Transcendental Love

Part 39

"Khushi?", Arnav's worry could be felt in his voice.

Khushi did not reply and instead kept looking at the man who was the apparent cause of the distress. Her skin had gone cold and she was shivering violently. Only Arnav's hold on her arm was stopping her from falling to the ground.

"Khushi?", her husband probed with a tad urgent note.

"Arnav. That man... he is... Arnav!", Khushi gasped clutching at his suit collar.

"Khushi calm down sweetheart.", realization dawned on Arnav.

"Take me home, Arnav.", Khushi pleaded in a whisper.

"Okay just give me a minute I'll inform Maa and come.", he made to leave. He did not expect the vice grip on his wrist from his petite wife.

"Please don't leave me.", she said looking at the man with fearing eyes.

He had meant to go and meet that man but Khushi's state seemed to be growing bad with every passing second that she spent in his vicinity. Dropping a text to his sister about Khushi having a headache, and signaling Aman to find out about the man, he quickly left the party holding a shivering Khushi in his arms.

******

It was happening. It had taken her so many years to forget the events and finally when she had decided to give herself a chance after guarding her heart for seventeen long years, the universe had mocked her like never before.

That man.

His face was etched in her memory.

One did not simply forget the face of their tormentor.

The images and the trauma came flooding back to her as if someone had opened a floodgate. It chilled her to her bones and left her feeling so violated that she wanted to rip the very skin off herself!

******

Arnav led a deathly silent Khushi to their room. All through the ride, she seemed to be in a world of her own. He had not approached her for the fear of having her break down in front of Mohan. But he had observed.

He had observed her shivering from time to time as if caught in some horrible memory. He had observed how her smiling face had closed off and a very somber expression now lay upon her face.

"Khushi?", he whispered softly upon reaching their room.

She looked up at him as if breaking from a trance and immediately her eyes pooled with tears. He made to touch her but she took two steps back and looked at him with such naked fear in her eyes that it made him want to go back to the party and murder that man.

"I... I will freshen up.", she said quickly and went for the shower.

******

It had been thirty minutes since his wife had escaped to the bathroom and he had let her. There was no point in terrorizing her further when she was already so scared.

"Khushi are you okay?", he called out worry lacing his voice.

No one answered.

He swore violently. Dammit he was not there when she had faced the events in her childhood. But hell would freeze over before he allowed her to face it all alone. With a determined mind, he knocked on the door and warned her of coming in before he invaded her privacy.