Part 20 Reunion
"Can't you understand Khushi? Yes, my family is important to me. According to me, you are not someone. I consider you as my family. No one could break the bond with us. I will never part ways with you... Understand?" he yelled making Khushi tremble and Anjali smirk.
Seeing her bewilderment eyes, Arnav managed himself.
"Trust me. I will make everything alright. I will get Di married to Shyam if his love for her is genuine. You don't have to feel bad about yourself. Understand?" he asked nodding his head slightly.
Khushi nodded ok. He made her sit next to Anjali.
"Khushi, don't think everything happens because of you. you are destined to be here. You are a part of my life. that's why I brought you here" he said.
Khushi looked at Anjali who nodded yes.
"You know what, Di? Khushi is a software Engineer" Arnav said to change the topic, making Anjali's brows lift.
"Is it?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"You will amaze if you get to know the reason for what she become an Engineer" Arnav chuckled.
"What reason?"
"She liked computers and wanted to operate computers... that's why she become a computer Engineer" Arnav smiled.
Anjali dropped her jaw, could not believe it. Khushi smiled with a slight blush.
That's when HP came there searching for Arnav.
"Arnav baba..."
"Yeah..."
"Someone gave this to you" he handed him a big size box.
Arnav took it from him. HP left the place. Arnav came to Khushi and forwarded the box to her. Khushi looked at him with confusion.
"This is for you," he said.
"But, Arnavji, you have given me enough clothes already... it's enough for me"
He kept it on her lap. Khushi held t carefully.
"This is not cloth," he said.
Khushi looked at the box and then at Arnav.
"Check it..."
Khushi opened the box. She got stuck, seeing the thing in the box. She looked at him gulping down who was smiling at her. Her eyes became teary. It was an Apple laptop. She touched the laptop with shivering hands.
"Khushi, there is nothing to be overwhelmed" he smiled.
Khushi cried closing her face with her palms, making the brother and the sister panic.
"Khushi, what happened? Why are you crying?" Anjali asked.
"Khushi, relax... stop crying," Arnav said.
She wiped her cheek. Taking a tissue paper, Arnav gave it to Khushi. She took it from him.
"What's there to cry, Khushi? I thought you would feel happy, seeing the laptop."
"This is too much for me, Arnavji... I never expected that I will get a laptop in my life that to too costlier one. This is my dream. I thought to buy one when I start earning but I would not have bought this much costlier for sure"
Arnav gestured something to Anjali through his eyes. Anjali nodded her head and diverted Khushi.
"Leave it Khushi. By the way, I think there are a lot of things we don't know about you... tell us about your family"
They saw a sudden flash on her face. She sat straight with a smile.
"Our family is a conservative one. I'm the first girl who went to college. Even a boy from our family hasn't studied Engineering yet."
"Really?" Anjali dumbfounded.
"Mmm... my father owned a sweet shop. Though it was not a big one my father's dexterity had a huge demand in Lucknow"
"Wow... really?"
"Yeah... my father never sold sweets to get a profit. He worked for self-satisfaction. That's why he could not earn much money as other shop owners did. My father treated me as his princess. He almost fulfilled all my needs and wishes. That's why he didn't deny when wanted to study computer Engineering. He so wished to gift me a computer. He even saved money to buy a computer to fulfill my wish. He was planning to give it to me on my birthday..."
"So nice... you are so lucky to have such a father, Khushi," Anjali said with a yearn-filled tone.
Khushi smiled painfully.
"Yes, I and my father were always a team. We teased my mother a lot. We always made fun of her.... irritate her..."
"Really? Didn't she get angry?"
"Sometimes, she did but almost she admired us..."
"Wow... this is so unique. Hai na Chotte?"
Arnav nodded yes.
"She never wished for anything... she didn't desire anything but our happiness... As we didn't expect, my mother got affected by cancer. She was at the beginning of the fourth stage when we found the symptoms of cancer. My father tried his best to save her. We almost lost all our savings in her treatment. My father didn't even mind losing our shop. He just wanted to save her life. that was the only thing in his mind. He borrowed money from Vijay Singh for her operation..."
"Oh, he was the one who tried to marry you?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"We could not save her life. We saw her losing her life slowly in front of our eyes. It was hell to see our beloved ones dying in front of our eyes but we could do nothing. (She chocked) Cancer is an evil disease that ate my mother's life. We faced a tough time after her demise. My father looked lost all the time. He was unable to go to the shop regularly. We missed my mother like hell. But what's the use of crying thinking about the person who won't come again? we missed celebrating her when she was alive. We didn't realize how essential she was. we made fun of her... we teased her... laughed at her. After her demise, fate did the same to us, making us feel helpless" She cried.
Arnav and Anjali became emotional hearing her heartfelt feelings.
"I wish I could apologize to her for making fun of her... I wish I could get a chance to tell her how much I love her... and I wish I could let her know how important she is to me..." she wept.
Anjali could not hold her tears. Arnav faced a tough time hiding his teary eyes.
Anjali touched Khushi's head in a consoling manner. Khushi wiped her cheek. Arnav turned around to leave as he could not stand the emotional situation. But, as he didn't expect, Khushi clutched his hand, making him bewildered. He looked at her hand and then her face.
"You said you consider me as your family. If it is true, I would like to tell you something Arnavji."
Arnav gulped hard, seeing her vulnerable.
"I don't want you to feel the same as I do, Arnavji. We can't get some things after losing them. No matter how much we cry, we won't get a chance to mend it, Arnavji."
Arnav was shocked as he got her point. He understood what she wanted him to understand.
"We won't realize the importance of the person until we lose them. Anything can happen anytime. We don't know what will happen next. This life is unstable, Arnavji. Please Talk to Amma. You are not talking to her. It doesn't mean, you don't love her. we are just humans. everyone makes mistakes. you have already punished her for more than ten years. It's enough Arnavji. Please utilize the chance you are getting now. please forgive her... or else, you will also cry as I do..." She left his hand.
Anjali hugged Khushi and they cried. Arnav tightened his jaws and came out of the room. His legs got clued, seeing Ratna standing there spilling tears. It seems she heard Khushi's words. His eyes tear up immediately, seeing his mother. He could not think of losing her no matter whether he talked to her or not. he needs his mother no matter what. He could not hold himself when Ratna said pleadingly,
"Chotte..."
Without thinking of anything, he reached her taking a long step and, hugged her, making Ratna burst out.
"I'm sorry Chotte... I'm sorry for hurting you... I missed being a good mother... I'm sorry"
Arnav closed his eyes gasping. Breaking the hug, he wiped her cheek.
"I'm also sorry..." he kissed her knuckle.
Ratna hugged him again. this time with happy tears. Anjali rushed to them and hugged them together, making them smile. Khushi smiled with happy tears, seeing their emotional reunion. Arnav looked at her and said,
"Thanks..."
Khushi felt relieved.
To be continued...