Part 3
"Did he look trustworthy?!"
Raj nodded vehemently, "He looked like someone who'd just discovered he could breathe!"
Veena rolled her eyes..."Oh don't YOU get all romantic now..."
Raj hushed his voice..."Look, when you SEE him, you'll understand...he was in AWE of her...he..."
"He hurt her once..."
"I know mum...but the hollow haunted look in his eyes when Khushi cried...it was literally frightening..."
Veena glanced over to Khushi ...
She was staring blindly into space as Libbi colored in...
"I haven't seen her thinking this hard in a long time...She has always seemed so vague...and yet, so willing to help others...I don't want her to be hurt again..."
Raj pulled his mother aside, "He is coming over to pick her up tonight...after Libbi has gone to sleep..."
Veena crossed her arms..."Well, he can meet me first, before he takes her anywhere..."
She turned back to look at Khushi...
"I should really go and talk to her..."
"Mum, NO!" Raj insisted, "She was so quiet in the car as one of his staff drove us home...She barely said two words..."
Veena huffed, "Well, I think this needs some tough love! She has needed a good jolt to the system, and now Libbi can have her father, and Khushi can be with the man she loves! And WE can make sure that she doesn't get hurt..."
...
"Why did you come home so early?"
Libbi waited for an answer, but pouted when Khushi remained silent...
"I did a lot of study today, and coloring...oh and Uncle Raj basically threw a tantrum because there was no chocolate in the house..."
Libbi saw her mum blink, but keep her lips sealed.
She sighed and continued to talk, "Well...Just before all that, I was flipping through a magazine, and found some things I liked...want me to show you?"
But Khushi was still in a fog...
Libbi was now getting frustrated, and finally asked the one question that ALWAYS got a rise out of her mum...
"Why do other children know about their father and I don't!? Who is my dad? Where is he?!"
Khushi's consciousness was flung back to earth...
Her heart sped up as she turned to her daughter...
Libbi...oh my baby...
The first thing that she saw was her tiny grumpy expression, and that brought her to tears even as she laughed...
"Oh Libbi, You have his eyes...his angry stare...I see so much of your father in you..."
Libbi was completely startled, her jaw dropped, and her eyes flashed..."You...you just...you just told me something about my dad!"
Khushi flinched back and covered her mouth with her hand...
Oh my God, I did!
Her words shook her to the core and she reached out to pull her daughter into her arms..."I'm sorry...I'm sorry it's taken me so long to tell you about your father..."
Libbi hugged her back tightly, "It's okay mummy, I just want to know...why?"
Drained from tears, her voice only broke as she said, "He...he was lied to, he was confused...and he didn't rescue me when I needed him..."
Libbi gasped, her eyes now glowering with anger, "What! Why!?"
Khushi gave a weak smile, "I told you, he was lied to...but he did give me something that helped me through all these years...he gave me you...and now," she took a deep breath..."It's time you finally know about him..."
"I don't think I want to...If he didn't rescue you, then-"
"No no baby, he did try to come for me, but it was too late...but it's never too late to start again..."
Libbi frowned and stuck out her tongue, "ugh... Starting again is so boring!"
"Oh really?" Khushi smiled, "When I finish reading you a story that you truly love, are you willing to hear it again?"
"I guess so, but that's only because I love it...do you love my dad?"
The moment had arrived...
Khushi clamped her hand hard on her heart...
"Mummy? Do you love my dad?"
Taking Libbi's hands in her own, she steadied her voice..."Yes. I do."
But the reaction that came from Libbi was a big surprise...
She jumped up from the couch and stood tall..."But he hurt you! And I don't like ANYONE who hurts you!"
Khushi smoothed her thumb over the scowl on her daughter's forehead, "I know baby, but...think about this...if we stopped reading halfway through your favorite book, would you feel upset, and angry?"
Libbi looked confused, but answered, "Yes. I surely would..."
"That is how it is with your father and me...our story was stopped...it never finished..."
Libbi now started to cry, "But he hurt you...made you sad, I don't like seeing your sad, your tears make my heart hurt... "
Those words brought out Khushi's tears, "Oh Libbi...your father said those exact same words to me once..." she pulled Libbi onto her lap,"...Baby, a book you love, is worth reading till the end...isn't it?"
She nodded, "Yes, but, Mummy...If you have loved him all this time, then why only tell me about him now?"
Gently holding her little girl's face, she stared into her eyes, "Because he found me...he found us..."
...
"Libbi, you HAVE to try and get to sleep..."
"I can't mummy!"
Khushi sighed, "I shouldn't have told you! I knew this would happen..."
Libbi kicked back the covers and sat up, "PLEASE!? Please mummy!!!!"
Sitting back down beside her daughter, Khushi said, "Baby, I don't know how he will feel about that, I don't know how I feel about it...It's all so new to me...can you try to understand...?"
Slumping back, Libbi pursed her lips, "I understand...It's just so exciting!"
Khushi never liked to disappoint her daughter, but everything was still to new and unknown...
"Thankyou...now get some rest little heartbeat...I'll see you in the morning..."
