Next day, around nine o'clock at night, it was raining outside heavily. Khushi was talking to her sister cheerfully.
“Haan jiji! The test went well…” Khushi came near window with her cup of tea. Cool breeze caressed her face and she smiled wide, taking a deep breath.
“By the way…” Khushi trailed off as she glanced out through window.
Arnav was sitting on the car bonnet, with no coat and sleeves of his white shirt rolled up. He was completely soaked in rain.
‘He, here, why?… That too in this rain?’
Payal's calls brought her out of her thoughts.
“Jiji…. I will call you later.… No, no everything is fine… I just remembered something… ya! Bye!” She hung up the call.
“This! Laad governor! Ahh!” Muttering angrily, she picked up two umbrellas and came out her house.
He looked up to find her marching towards him. He grinned. From last ten minutes he is thinking how to knock on her door and start a conversation with her. Now she is coming here to make it easy for him.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!! IN THIS HEAVY RAIN!” She roared as she approached him.
He jumped off the car and stood in front of her. She glared at him. She stood close to him so he will also come under the umbrella.
“Khushi… I want to talk to you..” She tried to interrupt but he didn't let her cut him in the middle.
“and I am not leaving without having a talk with you…!” She rolled her eyes at him, completely annoyed.
“Bol liya? Ho gya! Ab yahan se jaiye! Hume aapse koi baat nhi karni…” She looked away, infuriated.
“Khushii… Mein kahin nhi jaa rha hoon…” She looked at him tiredly.
“Kya chahiye aapko? Kyun hamare peeche pade hain aap? Hum aapko pichle ek hafte se dekh rahe hain!”
“Khushi… What I am asking from you is just a chance… Mein nhi keh raha mujhe maaf kar do… Par kya mujhe ek chance bhi nhi de sakti?” He spoke softly.
Her heart started to melt, which reflected in her eyes. She looked away. She have never heard him talk to her in such a soft tone.
“Aap… Aap ko thand lag jayegi… Aap filhaal wapis jayiye…”
“I am not leaving until you say yes!” She glared at him.
“Rassi jal gyi par bal nhi gya! Abhi bhi sab apni tarah karna chahte hain!! Nhi kehte hum haan!”
He looked away disappointed.
‘Ab aaye na line pe…’ She patted herself mentally.
He jumped a bit and sat back on the bonnet of his car, drenching himself in rain again.
She looked at him wide eyed.
“Yeh kya kar rahe hain aap!!” She scolded and stood very near the bonnet to bring him under umbrella.
“As per your wish, mein tumhe bilkul pareshan ya force nhi karoonga… Tum wapis ja sakti ho ghar..”
She looked at incredulously.
“Khushi… I am trying to correct the things between us-”
“There was never an us!” She sharply cut him in middle.
“But there can and will be an us…” He spoke in a oh-so obvious manner.
She kept looking at him, frowning.
“Please Khushi… Just one, single chance. I will make sure you won't regret…” He spoke desperately with eyes full of desperation.
She knew, this time it was not ASR. It was Arnav, who somewhere loved her. Maybe or maybe not. She don't know. She don't know to trust him or not.
He was the man who brought her nothing but misery. He messed up with her feelings first in a good way ofcourse and then crushed them.
“I don't trust you.” She finally whispered, looking in his eyes.
He slowly slid down from the car lid and stood very close to her. Closeness between them, made her lower her eyes.
“Khushi… I promise you won't regret. And even if after giving me the chance you think that I am not good enough, you can tell me. I will walk away, not bothering you.” She instantly looked up and her eyes clashed with his.
She didn't like the thought of him not bothering her.
“Fine…. I will give you a chance.” A wide grin spread out on his face. Shine of his eyes was back.
“But you better be at your best behavior!” He nodded and hugged her immediately. She stiffened but hugged him back lightly after a minute.
“So… Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta, will you be my girlfriend?” He asked pulling away from the hug.
She laughed.
She never liked the idea of dating but maybe it won't be a bad idea with him. Afterall, he is the man she loved, love and will love.
“I will be!”
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After their heated argument, Akash hasn't approached her. It has been fifteen days and he didn't bothered her for once. Though the bouquet of roses with the note, asking for forgiveness and expressing his love, hasn't stopped. They are constant. Even Payal's few colleagues think that she have a secret admirer. Though she have been stubborn and showed that she didn't like receiving roses and notes, she secretly collected every chit he wrote to her.
“Payal… Sir has asked you to collect files from his cabin and submit those in HR department.” Rajeev informed her as he passed by her cubicle.
“I am not a peon! Why don't you do that?” She spoke annoyed.
“I have something urgent coming up! Do remember to submit those!” He spoke, while walking away.
“Idiot!” She muttered and stood up to complete this so-called time worthy work.
She knocked the door but not getting any reply, she peeked in. Not finding Akash there, she took a deep breath and walked in.
“Anyone could have done this work…. Why me..?” She couldn't help but think.
She went near the bookshelf and pulled out those particular files. Suddenly, rose fell down as she tried to stable herself with the pile of files in her hands.
‘Why is he so obsessed with roses nowadays? Even I don't like them that much….’ She thought.
Handling files in her hand, she crouched down and picked up the flower. A note was attached to it. She frowned.
‘God! Not again! That's why he wanted me to take these files to the HR department…’
She stood up straight and keeping the pile of files on the table, she unfolded the chit.
See you at eight tonight…
‘Now what does he mean by that? I won't be waiting for him till eight in the office.’
Deciding to complete her overloaded work in the office timings itself, she walked out of his cabin.
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“Alok please!!”
“No no no!! Advay will kill me.” Alok denied straight forwardly, pulling his hands up in surrender.
