Holiday Shenanigans OS Challenge

All Over Again

Title : All Over Again

Author : RashmikaMG

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P.S. Assume that Arshi contract marriage takes place in 2020.

The story starts a few weeks after Arshi's contract marriage. Arnav had told her the reason for their sudden contract marriage but didn't give her a chance to explain herself owing to his world-famous anger. Khushi was mentally exhausted with the everyday drama happening in her life. Arnav's anger, mami's taunts, Shyam's misbehaviour and ignorance of both families had changed the ever bubbly girl. With her pale face, red swollen eyes, and cheeks with dried tear marks, Khushi resembled a scary zombie. No one in the house even tried to talk with her. The girl who had once talked nonstop, now doesn't say even 10 words if not necessary. Poolside became her permanent residence. She used to spend most of her time there to avoid the family. Her only solace in the house is her best friends, her devi maiya and laxmi ji. Only both of them hear her without judging her. Only both of them know what she is going through.

One day she woke up with some uneasiness in her body. It felt like she's going to have a fever. She knew she'd been ignorant towards her health. She hasn't had a proper meal since a long time. She felt hungry but then seeing the time, she didn't feel like going downstairs as it's breakfast time and the whole family would be gathered at the dining table. She's in no mood to take the hateful and disappointed glances of the family and the disgusting glances of that leech Shyam.

After freshening up, she thought to go to hospital first and take some medicines for the illness and then have food after getting home. She went out of the house from the poolside door and then waited for an auto outside the gate. She was wondering why there were very few vehicles on the road that day. She observed almost every person was wearing masks. Being lost in her own misery she was oblivious to the happenings in the world. She didn't know there is a pandemic in the world.

After struggling for a few more minutes she stopped an auto. The auto driver gave her a sanitizer to sanitize her hands and asked her to wear a mask before getting in or wrap her dupatta covering her nose and mouth. She did as he instructed and asked him what all of this was about. That was when she got to know that there is a pandemic due to some virus. Getting down near the hospital, paying for the auto she went inside the hospital. Getting inside she saw all the doctors and nurses and all were wearing a weird costume looking like astronauts. A person checked her temperature using a laser thermometer, and then she had to answer a questionnaire about where she went in the past few days, who visited her, and about her health. After answering those they directed her to a cabin to do some tests. Waiting in the line she heard people talk about the pandemic. Hearing all those things the only thought that came to her mind was "what if I tested positive and had to die without being able to prove her innocence?"

Here in Shantivan:

Arnav came back to the room after having his breakfast because he had taken a decision to work from home due to the pandemic. Grabbing a few files and laptop he settled on his recliner giving a glance at the poolside to have a look at his love. Yes, she was still his love despite everything that happened in their lives. He tried to hate her, to unlove her, but no, The Arnav Singh Raizada was unable to get rid of the thoughts of his crazy, bubbly girl. It hurt him to hurt her. To utter all those hate filled words to her. To see her crying to sleep every day. He wanted to console her, hug her, kiss her and assure her that everything will be ok. But every time he took a step towards her, he took two steps back remembering the dreadful terrace scene which shattered his whole world, the story Shyam said about how she is behind him to marry her leaving Anjali. Yet it hurt like hell whenever he saw the half dead version of his Khushi. He wanted to hear from her all those things he saw and heard was a lie, a big fat lie. It's nothing but a nightmare. But he was scared, scared to lose her. What if it wasn't a lie? His heart and mind were in a conflict from the time all that happened. So he used his old method to avoid the problems in his life, drowning himself in his work. He started to work from early mornings to late nights. Yet his days started and ended by seeing her angelic face which looked so peaceful when she's in her deep slumber.