Khushi Pov

"Khushi...Khushi..." I scrunched my brows feeling someone palms on my cheeks.

"Khushi beta..." Maa, maa was calling.

Flickering my lids, adjusting to room light I realized I fainted again.

"Here drink this. What happened to you? Why are you fainting here and there?" Maa asked in worry caressing my face, moving aside my tendrils.

I drank the juice as I needed that most at the point. I feel like all my energy sucked
up. Moving my eyeballs, I noticed everyone looking at me with a worried expression.

Arnav stood in a corner piercing into my soul. His chocolate orbs fixed on me without blinking.

"Here eat this" Maa feed me distracting from my thoughts.

"You should take care khushi" papa's concerned talk made me realize how self-obsessed I become these days.  Muddling in my own self, I failed to notice how worried everyone because of me.

Is that includes arnav too? My heart questioned.

Involuntarily my eyeballs land on him. He's trying to read me, I can feel it. Suddenly feeling self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze I shifted my eyes to avoid my thoughts which plans to enter inside a dangerous territory.

"We should let her rest, already she looks pale. Shashiji why don't you all stay here tonight, it is getting midnight" Ratna maa suggested for which everyone agreed.

Where's meera?

Finding her standing beside arnav I felt all her words started ringing in my ears.

How she's sure of siddharth decease? 'Don't mourn over someone who is not yours' what she means by that? Isn't he is my own? Is it true, what I have for siddharth was infatuation?

"Let's call it a night. Uncle come I'll show your room. Anni show their room to Payal and Meera" Arnav dispersed everyone letting the darkness to occupy the room.

Slipping into a nightdress I pulled the blanket over my head only to get horrified when someone pulled it away.

Calming my unlaboured breathing realising it was none other than arnav "What the hell arnav?"

"Don't put the blanket over your head. It'll restrict you from getting fresh air" saying this he entered to washroom taking his spare clothes.

Even after the arguments we had, he cares for me.

Involuntarily my thoughts went back to the time when I and siddharth had a fight.

"Sid, please understand me. This week I want to go home. It's already a month I see my family" Pleaded I.

"You can see them next week khush. I will be bored alone in home so I booked movie tickets for us and scheduled our programs too. Morning we'll be roaming around the mall and afternoon movie then evening another movie and then if you want you can stay in my home too" He recited what he planned without consulting me.

"I can't sid. I am going home that's final. You can't decide my decision. Bye. I'll be back in two days" I slammed the phone. From past four weeks, I was spending my whole weekend with him, what else he wants.

Unfortunately, next day my health deteriorates, I called sid to inform the same and ask him to buy medicines as most of the hostel was empty. My friends gone to their homes. But for two days he neither lift my calls nor replies to my constant messages. I was devastated for very first time, the one whom I thought will never let me down actually left me to dwell. Later somehow due to a lot of pestering and his constant apologies he gained my forgiveness.

Why didn't he came that day when he claimed to love me?

He didn't even asked why I called him and top of it he didn't even opened the messages I sent. Is this love? Seems like I too didn't take it as a big issue, but now it looks like something else. Is it because of Meera words?

Why arnav still care for me when all I gave him was hurt? Why??

Tossing and turning for few minutes again mind drifted back to the fateful day I lost him.

"Sid...What a surprise! You came here that too in the early morning. What happened? Don't you have office?" I asked after meeting him in one of the coffee shop.

"Khushi.... We're getting married. NOW!!!"

I couldn't believe my ears. What the hell? Early morning around 4'O clock he called me saying he will land in Mumbai within few hours and asked me to meet him at this coffee shop. And now he is kidding. Yeah, it must be a prank.

"Sid, don't play okey. I am going to order a cappuccino and what do you want?" I asked inspecting the menu card.

"Khushi I am serious. My family is planning to marry me with a client's daughter for a deal" He dropped the bomb.

I know his family doing business in small scale and planning to expand it. But that doesn't mean they have to bait him.

"Sid, this is ridiculous. We just started our career, still I didn't join in a company. How can you expect me to marry on such short notice? Don't you think I too have a family who has every right to know about us and plan our marriage with their wish. I can't sid" I denied right away. I have no marriage plans for at least two years. For god sake, I just completed 21 years of my life.

