Chapter 61-Frozen Hearts..will they melt by Deepti

CHAPTER 61

She didn’t know why she was so disappointed but what she just heard didn’t go well with her.Losing her appetite as she started playing with the food in her plate, wondering when he would be back, she was glad to hear the same query slip out of Devyani’s mouth.

“Maa, he just left and you are already worried about his return trip?”, remarked Aakash and on a later note, ” He should be back before the weekend”, he added.

Though she got the info which she needed, that didn’t make her feel any better and becoming unusually quiet she somehow managed to finish her dinner. But once she was back in her room post dinner, she couldn’t help but think about the root cause of her restlessness. It’s not the first time that he was missing at the family dinner table nor was it his first time travelling abroad. Then why the sudden interest, concern or whatever it is called… as if she was missing him. “Is she?”. She slapped on her head at that very thought and lay flat on the bed. As the past day’s events filled her thoughts, getting him off  her head seemed to be an impossible task. “Stop thinking about him!!”, she ordered herself and covering her face with a pillow, she forced herself to sleep.

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She had no clue how the past five days passed like a breeze but now sitting in her room, packing her clothes, she just wished for the time to freeze so that she doesn’t have to travel to London, the next morning. On the day following Arnav’s departure she spent the entire day with her mother and finished most of her shopping. The duo not only had their lunch and dinner outside but also managed to watch a movie at the multiplex. And just when Sakshi was content that she finally got to spend a day  with her daughter, Kushi surprised her further by tagging her along for the next four days too. Be it shopping, farewell party to her friends or hanging out with them at her favorite eat out places, she didn’t leave her mother alone and made sure that Sakshi had as much fun as she had. She also extended the invitation to the other ladies and took them all out on Thursday  and finally on Friday she declared that the entire family should have dinner at her favorite restaurant. She also invited Anjali and Karan who were more than happy to join them but even with all her dear ones around, she did feel the lack of his presence there. She recollected that the last visit they paid to the same restaurant was to celebrate the success of her first fashion show and this reminded her of him more as she partly owed that success to him. That day she was so content but this time she could feel the incompleteness. She tried her best to brush all those thoughts aside and  finally managed to spend a memorable evening with her family. But now as she was packing her bags, just  like the memories she was going to take with her, she felt so low. She had been packing since morning taking breaks every now and then and wondered if that task would ever be done. Checking the weight of the baggage, adding and  removing stuff to make the bags to be within the weight allowance seemed to be an impossible task to her.

“Looks like I will be packing till I board my flight”, she muttered getting  tired with the packing job and when her mother offered to help, handling that responsibility to her, she finally took a break.  Stretching her legs as she leaned her back against the wall and stared at the wall clock, it reminded her that she had fifteen more hours to board the flight.

“Where is he?“, she couldn’t help but wonder looking at the time which read 7, and though a part of her wanted to accept that she was waiting for him, the other part tried to push that thought away by making her respond to her mother’s query regarding a dress which she would like to carry.

At the same time in a different part of the world, Arnav was in a deep slumber as the past five days events did take a toll on him. He had reached New York on Tuesday and since then  worked like a machine to wrap up his business there just because he wanted to be back home by Saturday.But just when he thought that everything went well and he was all set to leave to Delhi, his father dropped a bomb by asking him to extend his stay for few more days, to sort out some issues in their New York office which needed their immediate attention. And as he couldn’t deny his father’s request or say it order,  he had to give up his plans and decided to stay.  After getting his return tickets cancelled, he finally crashed on the bed and as all the past few days tiredness took over his body and mind he fell fast asleep while someone back in Delhi was waiting for him to return.

Once done with her packing, Kushi came downstairs to spend some time with her family and though she was talking, cracking jokes and making others laugh, she herself wasn’t enjoying anything which she was doing. She could feel the shallowness within her and when she questioned whether it was due to his absence or due to her departure the next morning, she preferred to pick the latter one as the reason behind her misery.

But at the dinner table when the topic related to Arnav was raised, she had to reconsider her reasoning. As Aakash informed the rest about  the change in Arnav’s travel plan, two beings were greatly affected hearing that news and while one was Kushi, the other one was obviously Arnav’s grand mother.

