Arshi FF: Family

Chapter 18

Yours,

Ma

Khushi folded the letter, that Ishaan had given her, with a sigh and kept it on the table top. Tears rolled down her cheek and she looked out of the window.

Sometimes I wonder, why did I have to look like Khushi? Why did my hair resemble her? Why couldn't I be like someone else? 'Coz if it was some other woman in my place that night, Arnav would've never touched me.

The words from the letter bounced in her mind.

"I thought she was you" he cried in tears.

She closed her eyes shut and shut her ears with her palms.

"I love you Khushi" he whispered and hugged her tight.

"I love you too" she whispered and hugged him back.

"We'll be together. Hamesha...."

"And forever" she whispered.

She gasped in tears and clutched her mangalsutra.

Clutching and twisting the black thread, she gulped down a lump at her throat.

"How do I look?" she asked swirling her dress.

"Great" he said smiling seeing her baby pink saari.

She bent down to the bedside table and took a diamond necklace. "Does this look good with this?" she asked him wearing it.

He nodded no and walked towards it. Pulling out the diamond, he threw it to the table and said, "Just the mangalsutra is enough!"

She pouted and looked at the mirror. "But it stands apart?" she said holding the chain.

He hugged her from back and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I love it when your mangalsutra stands apart"

She looked at him and chuckled, "So that the world would know that I belong to ASR?"

"Nope" he whispered and kissed her earlobe, "So that the world would know that I love you!"

Her phone rang and she jerked from the flashbacks.

"Hello" she whispered in tears.

"Khushi ji, it's me" a familiar voice said from the other side.

It would be a lie if she says that she didn't feel better hearing that voice. A drop of water during drought, it was, Khushi felt immense relief and happiness when she heard him.

"Nanhe ji" she whispered.

"Anjali di called me. She told me what happened? Where are you now? Where is Aarav? I'm taking the next flight to India!"

"No need" she said, "Me and Aarav are going to Texas tomorrow"

"Texas? Why?"

"Nanhe ji, thank you so much for calling me" she whispered in tears, "I so wanted to talk to someone!"

"You and Aarav will always have me by your side Khushi ji!" he said.

.

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AR Fashions, New Delhi

11.00 pm

Arnav leaned on his chair closing his eyes. His hands clutching his arm rest he gasped in for more breath.

"Let me go Arnav ji" she whispered, "I'm not stubborn. I'm not angry. I'm exhausted. Tired. I cannot take this anymore!"

He rubbed his face and leaned on to the table. Laying his head on the table top, making his salty tears fall on the glass table, he opened and closed his mouth like a fish to stable his breath.

He heard the noise of his cabin door opening and he looked up.

He stood up, with all his left energy, and shouted, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?"

Ishaan shrank back in fear hearing his tone. Gathering himself he stood up straight and said, "I'm leaving"

"Where?" Arnav asked narrowing his brows.

"Back to my village"

"Great. Now that you've destroyed my family, you can happily go back!"

"I never destroyed your family. You did" Ishaan snapped.

"Your mother did!" Arnav shouted.

Ishaan looked away and said, "I never asked anything from you. We first met, just a week ago. You always knew that you have a child. You knew that it's a boy, three years ago when she told you. But still you didn't want to contact me. I knew your priorities back then. But now that my mother is dead, you've risen up to the responsibilities. Thank you, but I had told you this before and I'm telling you now, I don't want all this!"

"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Arnav shouted at the top of his voice, "WHAT DO YOU WANT THEN? I GAVE YOU A PLACE TO LIVE. I GOT YOU ADMISSION AT COLLEGE. I GAVE YOU MONEY. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT?"

"I WANT A FAMILY" Ishaan shouted.

Arnav looked at him shocked hearing the loudest of the boy.

Ishaan looked at him in tears and said, "I want JUST ONE PERSON whom I can call my family, MINE. I had my mother for all my life and now....I don't have anyone!"

"I know that" Arnav cried, "That's why I brought you here! I took all risk to bring you here. And look where we are now!"

Ishaan was about to say something when Arnav said cutting him off, "Years back your mother used the same trick on me. I don't have anyone whom I can call mine. She forced me to let her have the baby. And today you're using it against..."

"You'll never know the pain" Ishaan cut him off, "You can just see your insecurities, not others!"

Wiping his tears, the boy said, "Yes, my mother ruined your family. She took advantage of your state. But whatever or whoever she is, SHE IS MY MOTHER and I love her. She was a great mother to me and she never made me feel the absence of a father figure in my life. And I lost her! I don't have a single person in my life, whom I can call mine. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW THAT FEEL! YOU DON'T KNOW THE FEEL OF BEING ORPHANED! And then came in you, my so called father. You became a ray of hope for me! The feeling that I have someone! I wanted you to accept me but I stopped myself knowing that you have a family."

He paused and said, "I did all I can to hold your family. But the truth is, you had already broken it years back!"

Arnav looked away and Ishaan whispered in tears, "Why did you let her have me? Why couldn't you kill me?"

He looked at him and the boy said, tears rolling down his cheek, "A sign on an abortion document would've saved my bitter childhood and teenage of being a bastard. My mother was selfish. She wanted the child. You were selfish. You ran away. And who pays the price? The illegitimate child"

A pin drop silence prevailed in the office.

Ishaan dug his hand to the bag he had brought and pulled out a bundle of money.

"I bought TC from the college. They returned a portion of caution deposit. I don't know about the rest" he placed the money on the table.

"Ishaan..."

"Go. Go to your family" he said in tears, "I won't come back. Never. Ever. Bring her back. Bring Aarav bhai back. Hold back your family!"

"It's all over" Arnav whispered.

"No it isn't" he said, "And if it is, start it all over" Ishaan whispered and turned to leave. He stopped himself and turned to Arnav.

"You're a great man...pa" he paused with a small smile, "But you're a great man caged by ego and insecurities"

He walked forward to him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything."