"What are you doing here Nand Kishore?" Buaji's angry voice reverberated in the living room of Gomti Sadan..

"Buaji...I...am here...to.."

"I am not your Buaji..You had this relation with me because of my titaliya...Now that you...yourself has cut all the ties with her than don't expect us to welcome you with open arms after all what you did with my Sankadevi even though she was innocent.." Buaji's eyes filled with tears as she continued "You left her when she needed you the most..." Arnav closed his eyes as he knew what she was referring at..He threw her out of his life when she was carrying his child...abandoned her when she was in the most need of his love and care but he didn't even push her away but also denied being responsible for the life inside her..

"Buaji...Please..I don't want to talk about those days now.." Khushi pleaded, her voice cracking.

Buaji and Arnav turned to her ,she was on the verge of breaking down...It was obvious how much the mention of those days was torturing her as if she was living them again in real..

"Khushi..." Arnav stepped towards her but buaji beat him into it as she stood between him and her niece..

"Don't even think about coming near my titaliya.." she said sternly.

"Buaji please atleast let me talk to her...I am sorry.." his voice shook.

"Sorry? Can your sorry change anything? Can it change the fate of my Kushi? Can it relieve her of the pain which she went through when you accused her? Can it lesson the pain of humiliation she had to go through when she decided to give birth to your child? Can it change those days and nights when she cried out silently in her room when she could no longer cope with those accusing glares which she received everyday since an year now?" Buaji was sobbing now..

Two tears rolled down his cheeks hearing about her pain and sufferings.His throat moved as he tried to swallow past the ball of pain.

Gulping a mouthful of air he pleaded "Buaji...I know i can't change anything.I can't bring back those days to undo the damage i had done...Trust me I hate myself more than she hates me..Muje aik bar Khushi sy bat krne dijiye..Mai sab kuch theek krna chahta hoon(Let me atleast talk to Khushi for once..I want to right all the things)...She and my..eh her child deserve to get their rightful place in my life.." he couldn't complete as he heart her shout..

"Maira aur maire bacche ka apse koi lena dena nahi hai...Hum khush hai ap k bina bhi...Humein ya hamare bacche ko apse kuch nahi chahiye..Phir bhi pochne k liye dhanewaad.."(Me and my child has nothing to do with you..We are happy even without you...We don't want anything from you...Anyways thanks for asking!)

Giving an assuring nod to her buaji she stepped from behind her so that now she was standing before him "Buaji you can go...Keep an eye on Arush until I come..Please.." Reluctantly Buaji left giving a warning glare to Arnav.

"Khushi please...I know you and..and.." he swallowed "...he...he.. don't need me but please give me a chance to redeem myself...I am truly sorry..." he wiped a tear that trickled down his cheek..

She looked at him coldly for a second and then something changed in her eyes..

"Do you want to meet him?"

His eyes widened for a minute then he nodded with moist eyes.

"These flowers.." he murmured to which she snatched them from him walked to the dustbin and dumped them into it..

His heart clenched painfully at her indifference but he didn't say anything knowing that he deserve much more pain than this...

Khushi didn't have any idea why she was letting him meet her child.Maybe seeing him that vulnerable was unsettling her, tugging at her heart.She knew he would not approve of what she had decided but she don't want to let her heart be trampled by him again...Not now, not ever!

Opening the door of Arush's room she stepped inside and through her eyes asked buaji to leave her alone for a while.. Buaji patted the head of Arush and walked up to her "Sankadevi, are you alright? Why are you letting him meet him? He.." Buaji stopped seeing him outside the door, his eyes moist.

"Buaji please...I am fine..Don't worry..He is his' father..I don't have any right to separate them.." Khushi rested her hand on buaji's shoulder and reassured her "Trust me buaji.I will be fine.I am not that weak anymore" she gave her a weak smile.Kissing her forehead buaji left.

"Come inside" Khushi offered.

Reluctantly he stepped inside and walked up to her.She was holding the child as he walked up to her.She carefully tugged the little one in his arms adjusting him in his arms.His arms involuntary tightened around the child even though he wasn't looking at him.His eyes were fixed on Khushi all along.The tenderness, the unadulterated love which was swimming in her eyes for her child was heartwarming.For a moment he felt jealous of his own child..

Arranging Arush in his arms she looked up at him and saw him staring at her..He quickly turned his gaze away and his eyes landed on the bundle of joy in his arms and his breath caught in some region of his throat.His vision blurred as he stared at the little one.

One by one tears made its way down his cheeks as he traced his' every feature with his eyes..His nose, his eyes which were closed , his chubby hands which were curled into a light fist and his cheeks which were of pink rosy color..his brown hairs...All of these were just like Khushi's..

Then his heart stopped for a moment as the child opened his eyes..he had his eyes..brown orbs stared back at his own and he fell in love for the second time in his life...

