Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Arnav waited in the empty dining hall for Khushi to come down. In the meanwhile, Nani’s words swirled in his head.

I want you to give me your word that you will not go back to Lucknow."

He shook his head and let his mind drift back to his conversation with Khushi's father.

The moment he had called and said Namaste, Shashi Gupta had known exactly who was on the line.

His direct question had been direct, whether Khushi was with him or not. He had said yes. Then Shashi Gupta had asked if Akash was with him at the moment. He had said no. The third question had been if Khushi was returning with Akash.

Somehow, Shashi Gupta had already guessed that she might not. Arnav had been surprised by the question, but he had answered honestly anyway, saying no.

"Is Akash returning alone, then?" Shashi Gupta had asked.

"Yes," Arnav had said.

Shashi had paused a moment before asking again.

"Did you leave because of what your father and Doctor..."

"No, that is not the reason, Uncle," he had answered.

“So, you are okay with that?”

"Yes," Arnav had said, his voice low.

That was when he had decided to step outside and speak. He knew the next words from Shashi Gupta would be direct, and hard to hear.

“I am glad that is not the reason. Had it been, I would have considered you a lesser man than I do at the moment” Arnav had remained quiet, letting the words slice him. He deserved this. His hasty actions had made Khushi suffer, and he welcomed whatever honesty Shashi wished to give him.

"I understand, Uncle," he had said, unable to manage anything more.

"No, you do not, Arnav. You do not understand what it felt like, watching my daughter fall apart. Watching her beautiful, exuberant spirit wither from the inside. Watching hopelessness and hurt slowly eat away at her. Every single day you avoided her, pushed her away, she broke shattered little more. She was in absolute misery, through no fault of her own. I have not seen her fall apart like this since Garima passed away. And the worst part of it? That I was absolutely helpless! I could do nothing but watch. She thought I did not see her fake smiles, her attempts to seem brave. But, I am her father. I saw everything and that was the only reason I even considered letting her to come to Delhi. But before that, I needed to meet your father, to understand what was truly going on. I could not send her to you without knowing if she might end up being more hurt. So when Malik Saheb told me the truth, about himself, and about what happened between the two of you, I decided you deserved a chance" Shashi Gupta spoke on and on, and Arnav listened, even though every word felt like a knife twisting deeper.

He welcomed the pain. It was different from what he had carried through the week apart from Khushi. That had been the pain of losing a dream he had only just begun to allow himself. But these words from Shashi cut fresh wounds, forcing him to see, plainly, how much suffering he had caused a girl who had offered him nothing but love.

“I do love her, Uncle” He said at last.

“That is what Akash said. That is what your father repeatedly assured me of! He vouched for you. “I have made tones of mistakes in my life, Shashi ji, but Arnav is definitely not one of them. Despite all the pain he has suffered, he still has a pure and loving heart. He will keep Khushi happy”. Those were your father's words. Doctor Kumar said much the same. In fact, before you up and left, breaking my Khushi’s heart in the process, I considered you a good man too. I liked you, Arnav. So you have this one last chance to make things right. You have hurt my daughter, and when you bring her home, I want her happy. Can you manage that?"

Arnav had glanced briefly at Khushi through the glass doors. She was watching him, her face full of concern.

Yes, he will do it. He will give her the world. She deserved nothing less.

"Yes, Uncle. I have let you down, but not any more. I will make certain Khushi comes home as happy as you have ever seen her," he had said, fighting past the painful knot in his throat.

"That is what I wanted to hear. Within a week, you bring her home. Then we will sit and talk properly. This conversation is not finished," Shashi Gupta had said.

“Ji, Uncle. I will see you soon” He had answered and disconnected.

Walking back into the room to Khushi, he had simply looked at her. She was here. Despite all the pain he had put her through, she had chosen to be here. For him.

"No?" she had asked, reading the weight in his face, in his eyes.

He had nodded.

While answering her questions, watching her face brighten at learning she could stay, Arnav had failed to stop himself from hugging her.

He had needed, simply, to feel her presence.

He was lucky to have her.

But for how long?

His Nani wanted his word that he would not return to Lucknow. That was her condition for accepting Khushi. For even considering her a part of his life.

Whom would he let down? Whom could he afford to disobey?

Khushi's Babuji wanted him in Lucknow. Nani wanted him here. Arnav could already feel himself pulled between two opposing worlds.

He would have to decide. He would have to find a way, and soon.

His thoughts came to a standstill when he noticed Khushi standing not far away.

Arms crossed, she was watching him with narrow, assessing eyes.

"What is going on in your mind?" she asked.

"Nothing." Arnav offered her the smile he knew dazzled her. It worked well enough; she stared back at him, unblinking, for a long three seconds.

