Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Two weeks went by in a jiffy with Khushi having recovered completely. Her wounds had healed and the cast on her leg had been removed. However, much to her annoyance, she was still kept away from her dearest dhanno' by Arnav. She had tried every trick, every bit of emotional blackmail and had once even pretended to cry. Mr. Raizada, although, had not been ready to budge from his stance. The fear of losing her, the panic he had felt, seeing her fragile and bruised body, were still fresh in his memory. He had no doubts about her driving skills, but did not trust the rest of the world. He had quietly kept his promise of dropping her to work every morning and tried his level best to drop her back home too. On days that he had to work late, he made sure that the car with a driver was at her disposal. There was no chance that he was going to risk her safety.

During these two weeks, Arnav had to go on a business trip to Germany for three days... the most torturous days, for both of them. It was the first time since they had met, that they realized how difficult it would be to stay away from each other. Arnav had grudgingly left Khushi, knowing very well that she was still not perfectly fine. He had called up Payal and Akash at least thrice...instructing them on how to take care of Khushi. He knew that she was as much a priority for them as for him; however, a man in love needed every assurance. While Payal had laughed at his majnuness', as she called it, Akash had been slightly miffed and had reassured Arnav curtly. Khushi on the other hand, had missed him terribly. Although he was just a phone call away, she had not wanted to disturb him, knowing well that he would be busy throughout the day... meeting business associates, new designers and giving presentations to the prospective fabricators, had been on his job list... and she did not want to be a hindrance. She had convinced herself, that it was just a matter of three days and he would be back with her soon. The distance had definitely brought the two lovers a lot closer than they had ever imagined.

To add to Khushi's woes, the venue for Payal's upcoming fashion show had been shifted from Delhi to Mumbai. Now after Arnav's departure, Payal too would be leaving for Mumbai and would return only after the weekend. The show was supposed to take place at the JW Marriot, Juhu and the mere mention of Juhu beach had Khushi jumping with joy. She had made Payal promise to send her as many pictures as she could, of the beach and of course, the show. To Khushi's surprise, she had noticed the growing comfort and friendship between Payal and Sumer, over the last few days. Sumer had been hired as the photographer for this particular event and he had also to shoot behind the scene' stills, the making of the outfits in progress, the backstage work and the designers doing their jobs. She had asked Payal about this sudden change of behavior towards her sole enemy, to which Payal had managed to give some vague reply, which Khushi had refused to accept. Payal Sharma was never one to lack clarity... be it in her thoughts or her speech. Khushi realized there was something more to it, but she would not complain. If Sumer and Payal had decided to be amicable towards each other, it would be harmonious for the whole group as well.

Early Tuesday morning, a nervous and anxious Payal had left for Mumbai. Khushi had cried a little, while parting with her best friend and said, "Payalia... you don't worry. Your show is going to rock! Soon you will have offers flowing in from Mumbai as well. Sniff!! I wish I could be there to see you Payal, as you walk onto the grand stage, along with the showstopper. The loud applause and the cheering crowd... everyone celebrating your success, Payalia. I had always wanted to be by your side at that moment. Why is this show happening in Mumbai? Sniff!" Payal had then forgotten her worries, looking at a distraught Khushi and replied, "Oh ho, Khush! Stop being a crybaby for once. I am not going to fight a battle at the border, that you have to cry buckets for me. I promise... you will be there with me... like always. You take care okay?" The two friends had hugged, as Khushi stood by the door waving out to a retreating Payal.

Sumer had followed suit, and gone away to Mumbai to capture the entire show through his magical lens. Of course, with Payal's departure, Arnav had refused to let Khushi live alone in her house. He had smartly asked his mother, to call Khushi over for a few days, until Payal returned. He knew that Khushi would never be able to refuse his mother and that was how he had been able to spend time with her day and night, at Shantivan. For the first time, Ajay Singh Raizada had also been able to know the girl, that his wife had been gushing about and he had to admit, that Khushi was a lovely girl. She had fit into his family so easily, talking with respect to everyone, lovingly to Anjali and he also did not miss the eye locks that his son and Khushi shared. Life seemed to have gone back in time, to 27 years ago... when he had met Ananya and they had started dating. He mused; whatever the changes in time and generations... love will always remain love.

