Yaadein - Part 13

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Chapter 13 

Shantivan

When Khushi entered the guest room which was going to be her bedroom for the next one month, she was little shocked.

“Mom, Daadu said you love pink. Is that right?” Aarav was still holding her hand.

“Umm.. I suppose it was my favorite color once” she admitted.

Khushi had a lot of dresses in every shade of pink once. But those were during her teenage days and obviously her father-in-law wasn’t updated with her present choices.

“Was?” Ayush stepped in. “I am so sorry if you didn’t like the room. I can ask Hari Prakash to change the décor.”

“No that’s fine. It’s beautiful but I hadn’t expected you to take so much efforts in making my stay comfortable”

“Arnav told me your choices might have changed” Ayush added.

“He used to call me Inky-pinky because of my favoritism on this color”

Ayush was surprised. 

“I never thought my son was good in keeping nicknames too” 

“Then you should sit with me someday and hear out how he troubled me in college” she giggled. “I was not always the one to poke. He did that too” 

“I am sure” Ayush laughed seeing the enthusiasm on Khushi’s face when she spoke about Arnav. 

“Where is he?” 

Khushi wasn’t expecting him to welcome her but at least hoped he was around. 

“He… well.. he went to office.. very early than usual” 

The smile on Ayush’s face faded. 

“Anyway, please settle down and tell me if you need anything else. I am not going to work today so I will be around” 

“Sure” she thanked. “And you little boy.. you are going nowhere.. Mumma and you have a lot to chat. Come on here” 

She carried Aarav in her arms and took him to the bed. 

“Mom, I will help you unpack? I always help Dad too when he comes back from tours” 

“That’s a great help. But Mumma can do that herself. For now, I need you to sit here and tell me all your favorites - food, toys, cartoons – everything that you love” 


Ayush shut the door and left. 

“Mom, you will need a diary if I start telling you. I have so many favorites” he stretched his arms apart to describe that long list. 

Khushi chuckled and pinched his cheek. 

“Moms don’t need diaries to remember what their babies likes. We just hear it once and then remember it for lifetime” 

“Woww” he seemed impressed and started sharing, the first subject being food!! Khushi smiled as she heard his likes and automatically her brain started matching whom Aarav matched more? Her or Arnav. But whoever won between the two, she didn’t care. He was their son and he would surely have traits and likes of both. 


****************** 

AR Office 

Arnav leaned back on his chair, looking constantly at the picture of him and Aarav on his desk. This was clicked 2 years ago when Arnav taught him to play football. Aarav was good at kicking and why not… Khushi used to complain that during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. Arnav shut his eyes. What the hell was he thinking? Why was he relating his memories related to Aarav and him with Khushi? She was a passing phase in his life…. even then.. and even now. 


Sheetal knocked his cabin door and entered in. 

“I didn’t know you were coming early to work today” Sheetal mocked keeping the files on his table. 

“I am the Damn boss here and I can be here whenever I want” Arnav scolded. 

Sheetal was surprised by his raised tone. 

“What’s our schedule with the Bhandari group?” he exhaled. 

Sheetal frowned. She took a seat before him but didn’t respond to his query. Instead she tried to focus on the problem between them. 

“Ever since Aarav’s accident.. I know you have been trying to avoid me. I should have been more vigilant during the ride in the fair but trust me Arnav, I didn’t do anything intentionally. I love Aarav and I too hate to see him in this state” 

She reached for his arm and held it over the table but Arnav instantly shoved her off. He seemed to be determined about something. She swallowed meeting his scorching gaze upon her. 

“I didn’t want to bring this topic ever again but now that you initiated.. let me be very clear Sheetal. I never trusted people to take care of my son. I have been a hands-on father myself. But that day the situation itself was so tricky that I couldn’t take him along. And today…” he clenched his jaw. “I regret. I regret asking you to look after Aarav in my absence. This mishap would have been averted because this one accident has caused so much more damage to my personal life which you would never understand. But let’s not get into that now. We are two professionals here and we better act like one. I hope we never bring this topic again and now…” he exhaled. “Give me the status update on the Bhandari project” 

Sheetal shivered at his direct instructions but handed him the needed file. For the next 20 minutes they discussed the project and then he asked her to leave. Sheetal could see the bond between them breaking – the one she had so carefully weaved all these years. If this happened, she would soon lose him forever. She got up to leave. 

“Can I come to see Aarav tomorrow?” 

Arnav was busy typing. 

“Please” she requested. 

Arnav’s gentle nod was enough to convey his approval. 

“Thank you, Arnav,” she said and slipped out. 

Sheetal was confused how to tackle this situation. The whole office was talking about his wife’s return. Khushi Gupta!! Sheetal was aware who she was and had researched a bit lately but she never understood why Arnav was giving her so much liberty again? It was clear he hated his wife and it was that frustration which he took out on her. 


She heard soft whispers from the corner. 

“They are reuniting?” Tina, one of the employees asked her co-worker Sim. 

“I heard so” 

Sheetal strode to them. 

“What is happening here? Don’t you guys have other work than gossiping about your Boss?” 

Sim and Tina looked down apologetically. 

“What were you telling her?” Sheetal asked Tina. 

“Nothing Ma’am” 

“Speak out, Tina” she scowled. 

“The whole office is talking about this Ma’am. Seems Boss’s wife is staying with him now” 

“That’s rubbish” Sheetal argued. “Who spreads this false news?” 

