IPKKND: Maid, Mistress & Mrs Thread 2 chp10 pg17 CONCLUDE

Okay guys so here is the next installment, sorry for the delay I've not been keeping to well lately but hope you enjoy it. - note at the end too please read at the end.

Chapter 9

A strange silence between them as Khushi applies the medication to his back she seemed to know exactly where the pain was. Seeing her reflection in the opposing mirror..Arnav watched the way khushi paid the up most attention to make sure she didn't cause him any more pain but as she felt his muscles clench a little now and again she mentioned so in a soft tone. "Takleef ho rahin ho toe khahiyeyga" ("Do tell me if you are In pain." ) unaware that he was watching her in the facing mirror reflection as he replies "Bohot lekin mujse syaada kisi aur ko.." ("I am but I know of someone who is suffering a lot more than I am") Knowing full well that his words were an implication towards her, Khushi feels her heart flurry a little at the way the conversation was heading. Having glanced away for a second her eyes catch his in the mirror and see a very intent look in those eyes of his.

He could see right through her, her struggle, her pain, her affection, her devotion all of it. Nothing was stopping him from talking of the past, or driving the conversation to an conversation about their relationship but she had asked for time and he had granted it.

Arnav watched the way Khushis eyes scattered for a second or two.

Picking up his shirt that lay astray at the side of the bed he sounds a "Thank you" his eyes watching Khushi for a moment and then more focused on the task at hand.

...

As Khushi makes her way down the staircase, thinking about what had just gone on moments ago, the way he seemed to prompt her indirectly about her feelings, the way in which he seemed to be in a lot of emotional as well as physical strain worried her. In a daze of her own Khushi is thrown out of her thoughts when hearing Hariprakash's voice.

Hp not having turned up to work this morning Khushi is pleased to see that he is okay but also concerned. She heard that Arnav had words with HP after yesterdays incident but what was said was unknown to her. All she knew of was what was before her eyes. A regretful, upset, hp was standing before her with an apology. There was a tone of genuine regret to Hariprakashs voice "Khushi bhabhi..hame maaf kardijyey..kal jo hua woh .. " (Khushi bhabhi I'm sorry for happened yesterday. ) A mishap was a mishap for Khushi as embarrassing and hurtful that incident was in the moment it was simply an accident, she held nothing against HP. Just as Khushi is about to explain how she feels.

seeing Anjali approach who had no idea about the incident yesterday Khushi goes silent, the last thing she wanted is for her to worry. Anjalis saari still tied around her waist from her spring cleaning that was still going her eyes catch sight of Hp.

"Arre hariprakashji... aaj kam par kyun nahin ayey sab theekh toe hai??" (Everything is alright isn't it Hp ji, you didn't come in to work today?) Concern and care for Anjali was natural, convincing Hp to sit down and talk about what the problem was Anjali realizes that Hp was wanting to leave Shaantivaan for good.

...

Most of the morning spent resting per the doctors instructions Arnav had just propped himself up to making himself useful walks through the lounge towards the staircase when noticing HP. The words just naturally flow out of his mouth..

Hp hamare liyey ek coffee bejwaho please..("Hp bring a cup of coffee up to my room please") as far as Arnav knew Hp had gone no where it was only when Anjali stops Arnav on his walk towards the staircase. "Arnav..Hp..ghar ki chaviya vapas karne ayey hai woh kaam chor kar jana chahte hai." ("Arnav Hp is here to return his set of house keys, he wants to leave..for good".)

