HWGA Chapter 11: Nightmares

Purple bits are Hindi. The bold bits from now on will be dreams/nightmares/past.

Chapter 11: Nightmares

Khushi was totally mesmerised by him. This feeling felt foreign yet familiar to her, as if she’d already experienced it somewhere. She didn’t understand what he was saying but his voice completely captured her.

“Well tough, I don’t care what he says, she’s not going to come back until her mother’s ok. My son is perfectly capable of handling this project. He needs this as much as we do so do something to convince him or else you’ll be demoted.”

Logan cancelled the call and felt someone was looking at him. He turned around to find Khushi peaking at him while Karan was trying to find the right key to unlock the door. Logan smiled at her and she looked away, blushing deep red.

“Namaste Khushi.” He said joining his hands together.

Khushi gaped at him while Karan shot him a warning look.

“You know Hindi?” She asked him.

He smirked. “Of course I do. Karan and I have been neighbours for ages and you do come and visit a lot.”

She smiled at him. There was something about him that made her comfortable. “Namaste, umm…”

“Logan.”

“Namaste Logan.”

Before Logan could say any more Karan cut in. “Yes well I’m sure Logan has more important things to do then chat with us. Come on Khushi.” Karan rang the door bell as he had given up hope on the keys.

Khushi face fell a little and seeing this Logan tried to pacify her. “He’s right. I only came to get a few important things. I should really get going.”

Just then Amba opened the door. “Oh dad, you’re back. Mu- I mean Khushi aunty how are you feeling now?”

“I’m ok now, thank you.”

Amba noticed Logan standing on his door step looking at them. “Hey Logan!”

“Hi Amba.”

“Have you re-met Khushi aunty?” Logan could hear the slight anguish behind that innocent question.

“Yes I have.”

“That’s great, you should come over some time soon.”

Both Logan and Khushi smiled at this. “I might later, but now I have to get back to the office.”

“Amba why don’t you take Khushi in and show her around the house. I want to talk to Logan for a bit.”

“Ok dad.” Amba grabbed Khushi’s hand and dragged her away.

Karan closed the door softly and turned to face Logan. “What exactly are you trying to do Logan?” Karan demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I respect you a lot Logan but what if you had said something-”

“You really think I’d endanger her health like that? If you do then you don’t know nor do you respect me!”

“She’s in a fragile state right now-”

“Yes and she needs to see familiar faces. You can’t keep her coped up at home-”

“She just got home!”

“Look, I just needed to see for myself her condition.”

Karan sighed and let the matter go. He knew he was being too over protective of her but there was too much she didn’t know and that meant a lot could harm her. “I understand.”

“She’s so different. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush so much.”

“She was very naïve. She was forced to face some unexpected things to get her to where she is today.”

“I know.”

Karan was surprised. “You know?”

“Yeah she told me everything a couple of months ago.”

“She didn’t tell me that she told you.”

“We were too busy with Nik’s wedding to tell anyone anything.”

“I don’t believe you.” Karan said sceptically.

“Arnav Singh Riazada.”

It was only three words but the way Logan said it convinced Karan that he indeed did know everything. “If you know everything, why are you doing business with him?”

“Because Khushi suggested it was a good opportunity.”

“Khushi said that?” Karan asked in disbelief.

“I was surprised too. When his proposal came, she was the first person I consulted with and she said she was fine to deal with him. I think she was ready to face her past. She was even thinking of going back to India.”

“She was?” Karan couldn’t believe Khushi had kept so much from him after all he had done for her. Did she think he wouldn’t support her anymore?

Logan could see Karan’s inner turmoil. “Come on mate, we’ve all been really busy lately.”

“Too busy to pick up the phone and talk? Too busy to come to my house, which is 10 minutes away, and explain all of this?”

“She was indecisive especially because of Mohini.”

“Mohini?”

“Remember she had you wrapped around her little finger and she didn’t like the fact that Khushi was so close to you. As I recall, you didn’t have any time for us until you heard about Nik’s wedding.”

Karan turned away guiltily. “But Mo and I broke up ages ago.”

“You broke up in the middle of Nik’s wedding preparations, by that time Khushi was in full scary wedding mum mode. She was too absorbed in everything as she wanted every last detail to be perfect and it was perfect. Karan I’m sure when she gets her memory back she’ll tell you everything. I have to go now.” With that Logan went into his house.

Karan stood there for a while before deciding to go in to Khushi’s house. As he walked in he saw Amba showing Khushi the living room.

“Wow Karan, you’re house is so big!” Her voice full of awe.

Karan smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Amba did you show Khushi her room?”

“I chose to leave the best till last.” With that Amba dragged Khushi to her room. She paused when she got there for dramatic effect but when she looked at Khushi, she decided not to delay it any longer. She opened the door and said “Tada!”.

