Arshi OS: His Last Visit

Khushi lay in bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. Her hands were lightly resting one on top of the other on her stomach and her feet were crossed over. She continued to stare up but refused to allow any memories take over her mind. She slowly closed her eyes and thought of a pitch black room and nothing else. 'This is good,' she thought. 'I can't feel anything. Perfect.'

But soon, slumber took over and the black curtain fell exposing the archive of memories that came into play. She and Arnav were in a chalet in front of the burning fireplace. Khushi walked to him in an oversized sweater and leggings with two mugs in her hand. She placed a cup in front of Arnav and one in front of herself. She smiled at him and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "So, is this as good as you thought it would be?" She asked him while he was gazing at her glowing face.

Arnav looked around in the rest of the dark house then looked back at Khushi with a smirk. "Well, electricity would be nice but yeah, I'm loving this. Just you and I, it doesn't happen often."

"Arnav, you gotta forgive nature and her mood swings but you know a snow storm is ideal in order to experience moments like these," Khushi said with a shrug of her shoulders and turned her attention to the crackling wood.

Arnav moved himself a bit closer to her then gently grabbed her arm to change her position. He placed her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her. "Just a few more minutes?" He said quietly in her ear.

She froze against him. "No, not so soon." She said with in a fearful tone. Arnav's arms tightened around her and he nuzzled her. "However long you want."

Her eyes shot open and a little squeal escaped her throat. She got up and walked to the mirror. She looked at herself with no expectation to see anything different. She had black circles, her cheeks were hollow, her arms were becoming thinner and when she lifted her t-shirt up, she could easily see her ribs.

She let her shirt fall back down and she let out a painful sigh. "I've become so ugly." She saw Arnav in the mirror but her frown remained. He came and rested his hands on her shoulder. "You're not ugly - you're beautiful. I'm telling you, all it takes is some food and sleep. That's it!" He said, like it was the easiest thing for Khushi to accomplish.

"You can't just leave like that. Do you know how anxious it makes me?" She said as she turned around to look him in the eye. Arnav shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not even supposed to come back so quickly. I've been taking too many off days."

"That's stupid! I think it should be your choice when you want to return to your family! Do they not care?" Khushi asked and walked past him to sit on the bed.

"They care Khushi! That's why I'm here right now but you can't complain about me leaving sometimes!" He said frustratingly.

Khushi leveled her eyes to him. "Fine, then go back. If you really feel this way, then just go! Maybe you'll want to return in like six months but hey! If even then you don't want to, then that's fine by me!" She said callously and left the room without another word.

She went to Anjali who was scooping away at a tub of ice cream. "You want some?" She asked Khushi but Khushi made a sour face. "No, I hate it."

Anjali stopped and looked at Khushi. "You have to eat something, Khushi. For Arnav's sake."

"Uh, no thanks! I could have said the same thing to him. 'Hey Arnav, for my sake, don't leave.' Did that stop him? No." She said with bluntly. Anjali became silent then sadly looked away. Khushi realized what she did and put her hand on Anjali's shoulder. "Sorry, I know I can be mean about him sometimes."

"I understand, it's just that it hurts when he's not around." Anjali wiped away her tear that came down her cheek. Khushi looked away because she hated when anyone cried in front of her. It would just remind her of all the pain she felt.

She was about to leave but Anjali called her name. "Here," she said passing her a bowl of ice cream. "Take it to him." Khushi took it and half-smiled.

She started walking up the stairs and that's when she saw him leaning against a wall. "That's very rude to walk away from someone," he said with his arms crossed over her chest. "Whatever. Don't talk to me." She said and continued to walk down the hallway.

"Hey, is that vanilla ice cream? Can I have it?" He extended his hand for it but Khushi moved the bowl away. "I won't give it! Move," she pushed him to the side and went inside her room.

"How long are you going to be mad?" He asked her when she sat on her side of the bed.

"For as long as I want. I can't just be all chirpy!" She put the bowl on the bedside table and looked down at her hands. "I can only come every so often Khushi. It's really not up to me." He said as he kneeled by her and put his hand on her knee. She looked away when her eyes became watery.

They both shifted their attention to their four-year-old son who had just woken up from his sleep. Arnav smiled and touched Khushi's arm so she could look at him. "Is he a good kid? Does he behave?"

Khushi's face relaxed and she nodded her head with a smile. "He's perfect. Just like you." She stroked Arnav's head then left her hand to rest against his cheek.

"Mumma," their son got up, and rubbed his eyes. He extended his arms towards her and she immediately took him in her arms. She sat him on her lap and pointed at the bowl. "Ice cream?"

He smiled big, his chubby cheeks showing off his dimples. She settled him next to her and put the bowl in front of him. He picked up the plastic spoon in his chubby hand and started eating away.

She looked at Arnav who was standing by the dresser. "Do you ever tell him stories of me?" He asked her but his gaze was on his son who had just dropped a spoon of ice cream on himself but Khushi didn't notice.

"Of course I do. Every single day and night."

Arnav walked to her again and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's been eight months. You're not taking care of yourself like you used to and I think it's because of my constant returns. Maybe we should say bye once and for all." Arnav said quietly and Khushi gasped with widened eyes and her son looked up at her and then the empty space where she was staring.

"You can't leave me Arnav! No, no, no. Please don't leave me!" She said and started crying. Not wanting for her son to see her in this condition, she first wiped away the ice cream on his shirt then carried him off the bed. "Bua has a movie ready for you to watch. You sit down and I'm coming soon." Being the adorable kid that he was, he just nodded his head and left the room.

She went back to sit and held Arnav's hand securely in hers. "Don't leave." She whispered. Arnav's expression became soft and he inched closer to cup her face. "I'm ALWAYS going to be around. Whenever I'd leave, you think I forgot about you? I'm always watching over you and Aarav, and Di. Everyone. I'm always going to be around you - the only difference is that you won't see me but I promise I'm watching down on you."

Khushi broke down into a quiet sob and Arnav pulled her into his chest. "I know you love Aarav more than anything, so if not for my sake, then for his, please start taking care of yourself. He lost his father but that doesn't mean he should lose his mother too." He reassuringly rubbed her back when she scrunched his white dress shirt in her first - her sobs becoming louder.

"Not to get you more emotional, but this is the last visit. From now on, I'll just happily watch you from above. I'll laugh whenever Aarav runs away from you during his bath time and I'll smile every single time that you smile. Bas, I just want you to know that I'm here," he said pointing to her heart, "And that I'm never actually gone. Okay Khushi?" He asked and Khushi nodded her head yes against his chest.

Arnav let out a big sigh of relief that she was finally accepting to move on and placed a kiss on her forehead before he vanished into thin air with his last words, "I love you," sounding distant. Khushi cried for some more time before she abruptly stopped. Arnav wanted her to stop crying, so that's what she was going to do.

She wiped away all her tears, applied some makeup to her face for the first time in months, and practiced smiling in the mirror a couple times before she went down to her family. She picked up Aarav and nuzzled him, making him laugh hysterically.

Anjali came in and was shocked for a moment to see Khushi so different suddenly. So...happy. Khushi looked at Anjali and smiled. "Wanna go out to eat?"

A wide grin spread on Anjali's face. "Absolutely! Let me get my purse." While Anjali went up, Khushi put down Aarav and she just stood there with a slight smile on her face. "I miss you," she whispered to Arnav and to show her that he was certainly around, he sent a light breeze around her.

Khushi chuckled and tears formed in her eyes, but they were happy tears. She was now rest assured that he was watching them. Her Arnav. Her angel.

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