Previous Part : Page 38
Recap: Flashback from Arnav's POV. He asks payal to teach him how to dance and he plans a surprise dance performance for the sangeet. He gifts her a green sari before the performance and the two prform on Teri Meri. The next day during the Mehendi ceremony, Khushi was upset because she missed her parents and when arnav heard that from payal, he called khushi to make sure she was okay. Before their wedding, Payal explains to Arnav the changes that are about to come into his life and she gives him some advice as a friend and sister-in-law. Arnav expressed his concern about being a good husband and Payal reassures him. The wedding ceremony takes place and the two are at last, Mr. and Mrs. Raizada.
Part 8: Meeting Her Again
The constant ringing of the cell-phone woke Arnav up. He hadn't realized that he had dozed off while thinking about their wedding ceremonies and in his deep slumber, his thoughts had formed into vivid dreams.
He picked up the phone and groaned seeing 'Lavanya' flashing on the screen.
"Hello?" he said curtly.
"Hey ASR. I'm calling to remind you about your appointment today." Lavnya's voice annoyed him.
"I know. I remember. I'll be there."
"Um...ASR...are you alright?" She said sounding hesitant.
"I'm fine." He replied flatly.
"Okay. If you're free after the appointment, can we meet for lunch?"
"What?" He spat, annoyed at Lavanya.
"No...I mean...I could give you the details of the next fashion show." The poor girl had been smitten by ASR from the day of her interview. She tried to spend as much time with him as possible but he always shunned her.
He was well aware of her advances'after all, the girl's efforts were as obvious as a snake around your neck'but he never paid her much attention.
"E-mail me the details Lavanya. Bye." He hung up and looked at the time. He swore out loud and rushed into the bathroom for his morning routine. He was running late.
*
Arnav walked through the quiet hallways of 'Hope Orphanage'. All the kids were outside in the playground. He had smiled at a few of them on his way in. All the kids seemed well behaved and respectful.
Just as he turned a corner at the end, he found a little boy hiding there, holding a balloon filled with water. When he saw Arnav, the boy put his tiny index finger on his own lips. "Shh."
Arnav raised his eyebrows at the boy and he was just about to say something but he was interrupted.
"Excuse me." A girl's voice reached his ears and he turned around to face her. The little girl smiled at him politely.
Then, before he even registered it, the boy behind him had thrown the balloon at the girl, soaking her from head to toe. She yelped and glared at the boy and the next second he was laughing and running as she chased him, shouting cute little threats. Arnav smiled as he watched them go away.
This is why he was here. This is what he wanted in Raizada Mansion. Kids playing pranks on each other, chasing each other all over the place, their laughter echoing off the walls much like Khushi's used to. After she had left, the house had become even quieter than it was before she came into it. He wanted to fill that house with chiming sounds of giggles and laughter again.
He pushed the guilt out of his heart and walked to the end of the hallway where he had to turn another corner and this time, he ran into a fully grown woman. She nearly tumbled over and Arnav caught her.
"I'm so sorry!" he apologized to her as she re-gained her balance and fixed the dupatta around her neck.
"It's okay...it's my fault...I was too focused on these papers...I see you're headed towards the manager's office..." She smiled at him. She seemed like a sweet woman. A sweet and pregnant lady, he realized a second later.
"How do you know?" Arnav asked.
She giggled. "Well...that's the only office down this hallway. How may I help you? I'm the P.A. Anjali Gupta." She extended her hand.
"Arnav Singh Raizada" Arnav shook her hand with a smile.
Her eyes widened at the name. "You're the 11 am appointment!" She checked her wrist watch and looked at him sort of scared. "You're late! You're lucky she's not in her office. She's very strict!"
Anjali led him down the hallway again and just when he was about to enter the cabin, the little boy and girl from earlier ran across the hall again, gaining his attention. He looked at them, smiling as he walked into the office...completely missing the name plate next to the door on the wall.
Anjali sat him down on the chair. "She'll be just a minute." And with that, she started heading towards he exit. Arnav walked to the window next to the door and looked out into the playground.
