Chapter 1

Hello my lovely forumwasis,

The promo drove us crazy, didn't it?! No point asking! So, this crazy idea just popped in my brainwa when I was supposed to be studying for my paper which was in like less than 12 hours after the promo was aired - and the idea wouldn't let me study peacefully until I did something about it..!

So that's the only reason I reserved a post before typing even a single word! I'm very sorry for this, guys!

I dedicate this OneShot to everyone who have visited this empty post, liked a post with practically nothing in it and reserved your posts for the comments! Thank you for showing so much faith in me that I might write something worth reading! Or maybe it was just the title - LOL - I don't know! But nevertheless - this one is for you!

I hope I don't disappoint you after this! Fingers crossed! Drop in a comment or hitlike if you like this stupid naive attempt of mine of writing this OS!

Loads of love!

*

The force of nature was fierce. Wild and untamed. She doubted if the nature could stop the viciously pirouetting storm on its own any more. The ferocity of something as beautiful as the blowing wind was demolishing every tender memory she had carefully wrapped inside her since many years. Her hair flying behind her as she sat on the front porch of her house gazing the stars in the night, tastefully sipping her tea or the way her hair fanned behind her as she hurriedly fried jalebis in her sweet-shop in Lucknow - they were fond moments that she had nurtured. But they were all wiped out clean from her mind the moment she hung her dupatta on the wire that hung across the room. Without any prior warning. She was surprised; she thought she remembered everything; and then there was nothing in her mind. Except for him. She felt a strange cold pulse relay to and from her toes as soon as he crept into her mind; overshadowing everything she ever had. The slate was clean. To build new memories. And remember them for life. Like she did with the every memory she had formed throughout. And now it was time she built something new. With him.

She watched for a whole minute as her dupatta swayed violently; never steading for a second. Just like her mind. She had never seen such incessant waltzing of the nature. Never before had she experienced something of this magnitude. But maybe it wasn't about the nature tonight. Maybe it wasn't the wind that was special tonight. Maybe it was about them. Him. And her. Alone. Somewhere.

A few drops of water flew inside the room with the wind from somewhere and scattered around the room with a dynamism that she couldn't explain. Beads of water collided against the window-sill for the second time; and glided through the dry air in her direction as if attracted to her. Like a magnet. She felt her entire body shiver as she sensed the freezing cold water against her skin. She clutched the white bed-spread near her chest; closing her eyes. She wanted to escape the reality. She wanted to forget that Arnav was there - a few feet away from her; probably waiting for her to come out. But she stood rooted on the spot; hidden behind the temporary curtain that felt like a cocoon around her. A cocoon that she was going to step out of. To be her. To be Khushi. His Khushi. For once. For always.

She could feel her heartbeats increase inside her chest. It wasn't unusual for her to have her heart race ahead of her breaths when it came to him. But today it just didn't feel like the usual unusual for her. It was something else. And she was scared. An unnamed feeling encompassed her from all around; strengthening the cocoon just right; keeping her from flying away. But she wanted to break free. And then she didn't. She felt the cocoon loosen and revert back as her mind waved in uncertainty; in tandem with the waves of wind that hit her from right. She tried to hold her pallu on her shoulder in the wind, keeping it from sliding off. She tucked it in her blouse in frustration when it refused to stay in place.

She tried to do the pleats of the bed-spread; but her fumbling fingers didn't help much. She took a deep breath and carelessly tucked the whole bunch of extra material inside her petticoat.

It was Arnav. On the other side. She didn't need to be perfect for him. She knew she needn't. She needn't worry about anything else in the world when it came to him. And she knew it well. Her heart knew it. And so did her mind. She tore the cocoon into pieces as her heart and her mind merged into one. She stepped out; removing her hung dupatta with one hand. To face him. To live her dream. With him.

She felt his eyes boring into her. Strong and dark. As if he was staring at an oasis that was not a dream. As if the mirage of his mind was real. As real as he was. "Khushi", a whisper escaped him.