Leaning in he pressed a tender kiss at his forehead, nose and cheeks.Resting his mouth against his little head he murmured "I am so sorry baby...I am so sorry.." Hugging the child close to his chest,his throat constricted when the little one curled his small hand around his collar lightly,he bit back a sob.Burying his nose against his neck he continuously murmured his apology to his child sobbing all along.

Khushi too cried silently standing a few feet away from him and was watching each and every emotion that crossed his face.His apologies were heart wrenching.Seeing the mighty ASR breaking down like this was just...she just couldn't put it into words what she was feeling right now..She never imagined a day would come when her Arush would be hugged like this by his father but now it happened and she didn't know what to feel about it? It was just beyond overwhelming..

Clearing her throat, she started when he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and her heart did clench at his state "His name is.."

"Arush.." he murmured "I heard when you asked buaji to attend me.." his voice was heavy with emotions.

He took a step towards her till he was before her, with Arush in his arms held close to his heart.

"Can you answer me a question honestly?" he asked, his voice thick with crying.

"I..." she didn't know what to say.

"Please Khushi...Just one question.."

She nodded reluctantly.

"Why you named him Arush? Why? When you knew every time you will call him it'll remind you of me?"

Each emotion wiped out of her face replacing by the coldness.Her answer stumped him, robbed him...choked him..

"So that i could never forget what you did to me..So that whenever I'll call him, it'll remind me of your distrust.Of your cruelty.It'll always remind me that there was a person out there who snatched each and every happiness from my life.Who snatched my innocence ruthlessly, who snatched my belief on love and happiness.Don't you ever think that i did it because of you..i did it because of myself...To remind myself that life is cruel not a dream which i once presumed it was!"

Taking Arush from him she turned around before declaring "LEAVE!!"

"Khushi..."

"I SAID LEAVE!!!"

Dejected he walked towards the door, his eyes filled with unshed tears going away from his love and child...then he heard her..

"You can come and meet him whenever you want to as I won't separate a child from his father not because i feel anything for you but because my Arush deserves to be cared by his both parents.Because I love him more than i detest you!"

That was just a start of his punishment...

As from the next day onward whenever he went to Gomti Sadan to meet Arush, he never saw her...He knew she was deliberately doing that...He tried so many ways to see her but his plans failed always...

So he changed his timings of meeting Arush just so that he could have a glimpse of her but everything went in vain.As if she vanished somewhere whenever he went to meet Arush..He knew she was somewhere close by because he could feel her presence but she never showed up..He tried to search her in the house but his search went futile every single time...

Six months passed like this.He never saw her, heard her or got any news of her.He was getting desperate now..His eyes were pining for the sight of her..He even asked Buaji about her but he just got stern sentences from her..

"Leave her alone, she has gone through enough..Atleast now let her be! Spend some time with your son and then leave from here"

When his endurance level peaked, when he knew his heart can't go on without seeing her anymore, he did the first thing which could lead him to her..

He sneaked into her house at night right into her room through window.The room was dimly lit from the moonlight..He tiptoed into the room towards the bed and that's when he saw her sleeping with her arms protectively around arush.His eyes pricked as he blinked furiously to keep the moisture at bay.Kneeling besides the bed, he drank in the sight of her.The woman who has become his center of attention.The mother of his child.The woman he loves with all his heart.Looking at her, he just can't understand how could he hurt her so much, someone as pure as her.Now, he just can't stand or even think of giving her pain or hurt.He just wants to fill her life with happiness, be her reason to smile, be the one she could share her everything with but only if she would give him a chance to redeem himself.He swear to himself he would never take her for granted..But if only she would let him in, let him meet her...

But this time he won't force her for anything...He would wait for her even if he had to wait for his whole life, he would.If she wanted to be away from him, he would let her do whatever she wants to..Punish him as much as she wants.He would take it all because he deserves this pain afterall what he put her through...

Standing up from the floor, he seated himself besides her.Gently caressing the side of her face, he leaned in kissing her parting which once used to be filled with vermilion of his name.Now it looked empty.Tracing his way down to her cheek, he kissed her right cheek then the other and murmured heavily against her soft skin..

"I will wait for you Khushi...Take as much time as you want to.." he swallowed "But..but please do come back to me..I don't know how i will live without you..Please forgive me..I am sorry.." and then just like he broke down hugging his son months ago, he broke down in his wife's arms burying his head into her neck.She squirmed in his arms.Alarmed he moved away trying hard not to breakdown again at the thought of not seeing her again..He don't know how long she will take...He don't know if he will be able to go on if she never came back...

"But if that is what she has decided for me than i am ready for the punishment of my sins..even if it'll kill me.." he decided as he kissed his son's head sleeping besides her.

That was the last time he has seen her..two years ago...

