Shyam: what are you thinking?
he pat Anjali's shoulder
Anajli: Arnav gave me the biggest shock of my life, it has been 24 hours & he has not called me"
Shyam had a laughter "a son is a son until he finds his..." he paused as he saw Anjali glaring at him
Anjali: she is not his wife! maa's murderer cannot be his wife! Please"
Shyam: she accidentally did it, he just has to take phere otherwise they are already married as per rituals of mangalsutra and sindoor
Anjali: you really think like that?
Shyam: hmmm, thank God he saved her, otherwise I would have regretted for the rest of my life
Anjali: but why isn't he calling me?
Shyam: he is on his honey moon dear " he winked
Anjali beat him with the pillow "you are too much" (Shyam is a positive character)
Arnav turned to squeeze his pillow as he always does in sleep, but something wet touched his neck, he opened his eyes "what the" he checked his neck and he wiped it, for a second he was not getting what it was but the very next minute he realized, it was Khushi's saliva. He moved away he had wrapped his arms & legs around her "she was sleeping on my left, how did she come on my right?" he moved away and untangled them "am i crazy or what?" he jumped out of the bed as the rain had stopped and quickly freshened up, he checked her temperature and made sure she was at ease whilst being fast asleep. he walked out "i will catch a bus, call Di and come back before she wakes up" on his way he met HP and took his cell for any emergency " ask buaji to call me if any emergency i forgot my cell at home"
HP: ok
Arnav caught the bus and went to a neighboring town to call Anjali
Anjali after hearing his voice "aagai yaad"
Arnav: tell me what happened quickly, please Di" he was talking to Anjali, asking her about what all has happened and about the current situation in the media, when he received a call on the other line from Buaji, his heart skipped a beat as he remembered Khushi "Di ek min" he look at HP cell it was Buaji's number "what happened Buaji"
Buaji from the other end "Babua woh... babua tum jaldi se aajao... hum tumare liye khana aur kapre leke kar cottage gaye the, lekin ooo tumari dulhaniya... Oo darr ke maare... Woh boht darr gayi babua - humko ni maaloom tha... Woh..." but Arnav didnt hear the rest- he couldnt - his heart knew something was wrong - he could feel it...
Arnav: buaji i am coming i am coming you stay there, shit! why did I leave her alone, why? she gets scared if she sees anyone else accept me- God knows what has happened" he without saying bye to either Buaji or Anjali - cut all active calls and ran to the bus stop
Anjali to Shyam "you are right - humare chote ko pyar hogaya hai"
Arnav: I am an idiot why did I leave her all alone" throughout the one hour journey he kept on biting his nails "what If she has hurt her self, what is the use of saving her from the world" he ran up the steep road and as he reach the orphanage he saw Buaji and others standing outside the cottage
Arnav: where is Khushi?
Buaji: i went in, she got scared after seeing me, i came out and called you
Arnav: Buaji!!!!!" he ran in "Khushi" the room was empty "where has she gone?" he checked the washroom it was empty "Khushi where are you? no one will hurt you" he checked all the windows it was closed she was not in the kitchen "Khushi" he checked the closet "dammit where are you?" as he turned he saw her lying under the bed, a smile appeared on his face, why? he didnt know but somehow he was happy to see her there, he kneel down "come out" he try to move her hand from her face as she sense him he felt she loosen her stiff body a little and opened her eye "mein hoon! niklo bahir" he carefully pull her out, she was all dirty "look what have you done to yourself" he cleaned her hairs, he looked at her other hand and he noticed she was holding his jacket, the one he had covered her in jail with, he closed his fist "you are too dusty go and have a shower" he sat on the bed switched on theTV. he looked at her, she was standing the same way looking at herself in the mirror. his jacket dropped from her hand and she held the mangalsutra "Khushi i am saying go and have a shower" she was standing just like a statue, he held her arm and walked to the wash room "I am mixing the water so its not too hot or too cold, have a shower and then come out suna" he pat her shoulder and walked out. he took out a dress from his maa's closet and hung it in the washroom "you are still standing the same way" he held her hand and made her step into the tub and closed the shower curtain
