Tere Liye | ✔

Chapter Thirty-One - Aarav

Arnav sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache creeping up on him at the constant sobs and laments that filled the house of Neha. 

He had been here for almost three hours now - with his family who insisted to meet Khushi, to hug her, to cry over her in relief and simply to apologize to her for their ignorance. But the relief they felt the moment he confirmed Khushi's safety, turned into sheer anguish when he sat them down to narrate the consequences of Sheetal's actions. 

They were already tormented by the earlier revelation, especially Sheetal's psychotic description of how she tried to murder Khushi. And now, now the news of Khushi being alive, yet good as dead had broken them to no end. 

Payal sniffled as she reached for the arm of her husband, helping her to support her frail body. 

"I.." She croaked, breaking the silence of melancholy around them, then cleared her throat, "I..I..want to see her." A sob left her mouth as soon as she finished and she hid her face in her husband's chest, lamenting at the unfortunate fate her sister was currently subject to.

Akash held his breaking wife securely in his embrace lest she falls down - his own heart heavy with grievance.

"We also want to meet her." Devyani requested next as she dried her dampened cheeks and glanced at her family members who nodded through tears.

Neha exhaled. She kept her hand on her thighs as she stood up, slowly eyeing everyone with a small smile.

"Sure you can meet her but remember, she can't move or talk or react at all but, but she can still hear you all." She said whilst enunciating her words properly, in hope that they would understand her point even though their minds were berserk with sadness at this moment. 

She went on when they all fixated her curiously. 

"She can hear what you're saying and if she hears you crying or lamenting, it will not be good for her. Where she is right now, she needs excessive care and positivity. That's why if possible, don't say anything that will make her realize her condition. Just be normal and talk to her like nothing adverse ever happened. Please." As she explained, she didn't realize when she had reached Khushi's room with everyone trailing behind her. She held the door knob and glanced at them over her shoulder. They nodded at her and quickly straightened their posture and wiped their faces. Neha sighed, opening the door and leaving them a sight of their beloved Khushi.

Seeing her in front of them after so long was already a reason to splutter into sobs but keeping Neha's words in mind, they all gulped their tears before it could make an appearance in their eyes as they approached Khushi's lifeless form with shaking body but smiling faces.

"Stay with them and just make sure they don't breakdown in front of Khushi. I'll be right back." Arnav mumbled to NK who gave him a reassuring nod before sauntering inside the room. 

Sighing heavily, Arnav then traced the path to the lawn where Aarav was ever since they played the recording of Sheetal confessing her crimes. He knew it was wrong and flagrant for making such a little boy hear Sheetal's venomous words but that was the only way to convince him that they were not lying and that Khushi was not just laying on the bed and acting so they could trap his mother. 

And ever since then - ever since he heard the recording - he was here in the lawn, alone and silent.

"Hi."

Arnav whispered as he sat himself next to Aarav, who after flashing him a glance, turned his eyes to fixate the ground again. Few minutes passed in silence, but Arnav was still unable to find the right words to say. Lucky for him, Aarav himself decided to break the quietness in the air.

"How is Khushi Aunty?" The boy asked - his voice unusually gentle and low.

After a moment of being startled by his initiation, Arnav shook his head and attempted a smile.

"She is fine, Arnav and she will be completely fine soon. Don't worry."

Aarav nodded and then, the silence was back again. 

Arnav sighed, taking Aarav's unwillingness to talk as a sign for his need to be alone. He thus stood up and with a last glance at the boy, started walking away. 

"I did not know she was hurting you."

His feet halted in its tracks and he turned around to find Aarav now staring at him - his small brown eyes glistening with with guilt. 

"I thought you hurt her. I thought Khushi Aunty was hurting her and was keeping me away from you. I did not know all that was a lie. If I did, I wouldn't have done all that. I would not have hurt you and Khushi Aunty. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry but trust me, it was not my intention to be like her."

"Hey!" Arnav almost gasped as two drops of tears rolled down Aarav's face and with a sigh, he rushed to him immediately. Kneeling on the grass in front of Aarav, he then proceeded to wipe off the moisture off his face.

"You don't have to apologize, Aarav." Arnav said tentatively. 

"She used you too Aarav, just like she used us. We were all just puppets for her and no one but her is to be blamed. And I know, it was not your intentions to act the way you did. She manipulated you. She controlled you but not anymore. She is gone and now, you will have the right to decide for your own life."

He took Aarav's face in his big hands as he spoke, his eyes soft and endearing.

"Tell me, Aarav. What do you want to do now? Where do you want to go? If you want, you can stay with us. We will be more than happy to-"

"I want to return to the orphanage." 

Momentarily surprised at Aarav's intrusion, Arnav exhaled. "If you are saying this because you feel like you're not welcomed in our house, then you're wrong, Aarav. We all love you and we will be glad to be with you."

 Eyes welling up at the warmth Arnav was offering him, Aarav shook his head and gave out a small smile.

"It's not like that. And, and I would love to be with you too, ASR, but I miss my home. When I was there, I never appreciated what I had, even though they were things and persons who were actually my own. I prayed to get out from there but now I have realized their importance. I want to go back, ASR. I want to live with what's actually mine. Please." He pleaded, earnestly wanting to return back from he came, this time with a new sense of humility.

Arnav stared at him for a second and finding no lies in his eyes, he sighed and nodded.

"OK then." He stood up, smiling.

"What's the name of the orphanage?" Arnav asked and watched with contentment as a wide smile spread across Aarav's face as he sprang up and launched his tiny arms around his (Arnav) waist. 

"IshaPrema Orphanage, Pune."

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The news of Aarav leaving brought a whole new wave of sadness for the Raizada family, but knowing that the child has suffered enough, they decided to let him go and do what he wants to. However, his departure was incomplete without the reassurance that the doors of the Raizada Mansion was always open for him and that he could come to visit them whenever he wanted, as well as they would be coming to the orphanage to see him every once in a while.

Like this, they had bid a tearful farewell to Aarav the very next day, who though was unhappy to leave them, felt a sense of excitement to return to his abode and start his new journey - leaving them to start theirs.

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