One Month Later 

Liars everyone who said time heals broken heart were liars because it has been 30 days five hours and 6 minutes since she broke up with Arnav Singh Raizada and her heart still felt broken beyond repair. She wasn't herself anymore, her mood were like a pendulum clock swinging back and fro everyday. Some time she felt what she did was right and other times she wondered if she should have just said yes to his proposal and tied him with her by the bond of marriage even if he hated it still.

But she knew that it had been the right decision, even if her family didn't agree with her.  Usually when a break up happens, family members were supposed to hate the man who broken their daughter heart instead her family members were firmly on Arnav's side.

" Oh Khushi.. What will I do with you ?" had been her Buaji statement when Khushi broke the news to her family as if it had been her fault.  

" Do you know what your father said when he asked me to marry him, I want a mother for my daughter and that he would be a father to you, if I waited like you for perfect proposal than you wouldn't have had you father, men don't always express them selves well enough " her mother told her late one night when she found Khushi in the kitchen stress cooking as always . 

" Khushi beta, People marry for hundred different reasons , I know you love him and I know he does love you, I think that is one of the best reasons to get married " her father had told her few days ago.

Her family knew he asked to marry her and she said No, they fail to understand Khushi reluctance to tie him up in Marriage when he didn't want to marry, like her father said people marry for hundred different reasons, but in this world not everyone prefers to Marry either. Back then, Marriage was more of a necessity, in this new world it was more of a adjustment. A bond they break with a single signature if it didn't work out later.

Was Khushi Naive to hope for a bond that last forever, maybe and she refuse to start such a Marriage bond by forcing the groom to the alter. If Khushi had said yes to the Marriage, by now she would have been Mrs Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada in name only because Arnav didn't want the Marriage and he would be doing it just for her sake.

Did Arnav love her, yes. Did she love him, yes and yet only she wanted to Marry not him. To him it was like a signing a contract in paper just like his business deal because she wanted it . And she would never recover if Arnav resented marrying her later down the line and it was why she refused to marry him even if it ended up breaking her heart into pieces.

She had known it all along that they were people with two different views about life,  and yet they collided into each other life's often that they can't help but fall in love. Their love always had a end date, she knew that when they began dating because it all well and good to say opposites attract but attraction doesn't necessarily mean they are good for each other in the long term because somewhere down the lines, their opposites will make it impossible to adjust or compromise just like what happened to Khushi and Arnav.

She was still lost in thoughts that she didn't hear the tingling sound of the door bell in her Cafe. She had tired to occupy herself with work often that she stayed in Cafe longer than normal but a glance at the clock told it was 5 PM, her busy hours will start from now and probably would be enough to keep her from thinking about him , she hoped until she glanced at her new customers to come face to face with him.

The brief flicker of hope that he came to see her came crashing down when beside him stood a girl who had been clinging into Arnav arms as if she belonged with him, the flare of jealousy and hurt flicker across her face, she never knew him to be too cruel that he would try to inflict her with the truth when he moved on. Maybe she misjudged him given he was here in this Cafe with his new girl friend.

" Khushi.." he said a single word and she was starring back at him with anger and hurt. She didn't want to see his eyes that somehow looked like he was happy to see her and the pain lurking in his eyes as well because his actions doesn't explain the pain in his voice. But his new girlfriend had plenty to say after all

"Aww you must be Payal's sister, I am sure you know each since you related by Marriage. Payal was my friend in college and imagine my surprise when I learnt she is married in Raizada family and I have to admit I shamelessly used my friendship to get a date with Arnav and when Arnav asked where we should meet, I wanted it to be here as Payal told me all about it recently and I had been curious to visit , oh stupid of me that I haven't yet told you my name. It is Bhavana Mehra " Bhavana finished speaking up and then proceeded to order for both Arnav and her as if she knew what he would prefer.

"Arnav is Diabetic, he can't have those desserts " Khushi snapped when Bhavana ordered everything just like her preference. 

" Oh I am so sorry Arnav, I didn't know. Now I understand why you didn't want to visit here. I didn't think it through" Bhavana was apologetic and Khushi finally let her gaze meet his after the first time. It had been easy to focus on seeing just his girlfriend until now. The knowledge he didn't want to be here wasn't surprising . At least he wasn't that thoughtless monster after all

" Since we are already here, let get it over with " Arnav answered back as he walked to the set of chairs that is further away from her as possible. Khushi momentarily felt bad about his new girlfriend because no one deserves such statements on their first date

" Hope I haven't made him angry" Bhavana spoke up with a hint of smile before following him leaving Khushi alone with her jealousy, hurt and anger.

                                   *****************************

Arnav shouldn't care that she jumped to the wrong conclusions but he did when he looked at the hurt in her expressive face, then again it had been the only good thing he was capable of doing so ever since he met her .

He should have explained but he wasn't able to say a word after seeing her. It been a month and he hardly got over the million way he went wrong in their relationship, as if his own self isn't enough. He had his family to remind him every single day about how he messed everything up

" Chote, If Shyamji asked me to marry him like you did for Khushiji, I would have said No too, I already had gotten a broken heart and had my share of insecurities, and nothing would have made me say yes to marrying him, if I didn't fully believe he wanted to marry him 100 % and how can you except Khushi to say when you only let her know how much you hate Marriage" his sister told him a week after their break up.

His family had believed Arnav would realize it mistake and miss Khushi and solve it without their intervention but when it didn't happen, they made their opinions known as loud as possible.