A few seconds later, the door burst open and tall-ish, slender woman with hair falling a couple of inches past her shoulders, wearing professional collared white shirt and a black pencil skirt walked towards the desk. Anjali was following her as fast as she could, muttering things. She looked at Arnav and jerked a thumb in the chair's direction. Understanding the meaning, he walked to the chair and sat down, thoroughly amused at the situation. It reminded him of how his secretaries and P.As followed him'scared for their lives, mumbling and muttering things while he barely paid attention.
"And everything is set for you meeting tomorrow and your 11 am appointment is here." Anjali really seemed terrified of this woman.
The lady Arnav was here to meet was busy rummaging through a drawer behind her desk, her back turned to him.
"Mhmm." She waved Anjali away.
Anjali turned to Arnav and mouthed "Good luck" before she left just as quickly as she'd come.
Arnav's confused eyes followed her out the door and just as he saw the door close, a very familiar voice said, "Hello."
Arnav whipped around to face the lady and the ground under his feet vanished into thin air as he looked at Khushi sitting in front of him. She was busy staring at the laptop screen as she typed. He stared and stared just like he had done at the Dargah the day before. He couldn't move, couldn't find his voice...hell, he couldn't breathe!
When she didn't get a reply to her greeting, she glared at him over the laptop screen only to get a shock. The shock of seeing him there. She slowly stood up from her chair and he did the same. Their eyes were locked in eternity and refused to leave each other. Just like yesterday at the Dargah, thoughts and images flooded both their minds.
This just could not be happening! She was actually here, in front of him. His eyes filled with tears of joy but that joy didn't come alone. It never did. It brought along with it a huge wave of guilt.
Her expression changed soon as well. The surprise in her eyes was replaced by a mix of pain, anger, and fear. He had seen that mixture of emotions in her eyes before. He hated it.
"Khushi..." He finally managed to whisper.
Her expression didn't change. It broke his heart to see her like this. She'd lost some weight. Her hair was no longer a smooth, onyx waterfall down the entire length of her back instead, it ended abruptly just past her shoulders. Her eyes had lost the joyous glint. Her face had lost that vibrant smile. The woman who blushed and smiled like no tomorrow when he so much as uttered her name stood there in front of him stone-like. The pain of seeing her like that was enough to make him recover from the shock.
He quickly walked around the table and pulled her into a tight embrace. During the first few seconds of their first hug after five years, she was as stiff as a block of iron in his arms. Then he felt her move her hands. His mind was overwhelmed with the hope that she was going to hug him back but that hope shattered when he felt her tug at his waist. She started pushing him away and tried to wiggle out of his grip.
When he didn't let her go, she pushed him with all her might and took a couple of steps backwards. He was slightly hurt at the gesture but he knew that he deserved it.
"What the hell are you doing?" She said in a cold yet angry voice.
He looked at her for a couple of seconds while she glared at him with a slight hint of tears in her eyes. "Khushi..." he said taking a step forward when she pointed her index finger at him.
"STOP! Don't touch me!" She warned. She pointed a thumb at the chair across the table.
He reluctantly went and sat down while she took her own seat across from him. Her face was suddenly very composed and neutral. Her posture was businesswoman-like. There were absolutely no traces of his Khushi in the woman sitting in front of him.
"Why are you here?" She said flatly.
"Khushi I'" He started but was interrupted.
"It's Ms. K." She corrected him. "Not Khushi. Just Ms. K."
His hands turned into fists. He could feel waves of anger rising within him but that anger wasn't directed at her. When he didn't speak, she folded her hands together.
"So Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada...what brings you here?"
Before Arnav could answer, the door of the office burst open and a tall, well built man with pierced ears and gelled hair walked in wearing a very ASR-like outfit. A white shirt, a black vest, and black casual trousers with dress shoes.
"Angad...how many times do I have to tell you? Knock." Khushi frowned at him.
Angad smiled at her. Arnav didn't like this at all.
"Sorry sweetheart!" Angad said.
