SS: Hospital Hug - Part 2

Part 2

He knew he was going in the right direction when he saw her family members sitting on a couple of benches similarly crying. Khushi's aunt looked in their direction and suddenly stood up raising a hand to her head with a shocked expression on her face, 'Oh God, what are you doing Khushi? Your father is in a critical condition and you turn up with him? Like that? Come here!'

She moved towards them but Arnav moved himself and Khushi out of her reach and held out a hand to stop her. Khushi's tears had abated but he had felt her hold on him tighten when her Aunt had come towards them. When Khushi wanted to let go she could but until then he wasn't going to allow anything to separate them.

'Khushi? Arnavji? What's going on?' Payal asked as she also started to come towards them and Arnav felt Khushi's grasp loosen and she ran over and hugged her sister. He felt a sense of abandonment at the loss of her warmth but tried not to think about it.

'Is the doctor inside? I want to talk to him.' He looked through the window to see the Doctor examining a chart and was about to walk in when Khushi's Aunt shouted behind him. 'What are you doing? You think you can just walk in here with Khushi like that? And you Khushi? He has no manners but you could at least think about these things. What would Shyam have thought if he was here?'

Arnav looked up in surprise. He had heard them mention that name when Khushi had been ill. Who was this Shyam and what did he have to do with Khushi?

Khushi's mother also chimed in, 'I just hope he doesn't find out and get angry and refuse to marry our Khushi now.'

'What?!' Arnav, Khushi and Payal had all spoken at the same time

Khushi's Aunt pulled Khushi towards her, 'yes Khushi, Shyam loves you very much and marrying him would be a blessing for you. Didn't you see even your father was indicating the same. Shyam has been so good to our family and he cares for you so much.'

Khushi and Payal both began to speak at the same time, 'But... Buaji, how can...'

'Amma, How can Khushi...'

'Enough!'  Arnav's booming voice silenced everybody and he pulled Khushi's arm to make her stand next to him. 'Nobody is getting married! What is wrong with you? Your brother is in a critical condition and you're spouting nonsense about weddings and blessings!'

He then took Khushi with him into the room making sure to close the door behind them and make his message clear that he didn't want to be followed.

'How is he Doctor? Will he be alright?' Khushi asked agitatedly before Arnav had a chance to speak.

'I can't say right now. He's lost consciousness and is having difficulty breathing but if we can get his breathing back to normal then there's every chance to expect a recovery Miss Gupta. I've put him back on oxygen so now you'll just have to wait.'

Khushi watched the doctor and then she turned to Arnav with a pleading look in her eyes as if she expected him to be able to fix everything. He remembered telling her once that he was God and he could change people's fates. If ever there was a time to be God this would be it but Arnav could do nothing to help Khushi's father so he turned his mind to the other matter troubling him.

In that brief second outside he had remembered almost every moment of closeness with Khushi and he'd felt anger that she could have kept something so important from him. Who was this Shyam to object to him hugging Khushi. But Khushi's own surprise at the mention of a wedding was enough to silence that tiny voice in his mind suggesting that Khushi had deceived him.