Welcome to my another creation readers! This will be a very short story, mirroring the pain of a girl, who desperately wanted her soul-mate to love her back. The pain was too deep; but how deep was her love?

Genre: Tragedy, Love, Redemption. 

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[ Part-1]

Story Banner:: (Thanks to Nishaa, once again!)

What happens when your loved ones do not love you back? When there is no one who will heal your pain with care, protection. Who will love you not because who you are… because they only love you, nothing else?

What happens when they breaks your mirror? A mirror that used to embed with trust, smile and life? They curse you, mocks your feeling, do not count your pleadings, and shatter your courage, set you up as a pathetic excuse among them selves.

Will you give up?

Khushi gave up long ago.

She was just a shadow of her self. A mere body carrying a soul.

‘Don’t depend too much on anyone in this world…

Because…even your shadow leaves you when you are in darkness.’

She waited. Waited till her chest pained. Till her breath took it’s last… till she was cold.

She waited.

But sadly, no one loved her. No one cherished her. No one put their ‘wants’ away and cared for her once.

No one believed her.

‘I will never…never let you cry khushi…I will never hurt you.” He told her that day.

Just that day.

Then again he took her as granted. He pitied her.

Poor soul had no one. Let’s give her a shelter.

Let’s give her an identity in society.  What a charity!

But hell broke loose on her when he could no longer tolerate her. Anger, hatred—he was disappointed. How could she disobey him?

Him, the mighty Arnav Singh Raizada?

Him, who gave her a name, who willingly gave his title ‘Raizada’? Who gave him a place to hide her head?

‘How can she go to his sister’s room?’

His ‘di’ was Anjali, who was utterly broken, vulnerable upon finding her husband’s real face. She refused to take food, absorb water… she was weak. Reason was partially Khushi.

Why she had to be beautiful? Why she had to be too innocent?

Khushi never knew her husband’s brother-in-law lusted after her. She could never measure the amount of evil intention he had for her. But that does not justify her action.

Khushi loved her sister-in-law, Anjali. She understood the pain. The pain of broken dreams, shattering future…. An ache to be with your loved ones, when you have nothing but memories of them.

The same ache she felt when Arnav shooed her away, hated her existence, crumpled the innocent love she had for him.

“Give me my husband back Khushi…” Anjali silently cried. She had no other way but call Khushi and requested her, “Bring him back.”

Khushi looked at her with tearful eyes. “Only you can make ‘Chote’ understand.” She referred Arnav to her.

“I know your pain di… I know…” She started. “NO YOU DON’T!” Anjali shouted,  losing her sanity,“You don’t! Cause you only know how to snatch other’s happiness!”

Khushi looked at her with horror.

“The bloody home wreaker you are…” She panted. “You destroyed chote’s life. You destroyed my life… my husband’s life. What the hell happened to me when I brought you in this house?”

Khushi knew she should get out. ‘Get out right now!’ her head warned her. But her legs were jammed, denied to lift themselves a single inch.

“Who gave you this name, Khushi ji?” Anjali looked her eyes.

 ‘Khushi’ means happiness… but she ended up making other’s cry.

Her head shot back, trying to breath. She felt a part of her died, as soon as Anjali bit out the harsh words to her. She wanted to tell her she was getting all wrong, al wrong.

It was her husband Shyam, who caused the pain. His wreck actions spoiled their lives.

Khushi ran out of the room crying, but soon was caught by mami ji.

“What were you doin here ‘phati saree’? Arnav told you not to go in anjali bitiya’s room… hadn’t he?” She shoke Khushi, “These lower class people are after our happiness, always. Why? Did you parents teach you nothing but ‘black magic’? Nasty people with nasty thoughts!”

Could she tell her that it was Anjali who called her there… insulted her in return, and…

She felt coldness ever powering her body.

‘There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.’

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Khushi entered his room that day, in a trance… The hiding shelter of her, provided by mighty Arnav Singh Raizada.

