Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Khushi looked at herself in the mirror, and asked herself, for whom she was crying? For whom she thought it was her end? For the person for whom marriage was just a joke? And he did not care before sleeping with another woman? Why she should suffer and person who hurt her like anything should still be having fun? She washed her tears away with water. And with the sense of confidence she looked at herself, she felt way more better. She had made her mind and nothing was coming in between that. She came out of the washroom. And she saw Arnav with plate of food in his hand.
"Eat it!"
"I already ate!" she said, and tossed the towel on the back of the chair.
He refrained himself from saying anything. She sat and he sat beside her. He brought the spoon of soup close to her mouth.
"I will eat it in my own!" she said as she tried to take spoon from him but he denied to give it to her.
"Let me do it, can't believe I have to baby sit you," he said. "What do you want to prove by not eating properly? You can chose not to eat all your life and get ill as many times you want but don't till you are here. Don't be headache for me!"
She looked away and denied to eat. He looked at her shook his head.
***
"Hey, ASR. What's up? You called me this late at night, here, at the office? Is everything all right?!" Lavanya asked. "How is Khushi? You returned back home!" She said and grabbed the seat opposite to him. "Here your coffee!"
"Thank you!"
"You are welcome!"
"Yes, needed to talk to you. And Khushi, she got sick!"
"What? Anything serious?"
He was nodding his head. "She has not been eating well since past few days. So had to call the doctor."
"Even I noticed that. She is ignoring her health. It has been hard for her, ASR. The day you lied her that you love me, and then telling her that we are in a physical relationship it has even harder for her. So, what you have decided?"
"In anger I asked her for a divorce but forgot that what she would go through. Today as I was talking to her I saw that more than hurting I am doing to her, double than that she is hurting herself, for the first time I thought I am giving her the punishment for loving me...You know what?!"
"Hmm?"
"I think I will give this marriage a chance," he said.
"What will happen of mine?" Lavanya asked, and then smiled whole heartedly. "If NK would come to know this that I was acting as your b*tch girlfriend he will leave me. You know what ASR? I can't see my man with anyone else and Khushi is no exception. Also I am happy that you have taken a perfect decision, but are you happy with this decision of yours?
"ASR," she said strictly, "...do not give this marriage a chance just because you are guilty or regretting or because of sympathy. These emotions are useless. This will only hurt Khushi more when she would know why you were still going on with this relationship and then you will also never be happy."
"This was why I was away for four days, Lavanya. I needed to clear everything out of my mind. I thought and thought and this was what I concluded. I just wished I had given this thought before overreacting..."
"You had your reasons, ASR. I am happy that you have felt Khushi's pain, and realized how much she loves you."
He nodded his head. "I hurt her, I tried every way to hurt her, but she didn't say anything, La. I am not doing this out of guilt, the thing is I cannot act the person I am not. I do not want to be a jerk. I do not want to hurt her anymore, how could I actually hurt her, I just do not understand why can not I manage my anger?" he said frustrated with himself.
Lavanya smiled to herself seeing him confused.
"ASR, you are in love with her."
He could not tell it was a statement or a question.
Arnav looked at her, his cheeks were red. "You are in love with her, ASR. Sooner you accept it, the better. The another truth is you do not want her to go away from your life. In anger you did take a decision even when you still have a reason to be mad at her, but your anger cannot override the love. It happens sometimes, you do not understand the importance of the person until gone, it is a good thing you realized before it was too late."
He was not sure what she was saying. "You will get to know, ASR, however, I strongly recommend that you tell her the reason why you were doing such, if you are thinking of starting fresh. If not, I really hope you will be able to handle her."
"I hopefully could, La. If I told her the truth she would shatter and it would only worsen things more. Anyways, it doesn't matter."
"Perfect, so now go and take care of her, and give her every happiness," Lavanya said as she stood on her feet.
Arnav stopped playing with the rim of the coffee cup and put it on the table. He then got up and walked to Lavanya give her a hug.
"Sorry, La, for dragging you in!"
"It's alright. When the end result is good such things hardly matter."
***
Arnav went back home and as he entered the room he saw Khushi was sleeping. He quietly closed the door, and went to the washroom to freshen up.
