He shut the door behind leaving behind a bewieled Khushi who stood rooted in her tracks.
"did he just slid that ring in my finger? his mother's ring? And that too before my engagement?" she tought.
She could not compose herself to see the ring in her finger. closing her eyes she recapitulated that happened few minutes back. Hoe he slid that ring in her finger, forcefully.
On the other hand, closing the door he touched his forehead on the door. Remembering his deed few minuted he fisted his fingers and slowly banged on the door.
Khushi slowly slid agaist the wall on which she was leaning and hugged her knews. Keeping her head on her knees she slowly stretched her fingers. Her eyes slowly fell on the ring.
"its beautiful" she thought. Her eyes welled up. And to top it all her anru had made her wear her favorite ring.
She lifted her hand and brought it near her lips. Kissing the ring her lips quivered. Her tears ready to explored. "mumma, I miss you. why mamma why arrnu think that I am the reason for you and baba's death? Mumma how can I ever make him believe my words? Will he ever respect her feelings towards her?
Suddenly reality hit her. Wiping her tears she tried to open the ring which he has given her. "he has no right to give me this. Kal ke baad mere upar uska koi right nahi rahega (he will have no right on me after tomorrow).
She tired to open it but she failed. The ring was sticking to her like a second skin. After several attempts she gave up.
**
Pacing in his room remembering his and khushi's encounter few minutes ago was making him suffocate. He undid his second button and drank a glass full of water. But it did not help him much.
He decided to go for a drive to get some fresh air hoping it will calm him down and divert his thoughts.
He opened his drawer and took the car keys and marched outside his room. Decending down the stairs he met dadi in the pathway.
Dadi tried to ask him where he is going but without answering her he just increased his pace and walked towards the main door.
He was just about to open the door when somelse opened it from the other side and in the process the door hit arnav's forehead.
The impact was really hard. He immediately started bleeding. In anger Arnav just grabbed the worker's collar to lash out. But seeing the scared state of the worker he just controlled his anger and released him.
Dadi came running towards Arnav and held him by his shoulder. Arnav waved dadi's hand and tried to go out.
"No Arnav you cannot leave like this".
"Dadi please stop it. I am fine".
Dadi held his hand and pulled him inside the mansion.
"Pagal ho gaye ho kya?" (have you gone mad) "you are bleeding like hell".
Dadi tried to touch his wound. But Arnav held her hand.
"Please dadi I can manage. I am feeling suffocated in this house. I just want to go out for sometime".
"No way Arnav. Kal tumhari shaadi hai and if you go out like this then septic ho jayega. Aur aaj tumhara and Khushi ka engagement hai".
Arnav looked at dadi when she said "aaj tumhara aur Khushi ka engagement hai".
He widened his eyes and kept on looking at Dadi with his shocked expression.
"what? Why are you looking at me like this?"
"I am not getting engaged to Khushi, Dadi!"
Dadi shrugged her shoulder and said, "obviously. Why did you think I am reffering both of your engagement? Tum log dono ek hi din mangni kar rahe ho na. I just meant that".
Dadi succeed in gulping down her smile by shouting Khushi's name.
"Khushi bitiya! Khushi! Kahan reh gai yeh ladki? Lagta hai she is busy pampering herself for today's engagement".
"why are you calling her dadi?" Arnav looked other side not linking dadi's comment specially the pampering part that too for the engagement.
"well hamesha woh hi tumhare chot ka khayal karti ai hai na isiliye".
"haan dadi!"
Dadi saw a pale and lifeless Khushi standing on the behind her.
Khushi's eyes fell on Arnav who was sitting on the couch when dadi turned towards her.
She saw his forehead and immidately started getting panic attack. But she remained composed and gulped down her anxity. She did not want to show her worry for him any more.
Arnav looked at her once and was astonished to find him calm and quite. But inside on ly she knew what she was going through.
~FLASHBACK~
"Khushi beta! KHUSHI! Jaldi ayo beyta" dadi screamed.
Khushi saw dadi holding a 16 year old Arnav. Khushi rushed down the stairs hoping down two three steps at a time.
"Nannav! Dadi kya huya nannav ko?"
In no time she was beside him helping him to get settled on the sofa.
"Nannav! Kya huya?" khushi's eyes welled up seeing Arnav limping.
