Chapter 23

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Rishab's fever returns back in the afternoon and Khushi calls the doctor informing about his high temperature. Raju kaka visits bringing lunch for them. His Dadi calls and detects something is off from his voice. But Rishab manages to make her think everything is well. Doctor arrives and checks him again, prescribing some more medicines and tests are conducted. Khushi is by his side all morning, looking away only when blood is drawn from his arm. She closes her eyes as if she is the one in pain when needle is pricked in his body.

In the early morning the next day, Rishab wakes up to find Khushi sleeping beside him. She looks tired taking care of him the whole day as well as till late night. Rishab looks at her and his desire to kiss her increases. It's not right thing to do his mind says but his heart does not support his brain. He slowly comes near her and gives her peck on her lips. Khushi open her eyes and screams as well as jumps out of the bed. Rishab gets out of the bed shocked, he asks,"Kya hua chila kyun rahi ho? Did you see a ghost or what?" Khushi puts her hand on her chest and takes deep breaths. She sits down on the bed and says,"Haye mein toh darr gayi thi.. In my sleep I felt like koi mujhe kiss kar raha hai. Meri toh jaan nikal gayi thi. How stupid am I na to think that someone will kiss me. Who is here to do that?" Rishab gulps down his guilt and starts to falter,"Yeah..right..right..you are ..c.raz.y..I ..mean really..Who can do that?" Khushi goes out and Rishab speaks to himself,' Shit man..What the hell was I thinking? Why did I do that? I think the fever has gone to my head.Rishi sambhal apne aap ko..'

Khushi comes inside with a cups of tea and breakfast. She finds Rishab working on his desk. She puts the tray on the desk and starts shouting,"What are you doing here? You are supposed to take rest then why did you open the laptop?" Rishab replies,"It's important work Khushi. Only 5 minutes. I need to send some files to the lawyer." Khushi keeps on blabbering about how careless he is and he should listen to her..Rishab closes his laptop and says,"Ho gaya tumhara?? Mera bhi hogaya.." He smiles and she rolls her eyes. Sitting with hot tea, Khushi asks,"You have so many phographs of your mother and grandparents but you don't have one of your father. Why?" Rishab opens the draw of the desk and brings out a framed picture of a boy and a man. Khushi looks at it, starts to laugh and pulling his cheeks says,"Wow, how cute! Mere Kulu..Mere babu. Abhi bhi cute hai but sometimes becomes khadoos." Rishab gives her an angry look. Khushi smiles and then asks,"Why are you so distant with your father? Don't you love him?" Rishab stays silent for some time thinking whether or not to share his life with her. He looks up into her eyes and realises he has already made her a part of it. He gives out a deep breath and says,"My father was always busy in his work. But he loved my mother the most so he made time for us. He loved me too but was not that expressive. That day he was supposed to take me to my friend's birthday party but he didn't come. It was getting late and I was getting restless. My mother decided to take me there and she had to drive as that day there was no driver at home.." He pauses reliving the memories again then he continues,"I was sitting at the back and I saw that truck ramming into our car. I had few cuts and bruises and a broken arm. But Mom was seriously injured. She was in coma and she passed away after two days...I didn't see my dad for months. He got himself busy in work then. He used to start shouting at me for small things. I was so scared of him then... Once I even had fever due to the fear. My grandfather decided to send me to boarding school in Shimla to keep me away from all these. He never visited me there nor talked to me when I came back on holidays. I then went to Delhi and then London for studies only to stay away from him. After I returned I got this apartment and moved here." Khushi could see hurt and pain in his eyes. He continues,"It's not that I don't love him, I do, but it hurts thinking about his behaviour towards me. That kid needed his father but he was not present. I believe somewhere he blames me for mom's death. I feel angry on him for being neglected. I feel betrayed when he talks, laughs with others as he had never done with me." Khushi lifts his face and cupping it with her hands gives him a kiss on the forehead. She says,"He loves you too. What he was doing then was his way of mourning the death of his beloved wife. He is somewhere embarrassed today for his behaviour then. So he tries to remain the same hard hearted man you knew. Talk to him, you too will feel better." Rishab shakes his head and says,"That's not true. He is the same man with no feelings for me..forget it you will not understand." He gets up and goes inside the washroom. Khushi knows it is now her duty to bridge the gap between the two.

Rishab feels better after spending some alone time. He then comes out of his room to find Khushi sitting on the floor, searching something from her suitcase. He asks,"Hey, what are you doing? Your bags are still in the living room. Let me take them inside my room." Khushi looks up exhausted and says,"I am searching for my kurti that I want to wear. By the way why did you get out of  your room? Go into the room and take rest. I'll move the bags myself..wait a minute did you say your room? Am I sharing room with you??" Rishab puts his hands on his waist and says,"Kitna sawal poochti hai yeh ladki? Seriously man..I am feeling better now and I want to sit here so I came out.Okay?? Now regarding sharing the room..well I have a big room with a huge bed. We slept together on one bed for two nights now..I don't mind too having a moti and comfortable pillow beside me on which I can snuggle while sleeping..What do you say??" Khushi stares at Rishab and he burst out laughing. After few moments he says,"Just look at your face..okay relax..You stay in my room and I will move into the other one." Khushi makes an angry face and says,"Kitna kam..I mean kitna mazak banate ho mera..I massage your head, take care of you and you make fun of me..You have hurt me. I am not talking to you anymore." Rishab smiles and says,"C'mon yaar, how did I hurt you?? OKAY sorry fine(He holds his ears)..See I am sick and you are making me do this..My head..Aaa." Khushi rushes to him and holds him,"Haye don't fall unconscious again PLEASE.." Rishab winks and pulls her into her arms and gives her the famous cute wali kiss on her head. Khushi smiles as she got her sweets, she says," You are not moving out of your room. Why can't I stay in the second bedroom? I will stay there that's it." Rishab holds her hand and takes her into the second bedroom.

It's a huge room with a huge sofa in the middle. There is a big screen television in the front with big speakers. On the walls of both sides are floor to roof built-in book shelves filled with books. Khushi's eyes becomes big looking at them. She says,"What is this room?" Rishab smiles and says,"I never needed two bedrooms so I converted this one into mini library and home theatre. The sofa can be pulled out to form a bed. I will sleep on it." Khushi excitedly starts jumping and hugs Rishab tightly. She says,"Wow..I love this room..It's heaven for me. I can stay here forever. It's much better than your bedroom with that huge closet..Closet se yaad aya..why do you have my earnings with you?" Rishab' s chori pakdi gayi..What will he say?

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