"Di I don't think she'll ever forgive me...Its been two years since I last saw her..." his voice shook as he spoke looking at the coffee table before the recliner.

"Chote.."

He turned his head to her "Di, am I that bad..?" Anjali shook his head "I know i have hurt her a lot but i have also loved her.Only I knew how much i had gone through seeing her in pain...Di i know this is not any justification to my mistakes, for the hurt i have given her but i am just asking for a chance.Is it too much to ask for? She can punish me as much as she wants..." By now he had rested his head on her lap sitting besides the recliner.

Anjali caressed his hairs and face with tears rolling down her face.."Chote, she is so much hurt..She has gone through alot..Just give her some more time..She will definitely come back because she loved you..If i am not wrong than she still has feelings for you.."

His head jerked up at her "How do you know?" he asked urgently "Did you...did you talk to her?"

Anjali looked away sub-consciously.She shouldn't have blurted out about that but seeing him in pain just made her reveal this unintentionally..

He stood up and sat besides her and turned her head to him "Di please tell me..Please di..Did you talk to her? Did she say something to you? What did she say? How was she? Was she OK? Where did you meet her? Did..did she miss me as much as I...miss her?...Why would she miss me...Ofcourse she must be fine...Di kahan dekhan apne usse? Aap lucknow gayi thi kya? Aur..(Where did you see her Di? Did you go to Lucknow? And..)"

"Chote! Chote calm down" Anjali cupped his cheek "Yes, i did meet her last week..not in lucknow.Here in Delhi..She was here for some work for a day..I met her at the temple.She.." she closed her eyes "Honestly, she was looking fine physically but..."

"But.." he asked, his eyes moist.

"..But her eyes were sad.When I asked her will she ever forgive you..she just changed the topic..I could see the longing in her eyes as if she expected you to be with me at the mandir as she knew you accompanied me to the temple most of the time..But co-incidentally, you had to go to your meeting that morning.."

"Shit!! I should have accompanied you..Maybe by chance i could atleast see her..Maira promise bhi na toot'ta aur mai usse dekh b leta(I would've seen her without breaking my promise).At least i could have lived for few more years.I just have last memory of her when she was sleeping hugging Arush and.." he hugged her and cried on her shoulders.

"Don't lose hope Chote...Just give her some more time..She will forgive you.."

"Will she ever?" he asked pulling back from the hug.

Wiping his tears, she nodded positively "She will...She will Chote."

Anjali cupped his cheeks reassuringly and sighed hoping Khushi forgive him someday.She knew her words has given him hope.She just hoped this time his wishes don't crumple down.

"Dadda.." a loud shriek broke the brother-sister conversation.Anjali smiled teary eyed thanking God for sending Arush in her brother's life otherwise he would not be able to cope with the loss of his love..She silently thanked Khushi for allowing Arush to meet her brother whenever he wanted to even though she could have stopped him and she wouldn't have blamed her if she had but Khushi had a generous heart.She just hoped she could give her Chote a second chance and she was sure, this time Khushi won't regret it as her brother will fill her life with happiness forever because her Chote loves Khushi beyond any limits.

A smile broke on Arnav's lips. "Arush baby" he stood up and ran to catch his bundle of joy who has just started to walk.Only good thing that come out of this whole hurt-anger-pain-hate-love was his son-Arush.

There on one hand he hasn't seen Khushi for the last 2 years..On the other hand, He has spent as much time with his son as he could.Obviously he had to travel between Lucknow and delhi for meeting him and managing business but all that effort was worth when he would see his son, play with him, listen his baby talks and the best part was when Arush would smile at him filling his heart with warmth and love for him.He shuddered when he thought how he had denied being his father when he didn't even come into this world.Now he thought what he would have done if he didn't have him? He would have no reason to live except waiting for her to come back to him.

"How is Dada's baby?" he asked carrying him in his arms to which Arush smiled cheekily rubbing his cheek with his rough ones and then giggled uncontrollably.Arnav smiled at his naughtiness and seated him in the center of his bed and then his head snapped up "Di, how did Arush come up?"

"Maybe Buaji left him here because no one's home as everyone left to Gupta's to meet Kh.."

His eyes turned sad but then he composed himself "Yes maybe she did..."

"Haye Re Nand Kishore...Eee liyo arush babua ehan hai aur hum oo ka neeche dhondhat rhe(See here is Arush and i was searching for him downstairs.)" Buaji came inside his room huffing.

"Buaji you didn't bring Arush up, Di's here, nobody is at home then who has brought him up? Surely he can't climb stairs himself because he is still small for that" and then something snapped in him.Asking Di and Buaji to take care of Arush for him, he ran from his room to the corridor then climbed down the stairs..Gasping for breath he scanned the living room and then his eyes widened at what he saw...

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