At night..
NK's room:
"Daddy.." Avish jumped on NK's bed and sat on his lap holding his both ear cutely, "I'm sholly Daddy.."
"Hey why is my champ sorry?" NK ruffled Avish's hair with a smile on his face.
"Becaushe I blulted out the tluth to Papa.. I shpoiled oul game.. and you got angly Daddy.." Avish said sadly.
"No don't say sorry.. I should say sorry for scaring you.. I shouldn't have shouted in front of you like that.." NK pulled Avish closer to his chest. Avish snuggled to NK's chest smiling.
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Arnav's room..
Arnav walked out of the bathroom and sat on his bed drying his wet hair with towel when he noticed a tiny figure shadow behind the curtains.
"Baby?" he called her with a smile on his lips not understanding what she was doing behind the curtains.
"I'm hiding hele and Papa can't even shee me.. then with whom Papa is talkie talkie with? Papa hash anothel Baby othel than me?" Aashi thought with tears brimming in her eyes, she bit her lips to control her sobs.
"Aashi baby.. What are you doing there? Come here.." Arnav called her again.
Aashi widened her eyes, "Alee Papa ish calling me only.." she hit her forehead, "Buddho.. Papa shaw you alleady and you think you'le hiding flom him!"
She peeked from the curtains to Arnav, smiling sheepishly, then took baby steps towards Arnav.
Arnav lifted her and made her sit on bed, "What were doing there?"
"I wanted to scale (scare) you Papa! But you shpoiled my game.. You shaw me filsht!" Aashi whined.
"Oh my pretty girl.. Papa is sorry for spoiling your game!" he held his both ear smiling to her.
Aashi giggled and kept his both hands down, nodding sideways: Don't shay sholly Papa.. You ale eldel (elder) to me..
"Amma (Khushi) taught you this?" Arnav asked pinching her cheek.
Aashi nodded her head innocently.
"Amma is very good mother.." he said playing with Aashi's hair admiring the good values Khushi instilled in them.
"That'sh becaushe we ale good kidsh too!" Aashi shrugged with a wink.
"That's true also!" Arnav said.
"Can I plead one thing Papa?" Aashi asked.
"Anything!" he said and blinked his eyes once.
"Can I shleep with you tonight?" Aashi asked.
"Of course you can baby.." Arnav pulled her closer to him, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"I alwaysh wanted you, me, Avish Bhai and Amma to shleep togethel" she said closing her eyes while receiving the warming and full of love kiss from her father.
"Maybe one day your dream will come true baby.." he whispered sadly. Khushi might never forgive him, and he has to be prepared for this too!
"Okay then.. I will go and infolm Amma about thish!" Aashi climbed down the bed and went running from there.
Arnav stare at her amused, "Amma's babies! Everything they share with their Amma.."
After sometime Khushi came with Aashi's pyjamas and her toothbrush, she looked at Arnav with serious expression unlike that chirpy Khushi, "Aashi told me that she would be sleeping with you today!"
Arnav nodded.
"You will make her brush her teeth ok?" Khushi said.
Arnav nodded again like an obedient student to his teacher.
Khushi glanced at him, "Don't you have anything to share with me?"
Arnav nodded.
"Stop nodding everytime, will you?" she gritted her teeth irritated.
"Relax Khushi.." Arnav's eyes widen seeing her this angry avatar which is more like his personality!
"Tell me.. Do you have anything to explain me why you left me on mandap that day other than Amma being the other woman in your father's life excuse?" she asked.
"Sit here.. I will tell you everything that happened on that day.." Arnav said.
Khushi sat beside him still there was a distance between them.
Arnav started narrating everything that happened on past.
Khushi's eyes were moist on hearing what he had gone through by his evil uncle, and then him being paralyzed after that incident.
She looked at him shocked, "All this happened and you didn't inform me? You went to London like that? Didn't you feel I had the right to know about what happened to you?"
"Khushi I was wrong in letting myself be manipulated by Dadi's emotional talk, I really abandoned you in our marriage day when I promised to never leave your hand.. I let others win over our love.. Just because Arvind Malik almost killed me and brought me to paralyzed state doesn't mean I'm victim of this story Khushi.. If I came back at that moment, and you saw me in that state.. Then you with your selfless nature would have forgave me so easily.. You would have forgotten that I was ready to leave you for my mother, and would take care of me day and night.. If I let you forgive me at that time because of my state, then it would be selfishness from my side Khushi and not love.. You should forgive me when you feel like forgiving me and not when I'm sick or something else.. During that Shyam's fiasco, I literally forced you to forgive me.. then I called you the biggest mistake of my life, still you forgave me easily.. this time no Khushi, this time I'm giving you all rights to punish me the way you want and if you forgive me or not, it totally depends on you!" Arnav said with tears slipping from his eyes.
