Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Chapter 5: Acceptance


 
 
Arnav had been expecting this question after the way he had behaved with her. She wasn't aware of what he had been thinking, and had asked this question based on what he had said earlier about not having kids.


"Do you?" she asked again, this time a whisper fearing what might come out of his mouth


"Of course I do Khushi," he replied back.


He leaned forward and pecked her, resting his head against hers. He began kissing her again, this time more slowly; a kiss that was more than just want, it was full of his acceptance towards their unborn child. Telling her that he indeed wanted the baby, because no words would be enough to say it for him. He nibbled on her bottom lip as she tried to gasp for air then took that as an opportunity to thrust his tongue inside of hers. He hovered over, trying to gain more access, moving his lips along her jawline, placing wet kisses then nuzzled into her hair. She wound her fingers in his hair, and pulled him closer, her eyes tightly shut.


"Khushi," he murmured against her neck.


"Hmmm," she managed to say.


"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, I was just exaggerating and had no clue. I would never have said that if I had knew" he said moving his nose along her jaw.


"I'm just worried if I'll make a good father or not," he told her and Khushi opened her eyes with that. It now made sense to why he hadn't responded earlier. He didn't want to turn out like his father, the father that left behind his wife and kids.


"Arnav you've made a great brother for Di, a great husband for me, and you'll be a wonderful father for our baby," she said running her hands through his hair but he didn't respond.


"You aren't going to be anything like your father," Khushi told him and he moved his face up looking at her with disbelieve. How did she manage to know that's what he was afraid of? He never had to say anything to her, but she would always know what he was thinking.


"We can't do anything about the past, it is what it is. But we shouldn't use that as a way to predict our future. Just because your Dad left and wasn't a good father, doesn't mean you won't be one either. It doesn't run in the blood like that," she said.


"Now go to sleep, you have office tomorrow," she said and he settled beside her; one arm around her back and one leg swung over her hip. Khushi snuggled closer into his neck and they drifted off to sleep.


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


The next morning Arnav felt the suns rays peer through the window and the light on his face. He crinkled his face then moved onto his stomach, his arm spread wide trying to find someone. But instead it made contact with an empty sheet. He opened his eyes and saw that Khushi wasn't there. Maybe she had already gotten ready. Looking over at the clock, he decided to get up and get ready.


Khushi was in the kitchen making the breakfast when Anjali walked in.


"How are you feeling?" she asked.


"I'm good, my head just hurts a little bit," Khushi replied.


"Yeah that happens, but it will hopefully get better," Anjali told her.


"Anjali bitiya is the food ready?!" Nani called from the living room.


"Ji Nani, we are bringing it!" Anjali said.


The both carried the food to the table and placed it on there. Everyone had started coming to the table and were getting settled. Arnav came down the stairs and took the seat next to Khushi.


The breakfast was being eaten and everyone was chatting with each other.


"Khushi pass me the butter,” Arnav said looking down at a text message he had received from office. But instead of being handed the bowl of butter, he heard a loud sound of a chair moving and caught glimpse of a flying yellow cloth from the corner of his eye.


"What the?!" He said seeing Khushi running away with a hand covering her mouth.


He looked back to everyone at the table and they were all looking at him, "I'll go see how she is," he said getting up to follow her.


He rushed towards the bathroom to where she was, the door was open so he walked in and found her leaning over the toilet throwing up. He kneeled behind her and moved her hair out of the way, and settled her onto his lap. Khushi felt her small amount of breakfast she had just rising up her throat over and over again, not wanting to stop. Her mouth had become a very bitter taste now, she leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.


Arnav rubbed her back. She got up and cleaned herself up and he asked, “Should I call the doctor?”


“It’s just morning sickness, you don’t need to call the doctor,” she replied back smiling.


They walked back into their room and Khushi noticed the time, “HAWH?! Arnav it’s already 10, you should leave for office.”


“Don’t worry, I run the office and can go whenever I want to,” he said.


“But don’t you have an important meeting today?” she asked.


“Why did you have to remind me of that?” he snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her from behind.


“Bye, you need to leave now,” Khushi said turning around towards him.


“Ok, bye,” he said and leaned into kiss her but she blocked it with her hands and said with a disgusting face, “I just puked right now.”
 
