Chapter 1
Khushi was busy hanging the flowers on the pillars and laughing away with her friends, looking absolutely stunning clad in a yellow ghagra as her straight hair flew freely thanks to the windy weather in the farm house which belonged to Shashi Gupta and where Payal's wedding ceremonies were to take place. Just as Khushi was giving a basket of flowers of Hari Prakash who was standing on a ladder he stumbled a bit and the flowers started falling on Khushi.
Arnav was talking to Aman on his Bluetooth when he suddenly stopped as a sweet sound tinkled and the wind caressed his face and he turned around to look at Khushi busy trying to stop the flowers from falling on her and smiling throughout. He was left mesmerized by the enchanting beauty in front of him. No doubt Arnav was always attracted to Khushi but nowadays it felt like more than just attraction. Arnav could say this because although they never talked to each other but their families often held gatherings and met almost quadruple times a week since they were small.
So they grew up around each other and had always observed each other's likes and dislikes, way of talking, feelings, anger, and happiness.
Just as Khushi caught the half empty basket of flowers she lost her balance and Arnav ran immediately to catch her but getting tripped by the ladder both fell on the ground with the basket being tossed in the air, the rest of the flowers falling on them. Khushi lost herself in the caramel eyes. Khushi blushed as she felt every inch of his body pressed against hers describing each and every muscle in his body. Arnav couldn't help but notice how their body's fit perfectly like she belonged in his arms.
"Haye reh sanka devi! Saare foolon ka satyanas kardiya..." buaji's voice broke their magical trance as they came crashing back to reality and Khushi tried to wriggle out of his hold blushing immensely realizing the state they were in. Arnav got up and held his hand out to Khushi, she hesitated at first but looking at the softness in his eyes she gave her hand in his and he pulled her up.
Arnav walked away and Khushi was left blushing. She felt something different in his eyes today. Usually his eyes were very secretive and authoritative. His face never gave away his feelings but today she had seen a slight smile on his face when they had fallen and concern in his eyes as he held his hand out to help her. Khushi shook away the thoughts and got back to work thinking that she was just day-dreaming.
Arnav sat on the recliner after his bath as he closed his eyes briefly before going down to help for tomorrow as it would be Payal and Akaash's engagement tomorrow. As he closed his eyes, his mind flash backed to the time when his dad had left him. He was totally broken. After his mother Arjun had always tried to fulfill the responsibilities of a dad and a mom. He was indeed the best father. He remembered how he was sitting motionless on the pool-side, too angry, hurt and upset with life and too broken to even cry. Suddenly he had felt a soft hand clutching his tightly. He looked up and saw Khushi give him a slight nod, gesturing him that she was there with him. He was unable to control himself and had cried on her lap that day. None had exchanged any words because somehow they knew that words were not needed and that they understood each other. Arnav smiled thinking how she had understood him that day without a single word and Arnav had over heard her and Shashi's conversation after that when she had told her father to go to him and tell him that he was not alone and that Khushi and her family were his family.
That had surprised Arnav thinking how she knew that he needed someone to re-assure him that he wasn't alone, his respect for Khushi had touched the sky that day. Just as Arnav was remembering those moments he realized that he was thinking a lot more than needed about Khushi. Her smile, her frown, her pout, her laughing, her childishness but although she was so innocent the way she reacted to his presence showed how much of a woman she was. An ethereal beauty indeed.
Shashi Gupta was pacing around in his room and just as Garima entered she knew what was on his mind. "You want to talk to them now?" she asked sweetly. "How did you know?" he smiled at her. "30 years of marriage is a really long time to know every bit of you..." she replied matching his smile. "I wish our children have a marriage like ours..." he said half hugging Garima.
"So... shall we call all of them?" she asked looking up at him through smiling eyes. "Yes... call Khushi bitiya too. Even though she has given me the right to choose her groom but I will still give her a chance to make a decision after I tell her whom I have chosen for her..." he replied thoughtfully.
"I am pretty sure that she will say yes."
"How do you know?" smiled Shashi.
"Aakhir beti hai meri..."
"She is my most precious asset. I can never give her in the wrong hands. I want her future to be secured and I want my daughters to be happy always. I am making a right decision, na?" he asked emotionally.
"Ofcourse. He is the best that our Khushi can get..." she smiled reassuringly.
"Phir theek hai..." he said confidently as they both chuckled.
"But what if Arnav says no?" he asked reluctantly.
"Well...if I know Arnav well then I know he won't say no. but if he wants to say no then he can because if we force them to marry then they will have a miserable future..." she paused for a while and then smiled. "But I don't know why but whenever I look at them...I feel...I just feel that they..."
"Are made for each other?" he completed her sentence.
Arnav was having a small nap when Hari Prakash knocked on the door and this broke Arnav's sleep. "Who sab aap ko neeche bula rahe hain..." HP told him as he nodded and got up. He freshened up and walked down to the living room only to find the whole family gathered there. No other guests were nearby just his family and hers. Suspicion rose in his eyes as he saw the serious look on their faces. His eyes fell on Khushi who was looking down fidgeting with her black sari's pallu.
"Arnav beta. Come. Sit." Shashi said calmly as Arnav came and sat beside Anjali which meant opposite Shashi and Khushi.
"Ji uncle." he asked concern evident in his voice.
"Beta we wanted to give you something."
"Ji?" now that made Arnav really confused.
"We wanted to give our daughter Khushi's hand in yours for marriage. We want you to marry her."
Khushi's eyes widened to such a size that a tomato would seem smaller than her eyes. Arnav's mouth hung open as he failed to believe what he had heard. Nani and Anjali chuckled silently at the two's reactions. Arnav gulped, was his attraction so visible towards Khushi that everyone noticed and wanted to get them married?