When he returned back, he laid beside her. He rested his head on his palm as he looked at her. He slid his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. Single tear slid down his eyes, he brushed it away and only more tears came out. He took her arm and saw her wrist. Wound still hadn't recovered yet and she hadn't even put anything on it. He turned around to take the first aide box from the night stand. He slowly moved her wedding bangles back and applied antiseptic cream on her wound before wrapping bandage on it. Something came into his mind and he felt so horrible thinking, in what way he had hurt her, he made a cut on his own arm. Blood oozed out of his arm but he didn't dare to wince. Just to feel what it feels like when not given a chance to even express the pain to a physical hurt. Blood had started leaking down his arm he went to the washroom and cleaned it up. And he had to band aid it when blood didn't stop. When he returned back, he laid beside her and kissed her wrist.
"I know I have given you the worst pain, Khushi!" he said. "I know I don't deserve you, but I will make myself worthy of you. Just only once forgive me and let me make up for my mistakes. I will make everything alright for you, I will prove you that you didn't make a mistake by loving me, Khushi," he said. "I am sorry for giving you the punishment for loving me. I wish you had punished me, instead of hurting yourself you should had fought back. But I guess that's your nature that can melt any stone!" he said and kissed her forehead. She turned on her side facing him, their lips only an inch away from a touch. He noticed her breathing wasn't normal. He touched her forehead. She was running down with a fever.
"Khushi!" he called her, but he thought she was in a deep sleep. Instead of disturbing her sleep he went to the kitchen to get a bowl full of ice water. He made it quick and from the cupboard he grabbed a handkerchief. He got up on the bed and placed cold handkerchief on her forehead. He did it nearly for an hour. And then he was falling asleep. He forced himself to stay awake until he noticed decrement in her body temperature.
Then he checked her temperature again and it was 99 degree Celsius, down by one degrees. He dabbed her forehead for quite some time and his effort was fruitful. Her temperature was normal.
He dumped the water from the bowl in the washroom and hung the wet handkerchief to dry. And left the bowl in the washroom.
"Bless you," he said when she sneezed twice. She tossed and turned when she felt hot. He removed the blanket off her for a while. She eased a bit but after a while she was feeling cold when he opened the windows. He blanket her and sat on the chair instead to keep himself awake to see if she needed anything. His head fell on to the side as he fell asleep he sat straight back up. He yawned and went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea to keep himself from dozing off.
When he returned back he saw Khushi was up, and she held her aching head.
"What happen, Khushi? Not feeling well?"
"No, my sleep broke," she said.
"Here drink tea if your head hurt."
Khushi didn't know if he was being serious or mocking her.
"It's for yourself!" she said.
"It's alright," he said. "Now I don't feel like drinking it!"
"What happened to him?" she thought. He didn't sound angry. May be she didn't notice it.
Then she looked at the cup of tea. He simply passed his own cup of tea to her? She was confused about his behaviour.
"Drink it, I have added poison in it!" he said. Khushi looked at him as he sat on the other side of the bed skimming though the magazine. But he was only looking at her from the nook of his eyes.
"He was trying to be funny," she questioned herself.
She sipped the tea, but she could only drink little bit of it due to the acidity. But then she was scared Arnav will be mad at her and on a second thought she wanted to drink since he had made it.
"Now don't tell me you will drink all of it, give me the other half!" he said.
"Huh?"
"Give me the cup of tea. Even I want now!" he repeated himself.
She passed him the cup after turning to the side from where she had not drank, and as he held the cup, he turned the cup from the same side she had drunk. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't know if he did it intensionally or just so that he could hold the cup properly. And then white bandage around her wrist made her look at him.
"Arnav, did you bandage my wrist?" she asked.
"Hmm!" he said.
After that she couldn't ask anything to him. She laid back on the bed with her back towards him. She was completely confused by now. Then she realized may be for nani he was doing so. But nani wasn't even there. She must be sleeping in her room. Then she thought there was no other way, he was concerned. She sniffed her sobs.
He pulled blanket on top of her and when she turned to see what he was doing they were face to face.
"You will get cold," he said. "Keep yourself warm!" as he spoke his breaths hit her skin. Her heart picked up the race when he pressed his hand on her arm.
"Why are you doing this? When in just three months you will be leaving me, please keep me hating that way it's easier!" she wanted to say him, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
He moved back and only to lay beside her. His face towards her back. She saw him looking at her, but she said nothing.
