Chapter 35

She randomly crept through the various racks of clothes, trying to concentrate on what she was pretending to be a normal day when-

 "Ayesha?!"

 

Ayesha was sprawled on the sofa arranged artistically in the elegant boutique, deep in sleep. It was only after a couple vigorous shakes that she arose.

 

 "Erm... hey..." she said groggily, sitting up. "Wh-what time is it?"

 

"Eight o'clock... Where you here the whole night?"

 

Ayesha slowly nodded, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight shimmering through the open windows.

 

"Why?!"

 

"Well... I didn't want to come home... and disturb you."

 

Khushi couldn't tell if it was Ayesha's vague answer or the way she chose to fiddle her thumbs that caused sudden waves of realization to flood her mind, shedding light on the latter's plan as they did. Silence suddenly fell between the two girls, as Khushi stared stonily not knowing if she should be angry or relieved.

 

It was Ayesha who spoke again. "So?"

 

"So what?"

 

"Did anything happen? Or did I sleep on this uncomfortable sofa for no reason?"

 

"Why do you always do this Ayesh? Why do you always assume that you interfering is what I need? Did you seriously think that dancing with him would work?"

 

Ayesha was taken back with the outburst. "Khush-"

 

"No, I don't want to listen to your explanations! What if it didn't work? What if I actually thought there was something between you two?"

 

"So... so it did work?"

 

Khushi glared at Ayesha in response.

 

"Okay fine... I'm sorry. I guess I didn't think that far... I just thought both of you needed a push, since neither of you was willing to confess how much you-"

 

"And for good reason! Didn't it occur to you that jealousy is probably the last thing we needed?"

 

"I told you - I didn't think it through. I just assumed I could explain everything later if you did misunderstand us..."

 

Khushi dropped her argument, knowing that it was not fair to yell at Ayesha, who only had the best of interests at heart. Besides, she was sure the previous night's showdown would have happened regardless of her best friend's interference.

 

"What's the matter?" Ayesha asked, watching her closely. "Did you both fight again? Did Arnav actually leave?"

 

"We did fight," Khushi said, taking her time to answer. "I thought he intentionally danced with you. And then..."

 

"Then?"

 

"He... kissed me."

 

Ayesha squealed in delight. "Seriously?! And then?"

 

"I... I kissed him back... and yeah..."

 

"And yeah?!" Ayesha repeated outraged. "That's all I get?"

 

"Well what am I supposed to say?" she retorted, feeling slightly irritated at the latter's curiosity "Explain in detail how we... umm..."

 

"You can say sex' Khushi," Ayesha answered, rolling her eyes. "I am not a two year old."

 

Khushi colored. "Fine! We had sex, okay? But don't ask me for details!"

 

"You are so immature at times... but anyway, this is good right? You guys are officially back to together now!"

 

"No... I don't think so."

 

"Why not?"

 

"We didn't talk..."

 

"People usually don't when they are-"

 

"You know that's not what I meant!"

 

Ayesha grinned. "Fine... what are you worried about then?"

 

"That... that this is not what he wants. You know what he was telling me yesterday? That I deserve someone else. He actually thinks I won't be happy with him."

 

"Well seeing that's exactly what happened in the past, I don't blame him."

 

Khushi didn't reply.

 

"Either way," Ayesha continued, not at all perturbed at the lack of response. "Why does it matter? I mean, I'm sure he knows you can be happy with him after last night. Did he seem okay this morning?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"What do you mean? Didn't you talk to him before coming here?"

 

"No... I left before he woke up."

 

"You what?!"

 

Khushi was startled to hear the shock in Ayesha's voice.

 

"Khushi Singh Raizada," Ayesha said in a deadly voice, articulating every word. "Please tell me you did not come here without talking to Arnav!"

 

Khushi stared back at her best friend, her lips sealed shut. But it was enough for Ayesha to understand, who let out a loud groan.

 

"Oh my god Khushi," she exclaimed. "I set it up so beautifully... why, just why did you have ruin it?"

 

"Stop being melodramatic...  How can you expect me to wait until he wakes up? And for what? For him to tell me that he made a big blunder and that I'm better off without him?"