Arnav's expression calm, his mind perceptive of why this may have been the case he sees Anjali and Khushi upset by the news. He too didn't want this but maybe unintentionally whilst in a rage of anger yesterday was a little too harsh with his words. His expression a mix of ease and his eyes carrying a reassuring glow for Anjali, Arnav invites Hp upstairs to talk in privacy which surprises the family. "I see, upar chal ke baat kare?" (Shall we talk about this upstairs..? Khushi taking up Arnavs coffee is a little curious as to what Arnav was going to say to Hp. The man she married was ruthless, he wouldn't have cared the least about an employee not even someone like Hp who had been with them for years. Carefully balancing the travel mug still container in her hands, Khushi knocks on the door the bedroom before entering. Hearing his approval she walks into the room but it was clear that Arnav was waiting for her to leave before they would start the conversation. Hp was at a distance whilst Arnav was sat at the recliner behind the coffee table in the room, shutting his laptop to a close. Khushi putting down his coffee mug on the table happens to glance into Arnavs eyes for a second and see a very sincere warmth, still waiting for the time she would open up to him..but apart of her was still getting over everything. Getting over the fact that he was a changed man, getting over the fact that he read and knew of her deepest feeling from her journal..getting over the fact that was trying to be the husband she had always wanted. There eye lock a silent conversation, Khushis deferring from his eyes after a while told Arnav she still wasn't ready and it wasn't the right time anyway. Leaving the room, Khushis acknowledges Arnavs thank you and walks out. Although prying into someone elses conversation was rude Khushi waited a second or two outside of the room, worried and curious as to what would be said between Hariprakash and Arnav.

Back inside HP stood a little wary is asked to sit down on the spare recliner by Arnav. Seeing him a little hesitantly walk towards the seat and sit down, Arnav could see that Hp had made his mind up alright. He didn't look up at Arnav even the once. Feeling bad for the way he had spoken to Hp yesterday, Arnav recalls some of his words and takes a slight sigh before saying his piece. Where Hp and Khushi expected some ultimatum, deal, or scolding they were both surprised by the consolation and apology Arnav seemed to be giving. Sincerity and care in his tone and those eyes of his..both Hp and Khushi watching from outside of the room are left speechless.

"I'm sorry Hariprakash, It was unfair of me to get angry at you like that yesterday, galti kisi se bhi ho sakti hai. Aap is ghar ke sadasya ho hariprakash." ("You're as important as any other member of the family.") Aap ka is ghar ko chor na koi choti baat nahin hai..baki tumari marzi hai. ("You leaving this house will make a difference, but the choice is yours." )

Khushi felt her eyes take an generous glow, her expression a little relieved of worry, she admired the way he was dealing with the situation with thought, with care, with respect and understanding. Watching Hp pick up his set of house keys he handed over to Arnav earlier from the coffee table Khushi couldn't help but smile seeing Arnavs eyes glow with pride at Hps change of heart.

As Hp picks up the keys and gets up from his recliner, Arnav gets up to thank Hp for his change of heart. Patting him lightly on his shoulder..Arnavs expression passes a warm approval for Hariprakash's decision.

As Hp walks out of the room, seeing a smile on his face, Khushi too feels a little more light hearted maybe talking to him would be easier than what she had anticipated. Her footsteps taking her back into the room, Khushi walks into Arnav who is stood with his hands in his pockets thinking. It is only after or second or two does he sense Khushis presence and turns to her. For a moment Khushi was ready to talk her heart out and he was ready to listen but it wasn't so. "Woh Hame aamma babuji se milna tha.. " (" I wanted to go visit mum and dad later." ) Arnav knew that khushi had just changed the course of conversation but didn't mention anything. "yey sure I'll drive you.

Khushi mentioned the need not to do that especially because he was in pain but he insisted.

It was time to go.. 3pm, changed from his knitwear and casual trousers to a black and white three piece Arnav wanted to make a good second impression on his in-laws, put right what was wrong and apply the look good feel good theory. The pain and fatigue still existed yet maybe with a change of setting and fresh attire he would feel better. That was the idea anyway.

Looking for Khushi around the house, for her not to be seen anywhere Arnav walks towards the storage room he had been in earlier this morning and finds Khushi clearing the last few boxes on her own.

Hearing him walk in Khushi turns to Arnav dusting off her dress a little lost for time she realizes that she was running late. ("Chale khushi? shall we go") A little flustered khushi leaves the room reassuring Arnav that she wouldn't be long.. "Ham..abhi tayar ko kar aate hai.."

