Story of a girl named Khushi.

Chapter 10

Arnavji was shocked and left the house in anger...!! And i made thesleeping arrangements for everyone and went to my room..!!! I did notsleep the whole night... when I woke up everyone was gone except forbabuji and nanheji..!!! I was happy to see babuji decided to stay with me..!!!So it was peace for someday and every day I got a bouquet saying I love uand sorry from arnavji... as he stayed back as well... nanheji had to goback...!!! So it was just me, babuji and junior... and arnavji..!!! Who btw wasstaying in my house..!!! His presence in my house was clouding mymind..!!! I avoided him and stayed away from him.... But things werechanging... even junior started liking him...!!! Mayank sometimes wouldcome home with me to meet his mamu. Arnavji would purposely touchmy hand... or hair... tried to come close to me... no matter how much Iavoid him he will find a way and come in front of me...!!! He never left mealone... so finally I had to agree on going on a date with him..!! And aftermonths and months of me trying to push him away.. He won... and webecame friends..!! I told him that I will never love him like I loved himonce... he said "our new love and life will be nothing like before" I wasconfused at his statement.... Because I know I can never love himagain...!!

I think arnavji was misinterpreting my friendship as something else...because one day while I was coming back home he met me outside andasked to take a walk with him.... i agreed.. And while we were walking hesuddenly held my hand and I just looked at him and tried free my hand fromhis hold.... He stopped and came in front of me leaning in and tried to kissme.... I was appalled and pushed him back with all the power I had... hewas shocked and looked at me... saying what the..... And I said no Mr.Raizada What the hell do u think you are????? Just because now I talk toyou... and m being friendly to u.. It doesn't mean that I have forgotten thepast and m falling in love with u??? U need to stop jumping onconclusions...!!! He just stared at me..!! I continued... I think u forgot what Isaid before that I do not consider you as my husband or lover oranything..!!! Just because I agreed to be ur friend doesn't mean that I willlet u near me..!! So please maintain ur distance... saying that I ran awayfrom there... I went home to waiting junior..!!! And babuji..!!After that incident arnavji went back to Delhi... I was relieved but he calledme every day reminding me that he still loves me and waiting for me..!!!Schools midterms were over and we had to held parents teacher meetings(PTA) so this the busiest week for us...!! As all the parents come to seetheir child's progress...!! So as always I was busy with the presentations...meetings before the week starts..!! Finally the week came.. And schoollooked like a market place... stalls everywhere... competitions.... And soon and so forth.... I was in my office when someone knocked the door...!!And then comes in mayank I was so busy in the past few weeks that I didn'tgot the time to meet him at all... he ran towards me hugged me and kissedme... and when I looked at the door.... There she stood ANAJALIRAIZADA.... She was smiling at me.. She came in and stood in front ofme..!! So I simply said have a seat miss Anjali..!! She took her seat andwas looking at me..!! with tears in her eyes..!! I told her... do u have anyproblem with mayank's progress report?? She said "his reports are fine asusual... but I'm here to see u khushiji.. I've missed u.." I said.. I'dappreciate if we just talk regarding things related school and mayank otherthan that I don't have time to entertain you.. So if u have nothing else to sayu may leave..!!! Saying this I walked up to the door and opened the door forher..!!! mayank as usual was busy playing with junior..!! So he did notnotice this exchange between me n his mother..!!! While leaving she justtold me to meet her in a restaurant she wants to talk to me... I just wantedher to leave my office so before further argument I nodded...!!! And sheasked mayank if he wanted to go with her or stay here... he just innocentlyreplied that he will stay here with mami and junior..!! I just looked at him...anjaliji smiled at that and left...!!! So I went back to my desk and continuedwith work and kept looking at mayank..!!I went to meet anjaliji.... She was waiting for me and the moment she sawme she stood up came up to me to hug me but I stepped back and sheunderstood...!!! So we sat there in awkward silence for some time.... Andfinally she spoke.... 7 years khushiji... 7 years.. it is a long time to be stillholding grudges u know..... And I think u should hear my side of the storyas well..!!Before I could protest she started...!! "After my first marriagebroke I went into depression and it took me a long time to recover from it...and shyaam was the one who actually brought me out the darkness ofdepression. I madly fell in love with him... and then we got married...!!! Iwas happy as I was under the misconception that he loved me and onlyme... n he did love me before he met u..!!!!U are so sweet that it's hard not to fall in love with u...!!! But that's not wot Iwanted to say...!!! I didn't know about this... when I saw his number on urphone the day when u told me that u got engaged.... But first I thought Imight have got confused... so let it go... but the thoughts kept coming backto me.. So I did the investigation and I was shocked and heartbroken tofound out that he was ur fiancé... my husband was cheating on me..!!! so istarted noticing u... first I thought that u are ruining my house... then Istarted keeping a close watch on u... but u were in love with my brother...n my brother was in love with u..!!! So I thought that if I brought u both closethen my husband will come back to me..!! I started planning out how to getu and chote together...then I got the news that I was pregnant I was happybeyond my wildest happiness.... but chote ruined my plans and married uforcefully and I was devastated and relieved at the same time..!! But thatdidn't stopped shyam to pursue you... and I was unaware of all myaccidents he was behind them..!!! But I really wanted to give a chance tomy wedding and father to my baby..!!! Well anyways all these things are inthe past... no one can change that... and I know wotever I did was unfairand wrong..! But stand in my shoes..!!

