Part 22 Close to Heart?

Arvind was waiting for Ratna, without sleeping. He could not sleep until he got to know what made Arnav talk to Ratna, forgetting his anger because it was not just a matter of anger but disappointment. Arnav felt Ratna betrayed him. Arvind knew it. Then, how did Arnav patch up with Ratna? He saw Ratna getting in with unusual enthusiasm. She was not walking but slightly hoping while humming her favorite song with a smile on her face.

Ratna's smile brightened, seeing Arvind. She winked at him and went to the washroom which she never did before. Arvind understood that she was at an extreme level of happiness. Why not? She had sorted something that had been stressing her for more than ten years. She came to the bed and lay with a slight jump.

"It seems you are happy..." Arvind asked.

"Of course, no doubt... Chotte talked to me... not only that he shared his previous experiences with me" she said excitedly.

"How did the miracle happen?" he asked without expression on his face.

"Because of an Angel, it happened"

"Angel?" he raised his brows.

"Yeah... Angel's name is Khushi," she said proudly.

"Khushi?" he frowned unbelievably.

"Yes... she is the one who made Chotte understand the importance of mother"

"Chotte understood that?"

"PRESENTATION makes even a simple thing grand. A very few are specialists to PRESENT in a way that catches others' hearts. Khushi is one among them. She has the capacity to make Chotte emotional... she made him cry... she is indeed an angel..." Ratna pinched the AIR and kissed her own fingers as if she pinched Khushi's cheek.

Arvind gulped down.

"Did Chotte cry?"

She nodded yes.

"What did she say that made Chotte cry?"

"It was an epic moment... you can't understand that because it's full of relationship values. You won't appreciate it"

"what do you mean? Don't I know the value of a relationship?"

"Do you know? Really?" She questioned him sarcastically.

"First, tell me, according to you, what is meant by VALUE?" she asked.

"You are hurting me, Ratna..."

"Hurt? Oh... we will discuss it later. Tell me about VALUE first" she stood at the point.

"I gave you palace-like house... piles of money... cars... jewelry... what not? Am I doing all this without knowing the values of the relationship?"

"Yes, you gave us all these without knowing the value of the relationship. You gave us everything except ONE... YOU... you didn't give your time, attention, care, and love to us"

Cutting her,

"I love you all..."

"Sounds great... good night" she closed her eyes.

"What does your behavior mean?"

"That means, it's a waste of time to talk to you about anything... go to sleep. Don't you want to serve your friend tomorrow as usual?" she said heated up.

"Why are you always ending up with Rajeev?"

"I already told you... you can't understand... leave it. But one thing will surely happen one day..."

"What?"

"You will repent for your choice of priorities. You will see your friend's real face... but, you can change nothing... you will be left with guilt for supporting your friend over us"

She turned opposite Arvind, facing her back to him, didn't want to talk to him more.

.........

At the mid-night,

Khushi turned in her sleep and felt something different. Opening her eyes slowly, she ran her eyes into the surroundings. She saw herself on the couch in the living room. She remembered how she slept here listening to Arnav and Ratna's talks. She smiled seeing the quilt on her. Ratna should have offered it to her. She thought.

She got up from the couch to go to Anjali's room. In the dim light, she saw someone sleeping on the opposite couch. Her sleep fled away when she understood who the person was... ARNAV. She didn't know why Arnav was sleeping there. She didn't know whether she should wake him up or not. She didn't want to disturb his deep slumber. So, she went to Anjali's room and slept.

The next morning

Arnav woke up from his sleep. His eyes automatically feel on the opposite couch where Khushi was sleeping. He didn't find Khushi there. He stood up sighing. He went to his room and got fresh.

After a while,

Khushi came to the kitchen and smiled at Ratna.

"Hi, when did you go to your room?" Ratna asked, giving her a coffee cup.

"In the midnight, Amma," Khushi said taking it from her hand.

"Chotte?"

They walked to the dining table.

"I don't know Amma. He was sleeping on the couch when I woke up"

They sat in the dining.