"You are handsome," she said.

He could not help the small laugh that escaped his lips.

"Am I, now?" he asked, winding an arm around her and getting them moving.

"Yes. You are," she admitted, clearly trying her best not to look embarrassed.

"When did you first realise it?" he pressed, knowing full well she would be reluctant to answer.

He could have told her he had thought her beautiful from the very first moment he saw her. Not simply the physical kind. The beauty of her heart, first. Her physical appearance had only registered once he had returned here, that very first day, when she had crashed straight into him at the entrance of the Mahal.

As if that too had been a signal. That his coming back to the Mahal would also mean him coming back into her life! In the very first meeting, he had been struck stupid by her face, her eyes, and the light inside them.

He had known instantly that whatever feelings he had carried for her over a decade were about to make his stay here very, very difficult.

Coming back to the present, he noticed Khushi's silence.

They had reached the porch, his car already waiting.

He opened the door for her, and she climbed in.

Once he was seated too, he turned back to her.

“Well?” He asked.

"Well what?" she said, fastening her seatbelt.

"You never answered. When did you start thinking I am handsome?"

"You are so stubborn. What does it even matter?" she asked, cheeks flaming.

"If it does not matter, why are you being so evasive about it?" Arnav found her reluctance thoroughly amusing.

"Fine. It was a few years ago," Khushi said, eyes fixed on the road ahead as Arnav drove.

"Really?" Surprise was plain in his voice, and Khushi did her best not to wince.

"Yes," she replied.

"When?" he asked, glancing between the road and her.

"Well. Akash came back from Delhi this one time with so many photographs. I think two years ago? When the two of you had gone to Goa?"

"Three years," Arnav said, eyes lighting up at the memory. Akash had practically dragged him there, insisting he take a few days off from work.

"So there was this photograph. You were on the beach, standing in knee-deep water, looking straight at the camera. The sun was hitting your face just right, lighting up your, um, your whole body. I found that picture very... hot." Khushi shifted uncomfortably in her seat while Arnav worked hard to keep from laughing at her discomfort.

He knew she would be mortified if he did. So he kept his face composed and nodded.

"Yes, yes. A lot of people have told me that," he said.

"I am sure they have. All your ex-girlfriends," Khushi said, her tone turning accusatory.

He hid his smile and nodded again.

"Yes. My ex-girlfriends, and a few men too," he said. Khushi's eyes went wide, her lips forming a perfect O.

"You are serious?" she asked.

"One hundred percent," he replied, and watched her dissolve into laughter of her own.

It felt good, hearing her laugh. She should laugh more often.

"So what is it you want to show me?" she asked once the laughter had settled.

"You will see, once you get there," Arnav answered.

She narrowed her eyes at him, then let it go, turning to watch the slow-moving traffic through the window.

That was when her phone began ringing.

"It is Akash," she said, and answered it.

"Hello! Did you reach safely? Accha! How is Malik Uncle? And Doctor Uncle? Sure, why not?" she said, her face brightening.

Arnav soon found out why.

"Hello, Malik Uncle," she said, a smile settling on her face.

Arnav wanted to ignore the conversation but found himself listening anyway.

"I am doing well, Uncle. Ji. Yes. He did," Khushi said, her face turning shy.

Arnav had a fairly good guess about the subject now.

"I am happy, Malik Uncle," she said softly, clearly working to hold her emotions steady.

"No, Uncle. Please do not talk like that. I will not speak to you at all if you keep sounding like some morose old man," she said.

Arnav shook his head. Only Khushi would call a sick man morose.

"That is not true. There is so much for you to look forward to. Your life is not over."

Arnav kept driving as she talked further.

His attention sharpened again when her voice dropped, softened, and she turned toward the window, clearly trying to keep him from hearing.

"Yes, Uncle. He is with me."

Arnav kept his face neutral despite catching the words.

"He is well, Uncle," Khushi said, finally glancing his way. He met her eyes and saw the question in them.

Do you want to speak to him?

He shook his head and looked away.

What would he even say, if he agreed to speak? After learning the truth from his father, he had been determined to hold onto his grudges, to refuse forgiveness. But having watched his father make whatever small efforts he could, Arnav no longer knew what he wanted.

Some days, holding onto the anger felt like too much effort, like there was nothing left to gain from it. The man he had hated seemed to have become someone else entirely, or so it appeared.

Was it wrong to still carry so much bitterness? He was not ready to answer that.

So he simply stared ahead as Khushi finished.

"I will let him know, Malik Uncle. Please take care. I will see you soon. Bye."

Khushi put the phone away and stared out the window.

Nothing in her manner suggested she intended to "let him know" whatever his father had just said.

