Incandescent

Chapter 18

"Arnav..."

She had said just before closing her eyes.

He didn't know how many of them heard the way he had shrieked her name as he caught her. His shriek which had come out as more of an anguish.

But he didn't care.

Somehow, the significance of anything and everything seemed to fade in comparison when it came to her. He swiftly carried her over to the room that had been rented for use by him that evening.

"Khushi, wake up! What's wrong?" He said, slightly shaking her and tapping her cheeks.

"Khushi!"

"Water..." she murmured, still semi-conscious.

Running to the table across the room, he grabbed the bottle of water on it, opening it as he rushed back to her. He cradled her head in the crook of his arms and fed her once, twice and Khushi drank, the cool liquid quenching her day long thirst.

"Tum theek ho?"

He asked when she finally opened her eyes.

The look in his eyes... he had that look in his eyes that made going away from him difficult for her. Loving someone isn't saying the words, right? And when he was looking at her like that she felt like he really didn't have to say anything.

"Hum theek hain," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Are you sure? You aren't feeling weak, are you? Should I call the doctor? Let's get you checked up just to be sure..." he asked making a move to get to the phone.

"Arnav ji... hum theek hain... it's nothing..." she said stopping him. He sat back down and just then it struck him and he said, "You were fasting... this was why you were hiding from me?"

It was not a question but a statement – an accusation to be precise. Khushi searched his face to see if he was angry but his face showed nothing but concern.

"Are you angry?" She asked.

He shook his head denying it but asked, "Khushi, I have told you not to do these things for me. What was the need to do all this?"

She pushed her chin up, "But I like doing it..."

"So your God says don't eat or drink anything and starve yourself to death so that the person you're fasting for gets to live a long life? What kind of God is it? God is supposed to care for—

"Arnav ji... please..."

"Khushi, you were working all day today. What if something happened to you? What if I wasn't there? What if you fell?"

"But I didn't... fall. You were there..."

He closed his eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. It was futile arguing with her. When he next spoke, his voice was completely devoid of any sort of condemnation.

"How can you be so careless. What do you think this will achieve? In spite of your doing all this, some day I am anyway going to die—

She interrupted by putting her hands against his mouth. "Please don't say it. Don't say it. At least not today..." she shook her head vehemently, "it's a matter of belief, Arnav ji and I believe..."

Her eyes held so much emotions and an underlying pain that he stopped himself from arguing anymore.

"So you haven't eaten anything since morning, right?" He asked instead and she gave an answering nod.

He quickly grabbed the phone and called for room service to order some food for her.

"Arnav ji, I am sorry. About the show. Is it going to be bad? I tried... I tried not to fall... tried my best to just walk backstage but I couldn't help it... everything became a blur and then everything blacked out..."