Dark Night Dawning

Chapter 24

Anjali sat in her room, crooning to her baby daughter. She looked up when she heard a knock and saw her brother walking in.

'Chotte, this is a pleasant surprize!' she exclaimed her facing lighting up at the sight of her brother. She hadn't seen him in almost a month though he had been calling her regularly. But he hadn't mentioned this visit when he called her a couple of days ago. 'Is Khushi with you?' she asked looking beyond him.

'No Di, I came here alone,' said Arnav, 'I am leaving for London tonight on business and I have to rush to the office to look into a lot of pending work. I stopped by to see you and this little one here.'

'How is Khushi?' she asked him her forehead creased in concern, 'why isn't she here?'

'Di, can we talk about how you are doing?' Arnav walked up to her and sat on the edge of the bed, 'How has your health been? I left you here soon after you came out of your coma. I feel so bad about that ----'

'Chotte, I have a house full of people to take care of me,' she said putting him at ease immediately, 'Payal makes sure I eat the right kind of food, naniji, mamiji and even Akash helps me take care of my baby.'

'That's nice Di, but are you really ok?' he asked her, his meaning very clear to her.

'I would be lying if I said, I haven't thought about what has happened Chotte,' explained Anjali, 'but, I am determined to come out of it for the sake of my daughter and my family. My daughter is very important to me and I will not let anything come in the way of her happiness.'

Arnav hugged his sister, his eyes welling up when he remembered the time she lay in the hospital in a coma. But he was glad that she was okay now. He stood up.

'Alright Di, I really have to rush now, but I will be back in a few days ok?' said Arnav walking towards the door.

Anjali stopped him. 'Chotte, I asked you how Khushi was doing, you haven't answered my question. What's going on?'

Arnav turned around and looked at his sister, a barely controlled temper simmering in his eyes, 'Khushi is absolutely fine Di!' he rasped, 'but she needs to grow up!' Arnav walked out shutting the door behind while Anjali looked on perplexed.

**

It was two days since Arnav had left and Khushi had thrown herself into work to keep her mind occupied. She had fired the maid and gone back to doing all the household work herself. She cooked, watered the plants and in the afternoon she went to Palak's house to help with taking care of the guests who had arrived for the wedding. She had informed Varmaji that she would not be able to provide the dabba service for a few days. She had told everyone that Arnav had gone to Delhi to take care of some urgent business.

That night when Khushi walked into the house after helping out in Palak's house one of the girls Mehek came up to her and gave her a parcel. She told her that it had arrived sometime earlier in the day. Khushi thanked her and took the parcel to her room. She opened it and was shocked .It was the beautiful red chikan saree.

She sat on the bed, clutching the saree to her chest as sobs racked her body. Arnav had bought the saree for her. From the past couple of days she had been trying to tell herself that his absence didn't matter to her. But the reality was different. In the mornings, she inevitably ended up making two cups of tea. She saw him everywhere in the house --- on the living room sofa working on his lap top, watering the plants, walking into the house with the buckets of water, at the dining table, in the courtyard exercising, walking out of the bathroom with the towel around his shoulders, on the kitchen counter, even her dad's scooter reminded her of him. She remembered their passionate kiss in the kitchen. But it got worse at night. She missed having his arms around her while she slept. She had not changed the sheets on the bed as she could still smell his cologne on it. She even put on the AC so it reminded her of him. She felt a deep pain in her heart like someone was squeezing it really hard. She missed him terribly.