Okay yeah. Arnav hated him. Had she found someone else? Had she remarried? Why wouldn't she? After all that he'd done to her, it would have very easy for her to get over him. And for someone like her...it would be as easy as snapping her fingers to find someone new.
"Don't call me sweetheart." Khushi glared at him.
Angad put up his hands. "Okay I won't. I'm just wondering if you've seen where my wife is."
Khushi sighed. Arnav looked at her expectantly.
"I saw her in the staff lounge fifteen minutes ago."
Arnav let out a sigh of relief. That was when his eyes were drawn to her hands. He saw that she still wore the wedding band and the same engagement ring on her ring finger. That made him smile. Khushi saw him looking at her hands and she pulled them off of the table and put them under the desk.
Just then, a knock interrupted the three. Kripa walked in and much to Khushi's surprise, she walked to Arnav instead of Angad. Arnav stood up and nodded a greeting at Kripa. The two shared a quick sideways hug and Kripa smiled at Khushi.
"Khushi...I'm glad you're the one handling Mr. Arnav's adoption process..." Kripa smiled softly.
Khushi was stunned to hear that Arnav was here for adoption. Initially, she had thought that he'd managed to find her after all these years but this was just a coincidence. Another coincidence.
"he's a friend of mine from school days...we went to high school together...I just ran into him this morning after all these years. And this is Ms. Khushi Singh Raizada...Oh My God!!" Kripa exclaimed. "I just realized that you two have the same last name!! Are you guys related?" Kripa laughed as if she had told an amazing joke. She had no idea how accurate her statement was.
Arnav's guilt increased with his joy as he learned that she still kept his last name. Some part of her still considered him her husband. That also confirmed that she hadn't remarried.
"Arnav...she's the best we have...she's very thorough. You won't have any complaints." Kripa smiled affectionately at Khushi.
"And she's also very strict." Angad spoke.
"Oh! How could I forget! Arnav...meet Angad...Angad Khanna...My husband." Kripa smiled lovingly at her husband.
Arnav was so happy at that Angad was married to Kripa that he could kiss the guy! After greeting Arnav, Angad looked at Khushi with a gleam in his eyes.
"So like I was saying...she's strict! The Lady Hitler of Hope Orphanage." Angad rolled his tongue into his cheek.
"Yes. I hope you told him that Kripa. I make sure I find the right parents for these kids. Parents who are capable and competent to take care of the child. I don't let just anyone adopt the kids...especially if they have any criminal activity in their history." Khushi looked at Arnav squarely in the face as she emphasized on the last sentence.
Kripa and Angad exchanged a look. "Khushi..." Kripa began. "There is no need to do a background check on him. He's from a respectable family."
"Sorry Kripa. It's a part of the protocol and I'm nothing if not thorough." Khushi's tone was cold and void of any emotions.
Angad's cell rang in the awkward silence that followed and he stepped out of the room. Arnav was staring at his toes, unable to meet her eyes. He was visibly upset. Kripa looked at him and then at Khushi.
"Can I talk to you about this alone?" Kripa led Khushi out of the room and Arnav slumped back in the chair and closed his eyes.
He knew what Khushi meant when she said that. They both knew what his crime was. He was a beast. He was a murderer. His mind started deceiving him then as it tried to pull out the painful memory that he had locked away after years of effort!
A few minutes later, Kripa and Khushi walked back into the room and Arnav opened his eyes.
"It's settled! You don't have to get a background check done. I'm putting down my personal guarantee in writing for this one exception." Kripa beamed a smile at the two and left to attend a phone call.
Khushi didn't look happy at all. Arnav watched her as she typed furiously on the laptop. "Khushi'" He began but once again was interrupted.
"There is still some paperwork that needs to be done for you. I have another appointment in five minutes. My P.A will contact you about your next appointment. This meeting is over." She said without even looking at him.
Before he could say anything else, she stood up and strode out of the room. He was too stunned to do anything for the next few minutes. Just when he was about to leave, Anjali walked in.
"Your second appointment is scheduled for tomorrow at 2pm." She smiled at him.
