Chapter 28

Chapter 28

A beautiful pathway of rose petals led Arnav to the love of his life. She stood there, amidst the striking background, her allure drawing him towards her. What was all this about? He looked into her eyes, trying to decipher what was going on in her fascinating mind... yet, remained clueless. He walked slowly towards her and stopped a couple of feet away, giving her the space and time to tell him what she wanted to. Khushi felt flustered and anxious all of a sudden. She began doubting her idea and wondered if she should just laugh it off and tell Arnav that it was nothing. Her heart pounded in her chest, as she looked into the molten eyes of the man she loved. The depth of emotions that she saw there made her shiver involuntarily. She felt the love bubbling within her, his love engulfing her from all around. This had to be the perfect moment... for her, for him... for them...

"Hi..." that is how Khushi finally began, talking hesitantly, making Arnav chuckle at her nervousness. He merely raised an eyebrow in question and she continued, without further delay, "Hmmm... Arnav Singh Raizada, my laad governor... since you have entered my life, you have filled it with so much colour and happiness, that I never seem to stop smiling." When Arnav tried to interrupt her, she merely raised his hand and stopped him from speaking further. "Wait... let me just finish what I have to say. You have given me everything, your love, your constant support, your friendship, your friends and most importantly your family. A family, which I had craved forever... their affection, their pampering and their love... you have given me just about everything. You made each of my dreams come true - my dream to make Ashadaan what it is today, my dream of becoming an author and my dream of an SRK like hero, falling in love with me."

She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness, as she gave voice to her innermost feelings. She took a step closer to him and continued, "Some people might think, it is too soon, and some may think, I have to be crazy doing this... yet, I want to ask you for something, that will bind us together forever. Despite you giving me so much already, I want more... much more." When Arnav looked at her surprised, she slowly went down on one knee, now shocking Arnav completely. Even before he could say anything or stop her from speaking, she took a deep breath and continued, "Arnav Singh Raizada... I love you with everything I have. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you, taking care of you and making your family, mine. I just want to ask you..." And then she suddenly stopped talking, her eyes apprehensive and wary. She clapped twice, as five little children sprinted behind her, holding a small placard. Arnav stared at the big-bold colourful letters, pasted on the board that screamed at him... "Will you marry me?"

Khushi's heart was fluttering like a hummingbird's wings, her hands trembling, as she took Arnav's big tanned hands in her small ones. She looked straight into his brown eyes, which gave her a glimpse into his soul and mouthed those exact four words that had lain unsaid, between them so far... "Will you marry me, Arnav?" Arnav was confused, shocked and unhappy to be precise. This was a moment he had planned to make special for Khushi. He wanted to plan things romantically, he had wanted to make a grand declaration and whisk off his princess on a white horse, if he had to put it romantically. But...instead... here was his angel, bending down on a knee, asking him THE question, the answer to which was inevitably YES'. The giggles of the children broke Arnav's reverie and he quickly gathered his thoughts as to the next course of action. He held Khushi by the shoulders and drew her up. Holding her hand tightly within his, he told the kids to give the board to him and join the others by the poolside. He gave each of them a chocolate, which he had stuffed into his pockets, a while ago, to reward some children. He further extracted a promise from them not to utter a word about all this, to anyone.

Khushi looked on as Arnav instructed the children, and didn't know what to make of his reaction, or rather his lack of reaction. Was he angry? Upset? She was convinced about his love for her and knew for sure that a No' would not be an option. However, considering his response right now, she wasn't feeling too sure about her plan. As soon as the children had scurried away, Arnav started leading them towards the other end of the garden. She followed him quietly, not really knowing what to say. He was silent too, his thoughts now crystal clear, his decision now surer than ever. They walked for about ten minutes in perfect silence and in perfect harmony with each other. Khushi noticed that the trees around them had started getting denser and she could hear the slight sound of flowing water. Where was he taking her?

Soon they were out in a clearing, where a small brook with clear water, flowed merrily. A wooden-planked bridge, connected the two banks of the brook. Arnav cautiously led her over the bridge to the other end and then halted. He turned around, to look directly at Khushi, who was looking back at him nervously now. She had said everything she wanted to... and now, it was his turn. "This is my most favourite, place Khushi. Sumer and I used to come here during our school vacations. We used to sit on these planks, dip our feet in the water and sing loud songs, make huge proclamations and plans for our future. This is the place, where we discussed what kind of life partners we wanted; this is the place we dreamed of having a perfect love story. And look at me... here I am standing with the love of my life." He held her hand and kissed it tenderly.

