Happy Birthday, Khushi

Background: Arnav goes over to Bua ji's house only to realize that its Khushi's birthday. He cannot say Happy Birthday and Khushi rejects his advances. What if he actually planned something nice and meaningful?

Arnav raked his brain for any idea that could make Khushi's birthday special. They already had so much going on, he didn't even know that it was her birthday and now it was close to evening and he hadn't even gotten the words 'Happy Birthday' out. Sometimes he wondered if he could ever be the man she deserved. She was so pure and innocent. He was broken and scarred. She deserved chocolates, flowers and romantic evenings and he had given her cold and alone nights at poolside, a sham marriage and a bleak future. But he was trying. He wanted to try for her. He loved her, for God's sake. He could at least make this one day special for her. 

He looked around the poolside for the umpteenth time. Strings of fairy lights hung on the walls, the poolside was surrounded by rose petals and her favourite cuisines were spread on the table along with the gifts. He finally texted NK to send Khushi to their room and felt his heart thud in anticipation. NK had done a good job at distracting Khushi the whole time he was making these preparations and now it was time. He saw Khushi enter their room with an annoyed expression on her face. She locked the door and turned around only to have her eyes bulge out and jaw drop quite literally. 

Khushi saw the decorated poolside and her eyes widened more if possible. It looked beautiful. Just like her dreams. It was no less than a fairytale with Arnav ji standing in the middle with a scared yet beautiful smile on his face. Her heart melted a little. The whole day, he had made efforts to make it up to her for forgetting her birthday. The expensive bag that he had given that she had foolishly ruined was the proof. And she had thwarted all of these efforts. 

'Come.' Arnav gently requested giving her his hand and felt delighted when she didn't resist and put her hand in his. He held on and took her to the table and chuckled as she gasped. 

Khushi couldn't believe that Arnav had done all of this. There were two tables. One of them had a spread of her favourite delicacies: Pani puri, jalebis, channa, ras malai, aloo puri, and in the middle lay a mouth-watering chocolate cake. The other table was filled with gifts of different sizes. She couldn't believe that Arnav ji had done all of this. She saw Arnav light up the candle on the cake and picking up the knife, gestured her to blow the candle and cut the cake. She was in a daze and it still felt surreal when she did as told. 

Arnav fed her the cake and gulped seeing a little bit on her lower lip. His lips itched to remove it from her soft lips with his own. He heard Khushi's breath hitch when she discovered where his gaze was and saw in his eyes what he wanted to do. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned in. 

Khushi wanted to run and hide away from Arnav's desire filled gaze. But at the same time, she wanted him to do what was on his mind. She closed her eyes and felt her heart completely stop when Arnav placed a peck on her lips and gently sucked off the cake bit.

'Happy Birthday, Khushi.' Arnav whispered on her lips. 

Khushi's had to clutch her heart to calm down the speed it had taken. Dhak-dhak within Arnav's proximity was normal and she had accepted the fate of a lifetime of those. This, however, felt like a heart attack. Did Arnav ji want to kill her once and for all, she thought? She looked over at Arnav who had stepped back to create a distance deliberately. On any other day, she would've laughed at the considerate Laad governor, but she was too overwhelmed to think along those lines. 

Despite his heart screaming to continue, Arnav stepped back and pulled a chair for her to sit on and eat to her heart's content. Together, they enjoyed their meal as a couple for the very first time. Khushi moaned in delight popping a spicy Pani puri in her mouth, munching on the chanas, taking a bite of the aloo puri and then finally settling on her favourite jalebis all the while guessing the vendors that he bought the food from. He just shook his head and answered her in between. When they finished, he reached out to the gifts and forwarded them urging her to open them with her eyes. 

Khushi unwrapped the first gift carefully and opened the box that seemed to probably contain a sari. She was sure that his choice was better being the owner of the fashion house but she was curious to see what he had bought. She gasped a thousand times this evening and her hand shook at the contents inside the box. She trailed her hands over the purple lehenga with gold zari work and a tear dropped on the fabric. It was the same one that she had tried on in AR showroom with Lavanya. She felt Arnav swipe a thumb under her eye and taking the box, gave her another one to open. 

She tore through the shiny green paper and her eyes watered some more. He remembered everything. It was a brand new phone. He had broken her phone when they were trapped in the AR storeroom and now he was giving her a new one, a more expensive one. She kept it aside and picked the next box from his hands herself.

The next gift was large and she was shocked to see what lay inside. It was the same picture that he had broken on the bridge. They were smiling at each other and love was very much visible in their eyes. She had loved it then and she loved it now. She kept it aside and opened up the next one.

It was the same necklace that he had mocked her with. She had loved its simple and beautiful design. That day he had ridiculed her forcing her to admit that she cared. But she hadn't relented despite the thorns pricking her heart. She had wanted to scream at him that it mattered but something had stopped her. Like always. 

The next box made a clinking noise and she guessed what it was. Bangles. Red. She smiled despite the emotions clogging her throat. These were the remnants of the happier times. She remembered his jealousy, his possessiveness, his mouth on her wrist and his smile at seeing her happy. She took some of them and put them on. The perfect size. He always got it right. 

Arnav forwarded her the last box and waited with bated breath. It was the final gift and the most important one. He had watched each and every emotion play on her face when she had opened his gifts. Her tears were nowhere stopping and he had held her hand, wiped her tears and squeezed her shoulders. She had refused to look at him. He hoped that the final gift changed that. He squeezed Khushi's hands to open the antique box that contained the things he cherished.

Khushi opened the box expecting another meaningful gift and froze. In the box, lay pieces of their memories together. Her torn dupatta, her picture in the red sari, her broken bangle, an old and tattered letter and a pearl necklace. He had kept everything. She picked up the necklace and caressed it. She had imagined him giving her this gift. It was so special to her. There was a day he had broken her pearls and this was the day he had bound them, just like everything else. She opened up the letter and read through it. Her mother in law had addressed it to her. She had asked her to tolerate his anger and return his love tenfold.

Khushi kept the box aside and looked into Arnav's moist eyes finally. She hadn't once glanced at him afraid that he'll see how much all of it meant to her. When she finally saw Arnav bowing his head down and uttering a soft sorry, she jumped into his lap throwing her arms around him. They cried together and finally when both of them calmed down, she smacked him on his chest and said, 'Don't you ever do this to me again.'

Arnav laughed heartily, something he hadn't done in a very long time. He was forgiven. And now he'll spend all of his life showing her just how much he loved her.