Akash helped Arnav into the house, it had been dificult to convince him to come home but Di had promised if he rested then everyday he could go visit Khushi. Arnav knew the alternative would be no visiting Khushi and only resting so he agreed, it felt odd for him though. The last time he had left this house he was holding her hand, watching that radiant smile on her face, seeing her eyes so full of love and life. Without her the house was quiet, the family morose and everything just felt colder and just wrong to Arnav. He looked around his home and felt the deep resonating pang of millions of memories Khushi and he had shared here. When she had made a rangoli and they fell into it, when she would run away from him, on Diwali when he helped her find her way out of the candles that surrounded her on the floor, the sangeet when they danced, the mehendi when his name was on her hands, that same day when he kissed her, when she kissed him and then the day they had married. These memories danced around lighting painful flames of longing in Arnav's heart which he wished to bury deep down somewhere. He needed to be strong, for her, so her could get her better and back with him by his side where she belonged. Akash helped Arnav into his room and Arnav became overwhelmed.
"Thanks Akash, tum ab jaa, I need to be alone." Arnav said, Akash nodded and left aware of how fragile his brother's state was at the moment. Arnav walked to the vanity table, Khushi's perfumes, chooriyan, jhoomke, make up, bindis and sindoor pot were all neatly arranged there. His fingers brushed against the glittering bracelets, he lifted one of the perfumes inhaling the intoxicating scent that usually stayed on Khushi. He set the perfume down and shook his head. He turned his attention to his laptop, he hadn't been to work for longer than he intended because of all this and although Akash was more than capable this was his business and....well it was a distraction from his loneliness. He managed to check his emails, send a few replies when his attention shifted and he began researching coma patients and survival rates. The prospects looked bleak but Arnav could not take no for an answer, "God dammit!" Arnav muttered to himself, he always proclaimed himself master of his own destiny, then why was Khushi still in a coma, why was it that the one thing he truly loves and cares for is not with him? His head began to throb and he shut his laptop and lay on the bed. He closed his eyes and extended his arm waiting for Khushi to nuzzle up next to him, when he felt the cold breeze brush over his arm he realised what he had done and bowed his head in shame.
Anjali sat downstairs with the rest of the family, Akash had been awfully quiet because of everything that had happened and because Payal had gone to her house to help her family, he understood why but he felt more than lost without her, which only made him feel worse for Bhai.
"Poor Bhai, Di I really don't know if he can take this. I mean, I've seen Bhai upset before, but never like this. Its like he's completely broken without her. He only becomes better when he sees her, even then its an act to make sure she doesn't suspect he's sad." Akash said, the idea that Bhai was masking his emotions to keep an unconscious and unresponsive Khushi happy was sad. Anjali nodded.
"Nani, don't you feel the house is so empty without Khushi?" Anjali asked tears welling up in her eyes. She'd never had a sister and always treated Khushi like her younger sister, she couldn't bare to lose her so quickly. Naniji nodded.
"Jabse humare zindigi main aiyee to ronak aur masti lekher aiyee thi, uskee bina toh humara maan nahi lagta." Naniji said holding back her tears trying to stay strong for the family. Shyam simply sat back listening to them all share their woes whereas he kept his pain inside.
"Di we need to find out who did this. Kya patha, tomorrow it could be me, or Nani, or Maa or even Payal." Akash said, fear pumping through his heart as he thought of how he would feel if he was in Arnav's shoes, Anjali nodded.
"The Police Commissioner has made it a top priority already Akash, whoever has done this will be caught out soon enough." Anjali said reassuringly. This now sparked fear in Shyam, he'd never thought that the Police would get involved in this. What was he going to do now?
Arnav came to visit Khushi today but he was more eager to speak to the doctor first. He waited impatiently outside of Khushi's room when the doctor approached him.
"Toh doctor, Khushi kaisi hai? Any improvements?" He asked restless to have the answers to his questions.
"There has been an increase in brain activity, she briefly opened her eyes today but then became unconscious. Its a good sign, it means that Khushi is attempting to respond to us." The doctor said and arnav felt lighter from the news.
"So does this mean she'll be okay?" Arnav asked optimistically.
"We still cannot say anything for sure Mr. Raizada, but it appears to look very good at the moment." The doctor said, he excused himself and Arnav entered the room and sat down.
"Toh tumne apne yeh aakhen kohli aaj? What about all the times I've been sat here with you Khushi? Don't you think that I might want to see your beautiful eyes too Jaan?" Arnav asked and Khushi remained silent.
"Khushi I'm getting irritated with you're naatak, I know you can wake up if you want to now. I wont talk to you if you don't." Arnav said half mockingly and half seriously. He lay his hand near hers not touching it for fear he'd hurt her.
"Please Khushi, I miss you...I need you." Arnav said bowing his head once more, even though her eyes weren't open he didn't want her to see him cry. Arnav's head snapped up swiftly as he felt it, he didn't trust himself but there it was, Khushi's hand grasping his. Her eyes were still shut but she was gripping onto his hand with all her might!
"NURSE! DOCTOR!" Aranv shouted repeatedly until the Nurse and Doctor entered.
"What is it Mr. Raizada?" The Doctor asked and Arnav shifted his head to indicate at Khushi holding his hand. The Doctor nodded, he removed a small flash light, he opened Khushi's eyelids and shined the light in them. The Nurse checked Khushi's brain waves and handed them to the Doctor.
"Mr. Raizada I don't know what you did, but it made Khushi respond and quite dramatically according to her brain wave patterns." The Doctor said and Arnav became confused.
"What does it mean though Doctor?" Arnav asked.
"Well if she continues in this manner then she will regain conciousness soon, how soon we cannot say. Although then we'd have to check her for long term brain damage as well as other ailments that may have occurred as a result of the accident." The Doctor said. Arnav's heart soared at the idea that Khushi would come back to him but then sank at the idea that she may be changed permanently. No, that wont happen, she will be fine, he assured himself of this and with a renewed resolve he returned home.
Read more of this here.
OMG so sad.:'(
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