Looking around the store room that looked near enough tidy now, Arnav eyes catch one cardboard box that remained on the floor just as he is about to leave.

Turning back Arnav walks the stretch of some dusty floor boards..stops to look down at the box before lowering his posture to squat in front of the box.

Opening up the box, Arnav comes to face with a host of baby belongings. Mostly Pink and yellow baby toys, books, even clothing. As far as he was aware there was no child the family and all these belongings looked new.

Hearing Khushi re-enter the room, her sandles against the floor boards..The first thing Khushi hears from over his back is the question of who this box belonged to. "Who does this box belong to Khushi? " His mind was blank but had for a split second considered that the box could belong to Khushi...Khushi could have had a child ,they could had a child. A chill running down his spine with that thought, there was nothing but the sound of Khushis footsteps walking towards him.

Feeling her draw to his side, Khushi looks into the box of baby things and then at at Arnav for a moment before explaining.

Aap yey sab le kar aayey they.. "You bought all these things" His eyes drawing to khushi for a second as to know everything. Jab..di ma bane wali thi.. "When di was about to have her baby. "

A part of him at that point felt relieved, he had imagined the worst of scenarios.

Still wanting to know more, Arnav eyes took to a curiousity as he watched Khushi delve into the past as she explained. " Us vakt joe aap ke chehre par Khushi thi woh ham kabhi bhool nahin payeyge. Aap ka di ke liyey pyaar tha joe parva thi aap ko unke liyey." ("The happiness you carried on your face at that time is something I will never forget, the love, and concern you had for di.") The way she spoke about him, there was an lightness in her words, glow in her eyes, after reading the accounts of her journal Arnav never imagined that there would have been times that he wasn't his unreasonable self. "Hamne jo hamari diary mein likha aur aapne pada...woh bhi hamara attit hai lekin..kuch aise cheese bhi hai joe hamne us mein nahin likhi. Aise cheeze joe hamne hamare dil mein kehd kar rakhin..hai.. aise kuch baate hai jise yaad karte hein hame aap ke liyey pyaar mehsoos hota hai". ("What you read in my diary was our past but there are some things I didn't write about in their. Things that I have locked away in my heart, moments which helped me grow in love with you even more when I thought about them." )

Arnav had wondered how khushi could have loved him the way he was, she mentioned many her time not knowing herself yet the feeling of love for him still something that would never leave her. "Jab aapko pata chala ke di ma bane wali hai, aapne..unka kamara phir se ek baar sajwaya, har vakt unke saath rahe, une kahana khilayay, unke doctor ke paas le gayey.. aap ne hein unko sambhala. Tab..hame aap ke andar ka pyaar karne vala shakas nasar aayay. Pyaar toe ham aapse kar te hein the, chahe kitne hein sakt kyun na te aap hamare liyey..ham pyaar karte gayey.. akhir pati they aap hamare magar jab hamne aapko di ke saath dekha toe hamara pyaar aapke liyey aur bhi baad gayay."

(When you found out di was about to become a mother you had her room decorate, bought the baby everything it would need. You looked after her, fed her, took her to her doctors appointments, you were with her all the time and took care of her smallest of needs. It was then that I saw a loving man in you. I loved you, I loved you despite the way you treated me, you were my husband after all but when I saw you with di, how loving, affectionate, concerned you were towards her I began loving you even more. )

"Shayad umeed thi ke aap kabhi nahin kabhi hamse bhi.. ("maybe I was hoping that some day you will love with that way too..")

The way Arnav deprived khushi of affection, her words were filled with a lot of emotion. Arnav turning to Khushi for split second watches her expression as she is unable to finish that sentence. She moves on to talking about an incident of the past. "Lekin..ek din jab di ki doctor ke saath jaaj ho rahin thi tab.." (but one time when di was having her routine check up..)

Khushis flashback

Khushi remembered clearly being beside Anjalis beside as she had requested. Arnav standing at the end of the bed with his hands folded waiting for the doctor to complete his tests. Everything was fine but Anjali had something to say.