“Cheeku won't get to know a thing! Please Alok. Won't you fulfill a pregnant lady's wish?” She asked battling her eyelashes.
He closed his eyes in frustration.
“Anjali you will catch cold! Doctor has advised not to eat too much ice cream. You are six months pregnant now!”
“She hasn't! She advised to keep me happy and fulfill my wishes…”
“God! Ladies!” He spoke irritated.
Tears brimmed in her eyes. He looked at her taken aback.
“Fine.. I won't eat ice cream from now on. I bother you right? I won't do it again…” Keeping her hand on her bump, she left his room slowly.
“Mood swings….” He muttered and ran his hand through his already messy hair.
________________
Anjali was scrolling through tv channels, lying on her bed. Her back supported by headboard.
She was sad and felt lonely for the first time. Chandni, Payal, Khushi. No one was there. And now even Alok don't like her talking to him. She didn't ask Arnav and Advay to stay. Because then she will be clinging on to her brothers and they have their own problems to face.
Negative thoughts started to make their way towards her. Shyam's betrayal played in her mind. Is she a failure as a wife? As a sister?Is she really a burden? On her family, brothers? Is she irritating? Clingy?
She closed her and kept her head on the headboard to block such thoughts but that just increased them.
Does Alok really thought of her as a bother? He will never want a friend like her. He is just being good to her because she is Advay's sister. She can't even walk properly. How can he found her attractive? He will never like her. Moreover, she is pregnant. More unattractive.
Tears rolled down from the sides of her closed eyes.
‘Unattractive, bother, burden, useless, broken. You are a nothing Anjali. He will never like you.’
Alok opened Anjali's room door slowly and peeked in to see her lying down in the middle of her bed. He hid the ice cream cup behind his back and walked in slowly after closing the door.
“Anjali…” He called her gently as he sat beside her on the edge of the bed.
She jerked up, startled. Noticing her eyes he knew she was crying.
‘Was she crying because of me?’
“Guess what I brought for you?” He asked smiling.
“What?” She asked monotonously, gazing at him.
“Anjali… What's wrong?” He asked looking at her changed demeanour.
“Nothing…” She replied.
“I brought you your favourite strawberry icecream.” He spoke, forwarding the cup to her.
“Thank you so much.” She took the cup and kept it on her bedside table.
“What happened Anjali?” He asked worried.
She shook her head.
“You were crying, weren't you? Was that because I got irritated back there? I am sorry if I made you feel that way. I-”
“Alok, you don't have to say sorry. You got worked up due to me constantly clinging to you. Anyone will become irritated. It's okay.” She gave him a forced smile and laid down.
“Anjali you are fine? Are you feeling down?” He asked worried.
“No. I think I will just take a nap.” She replied and closed her eyes.
He noticed her joy less tone. He gazed at her worriedly for a minute and then left the room.
The ice cream on beside table melted.
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Payal was home by six o'clock in the evening. She grinned to herself thinking that now he won't bother her. She eating snacks when buaji and Garima came in her room walking side by side.
“Payal… Tonight we are going to the Bansal's. They have organised a Jagran.” Garima informed. Payal frowned.
“Three of you?” She asked.
“Haan… You too can com- ouch!” Garima yelped as buaji pinched her elbow hiding from Payal's eyes.
“You okay?” Payal asked concerned.
“Haan haan… We will be leaving by half past seven….” Payal nodded.
“Okay…”
She didn't find anything suspicious. Little did she know that everyone is making sure that she do have a talk with Akash today.
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Payal was curled up on the couch with a blanket and was scrolling through TV channels.
She is not a fan of rainy season as much as Khushi is. Rainy season makes her lazy. A lot lazy. As a bit of coldness appears in the environment during rain, all she want is to curl up in a blanket and sleep.
Suddenly the door bell rang and she groaned.
“Koi chain se jeene nhi deta!!”
(No one let me live in peace!!)
Cursing the person in her mind, she stood and glanced at the clock.
8:00…
“Great! Iss waqt bhi koi tapak gya!”
(Great! Even now someone came!)
She walked towards the door and opened it to find Akash standing there.
“Hi…” He greeted her politely.
She looked at him in disbelief.
“You here?” She asked, confused.
“Didn't you see the chit? See you at eight tonight?” He asked.
‘Oh…’ She realised and nodded with hesitation.
“So, here am i.” He grinned.
“And if I may know, why you came here?” She asked.
“To talk to you.” He replied, softly.
She shook her head tiredly.
“Akash-” He didn't let her complete and entered the door.
“No one here?” He asked as he came in. Payal closed the door and came in behind him.
“No! That's-”
“That's great!”
“Akash… Please leave….”
“Why?” She closed her eyes in exaggeration and sat down on the couch.
He kneeled down in front of her with a worried look on his face.
“Payal….”
“Akash… What you said really hurt. It still do.”
“I know… I know… But I am not asking you to forgive me. Give me a chance Payal. I will earn your forgiveness.”
Not able to look in his desperate eyes, she looked away.
“Payal, it is the tendency of human to make mistakes. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be given a second chance!”
She sighed.
“I don't trust you anymore…” She whispered.
“I understand… But let me make you trust in me….” He spoke softly, holding her hands which were in her lap.
She sighed.
“I love you Payal….” Her heartbeats shoot up hearing those words.
“If I wouldn't have loved you, I wouldn't have fought with my mom to marry you. And now that I have married you, you have become my habit. Because at the end of the day you are the person I want to come home to. You are the person I want to tell how my day went. You are the person I want to share my happiness, sadness, frustration and success with.”
She looked in his misty eyes, but still didn't have the heart to give him a chance. He looked at her with hope and she averted her eyes. He sighed in defeat. Not able to face her rejection, he left without another word. She knew she won't be able to sleep tonight and have to take a decision soon.
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