Living Without You: 3: Link to Thread 4 (Part 41) - Page 42

just read last 2 updts….ur ff is cho chweet

been following this SS--- lovely updates.

stalking your thread again!! update soon!😉

Part 37

The cooks came on time, and the house was redolent with the fragrance of good food being cooked on the premises. As Arnav started gathering the requisites for the havan, Akash stopped him.

"Bhai, please let me do this. It is my right."

Arnav looked at him with quiet affection as he, aided by Payal, helped the pujari with the wood, ghee, and other materials.

"Bhai, shall I help you change in to your kurta?"

Arnav hid a smile. "I think I can manage to do that myself, Akash. After all, I have been wearing clothes by myself for years.", he said mildly.

Payal and Akash looked scandalised.

"Bhai, you are the dulha. You are not to do anything yourself."

He led Arnav to the room with the clothes.

"So when one becomes the dulha, he loses the ability to function at all levels...?", Arnav drawled. Akash laughed.

Khushi ran from the sweetshop in to her house. It was time to dress. Actually it had been time to dress for quite a while, but the kheer in the pan had had other ideas. Buaji and Amma had called her many times, finally threatening her and asking her if she wanted the sagai too to be held in the sweetshop. But the kheer... Anyway, that was done, she sighed. Now all she had to do was reach her room without landing in front of Buaji or Amma.

She ran right in to Buaji, standing like a sentinel near the front door. Khushi sighed.

"O Sanka Devi! Who is going to get ready for your sagai? Shall I dress up in the new lehenga that your sasuralwaale have given, and sit by Arnav Babua for the havan, hein?"

"Buaji! I know you love your Arnav Bitwaa, but I will sit by him. You don't have to." The news about the lehenga registered once she had laid claim to Arnavji. "Lehenga? Naniji gave me a lehenga?"

"Haan. It is in your room. Payaliyaa has been waiting to help you dress for the past two hours. Go up and wake her up. She must have fallen asleep by now, Parmeswari."

Khushi turned to run to her room.

"Suno, Titliyaa!", Buaji called. "Your Amma & I, we have selected two necklaces and some bangles for you from your mother's jewellery. Wear it if you like them. Otherwise, select something else."

Khushi ran back to Buaji, and engulfed her in a long hug. Buaji held her hand on her ample chest, trying to find her lost breath. On the way to her room, she saw Naniji. Khushi threw her arms around her and hugged her within an inch of her life.

Naniji laughed. "I hope you like the lehenga, Khushi Bitiyaa."

"I will love it, Naniji!", she cried as she ran to her room.

A patient Payal helped Khushi to wear the red, green, & white lehenga. She wore the short and long gold necklaces of her mother, studded with green stones, a maangtikka, her mother's payal, and her arms full of bangles. Payal led her to the mirror.

"You look like a princess, Khushi." Payal hugged Khushi, and blinked to hide the moisture in her eyes.

Khushi looked at herself in the mirror. Who would believe that half an hour earlier, she had been neck-deep in kheer? She giggled.

"Khushi? What is so funny?"

"Jiji, I was just thinking that beautiful clothes can make me look beautiful." She smiled, admiring the chudi on her arms.

"No, pagli. Not beautiful clothes. Your love for Arnavji makes you look beautiful.", said Payal, smoothing down Khushi's skirt. Khushi blushed. "Shall we go down?"

Arnav came down to the courtyard from his room, escorted by Akash and Mamaji. He looked gorgeous, the quiet joy on his face accentuating his looks. Buaji gasped at the sight of him.

"Bitwa, you truly look like a rajkumar!", she exclaimed. All the ladies started laughing. Arnav smiled.

Naniji hugged him, and shed tears of joy.

"Chotey! I never thought that.."

"...this day would come...", he completed. "I too never imagined, Nani, that such happiness was possible." He bent down to touch her feet. She blessed him and hugged him. He whispered in her ear, "I am sorry, Nani. For arguing with you, for fighting with you, for not listening to you, for troubling you..."

