Arshi ff : Love, am I not worth it ?

Chapter 16

Next day morning

Shantivan was a house with lots of colors. It was always a joyful place. Opposite to the meaning of its name, it always had lots of sounds and happiness especially in the morning. But that day morning was different. There was no sounds. No people running here and there. No cracking of jokes or leg pulling. Everybody and everything was silent as its name suggested. Well it was like that for few days.

In one room of that house, laid a man in his king sized bed. Sunlight peeping inside the room woke him up. Slowly getting up he looked around. Seeing his state nobody will say that he is the king of the fashion world, Mr Arnav Singh Raizada. Shabby clothes, days old stumble, Red baggy eyes, and tired form. He looked nowhere near to that strong business tycoon whose name itself made people shiver.

The room looked as if it was a garbage bin. All the things lied scattered here and there, days old arrangements for first night was destroyed, flowers were dried. Arnav Singh Raizada sat on his bed leaning on the headboard clutching the photo of an innocent girl in his arms, his wife, Khushi. He looked broken.

He looked around. It has been three days to his marriage with Sheetal. He never felt this much helpless in his life. When his Di phoned and told him that his mother had an attack, he won't lie, he was scared. He loved his mother so much.

He immediately left from Nainital. On the way he tried to call Khushi. But her phone was switched off. Then he remembered her saying about the meeting and that her phone would be off for sometime, when she called the previous day.

On reaching Mumbai he came to know that his mothers condition was critical. She had called him to talk. When he went there she asked him to marry Sheetal. He denied. He tried to make her understand the situation. He tried every way to convince her. But she was adamant.

She wasn't ready to listen any of his words. He tried all ways. But her condition started worsening, his denial wasn't helping either. So finally to save his mother's life he agreed.

The marriage was fixed for the next day. He reluctantly came there to finish the rituals. With every passing minute it was becoming unbearable for him. He never believed in such rituals so that marriage never held any meaning for him. According to him relations are made by heart to heart connections. For him only one woman could take that place in his heart, his Khushi. But the very thought of giving her place to someone else made his heart bleed.

When he saw her standing at the entrance like a broken soul he felt life leaving his body. The pain, hurt and disbelief he saw in her eyes made him feel thousand deaths. He saw her running away from there. He wanted to go behind her, say sorry to her, tell her that all that didn't meant anything for him, all that mattered was her.

But his sister stopped him. One look at his mother sitting in the wheelchair he stopped. He couldn't go. He had to loose one person. His mother or his love. If he choose his love he will loose his mother forever but if he choose his mother he will loose his love. But at least his mother and love will be alive.

He soon finished the rituals and left from there. Reaching his room, he shut the door. The room was decorated for first night. He destroyed every decoration. He destroyed everything that came in front of his sight.Taking Khushi's photo from the closet where his sister had kept all her belongings, he held it close to his heart and cried.

Few hours later his sister came with Sheetal but he didn't let them enter. After sometime they left. Like this two days passed. Neither he talked to anyone nor he came out of the room. Sheetal lived in one of the guest rooms. The room was closed from inside. It only opened when HP brought food for him.

Most of the time he didn't ate anything. But ate only to keep himself alive. Since he was a diabetic patient if he didn't ate then his life could be in danger.