“But didn’t you say he would be back before the weekend? Then what is he still doing there?”, questioned an annoyed Devyani, addressing her son.

“He would have returned by now had I not asked him to stay,Maa.  There are some issues in our office there and since Arnav is already there, I gave him the responsibility to sort them out and asked him to extend his stay. It will save me a trip to New York”, Aakash smiled and replied. For the first time in her life though she completely disliked what her son did, without letting her face reflect her feeling, Devyani looked at Kushi to read her mind. But since the girl in front of her became a pro in wearing a mask, she couldn’t make out anything from her facial expressions.

Though the latest piece of information about Arnav’s trip bothered her to no extent, she didn’t let her cool drop and falling unusually silent she managed to finish her dinner. But the moment she was done with it she rushed back upstairs and showing all her frustration on her bedroom door she kicked it and vented out her anger.

She was not certain why she was mad and with whom in particular, but she was! As she paced in her room, pressing her knuckles she couldn’t help but say, “What’s the necessity to go to New York when he knew that I would be leaving on Sunday. Okay! He had work and had to go. I get that part. But when it’s done what’s the point in still staying there. Okay! Papa asked him to do so. Even then… can’t he just say ‘ I can’t ‘ and return back?”.

As she kept cursing him for not being there, where she wanted him to be, she suddenly realized that she was mad at him for no reason. “Now why am I so mad at him as if he had promised to give me a proper send off”, she asked herself and found no answer.

“What’s wrong with me? Why is his absence bothering me so much!”, she said and collapsed on the bed. Staring at the ceiling as she kept thinking, several thoughts popped up in her head and she was no more sure of her decision about going to London. Surrounded with her never ending thoughts she spent a sleepless night and when the first ray of the rising sun touched the earth, she hopped out of the bed and started getting ready like a robot as if she didn’t have her heart  in what she was doing.

Unlike Arnav, she didn’t set any restriction on who should or shouldn’t accompany her to the airport  and hence her entire family along with her friends chose to give her a sendoff at the airport. While her friends directly came to the airport, Kushi traveled with her family and through out the journey from home to airport, she didn’t let go of her mother’s hand which she had been holding from the moment she stepped into the car. She tried her best to not shed a tear but the moment their vehicle came to a halt at the airport, the  tears which she had been holding back from a long time gushed through her eyes.And seeing her like that, Sakshi who had promised herself that she wouldn’t cry and make her daughter weak, couldn’t control herself. As the mother and daughter hugged each other and started crying without getting off the car, the others remained as the silent spectators of that scene.

It’s true that going  to London was purely her decision and she had been  dreaming about the day when she would board the flight and take off to fulfill her dreams. She always thought about her dream and the wonderful things associated with it. But never did she think that going away from her family would be this painful. As she hugged her mother as if her life depended on that hug, Sakshi stroked her back and consoling her daughter she wiped her tears and helped her to get off the car.

As her family  reached the entrance of the airport, they found Kushi’s friends waiting there along with Anjali and Karan. And seeing all of them there, Kushi’s emotions knew no bounds. Not bothering that there were other people around, she hugged Anjali and started weeping and moving to her friends too, she did the same. While the faces around her became all gloomy, she looked at all of them and when her gaze landed on her mother’s face that’s it. She went and hugged her mother and the duo cried their hearts out. It was an emotional moment for everyone but Devyani being the toughest of all, tried to console the duo who seemed to be in their own world of weeping.

“Sakshi, get a hold on your emotions. You are scaring your little girl. Is this how you send your daughter off?”, she asked trying to persuade Sakshi to stop crying. Though Sakshi responded by shaking her head, she couldn’t stop crying.

“Calm down, Sakshi!”, said her husband placing a hand on her shoulder sensing that it wouldn’t take long for their daughter to change her decision if she continues to see her mother fall this weak.