“Ma’am Ayush Sir himself told that to Mehtaji over the call” 


Sheetal’s face paled. Mehta was Ayush Singh Raizada’s personal assistant. It had to be true. But this news didn’t go well with her. If Arnav and his wife stayed under the same roof, it wont take time for him to fall for his wife’s charm again and that pricked Sheetal. She had to do something to break this unity between the three. 


***************** 


Club 


Anjali Raizada shuffled the cards while her friends glanced at each other and then back at her. 

“Anju.. you don’t seem to be winning even one round today. And you still want to play?” 

Anjali threw the cards over the table. 

“Guess I am going to have a whole bad month” she muttered. 

“She is back we heard” 

“That’s why I called you all here. I don’t want to entertain her tantrums again. You all know how much I hate her” 

“we know” one of them patted her back. “Guess your dad is doing this for your nephew” 

Anjali shook her head. 

“Aarav is everyone’s weakness.. mine too. I just don’t want to see my brother and nephew hurt again because of that woman” 

“Then you should be home and not here. Pay attention on her. Ensure she doesn’t repeat the old mistakes. Since your father is already in her favor and Arnav is at work, there has to someone to keep an eye on her” 


They were right. Today morning when her father informed to be prepared for circling the Puja thali to welcome Khushi back, she was annoyed and the next moment she called up her friends and asked them to meet her in the club. She wanted some distraction from that sort of drama. But looked like she had to change her actions and stay as close to Khushi as possible hereon to know her real motives. She grabbed her purse and walked out. 


****************** 

The lunch time was quiet. Aarav didn’t most of the talking. Khushi observed what her father-in-law and Anjali preferred and mentally made a note of it. Now all she had to learn about was Arnav’s choices. But seemed like that man had already made up his mind to stay as much away from her as possible for the next month but how would it work for her? Khushi had so much to know about how their relationship was earlier.. what went wrong between them and yet how they ended up consummating their marriage. She had so many questions to ask Arnav whose answers she knew only he had. 

That evening, Aarav forced Khushi to paint with her and she obliged. Painting had been their favorite pastime. Khushi was glad her son got her skills. They were at the terrace creating this artwork. Her fingers were all dipped in paint as they together tried to finish their hand painting. 

“Not this color… the flowers should be pink” she advised her son and realized the pink color paint bottle was empty. 

Aarav told her that the new bottles were in his room. Khushi decided to get them in order to finish the painting. She reached his room and climbed the step stool to search for the bottles over the top of the closet. The little step stool was strong enough to hold her but she soon lost her balance and fell behind. Shutting her eyes, she waited for her body to touch the ground and feel the pain but when none of this happened, she opened her eyes only to find herself in arms of Arnav Singh Raizada. 

Arnav was here to check on Aarav because that was the first thing he did every time he was back from work. But when he reached here, he saw Khushi alone on that step stool, trying to get the box from the top of the closet. He realized she was losing her balance and before she could hurt herself, he rushed to help. His heart fluttered when she opened her eyes and saw him. Carrying her was nothing new for him but it had been 7 years now. Yet it felt the same. She squeezed his shoulders and wriggled a bit to get down. That broke his stance and he hurriedly put her back to her feet. Their heads collided in this process but he didn’t care. 

“Wait.” She stopped him and bumped their heads again. 

“What the” he scowled recalling she used to do the same whenever their heads collided. She had a strong belief that not doing so would end their days bad. 

“How was your day at work?” 

Arnav was even more annoyed. 

“That’s none of your business” 

“I just..” 

“Don’t” he interrupted. He turned to leave. 

“I never had a boyfriend” 

He stopped. Why was she bringing that up now? 

“I was always a high maintenance for boys during college… I had few crushes but none of them serious. I know it’s hard to believe but… I recall that much” 

Arnav’s body stiffened again as she came and stood before him. 

“I even contacted my old friends and they told me the same” 

“So?” he snapped. “What does it have to do with me now?” 

“I was just curious why you would blame me for infidelity? That’s a strong allegation Arnav and a man like you wouldn’t say it just like that. Can you please share what exactly you knew and how?” 

“I am not interested in digging the past again. It’s better you too don’t look for it because we are never going to be together again” Arnav shrugged her request so casually that it irked her. 

“Together or not.. I have rights to know” 

“You won’t get that info from me. Look yourself” 

She blocked his way and in the process the paint from her fingers glued to his suit and shirt. 


“I… I am sorry..” she murmured the moment she realized this. 

“You are sorry for spoiling my shirt but you spoiled my life too. No regret for that?” Sarcasm filled his voice. 


Khushi’s resolve to stay strong failed and tears welled in her eyes. Her crushed look didn’t affect him or at least he made her feel so and strode away. Khushi slumped on the little bed pondering over his comment. Whatever happened in the past she had no clue about it, no memories, no clarity. She had tried to contact her old pals and try to co-relate the incidents of her life through them but until Arnav helped her share those things which no one else but only the two of them knew, how would she connect all the missing dots of her life? But he was right. In the hurry to get back to Aarav, she overlooked the importance to apologize to Arnav Singh Raizada. She didn’t know if she was completely wrong as everyone pointed her to be or she was made to look bad in the past. But Arnav deserved a Sorry from her and he will soon get it. Even to raise Aarav separately they would have to kill this bitterness between them and she promised to make it happen. She was not going to give up this time however unfair circumstances had been so far. She would fight until she clears every misunderstanding and remove the hatred Arnav carried in his heart for her. 


To be Continued. 


NEXT PART 

Hints for next Part 

1. Flashback of Arnav Khushi consummation

2. Khushi visits the hospital where she delivered Aarav. 
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