More Than A Miracle

43. You drive me crazy

Akshita

I reached home from college and saw mamma-papa sitting on the sofa. Mamma gave me a glass of water, I sat there drinking it and observing their dull faces.

"Did something happen?" I asked them after relaxing for a while.

"Hmm... Khushu told us about her job and we refused her." Papa said looking down. Although they both refused her, I knew they were equally sad knowing that they made their daughter sad. I nodded at them and silently went to Khushu's room. I knocked on her door and sometime later she opened it.

It was evident from her puffy eyes that she had been crying but she plastered a smile over her face for my sake. She started joking around to divert my attention but I could easily see through her. I didn't say anything and just pulled her in my arms. She finally gave up trying to be strong and started crying in my arms. I felt so helpless because I couldn't do anything for her in this regard.

After consoling her for a few minutes, I went back to my room because she needed some alone time for herself. I changed my clothes in my room after freshening up and waited for Ashish to arrive. A few hours later, Ashish came back and seeing him, I couldn't control myself and wrapped my arms around him tightly.

"What's wrong?" Ashish asked kissing my forehead.

I looked up from his embrace and told him, "Khushu told mamma-papa about the job and they refused. She cried so much."

"I will go talk to mamma-papa right now. Don't be sad. Ok?" I nodded as he kissed my forehead once again and left to talk to his parents.

He came back after almost an hour and sighed in defeat. Mamma-papa did not listen to him because they didn't want to send Khushi alone to such a big city. They were right in their place but Khushi's dreams were being crushed. Ashish and I also knew that Khushi was not in her best health and she won't be able to survive alone but we wanted her dreams to be fulfilled.

For a whole week, the atmosphere at our house was gloomy. We all tried so hard to cheer up Khushi and she did smile at us but we knew it was not her genuine smile. I have spent more than a year with her and Ashish has spent all his life with her so we knew her smile held so much grief.

We were in our room discussing ways to find a solution to Khushu's problem.

"She looks so depressed," Ashish mumbled sighing.

"Ashish, everything is going to be fine," I mumbled looking at him. He smiled and pulled me in his lap, placing a soft kiss on my cheeks.

"When you say it, it sounds so easy." He said smiling softly and kissed me softly.

_____

The atmosphere in our home turned even greyer when papa told us about a marriage alliance for Khushi. Ashish got furious even after getting assurance from Khushi.

"I agreed when you refused her the job but I won't agree to her marriage at this stage," Ashish yelled at Papa in anger. I kept a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I have never seen him lose his temper on his parents like this.

"Ashish, don't talk so rudely, please." I tried calming him down. We both were in mamma-papa's room trying to convince them to not start with Khushi's marriage topic.

"Ashish, listen to me once. Do you think we are going to ruin our daughter's life just like that? You know it, she is dearer to your father between both of you." Mamma told him and after hearing it, Ashish calmed down a little and agreed to hear papa's explanation.

"Well!" Ashish waited for Papa to speak.

"Do you know about A. International?" Papa asked him.