Part 26

Happiness attracts more good things, it's the law of attraction at its finest, it is like a magnet for miracles, like a ripple in the water; the more it spreads, the more it brings to you. Kashish had read about this in one of her books during her psychology degree, but today she was experiencing it in real life! Ever since Khushi and Arnav walked in together earlier that afternoon, the atmosphere in Raizada mansion had been filled with nothing but joy and warmth.

And now, as they all gathered around the smiling, blushing, and radiantly glowing couple, Kashish couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of their long-awaited season of bliss!

"Chalo, bhagwan ki kripa se sab thik hui gava. (Thanks to god, everything went well)," Nani said with a sigh of relief.

"More like, Khushi ki kripa se, Nani," Anjali teased, wrapping a hand around Khushi's shoulder and eyes twinkling with mischief. "My Gudiya is like a hero from a movie, who brought back the runaway heroine home."

"What the-!" Arnav exclaimed, half-exasperated, half-amused. Yet, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. The bond Anjali and Khushi had formed over these three years was truly strong, very special. Anjali had indeed 'adopted' Khushi as her own, and he, at this moment, felt like the distant relative just like the story they had woven to tell khushi...

"Bhat the naahi, arnav bitwa. Ab tum shut upiya rehne ki habits daal lo (Be prepared to be shut up now onwards). Ka hai ki ab se tumhe sirf apni patni ki baat ko listenwa karna padega (because now you will have to listen to your wife)." Mamiji said, lifting her chin in air.

"Apne tajurbe se kah rahi ho na (Talking from experience), mano?" mama ji asked her making everyone laugh at their banter.

By that time Garima and Buaji arrived, as well as Aman and Vikrant who had come at Nani ji's request.

Kashish noticed that Aman had taken a seat at the far end of the hall. So, making an excuse, she quickly stood up, pretending to get some water. As she passed by, she slyly moved an empty chair closer to him and then sat down beside him, her eyes locking with his with a playful glint.

Nani's old eyes didn't miss that. Her lips turned into a small, knowing smile.

Glancing at everyone's smiling, happy faces, Nani cleared her throat to address everyone,

"Iss khushi ke mauke par hum kuch kehna chahat hai (I want to say something at this happy occasion). I think today is a very good day to start planning for a wedding."

Khushi's eyes widened in surprise at that sudden announcement. Was Nani talking about her and Arnav? Truth be told, ever since she confessed her love, she had been wondering how they would go from here. It was a fact that she and Arnav were already married, but the said marriage was wiped from her memory. Would it make sense to do it again? Was nani already thinking the same? She looked at nani curiously.

"Anjali bitya, Vikrant bitwa, what do you both think? Kya hum Pandit ji se nazdiki tareekon ka pata karwaayein (Shall we ask Pandit ji to find out nearest dates)?"

Oh. So, Nani was talking about Anjali Di and Vikrant jiju. How did she forget that her di's wedding was postponed due to her in all these months? She completely forgot about it, lost in the avalanche of revelations in the past few weeks. With shyam's entry, with knowledge of arnav's relation with her... Khushi felt flustered at that silly thought and upset that she didn't know about her own wedding. Before she could dwell more on it, she heard Vikrant's voice.

"Whatever you all think as right, Naniji. My parents have gone to Mumbai to my uncle's place, but I will talk to them, they won't have any objection." Vikrant said.

Anjali looked at her fiancé. The man she had agreed to marry more for khushi's sake than anything else. Yes, she did respect him, she did think that he was a nice man but there was never a feeling of love. The deep wounds shyam had given her had always scared her to think of falling in love again. But lately, it was evident to her that she was perhaps falling in love with her soon-to-be-husband. And that feeling was enthralling!

She then glanced at Khushi, the girl she- unknowingly and Arnav -in his foolhardiness, had wronged in the past. And now had done everything within their power to bring happiness to over the past three years. Seeing her now, so happy, confident, felt like the fulfillment of a promise they had made to themselves. Yes, her memories might not have returned, but she was living her life, creating new memories. And now, with the full knowledge of her past, that was more than enough.

