The Trampled Butterfly #2 Check index for Th3 link - Page 62

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...

Yes, everything was in order.

Closing the rear door of his Audi, he started off in the direction of the person's house who would accompany him. He hadn't found her in the Raizada Manor and concluding that she was in her cottage, he stood outside the door of her house and rang the bell.

Within few seconds, the door opened to a sweaty looking Khushi, her hair all messed up and sticking on her forehead and neck. Had he disturbed her at the wrong time?

"Chotey Saab?"

"Are you busy?"

"Not really. I was just cleaning the house." She replied.

"Ok, then can you come along with me?" Arnav asked, hoping that she would agree.

"Where are we going?" Khushi asked back, stepping out of the house.

"It's a surprise." He stated and pulled her hand, not even allowing her to set right her hair or clothes.

"Ermm... atleast let me lock the door." Khushi suddenly stated, causing him to abruptly stop midway realising his folly.

"Oh okay." He smiled foolishly and let her go back to lock the door and within minutes, she was back and both were on their way to the car.

Getting into the car, he drove off and when the car finally stopped, Khushi's eyes widened with utter surprise.

"You brought me here?" she turned to look at him smiling at her. They were at Swarnaji's house for the orphans.

Arnav sighed and nodded his head.

"Khushi, you were right. These kids need more than money. They need love." His gaze was fixed on the old house. "Look, I'm not as good as you in expressing love, but you have taught me that we are never insufficient to shower our love on those kids. And I knew I had to do my part too." Arnav said, astonishing Khushi with his words and getting out from the car, he walked to the rear door and began piling the huge gift wrapped boxes in his arms.

"Will you help me?" he asked at the awestruck Khushi who immediately came to her senses hearing his voice and rushed to help him.

Holding the boxes, he walked into the old mansion's door only to hear loud gasps of excitement at the unexpected visitors.

Arnav placed the colourful boxes on the floor, to be greeted by the sight of eight smiling faces, and overwhelmed with the happiness on their faces, he turned to Khushi for guidance on how to handle this. Afterall, he was completely new to this.

But Khushi herself was as surprised as the kids and she instead walked towards him and patted his shoulder to go ahead.

"It's for you all." Arnav simply stated not knowing what else to say and pushed the gift boxes to the kids.

For a minute, the kids stared at him apprehensively, not knowing whether they were permitted to open the boxes. "Go ahead, open them. It's all yours." Arnav encouraged them and instantly found them gathering around the boxes and opening them carefully one by one.

The mute boy, he recognised, was the most enthusiastic of the lot and was also the first one to open the box.

But what followed next was something even Arnav hadn't expected from the boy.

As the five year old boy pulled out a huge snoopy dog soft toy from the box, he gazed at the toy in wonder for two minutes to inspect it. But soon, those awe filled eyes were glistening with tears and Arnav watched the little boy walk towards him and before he could react, he was hugging his waist.

Arnav immediately bent down to hold the boy who simply hugged him tightly and he didn't need any words to know what that boy was feeling right now.

But few seconds later, the boy moved apart from him and began to gesture something in his sign language.

Arnav looked at Khushi for help to understand what the boy was saying, but it looked like even she was as clueless as him.

"He's saying that he always wished he had a father who would bring toys for him. But, instead God sent you to him." The old caretaker of the children, spoke on behalf of the mute boy.

Arnav gazed into the little boy's eyes, his own eyes suddenly glistening with tears. Maybe that was the last thing he had expected from the boy, he being equated to the father, the boy wished to have. The little one couldn't speak a single word and yet, his actions, his hands had conveyed much more than words could. That desperation, that longing to be loved by someone, anyone, was evident in his eyes. And Arnav couldn't hold back himself any longer, as he cupped the boy's face and kissed his forehead, lighting up his face with a huge smile.

His eyes now wandered to the other kids who also had toys in their hands.

And he was sure, he wouldn't be exaggerating if he said that this was the happiest moment of his life. There was nothing greater than seeing someone happy because of you, because you gave that happiness to them.

At that moment, he understood why Khushi took so much of trouble for these children.

It was all worth it.

"Annyav Bhaiyya, you are as good as Khushi Didi described you." The girl with the amputated leg spoke, limping towards him. But Arnav instead walked towards her meeting her halfway and hugged the little girl.

Turning back, he saw Khushi simply standing behind him, her own eyes glistening with tears.