"Cricket khelte khelte woh gir gaya" (he fell down while playing cricket).
Arnav cursed dadi for telling this infront of Khushi. He felt a little humiliated getting exposed in this way.
Arnav thanked Khushi and asked her to leave. But Khushi being Khushi threw herself in a chocking hug and started crying bitterly.
"Nannav...why cant...you...take...care of...yourself?" she asked him sobbing.
She broke the hug and tried to pull up his track pants but Arnav held her hand and glared at her.
Khushi held his hand with the other hand and removed his hand from her hand.
Slowly she pulled up his track pants to find his sheen bone wounded badly.
That's it, ab dadi kisko sambhalta here Arnav is hurt so badly and wahan Khushi started crying madly seeing his wounds.
Khushi wiped her tears and ran towards arnav's room.
"Khushi! Khushi! Where are you going? Careful dear" dadi screamed behind her.
Khushi opened his drawer and got the first-aid box quickly.
**
She tied her long hair in loose bun and opened the box to dress his wound.
"Ouch!" Arnav screamed in pain when the cotton dipped in antiseptic lotion touched his wound.
Khushi gasped feeling the same pain inside her and immediately started blowing on his leg closing her eyes.
Arnav gazed her worried face and tried to gulp down the lump formed seeing her state. He wanted to touch his head and console her but he did not due to his ego and his preconceived notion.
She slowly picked up her lashes and looked at him making a puppy face. Softly she asked "is it still burning?"
Seeing her eyes filled with tears that too for him made him weak, "not anymore" he answered.
She gave him a weak smile and completed dressing the wound.
Finishing his bandage she jumped on him and kissed his cheeks, "take care" she said and ran to her room blushing furiously.
Before Arnav could protest her kiss, she was seen no-where near him.
~FLASHBACK ENDS~
"Khushi! Ab wahan khari kyun hai? Chal sheetal ko phon laga abhi". (now why are you standing there? Call sheetal immediately)
Khushi's gaze shifted to Arnav who was not directly looking at Khushi trying to read her mind.
Khushi slid her hand inside her pocket and took her cellphone out.
"Dadi, why you want to call her? Nothing has happened to me and please for god sake I am not a kid"
"Arnav! What happened? OMG! You are bleeding"
Nani and dadi looked across their shoulder and found Sheetal standing right near the door.
"arrey sheetal bitiya, achha huya tum aagai" (its good that you have come)
"see what happened", dadi gestured sheetal to come in.
Sheetal stood right beside Khushi and said "Oh god Arnav why don't you all call a doctor? How can you guys be so casual?"
Khushi was about to leave the place when Arnav said "sheetal when you don't know something then you should first try to know then comment on anything".
"Nahi Arnav beta, seetal sahi kehe rahi hai" (what she is saying is right)
"Nani, mujhe itni bhi chot nahi lagi hai ki mujhe doctor ko bulana pare".
"but then you should atleast clean your wound and dress it up" sheetal said.
"you are right sheetal, whu don't you dress his wound. After all you have to take care of him tomorrow onwards".
Khushi's tears did not go unnoticed by Arnav. She quickly brushed her fingers on the cheeks cleverly so that no one can see it. But aisa kabhi nahi hua hai ki Khushi roye aur Arnav ko para na chale. (there was no instance where Arnav did not get to know that Khushi cried).
"no dadi, please I cant. I faint seeing blood. And I am not an expert in all these. Arnav I think we should call a doctor right now. And more over when he is saying that it is not that critical I think he can handle it himself. I just came here to drop khushi's engagement outfit. I took mine from AR and just wanted to drop it here".
Sheetal handed over khushi's engagement dress to her and said, "erm! I have to leave right now love got an appointment in the parlour. Please take care of yourself". With that she leaned and kissed him on his cheeks".
The time she planted the kiss on his cheeks both Arnav and Khushi couldnot control but to exchange looks.
**
Khushi was about to leave the place when Arnav got up from the sofa and furiously walked towards his room.
"Arnav beta! Listen to me". But Arnav walked too far listen to dadi.
He angrily slammed the door after berging inside his room.
**
Few minutes later
Dadi came inside and sat beside Arnav. He was resting his head on the headboard.
"dadi please abhi aap disturb mat karo" (don't disturb me)
"Dadi looked at her angry grandson and called Khushi".
