Little Red Flower -Thread One- Chapter 1 to 8 - Page 39

2800+words!!😳

Little Red Flower

Chapter Five

Reconciliation,?

.

A shrill ran through his whole being as he stood the ground, staring at her pale form. Khushi, who used to be the other name of brightness, colorfulness and more over the happiness, which surrounded her form, now stood in front of him, with a mocking smile on her face. A lifeless one from her he had ever encountered.

She was staring directly into his eyes, the girl used to pry her eyes away from him whenever he looked at her direction. There was no hesitance neither that nervousness clouded inside her hazel orbs, that used to give him a little satisfaction on himself. But now, it was replaced by a challenging glint and an unbreakable adamancy.

Her hands were been balled into tight fists and he gulped hard swallowing the lump in his throat at the vision in front of him. He least expected this outcome from her. He took two steps towards her and she did not take any back like old times.

"What?"

"Khushi, I can explain everything... Just be a little gentle on me.."

"I am no more interested in our Tom & Jerry fights, and its high time you should forget those old school rules of cornering me. I am not going to take steps back when you approach me... don't expect me to behave the way you want... I am not bound to you.. you may just leave, and I will be more than happy if you obliged..like a gentleman..."

Arnav felt the last layer of resolve slip off him as he heard her with heavy heart. He was not expecting nor wanted her to move back, he was just used to that kind of situations whenever she was in front of him. Can't she see how much I have missed her? Cant she read my eyes, now? Is it too easy for her to forget everything that we shared?

"I am sorry..."

She let out a throaty laugh at his words, filled with sarcasm. It hurt like anything, as he looked at her laughing, there was no such glint in her eyes, that used to reflect everywhere she looked. He down casted his eyes, not able to meet that depths, which was surely staring at him, penetrating deep, pinching his soul.

"I don't have any time to waste on people who don't value me. I have a daughter and a better life. I have moved on and I want you to stop pursuing me. Moreover ask your so called detectives to stop stalking me everywhere. This is the last warning; else I am going to register a complaint against you for personal harassment..."

"Khushi, please listen to me... I can explain everything to you, just give me a few minutes and I promise that I will never ever disturb you EVER"

Khushi stopped on her tracks and controlled those tears which pricked her eyes. His voice and the sadness in it was finally registering inside her clouded mind. With a jerk she turned to his side and crossed her arms over her chest, staring directly into his eyes.

He looked like a lost child in a crowded fair. The sadness in his eyes contrasting in his whole being, as he stood in front of her, for her mercy. Would she be able to forgive him? She asked to herself and found her knees buckling at the mere thought.

No. she wont. She cant. You can get over this conversation before its too late. Her mind chided and she met his gaze, her eyes still glazed with those unshed tears. Next words were unchecked and left her mouth without her knowing.

"I had waited for you, one whole night, without caring for anything but you. I had faith that you will not never let me down. The night when we had decided to be one, the night you were suppose to be marry me in front of the whole family and relatives. The same night, when you were been exposed to the bitter truth of our interwined pasts from Dadi. The same night when you took the decision of changing our fates by breaking your promise to be with me..."

"I can never do that, not even think about choosing my past over you.."

Khushi lifted her hand and pointed her index finger towards him, her eyes showing pure loath but anything. Arnav was little taken aback by that fiery look in her calm eyes.

"Do not interfere, understand? Look at me, when I am talking to you..."

Khushi fumed and her jaws clenched on its own accord, by the pressure and intensity of her voice. She was straining and Arnav did not like it a bit. He was the reason behind her uneasiness, if she does not want to listen, he wont disturb her, but he cant, he just cant stop himself from trying one last time, to get her back in his life. he wanted her like he needed air to survive.

"Khushi, just relax..."

He tried to reason with her and moved towards her to touch her swooping shoulders with his trembling hands. Khushi sucked in a sharp breath and opened her eyes continuing with her words.

"The same night I lost my trust over you, forever. It can't be mend Arnav, our...our relation, whatever you name it...is beyond repair. Please leave me and my daughter alone and let us live our life in peace..."

