ARNAV

I kept myself busy with work, I kept on working until midnight at times so that I would stop thinking about Khushi or anything related to her.

I remember when I had found out about my wife cheating on me, I hadn't been able to sleep for over a month just wondering where I went wrong and I dint want my best friend to go through something similar that too because of me.

Not that Khushi and I had cheated on him in any way, but there were feelings and if we had control over our feelings, we would have never let this happen.

I mostly avoided Shrey, I dint want to hear him talk about Khushi or tell me anything about her because it would just make things more difficult, although I felt terrible at the same time because I was avoiding him at the time when he needed me the most.

As days passed, things just kept on getting complicated, no matter how hard I tried I wouldn't just stop worrying and thinking about her, I kept on convincing myself not to, reminding myself that it was wrong to even think about her, but only if I had control over my mind.

At times, I would secretly stop by the hospital whenever she had her chemo sessions and just make sure she was doing well.

Within a few days of her first session, she lost all her hair, but she was still the beautiful Khushi I always knew, at first I thought it was going to hurt her, I mean I know how much hair means to a girl and losing it all at once is heartbreaking, but she remained strong, she dint let it affect her and I was so glad she was trying to be strong and fight this.

Days kept changing into months and I kept on getting myself more and more engrossed with work, Shrey kept on updating about Khushi's health every now and then and I thought it was enough, just knowing she was doing well, but in real it wasn't.

It had been six months since I met her, I did stop by the hospital just a week back when she was having her chemo session but I stayed invisible, let's just say that in this six months, I had seen her but she hadn't seen me even once.

I thought it was going to be easier with time, but it had been months now and instead of me losing my feelings for her, I realized that they were just getting stronger, and I felt guilty, I felt terrible for all of this.

For once I even thought of informing Shrey about everything, not in a selfish way, I just wanted him to know about it, not that Khushi and I wanted to be together or anything but he deserved to know the truth, because hiding it from him was the same as cheating on him.

I knew things like this always had a way of coming out, there was no way it was going to stay hidden forever, so I thought it was better if we informed Shrey about it, we explained it to him, it was better if he learnt about it from us than anywhere else, not that anyone else even had the idea about it but like I said, things like this do have a way of coming out.

After I had made up my mind about this, I decided to meet Khushi, I had to talk to her and convince her to tell Shrey about this because honestly I couldn't live with the guilt of hiding this from him, he was supposed to know, he deserved to know.

Maybe after we both told him the truth, I could shift somewhere else, I could even go abroad and get settled there, and they would stay here and live their lives happily ever after.

*****

I woke up early in the morning and got ready work, I decided I would later stop by Shrey's house to pay Khushi a visit and talk to her about this, I dint even know if she was going to agree on this, neither did I know how Shrey was going to react after learning the truth.

When I arrived at the office, I already found him there, I was usually earlier than the usual office hours and it was surprising to see that he was earlier than me.

I headed to my cabin straight doing my best to ignore him like I had been doing for the past few months.

As I settled down, I saw him walking into my cabin and I felt nervous suddenly, I was just so scared about everything.

"What's up?" He asked as he walked in and pulled out a chair, he settled down opposite me, looking at me and I dint even have the courage to look back at him, how could I? I had done so much wrong to him.

"Nothing much, just busy with the work." I said, still avoiding to look at him, I switched on my laptop and kept on staring at the screen.

"Is everything okay Arnav?" Shrey asked.

"Of course everything is okay, in fact I should be the one asking you that question." I said.

"Then ask." He said, still looking at me calmly.

"Is everything okay Shrey?" I asked as I finally managed to look at him once before looking back at the computer screen.

"No nothing is okay, my wife is battling cancer and since then my best friend had been avoiding me, and you know what the funny part is? I don't even know why." Shrey folded his arms as he looked at me seriously,

"I am not avoiding you Shrey, I am just busy with work." I looked at him.

"Really Arnav, we have always had this sort of work, you haven't behaved this way before, why are you avoiding me at such a time, when I need you to be around me and assure me that my wife is going to be okay?

Do you realize it's been six months since we started Khushi's treatment and you haven't paid her a visit even once? Don't you care about her, about me? What is it? This thing has been haunting me for months now so I want to know, what wrong did I do to deserve this kind of treatment from you?

Do you even realize what's going on in my life? I at least expect a little bit of support from you but you... what have I done Arnav, did I do something to hurt you or anything? Why are you avoiding me?"

"It's not about you Shrey, there are just some things in my life which I'm trying to figure out."

"I don't need such answers Arnav, I know there's a problem, or a reason so all I want to know is the reason." Shrey looked at me like he could punch me.

"Okay fine, yes there's a reason and I promise I'll tell you about it, just give me some time, I promise I will tell you everything."

"You better do, and tonight you are having dinner with us at my place and I expect to see you at home sharp at seven o'clock, and I'm not listening to any excuses." He stood up and walked away. I was anyway going to his place today because I had to talk to Khushi, I guess, dinner will be the excuse then.

*****

Shrey had left from work early, I guess he headed to prepare for dinner, I stayed back until six thirty and then headed straight to his place for dinner.

I felt nervous, it was after so long Khushi and I were going to be face to face, I dint even know what we were going to talk about or anything, it was going to be really awkward.

I rang the doorbell as I stood outside nervously fiddling with my fingers, a moment later, the door opened and there she was, standing in front of me.

She was dressed in her PJ's and she had a scarf wrapped around her neck, as soon as she saw me, she pulled out the scarf from her neck and started wrapping it around her head to cover it.

"You don't have to, it's a battle you are fighting, you shouldn't hide it, I am no one to judge how you look although you look beautiful as always." I said, she nodded ass he wrapped the scarf around her neck again, turned around and walked inside as I followed her inside, I knew she was surprised to see me here, maybe Shrey dint tell her that I was coming.

"Where's Shrey?" I asked as I looked around wondering where he was.

"He said he was going to pick dinner from somewhere, he dint feel like cooking and he wouldn't let me cook." She said, not taking her eyes off me.

"So how have you been?" I ask nervously, all this while she doesn't even take her eyes off me, she keeps on staring at me without blinking.

"Trying to survive." She giggles but it's just a fake giggle, I can see the pain she trying to hide and it's at this moment that I realize, staying away from her all this month's hasn't changed a thing, I still feel like holding her in my arms and telling her it's all going to be okay, but I don't, I just say the thing I wanted to say to her.

"I think we should tell Shrey the truth, about what we feel." I see her eyes widen as she looks at me in surprise, it's not even surprise, it's shock.