She turned her face away from him and just closed her eyes and thought she was dreaming. And when she turned around to check if he was still looking at her, he had his eyes closed. Her heart ached looking at him. She won't be able to live without him. But before she could think of more thoughts that hurt her, her sleep came and she simply dozed off. Arnav opened his eyes and kept his hand on top of hers.
"Sleep tight, Khushi! I hope I will be able to make your every day beautiful from now onwards!"
***
"Nani, where are you going?" Arnav asked.
"Grandson, I am going to meet your sister, Anjali."
"Oh! Why don't you wait up, Khushi will go with you? Even she hasn't met her family for quite some time!"
"Yes, chote. I will be taking her with me. How is she doing now?"
"She got fever last night but now I checked it, she was fine!"
Nani was happy to hear this. "Good!"
As they were talking Khushi came downstairs.
"Good morning, Nani!" Khushi said and touched her feet.
"Live long, I was going to your room to see, how were you doing?!"
"I feel lot better, Nani. Please sit, I get tea for you!"
"Sure, bitiya. Chote, go and help her!"
Khushi looked at him and immediately said, "Nani, it's not needed."
"Why it is not needed? Let's go!" he said.
Nani laughed. "Go on, Chote!"
"But..." Khushi said nervously. But Arnav didn't listen her and put his arms around her.
"I help you!" he said. Khushi knew something full of anger was coming from him, the way he was behaving was making her hell nervous.
As soon as they reached the kitchen Arnav took the tea pan and filled it water.
"Arnav, you don't have to do this!" she said, but he kept on with his work.
He added two tea bags and a sugar to taste.
"Why don't you do one thing just go and sit with, Nani!"
"Arnav, I have to make breakfast, Nani is waiting!"
"That you don't worry Metaliya will prepare it. You go and rest!"
"Arnav, you know that Nani, prefers food made by her daughter-in-laws!" she said. "If you are worried about my health than I am fine!"
"Did I say I am worried about your health?" he asked.
Khushi's face flushed. She looked away.
Arnav looked at her and smiled. "Khushi!"
"Haan ji?" she said as she turned around and waited for him to speak. He turned his gaze from the stove to her.
"Come here!"
She went to him.
"Ji?" (Yes)
He was just looking at her as he was thinking what to say.
"Tonight, I want to talk to you about very important thing!"
Khushi looked away. "If it is about divorce then I have told you that I will give you the divorce you don't have to remind me this again and again!"
"It's not about divorce. Because I don't want divorce from you!"
Khushi looked at him instantly, her eyes were automatically filled with tears. "What...what did you say?" she asked.
"I don't want divorce from you!" he said and would have repeated it as many times she wanted him to.
Khushi felt her tensed system was released from a certain pain. Overwhelming relief seeped down her spine. She could finally breathe normally. But she did not feel the happiness that she should have felt.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked in pain.
"Because I have realized how much I have hurt you, Khushi."
"You think, I am a joke for you," she hit him in his chest. "You can come and ask me for a divorce anytime that's also by not giving any appropriate reasons for it. And then troubling me by bringing in your girlfriend and sleeping with her, you say that you don't want a divorce? Now you realized how much you have hurt me. We will talk about it later," she immediately said as she did not want to talk about it at the moment, "Nani, is waiting for breakfast!"
***
"Khushi, bitiya, I would have loved if you would have come to see your family with me!"
"Nani, I will be there soon just have to finish up with important things than I will come!"
"Bring, chote!"
"I will see, Nani ji, if he will be free!"
"Okay, bitiya!" Nani said and sat in the car. "See you at Gupta house!"
"Bye, Nani!" Khushi said and waved back at her as the driver drove the car out of the Raizada mansion.
Then she went back inside the RM. She had already asked all the servants to leave.
***
"Khushi, listen me first!"
"No, where I was?" she asked. "What made you change your mind? Am I a mistress of yours?"
"Khushi, relax. I know you are angry..."
"Yes, I am very angry," she shouted. "Tell me, Arnav, what have I done that you wanted divorce from me? If you loved Lavanya, why me? Why didn't you kill me, Arnav? All together? Why leaving me alone in this journey when you were the one to propose me for a marriage? The medium you chose me to hurt, the way you were behaving with me made me think that you hate me as I have done some crime. If you think I have slept with a man to cheat you, no, I didn't do it!"
"Khushi, shut up, you are crossing your limits now. I can't ever think that you are that kind of person. Did I ever say that to you?"
