I hope you are fine now yar...
When will you come back?
Part-16:
"O Bitiya...don't run like this...you'll fall...!!"
"No Babuji...I won't...!!"
"Itna hi Jalebi-dudh khane ka maan tha...to ghar pehi banwa leti apne Ammako bolke..."
"Nehin Babuji...Amma would scold me..."
"Amma dant deti...yah phir..."
"Jab pata hai...to puchte kyun hai aap..??"
"Bitiya thoda saans to lelo..."
"Mmm...nehi mujhe khana hai..."
"Ahh...Babuji...Dudh to bohot garam hai...", complained the little girl to get a chuckle in return as the answer...
Zeus sent another strong thunderbolt to the earth...clouds were roaring...the war between the clouds announced by Zeus...was not in a mood to stop...Khushi drifted herself from the memory to the present...when she saw Arnav sitting beside her watching the rain...silently...she tried to read his face...which was very much impassible...she wondered...who is he??
Arnav...what's the meaning...?? she wondered in her mind...she looked at him through her lashes...watched him sitting on the half broken wooden bench...hands resting on his both side supporting his weight...legs stretched forward kept crossed...looking at the rain very thoughtfully...his eyes were very distant...she noted...he was not really concentrating on the rain...but was thinking something else while enjoying the music of the rain and the thunderbolt...a small smile crept on her face...admiring the man in front of her...thanking him in her mind again and again...for everything he has done for her...without her consent...and of course...without wanting anything in return...say it the help for her Amma's treatment...or unconsciously for her freedom...or for asking her for a drive to lighten the evening...or for letting her dance in the rain...or for giving the shoulder to cry...or for nothing but taking her to a small roadside stall to treat her with Jalebi-dudh...as a dessert after their dinner at Dhaba...which reminded her of her childhood...she looked at her watch on her bruised wrist which was covered with her full sleeve kurta followed by his jacket...12 a.m...Midnight..!!
When the evening turned to night...then midnight she didn't know...and for the first time in her life...actually not for the first time in her life...but first time in her life after her father's death...she didn't want to know...she didn't want to know...why was she here...here...sitting at a roadside stall...where the owner cum chef on his early fifty preparing the main dish standing at the scullery side...Dudh-Jalebi...
THUD!!
Another thunderbolt jerked the whole world...and Khushi unintentionally hold Arnav's arm...as if holding his arm can protect her from any accident or any bad happenings...
Arnav who was enjoying the rain and its melody...he felt a tight grip on his arm of soft hands...he turned to look at the owner of the hands...and again mesmerized by the beauty of the face...he looked at the grip on his arm...and again moved his gaze to the face...lips pursed...eyes shut tightly...eyebrows scrunching...the fear was visible...but...this view crept a smile on Arnav's face...with the loop side smile he kept staring Khushi...who was leaning very slowly to hide her face in his shoulder...Arnav didn't do anything...he turned his face to enjoy the rain...with a content smile plastered on his face...
"Bitiya...aur Jalebi chahiye..??"
The voice of the old man broke Khushi's trance...who was still holding Arnav's arm...she snapped up...and looked at the man...then shooked her head...the man smiled at her...leaving them in their previous position...Khushi still looking at the man when she heard him asking her..."Tum thik ho??"
Khushi looked at him...he has a very impassive but peaceful look on his face...his eyes bore into her soul...as if he was reading her through her eyes...and he'll find out every little secret of her life...the most nasty secret...and she doubted that she won't be able to hide it if she looks in his eyes...she averted her gaze before removing her hands from his arm...and increase a little distance between them...sliding to her side a bit more...she looked around...not meeting his eyes anymore...
Arnav looked at her retreating back amused...but also little puzzled...her eyes...so similar to those eyes...which haunts him whenever they can...they had pain...her eyes had also pain...those eyes were narrating the tale of her distress...and these eyes...also upset...as if trying to find some solace...but then he can't be so sure...because he just got little glimpse of those eyes...once...or maybe twice...if the party girl and the girl were same...but these eyes have so many secrets...he wondered...if he could read lyrics of eyes...he would have known all the secrets by now...
