Chapter 81

The moment Arnav entered the cabin, he felt his heartbeats starting to beat in an erratic taboo against his ribcages. The person tiredly leaning over the pillows at her back, might look like a mere shadow of Khushi, but Khushi it was, as the moment her eyes fell upon him, her lips lifted up at the corners a little, & that song that played in the air every time she smiled at him seemed to find its tune back. He stopped when he was just an arms length's away from her & she instantly charged weakly, "I hadn't realized I needed to send out an invitation for you to come & see me!" & Arnav's smirk broke out of its own volition at how typically 'Khushi' it was to blame him for not coming to see her, when it had been her who had broken off all ties with him the last time they had seen each other. But that was a day Arnav wanted to forget the soonest, so he narrowed his eyes as he softly charged back at her, "I hadn't realized you were fit to sit up & hold court for your visitors so soon!"

Khushi didn't say something for a second, taken aback by Arnav's retort, & then she again tried to lighten the mood, "Check it out," & she held her left arm slightly away from her body for Arnav to see the bandage, "I have got 17 stitches! I bet that would leave a mean scar! & now, I won't have to feel so guilty everytime I looked at that scar over your left eye!" But instead of a smile, she saw Arnav's eyes darken as he looked on at her bandaged arm & his lips looked grimmer than before. Khushi suddenly reached out & grabbing his left hand, she pulled him down to sit beside her on the bed. & when she looked in his eyes, she saw that question there, the one she knew would be her undoing, but the one she knew both of them needed to be done with, so she prompted Arnav, "Go on! Ask it!" & Arnav knew she had read his eyes accurately, so without telling her she was wrong, he just asked the question he needed to, "Tum theek ho?"

& like Khushi had suspected, it was her undoing, as she shook her head in the negative & just leaned over his chest & started crying once again, resting her cheek over his right shoulder. Slowly, she felt Arnav's hands come up over her back & then he gently gathered her closer in his arms. Khushi would've gladly cried till the next weekend if she could just stay bunched up like that inside his arms, but after a couple of minutes she heard Arnav say so close to her ear that his breath fanned her cheek, "I hate it when you cry like this!.. Ok, let me tell you something & try not to gloat too much, alright?" That piqued Khushi's interest as she straightened up a bit & looked at him questioningly while wiping her tears away. Arnav looked at her gently, & then his right hand went up & started caressing her injury over the bandages lightly as he said looking down at the bandaged spot, "When I saw you.. there.. like that.. I prayed.. to your Devi Maiyya!"

Khushi's eyes widened with surprise, but as she was about to ask him what made him do so, she looked at the dark way he was constantly looking at her bandages, & she knew what made him pray, so she just asked something else she wanted to know, "What did you ask for from Devi Maiyya?" Arnav looked up at her & then quickly looked away, as if he wanted to hide this part, but Khushi just caught his cheek & turned his face towards her. Seeing his escape route getting shut, Arnav said in a barely audible voice, "I asked that.. she took me.. instead of you." Khushi's eyes widened as she looked at him in complete shock & then she started shaking her head violently as she started in a yell, "Arnavji! Never say that-" But Arnav caught her head in his hands before she could shake it off of her shoulders completely & after dropping a light kiss over her nose, he said sincerely, "It would've happened anyway.. if something had happened to you! Main tumhare bina jee nahi paoonga, Khushi!" This time Khushi reached up & cupped his cheeks with both her hands as she leaned her forehead against his & said desperately, "& you won't have to! Why would you live without me, Arnavji? Hum toh aap hi ke hain!"

Arnav immediately pulled back as he looked at her intently, as if her words had given him an idea or something, & then taking up both her hands in his own, he kissed them both in turn & then looking up at her, he whispered conspiratorially, as if he was making a secret suggestion, "Then marry me!" & instead of looking overjoyed, Khushi looked at him as if he had lost his mind & then her expression changed as if she suddenly remembered something, & she started in a soothing voice, "Is this because you feel guilty about what you said in Lucknow & how all this happened?" Arnav looked even more surprised than her if possible as he shook his head vehemently & said, "No.. It's not about that, Red. Although I did push you away-" But before he could finish, Khushi interrupted impatiently, "But you didn't.. In fact, you were the one on my mind before I lost consciousness & I think right now I am here for you!" She had barely stopped before Arnav said doggedly, "If you're here for me, then say; yes, you will marry me!"

