Khushi Kumari Gupta walked into the decorated Raizada Mansion with a gloomy smile on her face. No matter how much she tried to fake it her sister Payal knew she was beyond heartbroken on the inside.
Khushi's heart fluttered as she walked across the main foyer and made her way to Anjali Singh Raizada. The moment Anjali saw Khushi, she hugged her tightly with a smile but even she knew what Khushi really felt. When she pulled away she looked at Khushi's face and saw the puffiness in her eyes from a lot of tear shedding.
"Come," she said and pulled Khushi by the hand to her room, locking it behind her. Anjali grabbed Khushi again and hugged her once again, keeping in that position for a long time as she heard Khushi sniffle and begin her cries.
Khushi couldn't breathe after some time so when she gasped for air, she covered her mouth over Anjali's shoulder and let her tears continue to spill.
Pulling away, Anjali quickly got Khushi some tissues to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry. Someone will notice." She whispered to her.
"So many years of high hope and then suddenly this. I can't believe I wasted my years loving him. And he never once told me how he felt. All those stupid double meaning words, all his smiles, all his subtle touches; what the hell was all that for?!" Khushi cried with trembling lips.
"He's in his room if you want to talk to him," Anjali said, looking at Khushi with sadness in her eyes. "Khushi I asked you so many times to let me tell him but you didn't."
"That's right. If he's so blind to not see it himself then why try any longer? But now he's gone. I will not open my mouth. I'd rather live a life full of misery than break someone's engagement."
Khushi's heart stopped when she heard his voice in the living room, greeting her parents and Payal. She went to Anjali's vanity table and quickly reapplied some makeup so no one can suspect anything.
"Come with me," Khushi said to Anjali as they went out towards the living room. She stared at the back of his head as she quietly walked down the stairs. It was done. He was gone. She kept chanting the same words in her mind.
"Hi Arnav," she plastered a fake smile on her lips when he turned around and greeted her with a smile. She extended her hand and shook his. She looked down after she said hi and walked to sit on the couch with the rest of his family members and her family but she had already grasped a good glimpse of him. Dressed up in his black pressed tuxedo, looking sharper than ever. His hair perfectly styled with just a bit of gel.
She sat there silently in the midst of conversations, watching his retreating back as he left back upstairs. She looked around the decorated house with flowers, candles, chairs neatly organized all around the house. The bright color of sky blue taking over all the other colors in the house. 'This was supposed to be mine,' she thought. 'He was supposed to be mine. But now it's done. Now he's gone.' She repeated in her mind.
She got up, picking up her fuchsia colored lehenga and walked to the kitchen. "Can I sit in your room?" She asked Anjali who nodded her approval.
Khushi walked up the stairs and down the hallway. She felt like she was dragging her heart on the ground. She felt the soft and velvety feel of the rose petals under her feet. She was just about to go into Anjali's room when she saw Arnav's door open in his own room on the other side of the large second floor.
She slowly walked, wringing her hands in hesitation and knocked on his door. He looked up from his laptop and smiled at her. "Come in."
Khushi hated him for smiling at her like that. That smile. It was supposed to be hers! Damn it! HE was supposed to be hers and now he's gone!
Her hips swayed as she picked up her skirt a bit and walked towards his bed with her payal clinking with each step. She sat on the edge of his bed, keeping lots of space between them.
"Getting engaged eh? I remember you did say you want to get married at 25. Makes sense I guess. Be engaged for a year then get married, just as you had planned."
Arnav smiled and nodded. "My time has come. You get engaged soon too so we can visit you guys next time."
Khushi looked down at her hands. So she was right; he didn't love her. Didn't show a single reaction of loss or anything of the sort. She didn't find it fair that she was the only one from the two who felt such immense pain. Pain that she was absolutely certain would never fade. She'd be able to suppress it but she would never, ever, be able to forget it. She loved him after all.
"I never thought it would turn out like this," Khushi suddenly blurted out and the very second after realized what a mistake she made. Arnav stared at her silently. He heard her voice crack. She was on the verge of crying.
"How did you think it was going to end up?" He asked, all traces of smiles gone from his face.
Khushi felt her throat burn with pain. She was desperate to get all the tears out. She started taking quick breaths, her chest heaving in the process. She let out a little chuckle. "I don't know. I mean'you know'just not what I expected."
Arnav felt very awkward. He didn't know what to think of what she was telling him. They weren't best friends, but they were pretty close since their families had a close relationship. He had known her all his life - since the tender age of just three years old. They would regularly see each other as they'd go to each other's houses several times a year.
"Why are you so sad?" He asked. Khushi failed to look him in the eyes. She tried to speak several times but she couldn't get any words out. "Khushi, please look at me and speak. Don't make me guess."
"Guess? It is really that hard to understand Arnav?" She said with a frown.
"I don't know, I mean, it could literally be anything you're upset about! Just tell me." He pleaded, inching himself closer to her.
"There's only one thing Arnav. It's always been only one thing. And I thought that was you." She whispered the last words.
Arnav stared at her confused for a few seconds before he understood what she meant. His heart stopped and his whole body froze. Did she just say what he thought she did? Did she just conf-
"Arnav! Khushi," Anjali said standing by the door. Arnav turned his attention to her but his expression was nothing less than absolute shock. Anjali felt something had just happened here by Khushi's sad eyes and by Arnav's widened ones. "Come down now," she said quietly.
Arnav turned his face back towards Khushi. His face blanched when he saw a single tear fall from her eye as she looked down. Khushi saw his hand extend towards her.
"Anjali!" She said as she quickly got up. Anjali looked back. "Wait for me," she said and walked away leaving Arnav there with his extended arm still in the air.
****
Khushi eyes watered as she watched Arnav's bride, Lavanya, stand next to him with a beaming smile on her face. They had just exchanged rings. 'Now he's gone,' Khushi thought, feeling she was slightly going insane. Her eyes were always on Arnav, who now seemed less than excited than before.
At one point, their eyes met. He stared at Khushi, unaware that the corners of his lips were tugging down in a frown. He saw her eyes glisten with water. There was a tight tug at his heart. He was suddenly questioning everything around him. He looked at Lavanya once and returned her shy smile with a half smile of his own though there was absolutely no happiness in his heart.
He turned his head back towards Khushi and continued to stare at her just as she stared at him. His vision began to blur. Of course it was his own tears forming. But he had to stop them. He couldn't let others see.
But even through all his tears, his focus was on Khushi. 'Why didn't you tell me earlier?!' He was yelling at her silently. 'Why didn't you tell me Khushi?' He asked over and over again though he knew he'd get no response.
People started dancing around him. He was losing sight of her. He looked at a few people who were trying to get his attention and smiled at them before he searched for her again. She wasn't there this time. He looked all around and he couldn't find her. And just like that, she was gone.
****
Anjali noticed Arnav's searching eyes for Khushi who was standing next to her just a moment ago. But it was with a heavy heart that Anjali realized that these two hearts would never end up together like they should have. With a heavy sigh, she turned on her heels and went to find Khushi. She had a broken heart she had to try to mend.
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I hope you all liked it! Please leave a comment and a Like if you'd like! Thanks so much for reading!
~Farah
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