This time forever
Their story was over and yet it remained unfinished. Sometimes, when he went through the pages of the past, he wanted to erase some parts and rewrite the story. But he knew that the book of life was written with an ink that could never be erased.
Till one day
He was given a chance to rewrite the story all over again. And he started it from the time he first met her''
Chapter one
18 months later
"I don't want you to come back Anjali bitya. Your heart and home is where your husband is. We have enough broken marriages in this house. Your happy life is the only thing that gets me going" said Nani brokenly wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks when the sound of footsteps had her disconnecting the phone and keeping it aside hurriedly
"Chote, are you leaving for office early today? I will get Hariprakash to bring breakfast."
Arnav reluctantly trudged into the dining room, and sat at his place, opening the newspaper to have a glance. He heard Akash walk in too, speaking to Mr. Shetty over the phone - the same Mr. Shetty who ran Panache, the arch-rival of AR Fashion House. And he had to choose THAT company to work! Arnav thought, disgruntled that his cousin had chose to quit working for AR and had started working for Panache. Arnav had initially thought that Akash would end up in AR Fashion House. But he seemed to be as adamant as the rest of the Raizada clan and he had stuck to every single word of his.
Akash hesitated when he saw his cousin at the table, and tried to laugh at some obvious joke that Mr. Shetty had made, and sat at the table too, waiting for his breakfast. "Of course, Mr. Shetty! The presentation is ready. I am sure we will clinch the McCartney deal..." Arnav raised his eyebrows listening to his cousin's confident voice, even while he read the newspaper, knowing well that his reaction had been noticed. And when he knew that the conversation between Akash and his "boss" (Arnav mentally gave a derisive snort at that word!) had ended, he asked in a wry voice, "Clinch the McCartney deal? Is that wishful thinking Akash?"
"Of course not, Bhai!" Akash answered right away, uttering Bhai with such sarcasm that Arnav raised his eyes to meet the bespectacled gaze of his cousin. "AR Fashion House has never left that opportunity to any bloody company since seven years, and you know it." Arnav stated, his gaze still wry. Akash seemed thoughtful as he shrugged in response, before he quipped, "That's because you never really had any competition, and now you do. Go figure." Arnav gritted his teeth, as he thought, 'Look at the attitude the kid has, these days!' He rose from his chair, and left without a word, his breakfast forgotten. Nani who had entered the dining room with a plate of toast and a glass of juice, saw the empty chair of Arnav and then at Akash, before she shook her head in disappointment, "Did you both fight? Again?!"
Akash took the plate in her hand and started having his breakfast without a word, not even feeling guilty that his cousin had not eaten. 'Its not like he deserves anything better!' Akash thought shrugging mentally.
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Arnav pressed his foot on the accelerator, angrily driving off in full speed to shake away the feeling of loneliness that crept up on him. But that loneliness was his companion now.. had been ever since Khushi had left'correction'ever since he had driven Khushi away. But he hadn't realized even then that she had filled his life in ways that the hadn't imagined. In ways he didn't know existed. Only when she had left, he saw the gaping whole in his life and his heart. No one's presence had filled it. Not nani's or di's.
No one had ever come close.
No one ever would.
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Life was like a train journey.
Payal clutched the shawl with her fingers tightly to keep herself warm from the chilly morning breeze. Life had indeed been a journey on the train for her. She had thought her babuji would travel with them forever but he had left them midway making them continue their journey alone.
"Jiji its freezing." whispered Khushi rubbing her arms for warmth, trying not to disturb buaji who was snoring softly by her side.
They were waiting at the railway station to board a train once again. A train that would take them to the place they had thought had left behind forever. Payal ignored her sister and stared sadly as another train caught speed and vanished out of sight. Delhi had many memories. Too many people had boarded her train of life and left off' Many had touched her heart while one had left a scar.
She knew she would see him again. May be he would board the train perhaps in some other compartment. She didn't know if she was ready to see him again because she knew the seat next to him would probably be occupied and she wasn't sure if she was ready for the pain knowing that the seat had once been hers.
"Jiji, I'll bring chai for all of us. I have jalebis. They will taste amazing with chai." Said Khushi, keeping the bags aside when she caught the sadness on her sister's face. She kept the box of jalebis on the bench and stood up, holding her sisters hand in both of hers.
"Jiji, Why are you so worried about Delhi. I mean its been five years since we went to buaji's place and we used to like it.. And if you are worried about our financial issues, I will get a job right away. Trust me jiji, everything will be fine." Said Khushi happily trying to reassure her sister but her words fell on deaf ears.
"Kusi, You wait with your buaji. Payaliya and I will go and get chai." interrupted Garima calmly as she caught Payal's hand and walked in silence towards the tea stall. As they waited for their tea cups to be filled, Garima looked at Payal's tense face.
"Delhi is no longer an answer Payaliya, it is the only option. But I'm worried for Khushi."
"What the mind does not know, the heart cannot grieve." Said Payal as her mind travelled backwards and she remembered another night a year ago..
Payal stood outside the private ward of the hospital waiting for the doctor to tell her that her sister would be okay, that their Khushi who had always brightened up their world wouldn't leave them to face it all alone. After what seemed like ages, the doctor and friend Aniket Jain, walked out, his face grim and asked Payal to follow him to his office.
"What is it Aniket.. you promised Khushi will recover.. and you said she regained consciousness' then why are you upset?" Payal asked fuelled with panic
Aniket caught her shoulders and helped her in a chair. He pulled another chair and sat next to her knowing Payal would need support.
"Payal, I now firmly believe what I had said before'Khushi tried to commit suicide."
Payal shook her head in denial.
"That is not possible. Khushi isn't weak to commit suicide. She is a fighter."
"Payal people react to situations impulsively at times. We all know Khushi used to travel by that road all her life. She could find her way from that place even in the dark. Than what was she doing in the middle of the road? She---"
"No I don't believe it.. I will not believe it."
The doctor sighed.
"Payal, Khushi has amnesia. She doesn't remember anything that happened in the past one year and that includes meeting her husband. It is obvious her mind has erased all the memories, the pain of which is more than it can bear."
Payal broke down at that and started crying. She cried for a long time for that sister who would bring a smile on everyones faces even though her own smile had been lost to some unknown place. But the more she thought of Khushi's amnesia, the more it began to look like a blessing in disguise. When she looked again in the doctors eyes, she smiled
"What the mind does not know.. the heart cannot grieve."
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"What the mind does not know.. the heart cannot grieve." Payal's words rang in Garima's ears as she collected two cups of tea and walked towards Khushi and Buaji. 'If it was that easy'..' Garima thought with a flash of pain.
Arnav was exactly like his dad and she knew Arnav's love must have been like that too. It was a love that was always laced with anger, it was a love that was not proved by words or actions and yet it was a deepest and the purest kind of love. It was not possible to wipe that love from the mind or the heart.
"It is not easy to forget that love Payaliya." Said Garima softly, thinking about Arnav's father..."Trust me, I know"
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