FF: 3 Years Later -(ArHi) Thread1 - Page 87

My oh my, such intensity, so Arnav and Kushi-like arguments, not forgetting the romance, the funny scenes... Boy, what a complicated relationship these two have- so much like what happens in the real world when badly needed communication fails and people prefer to beat around the bush about their feelings... Wow! You've explored this perfectly! 👏

Heard that you've won for best FF, congratulations! 👏 But it's not surprising. You've been really committed to the story, done your research where possible and you write your story fabulously... All these amidst having small children to care for- I truly admire your dedication to the FF and your ability to keep it going... I hope many other FF fans get the opportunity to enjoy the story that I have had the pleasure of reading and loving...

Also love your cute notes at the beginning of every update! 😆

What else can I say but keep writing, my dear... Am looking really forward to many, many more beautiful updates...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family! 😉

p.s. would appreciate being added to your PM list... Thanks.

missin u nd ur updates!!

She stood at the entrance of the restaurant, scanning the crowd inside. Every table seemed to be full with groups of people, eating, chattering, servers weaving their way through the tables, steaming plates of food held aloft. Spotting them sitting towards the centre of the large room, she paused for a minute, composing herself, unsure why she felt so nervous, but the mixture of emotions she'd been feeling over the course of the last two weeks, was finally starting to wear her down, confuse her senses. She found herself feeling restless, her otherwise peaceful mind filling with thoughts of the last few months, this 'new' relationship, which to her suggested one thing, yet played out in ways she couldn't understand, she wondered if there was more to it from his side than a mere desire to start fresh. Once again she'd begun to question motive, her mind often drifting back to the start of their marriage, the reason for it, and focusing time and time again on HIS reasons for marrying her. And, now suddenly with Lavanya's arrival she also felt those old insecurities rush back up to the surface, the ones she hadn't fully been aware of all those years ago, the ones which had reared their ugly head that Diwali night, forcing her mind back again to that time, that place, those moments. And, she knew she would never forget, never stop questioning, always needing to know, because it was during that moment when too many realizations had occurred, too many emotions had surfaced, too many actions which had both confused and devastated her. The sudden emotional upheaval triggered by the necklace, had caused her to withdraw inwardly, as earlier resentments surfaced, which in turn had resulted in guilt over what she was doing, feeling. She was backing out from her promise to first tackle the present, she knew that, and there was no telling what his reaction to that would be. She didn't know him anymore, she acknowledged that the man she was married to now was not the one she'd known before, yet she was certain that the old ASR had never fully gone away, which caused her to hesitate in expressing herself fully, and that cut her to the core, because she knew that not only did she not fully trust him, she was hesitant to even start trying. Giving herself a mental shake, pushing all those heartbreaking thoughts aside, she lifted her chin determinedly, starting to move forward. Angali spotted her first "Khushiji" She called, waving, a smile lighting up her face. She arrived at the table just as Lavanya stood up and turned around, the expectant smile on her face turning to one of disbelief for a split second before she beamed at her with a mixture of pride and affection. Khushi stared at her for a moment, noting the changes in her friend. It had been so long, but Lavanya it seemed, hadn't changed at all. 'No' She corrected herself 'She has changed' she thought as she gazed at the ultra-sophisticated woman who had replaced the more vivacious girl she'd known before, and definitely out shown the more understated one she had tried to become. Her pristine white skirt fell to just above her knees, the matching sleeveless silk top, tucked into the waistband, and held in place with a slender silver belt. Soft, tasteful silver jewellery completed the look, giving the overall appearance of a woman who was used to the finer things in life, made certain she attained them, and did not for a moment appear to have been battered by motherhood. 'She's refined now.' Khushi thought, then felt herself engulfed in a warm embrace. Stepping back, Lavanya took both her hands in her own. "How am I supposed to call you Chamkeli now?" She asked laughing softly. "Like you always did" Khushi replied, grinning back at her, feeling most of her insecurities take a back seat as she looked into the smiling face of her friend.