Arnav opened his eyes and looked at the door. She was standing heads down as if she was counting how many of floor tiles are there inside his room.
He looked the other way and sighed.
"Khushi bitiya har baar ki tarha aaj bhi tu hi karde iska dressing" (let always even today you do the dressing)
Arnav did not look at Khushi he was still looking the other side.
Dadi once again asked Khushi to come and do the dressing but Khushi stood rooted at her place near the door. Dadi very well know after that ugly day Arnav asked her not to enter his room and from that day onwards she was barred to entered his room.
"dadi, please ask him whether he wants me to do his dressing or not" Khushi said in a painful voice.
Arnav shot a look at her and replied gritting his teeth "let it be dadi, I don't want it".
Khushi's heart stopped beating when he rejected her. She turned once again to leave but dadi stopped her. "Khushi, just look at his state. Tu to janti hai issey chahe kitna bhi dard ho yeh kabhi nahi bolega. Aur isse tera hi dressing humesha se pasand hai". (you know it very well that no matter now much pain he is having he will never say it to anybody and he preffers your dressing)
Khushi stole a glance at him and said "but dadi he used to prefer he might not prefer now right? People changes in due course of time and so does their likings".
"dadi please ask her to leave. I cant bear it anymore" he winced in pain while telling this.
"and if she is having so much of a problem coming inside my room because I have asked her not to once then I have nothing to say. Its her choice what she wants to".
"tum log dono apna cat fight kab band karoge? Waise bhi kal to yeh jaa hi rahi hai to bhagwan ke liye tumlog do din bina jhagra karke thoda ghul milke reh nehe sakte? (when will you both stop fighting? In anycase she will be leaving tomorrow. Cant you guys stay without fighting with each other)
Khushi looked at Arnav painfully while arnav closed his eyes.
Dadi walked out of his room leaving Arnav on the bed and Khushi near the door.
There was a brief silence for few minutes after which Arnav said "bohot dard ho raha hai" (its paining a lot).
He did not know by that what he meant. Did he mean that his wound is paining or his heart.
Khushi took a step forwards and entered his room. The room where she loved spending time. The bed on which she slept on dadi's lap spending sleepless night taking care of Arnav when was unwell. The same cupboard from where she stole 100 bucks everyday from his wallet to have golgappas. The same recliner where she always found Arnav sleeping with his mouth open.
She felt nostalgic and tears started beaming out from her big eyes.
She came near and sat beside Arnav and finally their eyes met. Arnav could easily make out that she was fighting with herself inside.
"first Aid box?" she asked.
"jahan tum rakhti thi" he replied looking straight towards her.
Khushi leaned and opened the drawer to take the first aid box.
She opened the box and slowly picked up her lashes to see his wound. She couldnot control anymore she picked her hand touched his wound with her finger.
He gasped in pain so did she looking at his state.
"dekh ke nahi chal sakte ho? Why cant you take care of yourself and you say you are a grown up and you can take care of yourself? aise rakkhoge apna khayal? And what kind of people you have got? Cant they see and then get in?
"Kitna….khoo…" she chocked seeing the stream of blood still rolling down along his temple.
"oon…nikal raha hai (so much blood is coming out).
She cleaned his blood and started applying anticeptic cream on the effected area.
Arnav was only seeing her through out without blinking his eyes. How she always cried seeing him in pain and how opposite he was, he never left any opportunity to give her pain.
She was aware of his gaze on him but she ignored it. She herself was falling weak due to their close proximity.
Putting the bandage and sticking the cotton on the wound she closed the first aid box.
"erm! you are done"
She was about to get up when he held her hand and pulled her towards him making her fall on his lap.
"pura nahi huya hai" (its not completed)
Khushi looked at him with wide eyes.
He gazed her lips making her understand what he wanted.
Khushi slowly craned her neck and kissed his forehead first cupping his face with one hand. He closed his eyes feeling her warm lips on his forehead.
She slowly pressed her lips on his cheeks and whispered, "take care".
Looking down she wanted to get up from his lap when he fisted her hair holding it near her ear and pulled her towards him.
He gazed her parted lips and slowly leaned to claim it.
Both could feel their hot breath kissing each other, their lips quivering in anticipating.
Their lips were inches apart when he saw her closing her eyes…
