Cherished Wounds ( Updated Ch 14 ) Pg 140 22/06 - Page 39

That night, Khushi set the alarm to four in the morning, so that she could catch a glimpse of his face before he left for Jammu. She did so, trying hard to suppress the wave of questions surging through her mind asking her Why, What. But she didn't' have the answers. And for once she didn't care. She would let whatever that was happening to her, the unfamiliar urge to see someone again, and again, let her drive her to her to the end. But the morning had other plans for Khushi as the alarm rang, and she happily snored away, having the first peaceful nights in so many days.

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'Why so serious?'

'Aakash, don't talk to me, please.'

'Kyun? Khushi? What happened? Missing a certain Raizada?'

Khushi scowled at the ever inquisitive Aakash and turning away from him, made her way down the deserted hospital corridors. But then she turned back and glared at the innocent man standing in front of her.

'So..'

'So?'

'So are you going to tell me yourself or…'

'Tell you what Khushi?'

'Tell me why you had been staring at my sister yesterday like you were in some kind of a soporific trance?'

'Payal, is she okay?'

Aakash would have asked many more questions, but they died on his lips instantly at the sight of Khushi's sarcastic face.

'What?'

'What kya? Tell me the story…from the start.'

---

'So you left? You didn't fight for her? You should have stayed back na.'

'Khushi, this is not a movie. She said in simple words that she was getting married to someone else. And I think that was incentive enough to walk away.'

'Well I still think you should have stayed back.'

''Anyways, where is her husband right now?'

'Do you love her Aakash?'

'What?"

'Do you love her? Still?'

'Hell yeah. It is not that easy to forget your sister.'

'Then you should know that she never got married. The guy's parents wouldn't allow a cripple to marry into their house.'

And leaving a shocked, baffled Aakash sitting on the green cafeteria chairs, Khushi went back to the ER.

---

Having completed her morning shift, she went back to her cottage and jumped into the bed.

After an hour, Arnav stood on her door, knocking impatiently. After about five minutes, when she opened the door he had half a mind to give her one of his verbal lashings but all of it got stuck somewhere between the distance of his mind and the larynx. One small hand rubbing her left eye, a low messy bun softly placed on the crook of her neck, eyes still closed, a small pout resting on her delectable lips. Arnav thought it would be better for her and for him to stare at her face rather than gawk at how beautiful she looked, clad in the softest of blues.

Khushi opened her eyes, blinking, adjusting her eyes to the gentle gleam of light entering through the door when her line of sight finally found the face of the very man she had been desperate to see since morning. The sunlight dancing on his dusky skin, highlighted the perfect contours of his face, and Khushi tried to control her urge to run down her fingers over his face, clenching on to the sides of her kurta.

Slightly smirking at the sight of her clenched fists, Arnav spoke.

'You were sleeping?'

'Well, I got tired waiting for you, therefore.'

'Excuse me?'

Khushi's eyes, that were concentrating till then, on the floor, shot up to his face on realizing the meaning to the few words she had uttered. Aiming for damage control, at the sight of his full fledged smirk, she spoke a little hesitantly.

'Are they here?'

'Yes. Aakash sent me to tell you so.'

'Okay. So you can go…I'll be there in ten minutes.'

'No, it's fine. I'll wait.'

---

After about ten minutes, an uplifting scent that smelled like citrus and sage wafted into the small living room of the cottage where Arnav was sitting, waiting for her. He turned instinctively and watched as she walked towards another room, her hands busy with the white towel rubbing against her hair, the tiny jhumkas of her payal danced on her porcelain ankles. As she disappeared into the other room, he turned back, burying his head into his hands, sighing to himself. He realized, that slowly this one woman was turning his perfectly relaxed head into a storm of conflicting emotions and increasing his heartbeat simultaneously, by simply doing nothing. Nothing at all.

Announcing her arrival into the room, he saw her walking about in the cottage, swaying her perfect hips unconsciously, switching off the lights of the rooms, her damp hair slowly creating a moist circle on the back of the mauve cotton she was wearing. He averted his gaze from her back, realizing that he had been staring for way to long, but mostly because of the erratic throbbing of his heart and the fear of losing his mind completely.

---

After talking to Aakash and a few senior orthopedics, the small group of people headed down towards Khushi's cottage from the hospital. Aakash was talking to Shashi, Payal not far behind, Khushi by her side, Arnav just behind her. They had almost reached the cottage, when Aakash stealthily pulled out of his conversation with Shashi and cryptically communicating with Khushi through their eyes, started walking next to Payal.

'I need to talk to you.'

'I know. But I'm exhausted today. Maybe tomorrow?'

'Okay.'

'And Payal, this time I'm not leaving.'

---

They were all sitting in the cozy living room of the cottage, heating up their hands against the warm surface of the coffee mug.

'I should get going now. I'll see you tomorrow Aakash.'

Arnav stated as he got up from the wooden chairs. His statement was directed to Aakash, but he looked straight into Khushi's eyes. And as if in a trance she followed him towards the door. He stepped outside the doorframe and turned to look at her leaning against one of the closed doors.

Maybe it was the cool breeze bellowing through the mountains, or maybe the faintest smell of the chrysanthemums growing in the plush garden next to the cottage, or maybe just the look in her eyes, that made Arnav stand there, in front of her, looking straight into them, as the soft tendrils of her hair played against her cheeks. They stood there, for about a few minutes, before, he gave her a brusque nod, and started walking away.

Arnav didn't know how long it would be before all his control snapped. Ever since that eventful night, when he had got the slightest taste of her, he had not a night of peaceful sleep. Mint and ambrosia, he reminiscing. His thoughts wavered about Khushi for a few seconds, when he felt a tug at his hand. A second later, he was turned back, with a slight force, facing her face that was probably a centimeter away.

Khushi stepped back slightly, noticing the little or no distance at all, but not for one second loosening the grip on his hand. She looked up into his eyes, and said.

'Thank you. For everything you have done. For the umpteen times you have saved my life.'

She saw a faint smile playing on his lips.

Arnav took in the gratitude in her eyes and wondered to himself at the intensity of the simple words she had just spoken. Many people had thanked him before, but never had their words filled up an overwhelming sense of excitement, calm, a strange lightness in his heart. His other free hand moved towards her face, as his deft fingers pushed back a stray strand of hair. His fingers lingered on her skin, as he watched her eyes close, a faint tremble flowing on her lips. Very deliberately, tracing a line over her cheek, he lowered his hand, still marveling at the softness of her skin. As her eyes opened, and she started to pull away her hand from his, Khushi felt a gentle squeeze over her palm, after which he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure disappear into the midnight blue mist, she heard his voice calling out to her.

'See you tomorrow doctor.'

Khushi couldn't decide on the fact if she had actually heard the faint tremor of his laughter resounding through the valley, or if it had just been a figment of her imagination.

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