Rabba Ishq Naa Hove - Season 3 - Part 17

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Chapter 17


Khushi’s POV

When I reach the hospital, I see three nurses trying to control my mother-in-law. She is completely out of control, crying and calling out my name… Shyam is assuring her that I am on my way. The moment I get inside, she sees me and tries to get down the bed. I reach her before that and the very next instant, she hugs me tight and cries harder.

“Aunty… what.. what happened?”

Shyam takes a sigh of relief and the nurses step behind. I keep stroking her back until she is good enough to stop crying.

“She got a nightmare” Shyam murmurs.

Oh! I keep rocking Aunty to make her feel better. She must be really scared that’s why she lost her control tonight. After almost few minutes, Aunty pulls away and grabs my shoulder.

“Khushi…” she shivers. “He tried to kill Arnav….He… he will hurt him..”

I don’t know whom she is talking about. I look at Shyam who has a stern expression on his face.

“Aunty… Arnav is fine..” I assure her.

“No… He is not.. That man will kill him if Arnav doesn't stop loving his daughter..”

Wait! She is talking about my Dad? Why would he kill Arnav? This is a serious allegation.

“Aunty…” I cup her face and wipe her tears. “I spoke to Arnav. He is fine. And the man you are talking about is already behind bars..”

It hurts me to update that about my father but I control my tears and still make that statement.

“Behind bars?” she looks hopeful. “How.. how did that happen?”

Your son did it!! I want to say that but I don’t.

“His black business was out.. and..” I swallow back my tears.

“Aunty” Shyam intervenes seeing my state. “She is right. We all know this. Arnav is absolutely fine and your Bahu is giving you this news. What other confirmation do you need? You saw a nightmare that’s all. Now please take the medicine and rest. I insist.”


Aunty holds my hand tight.

“Promise me you’ll stay with my son forever, Khushi.. You will become his strength if he needs it.”

I am speechless.

Strength? How can I give him any when he has done everything in his power to cut my wings? Shyam is as confused as I am but he wouldn’t risk to coax me for this. Yet, only because me promising her would give her relief, I do it.

“I promise. I’ll always…” I take a pause to swallow my tears again. “I’ll always be his strength.”


She heaves in relief and then kisses my forehead lovingly.

“Thank you.. Thank you…”

I nod and pass the medicine for her to intake. She doesn't leave my hand even after she lies down and goes to sleep. Shyam stares back at me and her. I assure him I’ll be out to meet him, once she is fast asleep. He agrees and leaves us alone.


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

When I come out in an hour, Shyam is alone at the Café, sipping his coffee. I come and sit before him on the same table.

“Thanks for coming here tonight.”

I shrug.

“You don’t need to thank me for anything. She means something to me too. I’m glad you didn’t ignore this and called me here.”

“I had to,” he sighs. “Had I told to Anjali about this, she would have been worried and I didn’t want to bother her when she herself is struggling with the medical camp. And not to forget, Aunty was asking for you frequently. As if she needed your assurance that Arnav was doing fine and he was safe. So, I called you up.”

“You could have called Arnav directly and made him speak to her. Hearing his voice would have eased her down,” I suggest.

“Oh really?” he laughs sarcastically. “And what if she would have told Arnav that she met you… her daughter-in-law?”

I am taken aback. Oh yes, how can I miss this? What if Arnav ever speaks to his mother and gets to know from her that I am here?

“Though I Know this secret will be out soon to him and Anjali that you are here, I didn’t deem it necessary to tell them now. At least not when Aunty is trusting you and liking to spend her time with you.”


He is right. The more I push the secret of my whereabouts from Arnav, the more easy my life will be at the moment. I don’t want him to come here and complicate things for me.


“That nightmare Aunty was sharing.. Did she mean my father wanted to kill Arnav? Why would he want to do that?” I ask my next concern.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Shyam cross questions. “Arnav knew a lot about your father’s dark business. Plus he had already imposed a warning to your father six years back that if he tried to take him down from the company because Arnav was in love with you, he would open up all this to the media. Your dad saw him as a clear threat, Khushi. He always did.”


I keep listening as he continues.


“But then your father had the power and money that time. He made things so worse for Arnav and his family that he had no option but to leave the city.”

“What did Dad do?”

Shyam goes quiet.

“Shyam c’mon. You have to tell me that. Because I am done listening the half side of the story.”

