Part 27

Arnav was reluctant to be part of this high-end jewelry shopping that was going on in Raizada mansion. He'd rather they hurried up through all these "events" and he could start building his life with khushi. He and khushi had missed 3 years already. And if they counted 1 year before her accident, when his own foolishness had created distance between them then the number added up to 4. So now, he was in no mood to miss out a second more. As they say, when you meet the person to spend rest of your life with, you want that "rest of your life" to start asap!

But as the week-long carnival called 'Desi wedding' was stretched in front of him, that too, for two weddings in their house, Arnav had no option but to be present for every step.

Perhaps, he could use this chance to steal some moments with khushi. Just like he did during Akash and Payal's wedding.

Except, back then, he had been too proud to admit that he was wooing her. Of course, ASR and wooing a girl didn't go in the same sentence! But now, nothing would stop him from making his feelings known. For the only woman who ever made him feel something.

He glanced at the jeweler, the owner of one of Delhi's oldest and most prestigious gold jewelry shops. The man held the Raizadas in high respect and often insisted on bringing his entire collection to their mansion whenever they had a jewelry-shopping occasion. Apparently, Arnav's Nanaji had been a sponsor to the jeweler back in the 1950s, when his shop was just starting out and thus, he felt indebted to them.

Endless bags lay scattered around, each containing hundreds of blue velvet boxes filled with the most exquisite ornaments. There was a grand display of every beautiful piece known to the world, necklaces, earrings, maang tikka, bangles, payals, waist chains, and more. The Raizada and Gupta ladies, along with Kashish, were totally engrossed in looking through the collection, each piece captivating their attention.

However, Arnav's eyes were trained on Khushi. The look of awe in her eyes at something that caught her attention made him smile.

And then as if suddenly being burnt with a hot liquid, his mind pulled up a scene from their past. During his and Lavanya's engagement preparation. When he was hell bent on making Khushi- who was no one to him- admit that he mattered to her! And she, being too self-proud and a perfect opponent to him, never gave in. The more she tried to show he didn't matter to her; he doubled his merciless attempts to make her say otherwise. And thus, that day when she was asked by his Di and Nani and Lavanya to help select jewelry and her eyes innocently sought a necklace, he cruelly picked the same necklace only to give it Lavanya.

The hurt seen in her eyes had felt like a blow in his stomach then.

He cleared his throat and picked the box of necklace that she was looking at earlier, although now a kangan had picked her interest.

"Do you like this necklace, Khushi?" he asked, picking up the one she was looking at minutes ago.

She shook her head in denial since she didn't really like it that much.

"Are you sure?"

"Haan. Kyun (why)?" she asked, a smile on her lips as she confidently looked through various boxes.

"Nahi. Kuch nahi. You choose whichever you like, ok?"

Khushi didn't understand why he needed to specify it so. She knew she would buy whichever she liked.

But he didn't know that, or rather forgot that. The identity as Khushi Singh Raizada after her memory loss, had been a boon in that sense. This Khushi was a striking contrast to that helpless, poor girl from the past. This khushi knew how to assert her rights... in her life and in her choices.

However a similar story repeated when they were talking to a designer from AR who had come home with catalogues of bridal lehengas as well as clothes to wear during sagai, mehendi, haldi, sangeet etc.

And once again, his mind showed him his sin from the past. She had accompanied them in lehenga shopping and when on Lavanya's insistence she wore one, looking ethereal in it, he was left enchanted. But too proud to say it, he had walked up to her and enjoying her expecting eyes, he picked the price tag and had rudely said, "It's very costly. You and your fiancé won't be able to afford it. So, let me buy it for you. Gift nahi toh tip samajh ke rakh lo (If not gift then take it as tip)." Her face had shown her heartbreak, how insulted she felt. Yet, she held herself together and told him she didn't want it...

"Arnav, ye dekhiye na, ye kaisa hai (Look, how is this)?" Her voice pulled him back to the present.

He blinked, clearing his slightly foggy vision, and nodded. "It's nice, Khushi. Let's take it."

