Yaadein - Part 38

 

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Chapter 38



Khushi couldn’t believe this. From past 48 hours she wasn’t able to speak to Arnav. He only had messaged her once yesterday that he was busy in some priority work at AR Office. She didn’t know if it was because she went out with Tanmay the other night. Though he had expressed his jealousy, the next instant the protective husband side was predominant and he asked her to take the guard along and share Tanmay’s contact details too. But since that night which was 2 days ago, he was never available on video calls to talk. Khushi was suspicious if he was still upset about it. As usual when it was 10:00 pm in India, she did a video call to speak to the family, thinking Arnav would have returned from office. But Ayush told her he still hadn’t. That irked her.


“Uncle, you are giving him a lot of liberty” she snapped at her laptop screen looking at her father-in-law. “I know Business is important, but Arnav needs rest too. I hope he is eating on time” 

“Did you just call me Uncle?” Ayush frowned.

Khushi realized her mistake. Though she was yet to confront Arnav about accepting their relationship and continuing the marriage not just for Aarav but also for each other, she had to start addressing her father-in-law with the right term.

“Sorry” she held her ears. “No more Uncle.. How about Dad? Like Arnav calls you?”

“Sounds common” he shrugged.

“Common?” she giggled. “Then what should I call you?”

“Umm.. you know I always wanted my children to call me Paapa. But then they learnt calling Dad first and then it continued forever”

“Aww..” Khushi listened him lovingly. “I will call you Paapa then”

“Now that’s like my daughter” he appraised followed by a quick laugh.


By daughter, Khushi remembered Anjali. She was always missing in the calls but obviously Khushi hadn’t expected her to talk to her like normal. Even Arnav and Ayush hardly updated Khushi anything about Anjali. Today, she decided to ask.


“How is Anjali doing?”

The smile and satisfaction from Ayush’s face was gone at the mention of his daughter.


“She is doing fine. Started going out again but she is restrictive. Doesn’t want to waste her time in clubbing with her friends. Last night she showed her interest in joining the family business”


Khushi was equally surprised.

“That’s.. good”

“Yea” Ayush replied. “If she is eager to learn and help us run the Business, we will be more than honored. I haven’t spoke to Arnav yet. I am sure he won’t mind”


Khushi kept listening. It was strange how her father-in-law had still not spoken to Arnav about it. What was Arnav so busy at?

“She and Aarav have also started bonding again which is good. Anju was telling me she is grateful you didn’t restrict Aarav from speaking to her”

“I would never do that”

“I know that sweetheart. Which is why I am so proud of what you are. Now I just hope Anjali also settles down soon. Obviously, I cannot let her stay single forever, especially when I know she still loves Shyam”

That was right.

“Why don’t you talk to Shyam again?” Khushi insisted.

“I have. He is gone to Canada but he will come back. I heard he is going to shift permanently in India again. His mother doesn’t know yet but he has plans. He wants to serve in his country which I think is a great decision. He and Anjali are not in talking terms again but he has promised me he will get in touch with her soon. I have told him nothing about Anjali’s suicide attempt. That would hurt him even more. Somewhere his mother’s acts and Anjali’s lie and secrets have shattered his heart. He needs some time alone but this time he is not going to take years”

“I hope so” she murmured.

They talked for some more time until Aarav finally joined the call after finishing his studies which Anjali was helping him with downstairs. Aarav was very excited tonight to talk to Khushi but she had no clue why? For a second, she even thought he wanted to tell her something but Ayush interrupted the conversation and Aarav bit his lip as if to avoid that discussion. Khushi had no clue if she misinterpreted them or were they both hiding something from her? She spoke to them for some more time and disconnected the call. She had only few more hours left to sleep before waking up again and returning to Office.


The doorbell rang. She had no clue who would come to her Villa at this hour of early morning. She rushed down to the living area to open the door and checked the monitor to confirm who her visitor was. The moment she saw Arnav’s face on the screen, her body froze. For few seconds she couldn’t believe he was here!! This couldn’t be a dream, can it?


