OS: Khushi's Bangle

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Written on the 18th October 2011



OS: Khushi's Bangle

Arnav had changed as quickly as he could and drove to the hospital, he had figured in the time it would take for her to go to the bank and then hospital that he would get there first but here was the receptionist telling him she'd already been and gone.

'But their bill?'

'Sir, she wanted to pay but didn't have the full amount and we can't accept it like that so madam said she would be back in an hour to pay.'

'Where's she going to get the money in an hour?' He spoke more to himself rather than the receptionist as he tried to think of where Khushi could have gone.

'Sir often in these cases the relatives pawn some jewellery or something to make up the money and...' she trailed off as Arnav gave her a stern look before pulling out his wallet.

Arnav sat in his car waiting impatiently for the call from his office. He didn't know any pawnbrokers in Delhi. Not that he was unfamiliar with the situation, having frequented many in his childhood in Lucknow but he had never had a need to visit one in Delhi. He smacked his hand on the steering wheel as he watched the time change on his phone.

He couldn't blame her, after his inability to provide her with even the smallest amount of comfort last night of course she wouldn't have thought he'd return downstairs with another cheque.  It wouldn't even occur to her that she could ask him for help.

The phone finally rang and Arnav answered it before the first ring finished. 'Any longer and you would have been fired! Tell me the addresses quick.'

He took a mental note of the three closest pawnbrokers before ending the call and throwing his phone on to the passenger seat.

He found Khushi in the second shop he went to. Neither she nor the owner noticed him entering which was unusual for Arnav, he was used to having a commanding presence in any room he was in.She was talking quietly to the storeowner and Arnav noted her slumped shoulders and defeated posture. She looked tired more than anything and he wondered if she had even slept.

He stepped forward just as Khushi was about to accept the money from the man and put his hand over hers to stop her. She looked up in surprise and he found himself hypnotised by her eyes, he tried again to say what he had been unable to last night but the words wouldn't come.

Khushi suddenly jerked her hand away from his and looked back at the man.

Arnav looked at his hand for a second, before clenching his fist. 'We don't need the money any more. Can you bring out her jewellery or whatever, we'll take it with us.'

Khushi tried to stop the man as he left to go into the back of the store, 'but... but... Bhaisab don't listen to him, don't bring my bangle.'

'Khushi, stop. I've said it haven't I? You don't need to worry.'

She stood in silence, for once completely still. It was unusual for her not to be talking or fidgeting and Arnav wished she would say something because he couldn't say anything at all. Nothing of substance at least. Instead they stood in an awkward silence until the man came back holding a bangle in each hand.

'Madam, I've bought your bangle from last week as well if you want to take that too.'

Arnav almost missed Khushi nervously shaking her head at the man and trying to say something to him in whispered tones as he wondered why Khushi would have needed money last week. Her father hadn't been ill then had he? When Khushi noticed him looking at her she began to speak louder 'Bhaisab, that's not mine, I think you have me confused with someone else.'

'No, of course not it was definitely you. I remember you. Remember you said you needed the money to buy plants and fix some big problem you'd created? And I said 'how can you fix a problem with plants.'

Arnav looked at the two identical bangles the man was holding up and then at Khushi who was now staring at the floor as her face started to go red. 'I'll take both of them. How much?'

He took the bangles from the man and handed him the money still trying to figure Khushi out. The letter had been from Khushi, that much had been obvious but he'd thought Lavanya had thought of the plants herself or at least provided Khushi with the money for them.

This new information only made him feel worse than he already did. Khushi had sold one of her bangles to bring him and Lavanya back together and he couldn't even hug her when she was upset?

'Come on Khushi, lets go.'

Thankfully she followed him quietly to the car, he didn't want to have an argument with her now. Only when she realised they were driving towards her house did she speak.

'Why are you taking me home? I have to go to the hospital, I have to pay the bill. Although I don't know how I'm going to do that either. First you tax me and then you don't even let me get the money from somewhere else.'

'The bill's been paid,' Arnav spoke briefly.

'What? But how? Who... did you pay it? You don't have to do that. He's my Babuji and I have the money! I only needed 3000 more.'

Arnav let her speak without interrupting because it felt good to finally hear Khushi speaking at her usual pace again although it was still tinged with sadness. Only once they'd gotten to her house and parked did he speak. 'Khushi, I've paid it and that's all there is to the matter. I don't want to discuss it anymore.'

Khushi started talking again before stopping herself and looked down at her lap where her hands were folded, 'thank you. You didn't have to but thank you.'

She undid her belt and leaned over to open the door when Arnav stopped her with a hand on her arm, 'Khushi.'

To his ears his 'Khushi' sounded exactly as it had last night and he wondered briefly if she hugged him again what would he do this time. However she only turned her head slightly to look at him questioningly.

'Your bangles,' slowly he took them out from his jacket pocket and held them out to her.

He hadn't intended on putting them on her, just been planning to give them to her but when she made no move to retrieve them he found himself pulling her arm towards him slowly. She stared into his eyes the whole time and Arnav felt as if she was looking into his soul, looking for something that wasn't there. He put the bangles on one at a time acutely aware of the warmth of her hands, the softness of her skin and the deep brown of her eyes which were once again slowly filling with tears.

He held onto her hand long after the second bangle had been put on reluctant to let go and willing himself to say the words he knew she wanted to hear. He watched her tears fall from her eyes and only when he felt a drop on his outstretched hands over hers did he break eye contact to look down.

Khushi immediately snatched her hand back from his and struggled out of the car and into her house.

Arnav watched her go before closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the headrest.

Di said that you should cry if you felt like it because crying made one's burden lighter. So why did every single one of Khushi's tears only make the pain in his chest increase?