Tere Liye | ✔

Chapter Fourteen - Fears and Promises

It's been three days since they came back from the farmhouse, three days since that basketball challenge and three days since Khushi has withdrawn herself from the family including Arnav.

Scarred from that incident in the basketball court, Khushi had tried to divert her mind from it. She had tried umpteen times to remind herself that Arnav was hers and solely hers but as time went by, it became more and more difficult for her to do so - especially when the same thing kept occurring over and over again. 

That basketball match had brought Arnav quite close to Arnav, as a result of which, it had become a daily routine for them to spend time together. The duo would spend hours playing chess or watching matches and subsequently, Sheetal was always around Arnav, reliving the tales of their close friendship stories from college - stories that corroded her mind, filling her with a range of insecurities.

All the stress had eventually lead her to feel weak. She felt drained out, not only emotionally but also physically. A result of this same tiredness was her fainting just a day ago in the room when Arnav was in the office. Thankfully, she regained consciousness by herself before anyone could see her. Or to be precise, before Arnav would return from office and ask for her, reminding the rest of her existence.

The family hadn't noticed her aloofness. They had instead thought that she was feeling sick and thus needed rest, so they left her on her own. The thought that there might be something else wrong had crossed Payal's mind but she was easily deceived by the mask of cheerfulness her sister had pulled.

 However, it was not that easy to deceive Arnav.  He knew or to be precise, he was sure that there was something that has been bothering his wife ever since they came back from the farmhouse. He had noted that she wasn't herself anymore. She would stay distant from everyone, then would curl herself in his arms at night, as if scared to let go. Her condition scared him and he tried asking her but she always dodged the questions.

Khushi, on the other hand, had felt a sort of reassurance when Arnav had seen her hidden conflict and each time his concerned self would ask her what was wrong, she would feel a prick of guilt at what she was thinking. 

She felt torn. Torn between confiding her feelings and in turn hurting him. And this inner battle of hers had only befuddled him more, an example being their minor fight a few hours ago.

"What happened to you?" Arnav asked, catching her elbows as she tried to escaped to the washroom, once again.

"What would happen to me?" She in turn asked, faking a smile. "I'm fine."

"Khushi, you can't fool me!" He retorted, puling her closer. "I know there's something wrong with you. Why are you behaving like this? You are neither mingling with the family nor are you ready to voice out your feelings. What has happened? Tell me!"

Khushi's heart softened at his understanding and so did her eyes. A sudden need to flung herself in his arms and admit what was bothering her, overwhelmed her and she opened her mouth, at last to speak a few words of her mind but the next words of Arnav killed her courage and refreshed her insecurity.

"Even today when I asked you to come with us for shopping you refused. Why?"

Us. Meaning Sheetal, Anjali and Aarav along with him.

Why wouldn't she refuse? They had already made the entire plan and then remembered her only when Payal suggested to take her along.

Khushi's heart sank at the remembrance.

"Khushi, I am talking to you. Where are you lost?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her husband's slightly irritated face.

Recomposing herself, she stepped back and removed his hands from her arm, "I think you are mistaken, Arnavji. Nothing has happened to me. I had already said that I didn't feel like going out. So please, no need to worry."