Khushi was speechless. The entire theme for the room was green, her favourite colour. The room was spacey and simple, just the way she liked it. There were a few Salman Khan pictures on the wall. Above the bed hung lots of little stars and she noticed they were all on the ceiling too.

Amba saw her staring at the stars on the ceiling. “They glow in the dark.”

She started moving around the room. She noticed a door in the corner and she opened to find a joint bathroom. Khushi was so over come with emotions that she hugged both Amba and Karan.

“Thank you so much.”

“Silly girl, is that any reason to cry? I just showed you your room. Thank God, I didn’t tell you I got jalebies too otherwise you’d be hysterical.” Karan teased.

Khushi laughed through her tears and whipped them. “There’s jalebies?”

“Of course there’s jalebies! You think you’d come around and I wouldn’t buy jalebies? I’m offended.”

Khushi hit him lightly. “Where’s Nikil?”

“He’s gone to finalise his apartment.”

“He won’t be staying here after marriage?”

“No, I don’t want him to.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re very loud.” Karan said suggestively.

Khushi was confused. “I’m loud, does it mean you don’t want me here either.”

Karan smirked, wanting to make a joke but thought better of it. “You’ll see what I mean at night.”

“Why? What happens at night?” Khushi asked innocently.

Karan just wanted to wrap her in cotton wool and hide her from the world due to her naivety. “Nothing, let’s have some jalebies!”

Karan looked around to find Amba had gone out of the room. He lead Khushi down to the kitchen and gave her a plate full of jalebies, then he went to look for Amba. He found her in her room working on the laptop. He crossed over and closed it.

“Dad I love you but it you do that again-”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Amba raised an eyebrow. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Because I don’t know how else to act.” Amba said quietly.

Karan softened a little. “You can at least try.”

“But it’s easy for you!”

“And if you don’t try it’s not going to be easy for you.”

Before Amba could respond the door bell rang. Amba took it as an opportunity to get out of the conversation and she went to check who it was. When she opened the door, she found Logan standing there. It was almost like a déjà vu of the last time they had seen each other.

“Can I help you?” She asked coldly.

“I want to formally apologise for my behaviour. Can you please call your dad?”

“Dad! It’s LJ!” She shouted and then skipped to her room.

Karan came down and gave Logan a hard look. “Yes?”

“Karan, I’m really sorry about my behaviour last time and I regret my action deeply.”

“Apology accepted.” Karan was about to close the when Logan stopped him. Karan raised his eyebrow.

“Umm, how is she?” Logan asked hesitantly.

“Who?”

“Khushi.”

“She’s fine. Thanks for your concern, now goodbye.” Karan didn’t give him time to protest before he slammed the door on his face. “Sleeps with my daughter and acts like nothings happening!” He murmured all the way to the kitchen.

Khushi saw him looking agitated. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He looked at the now empty plate of jalebies. “Wow, you’re appetite never decreases, does it Titaliya?”

Khushi smiled proudly. “Oh Karan, I want to call my parents.”

“It’s quite late in India, I think they might be sleeping.”

“Stupid time difference! Can you at least try?” The face she was making compelled him to do it.

The phone rang a couple of time before someone picked up. “Who is it Nand Kishore?”

“It’s Karan, Buaji, Khushi wants to talk to everyone.”

“Really?! Hold on, let me get everyone.”

Karan put his phone on loud speaker and gestured Khushi to come foreward. “Hello?” She said tentatively.

“Oh thank Devi Maya, betiya are you ok?” asked Garima.

Khushi teared up at the sound of her mother’s voice. It felt like forever since she had spoken to her. Little did Khushi know that that was exactly the truth. “Amma, I’m fine now. Karan’s taking such good care of me, you don’t even know. I can’t wait to come back.”

“No!” commanded Sashi.

Khushi was really confused. “Why Babuji?”

“I want you to get better fully and then come back.”

“But Babuji, who will take care of you guys?”

“We have a lot of servants, Titaliya, we will manage.”

“How can we afford servants?”

Karan cut in before anyone else could. “You had a job in LL Indian branch.”

Khushi’s mouth fell open. “But that’s one of the most prestigious companies. How did I get a good position there if I’m not that well educated?”

“You got educated, you just don’t remember.”

There was a dull ache forming in Khushi’s head. “How did we afford it? With Jiji’s wedding and everything, how did we afford it?”

“I helped.”

Khushi gave him a shocked and disapproved look. “Karan-”

“You paid me back every penny once you got a job. You also got servants to help out when you were at work. You gave your parents and Buaji the best medical treatments.”

“I don’t remember any of this.”

“It’s ok, don’t strain yourself.”

“But if I’m successful and my parents are well taken care of, why didn’t I get married.”

“By the time you became that successful, you were too busy with your career and parents to get married.”

The dull ache had turned into a full fledged migraine. “Karan, my head really hurts I want to lay down.”

