ArShi FF : His Wife and Baby

Part 7 : Little Things

Happy Valentine's Day everyone :)

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It was like any other Sunday morning and all the Raizadas were sitting around the dining table having their breakfast.As Aakash watched on,Payal served everyone and sat beside him to have her breakfast.She was a perfect wife and daughter in law.But after her outburst some weeks back,Aakash started to feel that she is slowly drifting away from him.Ofcourse,she was doing all her duties perfectly but he could feel her avoiding him.She was no longer the cheerful and happy Payal who would be shy at his mere glance.She had busied herself with those household chores. It had been months since they spent some quality time with each other.She had been like this after Khushi's disappearance,Aakash thought sadly.

He too was not a so-perfect husband.He too never left any chance in the past to taunt Khushi for Anjali's broken relationship with Shyam.All of them were busy thinking about Anjali that they never bothered about Payal and Khushi.He didn't offer Payal any support when Khushi went missing.Payal,on the other hand took care of his family amidst all her pains.

"Shall we go for a drive,Payal?Lets have the lunch outside.."Aakash asked softly and waited for Payal's reply.

Payal looked at his face for a moment and nodded her head in a YES.

3 hours later,Payal and Aakah were sitting, face to face, in one of the posh restaurants in Delhi.It was not at all crowded and they were seated in kind of a private cabin.

"We didn't get enough time with each other,away from everyone else,during the past months...So,I thought we should spend some time and have a proper talk."Aakash said with a smile.

"Talk about what?" Asked Payal softly.

"About us.I know you are upset with all of us,Payal.I can understand what you are going through..with Khushi Ji missing.You have bottled up all those pain inside you for long.I want you to share them with me,Payal.I can't see you drifting away from me by each day.I know you might be hating me now,Payal but trust me I didn't want to hurt you even unknowingly." Answered Aakash.

"I don't hate you Aakash Ji.I don't know what made you think so." Payal replied

"Then why are you keeping this distance from me?You are so formal with me,Payal.You were not like this during the initial days of our marriage. I know I was wrong about Khushi Ji.We shouldn't have treated her so badly.I will do everything in my power to bring Khushi Ji back.I am really sorry for all the hurts that I caused,knowingly and unknowingly.Will you forgive me,Payal?" Aakash asked,taking hold of Payal's hands.

"I may forgive you Aakash Ji,but I can never forget what your family had done to my Khushi.All those months,she begged you Raizadas a chance to explain.But you didn't give an ear to it.You can't even imagine what those 6 months were for her.Only I had seen her suffering.Yet,I couldn't do anything to help her even now I hate myself for that.You hated Khushi because you thought that Khushi was responsible for Anjali Di's,your sister's pain.Then how can you expect me to live normally with the people who gave nothing but pain to my sister?" Payal asked wiping her tears.Aakash didn't know what to answer.

"You can't stand even a drop of tear in Anjali Di's eyes and can you imagine what I was going through during the past nine months, with no news about Khushi?..I don't want Khushi to come back to RM anymore.She had suffered enough.Your sister and brother made sure of it."

Whatever Payal told was true and Aakash could feel his own eyes getting moist seeing his wife so miserable.

Just then the waiter arrived with their food and started serving it.Payal wiped her tears and started eating silently while Aakash kept on watching her.The Raizadas had really hurt Khushi and Payal for no mistake of theirs,he thought sadly.