ARSHI TS: THE ROAD HOME, COMPLETED - Page 2

Part 3

The phone was ringing, awakening the residents of Shantivan from a dull, listless stupor. Payal picked it up, almost automatically. These days, it was hard to expect anything new and extraordinary- the mantra that they lived in went around in circles, the routine taking a toll on the Raizada family.

"Hello?"

"Payal ji?" An uncertain voice asked. And then, it stumbled over the words in a hurry to get them out. "Oh, Payal ji! You won't believe who I saw at the Centre!"

Payal was confused. Why was Di calling her to tell her about her meeting? "Uh, I don't know, Di... Let me guess, you saw the doctor?"

There was a chuckle at the other end, and Anjali said: "Silly you, Payal ji! Why would I call you to tell I met the doctor? Oh, no, it's someone way more special than Dr. Veer... Guess, now, guess."

"Umm... the neighbour next door?"

"Oh, no, Payal ji, try again."
"A hot guy?" She asked cheekily.

Anjali Di gave another laugh, full of mirth, the sound of which made Payal's eyebrows rise. Since when did Di get into such a happy mood that she would accept and acknowledge a joke?

"Oh, Payal ji, your imagination must be dead today, if that's all you're coming up with... No, it certainly wasn't a hot guy, though I could use some of them..."Anjali's voice took to a dreamy note.

Payal was exasperated.

"Di, if you want to make me guess, then I can't. Why don't you just tell me?"

"Payal ji, when Dr. Veer and I were counselling, you know who walked in? It was like dj vu... It was like the Gods finally accepted our prayers..."

"Di... do you mean to say..." Payal could not control it. Her ears ached to hear the forbidden name of her long gone sister. Her heart throbbed with anticipation.

"Yes, Payal ji... I'm saying that Khushi ji is back. Alive."

The phone dropped from Payal's nerveless fingers, ending up on the floor with a loud, ominous thud. Seconds later, Payal fell, too, dizzy due to the news she heard. Mami and Akash rushed to her, yelling at Hari to get water.

"What is it, Payal? Talk!" Akash said anxiously.

"She... is back... Di saw her... at the centre..." The sentence was garbled and sounded like mush, but he understood it.

"Who, Payal?"

Soft, anxious hands patted her cheeks; she felt the feather-light touch that did little to assure her. Her body wanted to rest, to never move again, but her brain was spinning around in circles. Questions flitted from one corner of her brain to the other, finding no answer.

She was not sure what the time was, she wasn't even sure where she was, how she was or what she was doing here... wherever "here" was. All she knew was that something hurt. Badly. Not her heart- not at all- she had become used to that kind of pain months ago. It didn't matter anymore.

But this time, the pain was originating from around her left forearm. The pain was so intense that it made her gasp, and this gasp alerted the people around her.

"She's coming around! Quick, do something!"

"Her arm, Shweta! It's still bleeding..."

"No anaesthetic, Mariah, please..."

These voices meant nothing to her. She was just having an epiphany. If the pain in her body was so intense that it made her forget the pain of her heart, then why not embrace it? Why not let it take over her mind? What good would it do to wallow in self-pity and useless memories? She would at least be teaching herself a lesson...

Khushi Gupta came back to the present, allowing her glazed-over eyes to look back at the source of pain of her heart. Arnav was watching her with a twisted expression, agony in his eyes. He could not express himself at all. It would be quite right to say that he had been struck speechless by this girl once more.

After trying a few times, when he still could not conjure words, he simply picked up her gauze covered left wrist and pressed it to his lips. Sometimes, the purity of a moment is best left undisturbed, when clumsy things like words tend to destroy the peacefulness of the moment. And that is exactly what he did. There were no words, just feelings of tenderness and miscellaneous other emotions.

And that is how Anjali found them, hands twined, eyes fixed on each other, wistful half-smiles on both their faces. For a moment she stood transfixed, then a smile broke over her face like the dawning of the sun.

She limped forward, and the sound of her footsteps alerted the people sitting on the bed. Arnav jumped up, casually brushing a hand over his eyes, making it look as if brushing back hair from them. Khushi smiled timidly.

Anjali stepped up to Khushi and cupped her cheek.