There was just one more wish left. Seeing Khushi get ready as a bride. And with utter good luck, as her brother's bride.

And it looked like Nani had read her thoughts as they heard Nani say next.

"Hum ek aur sujhav dena chahat hai, agar aap me se kisi ko aitraaz na ho toh. Khaas kar ke khushi bitiya aur arnav- hamara matlab, chote ko (I want to suggest something else, if you don't mind. Especially khushi and arnav- I mean chote)." Nani said, her voice now clearly emotional. She had trained herself to call him Arnav for Khushi's sake over the past three years, but calling her dearest grandson by his nickname Chote again still felt hard.

Khushi looked down, not wanting to once again get her hopes high for something that may not even be on anyone's mind and feel disheartened again. Maybe later, she would speak to her Di or Arnav about her feelings.

"We all know in what conditions Chote and Khushi bitiya married in the past. None of us were present, and none of the rituals were followed. After Khushi bitiya's accident, we put this topic on the back of our minds, thinking it didn't matter anymore. Besides, we didn't know if Khushi bitiya would ever remember her past, or if she would even want to consider Arnav as her jeevansaathi (life partner) again." Nani paused, her voice softening while Khushi was looking at her with something akin to wonder!

"But with God's blessings, now that these two have decided to hold each other's hands, I think we should get them married with all the rituals and riti-riwaz." nani completed her words.

There was a stunned silence across the hall, the one with happiness at its base. Guptas, Raizadas, Vikrant, Aman, Kashish all were clearly stupefied.

And before anyone could say anything, or Arnav could say he was hoping for a court marriage to get it done sooner, they heard a hiccup from khushi and then waterworks started!

"Khushi? What happened? Why are you crying?" Arnav asked, shocked and scared.

Garima, Buaji, Payal got up worriedly while Nani who was sitting beside Khushi, caressed her head lovingly, "bitiya, ka hua (what happened)?"

"N- nothing. I am just so happy." She said in broken voice, smiling through tears and then she wrapped her arms around Nani, "Thank you, nani."

Everyone started chuckling and buaji made her customary remark, "Hai re nandkishor!"

"Tumne sabko dara diya tha (you scared us all), khushi." Payal said in reprimanding tone.

"Exactly. I mean, marrying ASR is scary, I get it but didn't think it will make her cry!" Aman mumbled only for kashish's ears, valuing his life to not speak so loudly.

Arnav, in the meanwhile, realized that Khushi was indeed happy with this arrangement and that was all that mattered to him. The weddings had left their scars on his mind for years, and as far as his relationship with Khushi went, he knew he was already committed to her for life. Now if the said commitment with all pomp and grandeur is what everyone wished for, then he will do it...

"All set then! Looks like we have two weddings to prepare for." Akash remarked, his first words on the matter. Though usually reserved, his emotions were always clear in the warmth of his reassuring smiles.

Everyone nodded vigorously and started getting up but suddenly Kashish got up and came to stand in the center,

"No! I have an objection!"

All looked at her in shock. What had gotten into her suddenly?

"Kashish, what happened? Why are you saying no?" Anjali asked.

"Because I am the ladke-wale (the groom's side), you have to ask for Arnav's hand in marriage from me!" she said in all seriousness of a groom's stern mother!

Arnav rolled his eyes at her nautanki while Khushi chuckled.

Aman cleared his throat and dared to say, "Technically, it should be me giving away ASR! I mean, I've been the one taking care of him for years."

Arnav threw him a sharp glare which he -very daringly- ignored. The chance like this to tease ASR was once in a million-year opportunity, he was tempted to use it!

Thankfully, Khushi chose to giggle at his ill-timed joke and that made the love-stuck Arnav forget Aman's gustaakhi(insolence)!

"Accha achha, thik hai. Jaisan aap log chaho (As you wish). Toh Kashish bitiya, Aman bitwa, will you do us an honor of blessing this alliance, will you accept our khushi bitiya and your arnav's rishta?"

