Here we go guys! Chapter 9, OKAY I need to get this out, this has been sitting in my mind for such a long time. I pm over 150 people and I don't get that many comments, I am sorry if I sound selfish but I do spend time on an update just to make sure its right, and its not fair if you guys don't comment/like. I can understand if you have exams, but I am sick and tired of seeing just 'nice' If you don't like my work don't read it, this does nothing for me as a writer I feel that I do not improve, if you don't like something then tell me. I appreciate that much more.
Thank you.
Chapter 9 : Labour
They had retired at Raizada house for the final funeral prayers, considering it could accommodate a larger number of people in comparison to the Gupta house. And finally once the guests had left Arnav approached Khushi, trying to tell her he was sorry.
And she laughed, she actually laughed. But this laugh was no genuine joyful laugh, oh no doubt it was a laugh of amusement but this amusement was sinister, it was horror. She laughed at her fate, she laughed at her luck, and she laughed at her life.
And they watched her do it, they watched her laugh out the tears, they watched her finally crumble.
"So what you're saying Arnav is that you believe me NOW?" She asked.
He just looked on, looked on at what he had created somewhat a creature of his own, a making that resembled the Raizada name to the 'T', calculative, cold, selfish. He had mustered a nod and then looked on as three gasped and one just looked at him in amusement.
Akash wanted to strangle his brother; he really did have this urge to beat him until his brain actually starting functioning like a normal human but he had seen the hurt, yes he had seen the weak Arnav, that Arnav that was always locked away but today 'that' Arnav was presenting himself, Akash knew that both sides had suffered, one more than the other and even though he felt his brother deserved to suffer for all his wrong doings it was about time that things were put to rest.
It was time that all worries were tidied away, the house deserved some peace after all this, and they deserved peace, the two lovers needed to meet again, they needed to meet in such a way that their trust be a thread of such weight and strength that it never fray.
Isn't that what they deserved?
Manorama looked at her son, no not her blood son, her other son the one whom she raised when her sister had all but left them, when God had ruthlessly taken her away from them all, leaving a drunk father in her wake. Would that be his outcome? Had she really raised him this bad that he end up in such a state? Oh Manorama blamed herself, yes she did. Blamed herself every night when Arnav done something out of spite or anger but she was reminded by her husband that some things cannot be helped; this situation was one of them. It had to happen for the better to come? Isn't that what her mother had told her? The bad things come so when the good do, they are truly appreciated.
And this was their bad time.
James just looked at the broken man before him, hadn't his wife and him broken up for the same reason? Trust? What an endless cord it was, but if picked at it would easily break, he had experienced the same thing however it was his wife who could not trust him, being a well known singer in the USA could be a good thing and a bad, unfortunately for him it was bad. He was seen with many women, most of which were his friends from collaborations or movies, unfortunately his wife had taken everything wrong and ended up filing for a divorce his mouth twisted itself into a cruel smile. Looked like things were the same here, except Arnav was his wife, and he was Khushi.
"My father" She began "My father did not look at me once Arnav, not once, you saw him didn't you?"
"I did" His voice sounded parched.
"A man who I prided, loved, and would happily sacrifice myself for believed such allegations against me, he did not believe me, he did not look at me" Finally Khushi was defeated, she gave up and gave in.
"Its over Arnav-
"Don't say that Khushi" He sounded strangled.
"Don't say that? Arnav? I lost our baby, miscarried our baby, where were you then Arnav? Where were you? I sure as hell didn't make it by myself did I?"
To this he was silent. In fact the whole Raizada family was silent, none could repay her, none could make up for the wrong doings and the horrible deeds that had happened in the house.
She turned then, turned away from the all, it hurt to see him like that but it was necessary, it was all necessary she still loved him. Some may call her silly but when the heart only knew how to beat for him then how could she forget that?
"Don't go Khushi, we are still married remember?" He said hoping, trying, testing to see if they still had a chance.
She looked at him then, dead straight in the eyes and asked him a simple question "What is todays date Arnav?"
"The 20th of August" His voice was now shaking.
"That's right, what happened six months before this?" Her voice was now eerily calm.
The penny most definitely dropped, it was over, he knew it, and she knew it.
It was all over.
"A marriage lasts for seven lifetimes not six months Khushi" He said still holding on to that thread that was between them,
But every thread was cut short, so why would there be any doubt that this one wouldn't be?
So her next words were like a whip to a bull, effectively destroying every chance he had with her "The great Arnav Singh Raizada is saying this, is this ASR? Is it? Do you remember Arnav how ruthlessly you dragged me to the temple? Do you remember the conditions? Do you remember how I put my own dreams and life at stake for my sister?"
'No bhai, you didn't you actually didn't' Akash mentally said.
"I married you so your sisters married life could not be ruined, and now that her husband is dead she has no married life, the six months are over Arnav, they are over. I married you so my step-sister could have a loving married life and Akash does love her haina?" She looked at Akash now.
And Akash realised he needed to lie, needed to lie this once so she could be free and he could do that much for her couldn't he? So he nodded at her, but he knew that their marriage was over just like his brother's was.
"See, you don't need me anymore"
"Khushi-ji don't say that" It was Anjali this time you decided to put in her opinion.
"What's wrong Anjali? Is the word wh**e no longer in your dictionary? Wasn't it yesterday I was considered a home-wrecker so what's changed today?"
"I'm sorry" Arnav said. "I'm so sorry"
The clock just chimed twelve, indicating the end of a long and tiresome day.
"Its over Arnav, I am officially Khushi again no last name, no Kumari you made sure of that one" She laughed "No Singh Raizada"
She glanced at them, completely ignored the Gupta's and went to both Akash and Manorama, bent her head, folded her hands and walked off again, stepping over the threshold, never to return again leaving a weakened Arnav and a prematurely laboured Anjali.
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