“Open the door Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada” he said banging the door gently.

She almost jerked this time and unlocked the door instantly. There he stood, calm and composed, grinning at his over surprised wife. She put her palm over her mouth to shut it up. Arnav Singh Raizada was in Auckland? At her doorstep? Now she realized what was keeping him busy from past 2 days. He was preparing to fly to Auckland!!

“It’s freezing out here, can I come in?” he teased.

“Of course,” she stuttered, moving away from the door to let him inside. Arnav dragged his bag in and shut the door. A part of her wanted to throw arms around him and show him how much his efforts meant to her.

“Pinch me” she mumbled.

Arnav grinned sheepishly but he didn’t obey her orders. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her cheek to make her believe he was really here. She was cold as ice but his kiss heated her enough for the whole day!!


“You are not dreaming. I am really here and dead tired”

“I know” she laughed. She was so nervous right now that she didn’t understand what her next actions should be. “Please.. please come”



She made her way to the kitchen instead of taking him to the upper floor where the bedrooms were.

“No..” she stopped. “That’s kitchen.. the bedrooms are…”

“Upstairs” Arnav completed it for her.

Her eyes widened in another surprise.

“How.. how do you know?”

“You toured the house for us in the video calls” he smirked. “Remember?”

Right!! She felt lost and no less than a fool.


“Uh.. um..” she stared at him. “Let me take your coat”


He was perfectly dressed for the cold weather. He slid his leather jacket down his shoulders and she took it from him, hanging it on the wall beside the main door.

“What.. what are you doing here Arnav?” she finally asked out of curiosity.

“You didn’t like my surprise?”

“I did” she answered. “Very much. But how..? I mean.. You left all your work, Aarav’s school tests for coming here to me?”


She wasn’t complaining. She was glad he came here but wanted to hear his side too. Arnav looked exhausted by a 14-hour flight but his eyes gleamed as he reached closer and touched her arms, dragging her to him.


“Since you shared your work plans with me, I had parallelly started planning this trip with Aarav. We both wanted to surprise you but then the school tests were suddenly announced and we dropped the plan. I was missing you and our little boy read that on my face all the time. It was his idea that one of us should be with you and I couldn’t wait to be that one”


Khushi was speechless. She was so grateful that her son showed that much of maturity at such a small age. She was missing them too. Badly!! He looked so tired and drained. He needed ample of rest but when his eyes lingered extra seconds on her face, goosebumps erupted on her skin and he saw it too. He dropped his arms, letting her breathe again.

“How’s Aarav? Who will take his studies and..”

“Its all taken care of” Arnav assured. “Di will be taking his studies and ensure he does his homework on time. Dad is her backup and your father has promised to help them if they need him”


So, her father knew it too? That Arnav had planned this trip? The whole family had been hiding it from her and now she recalled what Aarav and her father-in-law were trying to hide?


“Let me show you the room..” she said. “This way..”

He followed her to the stairs. Arnav instantly liked the Villa. It was both quiet and vibrant.. full of positive vibes. He couldn’t wait to explore it but after his much needed sleep.. Khushi pushed open a door and it led to a cozy bedroom. It was perfect to rest.

“Should I make you some tea?”

Arnav exhaled. There was nothing like feeling back home.. with the person he was missing so much from the past few days.

“Later. Where is your room?” he asked.

Khushi pointed to the door next to his room.

“We are neighbors” she teased.

He let out a soft chuckle but then he suddenly went quiet as if something struck in his head.

“What?” she queried.

“I flew 14 hours for you.. and you are making me stay in another room..”


A flush crept on her face which he quickly stroked away with his fingers. He wanted to touch her and this feeling was mutual. That’s why whenever he got a chance to do so, he never left. But seemed like his words had stirred something inside her and she was still trying to apprehend what to reply.


