Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh

Chapter 71: He Tried

Aarav had been standing at the bar corner of the hall, a place that had become a sanctuary for his pain over the years. He remembered how he had soaked himself in alcohol to numb the agony in his heart the sorrow from his daughter's hatred and his own failures to show her his love. These failures had driven him to ruin his own life.

Khushi sat on the couch, a book in her hand, but her attention was divided. She watched her father, her heart aching with the memory of how he used to drown himself in alcohol because of her rejection. However, over the past few months, she had made a conscious effort to mend their relationship, giving him the love and care he deserved.

Aarav picked up a whiskey bottle, and Khushi instinctively closed her eyes, bracing herself for the sound of him pouring another drink. Instead, she heard the shattering of glass. She opened her eyes to see him breaking the bottle, and soon after, he smashed all the other bottles too. A smile spread across her face, a symbol of their renewed bond and his determination to change.

He called out, "Shyam! Yeh sab bottles ghar ke bahar pheko!"

The servant quickly came and began cleaning up the broken glass and spilled liquor. Khushi, overwhelmed with emotion, got up from the couch and ran to her father. She hugged him tightly, her voice filled with relief and joy, "Dadda... finally aapne peena chod diya."

"Haan Khushi! Main peeta tha kyunki mera dard aur takleef samajhne ke liye koi nahi tha. Par ab meri bachi hai!" he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Tears welled up in Khushi's eyes. She stepped back from the hug, remembering all the times she had mistreated him in the past. She held her ear in a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry for never understanding you, Dadda."

Aarav smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Kaha na maine! Ab sirf achi yaadein."

Khushi looked around the now-empty bar corner and asked, "Yeh aapne khali toh kar diya, par ab hum yahan rakhenge kya?"

Aarav thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up with an idea. "Hmm... iss jagah ko hum transform karenge painting area mein! Tumhari aur meri paintings lagayenge yahan."

Khushi chuckled, delighted by the idea. "That's so cool, Dadda."

The empty bar corner, once a place of despair, was now set to become a vibrant space of creativity and memories. As they planned their transformation, it symbolized a new chapter in their lives, one filled with hope, love, and mutual understanding.

Khushi said, "Acha Dadda, main bahut confused hun kaunsa college join karun."

Aarav looked at her with concern. "Kaisa confusion?"

"Mujhe samajh hi nahi aa raha hai which is the best one," Khushi admitted, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"Chalo, main tumhari help karta hun," Aarav said reassuringly.

They headed to her bedroom and settled on the bed with the laptop in front of them. Khushi sat down beside him, and they began to research the best colleges in town. The room was cozy, with soft lighting and walls adorned with pictures and paintings that Khushi had created over the years.

As they scrolled through various websites, Aarav asked, "Toh tumhe kis field mein interest hai? Yeh decide karna sabse zaroori hai."

Khushi thought for a moment, her eyes scanning the screen. "Mujhe engineering aur architecture mein interest hai, par main sure nahi hoon kaunsa choose karna chahiye."

Aarav nodded thoughtfully. "Engineering aur architecture dono hi achi fields hain. Dono mein tumhara interest hai, toh dono ke colleges dekh lete hain."