Chapter 1

Forever

"STOP IT!" He bellowed.

Everything around him was happening too fast. Things were spiraling out of control. Khushi was all of a sudden being dragged away by Buaji while his own Dadi dragged their name through the mud. Very reminiscent of Mami's words to the Guptas at the time of their marriage.

He could see what she was doing. No parent would ever let their daughter remain in a house where her character was in doubt. She was trying to rile the family against Khushi and in turn rile Buaji against the Raizadas as well as Khushi.

Little did his Dadi know that this entire family (save for Mami) is besotted by Khushi. They all know her well and trust her beyond a doubt.

Buaji halted and turned, surprised. Khushi looked at him with hope in her wide, frightened eyes. She obviously didn't want to leave.

The rest of his family watched him in a tense anticipation.

"Khushi and I married in a mandir. In front of her Devi Maiyya's diya I filled her maang with sindoor and tied a mangalsutra around her neck. We are both legally married. The last time I checked, that was enough for two people to live together as husband and wife without the woman's name being horribly slandered at the name of ritual. If it is not enough for any of you, well I don't really care. It is enough for me."

He looked around accusingly at his family and a few of them looked ashamed enough to not meet his eye.

He walked over to where Khushi and Buaji were standing and took Khushi's slender hand in his own. "But to Khushi, all this rituals do matter, so her and I are going to mandir right now to have a pundit do a full marriage ceremony so she can finally feel comfortable in our marriage."

He stared into Khushi's eyes and she stared back, her doe-eyes shining with tears, smiling happily.

"And afterwards if people in this house still have an issue with Khushi living here, then her and I will happily find our own place where she isn't judged and ridiculed daily."

Gasps went around the room. "Arnav, you would leave your family for this… this girl!"

He rounded on Dadi and glared at her just as hardly as she glared at him. "Dadi, what do you even know about Khushi to judge her this way? This girl is the reason I am standing in front of you, alive and well. Did you know that Shyam, the Damadji you have been ranting about all these days, tried to burn me alive. This girl, Khushi, risked her own life to save mine."

Dadi stared at him in disbelief. She was stunned into silence but then seemed to pull herself together. "I don't know what kind of spell she has cast on you Arnav but this behaviour of yours is ridiculous. You are unable to see what a manipulative golddigger she is."

"Subhadra, enough!" Nani snapped before he could. "I will not hear a single word about Khushi bitiya. She has done so much for this family. I know what golddiggers are." She glanced at Mami, who looked away, pretending to admire the architecture of the house. "And Khushi bitiya most certainly isn't one. She is giving and selfless. She always puts others, especially Chote, before herself."

Dadi stared around angrily, realizing that she wasn't going to get any support. "I don't know what magic you have played girl, but I won't let you get away with it." She pointed accusingly at Khushi, then turned and walked away.

Arnav slinked an arm around Khushi's waist and pulled her closer. "She really has played magic on us all." He smiled down at her, his beautiful wife. "Khushi and I are marrying in the mandir in an hour. I was just there making preparations. You are all welcome to join us and give us your blessings."

Everyone exclaimed excitedly and went off to get ready.

Arnav turned to Khushi and tucked a stubborn fringe of hair behind her ear. "I realized last night that these rituals mean a lot to you, and if going through this marriage ceremony means that I get to keep you by my side forever, then so be it."

Khushi hugged him in happiness, and he felt like he was finally doing the right thing.

She looked up at him, her cheeks starting to bloom with a delicate tinge of pink. "Arnavji hum…" She trailed off, lowered her eyes shyly for a moment. "H-hum bhi aapse I love You damnit." She said all this meeting his eyes bravely.

Arnav grinned widely. He couldn't believe what she just said, in full Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada style. He tilted her chin up, and fused their lips together in a tender first kiss.

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