ArShi FF: Homebound

Chapter 12: Heartbreak

When Khushi had explained the plan to him he wasn't sure if it would work, but she assured him that if this didn't work, nothing else would. She had asked him to trust her and that he did, with his life.

The only two people other than Arnav and Khushi who knew about the plan were Akash and NK, who had, without any second doubts, insisted on helping carry it out.

Two more days.

---

"Shyam ji is returning home today, Nani! Om Prakash ji! Why are these old flowers still in this vase? Please, replace them with new ones,"

Devyani despairingly watches her granddaughter bustling about, who has a true smile on her lips after weeks. She notices that Anjali has chosen to wear a new saree today, the pink shade bringing out the glow on her face. It seems like the past grief is temporarily forgotten and the only thing in existence that matters to her now is her husband's return.

"Anjali bitiya..." She puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Anjali looks at her Nani, freezing when she sees her eyes filled with tears. For a split second a fragment of her considers the possibility of what her family members have been telling her for the past two weeks, however the dreadful thought passes as quickly as it came, and she snaps out of it. "What's wrong Nani? Shyam ji will be here any moment now, we don't have time! Everything needs to be perfect!"

Devyani watches her disappear into the kitchen. She grips the dining table for support as she feels her heart drop.

---

"Khushi, are you ready?"

She nods confidently, her gaze resolute.

Arnav paces back and forth in NK's room, his hands fisted, the belt of his waistcoat uncharacteristically unbuckled, his usually gelled hair falling carelessly on his forehead. Khushi gazes at him silently, noticing the evidence of his recent lack of sleep, and how he doesn't look like the ruthless ASR at this moment. He almost looks like what he would've looked like as a teenager.

"Don't worry Bhai, all will go well," Akash steps in front of him, stopping Arnav in his tracks.

"Yes, Nannav. Khushi ji will take care of everything," NK chimes in, looking at Khushi with a reassuring smile. "Right, Khushi ji?"

Khushi manages to smile back, the way she fidgets with her dupatta giving away her underlying nervousness.

Except for the three of them, no one else knows of Khushi's presence in the house now, which is part of the plan. Arnav and Akash had helped sneak Khushi into Shantivan and then into NK's room during the early hours of dawn, after which all four of them went over the plan, making sure to go over any confusion or faults in it.

"Shyam-" Arnav grits his teeth and closes his eyes, unable to even utter his name without his blood boiling. "He was supposed to be here by now. Knowing him though, it may be several hours before he is,"

He walks over to Khushi sitting on the bed, kneeling on the floor slightly to match her eye level. "Khushi, you might be stuck in here for a while. I'll have Hari Prakash send in food and water, and let me know anything you need. Will you be alright?"

For a moment she is once again stunned by his sincerity and kindness, just like she has been countless times ever since her accident.

"Don't worry about me, Arnav ji. All I care about is revealing Shyam ji's truth to Anjali ji,"

He sees that fire in her eyes that he's grown familiar to by now. They nod at each other.

---

Anjali sits on her bed, resting her arms on her knees, her eyes unable to move from her phone. The sun has set now, the house is quiet. Even up until a few hours ago she was waiting by the door, hoping to see her husband walk in with a smile and pull her in for a hug. As time went on without a phone call from him, she forced herself to walk away from the door and into her room, not wanting to interact with anyone else. She had called him three times, but each time his number was unavailable, further breaking her. Just when she is about to call him again, she hears the doorbell.