Love knocks again (Arnav Khushi Fan Fiction)- Completed

Chapter 22 (Part 1)

Chapter 22

(Part 1)

Khushi's phone beamed with notification of an incoming message. It was late afternoon of a busy day at work and Khushi would have ignored it if it wasn't a message she has been expecting for a while.

How do I do breath in breath out in public without looking like a freak?

This message from Arnav on normal days would have made Khushi chuckle. However, that day was crucial. She knew what he was doing took immense mental and in turn even physical strength from his part. So, she donned her responsibility hat, mentally surfed through all the books and websites she has been reading regarding his issue.

After sending a satisfactory message to Arnav and receiving a GIF of a man fainting of exhaustion while fanning himself in return, Khushi put her phone face down on table in front of her and leaned back in the chair.

Ignoring the pile of pending works for the day, Khushi took a minute to retrospect the past three months of her life.

First message she received from Arnav after their confrontation at hospital, the one that gave her sleepless nights for two weeks and puffed up her eyes like giant pops because of all the silent crying she did instead of sleeping, was cryptic at its best.

The message was a picture taken from a computer screen. Time chart the top of the screen said and the content looked like an excel sheet with weekly schedule. Khushi wrote it off as a wrongly sent message. Her anger at receiving a wrong message intensified more than her anger at receiving one from him in the first place after days of nil communication. Another message soon followed that read, 'Was at office the whole week.'

What should have been a normal occurrence in a working man's life is nothing less than a miracle in Arnav's. Khushi understood the depth of the insinuation. She scrolled back to the picture and realized that it was time chart of Arnav's attendance. He has indeed been in office for the whole week, average six hours.

Khushi's first thought was wonder, second was confusion and eventually, once she realized that it was an intentional effort from his part to get his life back on track and he only wanted to show the proof of his effort to her, her third and lasting thought was pure happiness.

Khushi had to fight the urge to call him and congratulate him, ask him if he was okay. She knew he must be excited with nerves. She wanted more than anything to be by his side when he goes through this roller coaster of emotions. But, Khushi knows better. She has locked away the idea of her and Arnav in an opaque box without source of light and threw it farer than her fragile heart could reach. The hurt love will cause second time around will be worse than the first time and she was not ready to take the risk.

Khushi's lack of response didn't deter Arnav from reaching out to her, albeit only through messages. All his firsts after his self declared exile was shared with her with a short piece on how he felt about it. While Khushi contented in the knowledge of all the changes he was bringing in his life, she neither interacted with him nor realized that even her silence was only motivating him.

Khushi's only hint that she was in the support of his efforts was the instant blue tick appears to the messages he sent her irrespective of day or time. Her phone was glued to her hand like second skin and she, in her own way, let Arnav believe that he had her confidence. This is how Khushi, going against her own oath to not interact with him, jumped to convince him otherwise when he was pondering on backing out from a significant event that could be the ultimate test to see if he is ready to face everything life throws at him and no more going to take coward's way out.

Seven days ago, Arnav messaged Khushi a pamphlet about International conference of Tech-heads saying how he is one of the thirty members invited from India.

Four days ago, Arnav messaged Khushi saying that he was cancelling his tickets and calling authorities to strike off his name from attendees. His ex-wife Tanisha was one of the attendees and Arnav was not very keen on facing her again. 'It will be like scratching on the healing scar.' He had said.

Khushi took exactly five minutes before she threw caution of protecting herself to wind and drafted a message for him.

"Are you going to quit AGAIN?" her message began. "Are you going to give up the fruit of your's life's hard work because you are... scared? Is your misplaced fear bigger than your self-worth? "

Arnav took his own time in replying to that message. When he did eventually, it was a click of his boarding pass taking him to Canada.

Khushi first time received a message from Arnav since he left to Canada that afternoon. She knew it was the day of the conference and he must be nervous wreck.

Khushi was eager than ever waiting for Arnav's message that day. He was doing remarkable in accepting himself in the past few months. Khushi always believed that to live accepting your imperfections is far tougher than thriving for perfection. After the perfection that society decided for Arnav stumbled, he unbeknownst began to blame himself for it and lived in guilt. What he is doing now if not righting the wrong in his life, but accepting that there has been wrongs in his life and dealing with it. Once Arnav comes out of this craving for farce perfection he will be able to love himself more for his every imperfection. Khushi knew this better than anyone. She has shredded the coat of conventional accepted life once she left her husband, next when she chose to work as a house help and then when she bravely decided to love again. Khushi couldn't tell if she was successful. It was a very subjective term after all. However, Khushi slept every night loving herself a little more than hating her. If that isn't the best life a person could live, then Khushi didn't know what is. She wanted the same for Arnav. She wanted him to be unabashed in giving more love to himself no matter who frowns upon it. The test is not about facing the hatred, guilt and anger that comes with facing his ex-wife. It is about the fact that he has an ex-wife (wives) and he can't do anything about it. He has to live with it and love himself while living with it.

It was late evening and Khushi was sitting in her bed clutching her phone to her, while Vihaan was beside her, lying on his stomach, colouring a horse. There was still no message. As time ticked by, Khushi scolded her more for expecting from Arnav again. In spite of lack of communication, he managed to seed the hope in her that he ripped out last time. That was the thing with love, it doesn't let control it. Maybe he just wanted a friend. Khushi thought she was just being that, a friend. How did she let herself feel for him again?

Khushi's index finger pressed on the power button and was only fraction of second away from switching off her when a message pinged.

"I did it, Khushi. For you."

*** 

Part- 2 will be coming soon. I am planning to type after lunch today.

Meanwhile you can download "Ping me the story!!!" and read it to keep you entertained.