"Then what else is the problem that made you think of taking a divorce from me?"
He was quite, when he did not say anything, Khushi spoke, "You have nothing to say, because you are just making up things. You are one heck of a cheap man. I feel sorry for Lavanya with whom you slept, and now you are saying you want me back. Right now only I feel is ashamed that I loved a person like you. Someone should learn from you to give pain and later coax.
"Sorry, Arnav, I do not want to live with you anymore. You did not give me the reasons why you wanted divorce from me, I would not ask what made you change your mind. If you do not want divorce from me it is alright, divorce still be from my side, now I will drag you to the court, plus put charges for using woman for fun!"
Arnav was looking into her eyes and then looked down.
"I am sorry!"
"Shame on you, you thought your sorry will work!" She said. "See you at the court, Arnav. You better have explanations to explain to your family why you did this!"
She went upstairs to the room. Arnav went after her when he saw her packing her stuff, he hurried into the room. "Khushi, what are you doing?"
"Do not dare to come in my way," she shouted. He gulped the lump down his throat.
"Khushi, please forgive me!" he said, as he held her arm.
Khushi stopped packing her clothes for a while and shoved his hand away from her and slapped him. "Dare to touch me again!"
She picked her suitcase and left.
***
"Where is, ASR?" Lavanya asked.
"Hi, mam. He is on the beachside!"
"Oh, and is Khushi with him?"
"No, she has gone to her parents home!"
"Oh okay!" She said, confused.
"Should I get something for you to drink?"
"No, thank you!" She said and left to see Arnav at the beach.
***
"Hello, ASR!" Lavanya said, Arnav didn't hear her over the sound of sea waves plus he was too lost in his thoughts. She sat beside him and still he didn't notice her.
"ASR!" she said and kept her hand on his shoulder.
"Lavanya!" he said and looked away and wiped his wet eyes.
"ASR, what happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said and smiled.
"Why are you sitting here alone? And where is Khushi?"
"Khushi, she has gone to see her family."
"Alright. Did you tell her that you love her?" she asked, and looked at him for a trace of happiness on his face, but she saw something else instead. Sadness, if she wasn't wrong, she thought.
"ASR, what is it?"
"It's all over, la!"
Smile on her face slowly faded away, "ASR, what do you mean it's all over?"
"She is over me, la."
"ASR, I don't understand what are you saying?"
"She has left the house!"
"No, ASR, this is wrong. She loves you, she deserves to know the truth."
Arnav told her everything whatever happened in the afternoon. Lavanya was stunned. After a long silence she finally spoke, "ASR, you should tell her the truth. If you can't I am going to tell her everything!" she said as she was going to get up.
"La, she has gotten hold of herself. She deserved much better person than me. You know it's my mistake I have hurt her intentionally."
"ASR, have you lost your mind? You love her, tell her everything!"
When she looked at his face that clearly told he won't do anything as she was telling him to do, she looked away and shut her eyes.
"ASR, why are you so stubborn to give your image away, you know that there is nothing in between both of us"
"La, she won't do anything like that I know. But can you pretend to be my girlfriend please till our divorce."
"ASR, I haven't seen a bigger fool like you. You can't give up on this relationship. This means I was wrong you don't love her otherwise, you shouldn't have let go of her. ASR, you must be kidding me!" Lavanya was going crazy, but Arnav was least affected.
"Please, La, this last favour I won't ask for anything after that."
"ASR, you very well know the consequences, don't you?"
"I know what I am doing, Lavanya. It's time to end of this relationship that was never ever there."
"ASR, you are doing a mistake. You will get yourself killed!" Lavanya was irritated now. "I am sorry, ASR, I can't be part of this destruction especially, of my best friend!"
"You swear on me, La!" he said and pulled her hand over his head. "You have to do this, La!"
"ASR, I am warning you!"
"Please, La! I will explain everything to NK! Your relationship with NK, your image will not be affected."
She pulled her hand away. "Arnav, you are supporting the wrong people."
"It is my own fault, La. If I had not asked for a divorce this would not have happened!"
"You have gone crazy, ASR!" she said, as she got up, and left.
Arnav took a deep breath!
***
This story might extend to two more chapters, I am sorry guys, I tried to finish in four chapters, I realized I would not be able to! I did say I will finish the story within a week but could not so, apology for that as well.
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