Rabba Ishq Naa Hove - Season 3 - Part 25

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Chapter 25


Khushi’s POV


“Maa I am done. I can’t eat more.”

“Little more, Khushi, and I promise I wont force you again. Just two more morsels.” Maa insists.

No one has ever fed me with so much love and how can I deny Maa? So, I allow her to resume feeding me the dal rice she cooked for me. It has a different taste compared to the ones which Maa cooked or maybe my taste my changed due to the medicines I keep intaking to soothe my ankle sprain. Ever since I have returned home with NK dropping me today after this injury, Maa hasn’t left my side. She is full-time busy in pampering me and I love it.

“Let me pamper my daughter-in-law until for the next month, after that I’ll get to speak to you only on video calls.”

What? What is that supposed to mean? Maa reads my confusion.

“Arnav told me an hour ago that we are leaving for India after a month. Since you have your modelling assignments, you can’t join us now which is absolutely fine. I want you to shine in your career, Khushi. All my blessings are with you.”

I swallow painfully. So, Arnav is seriously leaving after one month? Looks like. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t involve Maa or notify her.

“I can stay with you for some more time if you need me though.” Maa adds.

“I’ll always want you beside me Maa but my schedule is going to be hectic and Arnav too deserves to have you around him,” I reply painfully.

“Yes, he deserves it too. My boy has lived alone for almost six years. He has slogged hard to be where he is now, Khushi and I’m so proud of him. They say few incidents in life teach you to be tough, but my Arnav broke down, then again rose up to fight back his battles. And in all this, he found you as his life partner.”

Oh Maa!! She doesn't recall yet that I am the same woman she has tried to keep him away from and the same woman whom her son has tortured mentally after tricking her into marriage.

“I have just one request though,” Maa’s voice breaks my reverie. “You are still angry on Arnav but before this month is up and we have to leave, I want you both to patch up. I can’t wait to see you both living a normal couples life. For now you both don’t even share a room and this is been dragging from too long. Will it too much for me to ask you to let Arnav stay in the same room as yours.”


I am speechless. So far, Maa has always been supportive of my distance with Arnav, only because we have framed a different picture to her. If she comes to know what Arnav did to me which is why I am pushing him away, will she still want her son to stay with me and me act like his good wife?

“You don’t have to confirm it at this moment,” Maa adds. “Take your time but do think about it before we leave. God knows when I’ll see you again after that if you become busy here in New York and don’t come often to meet us in India.”


I suddenly choke the food at her remark. I’m never going to India again because when Arnav leaves for India this time, it will be with my signatures on the divorce papers. Our relationship will officially come to an end and I’ll break every ties with him. Maa makes me drink some water and I feel better.

“Did Arnav put more chillies in it? I hope not. I’d asked him not to.”

“Arnav?” I ask her curiously. There were no chillies in the dal. I choked because I wasn’t focusing while swallowing the food.

“Yes. He cooked this dal for you. Ever since you are unwell, he is doing his best to make sure you are well rested and because he loves you, he insisted on cooking this dal for you. Was it tasty?”

I am amused. Arnav cooked meals for me? At one side he is telling his mother that they are leaving after a month, and on the other side he is also trying to gain my attention. This man is surely manipulating me into giving in to his ways so that I forgive him and continue the rest of my life being his wife, but that’s never going to happen.

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

I wake up the next morning feeling an urgent need to empty my bladder. But I can’t reach the bathroom by self. Last night Maa helped me reach the washroom though I didn’t want to bother her. How will I do it today when Maa is not in my room? I try to get down the bed and walk on one leg but I suddenly lose balance and stumble back on the bed. The vase from the bedside table falls down. The door opens and Arnav barges in. He tries to analyze what must have happened and then reaches the bed to carry me in his arms.

“Don’t” I mutter, moving behind. “I don’t want you to touch me.”


Arnav stops at his track and sighs.

“Maa is taking shower. I know you don’t like me to touch you without reasons but if Maa was here, I would have let her help you reach the washroom.”


For the first time I find him giving me appropriate reasons rather than commanding me or forcing his decisions on me.