It was already Thursday, and Arnav was feeling the restlessness growing within him. He wondered if his next strategy would work. Arnav sat at his office desk... lost in thoughts of how he was going to put his plan into action. The last few weeks after Khushi's recovery had been magical. It was a different matter, that he still would not allow her to ride her beloved scooty, much to her dismay. The loud ring of his cellphone stunned him, but the name flashing across it, brought a huge smile on his face. "Hey Payal! Ya... ok... that's great news... cool... No, no! You don't worry about it. I shall make all the necessary arrangements and you are not breathing a word about this to Khushi, ok?... Thanks a lot Payal." Arnav cut the call, his heart thrilled at the news and satisfied at the same time. He summoned Aman immediately, firing orders, which would finally set his plan into action.

It was extremely late in the night, when Arnav returned home that day. He had sent his driver in the evening, to pick Khushi up from her office and drop her to Shantivan. He had called up his mother and told her to look after Khushi, and also that he would be returning home late. His mother had teased him a little, and he wondered if their affection towards each other was obvious to his family. Both of them had maintained their distance at home, yet, he knew his Nani and her investigative tactics very well. And if she had found something fishy, his mother was going to be the first one to know. This duo could be extremely lethal and could cause the pace of his and Khushi's relationship to zoom at jet speed, which he did not want, at least not at the moment. He was enjoying their courtship, the time they spent together, getting to know each other and the wonderful memories they were making along the way. Commitment for a lifetime would happen eventually.

Om Prakash took Arnav's laptop bag and files promptly from his hands and ushered him inside. As he strode into he hall, he noticed his mother by the dining table, laying out a few bowls. He walked towards her and asked, "Maa, you are still awake? How many times do I have to tell you to not stay awake for me? You know I often have to stay back till late in the office. I don't want you to spoil your health. Go... shower some of this love on dad." He smiled as his mother twisted his ear lovingly and said, "Don't tell me what to do, Arnav... I am your mother, samjhe? Now go, freshen up quickly and come down for dinner. And before you start demanding... no! I am not feeding you." Arnav simply nodded, laughing at the fact that his mother knew each and every one of his demands. He sprinted up to his room to quickly change into a pair of shorts and t-shirt. Freshening up, he rushed down to eat, trying to hear some sound of Anjie and Khushi chatting or laughing. However, everything seemed quiet.

"Maa, has Khushi eaten?" even before he took the first bite of his meal, he inquired about Khushi... which did not go unnoticed by Ananya. She reassured him that Khushi had eaten along with them and retired to bed early, citing a tiring day. After being convinced of Khushi's well-being, Arnav decided to slowly put forward his idea of surprising Khushi. He knew that his mother was very protective about her... just like she was about Anjie and hence, he would have to play his cards right. Using his words carefully, he tried to convince his mom to help him to convince Khushi. She had her reservations just like he had predicted, yet he was persistent in his efforts to convince her. Finally, after half an hour of discussion and planning, his lovely mother had agreed to the idea... much to Arnav's relief. She had extracted a few promises from him and only then, had she relented. He went off to sleep, with a small smile tugging at his lips, thinking of how Khushi was going to react to this surprise.

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The last few days had been like dream come true for Khushi. Living with a family that was loving, caring, affectionate and extremely adorable... but more importantly, it was Arnav's family. Most of her day would be spent working in office and the remainder, was spent watching movies with Anjali, helping Ananya in the kitchen or reminiscing with Naniji about beautiful Lucknow. Arnav had been working till late, and she had definitely missed spending time with him. However, his family had made her feel at home and she was overwhelmed by the idea of belonging to them someday. Even though their lifestyles were poles apart, their status being much higher than hers, they had never let her feel the difference. Anjali, whom she now called Anjie at her request, had not let her miss Payal, even for a moment. Always chattering, asking about Payal and Akash, their friendship and college life, in just a few days, she had become like a younger sister.