Arnav's jaw clenched brutally at her last words. Beyond repair? That is how she defines their relation. Does not she yearn for him, like he had yearned for her all those years back? Why is she even masking her emotions from him? And Chaahat, the name itself gave him goose bumps, strong and consuming. What was with this little girl and her presence? Why it felt always right whenever he was with her?

"Cha...Chaahat... is she your daughter in real? Did you get marri..."

Khushi motioned him to stop from talking anything else, her right hand facing him. She just could not believe he asked her such a stupid question. Men!! Why do not they think with their brain rather than reacting with the huge amount of testosterone? Khushi sighed shaking her head in the process.

"I am not answerable to you.."

She turned around once again and her eyes clashed with those warm orbs, who was staring at her from the corner of the hall. Was there tears, in those eyes? khushi's heart constricted at the vision and she quickly averted her gaze staring at the idols of angels in front of the choir hall.

Cammy was shocked to hear her mother's words as she walked out of the choir holding onto her violin bag and other things. The bag fell from her tiny hands, she looked at a hurt Arnav standing there, his shoulders swooping down, and his eyes down casted.

His eyes fluttered open and Cammy watched something else in his eyes, this time. There was a lot of pain as his eyes finally caught the stiffened back of Khushi. she was breathing heavily, staring at the idols as if they would help her get out the misery she was going through.

"Yes you are, and I want answers about everything related to you..."

"I am afraid that I won't appreciate doing that... Get lost.. we are done..."

She fumed and walked inside the choir only to be stopped by a tight grip on her wrist. She bit onto her lips brutally as she felt his hard palm clasp around her not so delicate wrist. She was not Khushi Kumari Gupta the vulnerable one anymore, who used to get bruised by a mere touch of a certain man. She was now Khushi, and nothing affects her. She took an oath and turned to face him.

He had his eyes glued to her face, flickering with emotions. Reflecting those words she did not speak but her eyes conveyed. Their faces were too close to each other and Khushi found it really hard not to look at his perfection after all these years she had prayed to God, just for a glimpse of him.

Huge dark circles surrounded his eyes, when his face had turned paler than she could imagine. There was no visible smirk when he talked, which used to be reserved only for her. the same smirk which caused her severe dhak dhaks and other anxieties.

"Khushi, jab main tumse baat kar raha hoon, to tum aise mudke kyun ja rahi ho?"

"Haan, hum aapke mooh par palatke jaa rahe hain, aap kya karenge Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada..?"

Arnav's whole body tightened at her words. He, without any more words pulled her flush against him, hard and fast. He pushed her one hand behind her back caging her form in between his hands.

"Main kya kar sakta hoon ye tum acchi tarah jaanti ho.."

He mouthed and was satisfied by his own move, but felt those uneasiness spread across his chest when she did not struggle in his arms, like she used to. Her response was cold as she eased her hand out of his hold and placed them both onto his chest and pushed him with all her might, withdrawing herself from his hold.

"Not anymore, at least not in front of my daughter... She is watching us, for god's sake..."

Khushi stepped away from him and his eyes flashed at the little thing who stood there, too shocked to even move a bit. Damn. He groaned inwardly for scaring Chaahat by man handling her mother, in front of her.

"We should leave.."

Khushi hissed grabbing Cammy's free hand and started towards the main gate to get out of the compound.

"But I am not done yet.."

He tried to control himself from hurting her once again, it was the last thing he wanted to do when he have finally found her after years of heartbreak. Cammy felt her mother's hold on her hands tightening and she stopped walking. Tears finally came out on its own accord. His every word reminded her of their pasts, those blissful days before their marriage and the playful Arnav, she loved with her whole heart.

"Just stop this nonsense... I don't want to see you again, ever. You had better keep away from my family. I am not going to fall for your words this time.."

And then they left leaving a breathless Arnav behind. His legs gave away and he kneeled onto the grassy lawn, too weak to even move on his own. He felt the chill on the air, it was about to rain he assumed. And soon it was raining, heavy wind flow through... drenching him fully, while he did not budge a bit. He cried finally letting out those caged sadness inside his heart from long. He felt hopeless would be an understatement because he felt dead in within the confines of his heart as he stared at the engagement ring on his finger, almost mocking him on his condition.