This time Khushi got a little irritated, because he was tempting her with something she had really really wanted & something she knew he could never possibly want, so she just looked at him defiantly & asked as if daring him to answer, "Why do you suddenly wanna marry me?!" Arnav looked at her pale face exhaustedly as he felt his temper slowly surfacing too & he suddenly grabbed both her shoulders tightly, but gently & pulling her really close, he bit out almost as if he was scolding her, "Because I love you, damn it!"

As Khushi looked at him all wide-eyed, shocked at his sudden aggressiveness, Arnav sighed, angry at himself for shouting at her like that when she was in that vulnerable state, & he cupped her cheeks in his hands & tilting her face upwards towards him, he spoke as if talking to a 5-year old, "& because I want to be the one who trumps all for you, Red! I wanna be the first one to know everything about you! I want to be there for you in your happiness & in situations like this! Hell, I wanted to come inside to see you with the others, but I couldn't! I am not family, Red! But you're my family, & if that means that I'll have to go through all of that circus Di & Akaash just went through, so that the whole world will know you're mine, that we are one, then I'll do it! Gladly!"

Khushi looked at him wordlessly, too overwhelmed to speak. & as Arnav stopped talking, tears started falling from her eyes & she felt choked up with emotions. But for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything to say, because she didn't know what someone was supposed to say, when the person you had loved since you were all of 13/14 offered to spend the rest of his life with you! & she looked at him through her tears when she heard Arnav speaking again, his voice shaking a little, "Red, I won't promise you happily ever after, cos I honestly don't know ever after.. & we're so volatile together.. & I am so flawed!.. But you, Red! You gave life to my heartbeats! I had become my own God & I was trying to write my own destiny, but I was so lifeless! & you ignited such a fire inside me with your infuriating antics! & yet.. you've given me such peace after a lifetime of conflicts! & I don't want a life anymore that's not bound to you! & you're my best chance at being a Rohan or an Akaash.. You're my only chance at being my best version, Red, as your Arnav! Someone who Ma would be proud of! & when I envision our life 50years from now, I see that old couple going after each other with the help walking sticks & still fighting madly.. & honestly, I can't wait to start fighting with you & beating you with my sharp logic on a daily basis.. So, will you, Red?"

Khushi looked down at her lap, & as she wiped her eyes, a smile secretly played around her lips. But when she looked up, she looked all serious as suddenly both her hands went & started groping through his pants' pockets as she said challengingly, "Oh, we'll see who kicks whose ass 50 years from now, Mr Raizada. Personally, I think you would do little, but say a lot of 'What the-?' & we both know, that won't win you any fights!" Arnav instantly squirmed a little as Khushi's hands roamed over dangerous territory & hastily grabbing her hands, he pulled them up & bunched them between their chests as he asked sinuously, "Red, what did I say about your hands roaming inside my pants' pockets being hazardous to my health?" Khushi just sent him a sly smile & complained poutingly, "Then why don't you just give me my ring back?" Arnav looked at her pouting mouth, & even the thought of their whole families outside couldn't dissuade him, as he bent forward & took her pout in a lingering kiss. But as soon as he felt Khushi's hands pulling his head in to deepen the kiss, he pulled back, & ignoring Khushi's protesting mumble, he reached inside his coat & pulled out the small velvet pouch from the inside pocket. He took Khushi's left hand in his & taking the ring out of the pouch, he wordlessly put the ring onto its rightful place.

