Till Death Do Us Part

Part 25

Khushi: arnavji aapko badalne ki koi zarurat nehi...humey aapki gussey ki aadat si ho chuki hai...aur aap gussa nehi karenge to fir hum laad governor kisey bulayenge? (you don't have to change...I am very used to your anger now...and if you change then whom will I refer to as the 'laad governor') She goes and hugs him. Arnav hugs her back.

Khushi (hugging arnav): waise ek baat kahey?(should I tell you something)

Arnav: hmm... (hugging her with his eyes closed)

Khushi: aap jab gussa hokey what the what the karkey naak fula tey ho..tab bilkul cartoon lagtey ho and starts laughing..(when you get angry and flair your nose saying what the...you look like a cartoon)

Arnav: kya? Main? cartoon? (what? Me? Cartoon?) Khushi runs away.

Arnav chases her but she closes the washroom door just in time.

Arnav: what the... khushi bahaar aao..(what the..come out)

Khushi (sings loudly from inside): aaj mausam hai suhana..laad governor ko gussa dilane ka hai bahana..what the what the what the.. Arnav smiles.

Next morning

The whole family had gathered in the hall after breakfast and was chatting. They were discussing various things when anjali said: pata hai khushiji bachpan mein chhotey bohoti shararti they..maa se sabse zyada maar bhi inhoney khai hai...lekin maa sabse zyada pyaar bhi chhotey se karti thi..(you know khushi..he was very naughty as a kid..he used to get maximum beating from mom..but she loved him the most) As she says this arnav gets up and start walking towards his room

Anjali: chhotey hum...

Arnav doesn't stop. Khushi's eyes follow him as he walks up the stairs.

Anjali: humey chhotey ke samne maa ki baat nehi karni chahiye thi... Anjali gets worried.

Khushi holds anjali's hand and says: di aap chinta mat kijiye..hum abhi aatey hai.(di..please don't worry..i'll be back)

She goes to their room and sees arnav standing facing the cupboard. He was looking at his mom's pic.

Khushi: arnavji.. As soon as he hears khushi's voice he quickly wipes off the lone tear that escaped his eyes , keeps the photo and closes the cupboard. He then goes and sits on the bed.

Khushi goes and sits beside him and puts her hand on his shoulder and says: arnavji..agar kisi baat se humey taklif hoti hai to us baat ko humey aapne andar daaba ke nehi rakhni chahiye..issey taklif aur bar jaati hai..unhe to aasuo ke sath behe jaaney dena chahiye.(if there is something which hurts us we should not keep it inside..this only increases the pain..we should let it out with our tears) She then lifts his face and sees his eyes full of tears waiting to burst out.

Arnav looked at khushi and is unable to control to his emotions anymore. He keeps his head on her shoulders and weeps like a child. His voice cracks as he says: kyun khushi kyun maa mujhe chhor ke chali gayi..kya kasoor tha mera? (why khushi? Why did mom leave me? What was my fault?) And he continues to weep.

The tears which were hidden for long just didn't want to stop. Khushi was constantly stroking his hair and rubbing his back. She knew it was important for him to let out his pain. She also had tears in her eyes seeing him in so much pain.

After a while she lifted his face and wiped his tears and said: bas arnavji...ab aap humse waada kijiye ki ajke baad jabhi bhi aap maa ko yaad karenge to muskuratey huye karenge..aapko aisa dekh ke unhe kitna dukh hota hoga..waada kijiye and she extends her hand. (now you promise me that from today onwards whenever you will think of her you will have a smile on your face..she must be feeling so sad seeing you in so much pain..promise me)

Arnav gives a little smile and holds her hand and says softly: waada (promise)

Khushi: cups his face once again and gets up from the bed and is about to go, when arnav holds her hand and says: khushi... Khushi turns. Arnav who was still sitting on the bed pulls her and hugs her by her waist. Khushi stands and strokes his hair.

Arnav hides his face in her belly, kisses it and says: khushi...I love you..

Khushi says: hum bhi...(me too)

Arnav looks up and she stops recalling the prank that she is playing on him by not saying those words.

Arnav stands up and says in a romantic voice and a smirk: tum bhi kya khushi?? (you also what?) Khushi blushes and gives him a little push and runs out of the door.

Arnav stood there for a while wondering how this girl always managed to take out all the pain from his life so simply. What he could not do for so many years, she did it in few minutes. She is the one who made him realize that he also had a heart...there was something special about her...he thought with a smirk.