Chapter Eighteen

Arnav motioned Khushi to move away from the door, so that he could get out. She waited impatiently. He had not even closed the door behind him when she began her interrogation.

'Why are you stalking me?! You made it clear at the hospital when you let Amma take me that you didn't want me to come home. Then why are you here?! Arnav ji I can take our separation but I'm not going to take you stalking me, while I try my best to move on from everything that has happened. It's not easy, trying to forget the past with you always being around. Its' so annoying I can't even think about myself because all the time I'm thinking about you, whether you are ok, whether you have eaten anything, what if you forgot your meds. What are you doing outside...why won't you just come in and talk to me...why this game of silence...why the stalking?!!!!'

'I'm not stalking you.'

'Yes you are. You have been parked outside my house for these past two weeks!'

'No, I'm parked a house down, and how did you know I was outside, Bua ji hasn't come by since the first day.'

So Khushi had thought right, Bua ji had told him off the first day, but why. She went onto reply to Arnav, 'Just because the neighbours choose to ignore you and your car does not mean that they ignore us too. And it still is stalking because you're still in the neighbourhood and have a clear view to my window.'

'No it's not stalking because you're my wife. So the neighbours told you?'

Khushi was stubbed for a moment by his assertion of her being his wife, but then went on to answer, 'No. The neighbours didn't tell me.'

'They told Bua ji and she told you?'

'No. No one told me.'

'So then how did you know?'

'I don't need anyone to tell me when you are near me, my heart does that for me.' She said that before she could catch her tongue. She blushed and turned away, as Arnav's heart skipped a beat realising what she had let slip in her anger. Arnav moved towards her, as she calmed herself and turned around to face him, moving back when she realised he had come too close to her while her back was turned.

'Why are you here Arnav ji? You made it clear last week that you didn't want to take me home so why are you doing this, why are making this separation even more harder.' Khushi asked exasperatedly, now in no mood for games or irrelevant questions, she just wanted the truth, plain and simple.

Arnav looked at her, her face showed no anger any more just hurt and a plea to know the truth from him. She was tired with the silence, silence from him and silence from the family members about why she was here and why no one would tell her what happened. She was leaning to one side, clutching on to her other as prolonged standing, that too after a week and a half of very little movement, was beginning to gnaw at her stitches making her shift her weight on her legs; she was getting weary from standing too long. Arnav moved towards her and in one cool motion sweeped her off her feet and into his arms.

'What the?!! Arnav ji stop...what are you doing?!!'

'Sshh...your tired. So I'm taking you inside.'

'I...well...I can do that myself thank you very much you don't need to carry me, put me down. And no I want my questions answered before I go back inside.'

'Sshh...do you always need to talk so much. I will answer your questions, but first let me get you inside. Standing so long, it's not good for you.'

'I...I can go inside myself, I don't need you to carry me, so put me down.'

'True that. But then where would be the fun in that.' He smirked.

'Fun?! How is this fun, with the whole neighbourhood staring at us?!!'

Arnav stopped and looked at her, with his mischievous side smile, 'Well, maybe not for you but it is for me, your racing heart-beat and burning cheeks when I come near you are enough to make me happy. And as for the neighbourhood, well let them stare, I'm not kidnapping you or anything, your my wife and I'm carrying you, it's not a crime.'

Khushi turned completely red, at Arnav's comment. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and felt very uncomfortable and yet weirdly home in Arnav's arms. He put her down on the steps of the porch, but she was still lost in the moment, her hand still clutching Arnav's shirt, when Arnav pulled away. He looked at it and smiled, 'Well if you want you can sit in my lap while I answer your questions, that way you won't have to let go of my shirt.' Khushi blushed, and jerked her hand away from his clothes. Arnav amused, sat down next to her on the steps. 'So what is that you want to know?'

Khushi calmed her racing heart and turned to look at him. 'Why? Why are you here?'

'Well isn't that obvious Khushi, because you are here.'

'Yes but why? Why am I here, if you want to be with me then why did you let me go. And...and if you don't want to be with me then why are you here?'

'Khushi...is that what you think that I don't want to be with you?'

'I don't know what to think anymore, you give me too many mixed signals.'

'Khushi...Khushi look at me. I meant what I said in the hospital to you.'

'Then why did you let me go?'

'Because...well firstly because Aunty wanted to take you home. But moreso because...well because I...I didn't know whether you wanted to come with me or not. Khushi, I know I said I love you to you and you know how sorry I am for everything that has happened, I wish I could go back and change everything so that you never got hurt but I can't. And I would do anything and everything to make your life beautiful again, in fact I promised myself and DM that when you were in the OR, that I would do whatever you wanted, if you want to stay with me then that would happen and...and if you wanted to leave and start afresh then...then I would let you. Khushi, you are the most important and precious person in my life and I have hurt you enough with my actions but not anymore, now I'm not going to decide or do anything because whatever I decide ends up hurting you, so you tell me Khushi what do you want and I will make it happen I promise.'

Khushi, was speechless...how much had her Laad Governer changed. The man she had met over a year ago was a proud, arrogant Aethiest. But this man, who sat in front of her was a humble, compassionate Arnav, who, who had finally understood the presence of DM and respected not only the Goddess but her, he respected and loved her, Khushi. Her eyes were brimming with tears and for the first time in her life she found herself incapable of speech. Her tears began to flow and she leaped up and ran straight into Arnav's arms, surprising him. (Arnav had gotten up and moved away from her during his speech, unable to look at her while he talked about their separation.)

Khushi had thought she would make him suffer for not taking her home from the hospital. But after what he had just said, after he had completely surrendered himself to her, and not just to her but to DM, he had won her heart. She couldn't put him through any more pain even if she wanted. Yes it would take a while for things to return to normal between them, whatever normal was for them as she never did remember a time when they had had a normal moment let alone normal day together. But she had had enough of this separation, she didn't want to be away from him anymore. Whatever they needed to sort out they could do together, besides they always did work better when together, then separate.

Reaching this conclusion, Khushi pulled away from Arnav to utter only one line. A line he had uttered a long time back (or so it seemed that way) that had shaken the very ground she had stood on, and now it was about to do the same for Arnav.

'Mr Arnav Singh Raizada, I'm not going to divorce you!'

The End ;)

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Don't loose heart my loyal readers I have an extra bit for you, to wrap up look below...😊

ACTywm2012-08-27 17:49:16