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.
---
Arnav clasped and unclasped his fingers over and over again in an attempt to calm his racing heart beat. Deep breaths entered and exited his body, as he slumped into the leather chair at the head of the teak table.
The file lay open, the miniscule black letters taunting him.
Never had Arnav Singh Raizada experienced such naked fear. He had come close to it many times, but for the first time it pulsed through his veins and radiated through his bones. There was that one time when he had found a piece of a broken bangle, and chased an ambulance screaming the only name he knew.
That had been a close time. That had been a time when, even though he didn't have her, he was overcome with the fear of loss. And here he was again. Once again, she wasn't really his, and the fear of losing her had never been so prominent.
Transplant required. Donor Unavailable.
Words should never have such power over a man. Let alone words not spoken. Yet here he was trying to hold his self together over the words that shook the deafening silence with their taunts. He had been proved wrong. He had been shown truth. And truth was that Mahesh was right, for he was in a constant battle to overcome his enemy, yet he always fought the wrong one.
Fate had been his biggest enemy, time and time again.
Weakness overtaking his body, Arnav's head fell into his hands as he let out a staggered breath.
---
Khushi rubbed the lotion into Shiv's skin, and dressed him. Picking up her baby, she slowly hummed a tune and walked the length of the room as the infant went to work with whatever he could get his hands on.
Shiv eventually found the mangalsutra on Khushi neck and picked it up in his fingers. After a few seconds, Shiv dropped it and titled his head to meet his mother's. Innocent eyes peering at her brought Khushi out of her thoughts and her humming stopped.
Smiling slightly at Shiv, she stroked his face lightly. "Kya hua?" She cooed.
Shiv blinked at her question, and dropped his palm to rest on her heart. Sighing slowly, Shiv rested his head on top of his palm and let sleep overtake him.
"Are you checking?" Khushi murmured, tears stinging her eyes. "It's still strong. But... But I don't know for how much longer." Khushi whispered, placing a kiss on Shiv's sleeping head and squeezed shut her eyes in order to stop the tears.
---
Arnav willed his legs to move forward till he stood before her door. His hands shook gently as he reached for the knob and pushed the door open. He didn't know what to do nor what he will do. He had no idea what to say nor what he will say. Yet at this moment in time there was a woman he needed to be with. He had to help her however much could with the weight she balanced on her shoulders.
The motion from the doorway caught Khushi's attention as she sat beside a sleeping Shiv. Standing up, she froze when she met the eyes of her visitor. If lips could convey messages, then eyes were the only things that could convey true emotions. Because the sight of her husband at her door knocked the breath out her body and she gripped a hand on the headboard. Never had she seen this man, who was so in control of everything, look so lost and powerless. And Khushi didn't dare guess the reasons as to why he would look at her as he looked at her now.
Because there was only one answer.
"Arna-"
"-Khushi!" He breathed, relief flooding him when he saw her stand there. His breath left in staggered rhythms.
Tears she had tried to contain earlier pooled into her eyes. Mahesh. The question. He knew. There was only one explanation. He knew.
"Tu- Tum theek ho?" Arnav asked, his voice clouded in emotion.
Her breath left her in a sigh as the tears tumbled over and stained her cheeks. Shaking her head slowly from side to side, Khushi gripped the headboard tighter. "Pata nahi," she whimpered.
In four long strides, Arnav collected his wife into his arms, and she nestled her head into the crook of his neck as he formed a protective barrier around her with his arms. Khushi lost control of every emotion she kept at bay then and shuddered into a sobbing mess in his arms. Her tears soaked through his shirt as he stumbled back slightly at the force of her cries. A single tear drop escaped Arnav's eye and he clutched his fingers through her hair, placing a gentle kiss on her temple.
"Shh, Khushi, don't... We'll get through this. I promise." Arnav tried to comfort her as he edged forward to losing control himself. Except he couldn't lose control. She had kept him guarded from reality for too long and it was time to do what he did best.
Arnav Singh Raizada was a man of action. And action he would take, no matter what it meant. His arms tightened around Khushi's frame as he reflected on all the signs he had failed to see.
"You should've... told me," Arnav gulped down. Khushi pushed away from his chest, tears still spilling through her eyelashes.
"Kyun?"
The word lingered there, rooting Arnav to the spot in which he stood, his hand tightening around her frame. After a year of silence, Khushi had spoken, and the that one word left Arnav speechless.
"Khushi, I- Main... Khushi, I'm sorry." Arnav gritted out, his forehead creased with tension and his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Shaking her head more fiercely this time, Arnav felt Khushi go weak in his arms as she slumped to the floor. Arnav dropped down to catch her as she crashed against his chest, clutching his shirt in her frail fingers. "I know." She repeated over and over again, burying her head into his form.
Neither knew how long they sat there, on the floor, as one let tremors shake through her body and as the other rocked her back and forth, holding her together. Their son lay on the bed a few feet away from them, sleeping despite the chaos that took place in the room. And they sat there like that until, finally, her sobs subsided to broken breathing.
Khushi slowly rose to look at Arnav's fear stricken face and brought her palms to cup his face. Arnav met renewed hazel eyes, the veil that they had arrived with gone, revealing the brilliance set in the thick lashes.
"Are you scared?" She asked, looking directly into his eyes and never blinking.
Arnav stared at her for a moment longer before answering and brought his hands up to rest on hers where she cupped his face. He shook his head gently, dropping his eyes. "Look at me." She commanded. Once the pair of bronze eyes had her attention, she repeated her question. "Are you scared?" She whispered this time, reading the words he refused to speak in his eyes.
Looking at the woman questioning him, Arnav finally gave in. Suddenly everything was limited, time included. There was no time to beat around the bush, take the long route to a point. A cloud over the molten gold eyes lifted as he answered her question, moving his hands to cup her face.
"Like hell."
