SS: A new Cinderella- Epilogue- 23 - Page 14

"How do I know you will trust me Arnavji?"

"Because I have realised something important about love. I would never doubt you in my life"

"Whats that?" she asked,

"The truth is what you tell me. Nothing else matters."

He leaned in and took her lips with his own. A soft kiss. A kiss of faith, hope and a silent promise for a better tomorrow.

***

If you love someone you set them free. If they come back then they are yours and if they don't, they never were.

"My whole life I have just done what everyone else has asked for me. Not a single day have I lived out of my own choice. I am not saying that I don't want this – us, but I can't make that decision now." Khushi pulled away from the kiss.

"Khushi, you can live your life even if we are together. I am not going to ever stop you from doing that!" Arnav panicked slightly, he didn't want to let her go again.

"I know, its just that… I need some space." Khushi stood up. She wasn't ready for the closeness yet. "When we were married I prayed for this day when you would realise that I was not at fault. I would have given anything in the world for this day, but today it doesn't matter anymore. Please understand that I have never loved anyone but you and I don't want to every love anyone other than you again. But I do want to love myself a little bit too."

"If that's what you want Khushi, that's how it will be. You can take all the time in the world and I will wait however long it takes." He tucked in a wayward strand of hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead.

"I want to study. Will you help me enrol in college? I want to be a lawyer." She looked up at him a little uncertainly and he smiled instantly into her innocent brown eyes.

"Have you got a university in mind?"

***

3 years later

The Raizada and Gupta families sat in the front row of the auditorium. Arnav looked positively dashing in his Hugo Boss suit and he was looking blissfully content. Akash and Payal held hands beaming. Avni was playing with her little baby cousin Avinash under the watchful eyes of Anjali and Aman. The chancellor was calling out the names of the graduates.

"First Class with Honours, Ms Khushi Gupta!

Khushi walked up to the stage demurely and as she accepted the scroll a roar erupted from her own cheering squad. The Raizadas and Guptas stood up applauding her, their love, affection and pride showing clearly on their faces. Nani blew a kiss to Khushi from her spot. Her friends, a whole bunch of her classmates cheered on as one of their favourite classmates graduated with flying colours. Arnav stayed standing momentarily after everyone else sat, locking eyes with her from across the hall. He was proud of the girl that took her destiny in her own hands and turned it around. He had never loved her more.

The last 3 years had been a blast. Khushi had moved back to the Gupta residence. Arnav signed the divorce papers and had them filed. Marriage would come with time and next time he would do it properly. They got to know each other in a way they had never given themselves the chance to in the past. They had spent many Sunday afternoons lazing around by the poolside, content to do their own thing, Khushi studied while he worked or caught up on the current affairs. The chatted for hours about their childhood, their parents, their families, their future together. They made love, their bodies expressing with ease what their words often couldn't.

She walked up to him after the ceremony and he grabbed her by the waist "I am SO proud of you, you know that? I love you Khushi Gupta."

"I love you. I was thinking, would you mind if I kept my surname after the wedding?"

"Did you just propose to me Gupta?"

"What if I did Raizada?"

"Then I would marry you in a heartbeat!"

"NO – I want all the bells and whistles this time and a Happily Ever After" She poked him in the chest.

"Your wish is my command" he looked into her eyes with utmost sincerity before he captured her lips in his, both quite oblivious to the catcalls and wolf whistles from family and friends.