Chapter Sixteen

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC! I'M WARNING YOU ALL....I HAVE MY ANGRY FACE ON.

It's strange the memories you keep. Far into the future, when she would look back upon this day, Khushi knew the first memory to come crawling out of the cobwebbed crevices of her mind would be an auditory one. The resounding echo of her heels upon the white shiny surfaces of the hospital floor would haunt her in her dying days.


Long and tortuous corridors were now what remained between her and the painful reality of her life.


Never before had her limbs felt so leaden. Blinking away tears she willed herself to keep going. One step at a time...further into the deafening silence.


Armed guards stood either side of the entrance to the private suite. With the cursory nod, they stepped aside, swiping passes on to the keypad. The green light flickered and the electronic doors slid open.


Anjali stood in the far corner, mobile pressed to her ear, trying to update Devyani Raizada on their Chote's health status. Aman sat cross legged next to his bed, typing away furiously, drafting a press release. Susie, the night nurse, trying to ignore all the humdrum, was recording vital stats into the patient chart. Men, whom Khushi was unfamiliar with, stood at the foot of the bed, blocking her view of Arnav, updating him on anticipated hits to the AR Corp. stock. A woman, with a severe bun and rectangular reading glasses was talking a mile a minute, trying to send the press sniffing elsewhere...convincing them that Arnav Singh Raizada's collapse was nothing more than a case of mismanaged sugar levels.


In that moment it became startlingly clear to Khushi that she knew very little about Arnav Singh Raziada.


The realisation... was suffocating.


Invisible in the corner of the room, her first instinct was to run.


The electronic monitor above the hospital bed began to flicker. Susie frowned...


"Your heart rate just shot up..." she mumbled to herself.


The room stilled. Arnav whispered...


"Khushi."


All the occupants turned to look at her. Without so much as a word, papers and personal items were gathered and one by one they left the room. Khushi kept staring out the window, focussing on the city lights in the distance, unable to look at him.


The quiet was comforting.


"Look at me."


Though issued as a directive, his tone was soft...pleading. Khushi shut her eyes tight, clenching her trembling hands. He sounded frail. Swallowing the tears at the back of her throat she turned around to look at him.


Her knees gave way at the sight of him.


Arnav threw off his blankets, reaching out to help her. She held out her arm to stop him. He froze...unsure of his rights over her anymore. Gripping the railings, she slowly pulled herself upright and looked him in the eye.


And for that one moment...she lost herself.


The ache in her heart subsided, leaving way for relief to wash over her.


He was alive.


The warm, swirling depth of his caramel coffee coloured eyes begged her to close the distance between them. To run into his arms and to cry her heart out. To bare her soul to him. If only they knew just how much she ached for the same.


But the tempest brewing within her could not be silenced.


He lifted his hand out to her. "Khushi...please..."


Her lower lip trembled. A sob escaped her. "I can't..." she hoarsely confessed.


Turning her back to him, she steeled herself, willing the tears to stop.


"I can't ever see you again."



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 I know it's short. 


But there is a reason. It's for an effect. I kept writing the next bit...but it seemed to detract from this moment. I wanted this moment to be isolated. Also I don't believe in making an update long unnecessarily. The effect I desired has been achieved. It was supposed to be a mini movie.


The next update will be VERY long. So you should be happy about that. Also it will be the last VERY SAD update. After that it will be better. 


Thank you so much for you all your love and support. I cannot say it enough number of times. You guys make me laugh and sometimes even a little misty eyed. Big kisses and hugs to you all. 


Love Sasak.