The last 24 hours were nothing but chaotic. It was nothing short of a roller coaster in the lives of the Raizadas and Guptas. However, there was one person who had taken impact severely, agreeably more than anyone could understand.Â
Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada. The name carried its burden alright.Â
From becoming one to almost being separated forever, the turn of events hadnât completely sunk in, until now.Â
Khushi stood by the poolside as her hands under the towel stopped midway upon remembering a whirlwind of moments. The last few months of her life played in front of her eyes at high speed.Â
Every moment spent in this room was nothing but living on the edge. With no certainty and a lost future every minute was a surprise.Â
As the wind blew in, the water droplets moved against her neck sending a chill down her spine. Remembering the nights spent by the pool, she couldnât help but feel shook at the journey from the cold tiles to the warm bed.Â
And the eventful day had only cemented that journey. A wave of emotions ran through her as a lone tear teased at the edge of her eye.Â
Khushi, absorbed in thoughts, didnât realize when the door unlocked and a surprised Arnav had stopped behind her.Â
Arnav didnât quite understand her sudden stillness. Last time he checked she was cheerful and excited for new beginnings. He placed her hand on her shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort. His touch unleashed the flow of tears threatening to spill. If Arnav was shocked he didnt let it show on his face, he raised his hand to wipe her tears, however stopped midway.Â
âAgar aap aaj na aatey toâÂ
She continued to stare outside.Â
Arnav felt a lump in his throat. His hands dropped with his shoulders and gaze.Â
He should have known. Expecting a happy Khushi despite all the build up was imprudent.Â
Her lips twitched, turning the smile he was so used to seeing into a frown. Arnav continued to stare at the towel in her hands. He heard her muffled sobs as the towel fell from her hands touching the cold marble floor. The state of her emotions, more evident in the moonlight.Â
She continued to sob as she repeated the same words. She stood like a stone and closed her eyes.Â
The possibilities flashed before her eyes. Not to mention a life of misery and humiliation.Â
âIâm sorryâ he whispered before she fell to the ground.Â
As if the strength in her only waited to hear those words before crashing.Â
âKhushi!â a hoarse whisper fled his lips.Â
He sat down holding her in his arms.Â
She relaxed a bit and turned to him.Â
âAgar aap aaj na ateyâŚto..to..mainâ she sobbed.Â
He knew full well where her fears stemmed from. The fear of abandonment yet again. The fear of rejection by the one person you have given your all to, for the second time.Â
âIm sorry Khushi, I am really sorryâÂ
He kept whispering words of apology, words of affirmations.Â
Not in a million years he could see this coming especially when things were going smooth, or so it seemed. But when did he have the time to live outside his head. It was always about his experiences, his mistakes and his feelings-his understanding of things not to forget his impulsive decisions. Amidst the chaos in his own life he completely forgot what she might be going through.Â
His own heart started to ache seeing her break, knowing somewhere he had caused it albeit unknowingly.Â
Arnav continued to stroke her back and hair. He hadnât realized when his own tears had started to fall, wetting her hair. Khushi looked up to see his wet lashes closed. Her heart ached to his tear stricken face, she hadnt meant to upset him.Â
Her hands rose and touched his cheeks on their own. Feeling the cold pad of her thumb Arnav opened his eyes.Â
âIâm sorryâ whispered again, for the nth time.Â
Tonight Arnav desperately wanted to kill the ruthless businessman-or rather the facade he had created, the one who didnât believe in apologizing. He realized the damage he had caused, in the last 24 hours alone. The tales of the past was another story.Â
It wasnât fair to her, for showing a fairytale one minute and punishing for the damage she hadnât caused the next. She had spread fragrance in his dull life, thatâs not how flowers were supposed to be treated. They required tenderness and utmost care. How could he let himself become part of the very crowd that he despised?Â
Khushi wiped his tears, it killed her to see him like this. He didnât manage to kill her love with his hatred, how could she not love him now. Arnav held her hand in his, he slowly grazed the pads of her fingers before tenderly kissing each tip.Â
He looked at the poolside then at her. The uncontrollable flow of tears wasnât enough to show his remorse. Arnav had not understood the weight of his actions, his words until now. How could he so carelessly make infinite promises with her, sealing their union and throw her on the edge only a few hours later?
He hated himself, more than he could ever put into his words. Something he couldnât say his tears did.Â
He held her face between his palms.Â
Khushi really felt for him. She couldnât hide her disturbance at almost losing him but at the same time understood his circumstances. He had not deserved what life threw at him. Not when he tried so hard to make amends.Â
âIm sorryâŚ.Im sorry main chala gaya thaâÂ
He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead.Â
Khushi moved closer and wiped his tears. She kissed his eyes as tears refused to stop in her own.Â
âIm sorryâŚtumhe eik baar phir chodne ke liyeâÂ
She cried, not being able to come to terms with his turmoil. The fear of separation is worse than separation itself. And just the thought of it had shook Khushi to her roots. She had sent a million thanks heavenward when Arnav had finally shown up.Â
Khushi was almost convinced, everything that could go wrong would go wrong. Her entire belief system had been crumbled with her had he not shown up. How everything had been reliant on his sole existence gave birth to a new fear.Â
She held him close, his fragrance minglinging in her sobs.Â
She looked up in his eyes, which were now flooded with remorse. Emotions he hadnât known existed hit him like a rock.Â
âKuch bhi hojaye ab nahi choodongaâ he answered the unspoken questions in her eyes.Â
He kissed her ever so tenderly, mending all the broken pieces that made them.Â
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