He nodded at her robotically and walked out of the room without bidding goodbye.
*
That afternoon, as soon as he'd gotten home, Arnav had pulled out the photo album again. He forced himself to think of their married life and their happy moments so that the dark thoughts waiting for a break in his guard couldn't find a way in.
He started recalling where his dream had left off that morning: after the wedding, the immediate few hours of their married life.
(Flashback)
Arnav and Khushi stood at the doorstep of Raizada mansion. Payal completed the aarti and showered the two with rice and flowers. She then placed a small pot full of rice at Khushi's feet. A step away from that, Payal placed a platter filled with red-coloured fluid.
Arnav watched as Khushi slightly lifted her skirt and, with the tip of her toe, tipped the pot over. The rice grains scattered on the floor in front of them and Khushi stepped over them, into the platter.
"Give her your hand!" Payal instructed Arnav and he willingly followed.
Khushi took his hand and carefully took a few steps into the house, leaving her footprints behind her.
"Okay...stop right there. Now Arnav...you'll carry her rest of the way."
Khushi looked up at Payal, clearly surprised. Arnav remembered Akash carrying Payal in after they'd gotten married.
"It's a family tradition, Khushi." Payal explained.
When Khushi seemed to understand, Arnav bent a little and effortlessly lifted her off the ground. Her arms wound around his neck for support and he was surprised at how light she felt in his arms. Both smiled to themselves as he carried her completely into the house, in a way welcoming her to his world, to his life. He put her back on her feet gently but neither took a single step further away from each other.
Then Payal and Mami showed up with another platter. They all sat down, dividing so that they were in two groups'a group of women and a group of men.
"Alright...so I'm going to put this ring in the water with a bunch of flower petals...the two of you have to hunt for the ring." Payal explained and tossed the ring and a handful of flower petals in the water. She swirled the mixture with her hand and on their cue, Arnav and Khushi started looking for the ring.
After a few seconds of trying, Khushi pulled her hand out and held the ring up. The girls clapped and cheered Khushi on.
"Seems like the reins of this relationship are in Khushi's hands!" Payal chirped.
Arnav extended his hand towards Khushi so that she could put the ring on. After the games were done, the guests started to dissipate. At one point in time, Payal led Khushi away and Arnav didn't see her in the living room after that. About half an hour later, Payal came to get Arnav. As he was leaving, Akash called out to him.
"Yo Bhai!"
Arnav turned to look at him. Akash just winked and gave him thumbs up. Payal suppressed a chuckle at Arnav's mortified expression. Akash winked three more times and Arnav just rolled his eyes and walked off with Payal. At the threshold of his bedroom, Payal whispered a few instructions and shoved him into the room.
The sight was hard to miss. She stood out in the vibrant red clothing against his bland and white room. She was sitting on his bed which now had a canopy of white and red flowers, extending all the way to the floor, surrounding his entire bed. Smack in the middle of the bed, Khushi sat with the veil pulled over her face. According to Payal's instructions, he was to remove the veil.
He didn't know how exactly to approach her about that so he did what he does best: enter his ASR mode. She didn't move at all as he moved the lines of flowers aside and took a seat next to her. Taking a deep breath in, he pinched the fabric in his head and lifted it off her face. She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling, and he slowly let out the breath.
He mesmerized by her. The gentle curve of a smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the joyful expression. She was beautiful.
"I bet you're glad that's over." She smiled a little more.
He looked at her confusedly, not sure what she was referring to. She shifted and crossed her legs to make herself more comfortable.
"I'm talking about the veil..." She bit her lower lip to hold back a smile. "You looked more nervous than I felt!" She said teasingly.
"I probably was..." he blurted very honestly making her laugh. Her laughter was the sound of bells. Pleasing music to his ears.
He stood up and grabbed a pillow while she just looked on amused. "I'll take the couch."
He turned around to leave again but stopped and turned around to face her when she burst out into waves of laughter again. Why was she laughing now??
"What the! What's so funny?" he frowned in confusion.
