li? Meri mom ne aisa kabhi kuchh bhi nahin kaha! Anjali aur main yeh achhi tarha se jaante hain, Khushi, she made it up. She just wants my money!" (... You believed that woman? My mom never said that! Anjali and I know that well, Khushi...)

"Aapne pehle humaare baare mein bhi aisa hi socha tha, na?" she mouthed as a tear made its way down her cheek. (You had though like this about me too, hadn't you?)

He sighed in defeat. "Haan, socha tha, lekin main galat tha." (Yes, I had, but I was wrong.)

"To kisne kaha ki-" (So who said-)

"That I'm wrong about Pallavi and Aunty too? That's what you are asking? Kissi ko kehne ki koyi zaroorat nahin hain kyunki mere paas already isska suboot hai. Jab meri mom ki death huyi thi, to Aunty ne yeh kahaani banali thi. Hum Pallavi ko bachpan se jaante the to maine soch ke shaayad voh ek achhi ladki hai and maybe I could even like her that way if we spent time together." (... No needs to because I already have the proof. When mom died, Aunty cooked this story up. We knew Pallavi since childhood so I thought she might not be that bad...)

He pushed her bangs behind her ear, appreciating the attention she was giving to each of his words. It was like she was drinking in what he was saying, syllable by syllable, and it gave him a warm tingly feeling in his heart. This girl was like no other. And that was perhaps why he had fallen so hard for her...

"Some time later, I learnt that while we had started dating, she was having an affair with one of my workers. She even got pregnant, he left her and my company, both, and she tried to make the baby pass as mine, on her mother's bidding. When I did not agree, they aborted the child."

Khushi gasped but Arnav was not going to give her time to digest the information. He was too overwhelmed by the old memories making surface again.

"Tell me, Khushi, what kind of mother tell her daughter to lie like that? What kind of girl accepts to kill her own baby? Tell me!" he thinned his lips in annoyance. "I hate them, mother and daughter both. I wonder how my mother never saw through their pretence and was able to consider them as friends..."

"Maybe she was too naive?" Khushi mumbled meekly.

Arnav stared down at her for a long time and she thought seeing a flash of humor. "Yeah," he finally chuckled. "Tumhaari tarha?" (...Like you?)

She smiled and shrugged.

***

"So it's decided? Kal Anjali aur main aapko lene aayenge aur hum Sikandar Bagh chaleinge, okay?" Arnav rubbed his palms together with his eyebrows raised. He glanced at Khushi who was still in Anjali's sideways hug. It had been days since he had seen his twin smile like that and now that he had cleared everything with Khushi, he felt lighter. (...Tomorrow Anjali and I will come fetch you and we'll go to Sikandar Bagh, okay?)

Manohar wanted to protest but Arnav wouldn't hear of it. Grateful, the older man kept reiterating his thanks over and over again even though it embarrassed the young Raizada. Khushi's uncle was astonished at the treatment he was receiving, without doubting once that Arnav might be interested in his niece.

***

They reached the hotel a few minutes earlier. Anjali was about to dial Khushi's number when Arnav's phone rand instead. She saw her brother frown then ask the person if he could come up.

"Come," he said as he got down from the car.

Anjali's brow scrunched in confusion. "Lekin Bhai, kya hua hai?" (But Bhai, what happened?)

"Ek problem aagayi hai," came the hasty reply as she tried to follow him. (A problem came up.)

***

As soon as Manorama opened the door, Arnav sensed something was wrong.

"Namaste Mamiji," Anjali murmured, looking intently at the aunt who stood silently and the uncle who was seated on the couch with a tired looking face. He got up immediately.

"Humein maaf kardena, Bituwa," he shook his head as he walked towards Arnav. "Humein achaanak jaana pad raha hai. Voh... humaare jijaji..." (Forgive us, son. We are having to leave suddenly. Actually... my brother-in-law...)

"Khushi ke dad?" Arnav gasped. "Kya hua uncle ko?" (Khushi's dad? What happened to him?)

"Subha ko Payal Bitiya ka phone aaya," Manohar explained. "Kal raat jijaji ko heart attack hua. Voh aspataal mein hain abhi, unki haalat kaafi buri hai." (Payal had called this morning. Jijaji had a heart attack last night. He's in hospital Now and his condition is quite delicate.)

***

Khushi dumped the clothes in the suitcases, careful not to let one single drop of tear leave her eyes. she was strong. She had always been her father's strong girl, hadn't she? She would continue to be. Because she knew he would get out of this. Shashi Gupta was a far stronger person than her, he would be fine. And she had to remain strong for him. She would not cry. Suddenly, there was the soft weight of a hand on her shoulder. She platered a smile on her face and turned around, ready to reassure her uncle or aunt, whoever was behind her.

But she found Anjali Raizada smiling sadly at her. Khushi forced her smile wider by a centimetre.

"Arrey! Anjaliji, aap?"

"Aap theek to hain, na, Khushiji?" (Are you okay, Khushiji?)

Khushi turned back to the packing and went on throwing the clothes to get a grip on herself. "Haan!" she responded with too much pitch, which made Anjali realise how affected she really was. "Hum theek kyun nahin honge? Hum bilkul theek hain!" (Yes! Why not? I'm absolutely fine!)

Anjali held Khushi by the shoulder and turned her around, touching the girl's cheek with her warm palm. "Aapko pata hai, Khushiji? Humaari Mamma kehti thi ke jab andar dard ho, to roke uss dard ko nikaal dena chaahiye," she said softly. "Varna hum jaldi hi kamzor pad jaate hain. Aap ek baar ro dijiye. Aap apne Bauji ke saamne rona nahin chahti, na?" (You know? My Mamma used to say that when it hurts inside, we should cry and remove it. Else we fall weak very easily. Cry once. You need to be strong for your father, right?)

Khushi's eyes widened slightly on seeing how well Anjali had understood her. She blinked a few times, letting big, hot pearls of tears roll down her cheeks before Anjali leaned and hugged her in a comforting way. She held on too while the sobs racked through her.

Arnav stood by the doorway silently, watching the two women of his life share their pain. He too understood. Hadn't he and Anjali passed through a similar phase that stretched over painfully long months of their father's illness? His mother had died faster but in a more cruel way in a car accident that killed her instantly. He had thought it was unfair because he had not been able to say goodbye properly.

But when his father had fallen sick, it had been harder. At least his mother had died so quickly that she must have hardly felt any pain, but dad? It had been unbearable to he him helpless and bed-ridden, eaten up by the grief of his mother's death as well as the diabetes which was slowly taking the life out of him.

He understood Khushi but he hoped she did not meet the same fate as his and Anjali's. He hoped her father survived, he hoped she got some more years with him...

The two girls drew away as he watched and wiped each other's damp faces with sad smiles, then his sister began helping Khushi. He left without a word. His emotions were too raw to speak to Khushi right then but there was another person he needed to talk to. Excusing himself, he strode out in the corridor...