It had been over a month now that Karishma had come home. And so many things had already changed within Arnav-Khushi's family. A family that was on the verge of breaking, a family where all 4 people had their faces turned to different directions, where the conversations with each other were reduced to minimal and where both the children Kiara and Arush had forgotten about family bonding, now saw things change was better. Kiara was no longer stuck on mobile phone all the time and actually started helping her mom take care of Karishma, Arush was no longer a stubborn, bratty child but he had turned a very understanding big brother to Karishma who kept a keen eye on her when their parents weren't around and Arnav and Khushi were happy seeing the house that they had made home once upon a time was back to becoming their home! They had also told Kia and Arush about Karishma being the same sibling they were told about 2 years ago and how she was kept away because of her health and how she would continuously need to be looked after. And Kia and arush had been turning out to be excellent support systems so far.
Amidst all that, their own relation was taking baby steps towards fixing itself. Although it was still hard for khushi to entirely forgive arnav for hiding Karishma from her for so long, she was touched seeing Arnav put in efforts to win her trust back and be patient with her. While Arnav's own guilt had made it difficult for him to break the ice with khushi at times, but he was happy seeing khushi was willing to give him another chance, to be the man of their family, to be her man! And he had no plan of ruining that.
Arnav closed his work laptop and decided to call it a day. After khushi's resignation a couple of weeks ago, he had also been working from home for some time to be with her and Karishma. But that often resulted in his work piling up for him and him having to put in late hours at night to finish it. Then there was also this sense of responsibility that he had to be his absolute best in his work now, since it would be on his job that their household depended now onwards.
As he entered their bedroom, he saw that khushi was putting Karishma to sleep who as usual didn't give in easily. No bedtime stories worked on her nor did any lullabies (not that khushi or he could sing any but still). Karishma usually tossed and turned-on bed, and eventually slept by herself. Perhaps, this was how she had learnt to sleep when she spent many nights in the hospital alone, away from her parents' warmth. Arnav looked away from the bed to get rid of the disturbing thoughts and reassured himself that Karishma was with them now, at home.
Khushi sensed his presence and asked him through her eyes why he was standing at the door instead of coming in. Shaking his head to dismiss her question, he came in and sat on the bed on the other side. He watched as Khushi reached out to caress karishma's head who didn't look at her but giggled in response. They both smiled.
"She knows your touch." Arnav said.
"I wish she knows me too." khushi said in response, adjusting the quilt over Karishma which she had thrown away in her movements.
"I am sure, she does, Khushi. Otherwise, why do you think she feels so comfortable around you, so calm with you?"
"That's because we have been lucky to have a very tenderhearted baby this time, Arnav. She was away from this house, from her family for so long, yet she held no grudges against any one of us and accepted all of us with open arms." khushi said emotionally.
"She was away because of me." Arnav said in a small, guilt-ridden voice.
"Perhaps that was the destiny." Khushi said, making Arnav look at her sharply in surprise. "We can't change what has happened in the past, Arnav. But our present and future are still in our control, right?"
"Right." he said, with heartfelt agreement. He was touched by Khushi's way of saying that she no longer held him guilty over the past and wished to move on.