Khushi heard him patiently, she stare at him with only tears flowing from her eyes thinking about the years they lost separated from each other.
"We lost our moments.." Khushi cried bitterly and started beating him on his chest, "We lost everything Arnav.. Why didn't you call me for once? Who do you think you're to take decisions for me? Do you know how much I kept cursing you and you were there lying on hospital bed fighting for your life? Do you know how much I hate to even hear your name all these years and there in London you only thought about me? Do you know how much your kids missed you? How much they asked me for you but I couldn't give them their Papa? Why Arnav? Why.. If only you called once, then you would have known that I was pregnant.. You would have known that you're a father of two babies.."
"I did call.." he said.
"No, you didn't.." Khushi argued frowning, while her eyes were all welled up.
"I did.. not you, but Akash!" Arnav said.
"Jija ji?" Khushi asked confused, "Then why didn't he told anyone here about you?"
"I told him not to.. I was not sure Khushi if I would be fine or not, you know it was not easy for me to be paralyzed, I was the one who provided everything for my family, I took care of them and their needs, I worked to earn for them only.. and then suddenly I couldn't even walk, do you know how helpless and depressed I felt that moment? I didn't want any of you to look at me with pity, that would be the worst feeling for me.. That Arnav Singh Raizada who could make the world dance to his tunes, can't even move his legs now!" Arnav said, "Anyways, I was telling you after few months of accepting my reality that I was paralyzed, I called Akash and told him everything that happened with me.. I told him not to disclose anything to you all, because I knew you and Di would panic and wouldn't bear to hear this news.. I just told him to take care of you all in my absence.."
"When I asked him if you had moved on in your life.. he said yes! You've learned how to live without me and you were staying in Laxmi Nagar then.." Arnav said.
"What?" Khushi gasped shocked, "He was lying to you Arnav ji.. when you abandoned me I just stayed two weeks in Laxmi Nagar, then Nani called me to stay here at Shantivan and later I got to know that I was pregnant.."
"I know he lied to me.. He purposely didn't told me about your stay here in Shantivan and about your pregnancy!" Arnav frowned.
"Not only him, Jiji has been behaving strangely with me also.." Khushi said.
"I will deal with them later.. Let's talk about us and our babies!" Arnav said, he raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear but Khushi slapped his hand away.
"There's no US till now.. You must earn my forgiveness Mr. Raizada! First for being a dumb, fool and brainless man and believing in Dadi's words, seriously Arnav.. How can you even think Ma would want you to be away from your happiness? How can you believe in Dadi's words and not realize she badmouth her own son just to make you fall on her trap? How can you think Dadi would even say something for your happiness when her family was the one who kicked you out of Sheesh Mahal?.. Second, for trying to commit suicide.. this is just not my Arnav ji, my Arnav ji is not that weak to end his life like that just because of a problem, you always deal with problems in your life be it in a good or crooked way, then why you thought to end your life?.. Third, for not even letting me know that Arvind Malik and his goons beat you so harshly and mercilessly, and after that you went to London without even thinking about me for once Arnav, you were paralyzed and alone for all these years, when you had your wife, your family, your babies to take care of you.. I will not forgive you so easily for making me go through all this, did you listen?" she poked his chest angrily.
Arnav nodded.
"Stop nodding everytime.." she frowned at him, "And stop being like a Devdas.."
Aashi came in the room and jumped on bed.
Khushi lifted her in her arms, then glanced at Arnav: Come and learn how to bath your daughter!
A "What the" almost escaped from Arnav's mouth, but one glare from Khushi and he kept quiet and followed her like a good boy to the bathroom.
Khushi made Aashi stand on a small chair, and handed her the toothbrush.
Arnav came behind Aashi and took her toothpaste filling a small amount on her toothbrush, "Now let Papa brush your teeth!"
"I know Papa.. I can blush my toothy alone!" she said proudly.
Arnav watched his little girl brushing her teeth, he realized he just missed to teach his babies how to brush their own teeth!
Meanwhile, Khushi filled the tub with warm water.
"Brush the area inside of the lower front teeth.." Arnav guided her.
Aashi nodded and after she finished, she held her toothbrush under running water washing it properly, then looked at Arnav, "Done Papa!"
"Now it's your time to bath!" Khushi lifted her smiling and placed a loud kiss on Aashi's chubby cheek, then took out her dress and placed Aashi on bathtub.