"Oh, Khushiji, I'm so glad we found you here... Now I really hope that Dr. Veer clears you off soon so that we can take you back. Won't that be nice?"

At that sentence, the little peace that had settled in Khushi's eyes turned to horror.

She struggled with words, but finally managed to say bleakly:

"Di, what are you talking about? How can I be welcome there anymore? And in any case, I can't go... I simply can't bear to see the faces of my family cloud over in hatred and contempt... What am I to them now? How can I face them?"

She was getting hysterical, and Anjali pleadingly looked at Arnav for help. He cleared his throat, and gruffly said:

"Of course not, Khushi. They'll love to have you back. Who wouldn't? Everyone will be really happy. Stop worrying."

"But you don't understand..." Khushi whispered. Her voice was hoarse with strain. "How can I explain this to them?" She asked, lifting her wrist for emphasis.

Arnav looked stumped for a moment, but quickly recovered and said:

"We'll tell them that you had a small injury. Nothing to worry about. They won't pressurize you, so there's no big worry."

Khushi felt satisfied that at least her family would know nothing about her excursions. She gave them an awkward smile, and Anjali smiled back, before limping her way out of the room.

Arnav broke the silence that weighed over the room.

"So... do you mind telling me why exactly did you have your... epiphany?"

Khushi coughed nervously. "No... Umm... Actually, I guess you should go... Di wants to go home, right? So..."

Arnav sternly said: "Khushi, you know very well she went out to give us privacy. Now please don't ruin it, and be out with it, please."

"Uh... Okay, if that's what you want. So the thing is... I, uh... When I was walking down that road," The words began to tumble out with great speed, and Arnav had to concentrate to string them together. "I wasn't paying any attention, and then somehow I tripped, straight into some godforsaken muddy pool..." Khushi scrunched her nose, remembering the god-awful smell of it. Arnav found it adorable. "And there was something sharp you know... Something like a blade or a tool... It sliced my wrist and it was real painful... And then I fainted. When I woke up, I knew that was the key... And that's what I have been doing ever since."

Arnav shifted; taking both her hands in his, and spoke roughly:

"Why, Khushi? Why did you not feel the love I had for you, even if I never confessed it? You at least, should have seen it in my actions. Didn't it make sense to you? And for you to harm yourself, thinking that I hated you... that was blasphemy. It wasn't right. Not at all. And you must have thought that I was having the time of my life back here, right? No Sanka Devi to annoy me, no wind chimes, no caring wife... In fact, that was exactly what I missed. It was all so homey for me..."

Khushi cleared her throat. "Well, that's behind us now... I'm happy that I met you here today, or... or I'd never be able to live properly again."

Arnav's expression softened. "Me, too," he whispered, before leaning forward and brushing a kiss across her forehead.

The people of Shantivan were preparing for the homecoming of their elder daughter in law; without whom they had ceased to breathe for the past year or so. This day was bound to do justice to them, as they had waited so long for it. It was the day happiness would return... literally. All of them were lined close to the doors, pooja ki thaal held in their hands, eyes expectant, expressions glad, hearts racing.

The moment they had been waiting for since so long finally came. The door creaked open, and in came Arnav and behind him Khushi. All of them stilled for a minuscule second, before rushing forward to do the aarti. After it was over, they all hugged and kissed Khushi with eyes that threatened to overflow.

"Khushi bitya, we can't tell you how much we've missed you. I'd like to apologize on everyone's behalf for the sorrows and trouble you had to face. But I am glad to see you, my child," Nani said, with a trembling voice.

"I'm sorry too, Nani ji, for missing out so much. I missed you too," Khushi replied, feeling ashamed.

"Khushi bitya- pleej donts you say it... Now all iz wells..." Mami ji said, in her usual Hinglish language. At this, everybody gave hearty chuckles.

Khushi was brushing her hair in front of the mirror when Arnav came back into the room. She was struggling with her hair, because it couldn't be managed with just one hand. Arnav, as always, came to her rescue, taking the brush from her and untangling the strands smoothly. Khushi smiled gratefully at him through the mirror, conveying her thanks. He nodded back, and continued his work.

It gave them both a great sense of belonging and peace, to be together again. Arnav was glad, very glad that Khushi had chosen the right path. She had chosen the road home, the road that was their destiny, where they would be together forever... and more.

THE END