Crown

chapter 8

A BATTLE OF DREAMS or LIFE

" khushi or dard jitna baate jaye uthna hi dil ko sukoon dete h ." [ nothing gives more pleasure than sharing your happiness and sadness ] arnav's grandmother caressed his hairs slowly , while he was busy concentrating on decorating pooja thal for morning prayers . not getting a reply from arnav again , his grandmother looked dejected .

"dadi , pata ni kya sunna chati h aap mujhse , par pichle ek hafte se ,aapko kha raha hu ki mei thik hu . mujhe koi dard ya dukh hai hi nahi jo kisi ko baato . sab kuch toh phele jaisa ho raha , apne mujhe dekha kya kahe majnoo ke tharaha ek kone bade rote hue , nahi na ? [ grandmother , I don't know what you want to listen from me , but from past one week I am telling you I am ok . I don't have any pain that needs sharing . everything is going as before , did you saw me drunk lying on the floor crying like majnu in the corner] ? arnav looked at his grandmother with affection and small smile playing on his lips that did not reached his eyes , his grandmother saw that clearly . she knew arnav for so long to understand what turmoil is running inside him but he has always been very good at hiding it all with in his heart . next moments spent in silence between the duo , his grandmother kept on looking at him as he sang offering his prayers to the god , with his every words , tear left his grandmother's eyes . no matter how much he try to show everything is normal but she knew , arnav had some where found a liking towards khushi , she has seen his affection towards khushi with her own eyes , but she don't understand how cruel god can be to such a pure soul like arnav . arnav turned back to give his grandmother Prasad when he saw tears falling down her face , he kept the plate and whipped her tears with his fingers , his own eyes turning wet looking at her .

"dadi , mene kha tha na apse ki , appse jayada pyaar koi ni kar sakta mujshe . vaise bhi garibo ki kismet me mohabbat nahi likhe hote ."[ grandmother , I have told you no one can love me more than you . anyways , love is not written in poor man s destiny ] arnav gave her a tight smile and a brief hug .

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khushi , you always take wrong decisions in anger .'

you need to control your anger khushi , otherwise someday it will destroy you .'

insaan ke same paso ki koi kimat nahi khushi

Khushi turned in her sleep as her daima's voice keep on residing in her ears , her words that she had said so many years ago but now they are haunting her like never before . as the voice fades away , frown on khushi's face fades down but her relief was short term as a new face encaptures her dreams same like all past nights . a deep husky voice reaches her as the blur face of a handsome man come more clearer to her .

I am your husband let me help you .'

your smile is so beautiful . your name is so apt for you

from the time you have come , its feel like this palace has been brought to life

some wars doesn't require swords to be won

Arnav's past encounters his soothing words make khushi go restless in her sleep , her hands swap on bed as if looking for the warm hands of someone , how she had got used sleeping next to him , his scent , his arms that remains curved around her whenever she woke up in morning . her head that lay safe on his chest listening to her own personal lullaby of his heartbeats . how his every soothing words take away her nightmares . a small tear left her eyes as she see her husband vanish in darkness as she took her steps forward to reach him in her dreams.