The Warrior's love

Zero

"No Naina..Donot tell me to keep hope. You donot understand. I am crumbling. Naina,it's all falling apart.. My whole being is falling. I cannot hold on anymore"said Khushi to her best friend Naina,as she sat watching the Effiel Tower from the balcony of her hotel room.

"Khush..Calm down dear. It's not like you have posted on your social media,that you are looking for a mysterious man. With whom you had connection with. It takes time. He would come. Trust me,my heart says,he would come"consoled Naina,but she herself was not sure anymore. Actually no one was sure of anything. Neither Khushi ,nor Naina. Not even Aman,Naina's long term boyfriend..

"Naina..How can he be so heartless? How could he forget me? Forget the promise we made. He had told me,that he would come find me,at that moment. I had felt his sadness before I died. Naina..It hurts. My heart,soul, Everything. It hurts at his betrayal"said Khushi between her sobs as she broke down.

Naina sighed. It took her an hour to console the big girl crying like a child. Actually at times,no almost always, Khushi was a child to her and Aman. She had left her home,never turning back. From then on,she had continued this search. For him. Whose name,she did not even know..

Khushi Gupta was a brilliant student. Her certificates were all A. The pride of her parents. But something happened. That day in her college that changed her life as whole. After that bad fight with her friend Lavanya,she was rushing downstairs when she slipped. And her head got hit. After that,things changed. She was a great painter. Her parents disapproved of it as a profession. Fights happened. Things happened. And she left. Naina was the only daughter of her Aunty. She lived alone with Naina. Khushi left to live with them. The nerdy Naina became her support. The outgoing,bubbly Khushi was dead. And it helped her gel into the calm,quite life of the two. Neither her parents contacted her,nor she dared. She had gone to Lukhnow,a few times in the ten years. But lived in hotels. Watched her mother from afar as she bought vegetables from local market,her father as he went to his work. But she never took off that mask. That was just like their relationship. Broken. Never to mend again. She learned her sister Payal was married. Payal knew she was living for Nainital. But she never contacted her or her aunty. What happened,neither her Aunty Madhu asked,nor Naina. They just stood by the broken girl.

Actually there was a long history of Guptas. Madhu had left her home to marry someone. And Guptas had done her last rites. Naina was born. Then her husband left them alone in a dreadful accident,in the foggy winter of Nainital. From then on Madhu had taken charge of the family. And Khushi came. Trio helped each other. Slowly things settled. Khushi's work began to sell. She started to take painting classes for children. Few tourists were attracted to her paintings. The painful yet beautiful expression of it,attracted many. Slowly Khushi started to gain recognition. Naina,Madhu and Khushi shifted to Delhi.

There Naina met Aman Mathur. By coincidence. Soon love bloomed. And after three years of relationship,with lots of fun, misunderstandings,and fights,yet a lot more love. Both were going to tie the knot soon.

Khushi was happy for her sister. She was still the same happy Khushi. But when it comes to heart,we are all slave. The pain of loosing the one we love,the pain of not remembering his name,it hurts more than anything.

Almost all day long,she was lost in her studio. Her hands were always dipped in colour..

And the painting with which she had a lot of hope,her masterpiece..

The Warrior's love..

A woman stood,in dancing pose,with her hands,one above her head,with fingers open,other extended towards the front with a lotus.. Her body was bare from top to waist. And her back had cross cross marks,of sword and whips. And her spine had arrows embedded in it. Her black hair was gathered on her right shoulder. Her waist had a beautiful chain with little bells on it..

It had much to tell. From the flowers,to the bells,from the waistchain,to the open hair,from the whips,to the sword and arrow,each had hidden something. Only one would be able to understand it. She had spend almost three years to finish it up. Finally it was put on show. In France. The country of art. In all her works,it was the most traditional. Yet it was beautiful.

She stood there,watching the people who gathered around the painting. As the people explained them things. But she found none there. Her hope was crumbling. She was feeling dread..

Naina understood Khushi well. Her pain,she had seen it all. She dare not tell Khushi to give up. Either Khushi would go crazy or collapse if it happens. All she could do was pray. For a miracle.

On the other side..

Arnav Singh Raizada had gone to France to get a project with a famous cosmetic brand,to collaborate with his show. He needed partners as he wished to enter international market. Aman had gifted him a ticket to a famous art gallery. He had a day free. So he went there. Arnav was a fashion designer. He liked to draw from childhood. So it was a great place to find inspiration. He looked around. Yet his feet pulled him towards a painting. He stood there like statue looking at it. It was just a moment. He read the name..

The Warrior's love..

And he walked out feeling breathless. He almost ran towards his car and left. The driver looked at him in worry. But all he could do was obey the lord. He went to his suit and fell on his bed. Closing his eyes,all he could see was,that back. It's wounds..

He felt nausiated. Rushing inside his bathroom,he opened the tap and splashed water on himself. Slowly the nausea went away. But he felt a throbbing pain in his head. And a feeling like his heart was aching..

As he returned to his bed,he called the room service for a warm cup of coffee,with milk and sugar,to calm his sugar levels,that might fluctuate in stress. Then he picked up his cell phone and send Aman a message. To somehow find the painter of the painting called The warrior's love..

Aman was worried. He knew Arnav very well. If something was strange about the painting then ASR might buy it and burn it. He was scared. Still he informed Naina about it. Naina was afraid too. But he was ASR. And somehow a possibility rose. What if it's him?

So Naina decided. Khushi was going to meet ASR. After his return from France. After Khushi warped up her work here in two three days.

She kept it to herself. So that Khushi is not stressed. Aman informed Arnav about the time. Arnav was glad he got some time to arrange his thoughts.

Actually Arnav prepared a list of questions for Khushi. He had no idea why he felt like that. Like he knew it. He knew what it meant. But what? He could not recall..