And as Khushi leaned down to kiss her, Libbi wrapped her arms around her neck, "Can I ask one more thing?"
"Oh gee...sure...okay...what?"
Libbi giggled, "Can I look out the window? When he arrives?"
"Out the window? But...it's dark, you won't see anything..."
"Not true mummy, I will see his shadow..."
And now Khushi felt guilty..."Shadow? Oh honey...I know you want to meet him, but please...just for tonight..."
Khushi paused as she noticed Libbi's pleading eyes...
Resignedly, she nodded..."You may look out the window..."
"Yeeeks!!!!!!! Thankyou!"
Covering her ears, Khushi began to grin, "Okay okay! Shhh! Now Goodnight!"
"Goodnight mummy..."
As Khushi closed the bedroom door, she leaned back against it...
I'm sorry Libbi, I have kept the knowledge of your father away from you for so long...and now...now I have no choice...you will meet him, soon...and I pray, with all my heart, that he loves you...that he doesn't hurt you, or break your heart...
She went to the bathroom and began to lightly apply some makeup...
When her eyes saw her lips, she could feel the pressure of his kiss...
Your kisses tell me one thing...that you still feel for me...I still feel for you too...please don't break my heart again, Arnavji...
...
Arnav was a nervous wreck...
I am going out with my wife...my Khushi...I...I want to scream to the heavens!!!!!
He knew he would see Raj again, but what really worried him was Veena.
She had been Khushi's mother for the past nine years, and he could hear in her voice that she was protective of her.
Good. Khushi deserves to have people care so much for her...
He thought back to their phonecall only 15 minutes before...
"Hi, it's me..."
"Hi, Libbi is in bed now..."
"Did she like her story?"
"Yes...did you?"
Arnav heard the smile in Khushi's voice, "Yes I did...I miss you..."
The last three words came out before he could stop them...
"I have missed you for nine years Arnavji..."
He held his breath..."Really?"
"Yes."
Emotions cracked his voice..."Even though I..."
"Yes...Even though you..."
He smiled, "I love you...can I come and get you in 15 minutes?"
"Yes. I'll be waiting...please d-"
"Khushi?"
She tried to muffle out her quickened breaths...
Arnav suddenly felt worried, "Khushi? What is it...? What's wrong...?!"
"Nothing...I was just...just going to say, please don't keep me waiting long..."
His heart surged with agony.
He recalled her saying those exact same words on the day of their wedding...
"I won't keep you waiting Khushi...I swear on my life that I won't..."
Unable to answer, Khushi hung up.
And now, he was walking up the pathway to the tiny little apartment.
He lifted his hand to knock on the door, but was overtaken with nerves...
Leaning to one side, he looked at his reflection in the window...
But what he saw, instead of his own reflection, were two tiny dark eyes, and an angelic cherub face that was framed with long hair...
His heart exploded with every kind of emotion known to man...
With a heart now speeding, and eyes drinking in the sight before him, he watched the little beauty slowly pulled the window open with her tiny fingers...
And they were now face to face...
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and scratched her shoulder, "Hi..."
Oh my...that little voice...it...it's beautiful..."
"Hi..." she said again a little louder...
Arnav suppressed his nerves and cleared his throat, "Hi...what's your name?"
She sniffed, her nose wrinkling slightly, and Arnav was bowled over by her cuteness.
"My name is Libbi..."
Libbi...my...my Libbi...
"That...that is a beautiful name...for a beautiful little girl..."
He expected for her to grow shy, but instead, she nodded..."Yep...I am...like my mummy..."
Arnav laughed, complete joy taking over his soul, "That's for sure...I've never seen anyone as beautiful as your mother, until now..."
Libbi's eyes opened wider, "You think I'm prettier than her!?"
Leaning in closer, Arnav narrowed his eyes, pretending to study her face..."Hmmm...I think...I can truly say...that it's an even tie..."
And the next sound he heard was a delightful, bubbly giggle...
The smile that spread across his face nearly made his jaw ache...
"So, Miss Libbi, It's late now, shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Yep."
He smirked, "You're a little rebel aren't you..."
Her eyes lit up, "Hey! Mummy calls me that too!"
"I'll bet she does..." he couldn't contain the fireworks that were exploding inside him, "Your mummy is a very smart woman...and I can't keep her waiting...I promised her, so, how about you go to sleep now..."
Libbi paused, tapping her fingers on her chin, "Will I see you again?"
Putting on his best 'business deal' face, he said, "Definitely."
She peered at him for a moment and then nodded, "Okay. It's a deal."
As she closed the window, Arnav waved, "Goodnight Libbi..."
Poking her face through the curtains, she smiled, "Goodnight daddy!"
And the drapes shut.
Daddy?! She called me...she...
Arnav felt completely shaken.
She...she knows!? Khushi told her!? She...she...oh...my...Libbi knew...knew that...Khushi told her...
He couldn't think straight...
Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door as he breathed, "I just met my little girl...Now to prove my love to my wife..."
The next parts are available - but they are highly adult chapters, so if you would like to read them, please check my blog -
For other stories of mine, and for my new Christmas Special OS, please check out my blog!
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