Desert Rose

This is a scene written on characters in a Hindi Series Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon on Star Plus - Watch it Monday to Friday at 8pm.

Khushi did not know if she should stay or go. Why did she end up witnessing an emotional moment between the brother and the sister? Why did she see a side of him that made him look human when all she wanted was to believe that he is Raakshas? She had had her role in waking the beast inside him but why did he have to behave so bad with her? What had she done to him to make him so violent with her? Her wrist still hurt from where he had held. The welds on it were turning a deeper red and she knew by tomorrow it be black and blue. How was she going to hide it from Amma and Babuji? She chewed her bottom lip still mulling over whether to go in or not.

Then she caught him looking at her, with pain in his eyes. And she was drawn to him. She wanted to go and ease that pain. She wanted to take him in her arms and soothe his brows as she cradled him. She blinked hard for the vision in front of her blurred as she realised she had tears welling up. Anjali then turned and said, "Kya hua Khushiji." with a lump in her throat.

"Woh poochna tha … ki kya hum … jaaye?" Khushi asked haltingly, her eyes still glued to Arnav. Just then Anjali's cell phone rang and she excused herself to take the call saying, "Unka hai."

She walked towards him as if drawn to him, invisible cord pulling her to him. Why did it always happen to her? She saw his eyes were filled with tears and he was swallowing his tears silently. She went up to the bedside table and picked up the glass of water there, turned and gave it to him silently.

He took the glass without breaking the eye lock with her, sloshing the water on her wrist. She winced and closed her eyes but opened them again as she felt his hand on her forearm lightly holding it.

"Ye meine kiya?" He asked hoarsely and then ran his fingers on it. Sliver of current went through her and she closed her eyes again. "Dard ho raha hai?" He whispered his query as if he could feel her pain.

She opened her eyes slowly to look at him unable to pry her eyes away from his nor have any ability to answer, it was as if they were standing still in a time warp, just the two of them, joined by their pain, separate yet together.  Belatedly she shook her head and he scowled as if wondering what she was trying to say.

"Woh … hum jaaye?" she asked again, yet not wanting to pull her arm away contradictorily. He then slowly let her go.

She did not know what just happened. What was it between them that made her cover up for him? Lavanya had asked what had happened and she had kept silent. She did not want to share what was between them with anyone. Why? Why did these moment though hurtful seem precious to her? Why his gaze on her near the junction box while fixing the fuse, infuse her with warmth. Why did she get so distracted looking at him that she almost burned herself and he saved her? Why did he not save Lavanya but her? What was between them? Why did she feel compelled to look at him when he looked at her? Was  there something in the signs that were shown to her and she was trying to deny? Were they meant to be together? No, that is not true. He is Lavanya's. That dupatta falling on her was just a coincidence. Nothing more. She was just being fanciful.

She lectured herself all the way home after speaking with Anjaliji about early arrival the next day as it was their parents barsi. Oh! was that why he was upset? Stop thinking about him, she scolded herself as she thought of ways to hide the telltale marks on her wrist.

"What had just happened?" Arnav wondered. Why did he turn into a beast whenever she told him some home truths. Okay, so the accusation about the Character Dheela was totally uncalled for but why did it matter to him what she thought of his views, his choices or even his arrangements. He had behaved like a Raakshas that she called him after that. He had hurt her so that she would shut up. He hated her habit of not listening to him, leaving their argument midway. He had been temporarily stumped by her words on what a marriage should be. Who did she think she was to lecture him on responsibility? He who learned to be responsible at the age of 15? He who took it upon himself to feed himself, his sister and build an empire to show his Chachaji what it was like to be thrown out of your home? She thought he was irresponsible? What did she know about marriage? What did she know about betrayal? What were arguments based on novels? She did not know what real life was and yet he had listened to her. Why? For he had suddenly seen a flash, a flash of making vows to her, of being faithful for eternity. Of living together, getting old, of wanting to share his life with her.

Her ran his hands through his hair, the headache from morning was getting worse. Jai Prakash then came to call him for dinner and he refused asking him to get him some milk instead.

He lay on his bed thinking about what had happened today and what the day was tomorrow. He fell into a fitful sleep and the past and the present mingled. Flashes of his mother committing suicide, mingled with Khushi being his wife. He felt tortured. He tossed and turned as he drifted into a dream of a wedding. It was Anjali Di's wedding, but suddenly the image changed to Khushi's face. He looked at her beautiful face but she was not smiling.  He had tried to reach her but she was being dragged by someone. She even put her arm out to him, he tried to catch her hand but missed by few inches. He saw her crying out to him, calling out to him, tears streaking down her cheeks and before he could reach her she vanished and he leaped forward to catch her.

He sat up his chest heaving, one name on his lips, "Khushi!" arm outstretched as he had cried out to her. He realised he was dreaming. Or was it a nightmare.

He did not know what was happening to him. He felt he lost anyone he got close to and that is what was going to happen with Khushi too. He was going to lose her.

Desert Rose  - by Sting

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of fire
Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the
fall