Baatein kuch unkahee si

Part 27

Khushi had reached lucknow. With the help of her ex-neighbours she managed to get a house on rent and a job in a small office. She went to the temple in the evening and sat infront of her devi maaiya idol quietly for sometime and then said: hum wapas aa gaye devi maaiya...hum wapas aa gaye..woh jagah kabhi hamari thi hi nahi..lekin yeh baat humey bohot der se samajh aayi...jis insaan se humne itni mohabbat ki unhone humey...(I have come back devi maaiya..I have
come back...that place was never mine..but understood that very late..the person I loved so much..) 

She wiped her tears and said: nehi devi maaiya ab hum nehi royenge...bilkul nehi royenge..hum nehi jantey ki hamarey zindagi mein aagey kya hai...aur janna bhi nehi chahtey..hum bas itna jantey hai ki humey arnavji se aur unki yaadon se bohot dur jaana hai... Hamari madat karna devi maaiya...(I will not cry anymore.. I don't know what lies ahead..nor do I want to know..I only know that I have to go far away from arnavji and his memories) 

Hum aapka dil se shukriya aada kartey hai jo aapne humey itni jaldi ghar aur naukri dono dila di..(Thank you God for helping me find a house and a job so quickly) 

It was a lonely walk back home. She entered her house. For the first time in her life she was alone. It was dark inside and out of fear she unknowingly called out: arnavji! 

But then realising her mistake, she switched on the light as if to remind herself that she can deal with it..or rather she had to. It was a sleepless night, where she only kept thinking about arnav and dozed off almost at dawn. 

After a while she woke up and got ready for office. She wore a salwar kameez like she used to wear before, tied her hair in a plait and put a bag across her shoulder. There was no sindoor on her forehead but she didn't let go of the mangalsutra. She hid it with her dupatta and looked at herself in the mirror, but there again she visualised arnav. His eyes, his smile, his smirk, his intense look...she quickly closed her eyes and said: nehi khushi! She was about to go out of the house, when she heard a knock at the door. 

Khushi muttered: is waqt kaun hai.. And opened the door and got the shock of her life. Standing infront of her was arnav. 

Arnav was also shocked to see her like that. It reminded him of the old khushi. His heart pained to think that she had literally ended the wedding as he couldn't see the sindoor, the mangalsutra. He knew those meant a lot to her. 

Seeing arnav infront of her eyes, khushi forgot everything for a moment. His eyes glistening with tears met hers which were also filled with tears. She was about to exclaim with happiness: ar..na... 

And at the same time arnav said: khushi!! 

Hearing him take her name, she came to reality and turned around. She then said: kyun aye hai aap yahaan?? (Why did you come here??) 

Arnav: khushi...khushi please..ekbar meri baat suno... I am sorry.. Dekho jo bhi hua...(Khushi..khushi..please listen to me..I am sorry...whatever happened..) 

Khushi turned around and said: jo bhi hua uske baarey mein na hum kuch sunna chahtey hai..na kuch kehena chahtey hai... (Neither do I want to hear anything about that nor do I want to say)
Humey der ho rahi hai..(I am getting late..) 

She stepped out of the house, followed by arnav. He held her hand and said: khushi let me explain..tumhara gussa jayez hai lekin us waqt halat aise they ke...(Khushi let me explain..you are right to be angry..but the situation was such that..) 

Khushi removed his hands and said: aap kabse halat ke shikar hone lagey Mr. Raizada..halat to aap banatey hai na...(Since when have you been succumbing to situations Mr. Raizada..you only create it) 

Arnav asked helplessly: khushi tum sab kuch aise hi khatam hone dogi?? (Will you let everything get over just like that??) 

Khushi couldn't control her tears. She looked at him with tears rolling down her eyes and said softly: jo kabhi shuru hi nehi hua tha usey hum kaise khatam kar saktey hai Mr. Raizada..(How will I end something which never started?) 

Arnav could feel the pain in her voice. Now that her feelings were like an open book infront of him, he knew how miserable she felt. 

Khushi left and arnav stood there helplessly looking at her direction. 

Arnav: main janta hoon khushi tum kya mehsoos kar rahi ho..I know and I am very sorry...(I know what you are feeling..I know and I am very sorry) 

He then smiled a lopsided smile and said: main janto hoon ki tum mujhse bohot pyaar karti ho lekin tum aise manogi nehi..ziddi jo ho...par koi baat nehi khushi kumari gupta singh raizada...tumhe to main manwake rahunga...pati hoon tumhara..aur aapni patni ko kaise manana hai yeh main achhi tarah se janta hoon..(I know you love me a lot...but you won't listen so easily...stubborn you are..but I know how to convince you..I am your husband and I know how to make upto my wife)