"Didn't you wake him up?"

Khushi nodded no.

"He was sleeping deeply. That's why I didn't wake him up"

"He slept here not wanting to leave you in the living room alone"

"Why didn't you wake me up when you went to your room, Amma? Arnavji would have slept peacefully in his room if I had gone to Di's room..." Khushi said feeling sad.

"Yeah... I was supposed to... But Chotte didn't want to disturb your sleep. At the same time, he didn't want to leave you in the living room alone. So, he too slept here"

"Please ask him not to do so from here on, Amma"

"You don't know about him. He won't listen to anyone. He does what he wants. (Ratna paused for a while) for the first time, he listened to your words yesterday and talked to me. Thank you so much" she touched Khushi's head.

"You must be right, Amma. He does what he wants. He wanted to talk to you. That's why he listened to me. Didn't we see how he talked to you nonstop?" Khushi said excitedly.

Ratna smiled, seeing her so polite.

At the same time,

Getting ready for the office, Arnav came downstairs. He saw Khushi sitting at the dining with Ratna. He thought something and walked slowly clutching his leg as if he was hurt.

Ratna saw that and panicked.

"Chotte, what happened to you?"

Khushi looked at him and Ratna's nervousness had spread to Khushi too. Arnav's reply made her more nervous.

"I fell down from the couch in the sleep and my ankle twisted, Mom"

Ratna frowned whereas Khushi felt terrible.

"I slept in the living room not wanting to leave this girl alone. But she left me alone and fled away when she woke up. I would not have fallen down if she had wakened me up" He sat on the chair hissing.

Ratna stood with an unbelievable expression. She knew Arnav would not have fallen down from the couch. A little space was enough for him to sleep because he won't roll on the bed asleep. Then why did he lie? Was he playing with Khushi? She looked at Khushi's hung face.

"Shall I apply the gel on your leg?" Khushi asked him out of guilty.

"No need..." He said looking somewhere.

"It will lessen your pain, Arnavji"

"Let it be..."

Khushi's eyes tear up. Ratna felt bad for her.

"Khushi, could you bring coffee for Chotte?" Ratna asked.

Before Khushi said ok,

"No Mom... I don't want" he said which made Khushi more upset.

"Khushi beta, go and call Anjali, please"

Khushi nodded ok and turned to leave, she stopped feeling a tug on her hand. She looked at her hand and then Arnav who was clutching it with a smile.

Seeing her teary eyes, he panicked.

"Hey... What happened?"

"I'm sorry... I didn't want to disturb your sleep. That's why I didn't wake you up."

"Hey, relax... Nothing was wrong. I'm alright. See... He shrugged his leg."

Khushi looked at him bewildered whereas Ratna shook her head left to right smilingly.

"I just am playing with you"

Khushi looked at Ratna sadly.

"Chotte, this is how you play with her?"

"Mom, honestly I don't know she will take it so seriously"

"Why did you cry for a little thing Khushi?" Arnav asked.

"I thought you got injured because of me," Khushi said making face.

"Khushi, does he seem to be injured just by falling down from the sofa?" Ratna asked teasingly.

Arnav laughed out louder. Khushi looked at him pouting.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to your Arnavji" Ratna said, which stopped Arnav's laughter.

YOUR ARNAVJI tickled his sense.

"Nothing should happen to him" Khushi murmured that was not so inaudible to them. They smiled looking at each other.

Khushi went to Anjali's room to call her. Ratna stood keeping her hands on her hip, looking at Arnav.

"Whaaat?" Arnav asked.

"Why are you making her cry?"

"Mom, did you expect her to cry for this little thing?"

"It depends on the person whether it's little or big."

"She is sensitive... didn't we see how she cried when she talked about her mother?" Arnav said.

"Yeah... girls cry only for those close to their heart," Ratna said and went to the kitchen, leaving stunning Arnav.

CLOSE TO HEART? Was he close to Khushi's heart? That too, next to his mother? He raised his brows getting amazed.

To be continued...