The same Anjie was now helping her pack a few clothes into her small bag. It was very late on Friday night, and Arnav had still not returned from work. She hadn't spoken to him the whole day. He had been out for an early morning meeting and had forgotten to drop a Good Morning Kiss' on her forehead like usual, much to Khushi's annoyance. Throughout the day, she had called him thrice, only to have the calls end up on his answering machine. She had even messaged him and still not heard from him in return. When she had come back home in the evening, an excited Anjie had asked Khushi to accompany her to a creative weekend workshop. Even though she had refused initially, Ananya had insisted that she go with Anjali. She had also suggested that it might give her new ideas and openings for Ashadaan. Khushi had tried calling up Arnav, to check if he was okay with the idea, secretly hoping to hear a refusal. However, she had been disappointed, when he did not respond to either her calls or messages. She had reluctantly agreed, depressed at the thought of staying away from Arnav over the weekend, when they could have spent that time together. She had slept early in a foul mood, annoyed at not having spoken even a word to Arnav, throughout the day... a first for her, since they had started dating.

Khushi opened her bleary eyes, to the sound of Anjie's blaring alarm. She coaxed Anjie to wake up and when she failed, she decided to freshen up first. Khushi went to the washroom and got ready in twenty minutes to notice, Anjie still sleeping comfortably in her bed. Just when she was going to wake her up, someone knocked at the door. Khushi dragged herself to open it, to look at the fresh and handsome face of her boyfriend, dressed in a crisp white shirt and ink blue denim. He leaned towards her and placed a swift kiss on her forehead saying, "Good morning Angel." His strong musky scent engulfed her senses, his warm hands going around her slim body to pull her closer. After a few minutes of this silent comforting hug, she pushed him away, reminding herself of where they stood. "You did not kiss me yesterday morning, you did not take my calls... did not call me back and did not even respond to my messages. You did not even try to meet me at night, Arnav!" Khushi pouted cutely, making sure not to speak too loud, so as to not wake up a sleeping Anjie. Her tantrums were expertly silenced by a lingering kiss in return.

Khushi did not notice Arnav walking in and picking up her bag, holding her hand and pulling her along with him down the stairs... till she had landed in the hall. She noticed another small suitcase, lying besides hers. "Are you ready?" Arnav asked huskily, making Khushi shudder at his innuendo. Before she could ask him about what he meant, Ananya and Nani walked towards them with a pooja ki thali. Ananya put tilak's on their forehead and gave them the morning aarti ka prashad. "Beta, have a safe journey. And Arnav, make sure you take care of Khushi okay? I am entrusting her well-being in your hands." Ananya said, looking at a bewildered Khushi. She could not understand what was happening. Wasn't she supposed to go with Anjie? When she was just about to ask the question cropping up in her head, Nani smirked and said, "Arrey don't worry Ananya, I am sure Arnav will take care of himself and Khushi... much better than anyone else would."

Arnav only laughed and dragged a confused Khushi along with him, with Om Prakash carrying their luggage in tow. She was promptly pushed into the backseat of his car, while he sat next to her. Mohanji, their driver had just pulled away from the driveway of Shantivan, when the attack of questions began. "What is happening, Arnav? Where are we going? And aunty and nani know about all this? And they do not mind? Why didn't you tell me that I was going out with you, and not Anjie?" Arnav chuckled at the barrage of questions Khushi had thrown his way and replied smartly, "Because, it is a surprise, sweetheart. Have you never heard of them before?" He winked at her, only to earn a scowl in return. "Don't act smart with me, laad governor. Tell me where you are kidnapping me to... or else I will scream." This time, Arnav could not help himself from laughing out loud, and pointed towards the window to answer her questions.