She gave him a confused look before turning to the designer, asking him to keep this one aside as a shortlisted one and looked for more designs.

Every time she complimented or even lingered on one design for more than a few seconds, Arnav would ask her if she wanted it. And each time, she'd reassure him, saying she was just looking, not really finalizing anything. However, he would still ask it to be added to the 'shortlisted pile', which eventually became like a whole new collection!

And now, he saw that Khushi was studying another design that would feature real diamonds, clearly indicating it would be pricy. Not that it would bother the owner of this clothing line and neither would it to Khushi who was practically a Raizada herself. But Arnav, as usual, promptly asked, "Ye chahiye tumhe (Do you want this one)? You like it, right? Let's take it."

Khushi sighed, exasperated. "No, Arnav. I don't like it. I'm still just checking. Aap itna pareshan kyun hai (Why are you so worried)?"

He remained silent.

Finally, an exquisite gold and red lehenga design caught her attention. It was to be hand-stitched and would have real gold threads along with diamonds on the border. She looked at Arnav, asking his opinion and he instantly nodded in approval. Genuine approval. He was sold at the 'red color' itself. And seeing Khushi choose it despite or beyond its obvious exorbitant price gave him satisfaction.

However, Khushi had noticed his strange enforcement to her earlier and decided to talk to him once they were alone.

She finally got that chance in the afternoon.

There were just a few hours before the first ritual of their wedding, i.e. shagun and everyone else was getting ready.

Except Arnav. He was standing by the patio garden he once created, which khushi now owned and tried to control his thoughts. He wanted to make himself believe that he had made it up to her for his past sins. Moreover, she didn't even remember those events... but it was as if his own mind was playing games and was replaying older events again and again...

"So, it has to do with our past I believe? The reason for the way you were persuading me to buy that entire jewelry collection and the full catalogue of AR's bridal collection?" Khushi asked, in a teasing tone, coming to stand by his side, breaking his evil thought chain.

He looked at her in surprise, not having expected her to find him.

But then her company did bring him peace and he decided to hang on to it, selfishly.

So, he nodded his head solemnly and started confessing, "I was very rude to you back then, Khushi. Very mean. You know that day just like today, a jeweler had come to our house, and you had liked one necklace. But I bought it and intentionally gifted it to Lavanya... I wanted to belittle you, Khushi. I was so enraged, so mad at you for getting into my head, living in my thoughts 24*7 that I just wanted to ruin you for doing that..."

Khushi didn't say anything.

"Not just that. You accompanied us to buy a lehenga for Lavanya. And she made you try one as well. I- I was just hanging around there, bound by your love. And then you stepped out of the trial room, wearing that lehenga. You took my breath away." He said, with a wistful smile remembering that evening.

"But then I remembered how you were engaged to someone else. How you were unaffected by my when I was drowning in my unstoppable pull towards you."

"What did you do?"

"I read the price tag; it was some exorbitant amount. I mocked you and then offered to buy it for you." He said, closing his eyes. He had hated himself countless times in these 3-4 years whenever he remembered every single moment like that when he had hurt her, demeaned her.

She sighed. There was no doubt he had been mean to her. But she was sure she had given it back to him in some ways too. It was just that he was telling one sided story, painting himself a villain and her an untainted angel! This man was hurting himself for something that was long gone. It didn't seem fair.

She heard him speak again, "Even after I gave you my everything, I am no match to your pure heart, Khushi. I wanted to show you your place that time, but I think even then I knew there was nothing that I owned, no money no jewels that could have bought your heart, your love."

"Ho gaya(Are you done)?" she asked calmly, while he refused to meet her eyes.

She stepped closer, in another first, crossing boundaries in her known memories, and cupped his face, "Arnav, I heard what you said and now I want you to listen to me and remember it from now on, ok?"

He nodded like a small child.

"Ok, so there may have been some mistakes made in the past. But it is just that. Past. You hurting yourself by those memories is unfair to both of us now. Because one of us doesn't even have them to coax you...to offer you any forgiveness. So after today, I don't want you to hurt yourself or guilt trip yourself by any of our past memories. If anything, I want you to tell me only about the happier moments we had... ok?" she asked, lovingly and he couldn't help but smile, as well as nod, again like a small baby.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she continued to gaze at his face with love.

