Daayre | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

"I'm not letting him in, Payaliya." Madhumati blustered, holding the phone in her vice like grip and glaring at the wall as if it was Payal. She heard a sigh on the other hand, before Payal started talking. 

"He's coming to talk to her, Buaji. Just talk. You can always throw him out if he tries something else." She said, reasonably. 

"Yeah but--" 

"He seemed determined when he left from here. I don't think he will leave unless he's done talking to her." 

A knock on the door interrupted whatever Madhumati was about to say and she groaned into the phone, "Fine."

She hung the phone angrily and walked to open the door. As expected, Arnav was standing in front of her, trying but failing to keep his smile intact. Nonetheless, his attempts remained ineffective. Madhumati grimaced and gave him space to enter, then slammed the door shut once he was inside.

"Payal already told us why you are here." She said when Arnav opened his mouth and morosely pointed towards Khushi's room, "She's in there." 

And without saying anything else, she marched away to the kitchen. Arnav, who was not used to this kind of welcome anywhere, took a few seconds to regain his falling spirits before approaching Khushi's room. 

His heart was slamming against his rib cage as he lifted his hand to knock and suppressing the enticing urge to run away, he hit his knuckle on the door twice. His breath hitched when he heard a soft 'coming', followed by the sound of the bed creaking, probably as she stood up from it. Soon after, the sound of her payal became clear and before he could prepare himself to look at her, the door opened.

Khushi had herself crouched on her bed, staring up at her stars idly when she heard the knock on her door. Thinking it to be her mother again, she rolled her eyes and gave out a small 'coming', before heaving herself out of the bed. She blew out a breath and approached the door with the intention of telling her Amma that she wasn't hungry for the umpteen of times; however, all words got lost when she pulled the door open, for standing in front of her was not her mother but her husband.

She was speechless for a brief moment and by the look on his face, she knew he was too. Nonetheless, she managed to grasp herself before he did and as she did, she felt her facial muscles clenching. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her tone unintentionally harsh. 

She watched as he swallowed and struggled to form words for few more seconds, before he finally managed to speak, "I, I came to see you." 

Her mouth opened on its own, already forming sarcastic words to throw at him but then, she thought, that wouldn't help. He would swallow every dagger but still would stand on his ground. Not having any strength to fight with him anymore, she just moved aside. Her action must have shocked him because instead of entering, he stood still. 

Khushi's eyebrows shot up, "I didn't realise when you say you came to see me, you meant it literally. Do you plan on returning back now?" 

It seemed to have taken few seconds for Arnav to understand what she said and when he did, he shook his head and walked in - his breathing labored out of stress. Ignoring his troubled face which depicted his inner battle, Khushi closed the door and stood silently, waiting for him to say what he had to say but for Arnav, who had expected her to shut the door on his face, her nonchalance was almost unnerving. 

Still, he braced himself and spoke in a tone he hoped was steady enough, "How--how are you?" 

"Fine." Khushi shrugged and once again, silence fell between them. Not wanting to stretch this conversation, she then sighed and proceeded to ask, "Did you have some work?"