Beyond Love: The beginning

5.Burnt to ashes

"How did you get this?" Khushi enquired feebly.

She looked at the photograph with glazed eyes, "I don't remember seeing my parents before, but I have dreamt about them again and again."

Khushi fondly recalled her parents, "Now I am sure, it wasn't a dream but a memory!" she exclaimed.

Shaurya turned still as a rock. He chose not to reply and continued to stare grimly at her.

"I have been visiting the orphanage throughout my childhood and youth, yet I have never come across this photo, then how did you?" she asked inquisitively.

"Just fate," he muttered casually, and shrugged his shoulders, showing utter disinterest.

"Stop lying!" Khushi accused fuming. In the next instant she found herself advancing towards him and grabbing Shaurya by the lining of his singlet. She jerked him close to her face and hissed through gritted teeth, "Tell me what you know!"

Shaurya's eyes darkened, and menacing fury crossed his features. He looked down at her pale white hands that gripped his collars, and then slowly lifted his gaze to meet her own glistening eyes. She tried to not get intimidated by his daunting look, that promised repercussions.

"Tell me!" she urged, her voice searing with a mixture of agony and anger, yet she tried to sustain the brave front. Her nails pierced into the skin beneath his collarbone and Shaurya flinched for an imperceptible instant.

"Get your hands off me," Shaurya threatened, "Don't force me to do it. I don't want to hurt a lady," he warned sincerely.

Taken off-guard by those words and the massive surge of rage in Shaurya's eyes, Khushi's own anger dissolved as fast as it had come. Sudden realization dawned upon her and her grip loosened. She had  crossed a line. She swiftly let go of his singlet, and stepped back ashamed.

"I didn't mean to. Oh dear god! I am sorry," she whispered weakly. "I got sentimental. Are you hurt?"

Shaurya looked away and straightened his dress. Without uttering a word, he walked quietly towards the edge of the terrace and leaned on the wall by his elbows.

Khushi felt guilt flushing through her veins. She had never behaved so recklessly with anybody, not even with Meera, who was two-years younger to her yet bossed her around. She sighed at her actions, and hugged herself from the biting wind. Gathering courage, she scrambled towards him to face his back.

"I really am sorry. I don't know what got over me," she confessed. But she had to know the truth. She had been yearning to know about her birth parents since a long time.

"Could you please tell me, where did you get this? I have been asking the orphanage people numerous times about my real parents, and nobody had any clue about it," she said earnestly.  "I...," she inhaled deeply and forced the next few words out, "I beg of you, please tell me if you know anything."

Shaurya kept still and Khushi waited. After what seemed like dreadful minutes, he turned to face her with calm eyes and held out his hand, his eyes fixed on the photograph she was holding so dearly. Khushi hesitated but he slowly pulled it out from her grasp and walked past her swiftly. A moment later she smelled smoke and spun around in panic. But before she could react, her precious photograph was set to flames. Shaurya held the lighter with his other hand.

"No!" she shrieked in pain, and hurried towards him, "No, no no no no!" Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she glanced incredulously at Shaurya. But it was too late. The tiny piece of paper was now burnt in totality. She slumped over the ground in defeat, and searched furiously through the ashes for any remaining bit of her parents.