|| Distance Between Hearts ||

Chapter 21: Challenges

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Not proof read.. Ignore the mistakes..

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Chapter 21 : Challenges

3 Years Later...

Delhi...

Roychowdhury Mansion...

Poolside..

On the day of Nikhil and Jayeeta's engagement...

[ Arnav : 21 years, Khushi: 19 years]

" I thought you are my mother, and whatever you are doing is out of love, but.... You.... Am I an obligation for you? Is it maa? Was I a trophy son for you whom you can showcase in front of your society to satisfy your ego? Is it maa??" Arnav's broken voice shook Reshmi to the core and Khushi felt her heart broke in million pieces looking at the defeated look on her Allav face....

" Arnav listen to me.. you are over reacting..." Reshmi spoke coming out from the initial shock after hearing his son..

" I am over reacting? Is it maa?" Arnav smiled sadly.. He still could not believe that Reshmi spoke those venomous words..

" Look Arnav.. You are always too emotional, like you father Arun.. Instead of listening to your Mind, you decide over Heart..I have tried hard to teach you, to make understand the fact that Money, status and family names matters the most, but you... You disappointed me Arnav... I WANTED TO PROVE Arun that it's not HEART but our mind controls our life, but you... you today proved me that I am a failure..." Reshmi said overlooking the hurt and ashen face of Arnav and continue her torture.. Khushi felt tears run down her eyes, she felt herself responsible for her Allav's torment today..

" You were not like this Arnav.. In childhood, in your growing age, you always had valued about my feelings and decision, but ..." Reshmi paused and looked towards Khushi with extreme hatred in her eyes.. " Since the girl entered in our life, you started to change.. I knew from the very beginning that she is a bad news.. I tried hard, so hard to keep you away from her, but she like a magnet always had attracted you towards her.. Every holidays, every special occasions, Khushi.. Khushi and Khushi.. Then in your senior secondary class, I thought Sneha and You will be a couple, but no.. You invested your time to appease your precious friend Khushi, instead of properly approaching Sneha and now, she and Amar are happily engaged.. Don't you understand Arnav, your each friend, your every cousins have maintains some standards while selecting friends or life partner, but you are too blind to understand the scheme of this ORPHAN....Look how shamelessly she is still standing here holding your hands... " Reshmi spat again looking at a weeping Khushi..

Arnav stood still, he was too shocked to react for a moment.. the way His mother is talking, Arnav felt himself as a commodity.. He felt as if someone had ripped his heart out an crushed it brutally... his emotions, his respect and love for his mother got a huge blow today..

"Was it all façade? Was he only a tool for Reshmi all those years just to prove something to Arun? and why Reshmi is so venomous against Khushi? What that girl ever done to her?"

Arnav came out from his daze state realizing that Khushi is trying hard to detach her hand from his grip... Shaking his head, he tightly holds Khushi's hand..

" No.. Khushi..." Nodding his head towards a teary Khushi, Arnav came forwards towards his mother, tightly holding Khushi's hand in his grip..

" Maa, its me Holding Khushi's hand, not the otherway around.. It was always like that.. Khushi is always a strong girl, because life had thrown different challenges towards her way in such young age of her, but me... I was living a mirage my whole life.. I never clearly understood why you and dad, got divorced when dad loves you so much and you also not committed to any other person, till now.. you know, like a fool I was thinking all those years that may be one day, one day my parents will reconcile and I can have the luxury to be a part of a FAMILY, not a broken one... but alas, how idiotic I was.. My mother can never reconcile with my father because for her, her ego, status, family names only matters, her husband or children are all secondary..." Arnav said in a broken yet sharp voice looking at Reshmi's eyes, Reshmi too was surprise after hearing Arnav's agonizing thought..