Perfectly Flawed (Complete) (Under Editing)

Chapter Twelve

"Arrey Anjali bitwa!" Madhumati fussed around Anjali, not liking the fact that the sweet girl was serving lunch. To add to Madhumati's horrors, little Aarav made Madhumati swear on his name to not do anything except sit, with him joining his mother in serving the table.

Payal smiled happily, helping Aarav out with a basket of rotis. She watched the two brothers grabbing the pots of dish from an annoyed Anjali, the awkwardness replaced by a happiness they were pretending to be in. Though Arnav's smile was more forced than the others.

Payal knew the reason why, his happiness was truly missing. But a tiny part of her brain told her that soon all would live the moments for real. Her heart lurched at the thought of her sister.

Khushi.

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Firecrackers burst into the sky, joy and celebration decking the city like a new bride. Yet the jubilation of her favourite Goddess barely brought a smile on Khushi's face. Her mind had calmed in Varanasi, but the same couldn't have been said for her heart.

Today was the fourth day of Navratri, red was the colour for all. Tears welled her eyes as she held up the crimson saree near her chest, bittersweet memories following soon. Draping the georgette material over herself, she left her hair loose - recalling the first time he ever gazed her as woman, the first time he wished to come close to her.

She left her suite, memorising the smell of sandalwood and hymns all around. Suddenly her heart clenched as she looked at the Mother Goddess, where did everything go wrong?

Unexpectedly, her phone rang.

It was Payal.

"So you ran away?" Khushi blinked at her sister's words. Clutching her phone tight, Khushi replied "No. I just needed some time."

"Then you must be feeling great now?" Khushi sighed at Payal's question. Feeling good had barely been a known emotion, lately.

"Khushi, no matter who you are, you wouldn't have been able to handle anybody if you didn't trust yourself. You just saw when he changed, but you didn't remain the same either." Payal's soothing voice raged a storm in Khushi's heart.

"I... I was the same!" Khushi argued.

"Really? Where was the girl who never forgot her own happiness? Under the piles of being the perfect daughter, sister, sister in law... I never saw Khushi, or even Arnav's wife for that matter." Payal accused, without blaming her sister.

Khushi couldn't reply.

"Pagli, I always pegged you to be smarter than me! Then why the same mistake? You took the vows with Arnav but you fulfilled the promise with his family, not with him nor yourself."

"Jiji... I... I feel lost." Khushi confessed, several minutes later.

"You don't have to Khushi." Payal coaxed. "Just remember how you were, as a person, when everything was going fine. When we all were happy, when you had his love." Payal whispered the last sentence, hoping Khushi could understand her.

Closing her eyes, Khushi recalled her younger self. The spirited girl who never compromised for happiness. The one who could read people as if they were her favourite books. The person who was never judgemental nor seized moments to get appraisal from others.

Suppressing a sob, Khushi asked "Why did I change Jiji?"

"Fear. Fear of not holding onto what you have. Yet that very fear kills everything."