13.1 Thodi Si Bewafai -part 1

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Note: I am going to mark this as mature rating (not for graphic scenes but storyline) and I won't put age restriction as sometimes a 13-year-old can have more maturity than a 30-year-old. So, you decide.

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The story is set in Mumbai, not in Lucknow or Delhi. Neither is Arnav a hot-shot businessman nor is Khushi a small-town girl. They both grew up in suburban Mumbai in the metro culture... Arnav works as a marketing head in a famous MNC (multinational company), while khushi has a nursing degree. Arnav's parents are alive, divorced when he was 14 and married other people, he has been on his own after that...

Khushi is younger of two siblings; her elder brother Shyam and she are her parents' pride. She did her nursing degree a few years back. And after her arranged marriage with Arnav she hasn't been practicing. Until now...

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Mumbai rains. There are always two extreme views of residents of this financial capital of India, one side who loves the downpour and the way it grants some cool respite to this otherwise humid city and other side who hates how Mumbai monsoon creates chaos in their busy life.

But today's sunrise was different, for there were not many clouds. This indicated it will be a clear day. So, a rare chance for both sides to be happy.

However, the atmosphere in that one upscale apartment in Lokhandwala complex- one of the posh neighborhoods of Mumbai, was rather gloomy.


Arnav mutely watched his wife move around their room, picking his clothes, bringing fresh linen, and preparing his bath. Then she quickly glanced at the clock and remembered it was time for his medicines. He helplessly looked on as she opened the medicine box and took out one pill. He prepared for the bitter part of day- it was his routine for 2 weeks now-and sadly hers too!

"Here. Your medicine before breakfast." she said, in a plain voice and he tried to shake off the nasty feeling that she was irritated at him.

He took the tablet and swallowed it with water.

"I will check if your breakfast is ready." She said with a small smile and left the room as he nodded.

Her smile. One thing that was her identity. And the same thing that had driven him to be madly in love with her. And the same thing that was now scarcely seen on her face... he chuckled mirthlessly at the irony that his wife was named Khushi, yet she wasn't happy.

And then, one voice in his head reared its ugly head asking him, was she ever happy with him?

4 years of being married to her and he still feared that. Especially now. After he lost his job a month ago and then, had this accident which left bedridden. But that was not all, was it? He was afraid of losing her. To someone who was once a part of her fairytale...

.

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Khushi cut the apple in small pieces and carefully arranged it in a quarter plate. Arnav needed to eat plenty of fruits, so his body healed faster. She knew he wanted to recover soon, he absolutely hated being bedridden. Even if he never said it, he often didn't say much, but she always understood his unsaid words. Always.

And that was why she feared what she was seeing in his eyes was true. Insecurity. A feeling she knew he feared the most, yet she had caused him that...

He had always been that transparent to her. Man of less words, yet transparent. "You are the first and last woman in my life Khushi" he had told her, and she knew he meant it. 

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