Hues of Love

Part 3

Khushi Gupta was a busy person. She ran a successful pediatric clinic and was one of the most sought after pediatric consultant and surgeon in the town. For a person observing her, she would seem to be the epitome of happy-go-lucky person but for a person analyzing her, she would appear to be a person so broken that they forgot how to cry and hence smiles.

"Yeah Rachna, tell me? How's Rahul?" asked Khushi, pulling her lunch out of her bag. It was finally lunch break after a hectic day of work and she knew that Rachna would not hesitate to personally come over and skin her alive with the eager assistance of her loving husband, Anurag if she did not have her food on time.

"My son is crazy for you. I am sure he loves you more than me. He sneezed twice and he says that he wants to go to his Mausi and get himself checked. I just don't know what to do with the two of you," Rachna complained, while Khushi chuckled at her flustered friend.

"Don't be jealous, darling. It's just that no one can resist loving me," joked Khushi, adding fuel to the fire.

"Haan Haan, Theek Hain. Are you eating or not?" questioned Rachna in a stern tone.

"I am eating, Meri Maa. So, did you speak to anyone from our highschool gang off late?" she asked hesitantly. She did not want to pose that question knowing that Rachna would catch hold of her intentions but she could not stop her adamant heart which sought the answer for the question more than eagerly.

Rachna's smile vanished listening to Khushi's question. As she had suspected, her heart had not forgotten to beat for someone even after more than a decade passed over and became history.

"I know whose information would interest you. He did not sound very enthusiastic or happy. I think he had a fall out with Rati again," said Rachna, helplessness tormenting her senses once again as in the past.

"How do I hate that lady? What did she do now?" asked Khushi, not trying to cover her pent up frustration against Rati.

"Apparently she told him that she does not want to have children as it would ruin her figure and so on. He sounded distraught about it," sighed Rachna. She deeply regretted her actions but what good would her regret do? Two of the people closest to her heart were in deep pain and she had no option but to be a silent spectator in the game which destiny chose to play with their hearts. How did she wish that she could reduce it but alas, she could never decide whose love should win and whose should surrender to the winner.

"She never realizes the worth of treasure she has. Really unfortunate, according to me."

What Arnav saw in Rati and fell for her, was a question which haunted Khushi's mind since ages but a bigger question was about the intention of their fates which decided to make Rati win and her love lose.

The door suddenly clicked upon much to Khushi's surprise. She glanced at the watch to see that there was still a good-30-minute break left before they would get started again. With sheer courtesy, she pushed her lunch box away and stood up to receive the person who chose to consult her during the lunch break.

Her heart began beating away as her eyes fell on the sight they craved since weeks. It has been 29 days since they last met, she recounted. Warmth began in the pit of her abdomen and spread through her body, to every single cell, causing a blanket of goosebumps to cover her from head to toe.

"Hello? Khushi?" she heard Rachna questioning over the phone. It was almost as if she was paralyzed and had lost the ability to speak as the sight in front of her filled her senses. A familiar, soothing fragrance travelled to her brain, sending the signals of a happiness which knew no bounds.

Her breathing grew rapid and that's when she realized that she needed to get a grip on herself. Bringing the phone near to her lips, she spoke,

"Rachna, will call you back. Arnav's here."

She knew that Rachna would require no further explanation to understand the reason of her dropping the call.

"Hey Khoosi! How are you?" asked Arnav Singh Raizada awkwardly, surprised at her state of surprise.

His fond nickname for her made a smile dance on her lips as she could feel her heart skip a beat for the man who stole it more than a decade before. Her nickname from his lips sounded like the sweetest rhythm she could ever have the privilege to hear and probably that was the reason she prohibited every person except the one standing in front of her from using the aforementioned name.

"Hello Arnav. Quite a surprise seeing you here. Please take the seat," she said trying her best to come out of her flustered state.

Arnav smiled at her, sending waves of warmth through her, as he took a seat opposite to her and soon she followed the suite. She took in his sharp features, trying to memorize every single curve, every dip, every mark on his face and matching it with the one she had in her memory to note that he had stress written all over him.

"So, what's up, Arnav? Anything special?" asked Khushi, knowing the answer to her question but choosing to hear it from him anyways.

"I will be honest with you, Khoosi. I am here for a purpose and I have no intention or reason to hide it. I recently had a discussion with Rati and that led to a revelation from her side. It had not been the best revelation of my life, in fact was one of the worst," he said with a somber expression on his face which she hated to see.

"I am sorry about that, Arnav. Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, hoping that there was a way she could make him smile. More than a decade before she had resigned to the fact that his happiness made her more content than her own and that had been driving force behind Khushi's decision of giving up on trying to win him over and letting him go to someone's arms which gave him happiness.

"That's exactly why I am here. She said that she would never want to conceive and is fine with me opting for surrogacy. Coming to the purpose I spoke about, promise me that you won't feel offended and would not hate me. I would hate for that to happen," he said.

I could never be angry with you, least of all hate you, thought Khushi but chose to keep her thoughts with herself.

"Not at all, Arnav. We are friends and what are friends for? To help when the time comes. Tell me what I can do and I would try my level best to do it," she said, her eyes never leaving his disconsolate face.

"Khoosi, could you be the surrogate to my child?" he asked, leaving her shocked.