The Wait - Chapter 14

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CHAPTER 14


ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA


I sit beside Khushi's bed, holding her hand tightly as she lies unconscious. My heart is beating fast with fear and anxiety. She had collapsed as soon as she had seen Dhruv returned in Shantivan, and I can't help but blame myself for not being able to do anything to control this situation. Of course I’m happy that my twin brother is alive. I love him too and his safety is all that matters but knowing the complexity between him, Khushi and me now, my mind is in turmoil.

Suddenly, Khushi stirs and opens her eyes. She looks around, confused, and then her gaze falls on me. But instead of calling out my name, the only word that escapes her lips is that of Dhruv. She is not fully conscious to realize it’s not him but me, yet it feels like a sharp needle piercing my heart as I hear her speak his name. Not mine. The pain and hurt are evident on my face and I retreat from her bed.

“Khushi?” Garima aunty, who is sitting beside her, tries to help her wake up. She notices the oddity in my behavior, but chooses to focus on Khushi instead. I can't bear to be in the same room as them anymore, and I walk out in anger and hurt.

It’s hard to believe that after everything that happened between Khushi and me, she still thinks about him. But again, she is yet to know the truth that Dhruv had broken up with her before heading to Greece. She was yet to know a lot about that night where I met her in club and things went a bit ahead between us, where she took me as Dhruv and I couldn’t stop her either. But today seeing her taking his name, not mine, even after eight months of the last she had seen or met Dhruv, makes me feel betrayed and hurt that she could still consider him at a time like this.

As I walk away from the room, my mind is in chaos. How could she do this to me? I know she is shocked just like me at Dhruv’s sudden comeback. But then last night, she and I had kissed. That kiss meant something, didn’t it? It meant my love for her. Was my love not enough? I can't help but feel that I have lost her to Dhruv once again.

When I come back to the living room, Di is the first one to rush to me.

“Chotte, how is Khushi now? Is she awake?”

I swallow painfully before nodding in denial.

“She’s in shock. Not fully conscious but she’ll be fine. Where is the doctor?”

“She is on her way.”

I nod weakly before glancing at Dhruv who is looking at me. He is sitting next to Nani. Shyam is here too from office and I think he has met Dhruv too. No one here in our families know about Dhruv and Khushi’s past affair and hopefully it stays that way.

“But why did she fall unconscious seeing me?” Dhruv suddenly asks, purposely trying to put this suspicion in the family’s head.

“Exactly,” Di continues. “I’m wondering the same.”

I clench my jaw.

“Khushi and Dhruv were good friends once,” I retort. “And you know she gets attached to people soon. Obviously seeing him return, the one whom we all thought was ..” I pause to look at Dhruv again. “- was dead,” I swallow, “has to be shocking for her.”

Dhruv simply smiles.

“Where were you all these months, Dhruv?” I ask moving towards the couch. “Why didn’t you contact us? Why didn’t you come home?”

The room falls silent as everyone looks at Dhruv now, waiting for an answer. I realize in the happiness that he is alive and back, no one really asked him this. Dhruv rubs his forehead before rising from the couch.

“Actually, can we talk later? I’m too exhausted right now. The jet lag is killing.”

“Dhruv,” Di snaps. “No more using that word now.”

He holds his ears apologizing.

“Sorry, Di. I’ll remember that. Now can I please go to my room? I need a good nap.”

Shashi uncle agrees with him.

“He is right. Dhruv should rest. He is going nowhere now so we can keep our curiousity on hold for a few more hours.”


Dhruv turns to uncle and nods his head.

“Thank you Uncle, You are such a saviour. And besides, whats the fun in sharing everything when Khushi is unconscious?”

He is purposely involving Khushi’s name in every topic.

“Yea, let her be awake too,” Nani adds. “And then we want to know it all Dhruv.”

Dhruv gives Nani a hug.

“Love you Nani. You are still a sweetheart.”

She pats his cheeks lovingly before pushing him to go to his room and take rest. Whilst everyone gets busy talking to each other and thanking God for Dhruv’s return, he halts his steps at me and grins.

“Don’t worry, Arnav. Just like you are waiting for answers, so am I. There is a lot we need to talk.”

The determination in his eyes, is as if I’ve snatched Khushi from him. He shouldn’t forget that he was the first one to let her go from his life.

