The Bride

13.Heartbreaks

Arnav paced the room back and forth .what all this mean? Khushi is here,searching for him why? Their families have already broken all ties .he remembers how khushi’s father has clearly shunned his apology and said quite clearly that khushi won't go back to his house ever now.arnav has tried a few times to break the ice between the two families but to no avail. His grandfather was angry to be insulted like this .khushi’s deteriorating health made his grandfather all the more happy to break the relationship without a fuss. How could a dying girl can give birth to an heir.

But arnav had a feeling that their is something bigger that has lead to huge division between the families. As far as he knew shashi was a very traditional man just like his grandfather so how can he took her married daughter back from her house.shashi was earlier in debt of his grandfather that's why even if it meant marrying her such a young daughter to an older man didn’t made much difference to him. He was the man of pride .he was powerful no doubt but not as much as his grandfather, so what was so powerful motivation that he took her daughter away breaking her marriage. And now khushi is here after this long one year. He is no longer what he was. He knew that life wont be easier alone but it has turned worse than his expectations.there were no jobs for him and continuing his study side by side was a real challenge .

arnav closed his eyes ,putting his hands on his forehead in frustration and sadness as the memories of past one year haunts him.how he has slept alone under the night sky with nothing over his head and starved for days. He slowly managed to find  daily wage work ,sometimes in factories ,sometimes on construction sites ,sometimes the kind of work which was against his caste but he did it all to survive. The memories of those days bring tears to his eyes. Surviving in this world is not easy and after enjoying so much luxury of home it only makes it worse. There were moments he felt like giving up and going back home, he knew his grandfather will forgive him somehow and he will also find a way to study as per his wish too. But something stopped him every time , his pride . unfortunately he has raizada blood in him and raizadas love their pride more than anything.

“Arnav sleep yaar.why are you so tensed?”   vivek asked arnav in his half asleep state.

“Nothing!” arnav said and sat on his bed smoothing the lines on his forehead. What should he say -that his wife nor his ex wife has come out of blue in the most difficult of times.that he feels like running away . he feels as if he will drown any moment.

“Do you know her?” vivek asked him with  half opened eyes still staring at his roommate's stressed form.

“Who?” arnav answered not ready to fully believe that she is here. He is hoping if he won't believe her being here , she won't  be there.

“You looked at her as if you know her.some relative or something?” vivek asked again  wishing this time arnav would answer truthfully. But contradictory to his wishes arnav remained silent and  laid on his bed closing his eyes, wishing all this turns out to be a dream.

When morning came arnav’s wishes didn't come true. As the first morning rays fell on his face , he also felt a shadow blocking it the other moment. Uneasy feeling developed inside him and he opened his eyes in a jerk only to get shocked seeing khushi there in front of him.

She stood wearing the red and green coloured salwar suit , her eyes swollen half from crying and half from the fever. She looked at him , her eyes shining with a light of hope and happiness .a few happy tears left her eyes and she smiled looking at him.

Arnav looked at her shocked , he got up from his bed and looked around to see his roommates sleeping thankfully. Arnav’s eyes connected with khushi’s again , her smile widened , her cheeks and nose turned all red .