“Then ask Arnav about it. He is the one who can tell you, not me.”


Before I could debate, Shyam’s phone rings. There is another patient’s emergency and he has to leave. Though he offers me his car and driver to drop me home, I deny. I can manage!! I don’t need his assistance if he can’t tell me what I am desperately waiting to know..


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

I keep visiting the hospital twice every week to ensure Arnav’s mother is assured that her son is doing fine. She keeps telling me about Arnav’s likes, dislikes, the way he has taken care of the household after his father’s death and most importantly, how he is the best son and brother in the world. At times when I hear it all, I can actually picturize Arnav doing all that with his family, the smile on his face seeing them all happy and contented. A man who was so kind and giving, why did he turn so brutal to me? Obviously, he wanted to take revenge from my father through me but what I don’t understand still is what did my Dad do to him and his family six years ago?


While I continue my modelling assignments, it gives me quite good exposure to the kind of profession I am in and when I get my first salary credited doing the advertisement for a lip gloss of a famous brand, I literally cry. That message of salary credit happens when I am with Arnav’s mother and she asks me the reason of my tears. When I share it with her, she takes me into her embrace telling me she is so proud of me. No one ever told me that so I cry harder hugging her back.


A while later I ask her what she wants from my first salary and she tells me she wants wool and knitting kit.

“Knitting kit?” I curiously ask and she laughs.

“Yes, is that expensive?”

“Oh no… Not at all. I mean, of course I will get one for you. It will be a good time pass for you. Why didn’t you ask one before? Anyone could have got it for you here, even Shyam.”

She smiles pleased at my reply.

“That’s because I wanted it from you only. From your hard earned money or my son’s.. But since Arnav is not here, I am taking it from you.”


I laugh.

“I’ll surely get you that. What will you make out of it?”

“A pair of socks to start with..” she smiles.

“Pair of socks? For whom? Arnav or me?”

“For your baby…”


The moment she says this I freeze. As if she reads my confusion, aunty pulls me to her.

“I know you two are staying away from each other, so having a baby anytime soon is not going to happen. But I can’t guarantee of my future. What if I am not alive when you both plan to have one?"


I quickly shut her mouth.

“Don’t say so.. I wont speak to you if you talk about all this.”

She laughs.

“Arnav scolds me too but whatever it is. I want to make a pair of socks for your baby, and then a sweater set which you can put on him or her during winters.”


She keeps talking about wanting to have grandchildren and I stare at her blankly. How can I even assure her such a day would come when me and Arnav would make baby? I don’t think I am ready to even have him anywhere close to me after what I heard the next morning of our consummation. I know it wasn’t that I was in love with him but still his words stabbed my heart. During that moment we spent with each other, I was his…. With my heart, body and soul and so was he then how could he deny having any feelings for me the next day?

“Khushi?” Aunty breaks my reverie. “Would you like to have a baby boy or girl first?”


I had no reply and thankfully the topic was discontinued as the nurse entered with her medicine.


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

It’s been more than three months now that I am here in New York, happily doing my job, taking new modelling contracts that suit my likes. It’s giving me both exposure and confidence but the struggling part is never going to be easy. Yet, I am happy to save some money. If this continues, I might save enough in the coming six months so that I can rent out a place and leave this penthouse where I am currently residing. I can’t take more favors from Lavanya. She’s done a lot for me already. She’s the only person who also updates me about Arnav a bit. Yes, he is still frantically searching for me and I think very soon he might come to know where I am. A part of me is curious to know what he would do after that and a part is scared to face him again. My father is already busy handling his court trails though no evidence is in his favor. The verdict will take time but he still hasn’t contacted me nor has he took my phone calls. That’s really weird. I wonder why he is avoiding me so royally?


And amidst all this Arnav has sent at least 10 – 15 emails which I have never opened. I know he has just demanded me to come back which is not happening.

Today when I come to meet Aunty at the hospital, Shyam tells me something that stuns me for a long minute. He wants me and Aunty to stay under one roof.


Whatever Shyam was suggesting wasn’t bad but taking the responsibility of Arnav’s mother single handedly was a big task.

“It’s just a request to be honest because trust me, she hasn’t responded well to the medicines from past six years like the way she has responded to you in the last two months. Her reports are coming out well. She doesn't throw tantrums to eat food or take medicines on time. It’s like she wants to live to see her son and daughter-in-law happy together.” Shyam adds.