He wasn’t going to ask.

"We are almost there," he said after a while.

She looked out and noticed the skyscraper rising ahead.

"THIS is your office?" she asked, clearly staggered by the sheer height and polish of the building.

He could not help the small swell of pride. He had spent years earning this. It felt good, watching someone he cared for be genuinely impressed.

"It is," he answered, pulling into the spacious foyer.

"Which floor?" she asked.

"All of it," he replied.

"ALL of it? That must cost a fortune in rent," Khushi exclaimed, closing the car door behind her.

"It does not, actually. I own the building," Arnav said, amused by her reaction.

"Come on, now," he said, taking her hand as she stood there, still admiring the structure.

"Yes," she said, wrapping her fingers around his, rather tightly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as they walked through the gates, the guards nodding and smiling at him.

"Un huh," she said, walking beside him.

"What is it?" he asked again, guiding her toward the elevators.

"I feel so underdressed and out of place. Everyone is in skirts and trousers and blazers."

"And still, you are the most beautiful one here," Arnav replied, drawing her a little closer.

"That is not true. You are only saying that to make me fee.." Khushi started, as they stepped into the elevator.

She gasped as he pulled her in and caught her lips with his, his body pressing into hers. Whatever words had been left unsaid dissolved instantly, replaced by a sudden rush of giddiness.

She could not think at all as his mouth moved over hers, urgent and hungry. She clung to him for support, one hand on his shoulder, the other fisted in his jacket.

Her knees weakened as his tongue traced a hot line across her lips, something warm burning through her. She could feel his want, crackling and spilling into her own senses.

She was still trying to steady herself, holding back a moan, when he pulled away. She was struck by the intensity in his eyes, the heat there promising so much more.

It left her feeling exhilarated.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. It does not matter where we are, or what you are wearing, Khushi," he said, his voice rough.

She did not even have time to respond before the elevator doors opened, revealing a small crowd waiting outside.

She was grateful he had pulled away in time. Her cheeks flushed as she caught sight of everyone.

Fortunately, all of them were looking at him, wishing him good morning.

He nodded and stepped out, still holding her hand.

"That was close," she said once they were walking down a gallery.

"I was trying to make a point," he said, smirking.

"You certainly did," Khushi answered, looking around as they entered a huge hall lined with row upon row of clothes, wardrobes and almirahs stretching along the walls.

"Wow," she exclaimed, taking in the colours and the designs.

"This is our design-and-display room. Every new design of the season is stocked here before we release it as a collection. Whatever does not get selected goes into flash sales," Arnav explained.

"Yes. I have heard of the AR Flash Sale fest. Even your sale prices are too high for most people," Khushi commented, and Arnav raised an eyebrow.

"What? I read gossip magazines," she said.

"Well, we certainly prefer quality over affordability," he remarked, and she shook her head.

"You could have both, you know. It would not be so hard," she said, exploring the rows further.

"I know. But we are sought after precisely because we cater to a particular market. A great deal of our collections go directly to production houses."

"Right, I remember reading that too," Khushi said, examining a rather elaborate sequinned gown.

"You never told me you used to read about my company."

"I did not go looking for it. But every now and then, there would be a mention of your company, or of you," Khushi said, and Arnav nodded slowly.

"What?" She turned to him when he did not respond.

"The other things you might have read, about me, and..."

"None of that matters any more, Arnav. I know you have had girlfriends. But all of that was before you and I ever knew each other. It does not bother me," Khushi said, watching his face ease at her words. His eyes shone with something like reverence, and it made her heart stumble.

When would he stop believing he was not good enough for her? Eventually, maybe.

She told herself that.

"Come with me," he said finally.

"Where?" she asked.

"I told you I had something to show you, remember? It is through here." He took her hand again, leading her toward the far end of the hall, where Khushi finally noticed a door.

"What is in here?" she asked.

"My office," he replied, unlocking it with a key card.

"Here? Buried inside all these clothes?" she asked, following him in.

"It is quiet, and calm. Helps me focus, think. This is my secondary office. I have another on the twentieth floor. I only come here when I want to sit down and do some designing myself," he explained.

"You are right, it is so quiet, and..." Khushi's voice trailed off, her eyes falling on a picture hanging on one of the walls of the small, quaint room.

The office held a wooden table with a thick glass surface, a leather chair matching the wood tone, and stacks and rolls of chart paper scattered about, as though someone had been mid-work and simply walked away.

On the wall to the left of the desk hung a large picture in a dark wooden frame. Khushi stepped closer and realised it was a collage, dozens of small photographs pieced together. Her pictures. From when she was ten years old, right through to the most recent, her farewell party at college.