“I’m trying …but what to do… I’m not able to handle this “, replied a helpless Sakshi as she slowly released her daughter. Wiping her face as she sniffled, Kushi just stared at her mother with her teary eyes. She looked at her father and though he wasn’t crying, she could sense that he was as upset as her mother. And to her astonishment, the brother whom she thought would be jumping with joy on her departure, was unusually quite and seemed sad. Looking at everyone and their gloomy faces, she suddenly felt that she was the cause for all their sadness. If her one wish is making all her dear ones this unhappy, should she really go??She asked herself and the next moment, “I’m not going anywhere” , she declared, startling everyone around her.

“WHAT?? What did you say?”, reacted a surprised Devyani, who was the first one to recover from the shock which Kushi just gave.

“I said…I’m not going anywhere”, said Kushi repeating her words.

“What do you mean, you are not going anywhere?”, asked a confused Rishi.

“I mean what I say, Rishi. I’m not going to leave you all and go to London”, replied Kushi.

“Calm down, Kushi. Please don’t take such hasty decisions”, said Devyani.

“No Dhadhi… it’s no hasty decision. I have been thinking about it since yesterday night. And seeing you all like this, I think I made the right decision”, announced Kushi.

“Shashi, explain to her! And Sakshi, didn’t I tell you not to cry in front of her. Now see what you have done. Seeing you like this she became so weak that she got ready to sacrifice all her dreams”, remarked Devyani addressing Kushi’s parents.

“Maa has nothing to do with my decision, Dhadhi. I just don’t want to go. Now let’s go home”, declared Kushi.

“Kushi, we will be fine. Don’t worry so much about us. We are not used to staying away from you. So now when you are leaving us it’s quite natural for us to become little emotional. But that shouldn’t affect your decision because once you reach London and we come to know that you are fine, we will be fine as well. Don’t take all this to your heart darling”,said Shashi trying to convince his daughter and he  later passed on that responsibility to his wife.

Sakshi who was standing like a statue till then, took it from there and said, “Whatever your father just said, is so right Kushi. I will be fine once I come to know that you reached London safely. Don’t worry about me and  give up your dreams just for my sake. I really want you to go”, holding her daughter chin.

Shaking her head as Kushi refused to listen to her parents,the others too tried to convince her and while the convincing drama was still on, the Malhotra’s reached the spot where the group was. And when they came to know what’s going on there,  Mrs. Malhotra too tried to convince Kushi.

“It’s not like you are leaving your family for ever, Kushi. It’s just a matter of a year. And in no time you will be back with your family”, she said coming close to Kushi.

“No aunty, I can’t do it. I will miss them a lot and I don’t think I can stay there for a year. Even if I go now, I’m sure that I will be back in a day or two”, replied Kushi between her tears.

“No Kushi, once you get settled there you won’t miss us as much as you think you will. You will get really busy. You won’t get time to sit and think about us”, said Anjali persuasively and Kushi’s friends too supported her.

While Kushi tried to pay a deaf ear to everyone, Anjali’s phone buzzed and though she was in no mood to attend that call, seeing the name which was flashing on the screen, she stepped aside and took the call.

“Hi Di! Where are you?”,asked Arnav, trying to figure out where she was as there was lot a background noise coming in as if she was in some fish market.

“I’m at the airport Arnav”, replied Anjali.

“Oh! So you went to give your Kushi a send off??”, asked Arnav hiding the fact that he too  wanted to be in spot in which Anjali’s was.

“I came  with the same intention but I’m no  longer sure about it”, replied Anjali, checking on Kushi and the current status of the drama.

“What?? What do you mean by you are not sure Di? What’s going on there and what are all those noises in the background?”, asked Arnav.

“Kushi doesn’t wants to go to London, Arnav. We all are trying to convince her but she is not listening to any of us. “, explained Anjali.

“WHAT!!!!”, came his shocked response.

Seeing  the argument between Kushi and the rest  getting heated up, “The situation here doesn’t seems to be good, Arnav. I will talk to u later. Bye”, said Anjali and without waiting for his response, she ended the call.

“WHAT THE!”, he reacted staring at his phone and fumed with anger thinking about the girl who seemed to be throwing  tantrums in the airport.

