There was a long silence before any of them could actually manage to say something, they all just kept looking at each other in shock not knowing how to react or what to say about this situation. After what seemed like forever though, Rohan was the first one to break the silence.
"Can we talk?" He looked at Tara who seemed uncomfortable like she dint know what to say. She just kept opening her mouth and shutting it over and over again not knowing what to answer.
"Okay." She finally nodded, she stepped back inside as Rohan looked at Khushi for a moment and then followed Tara inside, she led him to her bedroom so they could have some privacy.
"I dint mean to... I mean... Oh God! I just left my keys and phone here so I came to get them back." Arnav said as he looked at Khushi nervously, it was strange that the girl he had hated his entire life was the same girl to make him so nervous.
"What are you keys doing in my apartment?"
"Tara invited me for dinner, we're friends. I dint know you stayed here, if I knew I wouldn't come, I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing Arnav, you are friends I get it... it's okay." Khushi shrugged.
He nodded as they both looked at each other for a few more minutes awkwardly, was this really ever going to stop being awkward?
"Would you like to come in? We can't stand out here forever?" Khushi asked, he nodded immediately as the both walked inside and sat down on the sofa in the hall.
"So... how have you been?" Arnav asked.
"I've been good, work keeps me busy..." Khushi replied.
"Great."
"So, why did you ignore me when I called you out downstairs?" Khushi asked.
"I just dint have the strength to face you. It's been tough, since Anjali left and you left... I just... sorry I wasn't here to complain, I'll take my keys and leave." He stood up and started looking around for hey keys.
"I can listen Arnav, if you need someone to talk to about anything... I'm here. I mean I know how the past had been, but if you need a friend I'm here to listen. I am not that heartless." Khushi said.
"You aren't, but I am Khushi. It's just difficult to face you knowing what I had done to you in the past, I was so terrible to you and look at you, you're still being nice to me... why?" he asked.
"Because I believe in helping people and listening to their problems, it makes a difference in their lives, just because things between us weren't better doesn't mean I won't try to help you.
Look at you Arnav, you've changed so much. The Arnav I was married to, was always well groomed, always confident, sometimes too overconfident and so strong, and right now, there's not even one quality about the Arnav I knew left in you.
You have this long hair for God knows what reason, your dressing style had changed, you've lost weight... I think you need help, all you have to do is ask."
"How do you do it Khushi, how can you be nice to me after everything that I did?"
"That's who I am as a person Arnav, I don't hate people, not even when they do me wrong."
"But you can do them wrong? You know you could have saved us both this misery if you just hadn't... I can't stop thinking about it Khushi, it haunts me, every day of my life, I thought we ended it on a good note, I asked for forgiveness and I was going to be okay but I haven't been okay.
I just keep asking myself questions every day, I keep wondering what happened to the Khushi I knew in childhood, I keep wondering how things would have been different."
"What are you trying to say Arnav?"
"Look, I get it, everyone had their own choices to make in life, and I get it, you chose to... sleep with my father, he was single you were of age, I shouldn't be anyone to say anything and I swear it wouldn't haunt me this much if it was any other guy out there in world, it haunts me because he was my father Khushi.
For the past six months, I came upon a lot of realizations, that I punished you for things I believed to be wrong and I shouldn't have, but I just can't get rid of that thought, it's killing me Khushi. You told me all I had to do was ask for help, so here I am, asking for help.
Help me, I don't want to have the same thoughts over and over again, I just want to have a normal life where I don't remember anything that happened in the past." All the while he spoke, he kept pacing from one corner to the other until he was done saying it all, he stopped in front of her and looked at her with his moist eyes.
"I thought it was going to be easy, I thought I was going to move on, meet another girl, date her or something, but every time I even go out with a girl, all I think about is you."
"Do you realize that you are the cause of your own problems Arnav? You could have ended this misery of yours all you had to do was freaking talk to me!" Khushi said angrily as she stood up from the sofa and walked towards him standing face to face.
"Did you ever try to find out my side of story? Did you ever try to ask me about it? just for once Arnav, you could have talked to me asked me for an explanation and I would have happily given it to you. All you had to do was ask!
But no, you were the great Arnav Raizada, you believe that whatever you believe is the truth and there's no other truth apart from that. You aren't always right Arnav, sometimes you have to put your damn ego aside and look at things differently, and if something doesn't make sense or seem right just asked a person to explain.