"Khushi, this was the last chance we have. I tried to convince my family about us but went in vain. They would not sit silently henceforth until I marry the girl whom they chose. Please khushi, think from my side also. Can't you do it for me? Don't worry about your family, I'll convince them and moreover if we married then no one else can separate us" His convincing, pleading voice tighten my insides. I couldn't deny his pleading face nor to marry him on the back of my family. But situation demands...

"But...Where...I mean where you planned for marriage?" I indirectly accepted his proposal placing a stone in my heart. I should be happy instead I felt something is wrong. My hands shivered in nervousness, some unknown fear occupied its place in my heart. Sid pressed my hands in assurance placing a loving peck on my forehead raising from his place from the opposite. Yet the fear remains on the heart occupying more of the place.

"Sid, I don't think it will work. I mean..I can't..." Suddenly I felt weak to express my feelings.

He stood and took place beside me, rounding his arms around my shoulder. Swiftly I removed it, I don't know why I feel the whole thing is wrong in the first place. My whole body tensed up with his sudden proximity. Few times we hugged and barely pecked on my forehead. Maybe that's why I feel that way, I consoled myself.

He held my palms, entwining it with his before placing it over his heart which thudded like mine.

"Khush baby..Trust your heart not your brain. We're doing the right thing. See how your heart answers" he placed the entwined hands over my heart. It galloped more than necessary, I don't know it was answer or fear.

"I can't" I replied defeatedly releasing my hands from his turning other side calming my anxiety.

He wipes the lone tear which was ready to out from my eyes. Cupping my cheek he tried to turn me, I refused to budge. I determined not to fall for his pleading face hearing my heart wish like he said.

He forcefully grabbed my nape turning me towards him. My breath got stuck in throat seeing the proximity. Eyes widen when there was only a centimetre apart separating our lips.

Before I could push him he spoke surprising me "I'll speak to your family and arrange our marriage within two days with their blessings. Is it okay, are you happy?"

Sudden relief rushed through my veins. I nodded hugging him with a content smile on stopping the marriage.

"I planned to do register marriage. So the officer and friends must be waiting for us. I'll inform them to stop the process. Until then wait baby" saying this he pecked my forehead not having an ounce of idea that will be the last peck we shared.

That's when I noticed we're sitting in a cafe near register office.

I followed him outside, he ordered me to wait there while he went few metres away to inform. And then.... The truck came out of nowhere taking his life along with two other members.

Even after three years, I shiver whenever I remember that incident. Now also no less, sweat surfaced on my palms.

Why I felt wrong that day? Is it because it was not love but infatuation like meera said?

Couldn't help but compare the kiss sid placed on my forehead and arnav. I felt lively when arnav pecked my forehead and electrified when he kissed my cheeks and his touch on my tendrils...Ow..It shivers. His hug has the power to make me forget myself, unlike siddharth whose hug made nothing. 

How can I compare them when I know arnav only from few days? Smacking myself I tried to sleep when I heard his voice.

"Sleep khushi. You badly need it" Following his voice, I saw him lying in the recliner. When did he come from washroom?

Obeying his orders wholeheartedly for very first time, I let my lids to seal forgetting all the worries for time being.

Surprisingly my lids seal broke in the early morning and after a long time, a fresh wave passed through my nerves.

I need to start afresh. Away from the problems. Need a change. Need a change from my routine. This was the first thought came in my mind when I see a sleeping arnav with a cute pout adorned his face. His neck is craned on one side says a lot of stories. His neck was paining probably.

Moving my arms and legs giving them much needed relaxation I took my pillow, allowing my feet to fit on the slippers and reaching him I adjusted it on arnav neck. Ohwww...His skin in nape was soft. Settling his neck in a proper way, giving a satisfied smile to myself, I started my new day taking my clothes to washroom.

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So what do you guys think about siddharth? Did he love khushi? What about khushi, Is it infatuation like meera said or she truly love Siddharth???

Share your opinion along with your vote guys🌟🌟📝📝

Thank you for your kind words and votes on previous chapter!!!!