“HAS SHE GONE MAD?? What do I do with this girl?? Isn’t she the one who  cried like hell to go to London. Then why is she refusing to go now?What’s wrong with her?? No doubt! She is really mad and she will turn me mad too. What happened to her dream and all that.Did she forget about it? If she did, then what is everyone else doing?? Why are they not able to convince that adamant girl. Maa, Babuji, Mamma,Papa, Dhadhi.. there are so many around her. Why isn’t anyone trying to put some sense into that mud head of hers? GOSH!!! Had I been there, I would have twisted her ear and  made her think straight… DAMN”, he said venting out his helplessness in the form of anger.

As he paced in his room he tried to calm himself down and once he got control over himself, he took a deep breath and started thinking rationally. ” She must have become emotional seeing everyone around her. Who asked her to take the entire clan with her?? Couldn’t she  just ask Babuji or Papa to accompany her??”, he muttered. “What to do.. she isn’t like you”, mocked his heart.

Shaking his head in disapproval he fell silent for a minute and came to the conclusion that it’s time to pump some sense into that silly girl’s head. But when she isn’t ready to listen to anyone will she listen to him? He paused at that thought and then smirked as he figured out how to handle her.

Back at the airport, the emotional drama reached its peak as nobody understood what took over Kushi who  adamantly refused to go. As the check in for her flight started, her family got worried and tried their best to persuade her,but getting fed up with all their lectures she almost yelled at them saying, ”  When I don’t want to go why are you people forcing me??”

Seeing her sudden outburst while everyone fell silent, breaking that silence Anjali’s phone buzzed. Picking up the call, she turned around and whispered, “Arnav, I will call back in…”. But she couldn’t complete what she intended to say as he stopped her midway saying, ” Give the phone to Kushi, Di”.

Wondering if she heard him right, Anjali stared at the phone for a second and said,               “What?”

“You heard me right. Give the phone to Kushi,Di”, he repeated in a firm tone.

Looking back at the girl who was fuming with anger, “Right now I don’t think that’s a good idea,Arnav”, whispered Anjali back into the phone.

“Di”, he said with such an intensity which made  Anjali sense that  he wouldn’t hang up without talking to Kushi.

“Okay! Wait a minute”, she told him and turning towards Kushi she called out her name.

“Now what Di! I’m done with all his lectures”, shouted back an annoyed Kushi and he did hear that from the other side of the line.

“Come here for a minute. Call for you”, said Anjali very pleadingly which made Kushi march towards her.

“Who?”, she barked as she approached Anjali and when Anjali announced the name of the caller passing on the phone to her, Kushi’s eyes grew big in her face.

“Hello”, she said making her tone sound normal.

“You proved me right once again”, he said very casually which made her wonder, ‘No Hi, no Hello! What is he talking about’!

Clearing her throat, ” About what?”, she inquired.

“About you”, he answered.

“What about me?”, she asked suspiciously not understanding where the conversation was leading to.

“I was positive that you might make it to the airport but not to London. And look… you proved me right. Didn’t you?”, he mocked.

As she fell short of words, ” But I’m very much glad that you have taken this decision”, he added hearing which she was all surprised.

“Am I hearing it right? When the people here are hell-bent on sending me away, why is he happy about my decision? Does he want me to stay here only?“, she wondered but before she could weave any beautiful thought in her head, his next words popped the balloon and made her came back to reality.

“Because even if you board that flight and land in London, I’m sure that you will come back home in a day or two. Glad that you saved everyone’s time”, his mockery  did hit in the right spot and she retorted saying, “What nonsense are you talking??”

“What nonsense are you creating??”, came back his curt reply.

“I’m not creating any nonsense”, she replied getting mad at him for accusing her.

“Ya right… standing in the airport and crying that you wouldn’t board the flight. How old are you? Five?”, he mocked.

Getting hurt with his comment, ” See… No one is crying here”, she replied  and sniffed.

“True! But for your kind information though I cannot see you, I can still hear you. And your voice says it all”, he said trying to enlighten her.

Wiping her eyes and clearing her throat,” I don’t have to prove anything to you”, she said getting back to her usual self.