Arnav was still looking at her nervous figure...who was trying very hard to not look at him again...when he heard her whisper... "Thank you...and sorry..."
Arnav raised his eyebrows...as if telling her "care to explain"...and somehow Khushi got the vibe without looking at him...so she continued...
Khushi: Woh...I got scared...of the thunder...and..(while little stammering...looking here and there...to get interrupted by the listener...)
Arnav: and?? (with a smirk...)
Khushi's eyes got wide...and she turned her face to look at Arnav's face...who was having a smirk...and an amusing glint in his eyes...she looked down immediately...felt a sudden warmness on her cheek...and unconsciously her hand went to her lightly blushed cheek...
When Arnav noticed the blush...he felt something in his heart...which forced his lips to curve in a small smile...which he hided very efficiently...then suddenly he noticed some red patches on her face...he scrunched his eyebrows...and tilted his head to get a clear view...he doubted his vision at first thinking..that maybe its due to the less light in the stall that causes little haziness on her glowing face...but that glowing face is now seems a little pale...little pale...looking more closely...he raised his hand to touch her face...
Khushi felt something rough on the corner of her lips...when she moved her eyes to see the object...she felt herself shivering...then she looked up to see Arnav's intent gaze...piercing her...she was shocked at first...then she realized...that he was not looking at her face or her eyes...but at something corner of her lips...then she touched the place to understand that he saw...he saw the marks on her...which she was trying to hide by thick makeup...but washed away because of rain...
Khushi turned her face away...and stood up abruptly...very much to Arnav's surprised...she looked at the road...then at the sky...and without turning to Arnav...she voiced her thought...
Khushi: We should go...
Arnav was very much surprised by this sudden movement of Khushi...and also very much confused...he did notice these marks at Dhaba also...but there were so many colorful lights that he really didn't pay attention...but now...the stall lights were not that much bright...but they didn't fade the marks on her face...Arnav curiously took a step towards her...when she turned a little to hide her face...
Arnav: Khushi...what is it??
Khushi: What?? (not looking at him at all..)
Arnav: I can see something on your face...
Khushi: Umm...Nothing Arnav-ji...I guess we should go now...its getting really late...already past midnight...(trying to act normal...)
Arnav: You didn't answer me...
Khushi gulped down her nervousness...she lied a lot in her life...to special mention after her job in last six months...but never she felt this much hesitance or fear in lying...she looked here and there not able to come up with a lie...she closed her eyes...
Arnav saw all the change of emotions on her face...as if she was trying to figure out something...trying to decide something in her mind...but just couldn't...then he turned her towards him holding her shoulder...to see her eyes closed tightly...as if trying to stop a vision...
Arnav: Khushi...Khushi look at me...
Khushi opened her eyes...but didn't raise to meet his expectant gaze...she raised her wrists to look at the watch...trying to indicate him that its getting late...but then she felt a strong hold on her same wrist..and she yelped in pain... "Ahh.."
Arnav was shocked...he didn't know why she yelped...but it was definitely not because of his sudden touch...it was like pain...
Arnav: Khushi..look I am sorry...I really didn't mean to hurt you...
Khushi shook her head...looking at Arnav...with her tearful eyes...threatening to burst out any moment...
Khushi: Nehi...Arnav-ji..
Arnav: Let me see...
Arnav pulled her hand...and pushed the sleeves up to reveal a bruised wrist...looking at Khushi's wrist horrified..he shook his head...and looked at her...
Arnav: Its not because of me..!!
**Hello everyone...How are you my friends...my readers..?? Missed me?? I missed you guys...I really did...After my uncle's demise...I was not in a mental condition to write a single word...and trust me when I am saying this I tried...I tried really hard to put down something on paper...but I felt like I was in lack of creativity...and then my exams started...I completed my final semester of my engineering yesterday...and joined office today morning...
I won't say that I didn't visit IF...I was always present here...reading stories...commenting on posts...but really didn't have the mind to write anything...but now I am back..!! and I will try my best to give you the best...
and now...THANK YOU!! THANKS A LOT for your prayers...I really appreciate it...your prayers for my uncle..means a lot..!!
Now..
DO COMMENT and LIKE...
HAPPY READING!!😊
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