The time passed by quickly as the three friends got reacquainted, catching up on each others lives, filling the large gaps left open over the years. It was light-hearted, the conversation moving around, touching each woman's life, both past and present. Khushi, much to her surprise, found herself sharing tid bits of her life alone, her work, even a few struggles. It wasn't till later, after the lunch was over that she realized that it was her old friend, who it seemed had developed an uncanny knack of asking the right questions and steering the conversation to where she wanted it to go. "So, Di tells me you have a beautiful apartment, I can't wait to see it." Lavanya said, while they waited for Angali to return from the bathroom. "You should come over for dinner one night" Khushi said, thinking a small dinner party would be a good idea. "Oh we would love that" Lavanya smiled, then suddenly laughed "You know, it's hard to imagine ASR living in an apartment. How is he adjusting?" She asked casually. "I… He seems fine with it." Khushi said, surprised at the sudden shift the conversation had taken. "That's good to know." Lavanya said, "I saw him this morning you know." She continued, a slight smile touching her lips. Khushi looked at her, startled "You did?" she asked, attempting to sound casual. "Yes, Aman needed to stop by AR for a while, before he dropped me off here, so I went inside and met up with the old crew, had some coffee with ASR, then came here." Lavanya said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh.. OK" Khushi replied trying not to appear flustered, cursing herself for forgetting that Lavanya had worked there before. 'Of course she'd want to see her old colleagues' she thought, mentally kicking herself. "He looks tired Khushi" Lavanya said softly, her eyes scanning the room briefly, then settling back on her friend, suddenly serious. Khushi stared at her for a moment, then dropped her gaze. "He's been stressed the last few weeks because of some problems with his businesses." She said quickly, toying with the stem of her glass. "If you say so" Lavanya said, picking up her own glass and taking a sip. "What is that supposed to mean?" Khushi asked, her head snapping up, feeling a tinge of annoyance at the faintly mocking tone she heard. "It means you know him better than I do, so I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." Lavanya replied, leaning back in her chair, completely relaxed, her eyes watchful. Neither one spoke for a long moment, as Khushi dropped her eyes back to her glass, not sure what to say, till Lavanya suddenly leaned forward, her hand reaching out across the short distance between them. "What's wrong Chamkeli?" She asked gently. She didn't know whether it was the use of the endearing nickname, the gentle touch of the hand clasping hers, or the sympathetic voice, but she felt her eyes fill with tears. "I don't know" She whispered brokenly, a single tear running down her face. "Then we'll just have to figure it out, won't we?" Lavanya said, smiling. Khushi looked at her "It's not as simple as that Lavanya, it's a mess. All that past, our whole marriage, everything is mixed together… Its so messed up." She finished in a whisper. "Then you need to forget about the past." Angali said, easing herself slowly into her chair. They looked up startled, having not realized she'd returned and had clearly overheard part of their conversation. "Trust me Khushiji, the past is not worth wasting your time over." Angali said. "But it matters Angaliji" Khushi said. "Sometimes it just does." She said determinedly. Angali looked at her for a long moment, then exchanged a look with Lavanya who had suddenly gone silent. "Have the two of you at least tried to reach a compromise?" Angali asked, "Because if the both of you continue with this stubbornness, then you both stand to lose a lot." She said a little impatiently. "No, we struck another deal." Khushi said bitterly, "The first one where we decided to get married, and the second one where we decided to forget we did that. It's what your brother does Angaliji, he strikes deals… With marriage proposals, and expensive gifts…" She trailed off, not quite sure what she was suddenly so upset about. Angali looked at her in shock, then started to speak, but Lavanya cut her off instantly "He makes things happen Chamkeli, so please don't expect us to believe that your marriage is some kind of contract for him, because we both know better." She said, then her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You know that isn't the case right?" She asked, glancing at Angali who was also frowning slightly. "Listen to me Khushiji" Angali said leaning forward "Chote wanted to marry you before everything happened with…. With Shayam" She said urgently "He told me that, and he told Lavanya also, you have to believe that. He was not going to let you get away a second time, not after he saw you again."

And, because the threads of trust were so thin, Angali's reassuring words fell on her like a ton of bricks. She heard them echo in her head repeatedly, hammering at the character of this new man in her life, her incomplete acceptance of him allowing it to shatter. "Not after he saw you again." Her mind whirled back to their first encounter months ago, when he'd been introduced to her as the future owner of the company she worked for. He'd been sure of himself, as arrogant as she'd remembered, as he'd clasped her hand and said "You can rest assured that not only this company but whosoever comes with it, will be in the safest hands Ms. Gupta. MY hands." And then to a time soon after that "I can't let you go." A kaleidoscope of images flashed through her mind, her first orchestrated visit back to his home, reuniting with his family, the offer of marriage, the sudden vacation, the trip back to Lucknow, the frequent gifts, always jewels, always significant, the promise asked for to let the past remain buried, all sinking her deeper and deeper, binding her to him, binding her to that man she had always known had never gone away. The one who would never accept defeat, who would never allow something to end unless it was on his terms, and his alone. And her faintly trusting heart reminded her that for that man no reason would justify that she had by her departure, still defied him, for which in the past there had always been vengeance. And, with that last thought, she felt the already weak threads of trust snap completely, preventing her from acknowledging a brief doubt that she may be about to terribly wrong the new man she had recently married.

She shook her head at Angali, "That's not what happened. But he's your brother, and I don't expect you to see anything but the best in him."

"What are you talking about?" Angali asked, sounding confused. "He loves you Khushiji." The words fell on her ears like fuel over a simmering fire. "Love?" She snorted. "You call everything that's happened so far, love?" Hardly caring that her voice was rising, she gave a short laugh. "When has the great ASR ever been capable of that? When has…" She was interrupted by Lavanya's voice "Khushi…" She began, an odd note in her voice as she started to rise. "No!" Khushi said pushing back her chair suddenly and standing up, aware that people at the nearby tables were beginning to stop and stare. Taking a deep, quivering breath, she reached back and removed her bag hanging on the back of the chair. 'I don't want to talk about this anymore. I agreed to an arrangement, and till it's allotted time, I will live up to my end of it." And with that she turned on her heel to leave, but stopped short at the sight of the two men who stood behind her chair, the one closer to her looking both confused and shocked, while the face of the other, standing slightly behind, showed only a silent, but murderous rage.

thanks for pm