Arshi One Shots

Take me along!

She took slow calculative steps into a space that she was not sure of entering into. But her insides wanted her to explore it. Some insight of hers said that she had almost reached her destination. She stepped further when a dark room welcomed her with an eery noise that had the power to scare every single nerve in the body. Usually a light in a space full of darkness provides relief to one's soul but the orange light that flickered far, was only raising the nervousness and fright that she was already undergoing within her. Clutching her duppatta tight, she marched further towards the flickering light, praying to all favourite gods to protect her, only to hit something with her legs. She did not make a noise to express her pain, rather ignored it as the pain in her heart was overpowering and this small injury did not really matter. She went further, and almost a few feet away from the light, she spotted an old wooden chair that probably had someone seated in it.

Her heart no more beat regularly, with anxiousness, fear taking a toll on her senses, that were very much palpable. With the same emotions, she slowly but steadily approached the chair, only to find someone sitting on it, tied by ropes which left imprints on that person's hands all over. He appeared to be in a state of unconsciousness as his head dropped down making it difficult for her to see his face. With the light not helping her much, the identity of the person scared her as she feared that he might harm her. But the erratic heartbeats of hers indicated that to be someone close to her heart. Her husband! The rising of her heart rate whenever she was close to her husband, was similar to what she was experiencing now. Though her eyes betrayed to reveal who he was, her heart said it all! She knew right then, it was her husband whom she had been searching for since long and finally a wave of satisfaction and contentment passed over her before her mind was clouded with worry.

'Was he safe? Is he okay?' Were the only questions that pricked her mind, and not wasting time anymore, she slumped near the foot end of the chair to take a look at his form.

Her eyes widened with shock as she noticed blood flowing down from her husband's forehead, his eyes drooping, his breaths irregular, his body numb and tortured, and most importantly he did not respond to her even after her continuous patting of his cheeks to get him conscious.

'Arnavji!' Khushi woke up with a jolt crying out loudly, which automatically awoke the person sleeping next to her in their bedroom.

Arnav was having a peaceful sleep while he was aroused by his wife, and the sight he witnessed did provide no relief to his senses, and in turn created a wave of pain and agony to witness his wife sweating all over and her body trembling. He comprehended it to be a consequence of a nightmare and without any second of delay, he was close to her, taking her whole form in his arms, to comfort and soothe her.

'Khushi! Khushi, wake up', He patted her cheeks waking up from her sleep completely, to let her see her surroundings and to get accustomed to it so that she could realise that she was indeed dreaming something bad, something evil!

He wiped all the sweat that marred her forehead, also the tears that were cascading down her cheeks.

Khushi opened her eyes fully, to find herself in her bedroom with her husband beside her, all safe and fine. She instantaneously cupped his cheeks, her tears clouding her vision, which were wiped off by Arnav simultaneously, who gave puzzled looks at her disheveled state.

'Arnavji, are you alright?' Asked Khushi, still caressing his face to double check that she had a nightmare and it was no where near to reality.

'I am fine Khushi. I am here. It was just a nightmare.' A relief spread across her face after a few minutes of assurance, by then the tears had dried too.