"Amma!!" Aashi giggled as soon as she came in contact with water, "Come.. let'sh play with watel.. Papa you know Amma playsh with me when we bath togethel!!!!"
Khushi gasped and Arnav couldn't help but chuckle.
"Amma come!" Aashi called her to join her.
"Some other day.. Today Papa is going to bath you ok?" Khushi said embarrassed.
Aashi pouted and nodded her head.
"What I've to do?" Arnav asked clueless.
"How do you bath? Don't know you how to bath yourself same way you've to bath her also?" Khushi said sarcastically.
Aashi giggled.
"I never bath girls!" Arnav rolled his eyes at Khushi.
"If I never left you, then I would have known how to bath you and from your experience, Aashi also!" Arnav whispered on her ear.
"Your bad luck!" Khushi said sternly and handed to him soap, "Rub gently on Aashi's body!"
Arnav nodded and rubbed the soap gently on his little girl who didn't show any tantrums or became cranky, in fact helped him to bath her.
After Arnav finished bathing Aashi, he lifted her and put towel around her tiny body and Aashi started shivering with cold.
"Is my baby feeling cold?" Arnav asked cuddling to her.
"Yee-sh!" she said trembling. Arnav quickly rushed out of the bathroom with her.
He and Khushi helped Aashi wear her pyjamas, then Khushi brushed Aashi's hair.
"Now my good girl will sleep!" Khushi smiled and pecked Aashi's forehead.
Aashi nodded as she quickly laid on bed pulling the blanket to herself, she looked at Arnav: Papa come..
Arnav smiled to her and laid beside her, covering her properly with the blanket.
"Good night.." Khushi wished. And both replied to her at the same time.
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Khushi's room:
Avish snuggled to his mother, keeping his head on her warmth chest, "Amma!! Why you ale not shleeping? You know tomollow you will wolk (work) all day and get tiled (tired).. you need to lest (rest).."
Khushi smiled faintly at him, she nodded her head, "Okay.. Amma will sleep!"
"Shleep now Amma!" Avish closed her eyes with her tiny palms, then hugged her tightly closing his eyes to sleep too.
"If you ale thinking we will lub (love) Papa mole than you now, then you ale wlong Amma.. we will alwaysh lub you .. lub you a lot.. like you shee thele ale many stals (stars) in the shky and we can't count it na.. shame way you can't count oul lub fol you Amma!" he mumbled.
"Hayee mera baccha!" Khushi tightened her grip around him, showering his hair with many kisses, smiling.
"Amma bas.. now shleep!" he said like a Laad governor!
"Chota Laad governor!" Khushi shook her head and closed her eyes to sleep but sleep was far away from her. She couldn't help but kept thinking what Arnav went through all these years, it's true that she felt a sharp pain on hearing that Arvind almost ended his life, but she was angry with him also for deciding everything without let her know anything about this. These six years changed so many things in their life, she needed time and space right now. It was so hard to digest all this at once.
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Akash's room:
"Bhai will not leave me.. I told you I didn't want to do all this Payal.." Akash said breathing restlessly on bed, as he couldn't get any sleep.
"Now you will put all the blame on me.. What I did was for your and our Ayaan good only.. Think if Arnav ji got to know that time that Khushi was pregnant, he would have come back for his child and you would have lost control of this house and AR as well.. Till now you were the head of this house, every decision was made after asking you only, everyone here respected you.. Didn't you like to be in Arnav ji's place? If I didn't do this, then you would still be that silent man whose opinions are not even considered, only ASR would rule everything like always.. I thought good for you Akash.. How would I know that Arnav ji would be able to walk again and come back after all these years?" Payal asked frowning.
"But he did.. he came back and now all this plan flopped.. I will become villain in my family's eyes now.." Akash cried.
"We can talk with him and ask forgiveness.." Payal bit her lips worriedly.
"Will Khushi forgive you?" Akash asked.
Payal just wiped the sweat beads forming on her forehead, as even she was nervous about this. That's the reason she was getting irritated and trying every way to keep Arnav separated from Khushi and maintain that hate feeling for Arnav on Khushi, so that both don't get time to speak with each other and Khushi doesn't get to know about what she did in past. She badly tried to keep it a secret, but all went in vain when Khushi said that she wanted to hear Arnav's explanation. And by now, she guessed both, Arnav and Khushi know what Akash did in past, and it will not take time for them to know that it was her who suggested it.
Hope this is good.. I didn't like the way the chapter came out.. but these days I'm going through writer's block.. I guess the tiredness after all my exams and many days away from writing is affecting me 😥😣.