After a slight pause, he held her by the waist and pulled her closer. His breath fanning her pretty face, his lips almost touching hers, his brown eyes boring into her hazel ones. "Angel... we always have to do things differently, don't we?" Arnav asked softly, and when she looked at him in confusion, he kissed her lips lightly before continuing, "When I had planned to make a grand proclamation of my love to you, I had wanted to make the moment special... but then eventually it was in the hospital that we said those three words to each other, for the first time. And now, you propose marriage to me, when it should be the other way round. No! Before you start getting defensive, I am not a chauvinist and I have nothing against women proposing, yet I wish I could have asked you to marry me Khushi." He saw how anxiously she was looking at him, trying to decipher his words and deduce his answer.

Without troubling her further he said, "It's a yes, buddhu! Yes, I will marry you! Yes, I want to marry you... I want to give you every happiness and luxury in the world. I want to spoil you completely; so that you turn into the brat you had thought me to be, at our first meeting. I want to give you the family you always desired and I want us to make a family of our own. I do not remember how I have lived my life without you until now. These days, everything I want to do is to make you happy, your dreams have become my dreams; your desires have become my desires. My days begin with your thoughts and they end, with you in my dreams. You are all around me, angel... you are within me." Arnav cupped Khushi's face to kiss away the tears that were now spilling over her flawless cheeks. He held her tightly to himself, the sound of flowing water, the chatter of birds and the leaves rustling in the wind, bringing a calm to their frazzled nerves. As Khushi relaxed in his arms, listening to the steady beat of his heart, all she could think of was everything he had said... everything he had promised and everything he wanted to do for her. A beautiful smile blossomed on her face as she pulled away and looked at him.

"Why didn't you propose to me in Mumbai?" she asked the only question that had been nagging her for a few weeks now. Arnav was shocked yet again and he shook his head in resignation. "Women are definitely very smart. I have been planning to surprise you for a while now, but here I am, getting one shock after the other. How did you know I was going to propose in Mumbai, angel?" She smiled shyly, because admitting that she had known this fact for so long, was embarrassing in itself. "The ring box dropped out of your suit pocket, the evening we left from Mumbai." Arnav looked at her amused, her shy demeanor making him forget everything else, other than pulling her flush and kissing her senseless. Soon enough, the saner part of his brain had taken over and he realized that it was important to finish their conversation today. Lack of communication had caused all of today's events. Even if he did enjoy them, he had hoped for something more... something he would do for his beloved Khushi.

"Oh! So you have known for this long, huh? Is this what has been bothering you all these past days?" he asked huskily, to which she could only nod mutely. He shook his head in disbelief and said in an explanatory tone, "Khushi... yes, I had planned to propose in Mumbai. I was sure of my feelings even then, and there was no reason to wait and make you mine... officially. However, your behavior on the night of the fashion show made me change my decision. You remember how intimidated you were with the crowd that had gathered? How insecure and uncomfortable you felt? I did not want you to feel the pressure of dating some rich Arnav Singh Raizada, with an inferiority complex overwhelming you time and again. I thought it was better that you focus on your career for a while, and gain confidence in yourself and your abilities. I am too much in love with you, angel... and in no way, did I want you to feel "unworthy" of that love, only because of your social background. I know it sounds very preachy, but it is completely heartfelt." Arnav wiped away the tears, that were yet again marring Khushi's beautiful face and pulled her in a hug.

"Aur Khushi, mera tumse pyaar karna yeh itni buri baat hai, ki tum rona band hi nahi kar rahi ho?" he questioned her teasingly as she replied sniffing, "I love you so much, Arnav and I am so sorry for all chaotic thoughts, in my silly head. I am still overwhelmed by your world, but I promise to make an effort to get used to it." He shook his head in denial and said, "No Khushi. You do not have to try anything. Just believe in my love, believe in us and then this asli duniya will definitely turn into your sapnon ki duniya." Khushi grinned at him and smacked him on his shoulder saying, "Stop using lines from my book, Arnav. Stop being so cheesy, it does not suit you at all!" Arnav laughed heartily, for the first time, in the last half an hour and said, "Well then, let me prove you wrong angel," and with that, he went down on one knee and looked into her hazel eyes with so much tenderness, that she felt her entire self melt.

"Finally! Let me do it the way I had imagined I would. Khushi... my happiness, the moment I saw you at the traffic signal, one glorious day, I felt something shift within me. I never believed in love at first sight, but some unknown thread had started weaving itself around us since then. Our game of peek-a-boo that went on for quite a few days, made me strangely anxious, made me feel an emotion that I had been unaware of...until then. Then we met, and met yet again. The more I got to know you, the more I fell in love with you... slowly... steadily. To see you smile, to make you laugh, to feed your crazy hunger pangs, to kiss you passionately, is all I seem to want these days. And today I know, I feel it deep down in my heart, that the soul-mate, the life-partner that I had always envisioned for myself... is you. I want to be with you forever, but that still wouldn't be enough time to love you. So Miss Khushi Kumari Gupta..." And he took a dramatic pause, to pull out the tiny box that Khushi had seen in Mumbai and snapped it open.