 

"You are just freaking out for no reason... he-"

 

"You didn't hear him last night," Khushi interrupted. "He told me that I deserve someone else... he was convinced. So after all that, you really think he would wake up and give me a good morning kiss?!"

 

"I don't know what you are talking about... all I have ever seen was Arnav caring for you. So I don't understand this whole "deserving someone else" thing."

 

Khushi turned away from Ayesha, not being able to explain her anguish.

 

"What exactly is your problem?" Ayesha asked, in a softer voice. "You love him, he loves you. He regrets his mistake and you forgave him. So why-"

 

"I'm scared," Khushi said in a quiet voice, finally being able to put a finger on her feelings. "I'm scared to think we will be together... because every time I think that, it lasts for about two seconds and the next minute it's up in my face what a big mistake I made."

 

"You know that's not true... all those times you two were together, it felt right, didn't it?"

 

"But is it right to feel like that?" she asked. "Because that's all there is between us Ayesh... just moments. And the reality is that every time I start trusting him, he does something to break it. So how can I be with him when all I do is dread every single second that he will leave me? That one day he will wake up and decide that we are not meant to be?"

 

Ayesha fell quiet, not knowing what to say.

 

"Because I love you."

 

Khushi whipped around upon hearing Arnav's deep voice echo through the boutique. Her heart soared high upon seeing him, dressed in the same black suit as the previous night with messy hair and drowsy eyes to match.

 

"And we are meant to be," he continued, striding into the room and stopping just a few inches from her.

 

She stared at him, her voice caught in her throat as dread began to cloud her mind.

 

 

"I know you can't trust me," Arnav said quietly, not needing to look at her to know what was going behind her innocent eyes. "And there is nothing I can do about that because you are right - I broke your trust too many times. So I'm not going to guarantee that I will give you a good life or keep you happy forever. But I will promise that I'm not going to wake up one day and realize that this was a big mistake."

 

He paused, watching a thousand emotions flicker on her face. Fear... relief... and hope.

 

"Because it's not," he finished. "Of all the mistakes I made in my life, loving you is definitely not one of them."

 

Time seemed to hold still as Khushi heard his words, as if on the other end of a very long tunnel.

 

"I was very mad when I woke up this morning and saw that you were gone," Arnav continued. "But I realized on my way here, that I shouldn't be... you have every right to rage at me after all that I have put your through."

 

She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off.

 

"No, it's true. I know you have forgiven me, but no one else in your position would have. So, I'm not going to be naive and ignore what these two years have done to you... to us. But I also know what these two years have taught me. The fact is Khushi Kumari Gupta, you had me enchanted since the day I first met you. I was too stubborn to notice it and when I finally did, I was too scared to accept it. But I accept it now - I love you. And even though I thought it was best for us not to be together, I can't live without you. Every minute, every second, I just... love you. I'm sorry that we had to start off the way we did, I'm sorry that I didn't pick you over my ego, I'm sorry for wasting two years, I'm-"

 

Khushi's eyes misted with sudden tears. "Arnav..."

 

He let out a sigh, all words failing him. He gently took her hand and to his own amazement as well as hers, went down on his left knee.

 

"So," he said, looking up into her eyes. "All I'm asking you to is give me and us a chance, to live the life that we are supposed to... and maybe in that time, you can start trusting me again."

 

And that was enough for Khushi to drop down on her knees and throw her arms around him, conveying everything she needed to in that one embrace. He hugged her back just as much, and for the first time in many years, he thanked the heavens for listening to his pleas.

 

It was a while before they broke apart and noticed the grinning figure of Ayesha.

 

"That was actually the sweetest thing I have ever heard!" she said. "I thought stuff like this happens only in movies!"

 

Arnav got his feet, pulling Khushi along with him. "We weren't that cheesy."

 

"Yes you were! I bare sole witness!"

 

"Exactly my point - you are the witness. So the entire case is void."

 

Ayesha glared at him in mock anger, causing Khushi to laugh. Arnav grinned upon hearing her twinkling voice and gently cupped her face.

 

"Let's go home?"

 

She nodded, wrapping her hand around his and together they set out to welcome a new life.