Till Death Do Us Part

Part 11

"Say 'Hi' to them, sweetheart!" cooed Sunidhi, pointing to the audience they had, making Anvita turn her doe-like eyes upon those who had been waiting to be noticed.

Khushi knew that she was supposed to feel myriads of emotions like scintillating ecstasy for meeting her daughter after almost four years or overwhelming pride for being the achiever that she had turned out to be, but she just felt empty.

Blank.

She was just glad that she did not feel any hint of regret even in her numbness. Years ago, she would have been over the moon to experience the joy of motherhood, and there she was, broken and desolate, numb and sans any reaction to her own daughter. That moment of reckoning added to the thoughts that have been running in her mind since long.

"Hi," whispered Arnav, bringing her out of her reverie as he bent down to Anvita's level, who looked at him apprehensively and hesitantly, clutching to her mother's hands tightly.

"Hi," she whispered back, in a low voice. He could identify the signs of 'stranger-anxiety' in her and it pierced him harder than he had expected to be treated as a stranger by his daughter.

"What's your name?" he asked, unable to think of a better question as emotions muddled his mind and he felt confounded by the onslaught of the situation.

"Anvita. Yours?" she asked innocently, still hesitant.

"Arnav. Do you like chocolates?" he asked, remembering that he had bought chocolates for her, wondering if she would like his choice.

"Chocolates!" she squealed in excitement, her eyes twinkling with happiness as she left her mother's hand and stepped towards him.

He forwarded the pouch containing various chocolates towards her, relishing the way her eyes gleamed with anticipation and excitement, all hints of apprehension erased. He had never experienced a greater joy or greater regret than he was experiencing in that moment, which he wondered if he would be able live ever again.

"Won't you give me a hug?" he asked, praying to all the deities he had known for his wish to be fulfilled. His voice trembled and his hope flickered as he locked his eyes with the little one.

She turned to look at her mother for her permission, who seemed to be astounded by the situation herself but nodded in affirmation anyways. She stepped forward towards him, smiling widely and walked straight into his eager arms. He clutched her to his chest like a poisoned man does to his antidote, trying to memorize how holding his daughter felt, how she felt.

Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck and he struggled to wrap the reins around his lacrimal glands which seemed to go into an overdrive. He wanted the moment to last forever but he knew that she would want to move away. After all, he was a stranger.

She began to pull away and he did not want to make her uncomfortable, he wanted her to remember him fondly, if at all she did. However, he could not stop himself from placing a gentle kiss at her forehead.

"I'll go play!" she announced, running away with the pouch of chocolates, hoping that her mother did not catch her intention of munching away the chocolates under the pretext of playing.

Arnav rose onto his feet as he saw her retreating back, hoping against hope that it was not the last time. It certainly filled his heart with warmth but it did not feel enough. Addicting, enamoring and ecstatic, paternal love seemed to hit right at his soul.

"I hope that this won't cause a battle for custody, Mr. Raizada. I hope, being in law enforcement, that you are aware that you don't have any recognized rights on her and I won't let go without a fight," declared Sunidhi, maternal instincts and possessiveness gushing through her brain. She might consider letting go of Anvita if Khushi was ready but definitely not to the man who treated his wife so irresponsibly.

"I just want to be able to meet her, only when she is fine with it, that's all. She loves you and trusts you, I am a stranger to her and I have caused enough trouble to the ladies I have loved to last for a lifetime," he replied, appearing every bit guilty that he was.

"That's good! Khushi, you didn't speak to her at all, do you want to go talk?" asked Sunidhi, turning to Khushi, who seemed to be in a trance of her own.

"I don't know what to say, Sunidhi! I just feel so lost, so blank! I don't even know how to talk to children anymore!" she answered, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. How could she not feel anything? She wanted to feel something, anything, but nothing seemed to have mercy upon her.

"Your wish, Khushi! You can meet and talk to her anytime, you want. You are always welcome and I hope you know that I will always be grateful to you," said Sunidhi, wrapping her arm around Khushi's shoulder, realizing that she was fighting battles which she could not even begin to comprehend.

Khushi smiled at her and began to walkout of the house after bidding goodbye to Sunidhi, Sunidhi and Arnav following her when Anvita ran into Khushi in the course of her game. The chocolate in her hand tarnished her plain white ensemble, much like the glimmer of hope which shone in the darkness of nothingness. Her contagious innocence, her sweet dimpled smile, and her bouncy tresses, Khushi could not help but see the part she had lost forever in Anvita.

"Sorry!" said Anvita, frowning as she eyed the stain on Khushi's dress.

Khushi knelt down in front of Anvita, smiling for the first time in what seemed like years, looking into the eyes which were the mirror of her own. Anvita was worried about the dress as she pouted in front of Khushi, seeking forgiveness, as if anyone could stay angry with the little one.

"It's okay! I don't mind! I have something for you!" said Khushi, unclasping the platinum chain around her neck, gift from her parents for her twentieth birthday, and clasping it around Anvita's neck. Her parents had never met their granddaughter and she was sure that if they were alive and healthy, the situation would have been in contrast to that of their present.

"Did you like it?" she asked, eager to know Anvita's views about her gift.

"Shiny, shiny! I like it!" she chirped in reply, looking at the tiny diamonds studded in the pendant of the chain, smiling at Khushi heartily.

"Take care!" said Khushi, reciprocating Anvita's smile, patting her cheeks affectionately as Anvita began to run around.

"Sunidhi, I hope you didn't mind the present!" said Khushi, standing up and turning towards Sunidhi.

"No, not at all! I will make sure that she keeps it safely. Do you want a change of clothes?" asked Sunidhi, pointing towards the taint on her clothing.

"No, let me have a souvenir of this meet in this manner! Goodbye, Sunidhi! Convey my best wishes to Shekhar! Take care!" greeted Khushi, allowing Sunidhi to hug her and allow her warmth and positivity to calm her down.

That moment, the star-crossed duo realized that they were stark opposites to one another. One's tempestuous mind was overburdened by emotions and ravaged by guilt while the other was haunted by void and relieved of any hints of guilt. They did say that opposites attract, but no one mentioned anything about lasting forever and they knew why.

One had buried their love along with their father and for the other it sprung to life along with their daughter; love truly had workings beyond the comprehension.

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I quite liked writing this chapter because it brought out how different the two are. How did you find it to be?

Target is 95 votes.