Before Arnav could say anything Shashi extended his hand to give Arnav an envelope which he took silently waiting to hear what it contained. "This letter was written by your father. He wanted you to read this on the day that I break our dream to you. We wanted to become relatives. Before leaving us all he had taken a promise that I will propose the marriage between you two but we both agreed not to pressurize you and you both have equal rights to deny this marriage..."
He paused for a while watching Arnav's reaction and to be honest Shashi felt like laughing, as in laughing really hard because for the first time in his life the mighty Arnav Singh Raizada was as shocked and nervous as hell. Arnav was always known for his confidence and calmness towards serious situations but today he was sitting like a small boy who has just been told that he has a surprise math's exam!
Shashi smiled as he looked down to his daughter, as he had predicted, her eyes were still large looking down and her hands clasped together tightly. He knew that Khushi would be really shocked. He could see a tinge of blush on her cheeks as the realization hit him that is daughter had indeed grown up.
He looked up at Arnav and spoke again, "... But beta before making a decision we all want you to read this letter. It was your father's wish. You can go in your room and read. Take your time. Till then we will let Khushi make a decision..." Arnav's eyes shot up on his last words.
Khushi had still not said yes? Until now his heart was beating really fast thinking that Khushi was ready to marry him but now it made sense, this was as much as a shock to her as it was for him. He looked at her and for a moment he felt sorry at the poor soul, her eyes were about to pop out! And in the next scond Arnav stood up and walked to his room to read the letter.
Arnav sat down on the recliner and closed his eye briefly, breathing deeply and tried to calm his racing heart. After a while when he was about to calm himself down he slowly opened the envelope and took out the letter. His eyes moistened as he recognized his dad's hand-writing. He started reading,
Dear Arnav,
Beta if you are reading this letter, this means that shashi has told you about our dream of getting you married. As I am writing this I am realizing that my health will not get any better now and I will not live to see you getting married. You have no idea how I am feeling right now. When you were born your mother and I always dreamed of seeing you happy. Indeed we were very successful in keeping you a happy and healthy child despite the poor times we had. Eventually when we became rich the money was not strong enough to save your mother and even now its not strong enough to save me. Beta I am telling you this only because I want you to realize that money and power is nothing. I want you to understand that life and death are unpredictable and the only important thing is Love. After your mother, I had always tried to give you the love of both and in some ways I succeeded too but I still saw the grief and loneliness in your eyes. When your mother was breathing her last breath she had made me promise that I will always keep you happy in every circumstance. I tried my best to keep my promise but beta now I am not with you and I know that you are very lonely and isolated. I know Anjali is there for you but son she is married and happy in her world and you are still on the same spot, Alone. Now if you are thinking how do I know? Let me tell you. Baap hoon main tera...
Arnav wiped his tears and smiled reading that line as he flipped to the next page...
Arnav your mother and I want you to start a family and have a wife who understands you and loves you forever. We want you to have children so that our generation continues. We want you to be a happy man who has someone to go home to. Beta this work in which you have tried to lose yourself will not always be a distraction from your loneliness. You need someone to share your grief with. If I know you right then you are probably denying that but beta don't lie to us now that we are dead. Beta she will lighten up your life like a lamp and she will hold your hand through sorrow and grief. She will make you laugh and she will make your family complete. She is the missing piece beta. She will be your mother, your father, your friend, your guide, your wife and your world. You have to break the walls around you and let her in and let her shine through the darkness you are living in. we can only trust Khushi to be the person who can be all this to you. She is just like a daughter to me and I trust her only to keep you happy. Always. Hamesha...
But beta if there if someone else in your heart already then we are very happy for you and we don't want you to make a hasty decision. And if you don't have anyone in your life and you want to give Khushi a chance in your life then our blessings are always with you. Trust me beta she is just like her name Khushi. Your Khushi, Arnav.
Love her and let her love you. Acha now beta the choice is yours. We love you Arnav and even though we are not there with you physically you will find us with you when you find love...
With lots of love,
Your Papa.
Arnav cried bitterly hugging the letter to his chest as he let all the loneliness and sadness flow freely from his life. He cried letting it out... he didn't want to keep the burden anymore...
After about half an hour Arnav washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror. For the first time in so many years he didn't see Arnav Singh Raizada but Chotey. His mom's Chotey, his dad's Chotey, his dii's Chotey, his nani's Chotey and he saw Arnav. The sweet and simple Arnav who wanted love and the Arnav who wanted to love. He gave his reflection a small smile. Not the formality type of smile but the smile which meat that he was happy. Indeed happy...
He walked down the stairs and saw everyone sitting while Khushi was serving tea to everyone along with Payal. He scanned everyone's faces and he could clearly read anticipation. He could see Khushi's hand shaking slightly and he realized she was shivering due to nervousness. Shashi looked up and smiled at Arnav.
in that moment Arnav had made a decision which he planned to stick onto...
"Beta were you able to make a decision or do you want to take more time? Even Khushi has not decided yet. Do you want marry her?"
"Yes. I do."
Khushi's breath hitched as she heard Arnav. Everyone in the room was silent not being able to believe their ears, they thought they were day dreaming. Shashi was quiet confident that he would say yes, but so early was a surprise for
"Beta are you sure?" Shashi Gupta asked him for confirmation, happiness evident on his face.
"Yes I am." He said confidently and he realized that Khushi had still not said yes and he wanted to know what she felt. "Uncle can I talk to Khushi before she makes a decision and says no?"
Shashi chuckled. "What makes you think she will say no?"
"I just want to make sure she says yes!"he smiled through the reply.
Khushi's eyes were about to beat the size of an apple right now as she looked at Arnav in shock.
"Ofcourse beta. You can talk to her..."
Arnav walked to Khushi and gestured her to walk towards the room.
"Shall we?"
No comments:
Post a Comment