"Thank you." All the kid's voices echoed together as they came to hug him.

"No, don't thank me. Thank your Khushi Didi." Arnav corrected and stepped back to pull Khushi towards him. "She made me realise that sometimes, love is the greatest gift one can give." He said, looking at her in the eye, while enveloping his arm around her shoulder.

But Khushi simply remained silent and instead a small faint smile curved her lips.

"Now who wants to hear a story?" he asked enthusiastically, pulling out a book from a bag and he saw eight hands immediately raised with excitement.

The whole bunch quickly assembled on the benches, while Arnav held Khushi's hand and led her to a bench, making her sit beside him.

"You know, this story that I'm about to tell you now, was your Khushi Didi's favourite story. She used to practically beg me every day to read it for her." He said, looking at Khushi, his arm continuing to envelop her shoulder.

Her gaze was now directed to him, but she continued to remain silent, her eyes conveying every emotion she was feeling right now.

"Hansel and Gretel. Have you heard it before?" he asked the kids.

"No. No one tells us stories except for Khushi Didi and Didi only tells stories about you and her." The children giggled looking at Khushi.

He noticed the tinge of sadness and agony of loneliness, buried in those children's voice, but it was laced by smiles and laughter, just like how Khushi did. Was she responsible for it? Or was that how people who were lonely in life dealt with their struggles?

He began, as all eyes now focussed on him. "Once upon a time, there lived two kids named Hansel and Gretel..."

As he proceeded with the story, he was greeted with lots of 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' as well as widening eyes and smiles. Arnav continued to narrate the story, his eyes occasionally peeking at Khushi to observe her reaction and to his amusement, found her completely hooked to his every word just like those yesteryears and the zest to narrate the tale within him, increased even more.

"A cottage made of chocolates, candies and cake?" One of the girls asked in the middle of the story, with complete astonishment, unable to believe her ears.

"Yes." Arnav grinned at the children's reactions and he reached out to a bag beside him and retrieved out his hands filled with colourful wrappers of chocolates and candies and began throwing each packet at the kids' direction who grabbed them immediately, handing over the last chocolate personally to the blind boy.

"The cake will be arriving later." He winked at them, earning howls of excited laughter from them and lots of 'Thank you's'.

He continued with the story, only to be greeted by gasps of shock and horror at the part where the witch was going to boil and eat up Hansel. But when they came to know that Gretel rescued her brother on time, the room was filled with excited cheers and he was reminded of Khushi, about how she used to get excited in the similar way at this particular part of the story.

"And then, their father welcomed them back home and Hansel and Gretel lived happily ever after." He concluded, earning a huge priceless smile from all the kids, as well as Khushi.

"Annyav Bhaiyya and Khushi Didi are our Hansel and Gretel. They sound nice just like you two." the girl with the amputated leg suggested excitedly at the end of the story, earning agreement from the rest of the kids too.

"Nah, they were brother and sister. Khushi and I are friends. We can't be Hansel and Gretel." Arnav laughed only to be stopped midway, the laugh dying down his throat as a new thought suddenly struck him. He turned around to find Khushi smiling at the kids who were saying something to her, but his ears were now completely blocked out to the noise around him.

"I've brought other books for you all to read. I'm sure you would like them." He informed them, and saw Khushi's eyes widening as he took out the books one by one. They were indeed the same books of his that she had preserved for him all these years.

"I guess, we should be leaving." Arnav stood up to leave, while all kids began waving at him and Khushi as they walked towards the door.

"Did you all have fun today?" he asked, just before leaving.

"Super fun." The kids replied and he saw the mute boy, winking at him, circling his thumb and forefinger in a perfect 'O' and a huge smiled adorned Arnav's face at his gesture.

"You gave your books to them." Khushi finally broke her silence, as she sat inside the car, her eyes hazed with surprise and stun at the events of the entire day.

"I felt they deserved to be read than to lay around covered in dust. Afterall, you had taken so much care to preserve them and your efforts shouldn't go wasted." He replied, smiling at her with such warmth that even Khushi's lips curved with a smile like never before.

"And you don't have to take all that trouble of buying groceries early in the morning. I will sponsor it. You just have to cook for them." He added, knowing that she loved to cook for the children. "I've even arranged for a driver who will pick and drop you here whenever you want to."

He was responded with silence and a different kind of reaction from her, something he hadn't seen before. Was that admiration in her eyes? He wasn't sure.

