TH 2: To Love or Not To Love: Ch 63 & Epi - Pg 162 / May 2 - Page 95

Wow.. ArShi confessed their feelings.. good.. hope Khushi's babuji is fine.. loved the update.. Thanks 😊

Arnav is disappointed and hurt when khushi did not react to his proposal . He was ready to be rejected swallowing his hurt .

Khushi expressed her love so beautifully 😉

What happened to Shashi ?

Hello

A rather long update (according to my standards!) Thank you for the feedback. I realized I had to explain to a lot of people how Arnav and Khushi's past was linked, so I decided to tweak it a bit and include it here. As usual, eagerly awaiting your comments.

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Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

59

Khushi’s thoughts were punctuated by the constant beeping of the monitor that was connected to her father’s heart. The sound meant her father was alive. Rubbing her hands against the papercup that held her tea, her thoughts once again went back to the last two weeks.

Arnav Singh Raizada was a force of nature, she admitted with a chuckle. Half an hour after informing him about her Babuji’s health, she had her tickets to fly back to India. Her father had been admitted to the Indus Heart and Medical Centre in Gomti Nagar, she’d told him. Within the next hour he had arranged for her father to be air-lifted from Lucknow to New Delhi and had the best surgeons attend to him.

Her father was now stable and she was thankful in no small measure for all the help that Arnav had given her in the last two weeks. He called everyday to ask after her health and that of her father and constantly told her to not worry about the money but ensure that Shashi Gupta received the best treatment. He had personally spoken to doctors inquiring after the line of treatment and asked them to keep him in the loop regarding all future recommendations for the patient. Khushi was grateful. She didn’t know if she had in her to face all of it by herself.

The family had temporarily moved to New Delhi and were now living with Madhumati.

A sudden increase in the beeping frequency from the monitor jerked Khushi out of her thoughts. She rushed to call the nurse who promptly injected Shashi Gupta with a dose of Metoprolol Tartrate. The beeping frequency reduced before stabilizing. Khushi breathed. *****

Standing under scalding hot water in her shower, Khushi willed her fatigue to go away. But more than physically, Khushi was emotionally exhausted. She was tired, tired of handling things on her own, of being strong. Glimpses of Payal and Garima hugging her and crying, Shashi surrounded by myriads of tubes and wires, Madhumati sitting in the waiting area with her prayer beads in hand didn’t leave her mind. She had walked upto Madhumati and the aunt had hugged Khushi and cried. “Save Shashi”, she had told her neice, “He’s the only one I have left.”

Her aunt's words had rekindled memories from a different accident, when Khushi had been told her parents were no more. The girl had spent the next two days sitting in the corner of a local police station, eating and drinking whatever was given and keeping to herself, until Shashi had come to get her. Khushi had hugged him and cried for the first time since her parents had died.

“Shhhh”, Shashi had comforted her. “We’re all there for you. You’ll never be alone.”

She still remembered the love and affection Garima had showered on her when Shashi brought her to Lucknow.

“Badi Ma,” she had called her and Garima had gently cradled the girl in her lap and corrected her, “Ma. From today, I’m your mother.”

She had been welcomed and loved unconditionally. She didn’t think she could deal with it all over again.

“Why Devi Maiyya”, she wailed in the shower, her tears mixing with the water, flowing down all together. “Why me?” There was no answer. Tired, she slumped against the bathroom wall, turning the water off and making her way into her bedroom. A short nap and she would then make her way to AR. With the Lakme India Fashion week less than three months away, work was going to pick up pace.

*****

Khushi’s engagement with Aman had been called off. Given the circumstances, nobody asked Khushi any questions. And she didn’t think it necessary to explain. Arnav was due to come back next week. Once he was back she would figure out how to break the news to her family. Her phone beeped. Keep well, the message read. I love you, she heard. Shaking her head, she put her phone away. She missed him. As always he was a man of few words, but now she had learnt to read his silence. She fought a losing battle with her fatigue and fell into deep slumber. She dreamt of unicorns and rainbows in a land far away.

*****

Arnav was excited to get back from Milan. He had taken a detour to Amsterdam to buy Khushi a diamond engagement ring. The last two weeks were torturous. He chuckled at that thought. He never imagined he could miss someone so much. He couldn’t wait until Khushi became his. He called Jade and asked her to book a dinner for two on the outskirts of the city, for the day he landed. He would propose to Khushi on a farm, with the sun setting in the background. He wanted it to be exquisite and special, a moment she would cherish for the rest of her life. Two weeks of engagement and then two would be married in a simple court ceremony. He neither had the time nor the appetite to sit through a traditional Indian wedding.

When Arnav returned from Milan, his happiness was shortlived. He had been urgently called to a Board Meeting at AR. Wearing his favourite suit, pairing it with a pretty tie, he made his way to work. For the first time, he was eagerly waiting to get out of work. He would ask Khushi out to dinner, when he met her. He felt the ring in his pocket. He had hand-picked it himself, a 2 carat round cut solitaire diamond set in platinum.

On entering AR, he greeted the receptionist, who quizzically stared back at him. He made his way to his office, smiling at everyone. He even complimented his secretary on her attire. He glanced at Khushi’s cubicle. It was empty. Maybe she hadn’t yet come in to work. He knew how her father was doing. He just hoped that between taking care of everyone, she had remembered to take care of herself. He would call her, just as soon as he was done updating his Board of Directors on Milan.

When he entered his cabin, he found a white envelope on his otherwise impeccably clean desk.

“Sir”, began his secretary, “Khushi left this for you”, she said pointing to the envelope. The happiness was slowly being replaced by another emotion. “She told Vishal she wanted to serve her notice period from home. She came by yesterday to clear out her desk.”

Anger. Pure unadulterated anger. How dare she? Oblivious to his turmoil, Jade continued: “Vishal has requested an urgent meeting to discuss Khushi’s replacement. I’ve given him the 4.30 slot.

“And sir, I’ve emailed you the dinner reservation for tonight.”

Arnav looked at Jade and looked away. “Thank you”, he said with a raspy voice. She smiled and made her way out. ASR then took his paperweight and flung it at his glass door.

For the rest of the day, working with ASR was like sitting on a keg of dynamite. No one knew what ticked him off. If the work was excellent, he simply nodded. He shredded people to smithereens on the smallest of errors. He was angry, and he impartially distributed that anger amongst all his employees. ASR was back. Nobody expected anything different. He asked Jade to cancel his dinner reservations and worked himself until the wee hours of the morning.

When Arnav reached home at 2.30 am, he found Khushi sleeping outside his apartment door. Ignoring her form, he opened the door and went inside. The creak woke Khushi up.

“Arnav”, she called, rubbing her eyes, making her way into his apartment.

No response.

“Arnav, I’ve been waiting to talk to you.”

Still no response.

“Arnav, what’s wrong? Why are you ignoring me?”

“Leave”, he said, his voice menacingly low.

“What’s wrong Arnav,” she questioned, alarm bells ringing in her head.

“I said leave”, he spat. “Leave before I do something I regret.”

Khushi recognized the raw pain. She had seen it in Milan. She crossed over to him and held his hand. “Tell me”, she urged him. In his response, he took her resignation letter and flung it on her face.

“You didn’t think it was necessary to discuss things with me before you handed this in?”

When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “Of course, why would you discuss anything with me. What do I mean to you? Thank you Ms Gupta for shattering my illusions, for letting me know in no uncertain terms that I mean nothing to you.” He was shouting and shaking with fury, and Khushi calmed him the only way she knew. She tiptoed and pressed her lips against his. He pushed her away and she brought him back. He pushed her away again, and she brought his head back, teasing his lips, deepening the kiss, demanding that he respond. Fury gave way to passion and he claimed her, yet again. This time, there was a sense of raw urgency. The two poured their hurt and frustration out into one another and finally spent, brought their foreheads to touch.

“Sit”, she told him, bringing him a glass of water. “If you didn’t mean something, I wouldn’t be here waiting for you to get back.”

He gratefully took that glass of water. “Babuji got discharged yesterday,” she began haltingly. “The doctors didn’t see any reason to keep him in the hospital any longer." She paused. "The attack has left the right side of his body completely paralyzed. He is now dependent on Ma for the smallest of tasks.”

She waited for the information to sink in and then continued.

“Arnav, there is no one to take care of the shop. Payal’s wedding is less than a month away and the preparations haven’t even started. There is nobody else to do all this. I have to go back.” She had tears in her eyes. Her mind was made up. But she couldn’t leave without talking to him, without explaining her reasons.

"17 years ago, on a fateful night, I lost my Amma and Baba in a car crash. A speeding truck broke a red signal and crashed into our cab. Amma, Baba and the driver all died on the spot, I was spared. When Shashi Gupta found me, I was curled up near the wall at a local police station. He took me in, gave me a home and family. Today that family needs me."

Arnav heard nothing. The mere mention of a speeding truck accident 17 years ago brought back memories Arnav had fought hard to supress. He looked at Khushi with fear in his eyes and asked, "Where did the accident take place?"

Unknown to the emotions playing havoc within him, Khushi honestly replied, "Juhu Chowpatty Road, Mumbai."

Arnav hugged her, the entire scene where the truck ran over his parents playing vividly in front of his eyes.

"When was this?" When Khushi looked at him quizzically he clarified, "What date?"

"21 October 1998"

Arnav slumped and a lone tear escaped his eyes.

"What's wrong", asked Khushi worriedly.

He looked at her with defeated eyes and said: "Khushi, it was that very same night, Di and I lost our parents. Both of them got ran over by a truck, on Juhu Chowpatty Road, in Mumbai."