As Khushi gaped at the sight of the ring, Arnav smirked & dropping a quick kiss on her parted mouth, he said smugly, "You know, your impatience failed you. You always looked at the wrong pocket at first, & then you wouldn't look any further!" Khushi gasped indignantly at this information & feeling silly at her own impatience, she accused him instead, "How was I supposed to know you carried a pouch like a Kangaroo?" Arnav smirked at her annoyance & said to pacify her, "Di made me carry the pouch for the Rakshadhaaga she got me & there was enough room for the ring, so.. Anyways, cheer up! I have another huge surprise for you! One that you're gonna absolutely love.." But Khushi's interest was piqued at the word surprise, so she clutched at Arnav's collar excitedly & asked expectantly, "What is it?" Arnav shook his head as he said curtly, "No way! Not till it's ready!" But Khushi still pleaded, "What? Is it Jalebis? Tell me!" Arnav looked at her astonishingly for a moment at that, speechless that she can actually consider Jalebis as 'surprise', then he said dismissively, "No! If I told you, it won't be a surprise, would it?"

By this time Khushi was too intrigued to back off, so she went for desperate measures. She gestured towards her bandaged arm & said weakly, "I am hurt, see? & I lost so much blood! Arnavji, bataiye na!" Arnav looked at her disbelievingly at this low trick as he exclaimed, "You're unbelievable, Khushi Kumari Gupta! Do you know that?!" Khushi had the grace to look ashamed at that, but she tried one last time, "You'll get 5KP's if you tell-" This time Arnav silenced her with a quick kiss before he declined her offer, "I'll figure out other honest ways to earn KP's, thank you! Now, shut up!" & Khushi was really astonished at how Arnav was the love of her life, but how sometimes she really disliked him, like she did then. She looked at him through narrowed eyes & said nastily, "Don't tell me to shut up! You can't boss me around like you do with everyone else!" & as Arnav looked at her formerly pale cheeks now glowing with angry colors, he felt blissful in the knowledge that his life with Khushi Kumari Gupta was going to be an eventful one. & then just to see how beautiful she looked when she was fierce, he declared challengingly, "I can boss you around anytime!.. Kaun rokega mujhe?" & he flashed one of his rare, full on smiles, when Khushi bit out angrily, "Rakshas.. Laad governor!"

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They didn't know that just then 5pairs of eyes tried to look in on them through the narrow glass window on the door. As they looked on, it seemed like Arnav & Khushi were severely arguing about something, as always. Garima said to Anjali unsurely, looking at where Rohan was still explaining things about Arnav & Khushi to his Babuji & Manohar Raizada, "I don't know if Rohan is right, Bahu.. I mean how can these two..?" Just then Manorama came flailing her arms & said excitedly, "Ee Gupta phaimily phiree iskeem chalayi hain ka? Badi pe chhoti muft!"

Devyani Raizada sent one quelling look at her daughter-in-law, before she smiled reassuringly at Garima & then whispered as if sharing a secret, although all the other Gupta & Razada ladies standing there could hear her, "Garima, remember, Khushi's 5^th birthday party? Ratna was there too.. & how after Arnav had broken the bell of her brand new bicycle, Khushi had thrown big chunks of her birthday cake at him chasing him down all over Nikunja?" Garima nodded as she made a shuddering gesture & said, "Don't remind me, Samdhanji! We had to repaint the whole ground floor as the cake stains won't come off the walls!" Devyani Raizada turned towards the still fighting couple inside & said with a fond smile, "Don't you remember what Ratna said to both of us before we dragged Chhote back to Shantivan?" Garima looked at the older woman confusedly for several long seconds & then her eyes widened with wonder as she seemed to remember what Devyani Raizada was talking about. Naniji looked at the other curious faces around her & she said proudly, "My Ratna had laughingly said, by the time Arnav & Khushi grew up, they'd either end up killing each other or marrying each other! & Devi Maiyya knows, how I have been waiting for this day since then!"

& as warm smiles gradually came on the faces of Garima, Madhumati, Anjali, & Arnav's Dadi, they all looked on at the fighting couple along with Devyani Raizada, & somehow they knew, these two would probably spend the rest of their lives fighting each other tooth-&-nail like this. But whereas the world would call this fighting, this was the way these two loved & lived, & this love between the two of them was just too unique to be ever be named in one word.