“Right! What will you prove to me when you can’t prove anything for yourself”, he retorted and before she should react, “You are a coward, Kushi! Accept it”, he added and this did hit her bang on.

“What? Coward?Me?”, she asked not able to believe what she just heard.

“Yes, you!”, he confirmed.

“I’m no coward”, she announced as he woke up the sleeping tigress in her.

“The irony is… no coward accepts that he or she is a coward”, said Arnav hearing which she shut her eyes to control her temper.

“Okay ! Give a one word answer to this question.  What do you call a person who is trying to run away from something instead of facing it?”, he asked and when she remained quiet in spite of knowing the answer, ” I know you wouldn’t answer that. In fact no coward would”, he mocked and “Don’t you dare call me a coward”, she threatened in response.

“Of course I will. Why shouldn’t I when you are behaving like one! You are scared to go abroad.You are scared to face the real world. You are scared to face  real people. You are scared to step out of the comfortable cocoon which your family weaved around you. If not a coward, what are you? Aren’t these  the reasons why you don’t want to go?”, he asked without taking a pause.

“What rubbish?? I’m not scared of anything. I don’t want to go just because my family doesn’t want me to leave”, she replied taking a stand.

“Is it! And when did they say that to you?”, he questioned.

She opened her mouth to answer  but couldn’t utter a word as she had none.

“Whom are you kidding Kushi?? You are a coward and just accept it. Stop playing this blame game…. making others responsible for your insecurities”, he mumbled the last words but they did reach her ear.

“That being said, you proved once again that you aren’t capable of competing with me. While I lived away from the family for seven long years you aren’t even ready to take seven steps fearing that it would create a huge distance between them and you. If not a coward what are you??”, he questioned and she didn’t utter a word.

“Anyways! Just  for your future reference… never dream anything if you don’t have the guts to fulfill that dream. Waste of time for you…. and the people around you”, he added as the last note and ended the call without waiting for her response.

Keeping the phone away he sighed and just hoped that his words would work on her the way he wanted them to, while on the other end Kushi just stared at the phone in her hand as his words kept ringing in her head.

“Am I a coward?”, she asked herself and to her  surprise, she felt like one. “No one asked me to stay back, then why am I giving that  as the reason to stay back?“, she questioned herself. “Is he right?? Am I trying to run away with the fear of facing the real world??“, she thought for a while. “What am I doing and what do I really want?“, she asked herself and found all her answers.

  “Neither I’m a coward nor I’m going to run away from anything. You were so wrong in judging me and I’m going to prove that to you”, she said in her  head addressing him, on finding back the confidence which left her from the past night.

Making up her mind as she  walked towards the group, who were waiting for her, they just stared at her hoping that she didn’t have any bigger fight with Arnav over the phone, than the one which she just had with them. While they stared at her waiting for her to burst upon them , ” How much time do I have to check in?”, she asked very coolly surprising everyone around her.

“10 minutes”, replied Rishi checking the time.

“Good. Then let me do that. Aunty, shall we make a move?”, she said addressing Mrs. Malhotra, which made everyone drop their jaws.

“Now what? You all wanted me to go and now when I’m ready, why are you staring at me as if I’m some ghost?”, she questioned with a shrug,  looking at the surprised faces of her family and friends.

Seeing her in her normal mood, everyone got relaxed and after giving a hug to each and every one, Kushi finally walked away with Mrs. Malhotra to check in.

Waving her hand as she bid farewell to all, her dear ones gave a proper send off to her and once she was completely out of sight, “I wonder how Arnav manged to convince her when we all failed in doing so”, said Aarthi addressing Sakshi.

“Me too. She went away as if nothing happened. Is she the same girl who created a big scene few minutes ago? I can’t understand this girl of mine”, replied Sakshi wiping her teary eyes.

“Great! First he had to convince us all for her sake and now he had to do the same for her too. And all this for what? To make her fulfill her dream. Awesome!!”, muttered Anjali feeling proud of her brother.

“What ever it is…. when she returns with success, she owes a huge part of it to Arnav. After all, isn’t he the one who made all this possible”, remarked Devyani and everyone had to agree with that.

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Sorry due to some family problem I can't  post this earlier.