"I love you, Mumma! I know you would have wanted me to take this decision, to free you and to reunite you with Papa. I love you, Mumma will always do!" whispered Khushi, pressing one last kiss to her mother's forehead, her hot tears washing over her mother's pale and ashen face.

She looked at her mother for any reaction, any twitch, any sign of life to convince her against the decision she had taken but alas, the destiny had already chosen its course and she had already placed the stepping stones leading down the path. Khushi knew that she had made the right choice yet that did not make it any easier for her to lose her mother, even in the physical way, as she had lost her mother in the truest sense five years ago.

Yet, something was calming about hearing her heart beating under her head when she rested her head against her warm bosom. Her soothing caress, her tight embrace, and encouraging words were long gone but the rhythm of her heartbeat still managed to convey her undying love for her daughter. The way her heart raced at her happiness, the way her breath hitches in her sadness, the way her ashen yet serene face evoked a multitude of emotions, her mother continued to shower her love even when she caught in a limbo between life and death and sending her into the embrace of death was proving to be harder than she had imagined.

"This isn't a goodbye, Mumma! I hope when we meet next time, our journey together is much longer and much more beautiful! I love you!" she muttered, signing towards the doctor to inject the toxic dose of opioids which would effectively snatch whatever remnants of life-force were intact in her.

Tears continued to flow without any restraint as she reminisced the innumerable bittersweet memories from the past. She had her share of complaints with her mother but at that moment, nothing but complaints against destiny remained in her heart.

"I will come back in fifteen minutes to check up on her. It should take that much time to take effect. You are very brave, Officer! Your mother would be proud!" said Dr. Shukla, patting Khushi on her shoulder encouragingly as Khushi collapsed onto her knees beside her mother's bed, clutching her arm tightly as she placed her head over her mother's bosom, possibly for the last time in their lifetimes.

She was ready to trade everything she had, including her soul, her morals, and her dignity, to bring her family back, and ironically she was the one to sign her mother off to the Lord of Death, in a hope that it would help her mother rest in peace.

He was ready to trade everything he had, including his soul, his life, and everything dear to him, to bring her family and her smile back, and ironically he was the one to sentence her peace, her sanity, and her happiness to death. That moment he, the soldier who lost his path, the husband who forgot his vows, Arnav Singh Raizada, realized that he had snatched so much from her due to his choices that he would never be able to compensate her enough.

As her mother's pulse rate began to drop drastically and the breathing rate intensified, Khushi only clutched her mother more tightly, her sobs muffled as she hid her face against her mother. No amount of perseverance, no amount of preparation would ready her for that moment when her mother's chest stopped moving and she let out one last deep breath, which oddly sounded like her name to Khushi, or maybe it was just her mind playing games with her, she would never know.

"Khushi.," whispered Arnav, involuntarily, as he read the straight lines on the screen beside his mother-in-law. Could she have wanted him to leave her daughter's life forever or would she have wanted him to stay by her side and support her?

"Mumma," she sobbed, trembling as she rose to look up at her mother. She was a sight of serenity, looking every bit peaceful as Khushi wanted her to be.

"Your mother would be proud of you, Khushi! You made sure of that!" said Arnav, hoping that his words would help, but he did not dare to step in between Khushi and her mother.

"I don't know. She just wanted me to be a happy housewife. Pampered, loved, and respected like her, with the love of husband, in-laws, and children. None of that came to be," she replied, reminiscing the last time her mother had wished something to happen - the night where it all began, or was it the night where it all ended?

"I am sorry," he said. Although he had a thousand things to say, he did not want to interrupt the last few moments between the mother and daughter duo by making it about him and their relationship.

"She loved Papa so much. They had a love marriage, you know? So much love that she forgot to talk, walk, or even live after he left. Maybe now that they would reunite, their souls will rest in peace," she mused, caressing her mother's face affectionately in a way her mother used to do to her whenever she was tensed or upset.

"They will," he replied, remorse making his insides churn and his eyes began to sting with tears.

"Will you fulfill a wish of mine?" she asked suddenly, turning to look up at him, to be startled by the sincere expression of regret on his features but that did not startle her enough to change her decision.

"Anything you wish. Any amends, any punishments..."

"I don't want to live in this house anymore. I always thought that I will never step in the place my parents had breathed their last. You want me to give the address right? I will but I want to be freed. I was in pain even before I met you again but I just feel suffocated every moment after meeting you. Will you do this for me? Arnav?"

The first time she had taken his given name after their reunion or rather the first time she had called him by his name without adding any respectful suffixes or prefixes and she sounded keen to make it the last time when he wanted to listen to it over and over again. That moment it hit him right in the heart that it was more than just desire to meet his daughter or guilt or attraction binding them, but it seemed like it was too late.

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It was very tough emotionally to write this update. Hope you guys liked it.

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