“Dhruv? What are you both talking now? Maami asks from far.

Dhruv shrugs turning around to them again.

“Nothing Maami. I was just checking with Arnav if he hasn’t occupied my room in my absence, that’s all.”

His reply fumes me especially when he looks into my eyes again mockingly. “After all, he has snatched someone already from me in my absence.”

My fists clench. Why is he behaving like this?

“Snatched?” Di interrupts. “Whom did Chotte snatch?”

“Khushi..” Dhruv answers almost immediately confusing everyone for a few seconds. My blood boils but he quickly erases the family’s confusion by adding the next lines. “I mean, he snatched my best friend Khushi by marrying her. Now she will be more concerned for him than me.”

Everyone sigh and chuckle and continue to converse with each other ignoring him but I can’t miss the mind games Dhruv is trying to play here. He heads back to his bedroom, climbing two steps at a time and suddenly is off my sight.

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

KHUSHI ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA

I jolt awake, feeling disoriented and sweaty. My head is pounding, and I can feel a sharp ache throbbing through my temples. I struggle to focus my vision, and as the haze clears, I realize that I'm lying in my bed, with my mother sitting beside me, concern etched on her face.

"Dhruv," I mumble, my voice hoarse and weak. "Where's Dhruv?"

Mumma strokes my forehead gently, trying to soothe me. "Shh, Khushi. It's okay. Dhruv is fine.”

I blink, trying to make sense of her words. He is fine. Yes. He is fine. Most importantly he is alive. I remember him standing in front of me, his face twisted in a painful expression.


"He is back," I say, my voice rising in panic. "He came back."

Mumma looks at me with worry. "Yes, Khushi. Dhruv is back.”

I shake my head, feeling confused and overwhelmed. It all feels like a nightmare. Dhruv’s return, him knowing I was married now to Arnav and…

“A…r..nav?” I murmur softly turning to Mumma again. “Where.. is he?”

Mumma looks curiously into my eyes as if she can read the panic in them.

“He is outside, maybe down talking to Dhruv.”

“Talking to Dhruv?” I snap, feeling anxious. “What.. what are they both talking?”

I can’t let them talk to each other. What if Dhruv tells Arnav I was his girlfriend. We had an affair in the past and spend such beautiful time together before he left for Greece? We had broken up but also reconciled. I don’t want him to tell or even give Arnav a hint of it until I tell him. But will Arnav understand? What will be his reactions?

“Khushi?” Mumma shakes me. “What’s wrong? I have been calling out your name and you are just lost somewhere. What has happened to you?”

The reason for my panic is on my lips but I can’t tell her. I can’t tell anyone. Arnav should be the first one to know about it. He being my husband has every right to know about my past with Dhruv.

The door knocks and Di and a doctor comes inside.

“Oh, you are awake? Thank god. Doctor please check on her, she fainted a while ago in shock seeing Dhruv return.”

Before the doctor can touch me, I shove the blanket away and get down the bed.

“I want to meet him.”

“Khushi?” Mumma tries to stop me.

“Mumma please. I want to see Arnav… Where is he?”

“He is downstairs..” Di replies. “And please stop panicking. Everything is fine..”

I am about to shout at them to let me go and meet Arnav but I don’t. Somehow the rational part of my brain tells me to calm down or else I would make them all highly suspicious.

Mumma helps me get to the bed again and I let the doctor check me. After checking my vitals, she injects me something.

“You are very anxious right now. That’s why I have injected you medicine for relief of anxiety symptoms. You should rest for a while and then eat something once you are awake. I’m writing a few tablets. Take them after you eat. Okay?”


Mumma leans closer, her eyes softening with compassion. "It's okay, Khushi. You just need to rest now. You'll feel better soon Now that Dhruv is back, everything will be alright."

Tears pool in my eyes as I close them shut, feeling hazy. Dhruv is back and now nothing will be normal again. Though I really wanted him to be alive and return to me, now it’s too late. I’m married to his brother.

As Mumm and Di speaks to the doctor, I feel a wave of exhaustion wash over me. My eyes droop, and I drift back into a restless sleep, still haunted by the fact that Dhruv has returned and I’m yet to speak to Arnav about our past.


ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA


The doctor has given Khushi medicines to relieve her anxiety which has put her back to sleep. It’s been three hours since she had fell unconscious. Di told me that Khushi wanted to speak to me. The moment she had woken up before the doctor came, she was asking for me, wanted to see me. That gives me hope. For us!!!

I watch her sleeping peacefully on my bed when then door knocks and the moment I turn around to check who entered my room without my permission, I see it’s Dhruv again. He smiles at me.

“How’s she?” he asks.

I don’t know how to feel when he asks about her.

“What are you doing here? You were supposed to rest and cure your jet lag.” I remind him.

He nods.

“Despite badly wanting to rest, I can’t sleep. My mind is restless, Arnav. I don’t have to tell you why, do I?”

I look away.

“You married her?” Dhruv’s voice is rough and loud. “You knew about me and her and yet..”

That’s it. Before he can speak more about it in my bedroom, when Khushi is sleeping, I grab his arm and pull him out with me from the bedroom. I take him to his room instead, which is unfortunately not very far from mine. We both brothers had our bedrooms on the same floor, just beside each other’s. The moment we are in his room, I leave his hand and shut the door.

“I married her. Yes,” I nod. “And I married her despite knowing what relationship you and Khushi had.”

Dhruv glares at me.

“That’s because you had broken up with her, Dhruv. Your relationship was over.”

“So what?” Dhruv raises his voice. “So what it was over? She was still my girlfriend once, Arnav. I loved her.”

“You didn’t,” I scowl. “You liked her, yes, But you didn’t love her. At least not the way she deserved to be loved. Truly, honestly and with full commitment. Because if you loved her like that, you wouldn’t have disliked her asking for commitment from you. If you loved her, you wouldn’t have hurt her by breaking up. If you loved her, you wouldn’t have stayed all these months away knowing she and the rest of us were thinking you were dead. So, no, Dhruv. You didn’t love her. You never loved her enough.”

There is a silence for a few seconds as Dhruv and I stare angrily at each other. He is the first one to break it though.

“And you?” he asks. “You loved her, didn’t you?”

My heart skips a beat.

“You loved her truly, honestly and with full commitment? That’s why the moment you got a chance, you made her your wife, didn’t you?”

I clench my jaw.

“Since when Arnav?” Dhruv continues to poke me. “Since when did you love her? Was it since the time she was dating me? Your twin brother? Did you love her since then? Tell me….”

When he grabs my arms, I shove him away pointing a finger at him.

“You are wrong..” I snap. “I loved Khushi from much before that. Much before you announced to be casually dating her. If I’d wanted to break your heart, Dhruv, I would have told you that very day when you confronted about having an affair with Khushi. But I didn’t. I kept my love for her secretive in my heart because I genuinely thought you loved her too. And if she loves you back so much then I should never come in between you two. That’s exactly what I’d been doing the entire while. But not after you broke her heart. When you broke up with her and when she was crying and drinking for you in London, I have seen her.. I have felt her pain. You were too busy planning for your Greece visit with your friends but I was the one who have felt her pain… So, don’t you dare tell me I did anything wrong. I didn’t.”

“You did wrong..” he shouts back. “You don’t realize this still, do you?” he groans. “Kissing a woman and making out with her, while letting her think that she was doing all that with your twin, is where you went wrong, Arnav. THAT WAS WRONG!!”

I freeze. How does he know this? I am speechless what to reply when Dhruv clenches his jaw looking angrily at me.

“I saw it. I saw you both.. that night.. in that damn club.. making out.. I f*cking saw it. And that’s why I decided never to return. Never to return to a man who was using my identity to get intimate with the woman I loved.”

I feel like throwing up. He was there? He saw us? And hold on. Did he say ‘the woman he loved?’ Was he still in love with Khushi? That’s why seeing us like that was more hurtful for him? Dhruv reads all my unasked queries.. of course he is my twin. We can read each other’s eyes.

“I was back to reconcile with Khushi that night,” Dhruv adds. “Had even planned to cancel going to Greece. But then seeing you two like that… I.. was raged. And I decided to teach you a lesson. A lesson for life… By faking my death.”

Faking death!! He did all of this on purpose? To avenge me? How dare he?


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 

NOTE: The precap scene will be in the next Chapter. 

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As a romance author with 12 years of writing and 7 years of self-publishing experience, I understand the importance of a well-planned novel. Writing a novel can be a daunting task, and having a clear plan and structure can make all the difference.

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