Arshi SS - His Mistake

Part 8

The orange sky stared back at her as she stood at the window, looking up at the evening sky. She felt so different. Everything felt new. Like she was in some deep sleep, beholding a different world, and now she is awake, feeling and looking at the world which is new for her. She felt new. Not the Khushi who blabbered the first thing that touched her tongue, but a quieter one. Not the Khushi whose eyes expressed everything, but a more secretive one. Not the Khushi who use to bare herself for everyone, but a scared one. It felt like her former self is hiding in some abyss, and an imposter has taken her place. An imposter who is nothing like the girl she once was.

She turned around to look at the saree lying on the bed. Arnav ji had sent her this saree this morning, asking her to be ready in the evening. That day seeing him weak, she had said yes to whatever he wanted to do. Because now she doesn't know what to do.

Moving forward, she went and sat on the bed. Picking the saree, she touched the silky texture of it. She doesn't know where she will reach by doing all this, but she wants to try. She wants to try for the man who daily comes and pleads to her to come back to him.

Taking the saree, she entered the washroom.

Hundreds of people buzzed around her. The heavy aroma of junk food floating in the air, the night wind making the atmosphere cold. She turned her dubious gaze at him.

"I thought you would enjoy here more than in some 5 star hotel" Arnav said to her as he took her hand in his. "So what would you like to have?" Arnav asked, his eyes scanning the different stalls lined up at both sides of road.

Khushi remained quiet, just taking in the surrounding. This is not the place Arnav Singh Raizada would like to spend even a second of his life. But here he stood with her, in a place he would describe filled with middle class people, unhygienic food and irritating noise.

"Khushi, gol gappe?" He asked, a smile on his lips.

Khushi wasn't sure how to react. If she had been the same girl she was 7 months back, she would have leapt at the offer, hugging the life out of him. But now the image of her cheerfully excepting the offer felt so out of character to her own self.

Arnav's line of thought was no different from hers. He wanted to see the Khushi whose eyes had danced with happiness when he had brought gol gappas to apologize to her. Why he does something for her only when he wants to rectify his mistake? The question brought the same pain and guilt in which he is living from last 7 months. He has wronged her in so many ways that now she no longer expects anything from him, she no longer trusts him.

Swallowing the pain, he squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"Khushi, I thought you will enjoy here more. But if you want to go somewhere else, then we can go.."

"No..I ..I like the place .." khushi answered hurriedly, not wanting to ruin the evening for him.