Admiring his sleeping form with tears rolling down her eyes, she kissed him right beside his lips and then glancing at the letter, kept on his side-table and drinking in his form, sufficient enough to keep her live as long as she desires, she picked up her luggage and giving a last, longing look to her husband, their house, she left, she left to no where, unknown to anyone.

Sun beamed brightly caressing his face who groaned and then stretched his arms. Feeling something amiss, he moved his hands all over the bed amd then sat on the bed with thudding heart.

The bathroom door was wide open and pool side door still closed. Panicking,he turned his right only to get his eyes glued to an almost crumbled piece of paper.

Wiping off the sweatbeads formed on his forehead, he opened and read it, blurry eyed.

His throat parched and voice dreaded to come out.

He kept staring at a particular sentence and then stumbling, fumbling and Almost like a subconscious, incomplete kind of man ran outside.

After she had fallen unconscious in his arms, he had made her get thoroughly checked by the doctor and then spend whole of the night, looking at her with her hand in between his.

Her face told him the unnarrated story to which his sharp glares almost pierced Lavanya who thought to leave for everyone's betterment.

Just two hours, he had slept for just two hours and when he opened his eyes, his world came upside down, the ground beneath his feet slipped off.

Running here and there on the streets in frigid atmosphere of Manali without a blazer or anything warm, he kept looking for his wife.

Showing her pic and asking about her showed no help and at last, having no other option, she went where he could feel the presence of his Khushi.

Sitting on that very bench of this park provided him with a soothing sensation. He kept looking at the kids and that's when a ball hit his head.

Shrieking with the sudden pain, he looked only to smile a little still in his painful state.

Little Pari had now started walking and playing and since, she was here today early morning, she was delighted to see her Any Uncle but he didn't notice her and didnt even smile at her. So, in order to get his attention, she had hit him with the ball and when he looked at her, flaring her nose just like his Khushi, she opened her arms wide as a signal to carry her in his arms, which her Any Uncle gladly fulfilled.

Showering his face with her slurry, noises kisses, she hugged him tight, making Arnav's heart tighten as well and tears roll down his cheeks.

Pari makes him remember someone very close to him and it breaks his heart everytime, thinking she is not with him nor can he do anything to bring her back atleast now.

He and his wife had met Pari when she was just 6 months old she had given them their brightest smile and from then, these two were her favourite people and his wife had proudly announced to everyone that she has a best friend now, Pari.

His wife had named the baby and Pari's parents too accepted it wholeheartedly.

Feeling Pari wiping his cheeks warmed his heart and then Pari's fumbling words of her request of taking her to a place, he stood and walked in the direction.

His heart again started beating seeing her playing with the rabbit with a dull but smiling face with her luggage kept beside her.

While taking baby steps towards her, he suddenly came across the Chilling wind and he knew, how he would get his warmth.

Seeing a well-built man's legs in front of her, she looked up from the rabbits only to jerk behind with fear and before he could register, she was running rather quickly than she could.

Having no other option and quickly putting Pari in her mother's lap, he ran behind her while she kept hiding herself behind one tree or another.

Instead of feeling it to be childish for his 25 years old wife, his heart cried with the fact that she is running away from him, from her only family.

Reaching her in two long strides and then hugging her that tightly to choke,he calmed down his thudding heartbeat and finally felt warm.

While, her struggle to free herself and run far away was still very much alive.

W-why did you do this Khushi?
How could you leave me just like that saying its for everyone's betterment?

He asked cupping her cheeks while she jerked his hands and turning her face to left said-

Leave me Arnav, let me go.

To which Arnav pulled her closer making her eyes widen, never ever, he was so rough in his touches as today.

Gritting his teeth and with finality, he started-

Over my..

But stopped mid by a shrill cry of

Arnavvvvvvvv..

And then his wife came crashing to his chest.

Wounding his arms around his wife, he asked lovingly-

It did hurt, right Khushi?
Then think, how, how painful these two hours would have been for your husband.

She hid herself more in his chest and cried-

Y-you don't want to be my husband.
My touch disgust you Arnav. I can bear every damn pain but not this Arnav. I can't see disgust for me, in your eyes.

Arnav who had paled on the prior confession changed his expressions when his wife tried to be what she should not be, a stupid selfless soul.

Coming out of the hug and giving him a bright which he clearly caught to be a wounded smile, she added-

And-and trust me, I am not angry. I understand. Its actually commendable how you cope-up with a scarred me and my daily-basic accidents.

She tried to turn but Arnav held her and challenged her to say what she wants, right at his face, meeting his eyes.

And she did that.

You have a right to be happy. You have a right to move........... With Lavanya.

Khushi..... He threatened.

I-I know.. Still she continued only to be roughly manhandled.

Don't you dare!
Don't you even dare to say that dammit!

He shouted with fire-raging eyes.

You can do it and I can't even voice it out? This time her tone was no less raging.

She pushed him but he again pulling her towards her confessed-

I have done nothing dammit.
I am a loyal husband to you. I have always been.

Don't bluff me. She said disheartened.

Let's go home. He announced.

Flaring her nose, she looked at him and shouted at the top of her voice starling everyone being known mostly by all-

I am not coming anywhere with you. Just send me the divorce papers to the place I would mention and...

Before she could complete, Arnav had carried his stubborn wife in his arms, his face strengthened, eyes angry but then he couldn't help but chuckle seeing Pari happily dancing and clapping seeing her Any Uncle carrying her Khishi Aunty like a baby.

While Arnav walked towards their car, Khushi kept punching and shouting-

Arnavvvvvvvvvv, you can't do this. Put me down, you can't take me home forcibly.

Arnav, why are you doing this? Why are you trying to carry a burden when you love..

She was harshly pushed to their car's door and was welcomed by his raging love confession after whole one year-

I love only and only you dammit!

But he frowned deeply looking at her face and with gritted teeth, scolded-

What the!
Why are you smiling, you crazy woman?

Khushi's eyes widened. She had no idea that she was smiling, scratch that, her husband understatemened it. She was actually grinning.

She looked here and there and with fumbling words announced-

I-I am not smiling. Just let me go.

He pushed her inside the car making tears roll down while he said hovering over her petite frame-

You think, I will. No, Khushi. I will never. So, stop exhausting me and spare me for the day. Your this little stunt was enough for a lifetime.

She slapped his hand in his attempt of wiping her cheeks and meeting his misted eyes with her wet ones asked-

When I am that special, when you love me so much then,Wh-why did you say that my touch disgusts you?

His plain face gave her an idea of what he could say, so she added-

And don't lie Arnav, I know it was for me.

Making him close his eyes and clench his fist.

But in anger or pain or helplessness?

To be continued..

Thank you to all those who voted and commented on the previous chapter.

Do vote and comment if you liked it.