“No pressure. As long as you are reachable whenever I want you, I will be fine” He put her at ease again.


It was hard to decide what she liked the most? His patience? Or his stunning dialogues.

“Sleep well. I am not going to disturb you until you wake yourself. I will be in my room or downstairs if you need me”


Need me? That phrase stimulated every fiber in Arnav’s body. What if he needed her now? He swallowed that thought, not wanting to scare her off but Khushi had been quick enough to read his mind. Arnav changed the topic.

“You can continue with your schedule. I don’t want to intrude in your work”

“Don’t bother about my work. It’s in control. When you wake up, you will see me”

“I would like that” he grinned again as she walked out, blushing.


*******************


Eight hours!! That was the longest period Khushi felt distanced from her husband, despite having him in the same house, so close to her. She wondered how she stayed without him all these days? Arnav had reached early morning by 05:00 here and it was almost afternoon now when she finally saw him coming to the kitchen. He looked freshly showered and his casual attire of jeans and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, was to die for. She felt a tremendous yearning at the mere sight of him, barefoot in her kitchen.


“Hi” he smiled quickly scanning the kitchen. “Can I get a Coffee?”

“Yea.. sure” she started making him coffee while he sat on the high-end chair, admiring her. To avoid his intense stare, Khushi picked a topic of their common interest. “I spoke to Aarav this morning. He looked pretty excited to talk to us together. I told him you are resting and we will do a video call soon”

“I hope his exams go well” Arnav added.

“He is a bright kid” she passed him the coffee mug. “Just like his father”


Arnav’s brows lifted in delight.

“How’s your work here? Sorted the Client issues?” He asked sipping the coffee. She brewed the best café in the world, he had to admit.

“All good with the Client. There were a few issues but its fixed now. Client is happy and we are back on track”

“Great”

“I will have to go to office though for an hour max two. Will that be okay with you?”


Arnav nodded, swallowing hard. Though he wanted all of her time, it was fair to let Khushi finish her work commitments. He quickly finished the coffee while it was her turn now to gawk at him. A ghost of smile touched his lips as he caught her staring at him, making him all the more handsome. Khushi’s excitement mounted along with his. Arnav had come here.. for her.. She flushed wishing he couldn’t read her so well.


“I will show you the house” she spoke.

Arnav gave her a cursory nod, then smiled willingly at her interest.

“Start with the Pool first”

She took a slow deep breath knowing why he wanted to see the Pool first. Just two days back she had told him how she sat at the pool, like they did at Shantivan, whenever she missed him here. She couldn’t wait to share such moments with him in this Villa, making some great memories. When she didn’t show any movements to lead him to the poolside, Arnav took a long stride and pinned her to the wall. It was high time he asked her what he desperately wanted to hear from her mouth.

“You missed me?” The sudden flash of his grin stopped her heart. But since he was playing a game of slow conquest, she decided to play strong.

“I think I did” she accepted. “A bit”

His brows rose again as he took a step back. He wanted her to say more, she knew.

“A bit? Looks like your friends kept you busy” Jealousy crept on his face again. Khushi punched his chest.

“Seriously Arnav? You want to bring that up again?”

His mouth curved at her annoyance.

“Did I ever argue why Sheetal works for you in AR Group despite you knowing she is having soft corner for you?”

“I don’t go out for dinners and drinks with her” he defended.

“I don’t do that either with Tanmay but he is my friend now and he at least doesn’t touch me inappropriately like Sheetal does to you”


Her temper rose and Arnav decided to put an end to this argument. He stepped closer, lifting his hands to her face.

“I lose” he accepted his defeat. “Choosing friends is your right just like choosing employees is mine. But.. when any of our choices tries to cross our relationship, we will always intervene. Because I have lost you once and I cannot lose you again. Ever”


He was right and his sensible talks just killed all her anger with ease.

“You will love the Pool” she mumbled to change the topic and entwining their fingers, led him to the top floor.



To be Continued.

NEXT PART 

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