Aman and Kashish looked at each other, smiling in each other's eyes and Kashish cheerfully said, "Hamari taraf se haan hai (It's a yes)!"

And thus, amidst laughter and merriment, Raizada mansion got ready to prepare for 2 grand weddings, in mami's words, something that whole Dilli(Delhi) will remember for years to come!

--*--

Buaji and Garima left after bidding an emotional goodbye to Khushi. Although the bond wasn't as close as it was before khushi's memory loss, she was making genuine efforts to get to know them as her amma and her buaji than just payal's family. Shashi was currently sent to an Ayurvedic center for his treatment, but he was to return for khushi's wedding.

As their car, with Garima and Buaji in it, drove away from Shantivan premises, Khushi turned with a grin only to find Arnav looking at her intently.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Because now I can, and I have every right to." Arnav replied, his gaze soft but not moving from her face.

Khushi cleared her throat, though there was nothing wrong with her voice. She felt a sudden bashfulness at his open declaration of love, which he now made so effortlessly, especially after she had confessed hers. She needed to change the topic, and fast.

"Buaji has given me so many names. Parmeshwari, titaliya, and, yeah, sanka devi because apparently, I was a sanki (crazy)." She made a face.

Arnav laughed heartedly. "As if you didn't come up with unique names for others."

"Really? Did I have one for you too?" she asked, curiously, "Hum aap ko kuch aur bulate the (Did I call you something else)?"

He smiled a little remembering a forgotten, special memory. "Depended on your mood of the day actually. Most times it was Arnavji."

"Arnavji." she tasted the word on her tongue, finding it a little odd calling him that way. Didn't it make him feel old?

"Sometimes Laad governor." he continued, smiling at that memory now.

Her shocked, widened eyes resembled small saucers, "L- Laad governor? And you let me call you that?"

"You never needed my permission." he shrugged his shoulders, "When you were angry, you called me Rakshas or shaitan and there was one time when you called me Swami."

And she started violently coughing hearing that.

"You are- you are joking, right?"

He schooled his expressions, "No, Khushi. I am very serious. It was after our... wedding. I was not telling you the reason why we got married like that and you were hell bent on extracting the truth. So one day, you decided to pester me while pretending to be a–" he tried searching for the hindi word she had used- the one he was looking for was patiwrata patni (docile wife)- but gave up after not remembering it, "-a good Indian wife. And you started calling me swami."

She, although turning red with embarrassment, at her past self, also smiled at that story. She sure seemed to have given him a hard time!

.

.

The next couple of days flew by in a whirlwind of activities. After looking at both couple's kundlis and horoscopes, panditji had given a few dates, but the one that would work for both weddings on the same day was just a week later! Exactly enough for completing all the rituals.

It was implied that both the dolis (bride's palanquins) would be going from Shantivan while baarat would be from London and vikrant's house in Delhi. Garima and Buaji had decided to shift to Raizada mansion to do their part in the rituals, but it was always assumed that both the families would take part as Khushi's family. Of course, Mami ji had declared she would be taking part in the baarat from her bitwa's side!

Lavanya was invited too who was very excited to take part in her dear chamkeeli's wedding with none other than ASR!

However, today, the first day of rituals, which was Roka or Shagun, i.e. exchanging gifts and formally sealing the alliance, proved to be opening some older wounds for someone.

As the family jeweler sat in front of all the ladies, a bitter memory from the past resurfaced, one where Khushi had picked a necklace, and Arnav had deliberately bought it only to give it to Lavanya...

--*--

A/N - Hope you all liked this Suraj Barjatya-meets-Yash Chopra-meets Karan Johar sort of wedding planning! Figured we had to address everyone's thoughts and emotions around it. The anti-climactic end is preparing you all for the upcoming chapter, we'll be revisiting some of the bitter memories from the past when Arnav had deliberately hurt Khushi during his engagement with La. Will that open Pandora's box or just replace with new happy memories, we'll see :)

Thanks for those amazing reviews on the confession chapter, and I hope we'll continue to have you all doing the same until the very end.