SS: Hospital Hug - Part 3

Part 3


Arnav made Khushi sit on the bed by her father's feet and he watched as she put one hand on them and he saw her eyes begin to well up again.

'Khushi, look at me. There's no use in crying, you'll just make yourself feel worse.'

She sniffed her nose and Arnav briefly thought about offering her a napkin if only he had one until he remembered with a small smile that she already had her dupatta. He lifted one end and offered it to her with a smile and a raised eyebrow hoping to make her laugh. He didn't receive a laugh for his efforts but she did reward him with a small watery smile which made his heart leap.

'Khushi, can I ask you something? This Shyam, do you...'

Khushi interrupted him before he could finish, 'no! No, I don't know what Buaji's talking about I don't want to marry him, I don't love him.'

'Khushi, you don't have to explain anything.' He put a hand out covering hers to stop her fervent denial although it pleased him to hear her say it. 'I just want to ask you some questions about him. What's his name?'

'Name? Shyamji, you just said it.'

Arnav shook his head almost smiling at her response. 'Okay, let's try this again. What's my name, Khushi Kumari Gupta?'

'Your name? Arnav Singh Raizada. Why? Have you forgotten it?

'Okay so your name is Khushi Kumari Gupta, mine is Arnav Singh Raizada and his name is Shyam...' He indicated with his hands that she should continue.

'Oh! Shyam Manohar Jha.'

Arnav stiffened but he had to be sure, this seemed like such a ridiculous possibility but he had to ask just to eradicate the possibility in his mind. 'What's his job?'

'He's a lawyer, why are you asking all these questions about him? Do you think I should marry him too?!'

Arnav had been frozen in shock at her reply but when Khushi took her hands from his and stood up and started muttering to herself he registered what she had said. 'No! No, of course not!' Arnav couldn't believe what was happening. How could his Jiju, whom he had trusted above anyone else with his Di's safety and happiness, be planning to marry Khushi? How did he even know Khushi?

Arnav saw Khushi looking at him worriedly, he wanted to reassure her but no words came. How could he be somebody else's strength when it felt like his own world had just fallen apart. How could he tell her that he would never let her marry Shyam, he would never let Shyam hurt her when he had already let Shyam hurt his Di, the one person he had always strived to protect from pain and heartache.

He didn't want to make false promises he couldn't keep so instead he did the only thing that seemed natural and took Khushi into his arms. He felt her hesitate under his touch and recalled his own reluctance to hug her earlier. But this hug was more for him than her. He was the one that needed reassurance that everything would be okay, that Di would be okay.

Slowly he felt her raise her hands and bring them to his back but her touch was so light, putting no pressure on his body at all. It wasn't enough, Arnav needed more than what she was offering and he pulled her closer to him, burying his face in the scent of her hair and trying to forget what he'd just learned. Only when he felt her hands hold onto him harder and her face press into his chest did he feel better.