Although the heavy down pour washed away his tears, but it did not get succeeded in removing the heaviness within his heart. Which has been clouded just like the sky above!! He felt a hand on his shoulder and he almost jerked away the same standing onto his heels with difficulty as he did so.

"You look lost, come on inside.."

The woman said patting his head while Arnav lifted his teary eyes to look at her face. She was smiling at him and her smile almost looked like his mother's to him. He searched for something on her face closely and then clutched onto her hands, with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Help me,... I want her back in my life.. and I don't care if she has a daughter, I can never hate or ditch anything related to her..."

"Coming from a man who ditched his wife at the altar..."

He turned around to clash with another pair of angelic eyes he had ever encountered. His head spun wildly as he looked at the both women who was been staring at him. One had a sad look in her eyes while other one looked not to so pleased by him.

"She's sister Claire, Khushi's guardian.."

Arnav's eyes widened instantly as the lady dragged him inside the church, her hands tightening on his wrists as they finally sit on one of those benches, facing Lord Jesus.

"Why are you here now? She is not going to forgive you that soon, but I know, deep inside her heart, she still loves you and wants you back..but you need to prove yourself for that, not stalk her everywhere. She is a mother of a 6year old now, try and learn to respect her...she is taking care of her daughter on her own, don't make her life hard to live in this society with your public demonstration of affection.."

Sister Claire and Ms. Samuels shared a known look as he got lost in his thoughts.

She was taking care of Chaahat on her own? That means she have not married anyone after... Does that mean, Chaahat is..?

But how is it possible? We had shared... yes it is possible...

His heart was thudding brutally against his ribcage as realization hit him hard on his face. It was a diary, wrapped in a sunny yellow cover with handmade cutouts of glittering stars all over them. He did not need any introduction on the same, as his heart understood the familiarity and the unique handwriting in which the name was been written beautifully

"Chaahat"

He read aloud and found those familiar hazel orbs staring at him from the gigantic door of the church. There was no gleam in her eyes when she stared back at him., there was uneasiness and sadness as she turned on her heels and left from there.

"Chaahat... Baby..."

He called out for her but she did not stop this time, neither did she flinch at his words. It was totally an unexpected event for Chaahat when she had finally witnessed their fight few minutes back. No matter how hardly Khushi tried to stop her from going to Arnav, she was adamant and wanted his approval on the same matter, that she was indeed his daughter.

Gone were those days and the beautiful dreams she had weaved about her father. The one who will love her immensely, the one who will accompany her to the school, the one who will instruct her to ride a bicycle, and the only one who will always be there for her, a father... That was all she had prayed all these years, after she had got gained a little consciousness from her childhood. She was just a child of 6years, but the truth was she herself felt like a grown up girl in between all the girls of her class.

The pain was unbearable when she had looked into his hesitant eyes. the way he looked at her, surely gave her a perfect view of his confused state of mind. Cammy walked back to her mother, who was been waiting for her at the auto rickshaw stand to leave the place for good or before anything else happened.

Khushi had tried to stop her from going to Arnav, but the strong emotions in her daughter's eyes stopped her from denying her. so she had walked to him, holding the most precious thing of her life in her already trembling hands. she could not possibly live with the fact that, her father does not recognize her, nor had any slighted of ideas that she even existed.

He will just have to admit it, and I will be more than happy to live my life just the way I was been living with my mother. The very same way she wants me to. There wont be any hard feelings god. I will always be grateful to you for arranging this meeting with my father. I cross my heart that I wont ever mention him in front of Mumma and make her feel guilty for keeping me away from my father.

I love you god!

Cammy whispered, clasping her tiny hand onto her Mumma's outstretched hand and got inside the vehicle to leave the place, all set to alleviate the pain clouded in her heart. She was strong, and she will get over it. No more tears and no more praying for Happy Endings from tonight onwards.

She winked looking above the sky and leaned back onto the plush seat of the car.

I will be just fine!!

_____________

CC, tere bina meri zindagi jaise bina shakkar ki chai hain.. You are the best ever Cheeni I found.. Love you like I love friedrice... Sacchi Waala Mucchi!! 🤗

Main so nai rhi thi jiji