OS: Betwixt Love & Pride (Collab)

Chapter 1: Stay Strong

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."

- Pablo Neruda

He led her into the room, his hand on her waist and gazed at her face as she took in the beauty of the wonderfully decorated room.

He smiled as her eyes shot wide open and her mouth formed an 'O.' She strode over to the bed which was adorned with rose petals in the middle with strands of flowers hanging from the ceiling to the sides of the bed.

Touching the strands, she smiled inhaling the heavenly scent of the flowers.

Her breath hitched as suddenly she felt a jolt surge through her body as he snakily slid his hands around her waist. Her back arched and he smirked.

He pulled her towards his broad chest and encircled her waist removing all the distance between them. She took in a staggered breath as a shiver ran down her spine. With his hand he pushed her hair to one side and nuzzled her neck.

The next moment she felt the ground leave her feet as she was lifted in his arms and placed lightly on the bed as if she were a feather.

Like a hungry tiger, he climbed on top of her and seized her gaze with his.

Removing the distance between them he planted his lips on hers. Their bodies quenched the thirst for each other as he took her in. He explored every corner of her mouth with his tongue making her moan in pleasure. He finally released her lips as she gasped for breath of air.

Desire filled the night as they gazed into each other's eyes exploring each other deep inside. He slid his hand under her back to untie the blouse strings as her back arched in pleasure. He captured her lips once again and bit them softly making her moan out loud.

He began to pull her blouse off when in embarrassment she turned over revealing her bare back to him. Pushing the loose strings away, he placed light feathery kisses down her spine and let his hands wander around too.

Her breathing became uneven and her heart raced at an unbelievable speed. It felt as if it were to burst out of her chest. Her eyes were shut close and her hands clenched the bed sheets as he continued his tortuous yet sweet act.

Slowly, he placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around on her back .He gazed into her hazel eyes sensing fear. Fear for what is to come.

***

The morning sunrise hit her glowing face causing her eyes to flutter open. Her hand immediately reached out for him.

Empty.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up to realize he wasn't there. Rubbing her eyes, she got off the bed and searched the entire cabin for him. But he was nowhere to be found.Rushing back to the bedroom, she picked up her phone to dial his phone number when she noticed a piece of paper fall from the desk and flutter to the ground. She bent down and picked it up.

It was from him.

She sat on the bed and flipped it open.

- Arnav

Tears were already trickling down her face as she closed the letter and clutched it against her heart. She had no problem against his lie but the fact of him not reaching home alive broke her heart. She wiped her tears, folded the letter neatly and put in her purse.

Be strong he had said.

She collected all of her belongings and packed them back. Picking up all her jewelry from the dressing table, she noticed a white envelope waiting to be opened.

She tore the top and pulled out the thin piece of paper.

Boarding Pass. Paris to India.

***

She stepped out the airport and hailed a taxi.

"Laxmi Nagar," she told the driver.

The roads were busy as always, everyone was living their lives, moving with it.

could she ever do that, move on?

But she didn't have to.

He was going to come back.

She knew he was.

"Mame sab, pohunch gaye," the driver spoke.

This broke her reverie as she came back to reality. Obtaining the luggage, she pulled it behind her entering the gate to her house.

Tears started streaming down her face and her face lit up with a smile as she heard her buaji call out to her mother loudly.

What was she going to say to them?

Truth or Lies?

She pulled the baggage up the steps with effort and pressed the doorbell panting.

This was it.

"Sankadevi?!" she heard her buaji exclaim. And before she could say another word, Khushi draped her arms around buaji's neck and hugged her tightly. She couldn't stop herself. If there was one place where she could cry her heart out, it was in her family's embrace.

Pulling away, buaji worriedly asked, "Titaliya, you here? What happened to your honeymoon in-" Buaji's hand rose up to her head trying to remember the big city's name.

"Yeah, Paris right? Then what are you doing here? Where is Arnav?"

Before Khushi could answer she saw her mother striding towards her with a worried expression. Khushi rushed towards her mother and hugged her tightly too.

"What happened Khushi?" she heard her mother query.

"Amma.." Khushi managed to say between her tears. "Arnavji-"

"Where is our damaad?" buaji repeated.

"He- he left," Khushi replied.

"LEFT?" Garima exclaimed grabbing Khushi's shoulders. "Where?"

"He left for Dubai," she replied looking down.

"But why?" buaji showered another question.

"Amma, buaji," she held their hands. "Did you know that he works in the army?" she stuttered.

"A-army?" Garima managed to say.

"Arnav works in the army?" buaji tried to clear her confusion.

Khushi nodded broken-heartedly as tears reappeared in her eyes.

The pain that was built up inside her now shed in the form of tears. She cried as her amma and buaji consoled her heart-ace.

***

Once again, for the umpteenth number of time, she dialled his phone to hear the same message repeat itself.

This number is not reachable.

Another tear made its way down her pale cheeks as she heard the message once again.

It had been over two whole months and she had had no contact with him. Only she knew how she survived those days, the thought constantly nagged her head whether he was alive or not. Coming back or not.

But she knew. He is.

Her brain and her heart fought with each other for the concluding decision. The heart assured her he is alive, while her brain forced to accept the reality.

To be concerned about his family, it seemed like they didn't care.

As always, his dadi ruled the whole house standing up against every single one of his decisions. His brother, was too stuck-up to even be worried for him and his mama-mami were barely in town. The only person that ever truly cared about him, or loved him, was his Di.

Her Di.

Ever since they were orphaned, Di had been his mother and father, taking care of him as her own child. Never once had she let the darkness of the world, creep on her brother. Whatever pain he had to suffer, she made sure it went through her first.

It had been two whole months but she had not received a single call back from her.

No one was as enthusiastic about their marriage except for her.

To everyone else, it was just another burden lightened.

But to her, it was a start of a new and beautiful life.

She would always stand up for him in the correct decisions and guide him to the correct path.

She checked her phone once again but there was no sign of calls from her and neither from him.

Why hadn't she called yet?

Not a single one.

She had even went to visit her in-laws but all they did was kick her out.

What happened to her sweet Di?

Suddenly she heard her buaji call out her name from the living room. there was tremor in her voice.

She ran out to come face to face with a pale looking buaji.

"Buaji, wh-what happened?"she asked worriedly.

A speechless buaji pointed towards the TV.

And once again her world crumble into a million pieces.

She stared in shock at the screen as her brain tried its best to process the information.

"All the soldiers gone to Dubai have been found wounded severely in on the battleground. They have been taken to the hospital immediately but some of them are still missing."

Tears started forming in her eyes when she shrieked in agony, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth.

"This can't happen," she mumbled convincing herself.

Buaji held her by the shoulders and reassured her but Khushi was in no state to listen to anyone.

She held up her hand as a signal and backed away towards her room.

Turning around she rushed into her bedroom and dialled his number.

Upon hearing the same message, she threw her phone in anger on the bed.

As her instincts suggested, she pulled out her laptop and searched for hospitals in Dubai and called every single one of them.

"We're sorry ma'am but there is no one admitted under the name of Arnav Singh Raizada."

'Sorry m'am."

"We're extremely sorry."

"There is no one with that name in our records."

Next thing she knew, her amma and buaji entered her room in tears and heard them say, "Khushi, we need to talk."

***

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~Zoha & Disha~

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