Heal Me

Cursed? (Part 5)

"Enough............" Manorma was interrupted by a loud noise which made everyone to jump from their seats. They looked at Arnav who was standing at the end of stairs.

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Arnav calls Hari Prakash and hands him empty jug to fill water in it before walking towards everyone. Manorma looked at him, ready to say what she was saying but Arnav beats her "I heard whatever you were saying, Mami ji." He looked at everyone before looking at her again "I didn't expect my family to speak like this, at least."

Manorma squirmed under his gaze but gathering courage started again "Arnav Bitwa, I know Anjali bitiya is very emotional but how can you support her in this decision?" Arnav looked at Anjali but replied to Manorma "First, it was my decision not hers and Di." He speaks to Anjali "Di, do you have any problem with my decision?" Anjali nodded in denial with a smile.

"I meant when I said I didn't expect this type of behavior from my family." Arnav looked at Nani and Mama ji who was sitting silently and sighed "According to you, Madhumati Gupta is right? Khushi is..." he gulped before continuing "Khushi is cursed. Unfortunate. She takes her misfortune with her anywhere she go? Isn't it?"

Manorma nodded "I don't care. All I know is if our Anjali bitiya is in pain today is because of her. Unknowingly she played a part in breaking our Anjali's loving home." Arnav laughed at her "Ok, I got it. I am ready to accept everything you're saying. Her parents died because she is cursed, her foster father died and Di's marriage is broken because she carries her misfortune everywhere with her." He turns to look at Anjali "Are you listening Di? According to Mami's explanation Khushi is cursed but Di, if her words are true so aren't we also cursed?"

Mami looked at him with wide eyes and so did others "Arnav bitwa, What are you speaking?" Arnav looked at her with a painful smile before replying "What? I said something wrong? Oh, I forgot about carrying same misfortune everywhere. Di, you are so unfortunate, your first marriage got cancelled on the day of marriage and now again it's broken."

"Arnav Bitwaaaa....." Nani shouted, standing on her feet now but Arnav acted nonchalant "What happened Nani? I am saying what Mami was speaking till now, you didn't stop her than." Nani looked down in shame, understanding his point now and Akash looked at his brother with a proud smile.

"Mami, if you're right than we are more unfortunate and cursed than Khushi. Her parents didn't left her willingly but ours, they found it easier to end their own lives then fighting for their children. Our parents didn't even stop to think that their daughter's marriage is going on downstairs and how their one action will affect her life. They couldn't fight with their pain for sometime and left us to fight with ours, alone." He almost shouted painfully and Anjali cried looking down as he scratched the wounds of painful past.

"And our misfortune didn't end at this, we were thrown out of our own house by the man whom we respected as another father figure in our life. Di had to bear so much, you didn't call her cursed when she was getting taunted by your so called society over her broken marriage, over her limp and how no one would like to marry her. Why?" Mami kept looking down with tears as Arnav continued to show her mirror.

"I thought you actually loved us, Mami but hearing the venom you are spitting for Khushi, I doubt that." Mami's head snapped up to look at him "Tell me something, you only welcomed us, the two orphans because of Nani and Mama ji?" Manorma looked at him aghast as she started shaking her head "Because you clearly stated sometime back how much venom you carry for unfortunate people like us." Arnav stopped as Mami started crying bitterly holding her hands in front of him, begging him to stop.

"Nani, if you have any problem with Khushi staying here then tell me now. I'll make sure to shift in my apartment with Di and Khushi by tomorrow." Arnav asked looking straight at Nani who looked at him with teary eyes. " Arnav Bitwa, I don't have any problem and I wasn't quite because I agreed with whatever Manorma was saying but because I started thinking about Anjali bitiya. I just thought that Khushi staying here shouldn't pain her more and remind her of her husband's betrayal. I love Khushi bitiya also and I was silent because of that same dilemma that how am I going to support my two favorite children."

Arnav nodded before he shouted for Hari Prakash who was standing in a corner with now jug filled with water in his hands before taking long strides to go upstairs. Anjali looked at Manorma with tears as she moves forward to support her. She knew Arnav's intentions weren't wrong but Mami have always loved them sincerely and it must be hurting her very much.

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Arnav walked inside the room to see Khushi lying on bed and looking complete lost as she continued to gaze nowhere in particular. He moves forward and pours water in glass, he asked her to get up but got no response or moment in return. He calls her name again but seeing her not responding he shakes her, concerned. Khushi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him confused with a frown before she realized her surroundings.

Arnav sits on the edge of bed before helping her to sit and adjusted pillows behind her for support. He forwarded the glass of water in front of her but she just looked at him confused. He looks away for a moment before he pressed the rim of glass on her lips and signed her to drink. Khushi started gulping the water but her gaze didn't left him. Arnav keeps the glass on table again "I have asked Hari Prakash to cook something light for you to eat, after that you have to take medicines."

When Khushi still didn't reply anything and continued to look at him, he felt nervousness creeping inside him. He thought to call the doctor, concerned about her mental condition and was going to leave the room to do the same when he heard it. Her voice low as whisper reached his ears and he instantly turned on his heels to look at her but her question left him stunned.

"Why?" He looked t her in confusion. "Why did you support me? Didn't you always wanted this? To see me crying, begging, helpless than why, when your dream was turning true, you decided to help a low class girl like me?" Khushi asked with no expressions and emotions in her voice which made Arnav to squirm in guilt of how he have always rebuked her. Arnav looked away unable to face her, unable to give her any answer when he himself don't understand, why. He looked at her once more before leaving the room "Let me see if your food is ready."

Lavanya hides behind the pillar looking at Arnav coming out of room. After the confrontation downstairs, she thought to follow him, she was always a practical girl not any emotional fool, especially from the time she started working under ASR. She have thought about all the possibilities behind his tough and rude exterior but today she got to see the glimpse of extreme pain he hides behind them.

She was going to follow him inside the room but something stopped her and she stood there watching the interaction between ASR and Khushi from outside. How his expressions completely turned neutral looking at Khushi, like the painful confrontation didn't even happen. In fact, those neutral expressions soon turned into concern, eagerness and fear.

She laughed inwardly thinking how much she have changed that today she is trying to understand the emotions of other when not so long ago she didn't even use to care about anyone but herself. She looked forward as simple questions of Khushi made the great ASR squirm and he looked somewhat ashamed as he felt difficult to meet Khushi's questioning gaze.

Looking at his retreating figure, Lavanya wiped her tears as she suddenly felt like she don't even belong here. The man because of whom she is staying here and trying to change herself from inside outside don't even care. Her absence or presence around him doesn't even matter to him and she like a fool is busy in making castles in air. ASR have cleared it on every opportunity given that this doesn't mean anything for him and still she had always lung to the little hope that may be there is some chance.

She looked at Khushi again to find her sitting like a clueless child. She wants to go inside, she wants to support her friend but something inside her stopped her from taking that step. So instead of going inside, she moves towards her own room thinking about what should she do.

To be continued................