"What have I done to deserve this?" She asked crying harder.
"I deserve to have my heart broken again. If he wasn't in love with me then why did he approach me? He could have let me be on my own, I was living my life well without him" Aarchi looked up at Vihaan and asked him wishing he had answers to her questions whereas Vihaan gulped down his saliva knowing how exactly the rhetorical questions hurt when you have many questions to ask but no one has the right to answer to it.
"What have I done wrong God to deserve it?" Aarchi hit her head on to his chest and hugged him crying more.
"You know Aari, sometimes it is not about what you did to deserve the pain but it is about who you don't deserve to give you this pain" he mumbled in her ear hoping she'd understand his words and stop crying over her indecisive ex.
"Aari... doll... think about this again, Jo kisi aur ka na ho saka woh kya tera hota? Do you know what an on and off relationship is? Doll... if he loved his girlfriend enough but not enough to make it a forever. He didn't have one reason to convince himself that he wanted the woman he loves in his life. Do you think he isn't going to break up with her again?" He asked her while cupping her cheeks and wiping her tears away. Aarchi closed her eyes as more and more tears slid down her cheek.
"Why me again? Wasn't last time enough that I should have my heart broken again?" She opened her bloodshot red eyes and looked at him.
"You need to meet all the Anshumans in your life to reach your Aditya" He said attempting to bring a smile on her face.
"Aari..." The door burst open revealing Arush who looked at Aarchi knowing exactly what would be going in her mind. Aarchi looked up at Arush and stood up to walk to him. Arush took small steps towards her and took a deep breath seeing her crying face knowing how bad it was. Aarchi took small wobbly steps towards him and was to fall when Vihaan held her straight.
"Tell me it's a prank you and Gautam set up" Aarchi said holding Arush's collar tightly as she took deep breaths to stop herself from crying. Arush pulled her in a hug by placing his one hand on her head and the other around her back. Aarchi again started sobbing as Ayush held her close. Vihaan patted Arush's shoulder and walked out.
One hour later
Arush held Aarchi to himself and let her cry as much as she needed. He carried her into a room and laid her down. He was about to walk out of the room when his phone rang.
"Yes?" He answer the call.
"I can't come take someone else" Arush replied patting Aarchi's head to make her fall asleep. Aarchi pushed his hand away and looked at him curiously.ย
"A medical camp" he whispered to her. She signaled him to cut the call which he did.
"You should go, it's important for you" she said holding his hand and wiping away her tears.
"And leave you here to cry over that useless Gautam? No thanks, I'll pass the idea" he said angrily.
"Don't ruin your schedule for me. This is much more important than my breakup Arush. You were waiting for this camp. Don't worry about me, I've got thousands things to do and won't have much time to sulk over him" Aarchi said knowing how eagerly Arush wanted to go to the camp as it would give him a lot of new things to learn. She didn't want anyone pausing their lives for her just be a hers went down the hill.
"I am not leaving you dumbo. You think I'll be okay knowing much you are going to cry over him alone? According to our rule book, rule number 20 says that we need to be there during the heartbreak phase" Arush said sincerely.
"I'll be fine Arush please. I'll feel guilty if you don't go, I already have a swarm of emotions don't add guilty to that. I am strong but not that much that I know that my best friend let go of something he truly desired because of me" she said glaring at him.
"We will watch all your sappy movies together via zoom and you better text me every 1 hour. Take it or leave it?" He said holding his palm open to her.
"I'll video call you when I am feeling down and having mint chocolate ice cream alongside your other conditions, fine?" She said with a small smile, trying to be happy for him.
"He was an asshole,ย Aari. You don't deserve someone who promises you moons and stars but someone who keeps his promise of giving them to you" He said as he pulled her in a tight hug.
"I'll be fine" she said to him and herself, promising that she won't let anything affect her.
"When do you have to leave?" She asked breaking the hug.
"Tomorrow afternoon"ย
"So soon? You'll need to pack your things. Stop standing there and go start packing your things idiot" She said standing up from the bed and pulling him out of the room. She walked to the living room where everyone looked stressed.
" I am fine guys... it will take a few days to let it sink but I'll bounce back better" she said it with a smile hoping to convince everyone. They nodded their heads seeing how hard she tried to keep her facade on. They all put up a smile for her and changed the topic knowing that she wouldn't want to be confronted on it now.
"Ghar chale?" Rishav said placing a hand over her head as she hugged him and nodded her head.
"Let's go then" Rishav said with a smile even though his heart broke seeing his princess pretend to be fine when her hearts crushed so badly.
"Are you driving back home alone?" Vihaan asked concerned. Aarchi nodded her head.
"We will send your car back tomorrow morning, go with your parents now. The roads would be all slippery and it's raining heavily" Vihaan said extending his hand for her car keys. She silently placed them in his hands and bid everyone farewell.
"Best of luck donkey's ass for tomorrow. Save many lives" She said hugging Arush who smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Don't feed everyone grass just because you can tomato" Arush joked with her making her smile. Rishav, Kaira and Aarchi walked to the car and sat inside. Once in, Aarchi placed her head in Kaira's lap and held Rishav's hand tightly. She kept her eyes closed until they reached home. Rishav and Kaira didn't say anything giving Aarchi some time and space.
As soon as they reached the palace, Aarchi slipped out of the car and rushed to her room and hid beneath the warm blankets, wishing for all the hurt to go away. She kept tossing the whole night on her sides, waiting for sun rise. Once she saw it was bright enough outside, she thought to get ready for the day.
"Aaru" Kaira who came to wake up Aarchi saw the empty bed and heard the running shower and knocked on the door.
"Yeah" Aarchi wiped her tears and closed the shower.
"Are you fine bacha?" Kaira asked concerned.
"Yeah mum. I'll be out in a few minutes" Aarchi wrapped the bath robe around her and looked at the foggy mirror and wiped away the fog.
"Come soon darling" Kaira left the room with a heavy heart and left the room. Aarchi breathed in a prepared for the day and walked down to the dining hall to hear a new voice there.
"Vi?" She looked at Vihaan shocked at finding him in her dining room this early.
"Hey Good morning" Vihaan said with a smile.
"Was he worth the red and puffy eyes Aaru?" Rishav asked looking at the breakfast laid infront of him as Aarchi sat down on the seat beside him.
"Soap entered my eyes while bathing, that's why they are red" Aarchi kept her hand on top of Rishav's not wanting him to see the pain in her heart.
"Where are you interning?" Vihaan asked noticing her vulnerable state when reminded of Gautam.
"Lifeline Hospital" She said taking one sooji cheela with some curd.
"No way!!!" Vihaan exclaimed loudly making her gasp in surprise.
"I start working there today" He said with a smile.
"You'll give me a lift?" He asked not giving her time to think.
"Umm...ok" Aarchi nodded her head and kept her head low as she had her breakfast.
"I am done" Kaira said noticing her daughter too silent.
"You need to eat at leastย two cheelas ma" Aarchi said looking at Kaira's plate.
"I don't want to eat" Kaira replied standing up.
"Ma! Eat, breakfast is the main meal of the day" Aarchi stood up and walked to Kaira's side and made her sit and finish the cheela as she did the same. Aarchi then kept on talking about how no one in the family listens to her when she tells them how much they should eat and what they should eat. Everyone in the room smiled slightly seeing Aarchi be herself even if it were for a few minutes.
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