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Aman is speechless.
“Let me get this straight. You mean, Jhanvi wants a divorce and you are giving her one without putting up a fight? That’s not possible. You can’t let her go that easily. You love her, Aarav. I mean-”
He goes blank again. My phone beeps with a message. It’s Jhanvi’s.
‘Me and Aarvi are going out with Jaya and Amaya for some shopping.’
Shopping. I smile. Jhanvi always loved shopping, but I know she is going to be stressed out because Aarvi is going to exhaust her to buy each and every Teddy she sees in the stores. Should I warn her? But we are not on talking terms. I’ve been ignoring her from the past two days after we had that divorce confrontation on the terrace. I’m glad Jhanvi wasn’t prepared for that blow. When I asked her to end our knot before she decides to fly to New York, I could see the frustration in her eyes. She didn’t expect me to bring up this even in her dreams. But despite me giving her all the options that night she was adamant in her stance and not ready to bend or mould. I had to take some harsh steps finally.
My fingers itch to reply to her message. Will she be waiting for one? Of course, she will. Though we fought, the next morning when I reached back to our room, she pretended to be asleep and when I stroked Aarvi, Jhanvi was fully aware of my presence and wanted me to do the same to her, thinking she was sleeping but I didn’t. Only I knew how much control I showed that moment when she clenched her thighs together as my fingers brushed her skin, unknowingly. She was getting needy for my touch and I’ll make sure that never changes. I won’t let her walk out on me ever. But this ignorance is needed to make sure she misses me and everything else that only I can give her.
I quickly type a message back to her.
‘Take the driver along.’
I see the two blue tick marks instantly means she was waiting desperately for my reply. I don’t want to show her I am waiting for her reply too, so I come out of WhatsApp and refocus on Aman.
“Jaya told me the other day that she spoke to Jhanvi who was telling her how she dislikes your controlling nature, Aarav,” Aman continues. “I thought as the time shall pass, she will realize how much you love her and staying with you and Aarvi will help her grow feelings for you two, but this is bad. If she wants some time to cool off and process, I think you should give her that. And I understand you are tense about her safety but you can always protect her without letting her feel caged. You know what I mean?”
When I don’t say a word, my friend reads what’s going on in my mind.
“This is a trick, right?” Aman asks. “You are pretending to agree for separation but on the contrary, whatever you are playing at is a masterstroke to bring her back in your life forever. Tell me I am right, Aarav. I’m losing my mind here.”
I don’t think I can explain anything to Aman right now. He needs to show some patience because until this works on Jhanvi, I won’t come to know what I am playing at and if it’s going to bring me success or not. Jhanvi just needs to keep her prejudices aside of me being possessive and dominant. Only then she might feel my love & passion for her.
“Keep this matter between us for now. Daadi does not need to know what’s happening. I don’t want her to take more stress than she already has.”
Aman sighs and nods in agreement.
*************
Jhanvi
I couldn’t deny it when Jaya asked me to come out for some shopping with her. As it is, Aarvi was getting bored at home. Even I was on a work break from RS Group from past week, so I thought this was the best time to unwind and spend with Aarvi out. But why didn’t Aarav warn me she is so crazy for teddies? I mean, I knew she is fond of teddy bears but she wants each one of them she sees in the store and when I didn’t show the same interest in buying, Aarvi sat right on the floor, demanding that I get her at least one. It was so embarrassing and I wonder what Aarav did when she behaved like this in public. That’s something I need to change about her. She can’t be this messy during shopping. When she cried in the store, I finally bought her one small teddy bear and she’s now quiet and playing with it and Amaya while Jaya and I share a cup of coffee.
“Aarav asked for a divorce from me,” I tell her and Jaya literally is on the verge of throwing up.
“What?”
“Hmm.” I sip mine and look at the two kids playing. They share a good bond already. I see how Aarvi takes care of Amaya and I think she can be a good sister already if she ever has any siblings. Wait!! Did I think of giving a sibling to her? Where did that thought even come from in my head? I recall Daadi telling me this is what I’d wanted. To have a second child with Aarav. Maybe that’s why I thought about it now. Silly! But staying with Aarav and my daughter has started to change me.
“But why?” Jaya’s query forces me to focus back on her. I tell her how I shared my stand of putting some distance between me and Aarav temporarily which didn’t go well with the latter and he imposed this condition that if I walk out, this time it will be permanent and I’ll have to divorce him. Plus, I also tell her about his silly condition of not having any rights on him and Aarvi if that happens.
Jaya is shocked but she still is on my side which I am glad for.
“Aarav has lost it this time.” She fumes. “He loves you so much Jhanvi that he can never think of losing you again. You have no idea what he had become in your absence. We have seen him. After your accident, he was no less than a dead man himself. He didn’t eat, didn’t sleep and god knows for how long he didn’t even get out of his room once he returned to India.”
The way she explains makes my heart hurt.
“He had no control over his mind and heart. Aarav was living the life of a Deadman and hadn’t it been Aarvi, we would have lost him too by grief.”
Tears cloud my vision recalling how when he met me again as Khushi Thakur and kept loitering outside my Villa every night to get a glimpse of me and drank there, drenched in rain. That was the first time I felt his love for Jhanvi..For me.
“Aman and Daadi pushed him a lot to focus on his life again. Workwise he hardly handled the topmost things, Aman did the rest. We even tried to get him to date again.”
Date again? I swallow painfully. Did he date again? Met another woman? Tried to find me in her? Oh God. I hope not. I don’t have to ask her more as she continues revealing that secret too.
“His heart was barren after you left. How could he ever offer something he didn’t have any more to another woman? Whenever Aman tried to fix him up with a decent woman, Aarav used to get out of there in no time. Aman has had a few punches from Aarav too for doing this.”
