Chapter 1

First Published on 04/March/2022

"You will have to marry me, for 6 months. Otherwise, I will not let your sister marry my brother."

Khushi kept staring at Arnav's face hoping he would start laughing and say it was a joke. He confused Valentines' Day with April fool's perhaps. But nothing of that sort happened. He was stone faced!

Then the enormity of the situation dawned on her, he was serious, asking for a contract marriage of 6 months, blackmailing her. She always doubted he was crazy, now, she was sure! It wasn't even a few hours ago when he is flirting with her and then this bizarre marriage proposal. Not to mention she was still reeling from the shock of how his jijaji almost molested her. She had enough.

"What did you decide? Marry me for 6 months otherwise –"he repeated his question

SLAP.

Khushi. Slapped. Arnav.

He stumbled back, trying to catch his breath and understand what just happened

"What the-?"

"Enough, Mr. Raizada. Not a word more. What do you think, my life is a joke? In fact, not just you your whole family thinks my life's a joke! Your di blackmailed me to train your live-in girlfriend, you keep giving me mixed signals and your psycho jijaji doesn't leave me alone. Hazaar baar I told him I am not in love with him nor will I ever be, still he doesn't understand! Why doesn't he leave your di dammit, if she is making his life so miserable? You know what? don't answer that. Just leave ME alone. Humein baksh do ab aap sab (spare me)!" she folded her hands in front of him and stormed out to leave the terrace.

Arnav's head was spinning. What was that he just heard? Did she say his jijaji was harassing her? But Shyam said something else to him. He saw her leaving and held her hand to stop her

"Khushi, wait. What do you mean by jijaji not leaving you alone?" he needed to know, but that incensed her more.

"why? why should I tell you? I will just give you an advice though, take him to a psychiatrist. In fact lage haath you should also consult one!! You need it, trust me. Pagal ho gaye hain aap!"

"Khushi, bakwas band karo and just tell me, what's between you and my jija-shyam?" he held on her hand rather too strongly, suddenly scared to lose her

"nahi batayenge! Kyun bataye (why should I tell you)?" she was still breathing fire

"Because he told me you and him are having an affair, dammit! That's why I wanted to marry you and keep you away from spoiling di's life!" there. he blurted out and that got a stronger reaction.

SLAP.

Another freaking slap! A stronger one! And before he could react, she thundered,

"HOW DARE YOU MR. RAIZADA? How could you even think like this? You thought I will go after a married man? When you proposed a while ago with that bizarre 6 moth condition, I still thought it was about your feelings for me. But this? Dont you remember my fiancé's name was Shyam? Don't you remember i cried that day telling you my fiancé cheated on me? well, newsflash Mr. Raizada that cheater is your di's husband. Lied to my family that he was bachelor and manipulated everyone to marry me. Even after I broke the engagement, that psycho man is trying to have me back. I should have just gone to police, without caring for you and your Di! You know what Mr. Raizada? Bhad me gaye aap, bhad me gaya wo shyam and bhad me gayi aap ki dhamkiyaan! (To hell with you, your threats and to hell with Shyam)! I am leaving. Do whatever you want to!" khushi kumari Gupta had indeed had enough.

And Arnav had understood how stupid he was! Shyam fooled him and he got blinded. But there was still time to salvage this relationship! He can't lose her. He won't let destiny snatch her from him, even if he messed up.

"Marry me." His murmured and she stopped in her track.

"kya kaha aapne (what did you say)?" she slowly turned to look at him, every second made him more anxious, anticipating for her rejection

He took a deep breath and came to stand in front of her, head bowed down

"Khushi. It is clear that I have made a horrible, horrible mistake in judging you. I am so sorry. But please don't go. I can't live-" he choked on his words and Khushi Kumari Gupta's heart melted a little.

"Arnav ji." She took a very small step in his direction

"mujhse shaadi karo (marry me), khushi. Not for anyone else, not for anything else but just because I cant live without you." he really couldn't! He needed her like his next breath!

"Why do you think I will still marry you?" she folded her hands on her front, observing him.

"Because you yourself said you are a sanki and you said, I need a psychiatrist because I have gone mad. Who will be better partner for a lunatic like me than a sanki like you?"

"but-"

"I just need you, khushi. I'll take care of the rest. Please. Marry me, abhi, issi waqt?"

"lekin abhi kaise?" in her heart she knew this was crazy but on the other hand, she also feared shyam's increasing craziness for her. Maybe this marriage would keep him at bay. After all she would've anyway married Arnav only. As they say, dil aa gaya rakshas pe toh rajkumar kya cheez hain (yeah she improved the proverb!).

"I would have said court marriage but it cant be arranged immediately. So just one option left, we'll go to a temple." he said, running his hand through his hair, he was thinking super fast and any which way to get Khushi forgive him, marry him. He can't lose, anything else can be compromised.

"Am I hearing right? ASR and temple?" she was amused

"Yes, you heard right. I am saying so because as per Indian marriage law, if a man and woman get married in front of a holy fire and take some phere and have a witness who testifies this, its considered legal. We can call Aman as witness and then he will give a press release too. I just don't want to stall this any longer." He explained it to her that he had thought it through!

Khushi heard his yet another crazy proposal. And as crazy as it may have sounded, it was still tempting enough for her sanki nature. There was a small doubt of her family. But they knew she was sanka devi, she will apologize, and they will melt in no time, she knew! And what the hell, she loved him, he loved her in his crazy way, why would anything else matter?

