Sometimes Love Is Not Enough

Chapter 23

Khushi

"Please... Just 5 minutes." He pleaded.
 
I swallowed nervously as I looked over my shoulder, then back at him and considered. I nodded as I tugged my eyebrows together and followed him outside while slowly closing the door behind me.
 
I crossed my arms across my chest under the dupatta and looked up at him while waiting for him to say whatever he wanted.
 
He stared at me for a moment before I raised my eyebrows in question. He cleared his throat before looking slightly over his shoulder, then back at me.
 
"I... wanted to talk."
 
I waited as I stared at him. He looked nervous for some reason and... sad. I mentally shook my head and tried to focus on the situation at hand.
 
"Because of me... Akash and Payal have also suffered. Not more than you... but they did." His words shuddered.
 
I again waited.
 
"Akash really loves Payal. And... I want to see them together again."
 
I nodded.
 
"So... I want you to help me." He said it while carefully eyeing me.
 
"Why should I help you?" I paused and stared at him for a second. "Because you want to see them together?"
 
He swallowed before speaking, "Because I regret my wrongdoings."
 
I observed him for a second, then said, "We don't want her to go back."
 
"We?"
 
"Amma, Babu Ji, Bua Ji... and me." I waited for him to shout. I waited for him to threaten me. I waited for him to force me. But he didn't.
 
"I can understand. After everything... I understand." He answered quietly while nodding. Why is he agreeing with me? Why isn't he being like his normal self? Why isn't he behaving like the Arnav Singh Raizada he is?
 
I took a breath through my mouth and stared at him as I waited. As I waited... for him to snap at me. To yell at me.
 
"I understand... It's hard. But I want you to think about it... They love each other." He said this as he looked at me in the eyes.
 
I waited for him to say or do anything that would confirm my doubts that he was lying. That he actually doesn't care about it.
 
"It's not my place to make a decision for her. All I can do is hope." I said as I looked over his shoulder, because looking anywhere is safer than looking into his eyes. "But I'll support her decision no matter what."
 
I looked him once more in the eyes before starting for the door. His hand gently wrapped around my wrist over my dupatta, but I could still feel the warmth of his hand. I closed my eyes for a second as my breath got caught in his action, but I didn't waste another. I turned and pulled my hand free from his.
 
"Don't touch me." I said as I pointed a finger at him while anger wrapped around me.
 
He raised both his hands in surrender, closed his eyes for a split second before opening them again, and said, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean... I'm sorry."
 
I dropped my hand and took a step back from him before looking into his eyes again. He ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat before saying, "Akash... He wanted to talk to you."
 
I looked over his shoulder at his car, where Akash Jijaji now stood, then nodded at him and gestured at him with my hand to lead the way.
 
Hai, Devi Maiya! Please bless me. I don't want to lose control over my emotions in front of him.
 
"How are you, Khushi?... How is Payal?... And Amma and Bua Ji?" I almost smiled at Jijaji's concern as he continued to ask me about everyone as soon as I reached close enough to hear him.
 
"Everyone is alright." I answered. My voice clipped as I remembered how he never said anything in Jiji's defense and instead doubted and blamed her words and love.
 
"I'm sorry for everything." He genuinely sounded sorry as he spared a small glance at Arnav Ji, then softly looked at me, looking actually guilty.
 
I nodded.
 
"Can you arrange a meeting with Payal without telling her?" He asked as he noticed that I was silent.
 
I looked at him, then at Arnav Ji, who was already looking at me from the other side of the car, then back at Jijaji.
 
"No."
 
His face fell as I answered. Feeling his disappointment, I added, "But... I.. can ask her. If she says yes, then alright, but if she says no, then..." And left the rest untold because everyone knows what will happen if the answer is no. And in my opinion, it should be no. But my opinion is not what matters. Jiji's does.
 
Jijaji nodded as he gave me a small smile and took my hand between his before saying sadly, "Thank you."
 
I tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. So I pulled my hand from his and pushed it through my hair.
 
"Why didn't you call her?" I asked as I unconsciously reached for my mangalsutra to fiddle with it.
 
"I... didn't know what to say." He explained before he looked at Arnav Ji, then at me, and again at him. I followed his eyes and turned to look at Arnav Ji.
 
He stared at my neck, where my hand now was, and where my mangalsutra used to be. I pulled my hand back and dropped them to my side before fisting my dupatta and swallowing.
 
He stared into my eyes, but I hurriedly turned to Jijaji and said, while slowly stepping back, "I'll talk to Jiji."
 
I didn't wait to see him nod or say anything; I just turned on my heels and ran from there to the house and locked myself inside.