Khushi gasped in surprise as she looked at the view outside. They had almost reached the Delhi T3 Terminal. Were they flying to some place? Fear overcame her... scared at the thought of flying for the first time. Arnav put an arm around her and pulled her close to his body, giving her the comfort, she was craving. "Where are you taking me, Arnav... and why?" he heard her mumble against his chest. His heart burst with love for this woman, who had to struggle to attain even the basic needs of life. He made a mental promise to himself, to give her every comfort and luxury she deserved and fill her life with immense happiness. "Khushi, don't you want to be with Payal, on such an important day of her life? Don't you want to experience the feel of the ocean at your feet... literally?" His simple questions almost choked Khushi. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her heart swelled with love for this man, who was fulfilling her heart's desires, without actually asking for anything in return.

Arnav helped Khushi out of the car and carried their luggage inside. After the initial emotional moment, Khushi had beamed and gotten extremely excited at the idea. Firstly, they were headed to Mumbai... her dream destination... the beach! Secondly, she would be present to watch Payal's beautiful designs on display... at the grandest event of the year. And thirdly, she would be flying by plane... for the first time. Just like her first kiss, her first date and her first boyfriend... Arnav was going to be there with her, when she would take her first flight. She jumped around the airport, looking around like a small kid in Disneyland. Pulling Arnav from one place to another, dragging him from one store to another, gasping at the exaggerated prices of things and clinging onto his arm like a child... she did everything to make Arnav laugh unabashedly.

After waiting for a few minutes in the VIP lounge, they were summoned to board the flight. Arnav had made reservations for most of the business class seats in the flight, so as not to be bothered by people. He was a little cautious about the media getting a whiff of this trip and had made sure to engage them by organizing a fake conference in Lucknow, which he was going to call off at the last minute. He did not care about his image at the moment... Khushi's happiness and the secrecy of their relationship were of utmost importance. Keeping her away from the hungry eyes of the media was essential. Once both of them were settled in their seats, Arnav buckled Khushi's seatbelt and told her to pay close attention to the instructions given by the stewardess. As the flight started moving for take-off, Khushi clutched onto his arm and shut her eyes tightly, chanting the name of her favourite Goddess. He looked over at her innocent face, and kissed her cheek softly. Drawing soothing circles on her palm, he pulled her close and whispered, "I love you so much, sweetheart."

The plane had taken off and was now on its way to Mumbai smoothly. Khushi had relaxed into her seat and gaped out of the window, enjoying the rapidly changing skyscape. The soft blobs of clouds formed a beautiful carpet below the plane. The bright skies and the speed excited her. She looked over at Arnav, to notice him staring at her intently. The love and adoration she noticed in his eyes, overwhelmed her as she said, "Thank you Arnav... for understanding my every silent emotion, for realizing my every unfulfilled dream and loving me to this extent. I love you Arnav... I love you." Arnav leaned in to kiss her only to be interrupted by the stewardess, to serve some drinks. Khushi giggled seeing the frustration etched on Arnav's face and sipped on her juice quietly. She sighed in contentment, as the plane flew closer to their destination... the city of dreams... the city of the sea... Mumbai.

Chapter 22

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Peeps, so sorry for the delay!! And thank you so much for your lovely and encouraging comments on the last chapter. Many of you'll wanted two things to happen in the upcoming updates... Akash and Anjali's relationship to move forward and a marriage proposal for Arhi! For both of the above, I would just like to say... that it would definitely happen with time. The next few updates are going to be a little peak into the life of Mumbai. Also it will be a life-changing trip for Khushi. I had a new banner planned for every ten updates... So this one is for chapters 21-30. Hope you like it. 😳

This chapter is dedicated to AnupamaJY and Javeria3991. Both of you'll have been with me throughout my journey as a writer. Thank you for always inspiring me with your wonderful comments. Muah! 🤗

You can send me a buddy request if you want PM's for future updates.