ArShi One Shots [compiled]

OS | Lost

originally written and posted on December 12th, 2011 on India-Forums;

The voice was ringing in her ears. The fifteen-year-old was sitting by the lake miles away from where she belonged at the moment. For the last seven years, she had accepted them as hers but maybe they hadn't. Maybe when they took me in they did free me but didn't I fell upon them as a responsibility again! Lost in her thoughts, but realizing that nothing could be done, she went back hoping that someday, she'd prove herself to be worthy enough. Five years later, she was looking blankly at the flow of water in the small pond below the cliff. Her gaze was fixed on a certain area where ripples would appear after crashing against the rocks. The voice she had heard clearly five years ago, was ringing in her ears. The wind came crashing her face and blowing through her hair, which was loosely tied in a bun behind her back.

"If she had been a boy, I would have taken her in without any guilt but ever since she has arrived in our lives, there's always been troubles. She has been a burden and is becoming heavier day by day." She was hiding behind the bed from her next-door neighbor and her best friend, Prem while playing hide and seek. Her mother was talking to Prem's mother about her again. Though feeling devastated at the moment, she later realized that she has always been nothing more than a nuisance.

Taking a look behind the past four months, she saw that because of her, her sister's marriage broke, they had left their home because of her, because of her, her family came across a man who betrayed two families altogether. She was one who knew the truth but again this truth would snatch the happiness away from both the families. The best decision she could come up with for now was to keep to herself, away from all the talks and gatherings, keeping herself busy minding in all the chores but it wouldn't stop him from noticing her change of behavior as she had noticed from the corner of her eye.

A tire screeching few feet behind her broke the silence maintained by her thoughts swirling in her mind, a man stepped down from the SUV. He looked as if he had just been to a co-operate event or been through business conferences. His hair was a bit ruffled from the top instead of smoothly gelled up and his eyes showed clear pain, agony, and worry for her, which only she was able to read behind his iron mask. She stood up not being able to figure out how come he's always the one to find her from her hiding places. He proceeded towards her with an expression beyond the comprehension of a normal person. It was a feeling of intense pain, anger, remorse, love, and annoyance. He pulled a slight smug on his face when he caught her eyes whereas she was still gaping at him. He stood beside her and pointed to sit on a nearby half-broken bench in a corner. She followed his instructions without any hesitation or questions with her head bowing down and eyes wandering off around in confusion. He kept observing her unnatural behavior and decided that finally, it's time for him to take a step ahead and break the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" a breaking but soft and husky voice brought her back to the world.

"Tell what?" she turned her head towards him giving him a confused look.

He sighed exasperated by her behavior, "About Shyam and you dammit!!!" He calmed himself down realizing he needs to be patient as this would be the first conversation.

"I...I...I didn't know how to handle it. It...It got...got complicated!"

"When you crashed into me, you were going to tell me but you didn't, you stopped in the middle. Right after you looked into my eyes. WHY?"

"B..Be...Because...Because I knew that..that something that'll break your sister..it'll break, you more." She looked at him apologetically while the pain in her eyes was still floating. He loved the fact that whatever happens, she always fails to hide her emotions from him while can hide from everyone else.

"So that's why you didn't say anything when Di, introduced her husband to you. Right?" his fingers went through his hair ruffling them more. "But why didn't you say anything that time? It was the perfect moment to disclose it."

"I wanted to, but..but then Anjali Ji's life would have an impact of that truth forever." He was following her closely but wasn't still able to figure out why it was him she didn't choose to tell.

"But..but Khushi, why did...I mean why didn't you told me, I'm after all Di's brother and I do have right over her life even if it's 10% according to the constitution and 40% according to the human rights resources draft of..." his eye caught her eye and he remembered the night when she was telling him how to convince Mami with those emotional filmy dialogues. He slowly said, "Why didn't you trust me?"

"Because I know your anger! Your immediate action would have been violent." She calmly replied and turned her attention back to the stone she was rolling underneath her feet. The silence prolonged but he broke it once again feeling weird, as it was usually her who behaved like a chatterbox. "Why did you come over here?"

"I dunno...it was nice here."

"At first I thought you were at the temple."

"Bua Ji would have found me there easily."

"You've changed Khushi, ever since...ever since that Shyam's colors came out."

She was still looking ahead blankly with cold and blank eyes.

"Did you...did you really I mean..umm...did you..well..had any feelings for him?" he said in a stiff voice pretending it doesn't matter to him. She turned towards him and said in a cold voice, "I thought you knew that I was forced into this engagement! I did hear Jiji telling you last night!"

His face finally relaxed knowing that she again belongs to him now. Arnav's thoughts were interrupted by Khushi's sudden outburst.

"You are right! At first, when I heard it, I thought that I'm but now I am completely sure I am! I'm nothing but a nuisance and a cruse. I've grown up hearing this and it's about time I accept the face too!" Tears were staining under her eyes as he looked at her horror-struck. Never once in his life, he thought that he'll see this girl break before him. She was strong, and even in the darkest room found hope.

"Who Am I?" she uttered to herself as if till now she has been pretending to be someone else.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something over here; he couldn't just let her break. And then, he began in his matter-of-fact tone, 'I know who you are. You are the great Khushi Kumari Gupta who never backs out when things are the toughest. You know how to find hope even in the darkest places. You like making others laugh. And you love jalebis!" he said the last line a little curtly but Khushi, who seemed a bit motivated and the color was filling up her cheeks kept staring at him in disbelief and then to his amazement, she squeaked with her eyes widely fluttering, "You are right laad governor!! Today he went after me, tomorrow he'll find somebody else's life to ruin." She stood up and started to walk away.

Arnav shook his head in disbelief muttered, unbelievable! This girl is just impossible.