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Saturday, July 13, 2013

Chapter 4: Doubtful Minds

“Kya sach mein?!” Anjali exclaimed and the doctor nodded.
“She’s only along for a few weeks so far, but please take care of her health and if you have any questions, then just call me,” the doctor said and left.
Everyone entered the room to find Khushi sitting up on the bed. She looked up at them when they entered.
“Khushiji I’m so happy for you!” Anjali said giving her a hug.
“Yes bitiya, this is great news, finally we’ll have another child running around our house in a few months, And I’ll become a grandmother again,” Nani said.
They all congratulated her o this wonderful news. All of them carried a smile on their faces, except for one that was standing in the back of the crowd lost in his thoughts. Anjali noticed Khushi staring at Chotte, so she told everyone that they should leave and give her some time to rest. Everyone agreed and left both of them alone.
Arnav didn’t know what to make of the situation, he was having mixed emotions and didn’t know exactly how to face Khushi. Earlier he had just told her that he didn’t want to have any kids, and now he had just found out that she was having a child. Would she think that he didn’t want the child? On top of that, she had seen someone else all over him near the poolside.
Khushi kept on looking at him, different emotions occupying his face, as if he was fighting with himself. He probably needs some time alone to think, she thought. She spun her legs around the bed and tried to get up, but being the clumsy person she is, she slipped on the pallu of her sari and was about to fall head first onto the floor when a strong pair of arms caught her.
“Khushi do you need something?” Arnav questioned her.
“No, I’m just going to change my clothes,” she said and he took his grip off of her. Khushi headed towards the cupboard and removed her night clothes from there and went into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and then changed into her clothes. Arnav hadn’t said anything to her, nor had he tried to talk with her yet. Was he even happy with the pregnancy or not? She felt a lump form in her throat at the thought of not being able to keep their child. But Arnav wouldn’t want to abort it would he? Maybe he had just been a little bit angry and not in the right state of mind when he said he was happy they didn’t have any kids. She slid down the walls of the bathroom, as her tears made their way down her cheeks; her head buried in her knees, trying to forget everything and hoping it was just a dream.
Arnav had changed into his night clothes also and went outside into the poolside to clear his mind out. He needed to confront Khushi about everything and make it all clear to her before she assumed anything. First he would have to tell her about what happened at the poolside, so that she didn’t get some cray ideas of him cheating on her. He also needed to tell her what he had said about not having kids earlier was just something that came out of his mouth according to that situation. Of course he wanted this child, it was their child, a symbol of their love. There was a knock on the door, and he went to open it. Hari Prakash had brought their dinner for them as they hadn’t already eaten, Arnav took it and put it on the coffee table. He looked around the room and realized Khushi hadn’t come out yet. Was she still in the bathroom? It had been over half an hour since she had been in their. His mind quickly panicked and he rushed to the bathroom door and knocked on it.
“Khushi are you in there?” he asked knocking at the same time, “Please open the door Khushi.” There was no response coming from her,but he could hear her sniffled sobs. Crap! What had he done? Arnav thought to himself.
“Jaan please open the door, I’m getting worried,” Arnav said again but their wasn’t any response again. He turned the door knob and realized it was open, quickly opening the door he rushed in. He found her sitting against the wall, with her head in her knees. Dropping right beside her, he touched her shoulder.
Khushi was too lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the knocking on the door, or when he had entered. She elt a nudge on her shoulder and looked up to find him satring at her with concerned eyes. Arnav noticed the dried tears that were now resting on her cheeks and wiped away the ones that were making their way down.
“I….I’m…s…sor…,”Khushi attempted to talk but the words go lost in her throat as Arnav picked her up and carried her back to their room. He put her on the bed, with her back against the headboard. He got the plate from the table and got into bed beside her. Moving right against her, he pulled the comfortoer up will their waist and placed the tray of food on his lap.
“Khushi have dinner,” he said looking up at her.
“Arnav I need to talk to you,” Khushi said.
“We can talk after eating, please just east first. It’s bad for your health, especially now that you have another life to take care of you inside,” he said and lifted the spoon and brought it to her lips. She opened her mouth to eat the food. Arnav fed the rest of the dinner to her while feeding himself at the same time, neither of them spoke anything and ate in silence, the only noise coming from the clanking of the spoon. He placed the tray of food on side table then turned his attention towards her again.
He lied her down, and then lied down also right beside her after turning off the lamp.Khushi turned towards him and buried her head in the crook of his neck, with her right arm going around her back. Arnav also hugged her back and placed a soft kiss on her temples.
“Khushi why were you crying,” he asked after waiting for her to talk, but she hadn’t said anything. Arnav moved his had back a little bit to see her face.
“Was this about what happened at the poolside? Because you know I would never do anything like that to you, you’re the only one I love and will love for the rest of my life,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
“I know you would never do anything like that to me,” Khushi said cuppping his face with her hand, “I had heard the conversation that she was having with you before.”
“I’m really sorry that you had to see that, I didn’t know she had been following me,” he replied again.
“Hmm I know,” she said.
“Then why were you crying? Were you feeling sick or any pain?” Arnav said.
“Arnav do you want this baby?” she asked hesitantly looking up into his eyes.
______________________________________
 
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Chapter 3: Revelations

 


Arnav steadied Khushi up to a standing position. Khushi balanced herself up and fixed her sari.

"Let's go back to the party," she said looking up at him. He nodded, put an arm around her waist and they strode out of the kitchen to join everyone else in the party. Everyone was enjoying the party and guests kept on arriving. Arnav introduced his business associates to Khushi and talked with them.


They were walking when Arnav received a call on his cell phone, he excused himself and went to the poolside in order to receive the call. But he wasn't the only one that went up there, someone else also followed. Aman had called Arnav to remind him of an important meeting that was the next day and Arnav had felt someone else enter the room. He was still on the phone when footsteps approached him ,he was sure that it wasn't Khushi because he could always feel her presence when she was nearby. He got off the phone when Aman had cut the call and turned around, Arnav came face to face with a girl he had met early, he didn't remember her clearly but was sure he had seen her before.