Her eyes wandered somewhere near his feet; not gathering up the courage to see his face. She doubted if she could ever manage to meet his heated gaze - or to stand there; facing him as his equal - his soul-mate. She was back at staring at his feet. She felt some movement around her. Her eyes involuntarily flickered to him as her brain registered him walking to her. She wanted to see him - just to lose herself in the molten caramel. But she didn't meet his eyes; she saw him fold himself a bit to cross the wire that separated them. If the wire was really the barrier, that is.

"Khushi", she heard him say; lighter than a whisper - if such a thing existed, "You are beautiful."

She felt her legs acting on their own as they turned away from him; carrying the whole of her with them. Blood pooled in her cheeks; a strange feeling of warmth washed over her just by his words. Her hands flew to her face; hiding herself in them. Maybe her innocent heart believed that she may cease to exist for the world if she didn't see anything herself. And then she would get her chance to escape. Escape the dream; and land in the reality. A reality; composed of him. Only him.

"Khushi?", he said, tugging her arm as gently as he could, "Look at me."

She shook her head; refusing to let go of her little palms that barely covered her oval face.

"I want to talk to you, Khushi, look at me", he repeated.

She didn't know what made her submit to his words, but she found herself facing him. She looked at him. His face was covered in tiny scratches all over; his hair was a complete mess. His skin glistened like honey; covered in sweat. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered; except for the fact that the caramel of his eyes.

She was so lost in him that she didn't notice that she was no longer standing on the ground. His eyes never left her as he carried her in his arms; and she couldn't look anywhere else even if she wanted to. She was a magnet. And he was an enigma - he had always pushed her away ruthlessly, and he had caressed her with feathers. Just like now. She couldn't feel his hands holding her securely off the ground. It was like she was flying. Her hands went around his bare shoulders; gliding over a sheath of sweat that covered him. Her fingers met somewhere at his back and held there; clinging on to the dear life. Because it was not going to be the same after their grip loosened. The world was probably going to change after it. For better. She knew it. Because it was him.

She felt something soft, prickly and dry poke her back as he lowered her on a haystack.

"Khushi", he said her name as if there was nothing else to say, "I -"

Her fingers loosened around him and fell limp beside her, "Shh...", she whispered, "Don't say anything."

She didn't know from where this was coming; she just didn't want to think about anything. She wanted to feel it. Feel him. On her. But she didn't get time to contemplate over her own behaviour. He was much too close. She could feel his breath - ragged - on her face as he bent over her. And then something feathery-soft caressed her lips. She wasn't sure what it was. It felt sublime. As if it didn't exist. But it did. Her eyes snapped to his only to find him staring back at her.

"Khushi, I want to -"

"I said don't", she wasn't sure how she said it. Her feelings intensified at a mere caress. She didn't know the limit she could survive with this. And this wasn't the time to check it. She needed someone to tell her that this wasn't a dream. But the feather had felt so real...

His breath became more ragged; pounding - as he groaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She moaned as an unknown sensation ripped down the walls of the known. His hair left a tingling trail as it grazed her ivory skin down her face. Her eyes closed; her back arched under his touch; exposing more of her.

But then the tickly touch vanished as suddenly as it had begun. Her eyes opened themselves and saw him, balancing himself on top of her with his arms supporting him on either side of her.

"Ar-nav ji, what -"

"Khushi, I've hurt you. You and me - together. Always. Every time. I hurt you. And I was the one who bled. I suffered; I regret everything. Trust me. I don't know why I did what I did. I don't know why I hated you the first time we met. I don't know what made me love you the first time you fell in my arms. How could you make me love you and hate you at the same time, Khushi? How? I never understood that. Did you?"

She frowned as she tried to straighten herself up on the haystack. He saw her trying to get up and removed his hands from besides her.

"Why are you asking me this?", she asked him, confused.