"Did you see how happy they were?" Khushi asked with a wide smile on her own face, her eyes once again glistening with tears.

"I can see how happy you are." Arnav replied, reaching out to wipe the drop of tear threatening to flow down the corner of her eye.

Her eyes closed momentarily, basking in the warmth of his hand as it encased the side of her face. But she immediately moved away realising the dangerous territory she was trotting upon.

And this one movement brought back the earlier words of those kids, something that had actually managed to worry him. He hadn't even thought about that angle until now, until those kids had mentioned and now, he had no idea how to frame his question.

"Khushi?" he called out softly and was responded with curious eyes from her side.

"Hmm?"

"You know, those kids were saying earlier..." he had no idea how to even frame this question. It sounded so ridiculous to him, but he knew that he had to find out her answer.

"What?" Khushi was totally confused where this was leading to.

"Have you ever considered me as your brother?" Arnav could swear he had never spoken a sentence faster than this. He wasn't even sure if he had swallowed half of the words in the process.

But he had said it aloud and the worry that was gnawing within him, waiting for her answer was far more worse than when he had been expecting his A level results in school. It was as if his entire world depended on that one answer.

What if she said 'yes'?

What if she had indeed considered him as her brother all these years?

So what? A tiny part of his mind was nagging him.

Nooo... It sounded so...

Wrong?

But why? Why was he desperately praying that she never thought in that direction?

Shit! He felt like he would explode with the tension in those mere three seconds that it took for her to answer the question.

"No." she laughed suddenly and he was sure he had never ever been this happy before hearing this two letter word.

Maybe even 'happy' would be an understatement. He felt like he was on cloud nine hearing her response. Did he just hear violins playing in the background?

Wait! Was he turning crazy?

"You are The Arnav Singh Raizada. How could I consider you as my brother? You were just my best friend, Chotey Saab."

"Were?" he asked instantly, not missing it out, coming back to the reality. "Am, Khushi, I'm your best friend." He said, reaching out to hold her hand. "And I don't want you to call me Chotey Saab. I want you to call me Arnav hereafter."

"You want Buaji to eat my head? I better stick to Chotey Saab, if I want to survive." She laughed and escaped her way out of it. Arnav wanted to pursue it, but for the moment he let it go, vowing to catch on later.

Her laughter suddenly subsided, and she immediately looked at him, her eyes now laced with confusion.

"Wait, have you ever considered me as your sister?" she asked, as if her tubelight had finally lit up.

"You and my sister? As if Anjali is not enough for me." Arnav laughed, but only he knew how scary the entire thought seemed to him. Atleast he was glad, Khushi hadn't made the whole situation awkward for the both. However, in all his excitement, he missed out a huge sigh of relief let out unknowingly by Khushi at his answer.

And both of them began to laugh at the whole idea, only they themselves knowing the nerve wreck that had hit them two minutes ago. Afterall, laughter was a natural shield of humans to hide the real feelings behind it.

"I'm very proud of you today, Chotey Saab." Khushi finally said, turning towards him after their laughter finally subsided. "You have proved how good you are in your heart. You know for rich people like you, it is very easy to just write a check and donate to those kids. But you... you actually came forward and narrated a story for them."

"I'm just following you, Khushi. I'm just following your ideals and footsteps." He replied, giving her hand a little squeeze. And those hazel eyes reflexively met the molten brown ones, an indescribable mixture of warmth and awe directed towards the latter.

"I've something for you." Arnav fished his hand in his pocket to retrieve something, remembering the object he had put in earlier for her.

"For me?" she asked curiously, her attention diverting towards his hands.

"Yes, for you." Arnav pulled out what seemed to be a chocolate bar and outstretch it to her. But Khushi knew it wasn't just a chocolate bar, it was her favourite chocolate bar, the one Arnav used to always share with her every weekend.

"I thought even the person who brought happiness in those orphan's lives deserved some love from me." He said, and he was sure he felt his heart gallop against the wind at his own words.

He saw the same tinge of hesitation flash in her eyes, just like he had seen in those orphans kids' eyes. Is that how people who were deprived of love reacted when they were offered love?

When she still hesitated, he reached out to hold her hand and pressed the bar on her palm, wrapping her fingers around it.

"You remembered." She exclaimed, completely dumbstruck at his present for her. "Fifteen years." That's all she said gazing at the chocolate bar in her hand and he was once again reminded about the loneliness that had surrounded her for the past fifteen years.

