Ek Duje Ke Vaaste

Part 18

Payal and khushi were taken to their respective rooms. Anjali made khushi sit on the bed decorated with flowers, when arnav entered.

Anjali looked at arnav and teased khushi: khushiji hum chaltey hai (I am going)

Khushi: achha di (ok di)

Anjali pretended a fallen face and said: achha to aap sach mein chahti hai ki hum chaley jaye? (so you want me to go?)

Khushi: ne..nehi di..hamara woh matlab..(no..i didn't mean that)

Anjali: hum mazak kar rahe they..good night (I was joking..good night)

Then looked at arnav and said: good night chhotey

Arnav looked at khushi. Had the situation not been so awkward it would have been a different night all together. Seeing arnav, khushi got up from the bed.

Arnav: its ok..tum waha so jao..main waha so jaunga..pointing towards the recliner (its ok..you sleep there..i will sleep there)

Khushi: nehi hum wahaan so jayenge..(no..i will sleep there)

Arnav scolded: sleep right there!

Khushi changed her clothes and lied down on the bed while arnav took the recliner. It was a very unusual wedding night, but for some reason both were at peace because of each other's presence and slept off peacefully.

Khushi woke up in the morning and looked around. The flowers had dried but the morning was fresh. She got down from the bed and her eyes fell on the recliner. Arnav was sleeping in an uncomfortable position and his head was hanging out from the recliner. She moved upto him but hesitated at first. Then slowly cupped his face with both her hands. As she touched him a chill ran through her spine and she held her breath. She lifted his face and put it back properly on the recliner. Even after ensuring that his head was placed properly, khushi kept holding his face with both her palm and looked at him. He was breathtakingly handsome. After a while arnav moved a little, khushi came out of the trance, left him immediately and ran to the washroom so that he didn't get a chance to see her like that. Arnav, who was a silent witness to the whole thing, opened his eyes with a smile on his face. It was indeed a good morning for him.

Khushi got ready and went down and then came back to the room after a while with arnav's coffee. Arnav was getting ready for office. Ever since they got married in the temple they never spoke to each other properly. Arnav knew that he had actually forcefully married her and somewhere deep down in his heart there was a guilty feeling. Arnav thought of talking to her to make things better. He said: yeh shaadi..I know hum dono ki hi marzi nehi hai...tum jab chaho we can file a divorce..I mean..(this marriage...I know we didn't want want...we can file a divorce whenever you want)

Arnav actually wanted to apologise to khushi and wanted to give her space but like always he chose the wrong words.

Khushi got extremely upset hearing those words. She couldn't understand what kind of a person he was. Disgusted with him she turned to go. Arnav's ego was hurt seeing her go without responding. He pulled her and said: jab main tum se baat kar raha hoon to don't you dare walk away.(don't you dare walk away when I am talking to you)

Khushi jerked his hands off and tried to move again.

This time Arnav pulled her with greater force and tightened his grip on her hand due to anger and screamed: listen to me damn it!

Khushi winced in pain and a drop of tear fell from her eyes silently revealing her pain to arnav. Arnav felt his fingers wet, he quickly released the grip only to find blood oozing out from khushi's hand as few of the bangles broke due to the force with which he held her causing the injury.

Arnav got worried. The anger was replaced by concern immediately. He carefully lifted her hand and said: khu..khushi..I..didn't..

Khushi freed her hand from him and turned around. Tears fell from her eyes looking at the injury.

Arnav tried to address the wound but she walked out of the room.

Arnav was extremely angry with himself. He kicked on the centerpiece and said: damn it!

After a while arnav came down and joined the others at the breakfast table. Khushi and payal were serving breakfast. He felt extremely bad after hurting khushi. He pulled his chair and before sitting down glanced once at her injured hand and once at her face. As soon as their eyes met khushi angrily looked away.

Nani: kitna achha lagat hai..humra ghar ek nehi do do bahu awat hai..ghar bilkul harabhara lag raha hai (it feels so nice to have two daughter in law in the family)

Mami: ekdom houzfull.. Waise ek pe ek feree..tum dono ko aaj refoogee camp hamra matbal maternity home jana hai ki naahi (don't you both to have to go to your parents house?)

Anjali: haan aap dono jaake taaiyar ho jaaiye..buaji aati hogi aapko pag phere ke rasam ke liye le jane..(go and get ready..buaji will come to take you)

Nani: chhotey akash aap dono daftar se laut tey waqat inhe le aaiyega (chhotey and aakash pick them up while coing back from office)

Khushi didn't look at arnav even once while he kept on looking at her several times. He then went to office with akash.

Before going he looked at khushi and said hesitantly: I will pick you up in the evening

Khushi didn't look at him. After a while buaji came to take the girls home.

Even in office arnav was not at peace. He kept on thinking how khushi cared for him in the morning by placing him properly on the recliner and instead how he hurt her.

Maine khushi ke sath thik nehi kiya..mujhe ussey baat karni chahiye..(what I did was not right...I should talk to her)

He picked up the phone and dialed her number but she didn't pick up. What the..khushi phone kyun nehi utha rahi hai!! (why is she not picking up?)

Reality was Khushi had left the phone at shantivan, but arnav thought that she was not picking up intentionally. She and payal were and gupta house busy with their parents.

Arnav called her innumerous time and then in the afternoon went to akash's cabin and said: aakash

...main kuch kaam se bahaar jaa raha hoon..I will see you at laxminagar.(I am going out for some work..will see you at laxminagar)

Aakash: ok bhai (yes brother)

Arnav started his car and went straight to laxminagar.