"W... What? H... How?" she managed, beyond stunned.

Arnav looked sheepish, even a little embarrassed.

"I told you, Akash used to send me a lot of pictures. Usually of himself, sometimes both of you together, and sometimes just you. Trips, picnics, birthdays. He used to send them, and I quietly encouraged it. That is how I ended up with so many."

Khushi was still shaking her head.

"This particular collage, though, I had it made for you. The year your mother, you know? I wanted to send something, some way of saying I was here, thinking of you. But once it was finished, I looked at it and realised it was too much. I did not know how I would explain it, to Akash, to you, even to myself. So it sat in my drawer for a long time. When this office was renovated, I think the decorator found it in the drawer and decided to hang it here. Once I saw it on the wall, I could not bring myself to take it down. It has stayed here ever since," Arnav said.

"I hope you do not mind. I know it sounds a little strange, and I thought about taking it down so many times, but I never could," he added, when her silence stretched on.

"If you do not like it, I can take it down," he said again.

"I like it," she said finally, her eyes misted.

"Then what is it?" he asked, stepping closer, searching her eyes.

"Nothing," she said, smiling and shaking her head.

"It is not nothing. It is something."

"Just when I think I finally understand how much you love me, you go and do something like this, and prove me wrong all over again. I feel like I have so much catching up to do. You have loved me far longer than I have loved you. It is not fair," Khushi said, wrapping her arms around him.

She felt his chest rise and fall with a hearty laugh.

She loved that sound. He truly should laugh more.

"I may have loved you longer, and yet somehow you are the one who keeps us steady. I would have lost you twice over by now, if not for your level-headedness, your maturity, Khushi," he said, pulling back to look at her again.

"So you admit you are not level-headed?" she asked.

He caught the mischief in her eyes and smiled.

"Not when it comes to you," he replied, sincere.

She saw it, and leaned in.

"I love you," she said, pressing her lips to his cheek.

"I love you," Arnav said, and pulled her into another kiss, slower this time, and deeper.

~~**~~

Khushi felt as though she were floating by the time she and Arnav made it back to Raizada Mansion. They had spent another hour at the office, where he had walked her through the main floors and introduced her to his manager, Aman Mathur. Khushi had been baffled by Aman's sheer enthusiasm at meeting her, apparently thrilled that Arnav was no longer in a foul mood.

Afterward, Arnav had taken her sightseeing, since it was her first visit to Delhi. She had insisted on seeing the Red Fort and the Qutub Minar. He had not been particularly enthusiastic about visiting places he found "dull" and "overcrowded," but somehow, he had ended up enjoying himself.

He had even promised to take her to Chandni Chowk the following day.

After both sites, quite far apart from each other, Khushi had happily settled in for the long drive to Connaught Place, where Arnav took her to an ice cream parlour. It had reminded her of the one they used to visit together in Lucknow.

As the day wound down and evening settled in, Khushi walked back into the house with him. To his mild displeasure, she left him standing in the hall and went straight to Nani ji's room instead.

"Come in," Devyani said, at Khushi's knock.

"Hello, Nani ji," Khushi said, stepping in to find her knitting.

"Hello," Devyani replied, not pausing her work.

"We brought ice cream for you, Nani ji," Khushi said.

Devyani stopped knitting and looked up.

"I did not ask for any," she said.

"I know. Arnav told me you do not eat ice cream. But I tried this new flavour and it was really good, and I thought you should try it too. If you do not like it, I will eat it myself," Khushi said.

Devyani studied her for a long ten seconds before returning to her knitting.

"Arnav took me to the Red Fort and Qutub Minar, Nani ji. It was so beautiful. Especially the fort, it was so calm and peaceful inside," Khushi went on, narrating the rest of her day.

"He said we will go to the market tomorrow. I want to get something for everyone. You know, Nani ji, when I was a child, I used to think about coming to Delhi all the time. Now that I am finally here, I want to explo—"

"Do you love my grandson?"

The blunt question stopped her cold. Devyani continued watching her, that same piercing gaze steady.

"He told me he loves you, the day you arrived here. And I saw that he meant it. That is why I told him I would give you a chance. Now answer my question. Do you love him?"

Khushi needed only a moment.

"Ji, Nani ji."

Devyani nodded.

"Good. Remember that. There may come a day when you will have to prove what you just said."

Khushi could only blink. Prove it how? She did not ask.

"I will see you at dinner," Devyani said.

Khushi took it as her cue to leave, offering a weak smile.

"See you, Nani ji," she said, and walked out of the room.

Devyani's words stayed with her still.

There may come a day when you will have to prove what you just said.

She would, she told herself. If that was what it took to earn Nani ji's approval, she would do exactly that.

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