The day u left... that day I lost my chote as well... it's been 7 years andchote is still mad at me... he just talks to me when its necessary.. He lovesmayank but that's about it... he doesn't talk to anyone.... Just keepshimself busy with work or ur memories...!!! He never comes out of his roomon his days off.. Just talks to ur pictures that he has posted on the walls...he talks to ur mangalsutra and still sleeps with ur saree in his hand..!!! Ican't see him in so much pain khushiji... please come back home... it's notlike it used to be before..!! If u want I'll leave that house... but please comeback in my chote's life.... I remember the day mayank's school activitycalendar came home.... And when he saw ur small photo in the corner withur name under it... he came running to me and hugged me and said.. Ifound my khushi di.... She is in Mumbai.. She is mayank's boarding schoolprincipal... I found my love again di... I will bring her back and will never lether go again..!!!Anjaliji: I know I'm being selfish.. But I'm begging you to come back in ourlife... as without you there is nothing.... Chote is not himself... I want mychote back... please khushiji..."I had nothing to say to anjaliji... after listening to all this she still thinks that Iwill come back to her chote... but should I make her understand that even ifI forget about all the past events.. I still won't be able to come back tohim... because during those six months I fell out of love with him.... I don'tfeel for him anymore... I can never love him again.. All the things that he isdoing... sending flowers and calling me every day will not change...because ones u fall out of love u can't go back..!!! I don't know how tomake them understand that I'm happy in this life that I'm living here, So Ijust stood up n told her.. "anjaliji I am sorry that u r suffering.. And ur chotedoesn't talk to u like before.. But I'm not ur old khushi who would sacrificeher happiness for others... I have learned to love myself... and I will not putmyself through that torture again... even if I forget everything u all did tome... returning to that same house will renew my old wounds... and all thepainful memories will come back to me....!! I don't want to return to thatplace...!! I am sorry but I will never return to ur chote or that house... and ifu people kept harassing me by showing up here again and again.. Then I'llhave to move somewhere else.." saying that I walked away and neverturned back...!! I reached home and babuji told me that he is going backand will come visit me soon... I really didn't wanted him to leave.. But Ican't stop him because he has a wife and sister waiting for him to comeback..!!!I went to my room and all the pain that was caused to me by the raizada'scame crashing down at me.... I so wanted to run away..!! but why should Ialways run away... m strong enough to face them...Arnavji knew how much he was hurting me... but at that time he didn'tcare.... I was left deserted and crying all alone and he didn't care..!! no onetold me that love can be so painful... and it seemed like arnavji wasimmune to all my pain... so how can they expect me to forget all that andreturn to them and act like nothing ever happened... he knew he was apowerful man and he left no opportunity to make me cry..or break myfragile heart..!! he never sympathize.... He saw my tears falling down to myears at night.. and I swear he liked when I was in pain... so now why heclaim that he loves me and can't live without me...!!! And anjaliji wants meto forget all that..!!! They are still thinking about themselves.... Selfish andshallow..!! (this paragraph was inspired by song I care by beyonce)