Albeit, marrying him doesn't mean she has forgiven him for even thinking that she and shyam...she decided she would confront him about it once after their marriage. After all she was excited for it too.

--*--

"DI. AKASH, switch on the TV, NOW." NK came running to them when he received a text from someone.

'Business tycoon ASR gets hitched on Valentine's eve' the newsflash said along with a photo of Arnav and Khushi with garlands adorning their neck, shocking every single person of Raizada and Gupta family.

"That means, Chote and khushiji ne bhag kar shaadi kar li? Hey bhagwan!" Anjali facepalmed while nani was too shocked to react.

However, the most shocked was Shyam Manohar Jha. He knew his plan went downhill, so much for instigating sale sahab against khushiji! He would have to tread very carefully around them, now onwards. He started thinking how to salvage this situation...

--*--

They had married with all rituals in the temple. On Arnav's call Aman arranged basic necessary things for a temple wedding, like garlands, mangalsutra. He had forgotten sindhur but temple priest's wife helped with that, from a sindur packet kept in Devi Maiyya's pooja thal!

As Arnav and Khushi did all rituals, like Arnav tying mangalsutra around her neck, sindhur-daan, and finally phere, despite the circumstances in which they were getting married, they both only felt this was the most right thing they did!!!

Pictures were clicked at every ritual and one of which Aman used for the press.

--*--

Whole family looked with shock as they entered Shantivan. The first one to recover was Anjali who reached for Arnav and asked an explanation,

"What is there to explain, Di? I love khushi and I married her." he replied looking at Shyam pointedly but the answer hardly helped Guptas. Specially Khushi's amma and buaji, as Khushi guilty looked at them, pleading them with her doe eyes to forgive her impulsive step. She was going to move forward and apologize in her sweet tone when she heard Buaji

"What is all this Garima, what did your daughter do?" buaji asked in an accusatory tone, and directed to Khushi, "Waah Khusi, what a day you showed to us! You have insulted us, you have proved that you are not our blood! We should have never accepted you!" khushi flinched at the mention of repaying their love as if it was a debt, at the mention of adoption, while Arnav fumed with anger and before he could retort, Garima raised her hand to slap Khushi,

But she couldn't touch her as Arnav stepped in between them, shocking Garima!

"Go ahead Mrs. Gupta, but before touching her, you have to face me. After all the marriage is between the two of us, Khushi and I. So if she is getting this treatment, so should I, nahi?" he said in a clipped tone, while Khushi looked in utter surprise. Sure she had expected her family to be upset but she didn't expect them to use her adoptive status as a mean way to insult her! And here she was going to give into Arnav's blackmail for a brief second for this family's sake! This family who didn't waste a second to remind her of her place in their life!

"And buaji, you are right, you shouldn't have adopted her. That way she would have gotten a much better, happy life." He said to Madhumati Gupta as Garima had retreated back in shock.

"I am going to my room with my wife, excuse me!" he said, holding Khushi's hand, and rescuing her from all accusatory glances and taunts! He didn't need his wife to listen to any insults, he will deal with them if anything, but later!

Meanwhile Anjali, Nani and all Raizadas looked at their chote in awe! Was he so in love? Payal, Garima and Madhumati Gupta however looked away in disappointment and anger!

Anjali and Nani quickly decided something as they asked Arnav and Khushi to wait in the guest room for sometime.

--*--

Arnav and Khushi entered their bedroom and saw it decorated like a wedding night setup should be. There were scented candles everywhere, rose petals on the floor and the master bed was flower canopy, silk sheets and another rose petal design at the center of it. The atmosphere was already giving sinful thoughts to Arnav involving him and Khushi while Khushi was still observing the room with a mesmerized look. That made her even more beautiful in his eyes. Finally, when she heard him clear his throat, she turned to look at him

"I will take the recliner." he said, reaching for a pillow. He had to stay away, for her sake at least. He didn't trust himself tonight. Besides, she was already married to him for life, now he could earn his place in her heart, hopefully soon!

Khushi didn't know why but that hit her the most. Like he still didn't believe her, like he still wanted to be careful not getting closer to her. And for whom? Shyam?

"Were you serious of saying you wanted a lifetime marriage, Arnavji?" she suddenly asked

"Khushi, of course, why are you asking that?"

"then why do shyam's words mean more to you than our married life? What are that man's vicious lies doing between us on our marriage night?"

--*--

Precap – Khushi was holding Arnav's hand when they came downstairs and as soon as they saw Anjali and Shyam, Khushi asked Anjali, "Di, have I ever told you about my ex-fiancé?" and Shyam started to choke on his food!

--*--

A/N – So how was the first chapter? Arnav knows the truth, apologizes, then proposes and Khushi decides to marry him. BUT she hasn't forgiven him yet and he will earn it. This was theme of original OS so will go with that. I remember, I watched IPK after it went off air and then searched for an episode 'where Arnav realizes and says "shucks, Khushi was innocent, I was wrong". If you did so too, welcome! Because there is no such episode! Forget episode, there is not a single scene like that! (If you found it, let me know). It's all implied rather than him saying all this. Anyway, I fixed it here. Some of you might also see glimpses of our NSIV Khushi here :)

Main culprit is of course, Shyam. No punishment seems enough for people like him who abuse women, and they deserve to be hanged or castrated publicly! Since I don't write dark themes, I have some plan for him but feel free to give your ideas too, will try to add them.

Lastly, since its a shot story of 6 chapters-7 tops, it might seem fast paced. However, let me know at any point if you want me to slow down and I will see what I can do.