"Um, have we met before?" he asked her.

"Yea we did earlier, I'm Anita, my dad is a businessman," she said.

"Mr. Kapoor's daughter...?" he said.

"Yes," she replied taking a step towards him.

"But what are you doing here? The party is downstairs," Arnav said as she stepped closer, this didn't look good to him.

"Actually I wanted to meet you," Anita replied back.

"We've already met earlier," he replied back in a fierce voice.

"That was just a casual meeting, how about a personal one," she said tilting her head.

"Sorry, but it's best if you leave at this instant. I don't need your help or want to know you any better," he said, anger starting to become visible in his eyes.

"The better thing is how I can help you," Anita said standing directly in front of him and about to put her hands on his shoulders. Before she could even make contact with him, she felt a pain jolt through her arms. It was too fast for her to understand, but she found her arms in a tight grip behind her back and a dangerously angry man glaring down at her.

Before he could utter anything to her, he saw someone fall down from the corner of his eyes.


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


Khushi was looking around and realized that Arnav still hadn't come down from taking his call, maybe it was really important, she thought to herself.

"Khushiji, where is Chotte?" Anjali asked coming up to her.

"He went upstairs to receive a call from Aman, but still hasn't come down," Khushi said.

"Why don't you go call him, it's time to have dinner," Anjali said.

"Okay Di," Khushi replied back to her. She made her way through the crowd and went up the stairs. She saw someone else up there also, no one from there family. Weren't all the guests suppose to be downstairs, she thought to herself. Khushi was going to call out to her, but that girl ended up entering the side door to the poolside. Why was she going there? Khushi wondered. She entered her room and saw that Arnav wasn't in there, she was about to leave when she heard him talking. Looking out the open door to the poolside, Khushi saw Arnav talking on the phone, and then another figure approaching him, the same one she had seen earlier.

She stood in her room watching the actions of the girl and listening to what she was saying. To Khushi, she just looked like one of those models who caked herself up with makeup and was very fake. The way the girl was approaching Arnav made Khushi's blood boil, what did that girl think of herself?

While being able to slightly listen to what they were saying, Khushi felt her head getting heavy. Her vision started blurring and she held the cupboard near her for support. Before she knew it, her entire vision blurred and she felt her knees go weak.

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

Arnav had seen someone fall from the corner of his eyes, he looked to that way again and saw a puddle of a sari.

"Khushi!" he gasped and left Anita while he ran over to her. He quickly got down by her side and pulled her head up on his lap.

"Khushi...khushi...," he said patting her head trying to wake her up, "...baby please open your eyes...khushi...can you hear me?"

He quickly picked her up and settled her on their bed. Anjali who had been waiting for Khushi to bring Arnav down realized that neither of them had come yet, so she decided to go upstairs to call them down. Thinking that they were probably with each other and secretly romancing, but she was surprised by the sight she saw when she entered their room. Khushi was lying on the bed and Arnav was sitting on the edge trying to make cer conscious.

"Chotte what happened?!" she exclaimed entering the room.

"Di...Di...Khushi's not waking up..she just fainted," he told her.

'Hold on, I'll call the doctor right away," Anjali said. She pulled out her cell phone and immediately called the family doctor. She said that she would be here anytime soon. Anjali then told Om Prakash to bring some water.

Arnav was getting worried, what had happened to her that would cause her to faint. His thoughts went back to what had happened at the poolside, that girl. Had Khushi happened to see them together and assumed something wrong? No, his Khushi wasn't like that, she trusted him completely and would never doubt their relationship.

The thought of the girl made his anger boil, he looked back outside and found that she was still standing their, only closer to the door. He quickly went up to her, anger evident in his flaring eyes, his hands turning into fists.

"You!" he said, "Get out of here before I do something that I will regret later!"

"But'," she started off.

"SECURITY!!" Arnav yelled out loud, "SECURITY!"

The guards quickly came to their room, and so did the family members that had heard his loud voice. Arnav told the guards to take the girl away and make sure that they never saw her face here again. He turned around to his room and saw that the doctor had arrived.

"What happened Chotte? Khushi bitiya ko kya hua?" Nani asked seeing Khushi lying on the bed.

"I don't know Nani, I found her fainted in the room," Arnav told her.

"Did you call the doctor?" Akash asked.
 
"Yea, she said she would be on her way'," Anjali said, "'oh look she's here."

That doctor was standing at the door and walked inside. She asked everyone to leave while she would examine the patient. They all left the room and stood outside. Arnav was pacing the hallway worried about her, the few minutes turned into five, then ten. But for him, it felt like hours. The doctor finally came out of the room and Arnav rushed up to her.

"Doctor how is she? Is she fine?" he asked with concern.

"Yes everything is fine with her," the doctor replied.

"But why did she faint?" he asked.

"It happens in these kind of situations," the doctor said.

"These kind of situation? What kind of situations?" he asked confused.

"Oh I guess you probably don't know yet since it's only been a few weeks," the doctor said.

"Few weeks of what?" Arnav asked.
 
"Congratulations Mr. Raizada, your wife is pregnant," the doctor said.

________________________________________


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