“I’ll take you to your room.” He was about to leave when he realised that the Gupta’s were still on the phone. “Sorry Buaji, Khushi’s got a headache and she needs to lay down.”

“It’s ok. Tell her we don’t want her home until she’s fully recovered.”

“I will.” He cut the call, picked up Khushi and carried her to her room. She was in too much pain to protest and when she hit the mattress, sleep instantly claimed her.

Amba’s distort expression filled him with some sick pleasure. She looked like she was going to break down any second now.

Good!  She deserves it! But he couldn’t think why.

“You’ve said a lot of horrible things to me in the past but you really got me this time.” She said.

For some reason the images became blurry and his father stood in front of him with a hard expression on his face. The slap he had given him seemed to echo endlessly. His father didn’t believe in violence and never raised his hands to his children. The sting he felt was nothing compared to what his father said next.

“You’re no son of mine.”

Nikil Malik shook himself out of the dream violently. He panted heavily and looked around his surroundings quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he hadn’t woken up Natalie. He knew she loved him but it would be too hard to explain some of his nightmares to her. He got up quietly and headed out of the room. Once he closed the door, he slid down to the floor and sobbed quietly.

When he and Natalie came home, they found the house unusually quiet. He was so used to coming to Khushi auntie’s house and finding a lively atmosphere but today it felt like some one had died. His dad had informed him that Khushi had a migraine and that Amba was working but it just didn’t feel the same. He had gone to check up on her but after getting short replies he had left her alone. Him and Nat had their dinner and decided to sleep early as they’d have to start packing to move out.

He got up shakily from the floor and made his way to Amba’s room. He didn’t know what the time was but he hoped she was awake. He knocked lightly and waited. After a while he was sure she was asleep, he was about to leave when she opened the door. He regarded her dishevelled state and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” She asked rudely.

“You don’t look like you were asleep. Logan?” Trying to delay what he really wanted to say.

“Yeah, so?”

“No nothing.” They stood there for a while not really knowing what to say.

Amba chose to break the silence. “Did you want something?”

Nik gathered his wit. “Can I come in?”

Now Amba was confused but she gestured him in. She sat in the middle of the bed and stared at him. He chose to stand. When she saw he wasn’t going to speak any time soon, she sighed. “What do you want Nik?!”

Nik managed to surprise her when he went to his knees and started bawling. Amba looked at him in shock and went over to comfort him. “I’m so so sorry, Amba.” He said in between sobs.

“I didn’t know asking you questions would make you react like this. I promise never to ask you questions again.” She joked, trying to make the situation light.

“No it’s not that. It’s everything I’ve been doing since you’ve been born.”

“Nik-”

“I’m sorry for constantly putting you down, for bullying you, for for everything.”

“Nik shut up.”

“No Am, you need to know that I regret everything I did to you deeply.”

“Nik, I forgave you a week after you had done anything.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my brother and I know you never actually meant to hurt me. And besides these past few years you’ve been an ideal brother.” She said honestly.

“But that’s no excuse-”

“Nik, if you speak about that again or apologise, I will slap you.” She warned.

“But-” Before he could complete his sentence, he received a slap. “I didn’t finish!”

“But I knew what you were going to say so I chose to hit you. This is how I became a successful business woman.”

“By slapping everyone?” He teased.

“Exactly.” She smiled.

They laughed they’re hearts out but when they realised it was late into the night, they calmed down to a giggle. They were about to hug each other when they heard screaming. They ran out of the room and followed the scream which lead to Khushi’s room. They rushed in and found Karan trying to wake Khushi up. Amba rushed to the bathroom and got some water to sprinkle on her face. With a lot of shaking and sprinkling Khushi finally woke up.

She clung on to Karan like her life depended in it. She was shaking badly. “Karan, thank Devi Maya you’re here. There was a man and he was holding a knife.” She mumbled.

Amba and Nik looked at each other in confusion. “Did she say knife?” Amba asked Nik.

“Get out!” yelled Karan.

“What?!” Nik and Amba said simultaneously.

“Both of you get out!”

Nik and Amba left the room quickly. They’d never seen their father act like this before.

“I’ve only seen her act like this once before.” Said Nik.

“When?” asked Amba curiously.

Before Nik could answer, they saw Natalie coming towards them.

“I heard screaming and I thought it was outside but then it continued and I realised it was coming from somewhere in the house. Is everyone ok?” Nat asked.

“Mum’s having nightmares. Nothing to worry about. Dad’s in there trying to calm her down.” Amba explained. “Dad’s obviously not going to give us an explanation, so I think it’s best just to go back to bed.

They all went their separate ways. Amba realised Nik was going to tell her when her mother had acted like this before but Nat had interrupted them. She was debating whether or not to go and ask Nik but she decided against it, vowing to ask him in the morning.