"You believe in God, don't you? I didn't. I still don't. I don't know if I ever can. But you know something Khushi, your God sent you to me. For me. Maybe he doesn't care that I don't care about him. Maybe he just loves everybody. Like you do. Even those people who have sinned -"

"Shh... Arnav ji -" ,she shook her head violently at his words.

"I have done things to you that -", he chocked, "That -"

She sat on the haystack upright. She watched silently as his fingers lay clenched firmly in a fist. She could see his veins bulging out of his hand under the pressure. "Don't", she said, "Don't say anything, Arnav ji. You don't need to."

He looked at her, "I don't know if you'll ever believe me, but I suffered Khushi. I know I just can't expect you to trust me after -"

Khushi took a deep breath, "You listen to me now, Arnav Singh Raizada - I trust you. I don't know why but I do. Yes, I wanted you to get hurt. I wanted you to feel the pain I did. More than that. So much that I wanted you to rot in Hell! But there was something else with this. And that killed me inside. You made me suffer - not by your words; but this - this feeling that... This thing I felt about myself, when I hoped for bad for you; when I hoped that you'll never be happy - that... That stung more. I knew that guilt which flashed in your eyes every time you said something that hurt me. I have seen it so many times that I don't need to look at you to feel the pain. Your pain. Your guilt. I saw you suffer with me - silently. I have tears to went out my pain, my frustration. What did you have? How did you manage to survive with this?"

"You - you thought about m - me?"

"You couldn't even smash things, could you?", she suppressed a chuckle, "We were happily-married!"

"Khushi -"

She sighed, "I don't need you to tell me that you didn't mean what you did. And you know this, don't you? Let it go, Arnav ji. Don't hold yourself. Don't hurt yourself anymore."

Arnav slid down the haystack and stood on his knees. He laced his fingers with her and pressed it close, "Why Khushi? Why do you care for me so much? For someone like me? Who gave you nothing but pain?"

"Are you sure that's all you gave me?"

Her reply startled him. He didn't know what he was expecting as an answer, "I don't know."

"I'll tell you", she tugged their entwined hands and pulled him up; spanning the length of her dainty stature with his muscular one.

"Khushi, I -"

"This", she breathed into their hands, "This feels right."

"Khushi -", he lifted himself up on his elbow, gently extracting himself from her, "I know this is right, Khushi, I know. Nothing can be more right than me being here with you. Nothing can be more heavenly than you being here with me. I don't know what I ever did that you lov - I mean, that you are here with me. But this is not the way, Khushi. Ever since I met you I have been doing you wrong. I want to do something right, Khushi. I don't want to ruin everything I have with you. And it will be perfect, Khushi; not just right."

"You are not sayi-"

"Let me speak", he gently put his index finger and shook him head, "Knowing you, you'd probably forgive me without even waiting for my apology. You know what's strange here, Khushi? I won't apologize."

"You never -"

He run his thumb over her lips; gently pulling her lips apart, "I said don't talk. I won't say sorry, Khushi. Because that's not what you need. You don't need an apology. It's always been a great deal to say the word out loud for me though. And it still meant a lot to you. But you know what, you don't deserve an apology from me. You don't. You deserve so much more. And I have always -"

"Arnav ji, you -"

He chuckled, "You never listen to me, do you? I asked you to keep quiet and you would never shut up. Never. Perhaps, you owe me an apology here, Khushi Kumari Gupta... Singh Raizada..."

"Me?", she asked, startled, "Why would I say -"

"You talk to much", he let out a throaty chuckle, "Way to much", he whispered as he let his lips brush against hers...

*

Right, I'm leaving it here! Feel free to assume what happened next - your choice - either the goons get them, or Arnav walks back to the goons (God only knows why 😉) or they - you know - *ahem *ahem!

P.S. I hate the spoiler that followed this promo! Way to go, CVs - they just murdered my happie mood single-handed! Kidnapped or whatever? Again? If you so don't want Arnav to be in your show daily, send him over to my place! When did you see him the last - he is injured, damn it! 😡 He doesn't need another kidnap!