"I'm sorry...it's just that...Payal jiji had warned me that you'd do and say something like that...it's funny to me that you actually did...I thought she was teasing me...but you're..Actually doing what she said you would!" She giggled again.
Arnav scratched his head, unsure of what to say. Was he the weird one here? Because she didn't seem uncomfortable at all. He felt weird. He'd had girlfriends before and he'd been physically intimate with them but this feeling was different. He felt nervous. He didn't want to do anything that made her uncomfortable.
"I'm not that scary, am I?" She asked with a small smile on her face. "If you find me scary...I believe it's a little too late for you Mr. Raizada...you should have considered that before the wedding."
If she was in the mood for teasing, Arnav was no less. He set the pillow down and sat next to her. "Yeah...perhaps I should have made a pros and cons list like you did."
Her eyes rounded and she looked at him surprised. Then her cheeks went back to the usual hue of scarlet and she bit her tongue lightly before a smile crept onto her face. With the sudden wave of shyness in her eyes, she turned away from him and looked at her bangles.
"I forgot you had that..." she said softly, still embarrassed.
"I'm glad I found it." Arnav blurted. He kicked himself mentally for it. This woman was making him blurt out things he wouldn't normally say. Before she said anything in return, he decided to divert the topic. "Can I ask you something?" he paused until she nodded. "Why were you crying during the wedding?"
Her expression because serious and slightly sad. He immediately regretted asking the question. "There were two reasons...one because I miss my parents...and second because..." she paused and looked at him meaningfully. "Because I realized I never had and will never have the chance to meet my parents-in-law."
Arnav felt something clutch at his heart at her comment. A little bit of guilt also sprouted in his heart. All day he'd been thinking about his parents'especially his mother'but he had never given a single thought to her parents and the fact that he'd never have the chance to meet them. And here she was, thinking of his parents'people she'd never met'simultaneously as she thought about her own parents.
Regardless, this was going to lead to an emotional conversation and Arnav wasn't about to go there. He wasn't ready to share that kind of stuff with Khushi yet.
"You must be tired; it's been a busy day...you should get some sleep." Arnav said, trying to ease the sudden seriousness.
"If you were talking about sleeping on the couch because you're worried that I'd feel awkward sharing the bed...don't worry about it." She said softly, still not looking at him.
Arnav nodded to her absent mindedly and walked into the washroom. When he came back a few minutes later, he found her asleep. She must have been exhausted. He carefully climbed in onto his own side of the bed, ensuring a safe distance between them and pulled the blanket over himself. He made sure he covered her with it too.
It was then he realized that she smiled during her sleep. Not a toothy wide smile but a small, gentle, and content smile. She looked at peace and that fact brought him a weird sense of lightness and calm that he couldn't explain but he found himself staring at her until he'd fallen asleep.
Next Part: Page 51
Hey guys! There you go! That is today's update! A BIG hint in there of the future storyline! I hope you all liked this part and please dont hate me for making ASR's character gray in the story...but as the title of the story suggests (Beauty & the Beast), I'm sure you all saw it coming!
Now going back to the PM list...I've been saying this for a few days but if you guys are not reading the Fics, please let me know because I'm sending over 200 PMs every time I update and I'm only getting about 60-70 likes (and even less comments!) I don't mind sending the PMs to people who actually keep up with the story but the extra 130 PMs is a bit too much. So. For Parts 8, 9, and 10, I'll be looking out for who hits 'like' or comments and I'll only send PMs to THOSE people(i.e regular readers) and everyone else will be taken off the PM list.. I understand you may not want to comment but at least hit 'like' so I know that you're actually keeping up with the story. I'm really sorry..I dont mean to be rude but I dont have enough time to send out 200+ e-mails especially if 130 of them are not even reading the fics!
*Super Important*
I'm leaving it up to you readers. Do you want me to give you part 9 with ArHi scenes and then reveal the big secret in part 10? OR Do you want me to give you ArHi scenes for Part 9 and 10 and then reveal the secret in part 11??
(Majority wins for this so vote away!)
That is all from me for today guys.
Edited by love_iqbal_khan - 13 years ago
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