"And about the worth of your love, you couldn't be more wrong! Arnav, you are the BEST one for me! You are the ONLY one for me! Even when I thought you could never be mine, I only wished to have you! Your worth is much more than your money, your education, your fame. You have a beautiful heart, Arnav. You have an inherent honesty, a desire to do right by others. And that makes you stand apart. You could have easily lied to me, made some rosy pictures about how we were in love, and it was a happy marriage. But you chose to tell me the truth. As it was. And I am sure, I knew of this quality of yours even back then. I am proud of you; Arnav and I am proud of my love for you! Your love proved that kabhi kabhi sapno ki duniya aur asli duniya ek ho jati hai. Jab mohabbat sacchi hoti hai (sometimes world of dreams and real world become one. When love is real)!"

His heart filled with love and gratitude for this gorgeous woman in his arms who was showing him his own self through her eyes and he looked pretty amazing through her vision...

He leaned forward and pecked her forehead... making her close her eyes automatically in bliss.

"I love you, Khushi. For ever." He whispered and she smiled.

"Hamesha."

--*--

The Shagun ceremony set the perfect tone for the upcoming wedding week, as Kashish, Aman, and Lavanya took charge of all the arrangements. They had enthusiastically embraced the role of self-declared wedding planners for both weddings. And their pitch was, both the weddings would be "theme" weddings, the said theme being "Yaadein" or memories.

So, they had decided to have each function at a place associated with both the couple's good memories, places which had sentimental values for them.

Their very first thought was to have shagun in Sheesh mahal-Lucknow, where Arnav and Khushi first met, however, as Khushi didn't remember it, they shifted it to Shantivan instead, technically still the place where they met in her known memories.

For the next ritual, the Kuldevi Ki Puja, they chose the devi maiyya temple that both families had frequented over the years.

And then sagai was held in Vikrant's house. The place where Vikrant had formally proposed Anjali...

Arnav looked dapper in a cream-colored silk Bandhgala as he stood on the stage, waiting for Khushi. On his side, Vikrant, who looked handsome himself, shared the same anticipation as he waited for Anjali.

And as Kashish, Payal and Lavanya brought Khushi and Anjali, all voices in the hall went silent in awe. Anjali who chose a blush pink banarasi saree looked beautiful.

Arnav's breath was stuck somewhere in his throat as he took in Khushi's appearance. Wearing a green silk lehenga, which had motifs on it, she looked outwardly beauty!

(Pic credit: uploader)

As she neared the stage, their eyes met, and the blatant passion and admiration in Arnav's gaze made her cheeks flush, a deep crimson against her milky skin.

A thunderous round of applause echoed through the hall as both the couples exchanged rings.

Arnav, who had insisted that Khushi make him wear the same ring he had worn all these years, felt his heart race when she slid the ring onto his finger. It was no longer a wish, but a reality... his reality.

With a content smile, he gently took her hand, slipping a delicate diamond ring that was her choice onto her finger, before lifting her hand to place a soft kiss on it.

The celebrity photographer, specially hired to capture the weddings, clicked this moment, immortalizing it in time...

--*--

A/N - Phew. A long chapter. We had a final closure on all bitter memories with this chapter and as arnav promised khushi, they will only talk of happy times now :) I do have some lavanya-closure in next one but that's cursory. We covered 3 rituals in this one and will mostly have mehendi and sangeet in the next followed by haldi and wedding. In IPK, they showed sangeet after haldi but in some families haldi is last ritual before Jaimala/wedding so might switch it to suit the track. Keep sharing your excitement, guys, I want the silsila of love to continue.

p.s. I guess I need to address the elephant in the room- Khushi's memories. Will she get them back or not and when? A short answer is yes, she will get them back. Coming to 'when', a hint is given in this chapter itself but if you didn't catch it, let me just say it'll happen where it all began. Isse zyada mat bulwao :P