“It’s bad for your kidneys to control the urge to empty the bladder, Khushi. Don’t take that risk.”

I raise my brows.

“Don’t give me health advises. I can look after myself.”


Arnav grits his teeth.

“Fine, lets wait for Maa to finish her shower,” he declares.

Yes. That’s what I want to. But…can I hold my bladder that long? I don’t think so. Arnav doesn't move an inch away and keeps looking at my face. I know he wants me to change my decision but I won’t. We both wait for almost two more minutes, in silence, with me sitting on the bed and he standing close to it.

“You don’t need to wait here.” I tell him.

“That’s non-negotiable. I won’t leave you alone until Maa comes to help you.”

God! I look away, shift a bit on the bed to control. A sharp ache shoots in my abdomen which I curb.

“When.. when did Maa go for her shower?”

Arnav checks his watch.

“Ten minutes ago.”

He is as calm as a mountain today. Only ten minutes back? She usually takes 25 minutes to shower and dress up. How can I wait for 15 more minutes.

“Arnav, please leave me alone. I can wait till Maa comes here.”

“I can wait here too,” he argues.

“I don’t want you here.”

“I can’t leave you here, in pain.”

Oh really? I frown at him.

“What about the times when you emotionally played with my mind?”

“You didn’t?” he queries back. “Six years back I too lived a lie that you loved me, Khushi. I had started dreaming of you becoming my wife.. having my children.. we as a happy family.”

I am about to retort when he continues.

“The pain you gave me Khushi by mocking over my love for you before your friend Sheetal, by denying to have any feelings for me and only interested in me for physical pleasure before your friend and later your father had bruised my heart, traumatized my mind and played with my emotions too.”

“You tricked me into this marriage…” I scoff.

“I wish I hadnt..” he nods empathetically. “But then if I hadnt… your step father Shashi Gupta would have got you married to some unknown man from his business circle and then snatched all that property lawfully which belonged to you. Were you okay with that, now that you know what kind of a man he is?”

I am speechless but Arnav continues.

“Staying with a known enemy is always better than living with an unknown friend, Khushi. Take me as your enemy, take a knife and stab my heart multiple times if you think that seeing me in such a physical pain can compensate even a bit of all the emotional trauma I gave you after marrying you, I won’t say a word.”

He reaches closer and kneels down at my feet, without breaking our eyelock.

“I dragged you for revenging Shashi Gupta thinking he would be the most hurt in the process, seeing his daughter in pain and that way I could also teach you a lesson for ditching me in love, but I was wrong. He never loved you so there was no chance he could suffer seeing you in pain. In fact, hurling all those mocking comments at you, I was the one who always got the pain in return because seeing you in tears still bleeds my heart, Khushi. I wish I could behave that sensible enough to leave you out of this revenge games I planned for him, for all that he did to my family, but I was blinded in rage. Now you are…”


I am blinded with rage? Yes, I am. Tears pool in my eyes as he continues explaining.

“You want me to be gone from your life and I asked you one month. I won’t go back on my words, Khushi. But I beg you to let me take care of you as your husband, which I am, in this period, not because I want to woo you. Not because I want you to see me in a good light, but because I still love you and I want to redeem for all the sins I committed in our married life.”


Gosh.. Am I crying? I think so, because tears roll down constantly from my eyes. Arnav sees it too but he continues.

“You might claim of never loving me, maybe you can never forgive me even, but I still beg you to give me a chance to play my part as your husband, Khushi. I promise, even if by the end of one month you still want me to go, I will. And you’ll never see me again.”


I let out a sob! I don’t know why the hell am I crying but for the first time I see tears in his eyes too as if my pain has seeped into every pore of his heart. Still, he doesn't touch me. Doesn't even wipe my tears.

“Remember the way you used to make me run behind you all the time when I worked for your dad? You always made me chase you so that I got all your attention. I want you to make me run behind you again for this last one month.. make me your butler… your chauffer, your cook… your damn servant even I won’t mind. Use me and degrade me before your known people like I did once to you, as much as possible and in every way you can, so that after this month when I am gone from your life, you can start a new chapter. But please let me redeem a bit of my sins that I did on the person my heart still beats for..”

