The Bride

24. NIGHTMARES

Chapter 24

Nightmares

Some events are either so hard or so beautiful that they remains in our memories forever, while the former  shakes your world with every nightmare, while the other makes those nightmare bearable. They will never leave you, they will haunt you to a point that you stop feeling, and end up thinking that it was always a nightmare not a reality.

Khushi felt her heart beating fast, her breathing getting shallow, as his hands travels  tormenting every part of her body, making her want to scream but her voice giving up to speak even a word for help. This is torture, that she is facing every day from that horrible moment in her life. That touch, that horrible feeling that death is better than this,it all again came crashing down on her.

But why? She will never understood that. Why that touch has been so painful. She felt so uneasy at his touch. She don't like him. She ran as far as possible, trying to create as far as distance between them possible.

As she ran through the corridors to get away from the beast, suddenly she felt a strong hold on her arm, her heart  sank , and tears fell from her eyes like a river. She kept on struggling to get free but it was no use. She was captured now to be  swallowed by this monster.

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Arnav shook khushi again and again, trying to wake her up out of her nightmare. Khushi opened her swollen  eyes, her breath coming on short pace, her face all pale, exhausted by the horrific nightmare.

Without waiting a second, arnav hugged her tight and moved his fingers through her hairs to calm her down. He tried to control his own tears was falling out.  He knew what she was going through, he has been suffering the same from so many years. The past that haunts you every moment, it makes you feel weak the moment you build a little hope of a better future.

Here knew even if he ask her, she won't tell him the truth. But how could he love without knowing the reason behind his wife's condition. He knew he won't stop until he found it out but what scared him the most, that the answers will not be the ones he will like knowing.  

Right now he needs to concentrate on khushi and their life that needs to be normalized, no more struggles and nightmares. He will do everything to achieve that.

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Two months passed by as they both struggled their way through  reality and nightmares of their life. Days were exhausting and nights were unbearable, as both struggled through their own past.  Arnav passed her 12th exam, that took him time to believe. He felt so surreal that it all felt like dream. That khushi has prepared a special kheer to celebrate the good news.

“I didn’t knew that you were so happy for my clearing my exams that you prepared my favorite sweet  dish for me.” arnav has said licking all the kheer from her bowl, smiling so bright that sun can feel dull in comparison.

“of course, I am really happy.” khushi has answered licking her  second serving clean of kheer.

“sorry for being so suspicious. But taking in consideration that you just yesterday cursed me, that I will not pass my exam and will never  achieve my dreams, because I am so cruel. Aren't you angry that your curse isn't coming true ” arnav looked at her mischievously.

“Oh! My curse is coming true Alright. Now, when you will go to college everyday and do homework, bear beatings of strict teachers, you will know how I feel every day going to school. God is taking perfect revenge on you.”   khushi replied him so happily.

“anyway, kheer is my favorite too, so I made it to celebrate my achievement of revenge towards you.” she continued, sticking her tongue out to tease him.

“Oh really!”  arnav asked smirking at her childish antics.

She nodded  her head energetically, her mouth full with kheer. She certainly resembled a cartoon with her antics

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Arnav  took rest under a Mango tree. He felt exhausted. Harvesting season was here and he has to Manage both college and work together. It was getting really difficult. To reap 5 acres of land was not a small deal for a lone man. Though Kala massi son has helped him a lot. But still one acre of land remained  to be cut. Tomorrow is last day for filing of admission form and he has to get the remaining money for admission on loan, the interest alone will cost him a lot.

Ugh!! He  ruffled his hands through his hair in frustration. It's the moment like This that he missed the comforts of his home. He had no tension of earning money, no fear of whether he will be able to  eat food that day. He was tired being a adult, being the sole bread earner. Tears fell down from his tired eyes as he looked at the full blown crop in front of his eyes.

He just wanted  this small moment to cry, to actually act like the teenager he is and cry for the difficulty he is facing. He looked at  mud covered limbs and clothes, that made he choked on his tears. What has life become. What he will do? How will he survive?

“MA!! MA!!”  he fell to the  ground as his limb gave away, he looked at the sunset as it made a spectacular  painting in the sky. He felt so empty, so alone.

“MA!! Please help me. Save me. Ma! How will I manage to pay the fees, it's too much. I will never  achieve my dreams.” he cried, he just wanted to lay his head in his mother's lap and for moment want to feel her hands running through his hairs, assuring him that everything will be alright.

“I am failure MA!”  he managed to say a few words  between his hiccups.

“I failed as a brother to both my sisters.”

“I failed as a son to you.”

“I failed as grandson.”

“I failed as husband too.”  

He cried his heart out, all   last 4 months exhaustion catching up to him. How cruel his fate is, he will once again will see his dream snatched away from him.