FF: Breathing Only Half of the Air - Chapter 16

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Chapter 16

It had been just over 3 months ago when he'd last stood on this doorstep and his whole life had changed in that time but still Arnav felt as nervous as he had done then.

'Arnav! What are you... come in, come in! Did Khushi know you were coming?'

Suraj's smile and presence but him at ease slightly and Arnav shook his head as he walked into the apartment which looked just as it had on his previous visit. They exchanged pleasantries for a few moments as Suraj enquired about everyone back in Delhi and thanked Arnav once again for his hospitality. Arnav in turn asked about Suraj's job and Sharman who he learned was sleeping although his eyes kept darting around looking for any sign of Khushi being around.

Suraj smirked and stood up, 'I'm just going to check on Sharman, do you want to go through to Khushi's room? It's the one on the left.'

Before Arnav had a chance to protest half-heartedly Suraj had already walked through the door on the right and shut the door behind him. He stayed where he was for another minute, his heartbeat had increased and for the second time in the space of 10 minutes he had to give himself a pep talk before doing something as simple as knocking on a door.

'It's open,' her voice came through the door and Arnav had to lean against the doorframe from the emotional impact of hearing it after almost a month of going without. He had thought the three years of repressing his memories and pretending he didn't care were hard but a month  without her when he'd accepted that he did care and knowing that she did too had been so much worse.

He opened the door slowly to see her half lying on her bed against some pillows reading a book. She didn't look up as he walked in and he briefly looked around the room. The walls were painted a pale yellow and the furniture was all white. Gold stars hung down from the canopy of the bed and he could see photo frames propped up on her side-table of which one looked like it was a picture of Payal and Akash's sangeet when they had danced together for the first time.

'Khushi?'

The dhak dhak of her heart had increased as soon as she heard the door open but Khushi had stayed still, her eyes fixed on the page not reading anything and not daring to hope. But when she heard him call out her name, his tongue wrapping around the syllables as only he ever could her heart soared and blood rushed to her ears. Fearing that she would miss anything further he said because of the deafening beat of her heart she looked up at him, hoping her eyes would catch anything her ears failed to receive.

As she looked up at him and slowly stood up at the side of the bed Arnav took in her neck and hair parting, once again devoid of the signs of a married woman before his eyes travelled to her left hand. The ring that had adorned it three months ago was now also missing and Arnav's lips began to curl up into a small smile. He had made a million assumptions three years ago and even three months ago and almost all of them had been wrong and so he appreciated the victory in finally getting something right. He stepped towards her purposefully, Khushi taking a step backwards and inevitably stumbling as her back hit the dresser behind her.

He stopped a metre away just as Khushi looked back up from where she'd been steadying the photo-frames and clock on her dresser as he noted the various pictures of their family back in Delhi and the one of the two of them dancing.

The moment seemed to stretch out between them as they both took in the reality of what was happening.

Arnav had spent the past week practicing what he would say; how he would explain his fears, explain just how much his mother had meant to him. How he would tell her about his mother's birthday and how he had spent every year since her death alone but this year had only wanted to be with her, how he had changed his flight from London to Mumbai just to be with her because she made things better in a way that even his Di had never managed. But now that he was here, now that she was in front of him, all those words seemed irrelevant, Khushi understood him better than he understood himself and that was why she had left him. Both times.

She had stepped back, given him the space he needed, the space he had always desired but it was only now that Arnav had realised Khushi was an integral part of his being. Without Khushi, there was no Arnav and so he said the only words that seemed fitting.

'I'm here.'

When she had left three years ago Khushi had agonised over her decision for weeks and months after wondering if she had made the right decision in leaving without a word. This time, there had been no need for words. They had finally revealed their true feelings to each other and Khushi trusted and believed in Arnav's heart winning over his brain. She hadn't known when it would happen, never dared to hope it would be so soon but she had known it would happen and so she said the word that had running through her mind as soon as she felt his presence in her room.

'Finally.'

Explanations, logistics and long conversations over intertwined fingers and softly placed kisses could and would wait. For now all that mattered was that they were both finally at the right place at the right time.

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And we're done! Another FF bites the dust! Please do let me know what you thought of this part and the FF as a whole and you just might get an epilogue for your troubles ;)