TILL I MET YOU

chapter 57

Khushi is seated reading a book in buaji's house when someone knocks on the door....

"Pa-ya-l,"....she screams on top of her lungs and after a moment payal comes running out of her room only to find her immersed in her book...

PAYAL; khushi

KHUSHI; what??

PAYAL; did it maybe occur to you that I might have been worried when you screamed like that

"Just go get the door...someone has been knocking..." she says plainly going back to her book...

PAYAL; and you couldn't get it

"aren't you forgetting something..."...khushi says as she points towards her big bump

PAYAL; am tired of you using your pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy

KHUSHI; am not lazy I just happen to be on power saving mode...are you going to get the door or are you going to stand here all night...am sure its arnav on the door...

PAYAL; I don't get why you're always coming here...this isn't your house anymore

KHUSHI; I don't get the point of this argument...if am going to win it anyway...we both know am not going to open the door, so you can continue arguing with me and then afterwards open the door or just go now...arnav isn't going to stay there all night you know

Payal stomps her feet and goes towards the door...opening it...

ARNAV; I have been knocking for ages

PAYAL; do me a favor...next time your wife wants to come over please don't let her...she is a nightmare

"I heard that"...khushi suddenly shouts out

PAYAL; you were supposed to...

"finally...your late...you were supposed to pick me up an hour ago," khushi says addressing arnav and

Payal decides to leave the two of them alone when she hears her phone ringing...

ARNAV; I passed by home I needed a few things and also this is for you...its addressed to you...someone dropped this off at home...Mohan gave it to me (he says handing her a an envelope but it's no longer sealed)

KHUSHI; you went through it already

ARNAV; yes, I was curious it had no address and I need an explanation...read the letter inside and tell me what it means...

She removes the letter and notices it's in Braille...and she tries to hide her nervousness ...

ARNAV; who would send this to you and why

KHUSHI; and where

ARNAV; at home

KHUSHI; huh!!

ARNAV; I wondered who would send this and why...and you asked where, which is at home...because that's where it was sent

KHUSHI; you know I don't need you to criticize me when am trying to figure out things...Sometimes I need kind words too

ARNAV; that's not the point to all of this khushi...the point is why would someone send you a letter in braille...I couldn't read it but you can...what does it say..

KHUSHI; I don't know how to read braille

ARNAV; oh so you can't read braille even after you spent two years in an institute for the blind

KHUSHI; have you thought that perhaps they weren't teaching me properly

ARNAV; or perhaps you just pretending...khushi you know I hate when you start acting ignorant

KHUSHI; its approaching 10:00 p.m shouldn't we be on our way home now...or you would rather spend a night here...my bed is too small to fit two...so you might have to settle for sleeping on the couch here

ARNAV; khushi.

KHUSHI; did you eat supper...if not i can cook right now...so what do you want...tell me don't be shy, buaji won't mind you eating her food

ARNAV; my patience is wearing out...am this close to losing my temper with you...who would send this to you if you aren't blind anymore...

"you don't want food then...should I bring a juice instead" she says but gets startled as soon as arnav slams his phone against the wall...

ARNAV; will you quit treating me as if am an idiot...(he is about to continue but stops hearing her sniffle tears ).

ARNAV; so your pulling this card...great, here come the tears ! Real mature, khushi...

KHUSHI; I want to go home...

ARNAV; so now you're going to act like nothing is wrong...why are you lying to me...

KHUSHI; am not lying to you

ARNAV; even that...is a lie...either you read it for me or I find someone who can..(He says snatching the letter from her)

KHUSHI; fine you want to know who would send that to me...sham...it's not the first time he sent me a death threat...I don't read them even if he keeps sending them...I don't pay attention and neither should you

ARNAV; your right I shouldn't pay attention...I mean it's just death threats it's not as if he is going to carry them out

KHUSHI; there is no need of being sarcastic.

ARNAV; he is been sending you notes and I find about it now

KHUSHI; because I didn't want to worry and overreact about nothing...

ARNAV; lets go home...

KHUSHI; arnav...

He doesn't utter another word and just walks out whiles khushi takes a while picking her stuff up...he is so angry he didn't find it necessary to help out...she says goodbye to payal and walks over to arnav's car and settles down....arnav starts driving ....

KHUSHI; arnav

ARNAV; don't...

KHUSHI; you don't even know what I was going to say...(she says but is only met with silence),... fine I shouldn't have kept it away from you...but you were dealing with so much with your sister gone for months...I didn't want to add to your list of worries...and besides i

ARNAV; you don't trust me

KHUSHI; of course I trust you arnav

ARNAV; well clearly not enough...if you trusted me even a bit you wouldn't keep this from me

KHUSHI; I just didn't want to worry you

ARNAV; well am supposed to be your husband and worrying about you is my job...but you don't care about that, do you??

His a little disoriented and misses their turn...when khushi tells him about it he tries to turn only to see a truck coming up a head at the crossroad...the two are fortunate to avoid ahead on collusion but truck ends up hitting his car's rear...
After a while arnav finally regains his senses and checks khushi only to see her clutching her stomach all he could do was embrace her and let the torrent of her tears to soak through his shirt...he tries to start the car but it won't budge..