"If it's a girl doctor hame yey batcha nahin chahiyey... ("I don't want the baby if it's a girl doctor")

All three persons in the room additional to anjali shocked at her words, Arnav is the first to intervene. "What..???!!! you are not to listen to her doctor, she has no idea what she is talking about." Anjali insisting was making the right decision , her words aimed bitterly at Arnav. Agar hamre beti ko appne pati ke haath wohi sehna padega joe Khushi ji ne aapke haathon sehan kiya hai Arnav toe hame beti nahin chahiyey."

("If my will daughter will grow up to go through what you put Khushi through as your wife then I rather not have a daughter Arnav." )

End of flashback

Khushi remembered seeing an engaged, upset and distort Arnav singh raizada, Anjalis words had gone straight to his heart. He had stormed of the house, later that evening a phone call was made to Shaantivaan from the local hospital notifying Arnavs involvement in a car accident.

"Use din aapka accident hua, aur use hein raat di ne aapna batcha bhi khoya.." ("That was the day you had your accident, and di lost her baby. ")

it was an ordeal, Khushis eyes were numb at the thought of that day, as she looked to her side towards Arnav she saw ramose in those eyes of his. She couldn't begin to even understand what he felt.

Asking for a moment to himself Khushi waits in the car outside Shaantivaan and wonders if she had done the right thing in telling him. she was going to wait a few seconds and then go back into the house to see if he was okay but there was no need. She watched him approach the car from a distance and get into the driver seat. "Aap theekh hai.." (Are you okay?) Nodding a yes, Khushi sees tranquil expression Arnavs face yet is well aware that he was going through a lot more than he let on.

... Arriving at Gupta house, Khushi who presses the doorbell to the house hadnt expected Arnav to come into the house but couldn't refuse him either.

Arnav standing a little bit behind Khushi at the entrance..looking around at the surroundings as he didn't remember.. the doors to the house are opened by Garima.

"Khushi ...bitya tum.."?? hugging Khushi, Arnav didn't want to interrupt an mother daughter moment and so kept quite but overheard the first thing Garima had thought of after the initial happiness at seeing her daughter.

"Khushi ..sab kuch theekh toe hai na? aaj toe guruwaar bhi nahin hai..aur tum yaha. (Khushi everything is alright isn't it?? its not even Thursday today..")

Khushi smiled, she expected her mum to come to that conclusion, reassuring her Khushi drew her eyes in the direction of Arnav who was stood.. to the side a little to make sure Garima took note of him too.

Garima getting the hint..after a second or two is over the moon to see Arnav too. Giving him a traditional welcoming, Khushi shows Arnav around the house before Garima sits him down to some food.

Arnav sat on his own in front of a whole host of dishes at the dinning table he ate a little from a few plates and that was enough. Looking around the modest but homely house..Arnav makes his way to the kitchen where if he was right jalebis were being cooked. Garima circling a yellow paste in a white cloth over boiling oil it was jalebis alright. "Are..Arnavji aap andar behtyey naa.." ("Arnavji what are you doing here please..take a seat in the living room.)

Woh ham khushi ke liyey jalbeiya bana rahe hai, une pasand hai na.. Explaining that she is making jalebis for Khushi Arnav lips draw to a smile. Khushi aapka khyaal toe rakh rahin hai naa .. (Khushi has been looking after you well hasn't she? ) Bilkul lekin hame aapse kuch mangna tha.. (she has but I wanted to ask you for something.)

Garima looking surprised, pauses in her jalebi making "Ji.. ?" Maafi... hamne khushi, aur aap ko bohot takleef di. (I'm sorry I put you and Khushi though a lot.)

Garima was lost for words, this was the last thing she expected, she could see in the change in her son-in-law and that was enough. "Ham bas itna chahte hai ke aap hamari khushi ko khushi rakhiye " '(All I want is for you to keep my Khushi happy. )

Rakhenge.lekin ..ek kami hai.. (I promise..but there is one thing. Hame jalebiya bana nahin aati ..aap sikayengi..??) Both faces drawing to a smile at that thought Garima agrees to teach Arnav how to make jalebis, at a distance.. Khushi who had overheard the conversation watches her mother bond with Arnav. The more she was around him..the closer she felt..and the stronger her feelings and conviction of sharing her feelings with him grew....