Arnav "pagal" he started watching the news, he checked the time, it was coming up to 30 mins and he could hear the shower still running "Khushi are you ok" he knocked at the door, the door opened and he could see her standing behind the curtains, he walk ahead "khushi are you done" she did not reply he moved the curtain a bit
Arnav: what the hell is this ?" he shouted as he saw her standing under the shower fully dressed "who takes a shower with clothes on" he try to hold her hand and noticed she was still holding her mangalsutra tightly "you are already sick you will get more" he closed the shower, grabbed the towel and wrapped her "dammit say something" he recollected Shyam said after his Maa died in her lap she did not say a single word "change " he closed the curtain he felt she was shivering as her teeth was chattering
Arnav "uff yeh larki" he slide the curtains from up turn her around, make her hands up "i am not looking at you at all see my eyes are closed " taken off her gown as his hand touch her warm shivering soft body he opened his eyes "how did this happen?" he saw bruises on her back "Khushi who did that?" he caressed her back, he saw deep red marks everywhere as if someone had scratched her with a knife or blade, he forgot every thing, that she was standing in nothing but a towel in front of him, he grabbed the first aid box an took out an ointment and put a little on his finger tips and very gently applied on her back "You have to tell me who did that i will not leave that B****" as she was having pain and feeling a burning sensation, she moved forward whilst Arnav unconsciously wrapped his arm on her waist to pull her back, he was too busy in applying the ointment that he did not notice she was looking at her waist "oh i am sorry" he let her go quickly and made her wear the gown" will you come out the tub or i do that too" as he was washing his hand, when he did not find any response he picked her up and walked out of the wash room and made her stand "Dry your hairs"
Buaji: dhulan theek hain?" khushi hid herself behind him
A new infant was in her arm she was trying to make the baby sleep
Arnav changed the topic "a new member?"
Buaji: yes someone left her in the swing, she is just crying and crying"
Arnav looked at Khushi who was placing her chin on his shoulder and trying to look at the baby, whom buaji was trying rather hard to calm down,
Buaji: chi chi gandi bachi" as the baby pee on her "hum change karta hain iss ko" he saw a smile on khushi's face as if she was happy, a spark in her eyes "hum aata hain " buaji went out
Arnav: what will you have in breakfast?" he walk ahead as her hait was brushing his neck and he was feeling strange, he looked at her she was again looking at herself in the mirror, her hand was on her forehead "what happened?" he saw her smile vanished away, she was sad & worried "Dry your hairs" he poured out coffee in a mug "Khushi i am talking to you" as he saw she was still standing the same way "you are the limit do you know" she sneezed, he picked up his dry towel and grabbed her hand an made her sit on the sofa and started drying her hairs
"tum bhi ek gandi bachi ho" he saw she was biting her nails "what is your problem? tell me" he sat next to her
Khushi placed her hand on her forehead
Arnav: come on open your mouth" he tried to make her eat some cereal, while taking her hand away from her face
Khushi moved away
Arnav: ok i will take this off too" he moved his hand ahead and try to take off her mangalsutra. Just as arnav held the thread, she reacted and pushed him away, she quickly got up and ran to the other corner
Khushi held it tight, she was shaking her head in no.
Arnav: you want it? "he smirked as he could never understand her- first she spent all her time oogling at it and not letting go and now she wants to keep it
Khushi nodded her head in yes
Arnav: ok keep it but come and have breakfast with me" he held her shivering hand and made her sit next to him "i promise I will never take it off but you tell me who hurt you" he made eat the porridge, she suddenly wrapped her arms around her knees. he didn't know why but he felt the need to hug her tight in his arms at that moment and that is exactly what he did!
After a while when Arnav felt she was a little better, he broke the hug
Arnav: relax lets finish the breakfast", he tucked her hairs behind her ear and continued feeding her "i will not take it off promise karta hoon baba" as he saw she was again holding the manglasutra, he took her hand away from it and at the same time buaji entered the room. Khushi suddenly grabbed his hand tight and eyes widened and she grew restless- she pointed at Buaji & hid behind him while grabbing his shirt tightly in her fist...
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