“What the hell happened to me when I bought you here?!”

“Did parents teach you nothing but ‘black magic? Nasty people with nasty thoughts!”

The words played again and again in her head like a recorder. The insults pricked her skin like thrones, making her squirm with distress.

Is there is no end of this insults?

“I will… I will talk with arnavji. I will… He—he promised me that he will never hurt me, mis…mistrust me… he—he will understand.” She hugged her keens tight. Sitting near the pool she felt her heart, on the edge of endings.

She felt nothing still, the commotion and cries happen in the house did not reach her.

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With a bang the door opened. Arnav entered in his room with furious rage, literally shaking. His eyes were blood red due to the crying and frustration for his sister. His mind set up to destroy each thing that would dare to come before him.

How dare she?

“Khushi!” Arnav shouted to his victim.

She was the reason his sister tried to commit suicide. It was just a moment’s escape that she survived. Her unborn infant was unharmed.

But can he ignore the fact that his sister tried to kill herself?

And who was reason?

“Your wife, who you love so much is all set to revenge!” Mami ji bit out to his astonishment, “She went to Anjali’s room, despite of your refutation!”

“What are you saying mami ji? It’s…it’s impossible!”  He looked aggravated.

“I looked with my eyes son! I even asked her why she went there, but the disrespectful

Girl she is!”

Arnav briskly went to his room. He wanted some answers.

Rather, he wanted to put some brain in that illiterate creature, his wife.

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Arnav saw her curled on the pool side. So much happened, but she was least bothered with this. All she knew how to hurt him, he thought angrily.

“You!” Arnav hauled her limped body with a jerk. “What do you think of yourself, huh?”

Khushi looked at his eyes, trying to read him as always. But today they held no love, no tender, and no warmth.

The raw hatred startled her, reminded her of the beast he was.

“How can you do this to her? My sister, what was her fault?” He choked her with his vice grip, “You choose to talk with her, despite my resistance! Why? Are you so idiostuperific dumb that you went there to hurt her?” He shouted.

Khushi tried to clear his head, “I did not! Trust me, she only…”

“Now now… Khushi Kumari Gupta! You are trying to defend yourself by accusing my sister?” He growled.

“Why you came in my life, Khushi?” He asked calmly.

She froze on her spot. Her tears stooped, forever.

“You are the reason of my pain. Why you came in my life? I was going well with my family, with my sister!! My… my brother-in-law was not like this, he was not a rogue, miscreant soul. But he did this. He cheated my sister…cause of you!”

“I so wish you did not come in our life… I so wish I had not met you, I had not known you!!”

“I hate you… your existence gives nothing but sadness-agony to others! I don’t understand… how you can simply keep on living when others are suffering of your doings!”

'The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.'

Her stoned figure reflected on pool-water. But the water had no strength to reflect her heart.

A heart that not existed any more.

She stopped counting time, her dream of getting love in return faded in thin air.

Once she was scared of the next day. The day when she will finally realize the fact that getting love was not in her fate.

But now she was not scared any more. Previous time, present time or future, all were equal to her.

As she has lost herself in this big world, nothing mattered.

'What men call the shadow of the body is not the shadow of the body, but is the body of the soul.'

'Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.'

She had dared to love Arnav, a man who really never cared. Never really loved her. Used her again and again to protect his people, kept claiming that he loved, which was proved wrong by himself again.

She wanted to lose herself in his love. Wanted to spend her every minute with him. But the truth was he pitied her; He was far too rich, sophisticated and educated than her. His vision of life was different from hers.  

'The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.'

Her love laid unanswered, unrequited.

There was no such word….

There was no love…

'A song she heard

Of cold that gathers

Like winter's tongue

Among the shadows

It rose like blackness

In the sky

A Stone of ruin

That on volcano's

Vomit rise

From burn to chill

Like black moonrise

Her voice fell still...'

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