Thank you friends, for your patience and understanding. 😃 I hope you enjoy this update. Please do leave a comment and hit the like button. 😳 It makes the world of a difference. Also, I know this is disgustingly depressing atm. It WILL get better. I promise 😆
~Serendipity~
"an accidental discovery"
Chapter Five: Victory
Khushi had turned to silence after the incident with Arnav, only offering silent nods and monosyllabic answers to the infrequent queries that came her way. She had been rendered an empty version of her former self. One whose laughter did not ring through the halls of her home and whose eyes did not dance with mischief. One who did not cherish the sweetness of fresh jalebis dipped in warm chashni. She had simply vanished from the livelihood of the Raizada family, afraid to open her mouth and draw the attention of her lecherous brother-in-law.
Soon, Anjali stopped asking her to join them for films at the theaters. Hari Prakash stopped counting her while preparing tea. Her Amma stopped calling. Adjustment, they said. She was simply having trouble adjusting. They failed to notice the dark circles that shadowed once radiant eyes; the weakness of her body, due to the frequent fevers she incurred by sleeping in the cold of the poolside; the weight she lost, to avoid eating dinner at the occupied table.
They were all unaware of it-- but perhaps the most blinded was her husband. For Khushi Kumari Gupta had simply vanished from Arnav's life. She would wake up and shower early to avoid communication, and wouldn't return to his bedroom until she was sure he had dozed off. She refused to face him. Not after he had admitted to hating her with such an intense passion.
The first days had been difficult for Arnav. He had trouble finding his office files and often became distraught to see Hari Prakash serving him his morning coffee. He ached for the sound of bangles and anklets stirring him awake in the morning. At night, he tossed and turned waiting for her to return safely to the bedroom, only to be conquered by unavoidable sleep in the early hours of the morning.
Guilt consumed him, and the biting words he'd thrown at her came to haunt him the instant he set his head upon his pillow. But as days turned to weeks, he once again became accustomed to Khushi's absence, settling into the mundane routine of his life before marriage.
Slowly, Arnav and Khushi ceased to exist for each other. Arnav got his life back in a steady momentum and Khushi began to deteriorate every passing day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nani. Don't you think Khushi Ji has become a little quiet?"
They looked towards the mandir where Khushi was seated, quietly wiping nonexistent dirt off the metal murtis.
"Bitiya. She is adjusting to the new home. She'll be fine."
"Nani, I know... But I think it's time."
"Time for what, Anjali bitiya?"
She grinned as a thousand watt smile broke across her excited face and leaned in to whisper excitedly into her Nani's ear, glancing every so often at Khushi, just to make sure she wasn't listening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With Aman's pre-poning a video conference without informing him and Akash's rather ridiculous stock purchases floundering, Arnav Singh Raizada entered his home with a peculiarly strong desire for a home cooked meal to soothe a cluttered mind. But alas, he entered his living room to be greeted with the sight of a blushing sister in animated conversation with a smirking Nani nodding approvingly beside her. He was in for trouble. At his approaching footsteps, they turned towards him simultaneously, their smiles growing wider and their eyelashes batting wildly.
"Chhooottteee".
Major trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Khushi limped towards his bedroom as exhaustion threatened to overtake her body. It was three in the morning. Surely he would be asleep by now. As she reached the door, she felt a pair of strong, familiar hands grasp her by the forearms, and her eyes shut tight with fear of what she knew would follow. She cringed as he swung her body to slam against the bedroom door, his spit falling on her face as he shouted.
"What the f**k, Khushi. What the F**K. WHAT THE F*K DID YOU TELL THEM?'
Somewhere, a part of her brain tried to register what he was saying, failing miserably. She had grown accustomed to not conversing in the past several weeks. Especially not with him. So, she did what she had trained herself to do best. She shut down down her thoughts, barricaded her soul and prepared herself for the oncoming onslaught.
Except it never came.
Arnav Singh Raizada had let her go.
And as she hesitantly opened her eyes to see what had occurred, Khushi saw her husband rooted to his spot a few feet away, examining her up and down with the deepest hurt etched within his eyes.
Arnav was seeing Khushi after nearly a month. And what he saw scared him. Terrified him, in fact. The ribs which were visible under her pale skin. The hair which was tied into a careless bun on the top of her head. The horrible, dark beige color of the loose sari which was wrapped around her. And the sadness of her eyes. They struck right through him. The eyes which had once sparkled with laughter, fire and mirth were clouded over with hopelessness and pain.
Pain... that he had caused her.
Arnav traced them carefully for the sparks of life she embodied, but found nothing within their depths. His heart pounded uncomfortably against his chest as he heard the tremble in her nervous whisper, hesitantly asking if she could retire to bed. Was this the same woman who sang and yelled and laughed till he wanted to silence her with a soul consuming kiss? Who was she? Was this his Khushi?
He had done what he intended.
He had rid her of her smile, rid her of the spark in her eyes, the ruddy glow of her complexion.
He had rendered her a living corpse to the world.
Ruined her.
Stripped her of the happiness to her name.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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DUN. DUN. DUN.
Don't throw chappals 😆 Please comment naa. 😳 Thanks!
Edited by aamir18 - 8 years ago
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