Khushi could not stop the tears that were flowing freely from her eyes. How could she not love this man, who was kneeling in front of her, making this huge declaration and demanding a right over her heart? She looked back at him, with love that threatened to overflow, while he continued huskily, "...will you do the honor of marrying me, so that I can be the man you hopelessly fall in love with, the one you bare your soul to and the one who realizes your every dream into a beautiful reality." Saying that, he slipped the ring onto her slender finger the moment she whispered, "Yes."

Arnav stood up and pulled Khushi into his arms. Resting his forehead against hers he mumbled, "Holding you here, just feels so right, angel." And then his lips claimed hers with a new zest. It was a moment of exhilaration, of complete abandon and a sense of fulfillment. Only when two halves are joined into one perfect whole, do they realize how incomplete they had been so far. Arnav slipped his hands into her silky tresses, pulling on them lightly to tilt her head for better access. She swept her tongue over his lower lip, lightly nipping on it to extract a groan from him. His other hand went around her petite waist pulling her closer, their flaming bodies now brushing against each other. Khushi felt dazed at this hungry passion, for the first time giving into this heady feeling completely. She held onto his shoulders, her nails digging into him. The music of the flowing water, gave voice to their flooding emotions that seemed to have burst out into the open.

A long time later, Khushi sat snuggled against Arnav, their feet dipped into the cool water. His arm around her shoulders tightened before he spoke, "Khushi, I think we should head back. It has been a while, and I think everyone must have already noticed our absence." She nodded in agreement and he added further, "Not that we have anything to hide anymore, but I would prefer to tell Nani and Maa about us at home and not with so many people around." She smiled brightly at him and pulled him up so that they could get back to the farmhouse. Just as they were about to reach the garden at the back, Khushi stopped him and said, "Arnav, thank you... for being you. I love you so much," and with that she placed a swift kiss on his open mouth and sprinted away towards the pool, before he could pull her back into the circle of his arms.

"Where do you think they had gone off to, Maa?" Ananya asked her mother, while looking at the couple walk in together. "Don't make me imagine the various situations my grandson could have been in, bitiya. Of course they were spending some time together. I am glad that my very slow Arnav, is finally going in the right direction. Look at how happy he looks and look at the way Khushi bitiya is blushing," Devyani Raizada whispered to her daughter. If anyone was interested in the alliance of Arnav and Khushi, it was his family. They were just waiting for an official announcement from the children, so that they could get them married at the first available opportunity.

They loved Khushi and having her in their home, as a part of their family, had been their secret wish. Ananya would not lie, if she said that she had been worried for her son. While at Harvard, he would often send pictures of him with various foreigners. She had feared that Arnav would end up marrying one of them and the thought of communicating with a daughter-in law in English had left her, completely paranoid. Finally, when Khushi had come into the picture, she had heaved a sigh of relief. She was thrilled with the fact that she was not only going to get a bahu, but in Khushi, she would get a daughter as well. Seeing the two mingle with the kids by the poolside, she hoped and dreamed of Shantivan, filled with the giggles and babbles of adorable children... her grandchildren.

Akash Roy moved towards Anjali, who had been wiping the face of a small boy and said, "Are you still angry with me?" She looked at him, his face etched with worry and unease. Akash had felt terrible after Anjali had walked away. He felt angry at himself for judging her so quickly and spoiling her happiness at knowing about the relationship between Arnav and Khushi. He had been a killjoy and he had to apologize to her before they returned home. He did not know why it was necessary, but he knew he would not be able to rest in peace until he apologized. "No... I am fine. I just hate people judging me, even before getting to know me," she responded softly. He nodded at her and replied, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to... you know. I was just worried that someone might overhear you, jeopardizing Khushi's situation." She smiled at him and said earnestly, "You really care a lot for Khushi, don't you? But trust me, I would never do that to them. Waise, I will only forgive you, if you take me out for an ice cream someday." Akash could not help smiling back at her and agreed to her demand instantly, his mind wandering back to how much really he cared for his best friend.

Chapter 29

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I am so sorry for the delay everyone. But seems like I am God's favourite child to trouble... and so I am unwell again and buried in work at the same time. Hope you enjoyed the update... and it was worth the wait!

The surprise was a new Three-shot that I have begun writing, which will have to wait for a while. And the second part of picture perfect will also be update soon! See you soon! 😃