But like always, the sorrow immediately vanished and excitement replaced it while she observed the bar curiously. Arnav, by now, could notice a similar pattern governing all her actions. How she would instantly camouflage all her agony behind the excitement, the laughter and the smile.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" he asked curiously.

And she turned towards him to flash a sheepish grin. "You know how I like to eat it." she replied.

"You still eat like that?" Arnav asked with widened eyes and saw her nod at him, the sheepish grin growing wider by the second. Letting out a chuckle at his crazy friend, he drove back to the Raizada Manor and reaching it, he observed Khushi hopping out of the car and disappearing into the house.

By the time he was done parking the car and walked into the house, he saw her running out of the kitchen into the back door and he followed her, knowing what exactly she had been up to for the five minutes in the kitchen.

There she was, sitting on the steps and peeling open the wrapper of a fully melted chocolate.

Just like how she preferred to eat it.

Arnav leaned against the door and watched her with absolute delight, as she carefully began to lick the melted brown chocolate.

Just like how 'kukku' used to eat.

He could only see her back, but the happiness that would be etched on her face right at that moment could already be envisioned by him, without even having to observe her.

All it needed was small things, just like this to make her happy.

Maybe she sensed him standing behind her because within few seconds she turned around to face him with chocolate sticking all over her teeth. And seeing her like that, he simply couldn't control his laughter anymore.

"You were not supposed to see me like this." Khushi murmured, focussing her attention back to the chocolate. "Anyways, you were the one who gave me the chocolate."

"And?" Arnav walked towards her, sitting right behind her on the step above her, stretching out his legs on either side so that she was effectively trapped between him.

"And..." Khushi stuttered, suddenly aware of the close proximity between the two.

"And?" he asked, once again, before he grabbed her hand and licked the chocolate off the wrapper.

She looked no less than a deer caught in headlights at this unexpected gesture. "Didn't your teacher tell you to share things with your friends?" he asked in the most innocent voice, licking more of the melted chocolate, smirking at her.

"You... you have cho...chocolate on... your chin." She stammered all the way, as her finger involuntarily reached out to wipe the tiny puddle on his stubble. And now it was his turn to act like a deer caught in headlights.

Arnav didn't realise when he caught hold of her finger wiping the chocolate drop from his chin and licked off the very same drop of chocolate from her finger.

Did time actually stop?

Maybe it did because her finger simply refused to move away from her lips.

Neither was she blinking nor was he.

And he became acutely aware of the blood pumping on his face like a horse galloping to the finish of a race.

Her eyes, he noticed them for the first time, how beautiful they looked. No, they weren't the perfect set of eyes. But that innocence and simplicity in them, not camouflaged by fallaciousness was something that felt so attractive about her. As if he just wanted to wake up every morning to see those eyes.

And when they blinked, he observed how she had held her breath all this while and that sight simply made him smile.

He let go of her hand and instead, ruffled her hair and stood up to turn around and walk away, leaving her behind all by herself, most probably dumbfounded at whether it had all been her dream or the reality.

But he himself had no answers to what had just happened.

When he closed his eyes, he could still feel the tip of her finger lingering in his mouth and a huge smile curved his lips at that touch, that feeling, that tingling sensation at the tip of his spine.

However, his excitement missed out a pair of unhappy eyes lingering at one corner of the house, finally catching up with what was happening to their 'Chotey'.

Next update will be on Sunday.

New readers, Please note that I DO NOT send PMs of updates to anyone because I strongly believe that if you are interested in this FF, you will take the pains to follow it. That will measure the true impact of my story on the readers. Because I know of many readers who used to like my works previously without reading it just because they didn't want me to feel bad when I sent the PMs. And I do not want such response. I need genuine opinions.

And to all the new readers who have decided to come out of hibernation and comment, Thank You.🤗 You have no idea how that one comment makes my day perfect.

And like I said before, what exactly happened to Khushi on that previous day will only be revealed at the climax of the story near the end, completely from her point of view. Only the bits will be revealed as the story progresses.

And I'll leave you with some words of wisdom from my side, from what I've seen of life.

"Not all people who laugh are happy. Sometimes, laughter is the only way they know to hide the inner turmoil and sorrow eating them from the inside. Reach out to such people because they are the ones who actually need a shoulder to cry upon."