"Shh, Mahesh, please don't." Her own voice broke. Staggering in a deep breathe, she spoke again, more confidently. "You don't have to tell her the details. Just the basics."
"Rekha-"
"My decision has been made, Mahesh." She spoke slowly, enunciating each word.
Mahesh shut his eyes, refusing to let anymore emotions to shake him.
"Please get her to Mumbai as soon as possible." She whispered, the reality finally dawning on her.
***
The line went dead, as is it were never used in the first place. Too quickly, too timed. But everything they ever had was like that. Too short, running out of time. Whether a meeting, a conversation, a memory, or much more...
Mahesh shut his eyes and breathed in slowly. The sunlight warmed his face, relaxing him in the littlest way it could. For a split second, Mahesh wondered if his life would be always like this. Always on the edge of something. Sometimes despair, sometimes happiness, sometimes loss, he literally lived his life on the edge- never in a good way, however.
Running a hand through the locks that disturbed his eyes, Mahesh stepped into the bathroom, letting a shower be his sanctuary to think and refresh. He had a decision to make and that would decide the rest. He needed to talk to Khushi, one last time, before he made a decision.
----
Arnav settled into the chair more comfortably, drinking his coffee. His meeting with the certain client was unavoidable, but everything else that could've been cancelled had been taken care of. He needed time for and with Khushi. He would do anything to have just that. But Arnav was never foolish... Impulsive and judgmental -yes, but never foolish.
Spending time with Khushi meant having to deal with Mahesh. As irritating as the thought was, he was not going to falter. He had to show Khushi what he once couldn't.
Collecting his suit and laptop, Arnav left the house for what he considered two dreadful hours.
---
Mahesh knocked before entering the room, and smiled seeing an awake Khushi lulling her baby to sleep.
Khushi smiled. "He woke up, but went right back to sleep when I picked him up." She nuzzled Shiv's head with her nose and turned her attention to Mahesh.
"Baby missed his mother, I suppose." He smiled. Khushi's eyes sparkled in agreement.
"So, what news do you bring, Dr. Mahesh?" She asked, settling down onto the recliner.
Mahesh walked forward. "Actually, it a question," he whispered, kneeling before Khushi.
"Fire away." She smiled. But before he started she interrupted him. "I have had my medicine, I've drank chai, I'll eat breakfast in a bit, and I already have a light physical activity planned for the day." She beamed. "Now, you may ask!"
Mahesh shook his head with a slight smile. "No, it's something different..."
Khushi waited patiently for whatever Mahesh was trying to ask her. Finally, Mahesh looked up and focused on her eyes.
"Why did you not tell him?" He asked.
Khushi did not know what Mahesh was going to ask, but the sudden shift in atmosphere caught her by surprise. However, Khushi had known Mahesh would eventually ask her this question one day. Khushi took a deep breath and looked away before she turned back to face him.
"Because I believed." She finally, spoke, her voice slow. Mahesh focused on Khushi had to say, waiting for an explanation.
"I always knew, without a doubt, he loved me. I still know it. But... But Mahesh, he didn't know it. He thought he did, but at the first chance of proving himself wrong, he did. I know him."
She looked up, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears.
"I know that man, I understand him. I learned to understand the way he thinks very quickly. He has trouble accepting things like this... things like love. It's never easy for a man with the history he has to trust so easily. That's understood." Khushi stopped to gather her thoughts.
"Khushi, that doesn't answer my ques-" Mahesh tried but was stopped by Khushi.
"I know the way he works. I know I love him. He knows I love him. I knew he loves me.
Except he didn't."
Khushi adjusted Shiv in her arms before continuing.
"When he called me that day to ask me to come back, after realizing he was wrong, he did so more out of guilt than out of love. Yes, you can say there was love involved. But guilt was the predominant emotion there."
Mahesh nodded, slowly seeing where Khushi was leading.
"If I had told him about Shiv, he would've came. He would've hunted me down, I know it. Again, it wouldn't have been for the right reasons. I wanted him to come, I wanted him to hunt me down, but not because he felt as if Shiv was his responsibility, but because he couldn't live without me. I guess you can say I was looking for a sign that he understood how much he loved me."
Khushi lowered her head in defeat, and Mahesh placed a hand under her chin, bringing her back to face him.
"What changed?" He asked softly.
Khushi let out a small chuckle. "I realized I was wrong... When I told him that day on the phone- when I told him I'd disappear forever if he tried to find me- and he didn't, I realized I was wrong. He gave up on me because he loved me, Mahesh."
Khushi let out a louder laugh, gently shaking into sobs. Mahesh quickly gathered Shiv into his arms and settled him on the bed. Moving again, he ushered Khushi into his arms where he held her tightly.
"He- he loves me." She choked out. "And I was wrong, I was so wrong. He would've rather I stay happy and away from him rather than cease to be because he wanted to be with me. I was so wrong!" She cried clutching onto his shirt.
"Shh, Khushi, it's okay," Mahesh tried, smoothing her hair gently.
"And I hit epiphany too late, Mahesh! Now I have no choice, s the least I could do is give Shiv what he deserves." Khushi straightened up, wiping her tears. "Koi baat nahin, such is life afterall, right?"
Mahesh looked at Khushi. He didn't know how to label the emotions he felt towards her, but if he had believed in a God, he knew the reverence he felt towards Khushi would've matched that of one he gave a God. She was not perfect, but she was layers of imperfections that molded her into a perfect woman. And that she definitely was.
"I should give Shiv a bath." She said, returning to her lively demeanor.
Mahesh leaned in and placed a light kiss on top of Khushi's head, smiled, and left the room.
His decision had been made.
---
Arnav Singh Raizada couldn't control the fury that coursed through him when he stopped at the top of his stairs to see the man he loathed the most at the moment step out of his room. His anger reached unbearable heights at realizing who would've been inside that room.
Walking forward in steady, calculated strides, he stopped in front of Mahesh. Eyes cold as chips, he spoke to Mahesh between gritted teeth. "We need to talk."
Mahesh matched Arnav as a worthy opponent, yet mature enough to understand Arnav was facing the wrong enemy, Mahesh replied. "Indeed we do."
---
Arnav led Mahesh to a secluded study to talk. After closing the door, Arnav turned abruptly.
"I don't know why youre here, but I'm sure there is nothing more you can do for Khushi." His voice was cold.
"If I may enlighten you, I'm here because Khushi asked me to be." Mahesh replied, his cool evaporating slowly at the way he was being treated.
"I'm sure her need for you to be here is over then. I realize you have other things to do in Mumbai. You're free to leave."
"I don't think you do!" Mahesh bit back at Arnav.
"Frankly, I do not care what you have to do with my wife, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her in ways you can't!" Arnav's voice raised as he stepped forward.
"Your ignorance is really something, isn't it? In fact, it leaves me baffled!"
"I have nothing more to hear or know or say!" Arnav cut in. "Leave."
Mahesh stood still, locking eyes with the devil his angel had fallen in love with. Yet somewhere in the back of his head, something whispered he was being a devil for what he saw as the right reasons. Mahesh stormed out of the room, and balked to his own. Picking up the file he had discarded on the floor, he walked back to where he had left Arnav.
Arnav stood next to the teak table, trying to fume out his fury before meeting Khushi and Shiv. It was then Mahesh entered the room again.
Walking up to Arnav, he tossed a file onto the table next to him. "You always wage war against the wrong enemy, Mr.Raizada." He stated, his tone clipped.
With that, Mahesh left the room, leaving Arnav with the truth he desperately deserved to know.