That’s it.. I can’t take this anymore.

“Take me to the damn washroom…” I mutter… wiping my tears.

He looks confused.

“NOW.”

As if understanding my urgency, Arnav quickly carries me in his arms and leads me in the bathroom. I need to pee and also take a break to think wisely what I want to do next. As soon as he helps me get into the washroom, I hold the marble sink and stand on my feet.

“I need a few minutes in here. I’ll need you again to take me back to bed.”

He nods and gives me the privacy I need. I lock the door and put my hand over my mouth to curb my sobs. When I so confidently declare I don’t love Arnav, why do I still cry every time he asks me to punish him if that’s what it takes to sort the issues between us?


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

Arnav’s POV


Gosh! I made her cry again. That wasn’t my intention but every time I tried to do something for her, Khushi always kept comparing it with my past deeds. I’m done with that. If she has so much rage in her heart for me, that she wants me go away from her life after this one month, then I will do so, but not until she punishes me back and clears her heart from all the pain and negativity she has in it, because of me. NK was wise enough to tell me how much Khushi is stressed these days at her work and already the revelation of Shashi Gupta being her step father, and the rest of the sins that he did is already too much for her to process and cope up with. All of this is taking a toll on her mind and heart, making her emotionally weak and vulnerable. I know ruling over me in the past has given gave her pleasure and for once, I want her to do that again so that she gives me back the same pain I gave her once, hoping that can divert her heart and mind and make her feel powerful again.


Khushi opens the door in a few minutes. I quickly reach her and carry her to the bed. She has washed away her tears and looks much in control than before. When I finish adjusting the pillows at the headrest and help her sit comfortably, Khushi turns to me.


“You really meant it when you said you want me to use you the way I want?” she asks.

“Yes,” I nod.

“Sad that you think this will help me clear my thoughts about you or lessen the pain you gave me. I am not that woman anymore who would like to do that with any man, Arnav. Let alone the one whom I don’t even want in my life anymore.”


I swallow painfully. Every time she has claimed me to f*ck off from her life, it reminds me she doesn't love me… probably, never will.


“But,” Khushi’s voice breaks my thoughts and forces me to pay attention to her again. “But if that’s what makes you feel less burdened before you walk away from me, if that’s what you think will help you redeem for all the pain you gave me, then I am up for it.”


She is? I don’t know why but even getting back hatred from her is a good sign. It’s better than her ignorance.

“I’m ready to bear you for one month around me, as my husband, only for namesake. You want to redeem, do whatever you think you should, to lessen your sins before you leave. I don’t care. But don’t expect me to treat you as a servant, or throw hurling words at you in return. I won’t do any of that because that’s below my dignity now to treat even my enemy in that manner.”


I am so proud of her thoughts that she wont hurt me back even if I had done it to her.


“But..” Khushi interrupts. “We will never share the same room or the same bed in this month. That can’t change, Arnav.”

I nod in understanding.

“Can I still touch you in this one month?” I murmur. It’s more of a request though. “I don’t mean doing anything that you are not comfortable with.. Maybe just.. holding you if you break down, a plain handshake when you come home winning some modelling contract.. feed you when you are sick…those kind of friendly touch..”

Khushi’s brows twitch high.

“We can never be friends, Arnav.”

“Right…” I exhale disappointedly.

“But if such generic touches accidentally happen, then I won’t shout back at you, I can assure you that.” she adds, giving me some relief.


Before I can thank her, Maa comes in the room.

“Oh, you woke up?” Maa reaches the bed and Khushi instantly smiles at her showing all is well.

“Yes, and Arnav helped taking me to the washroom,” she replies.

“Good. Husbands always tend to take care of their wives during such critical times. Look at his face… it looks like he is in pain for the ankle injury, not you.”


Khushi looks at me. Even I haven’t stopped looking at her. Whatever happens, I am not going to fail her this time. She is going to be cordial to me and I’ll be the best husband she can ever desire in her life. I don’t know what the one month has instore for us, but I’ll do everything in my part to ensure I woo her back. And that’s the only promise I make to my aching heart before leaving the room.


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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