Silver Linings

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Once Khushi had started, she couldn't get herself to stop, she went on to reveal how Shyam used to corner her at every given opportunity, sparing no detail, including her encounter with Shyam during the Sangeet, which reminded Arnav of the time he saw her in tears at his poolside. Though Arnav already knew that Shyam had been harassing Khushi, learning of the details only made him more angrier, In his mind he had already violently killed Shyam in many different ways. He didn't know that the worst was yet to come and No one was ready for what Khushi was about to reveal next.

"Shadi ke din humne aaine mei ek message dekha.. uss mei hume chath mei aane ko likha tha.. humne socha ke" (On the day of the wedding, I saw a message for me on the mirror, asking me to come to the terrace.. and I thought it was..) Though she didn't say the words, the small flick of her eyes towards Arnav was enough for everyone to understand that she thought the message was from him. "jab hum wahan gaye the.. tho woh tha... hum kitni koshish ki thi wahan se jaane ki... lekin woh hume jaane nahi diya... hum.. hume zabarzasti gal.. gal.. gale laga kar humse keh raha tha ke woh sirf humse pyaar karta tha.. hum unhe zor se dhakka de ke neeche bhag ke aaye..." (When I reached the terrace, he was there.. and I tried a lot to leave, but he wouldn't let me.. he for.. forcefully hu.. hug.. hugged me and started saying how he loved only me.. I pushed him away as hard as I could and ran away from there)

Khushi had started wheezing by the end, holding onto Payal's arms, who had tears streaming down her face. Anjali rushed to Khushi and pulled her into a hug, Both the women cried their hearts out, while the family watched on, not knowing how to console the two. They went through various emotions, all at once, Feeling pity for Khushi and Anjali and absolute rage for Shyam. There wasn't one dry eye in the hall and Arnav couldn't take it anymore, he felt his throat constricting with the rage and sadness he felt. He stood up and walked away, hoping in his heart that Khushi doesn't interpret his departure in the wrong way.

***

A long while later, Khushi knocked on Arnav's door, and there was no answer, since the door was a little ajar, she opened it and entered the room. She looked around the room, it didn't look like Arnav had been in the room at all, she was about to leave when she noticed that the curtains on the French windows were closed, ajeeb hai (this is wierd) she thought to herself, Did Hariprakash forget to open the curtains this morning? She slowly opened them, and carefully arranged them on the side just like they are supposed to be, that was when she saw Arnav. He was laying down on the poolside recliner, an arm on his forehead, and the other hanging on the side. 

She slowly walked up to him, being careful not to disturb him, in case he was asleep. As she neared him , she saw that his eyes were shut tight.. and there was a dried streak of tears running down either side of his temples. Yeh roye the (He had cried) She felt a pinch in her heart. It was very rare that she had seen him shed tears - His usual way of dealing with anything was anger. She gulped down the lump that was forming in her throat "Arnavji" she whispered softly, and saw his eyes move under his eyelids, So he wasn't sleeping. 

When Arnav had walked away after Khushi had narrated everything, he had contemplated going for a drive, but then he decided against that because there was a possibility someone might need him at home. Even before he reached his room, tears had started to pool in his eyes, he had closed the curtains behind him as he entered his poolside because he was sure someone will come looking for him, and he didn't want anyone to see him in this state. 

It was only after he sat on his recliner, he let his emotions flow. Hearing what happened on the terrace from Khushi had catapulted his anger to another level. The sight of his Di and Khushi crying in each others arms squeezed his heart in ways he didn't know was possible. The two most important women in his life, both of them reduced to tears by the actions of the same man. Arnav wanted to kill Shyam with his bare hands, but he knew that death would be an easy way out. That man needed to suffer, not die.