Love is not always Sweet

chapter 23

Arnav was very furious when he entered the house... He thought he was ready to accept their separation even though it pained him... He thought he could let Khushi go away from him if she really wanted it... but clearly... it wasn't the case... He hurried inside and threw the file on the couch... He started pacing in the room while remembering Khushi and her words... How could she act so normal? Earlier, atleast she used to taunt him... but today, she behaved as if nothing ever existed between them...

Arnav: dammit... (he cursed and slumped onto the couch)

Arnav's eyes fell on those papers again and he took the file into his hands... He held those papers in his grip and observed Khushi's signature on them for a while... He gulped down the pain he felt inside... He threw all those papers aside and got up in irritation before he saw a chit... It was the same one he wrote to Khushi, explaining his feelings to her... It was the same letter where he asked her to sign the divorce papers and go ahead in her life, if she wanted to... Looks like that piece of paper didn't change a thing in her mind and she decided to move on...

***

On Anjali's insistence, Arnav had to come over to Lavanya's house... It was Lavanya's haldi ceremony and Anjali couldn't attend it because of her recent delivery... Lavanya was disappointed with that fact which made Anjali make this arrangement... Arnav had to shoot a video of some good moments so that she could see them later... Probably, Nani might come to attend only the wedding... Having no other chance due to constant pressure from Anjali and also from Lavanya, he had to come to her place...

As soon as he entered the place, he heard someone's laughter... He knew whose it was and he tried hard not to fall into that... but he couldn't... He turned his head and saw her standing near the stairs... She was in a yellow saree again but it was quite different from the one she wore the day before... She looked beautiful but he couldn't admire her beauty without thinking about the missing pieces... the one which used to adorn her neck and the one which filled her partition since six months... They were gone... She broke the ties between them... It was so painful to watch her like that... He didn't know there was an other man, standing opposite to her, until she spoke to that person... His eyes fixed on the person whom she was speaking with... He looked like he was in his mid twenties but Arnav never saw him before... Without his own knowledge, he started walking towards them and heard Khushi speaking to that person...

Khushi(smiling): no no Vikrantji... this is not any prank... these are hundred percent sweets made with sugar and you will definitely love it...

Vikrant: but my friends told me that the members from girls side will tease the boys side members...

Khushi(still smiling): no no... It's not like that... I am not playing any prank... These are pure Lucknow sweets made by me...

Khushi was about to talk further when her eyes fell on Arnav... He almost reached them and stood at a metre distance... While Khushi was looking at him, Vikrant picked a sweet...

Vikrant: OK... I will believe you then...

It made Khushi to turn back to Vikrant, away from the intensifying eyes of Arnav... Vikrant took a bite and then he spoke to Khushi...

Vikrant: umm... nice... Lucknow girl... offering Lucknow sweets... I missed all these when I stayed in states... Obviously, there is something special in our Indian ladies and in our Indian food...

Arnav didn't like whatever he just heard... Even though Vikrant said it like a matter of fact, he couldn't tolerate that he was referring to Khushi and the sweets made by her... So when Vikrant was about to pick an another sweet, he stepped and picked the same one before Vikrant could... Vikrant stood like his sweet just got disappeared before he registered that it was taken by someone else... He looked at Arnav whose eyes got locked with Khushi... Arnav brought it towards his lips, still looking into Khushi's eyes... as if challenging her to stop him... and she did it... Khushi held his arm before he could taste it...