The two of them stared at each other for a very long time. Then Arnav hugged Khushi and cried for the first time since he lost his parents.

I don't understand Khushi at all............. I agree that the family needs her, but does she have to leave a well-paying job to run a shop ? and in this situation, the family needs her financial help more then her physical presence, don't you think ?

Also, why would she not discuss it with Arnav, after claiming to love him truly (that's what i deduce from a person like Khushi)...........esp since that guy was so instrumental in getting the best treatment available for her father............ at least she owe'd him that........

or was her handing in the resignation, just a catalyst to get the past story out.......the story that connects their pain..... ??

edited :

also why does she refer to Shashi Gupta as Tayaji in her narration ?

Originally posted by: anjs

I don't understand Khushi at all............. I agree that the family needs her, but does she have to leave a well-paying job to run a shop ? and in this situation, the family needs her financial help more then her physical presence, don't you think ?

Also, why would she not discuss it with Arnav, after claiming to love him truly (that's what i deduce from a person like Khushi)...........esp since that guy was so instrumental in getting the best treatment available for her father............ at least she owe'd him that........

or was her handing in the resignation, just a catalyst to get the past story out.......the story that connects their pain..... ??

edited :

also why does she refer to Shashi Gupta as Tayaji in her narration ?

Great feedback. Khushi never intended to leave without letting him know. But I needed some drama for the dots to connect. Arnav and Khushi would’ve never spoken if not for the emotional turmoil.

Also yes, she should refer to Shashi as Bade Papa, so I should definitely add that to the edit. Thank you so much 😊

Originally posted by: shrattila

Great feedback. Khushi never intended to leave without letting him know. But I needed some drama for the dots to connect. Arnav and Khushi would’ve never spoken if not for the emotional turmoil.

Also yes, she should refer to Shashi as Bade Papa, so I should definitely add that to the edit. Thank you so much 😊

No, I am not talking about 'letting him know'...... it is clear from her 'waiting' outside his house that she wanted to inform him.......... i am talking about her action of 'putting in her resignation' before informing him, a guy who she works for, who is not only her boss but her boyfriend too, whom she loves unconditionally (yeah, cause she loved him even when he was a jerk to her) and who made life easier for her, when she faced the most harrowing situation in her life, that is almost loosing a parent again.............. that guy deserve to know the moment, she realized that she will need to quit the job, to go back to Lucknow..........

the absurdity of the situation, that she thought of loosing a well-paying job with assured salary every month, to look after a sweet shop, where business can go dicey as per the days, is a different matter all-together.........

I hope you don't feel that i am grilling you...........it's just that these two things really stood out....hence my question...........

otherwise i am happy that she didn't let go when he asked her to leave and held on to him..........even tried explaining her side........is a big deal............now knowing that they are connected with the shared pain of becoming orphans on the same day, cause of the same ruthless monster, might bring them more closer.......... he was already ready to get married to her, maybe now he will be okay with all the traditions and rituals too.......

Originally posted by: anjs

No, I am not talking about 'letting him know'...... it is clear from her 'waiting' outside his house that she wanted to inform him.......... i am talking about her action of 'putting in her resignation' before informing him, a guy who she works for, who is not only her boss but her boyfriend too, whom she loves unconditionally (yeah, cause she loved him even when he was a jerk to her) and who made life easier for her, when she faced the most harrowing situation in her life, that is almost loosing a parent again.............. that guy deserve to know the moment, she realized that she will need to quit the job, to go back to Lucknow..........

the absurdity of the situation, that she thought of loosing a well-paying job with assured salary every month, to look after a sweet shop, where business can go dicey as per the days, is a different matter all-together.........

I hope you don't feel that i am grilling you...........it's just that these two things really stood out....hence my question...........

otherwise i am happy that she didn't let go when he asked her to leave and held on to him..........even tried explaining her side........is a big deal............now knowing that they are connected with the shared pain of becoming orphans on the same day, cause of the same ruthless monster, might bring them more closer.......... he was already ready to get married to her, maybe now he will be okay with all the traditions and rituals too.......

No my dear, this is great, the exact kind of feedback I look for when I post my work in forums like this. Sometimes as writers, we get too caught up in our own stories to really look at things from a different perspective. As a result characters we painstakingly create lose their authenticity.

Your feedback has taken me back to the drawing board with this chapter. That means a lot!! 😊🥰

Awesome part

These two will emotionally connect too

Oh Arnav is fuse on-off

Arnav was in mess he found out abt Khushi’s resignation he imagined all bad things n poor employees bore the burnt of his anger it was an obvious reaction for ppl like Arnav who has trust issues I think khushi should have told him first abt her decision of quitting n than place the resignation letter but with all this they came to know that both of them lost their parents at the same time n became orphaned.

Arey aise kaise resignation??

She should have talked to him first.