Arnav having spent some time in the kitchen learning to make jalebis with the help of his mother in law..later into the afternoon.. Khushi walking around the house in search of him find him sat playing chess with her babuji.

Sat in the living room..infront of a circular table, both of them silent. It looked like Arnav had bonded with her farther too. As Khushi walked into the room and stopped at a distance..watching both having there eyes glued to the board the fight khushi was having internally seemed to have come to its end she was ready to talk.

"Hame..aapse kuch baat karni thi.." (Can I talk to you..) Hearing Khushi arnav who was in more of a relaxed version of his earlier suit, having lost his blazer, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his forearms..and a loosened version of his black tie takes a soft glance towards Khushi and watches her drop her eyes to the floor. Even thought they were verysmall changes to his attire he still managed to look as influential and handsome as ever to Khushi.

Arnav walking out over to the wooden balcony of Gupta house where Khushi is stood overlooking the garden silently, Arnav approaches quietly, places his blazer over the wood next to him. looking over the garden, and feeling Khushi next to him apart of him knew what Khushi not facing him was her way of saying what she wanted without feeling influenced in anyway by his presence.

"Aap ne hamari diary padi..aap woh har hadse se..mere har ghaun se..mere har dard se aap pehle se hein vaakif hai. (You've read my diary, you know of every incident, every scar, every painful moment I have been through in our relationship you know of.)

"Hame aapse koi shikaayad nahin ham aapse tab bhi pyaar karte they, aaj bhi karte hai , aur hamesha karte ayeyge." ("I have resentment towards you, I loved you then, I love you now and I will always love you.") Lekin... (but..)

Hame dar lag raha hai..aap ke paas ane se ..kahin hame aap ke is pyaar ki is parva ki aadat na hojayey. (im scared, im scared of getting used to this love and affection of yours. ) Adat hone doe... (get used to it.) Her words a little broken, Arnav could hear the upset in Khushis tone of voice, turning to her slightly, Arnav turns khushi expression gently so she faces him. Tears cornering her eyes as he watches her. "Meine phele bhi kaha hain Khushi, you are my wife, you deserve to be loved, to be respected, to be treated like a wife." His words meant the world to her worry was overpowering, she needed more reassurance. "Aur agar aapki yaadaash vaapas agayi..toe ham aapki woh nafrat phir se payenge Arnavji". ("What if you regain your memory, I wont be able to face that side of you again.")

Khushis love for him, yet overpowering it that fear could be seen in her eyes, Arnav cupping Khushis right cheek in his hand, looks straight into her eyes which dot around for a second or two.

...

Next Chapter (Conclude)

As Arnav and Khushi walk hand in hand out of Gupta house, Arnav takes the driver seat..his eyes checking on Khushi in the mirrors now and again. Blind to a car that is coming towards them in one such moment Arnavs swerves the car sharply In attempt to avoid a collision but fails.

...

City hospital, As khushi stands at the end of Arnavs hopstial bed she finds herself in the same spot she was a few weeks back.

Fiddling nervously with her journal to hand, praying for the best Khushi recalls Arnavs promise of never going back to the man he was before, the way he had reassured her that his love for her would never let that happen, Khushi recalls his words over and over again in her mind until Arnav opens his eyes slowly and looks towards her.

...

Note: Okay guys so I am thinking of concluding this ff with the next chapter, which will be farely short. Having said that I don't want you guys to feel dishearted because like all my other ffs, I will re-consider coming back to it at some point or other depending on how all goes. At the moment I feel like it's the right time to move on and start something new.

I was also really wanted both chapters, this and the next one to fit on the old thread but I have no idea how many posts you can get on a thread till it dies out so here we go. Please use up as much of the thread as you want with your comments!

Thanks guys.