"Hello, hi bye bye, Arnav beta. How can you not want to get married, do you not realize how lost your uncle would have been without me in his life? " his aunt spoke up during breakfast one day. 

Then there was Akash and Payal, who looked at him as if he had hurt Khushi purposely, it wasn't his intention at all . After Khushi breaking up with him, he realized they were too set in their way to make it work in the long run. He always will feel insecure about being his father's son. His father pushed his mother to end her life not by his hands physically but emotionally. He cheated on her and his mother who believed in her husband love was left heartbroken enough to end her life.

From that childhood he never really wanted to lead anyone in to his life who aren't his family, even then he kept his distance at first but his family never let him prolong it , Akash for his silent nature would follow him everywhere until he kind of become like Arnav shadow, his sister who had lost her parents as well went the other way holding on to him and her remaining family as support and he hadn't in him to decline his sister wish 

So step by step, his family made his emotional barrier non existent, only the rest of the world gets to meet ASR and then he met Khushi, the one person who managed to bring Arnav out of ASR as easily as his family. But he always feared that he would break her , just like his father broke his mother's heart.

He may not cheat like his father, but he feared he may end of not being able to give everything she desired in marriage. She wanted the bond of Marriage, so he compromised but only for her and yet when she broke up with him, he realized she wasn't asking him just for him name to be joined with hers but his life as well and that scared him enough but also made him realize why they will never work out. 

So he never approached her until few days ago when Payal, his sister in law asked for a favor. Apparently her friend was a journalist and wanted an exclusive interview with him, any other time  he would have said no, being on the spot light isn't what Arnav wanted which was the reason he kept his personal life has private as possible but  he felt guilty of hurting Khushi and by extent Payal that he agreed to it and so here he was on a interview with Bhavana who demanded they need a neutral setting to really have a good interview, one look at his office room, she shook her head and said it wont work and dragged him to the cafe inspite of his protests

Arnav found it hard to focus on the interview when his eyes kept darting to try and see her , he purposely chosen the farthest chair, so he didn't get to see her yet his eyes kept checking every minute. The knowledge she was within few feet from him was making him crazy as well .

By the time the interview got over, he was relieved and sad that it was time to leave , and his temporary wish to walk out without talking with Khushi again was again broken by Bhavana who had decided to bid good bye to Khushi as well.

" I will come again soon Khushi , and will tell my friends all about this place. " Bhavana had been talking but Arnav eyes remained focused on Khushi who faces lost all the color and it looked like she was crying .

So it had been hard for him to step out of the cafe and just when he thought he endured enough ,he realized his car key was forgotten in the cafe table which made him contemplate walking back home or taking a cab but he didn't have it in him to explain to his family what happened to his car which would lead them straight to the topic of Khushi and him

So he went back inside and was fortunate to find Khushi not around , one few of the workers remained so he went and picked the key relatively fast but his eyes did linger longer on the small room . He knew that was Khushi office where she kept all the files and accounts related documents.

It was instinct that he knew she was in the room not inside the kitchen which is most likely her favourite place and while he knew he should have walked away, he once again was led by his heart then mind as he walked inside the room to find his Khushi crying silently.

And it hurt him so much to see her breaking down, while his mind did have countless reasons to let her be and that his presence in her life will only bring sorrow to her , his heart which was in love with her made the decision.

                 ******************

Liars, everyone who said moving on will be easier with time were liars because at this moment , Khushi heart was breaking apart all over again.

She didn't want to cry in front of others , so was hiding in her office, she refused to do so before he left, her heart may be bruised or shattered but she couldn't let him think she ran away

So she waited till he left before retreating to this room to cry and she didn't like that he still held the power to make her cry , it was all her fault . They were truly opposite in nature apparently

Because while Khushi couldn't even imagine letting anyone else into her life , Arnav already moved on from her. While Khushi was still dealing with heart break , he went back to his life as if she was his past and nothing more.

And the fact her sister arranged for the date made her feel all alone , why did everyone blame her for not saying yes to his proposal when it was so easy for him to move on, while she still loves him so much.

" Khushi " it was the same voice again, filled with pain . She almost believed she imagined it up until she heard the footsteps behind her .

She furiously wiped her eyes unwilling to let him see her crying but when he gently walked towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder ,she turned around in anger and pain that he was here when she was on one of her low point.

" Leave , the cafe may be open for everyone but this room is not " Khushi spoke up still angry with him . And she knew she was being mean ,because Arnav had been to her office countless time before and even helped her with the accounts often, so they could finish early and go on a date together.

Which only made her cry harder at the remainder of their good times.  When his hand gently held her in an embrace , she went along inspite of her anger because she didn't want to be alone at this point even if he had been the reason for those tears.

" It was an interview Khushi, nothing more . I can't take away all the hurt I caused you but I can't walk away when you are crying for something that isn't even the truth , Bhavana was a reporter who asked for an interview  through Payal, that is it . " Arnav spoke up and she heard the truth in his voice and felt like she was acting like a fool breaking up with him , then getting jealous only made her look like a fool but at the point his words only brought her relief.

"Did you get what I am saying ? " he asked again and she only nodded her head in answer before breaking out of the hug, she didn't know why she jumped to the conclusion and got hurt all on her own .

And when he walked away silently with no more words between them , Khushi wanted to run back to him.  Say yes to marry him just to have him back in her life , at this point she had no idea why she is holding back anymore.

Except her feet refused to move and so yet another day passed by while Khushi heart remained broken.

                   *****************

PS : " That it for now , Let me know your thoughts and feedbacks. Hit the votes if you liked it "

Juanita Reid