Not What Meet The Eyes

PART 13

Arnav: "Buaji will be staying with us to take care of her."
Anjali: "What is the need Chote? We all are there, to take care of Khushi... "
Arnav: "She is not coming back to Shantivan, Di... We have an apartment... Where she stayed all these years. We are staying there.. "
Anjali: "What? But... "
Arnav: "Do you really think that I would let her come back, after how she was treated the last month? How all of you behaved."
Anjali: "Even you behaved the same."
Arnav: "No Di.. I didn't... You don't have any idea how I stopped myself from lashing out on each one of you... I didn't bring her home all these years because I wanted her to be treated like the princess she is.... But she didn't have a minutes' peace since she came to Shantivan. First that Shyam and then Sheethal."
Mami: "But they won't be there... "
Arnav: "You don't get it Mami... It's not their behavior that hurt her.... How could you compare someone else's child with me, Mami... That too in front of my wife?"
Mami: "But Aarav is not someone else's child?"
Arnav: "You didn't know that, right? Yet you did it. Didn't you at least think, how my wife would feel?  And Di... She was always beside you whenever you needed her. You asked her to go alone, when she was ill, so you could shop with Sheethal."
Anjali: "I... I didn't know that she was..."
Arnav: "She told you, didn't she?"
Anjali: "I thought that she was saying that to get attention."
Arnav: "Get attention? It's not her, who is the attention seeker, it's..." Khushi held his hand to stop him. He took a deep breath. "So you did realise that she had to do something to gain your attention. Why Di? You two were really close, right?"
Anjali: "I'm really sorry, Chote... Khushi... I... I don't know when I.... I realise that it is my fault... But please forgive me...." She sobbed.
Khushi: "Arnav...."
Akash: "Khushi... Bhai is not the only one who is angry... Even I am... "
Khushi frowned at him.
Arnav: "I would have lost my child because of you Di..."
Everyone except Khushi gasped hearing him.
Arnav: "I might have lost her too.... She fainted and was about to fall down from top of the escalator.." He cringed at the thought. "It is a good thing that her security is always close by... Otherwise.... We are not returning to Shantivan because I don't trust you guys with her safety anymore...."
Khushi: "Arnav.... "
Nani: "Chote..."
Arnav: "I'm sorry Nani... But it's the truth..."
Anjali: "I'm sorry chote... I really am... You do know what Khushi is, to me... Please don't leave."
Arnav: "You are the one who forgot, Di... You are the one... " And he left the place.
Anjali: "I'm really sorry, Khushi..."
Khushi: "It's ok, di... Give him some time...."

Khushi gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Aashi. They did visit Shantivan, but only when Arnav was there. He didn't let them go there, even just for a few hours without him.
With years, he finally did calm down, seeing the way they treated the three. But decided that it was better, for them to stay separately. Anjali met someone, fell in love and finally got married.

Every Sunday they had family get together either at Shantivan, their apartment or at Anjali's place.
Their kids grew up really close to each other, with Aarav as the protective big brother of the naughty bunch.

And Arnav and Khushi.... They remained the totally in love couple, but challenging each other at every turn of life....

The End

This is the end of the story....
But no, the story is not completed. Because I know that you have a lot of doubts.... Pls do ask me... And I will try to answer those...
I know this is a really really small chapter. But this is all I've got.
Sry for the typos...
Pls do comment...