Heal Me

Arnav was watering his plants but flashes of Khushi running into his arms and crying on his shoulder in hospital aren’t ready to leave him. He cursed himself for not giving her the support, she unknowingly searched in him. But how can she find comfort in him, when all he have always done is hurt her, taunt her and torture her for no reason?

Her teary eyes when she looked at him, like he is solution to all her problems. The way she was complaining while crying on his shoulder like he can answer her every question. He closed his eyes remembering the flicker of hope in her eyes when she saw him and the confusion and pain in those same eyes when she realized in whose arms she was crying before running away.

He now regretted not holding her back, he should have held her in his arms and consoled her. He should have told her that everything will be alright. He should have told her that it’s ok, she can cry, she can share all her worries and pain with him, he should have...... his train of thoughts stopped in middle as he felt confused. What is he thinking? Why do he suddenly want to support her? Ease away her pain? When he is the one to always make her cry, rebuke her and belittle her.

He closed his eyes in frustration as Lavanya walked inside his room, blabbering about what Nani is saying but the mention of Khushi’s name got his attention. “It’s been many days but Chamkili is still not here, it’s not like her staying with her babu ji all the time would recover him from paralysis.”

Arnav looked at her angrily “If you can’t emotionally support her then it’s better you don’t speak at all. You’re talking about her father, at least try to be little more sympathetic.” Lavanya looked at him shocked , why is he reacting like this? Is he not the same person who insults and hurt that Chamkili without any care. “ASR, what happened to you? From when did you start caring about that Chamkili?”

Arnav looked away, how can he answer her something which he is unable to understand himself. “You won’t understand how it feels to live without your parents, Lavanya. All I know, this is not the time to hold any personal grudges when she is already suffering.” Before Lavanya can open her mouth again to reply him, Anjali came there, limping towards them. “Chotte, I want to visit Khushi ji and her family. I am unable to talk with Khushi ji, don’t know how she and her family are coping up in this hard time.”

Arnav looked at her like she just gave him solution to all his frustrations and helplessness, he can finally see her. He can see how she is and this time he can give her all the support she seeks in him and so he nodded at his sister as his face brightened “Sure Di, You wait downstairs, I am coming.”

Anjali looked at him with wide eyes, like he have grown two horns in his head before she opened her mouth to confirm “You’re also coming?” Arnav turned his back to her as he picked another pair of clothes to change “Of course Di, I am not letting you go there alone.” Anjali smiled, her brother will never show his emotions and that he cares for someone and left knowing very well that he won’t ever accept that he actually cares for Khushi and Lavanya also followed, irritated for being ignored.

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Arnav frowned looking at the crowd gathered in front of Gupta house and looked at Anjali who looked equally clueless. Parking his car on side they got down and walked towards her house only to stop abruptly. Arnav’s eyes widened looking at the crying faces and statue like Khushi sitting on another side, her eyes on the body laying in front of them. He gulped painfully as flashes of his own painful past flashed in front of him, Anjali clutched his hand as both siblings tried to support each other.

Flashes of his smiling sister dressed as a bride and him teasing her made their way to him and then suddenly changed into sounds of gunshots before he found two dead bodies in front of him. Arnav shuddered, gasping for breath and tried to take step back and run away from the scene but one look at Khushi who was sitting like stone and he stopped. Didn’t he just decided sometime ago that he won’t let her down this time? Now when she is sitting there completely broken, do he have guts to turn his back to her.

Gulping the painful lump formed in his throat and after years without thinking about himself but for someone else who managed to stir different emotions inside him after years, he decided to stay. He was just going to take step towards her when his sister’s grip on his arm stopped him and he looked her to see she was looking at something, shocked. His eyes turned to see what she is looking at and his eyes widened looking at his Jija ji and much to their surprise he was giving shoulder to the body of Khushi’s Babu ji.

He looked at his sister then at him confused and was going to ask what he is doing here when he saw Khushi finally moving as she tried to run behind her Babu ji’s body asking them to not take away her Babu ji. His heart cried feeling the depth of her pain, today she lost her father and he very well understands that pain.

If the events till now wasn’t enough shock then what happened next left him more shocked. Khushi’s aunt pulled her back, not even letting her touch her Babu ji and she started cursing her, calling her bad omen. He looked at her angrily as Khushi continued to cry looking at the direction of her Babu ji but the woman was busy in blaming her and then pushed her, resulting her to fall back on ground.

"Shashi Babua shouldn’t have given shelter to this bad omen, first she gulped her parents and now my brother. Ungrateful girl, she couldn’t even complete his last wish.” She bellowed and when her sister Payal tried to support her, she holds her back. Unable to take anymore he marched forward “Stop it! Her father also died and instead of supporting her, you are cursing her?” He shouted at her aunt.

All the people gathered there to mourn looked at the scene with sheer curiosity and Khushi looked at him with wide eyes “What is he doing here? And why is he speaking for her?” She thought. Madhumati looked at him with a frown before opening her big mouth “Who are you to speak in our family matters?” Madhumati shouts back. “If it’s your family matter then you shouldn’t making scene on the roads.” Arnav spat angrily and looked at Khushi who was looking confused. Anjali was also standing beside her now, to give her support.

To be continued................