|Kehte Hai Duniya Jise, Jadu Ka Khilauna Hai, Mil Jaye Toh Mitti, Kho Jaye Toh Sona Hai| - A famous Hindi saying. (Translation - World is a funny place, if you have something, you consider it dust and if you lose it, you think it was gold.) Meaning you value something only when you lose it.
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"Happy birthday, baby" she said cheerfully as she started her day with a big smile on her face and talking to her baby, "you are growing so fast that now I can't even pick you in my arms. But no matter what, you will stay my little one, ok?" she said, her voice getting emotional but she quickly controlled herself, "you know what I have ordered for you today? your favorite, pineapple cake! you love it, right? and-" she was still continuing her talk when she was pulled up from her position on her bed by her mother,
"Bass kar khushi, kab tak aise photo se baatein karti rahegi? pagal ho jaogi tum! (Stop it, Khushi! Till when will you talk to a photo? You will go mad!)" an angry yet emotional Garima scolded her daughter. It was heartbreaking enough to see Khushi's state everyday yearning for her family but on the days of her child's birthday, she used to be in some other world! She would talk to Aaradhya's photo, bring her gifts and even cut the cake as if her baby was there in front of her all these years!
"Nahi maa, I am fine, nothing can happen to me...not at least until I meet them." she whispered the last line and then held Garima's hands in a gentle hold as she would do as a child, "but it's my baby's birthday today, I am allowed to be happy, hai na? Please ma, I want to celebrate aaradhya's birthday. Please." Khushi begged and a mother herself, Garima reluctantly let Khushi continue with the birthday celebration of her baby for yet another year...
Time flies, literally flies whether you want or not. Days change to weeks, weeks to months and then to years. Even if someone wants to hold their life, even if someone refuses to move on, the endless mechanism of the earth rotating around the sun does not stop... and it didn't for Khushi and arnav.
.
.
3 years. Three whole years and yet the pain was just as persistent as it was on that night when he left her. It was the biggest and toughest decision of his life, but she and her family had made it clear that she didn't want him or anything related to him in her life. And so, he had obliged. Taking their child with him, he had left her life, her city, even the country. And now living far away from her, he still could feel her presence besides him. Through their child, aaradhya! She was turning another year older today and like last 2 times, he would once again ensure she had the best birthday. Yet, he could see that nothing could fill the void of Khushi in their child's life. And as she was growing up, her questions regarding the absence of her mother were also increasing making it difficult for him to answer.
How he wished he could turn the time back and undo those 24 hours and everything that happened? How he wished Khushi chose to stay with him, give him another chance? How- he sighed. There was no use of these hows and whats now. She probably already moved on in her life by now and doesn't even remember them.
Flashback of the 24-hours from the morning when Arnav doubted Khushi's character:
The whole day neither Arnav nor Khushi had backed off. The words said, the accusations hurled, him questioning her character, her taunting his broken family and finally him asking her to leave and she had left. It was just too much to let go in short span of time, things had spiraled even before any one of them could handle it. And after an overnight restlessness, while Khushi was still not over Arnav's words, Arnav's sanity had returned.