“That’s because she doesn't recall yet that I am the same woman whom she is afraid to let her son love. She takes me as a complete different identity, Shyam. And Anjali? What about her? In one month, she will return from the medical camp. The entire situation will be out before her and being your wife, she wouldn’t be happy knowing you let her mother stay with me.” I argue.

“But she will be happy to see her mother’s progress. All these years we waited for some medical treatment to help Aunty come out of her trauma. But see the fate. It turned out to be you, Khushi. I don’t think you have hurt Arnav’s mother intentionally ever, and I can’t call this as redemption but I have seen you loving and respecting her now. And it’s hardly a matter of one month. She will show some great progress. I am sure of that. And this will be a great change for even Aunty. There will be a fulltime nurse to look after her in Lavanya’s penthouse so you can easily do your modelling contracts without having to worry leaving her at home.”


It's not that Shyam is forcing me. In fact, I would love to host Arnav’s mother and spend some time with her as a family together but I am worried what will happen if Arnav gets to know about this arrangement? It’s a huge risk. I need some time to think. But the moment I meet Aunty and she tells me how happy she is to know Shyam proposed she can stay at home and not in hospital anymore, I feel like I have taken my decision already. This woman hasn’t seen the world outside the hospital for 6 years. I can offer her that much if it makes her happy. Besides, I would love to host a motherly figure like her at that lonely penthouse I am staying in.


A week more and I bring Aunty home but of course I inform the same to Lavanya too as she has to know this is happening. She is scared like me at first but then knowing it will be beneficial for Aunty too she is happy and wishes me the best.


It’s been a great journey since then. Aunty is so cheerful, doing everything as I want her to like eating on time, taking afternoon naps, taking her medicines on time. Daily Shyam pays a visit to check her personally and she hasn’t even got any nightmares ever since she has started staying with me. I am out for 3 -4 hours almost thrice a week for shoots but apart from that I am home with her and we do enjoy our time together. I don’t think I have ever had this liberty to spend time with a parent before. Dad was always busy and I wasn’t good at all with the nannies he kept hiring for me throughout. So, I felt caged in my own house but now with Aunty along, I finally feel like having a family. If only, Arnav and I didn’t have this crooked relationship between us. Had we been normal couple, I would be luckiest woman to have such a kind and loving mother-in-law.


********************
One month Later


Arnav’s POV


The official dinner is going great but I am as usual not in a mood or rather, I never have been the same since Khushi left me. The house is killing me every second and even though me and Khushi never made out on my bed in the bedroom, I can only visualize her everywhere. I think at this rate I will go crazy if I don’t find her soon. My sources have confirmed that she is in the western side, in United States and now we are too close finding her exact location. Once I do, it wouldn’t take me a minute to…

“Arnav?” Lavanya nudges me, breaking my stance.

“huh?” I look at her.


She is also present at the dinner is just beside me. Though she hasn’t told me a word about Khushi’s whereabouts, I couldn’t break my friendship with her because somewhere I know she has an eye on my wife and is keeping her safe. I even tried to hack Lavanya’s number to get Khushi’s number but then she is using a bummer non-hackable phone and we will need more time to trace using that.


“I am going to the washroom. Will be back in few minutes,” Lavanya says before getting up from the table and joining the other two female clients towards the washroom.


I continue eating with the rest when her phone buzzes right next to me. She forgot her phone on the table. I am about to ignore when this time the phone buzzes again and it’s a picture message. The moment I see the picture flashing on the screen, my heart skips a beat. It’s Khushi with my mother, both cooking in the kitchen.. and posing for a selfie. WHAT THE F*CK!!!


To be Continued.

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My best friend, Taani, assigned me the responsibility to help her find a suitable groom for her sister, Vidhi. I would have gladly done so if Vidhi hadn’t been my runaway bride, who didn't even acknowledge our marriage bond for 24 hours before fleeing from my life. Now she is right under my nose, letting her sister hunt marriage alliances for her, and the worst part is, I can’t even claim her as rightfully mine.

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Vansh Kapoor, the man I ran away from five years ago on our first night after marriage, was a childhood friend of my elder sister who was now looking for prospective grooms for me. Vansh was dragged into this responsibility as Taani trusted him more than anyone else in the world. I may have had a reason to marry him in the past, but I’d no excuses to hold on to that relationship anymore. Especially not when I knew the selfish reason why he had married me in the first place.


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