Wrecked - An After-Divorce Romance✨

Chapter Nine

Khushi scoffed, "It's my husband's money. Why do you care?! Don't tell me, you're revisiting old feelings -"

She was slapped. Her sister had slapped her. "It's no use talking to you. You vile selfish woman! Just grow up, will you?!" Veer Jiju dragged Janvi away.

It was only after that, she looked at him. His eyes shined in a way that told her that she had hurt him. But he looked away and she saw his jaw tighten.

"How could you say that?! After all these years...I get that you're in shock but how could you...." He admonished her softly. "That was just childish, Khushi."

He walked away after that. Khushi felt the guilt and the weight of her words too late.

The hours passed in a rush and in numbness; once they brought mom's body home. Everyone around her looked after the mourning but she couldn't even lift a finger.

She stayed still until Dhruv came home. He took a shower and then he came to sit beside her. He thrust a cup into her hands and she let the warmth seep in her through her palms. Her nostrils filled the scent of coffee.

She took a sip. Her first meal of the day. She took a sip after a sip until it was all gone. Placing the cup on the tea table , she folded her legs on the couch. A new sense of exhaustion washed over her and she slid down until she laid her head on his lap.

For a minute or so, she was afraid that he would push her away and walk away from her but after a second or two, his fingers combed through her hair.

"I didn't want to tell you on the phone, because I was worried about you being alone when the news reached you." He said in a somber tone, his voice eons away.

"I guess, I let my own fears cloud my sense. When my mom died, she called me to tell me, she couldn't live anymore and that it was too hard. And by the time I rushed home, she was barely breathing and she stopped the moment I held her."

He paused and his fingers paused too, "I didn't want you to go through that. I thought it would break you like it did me. I only wanted to protect you from it but I didn't realise that; death is painful in every way. It's inescapable.I'm sorry, Khushi."

She only sniffed and closed her eyes and let her tears flow. She did understand where he came from. But she was too exhausted to be logical.

***

When Khushi opened her eyes, it was still dark but she was on the bed. She figured that Dhruv had carried her to the bed. She felt around for the alarm clock and looked at the time. It was 2 a.m. She slumped back into the bed with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" He rasped and she realised that her movements had woken him up.

"Nothing." She said in a quiet tone, moving closer to his body warmth.

He opened his arms and she slid snugly on his chest while his arms held her.

His lips were brushing her forehead she felt the prickle of his 5 o' clock shadow. She felt his lips move before she heard his words, "I know it doesn't seem like it will but this too shall pass. It'll be over one day and till then you just have to take it one day at a time."

His fingers combed through her scalp and he dropped a kiss on her forehead. She tilted her head and kissed his jaw then his lips. She didn't know how to apologise for her recent behaviour except her actions.

He kissed her back and she tugged his hair and deepened it. "Khushi, let's not. You're having a hard time right now."

"Please don't. I need this. Please?" She whimpered.