This problem you are having is because of your own misunderstandings and beliefs, before I left, you could have asked me for a damn explanation and maybe it would have saved you this misery but you didn't and I wasn't going to explain myself because it seemed like you dint need it and it seems like you don't need it now either.
So find your keys and whatever and just leave. You prefer suffering like this, then fine." Khushi shouted at him angrily and then headed straight to her room and locked herself inside, this guy was just making her so mad.
Why couldn't he just for once ask for a freaking explanation? How hard was it? and why did she even still love him despite everything?
*****
"When did you come back? Where had you gone?" Rohan asked as soon as they walked inside Tara's room.
"Why does it matter Rohan, it was clear you never cared, why do you care now?" Tara asked.
"I cared okay, I loved you Tara, I still do."
"Then why didn't you show me that you loved me Rohan? Look at me, I was stupidly in love with you, I believed in you, I trusted you and all I expected in return was just a little bit of time and attention, I wanted to be the first person on your priority list like you were in mine... but I never was." She said sadly.
"I know I was wrong Tara, I know I took you for granted, I realized my mistake but only when it was too late to realize them."
"Well you should have realized them then. Rohan I never stopped you from spending time with your friends or anyone, all I asked was for you to spend even half of that time with me, you never did.
Do you even have an idea how difficult it was for me to make the decision to leave? I... I kept hoping you would come... stop me... but you never did."
"I dint know you were leaving."
"Well you should have, the way you were always ignoring me, what did you think that I was just going to keep waiting for your attention and love?"
"I know I was wrong Tara, I am sorry, I took you for granted, I always thought you loved me too much to ever leave me and so I thought no matter what I'd do, you were always going to be there, but I was wrong. When you were gone, my heart broke and I... I realized how much I loved you, I tried so hard to find you, all this years, and I've just been trying to find you Tara, everyday I'd wake up and pray that today was going to be the day when I find you and every day I was met with disappointment.
I know what I did was wrong but I am really sorry, if you give me one more chance, I promise I'll be better, I'll love you so much, I'll give you all the attention in the world, just one chance please." Rohan looked at her hopefully.
"You waited for me Rohan, you tried to find me but what makes you think that I waited for you too and what makes you so sure that I'm still single?" Tara folded her arms and looked at him seriously.
Before Rohan could reply though, they both heard Khushi shouting so loudly and angrily they rushed out of the room to check what was going on.
They found Arnav standing at the door of her room knocking at it waiting for her to open the door.
"Khushi, please just open the door once please." Arnav said in a really broken voice.
Tara and Rohan just looked at each other wondering what was going on, of course Rohan knew about Arnav, but Tara had no idea.
After battling her thoughts enough, Khushi opened the door, as soon as she did, she saw Arnav fall down on his knees, for a moment he was just looking at the floor but then he lifted his head up and looked at her, tears rolling down his eyes. He folded both his arms, as if praying to her.
"Please give me an explanation Khushi, here I am, asking for an explanation, I know I should have done it earlier, but I didn't. I just want to end this misery, please end it for me." He literally begged her.
"Why would I give you an explanation now Arnav? You have always believed I was wrong, what would change that now? You trusted your father despite knowing what kind of a person he was, instead of trusting me!"
"I dint trust him Khushi, I trusted what I saw with my own eyes, I trusted what I heard with my own ears. I heard sounds from his room and I saw you sneak out of it, I even went to check if there was anyone else there and it was empty, tell me what was I supposed to think?
Look at me once Khushi, put yourself in my shoes, ask yourself the same question, if you heard such sounds coming from your mother's room and saw me sneak out and checked and dint find anyone else in the room, what would you have thought?" Arnav asked.
Khushi looked at him not knowing what to answer... she really dint know what she would have thought or done if she was in his position.
"Okay fine, you asked for the explanation, I'll give it to you, so that we can both have peace, that's it."
"That's all I ask for." Arnav said.
"I'm sorry guys, we dint mean to disturb you or create a scene between in front of you two." Khushi apologized.
"It's okay Khushi, you guys need to talk, we'll be out here." Rohan smiled, Khushi held Arnav's hand and helped him stand up as they both headed inside the room to talk.
"What is happened here?" Tara asked Rohan.
"They were married, and now they are divorced. Well it's not my story to tell, if Khushi wants to tell you, she will herself." Rohan said to which Tara nodded positively.