"Sshh... All that does not matter, Chotey. I am so relieved to see you happy."

He gave her an extra squeeze, and moved on to his Di.

She hugged him as though there were no tomorrow.

"I am so happy, Chotey!"

"I am sorry, Di."

"For what?", she looked in to his contrite eyes.

"For letting you marry that cad. For not looking after you better. For not protecting you better. I should have known, Di. I should have known..."

"Chotey! I am older than you. I should be looking after you rather than you looking after me. And...and you suffered due to my folly. I fell for his flattering words, and you paid the price, Chotey! I will never forgive myself for that."

"Di..", he held her close to him.

"Chotey, shall I tell you something?", she whispered.

"Haan..", he whispered back.

"I lost my husband and had a miscarriage. I found out that my marriage was a joke and my husband a murderous cheat. The whole world knew that I had been taken for a fool. I was shocked, humiliated, and hurt. But I could face it, Chotey! I can face it. I can live through it. I can survive. And I will."

She looked up at him, "But had he hurt you...had something happened to you, Chotey, I would have dropped dead with you. That would have been the end of both of us, Chotey. Khushiji saved you. She saved me, and our family. I know she will take good care of you. She won't let any harm come to you. And she will keep you happy. As long as you are happy and well, Chotey, know that I am happy and well.

So don't feel guilty for being happy. And don't worry about me. Joy has come late in your life, Chotey. Enjoy it to the fullest, and know that your family loves you and will support you whatever happens. Not just me, Nani, Mama, Mami, Akash, and Payal, but also Babuji, Buaji, Amma, and Khushi..."

She looked into his eyes, cupping his cheek.

"Tum theek ho?"

He nodded, smiling at her, his eyes full of love.

Mamiji entered the courtyard, followed by boys carrying bags and bags of shopping. She had been out to renew her acquaintance with the markets of Lucknow.

"Arnav Bitwaa, you are luking goods. Lower the eyes, Saasumaa. Lower the eyes..."

"Manorama?"

"Nazar Utaro, Saasumaa, Nazar Utaro. No Inglis, only Hindi. Poor Sasumaa..."

She, Mamaji, and Akash hugged Arnav, wishing him a very happy engagement. Babuji blessed him. Buaji and Amma kissed his forehead and caressed his cheeks. Laxmi munched on the choicest leaves and a few jalebis that Khushi had sneaked in for her, standing placidly in one corner of the courtyard. Her beady eyes looked at the plates heaped with sweets, kept near the pujari. Yummm...

The courtyard soon filled with ladies, gents, & children from the neighbourhood.

Arnav heard a collective drawing of breath, and turned to see Khushi coming into the courtyard from her room, led by Payal. He looked at her, totally lost for words. The flowing lehenga, the jewellery, the shy flush on her cheeks, her lowered eyes. She lifted her eyes and looked at him. He felt current run through his veins. As though they were alone in a room...

Naniji, and the other ladies led Arnav and Khushi to the havan. The pujari started chanting the mantras. Arnav and Khushi sat side by side, praying for their joint family, thanking God for his kindness in having seen them through the terrible times, for keeping them together...

After the havan and the distribution of prasad, Amma came smiling up to Arnav with a thali, and applied a tikka on his forehead. Nani, Mami, and Anjali gave jewellery, clothes, and make up items as gifts to Khushi.

Arnav and Khushi exchanged rings, and the families exchanged gifts and congratulated each other. The guests hugged Khushi and pulled Arnav's cheeks, to the merriment of both families. Savita's Nani, taking advantage of her advancing age, dropped a kiss on his cheek. Khushi's eyes and mouth opened wide in shock. She caught him by the arm and dragged him away from the crowd. What if the young girls standing in line behind the Nani decided to follow suit?

Arnav smiled, his eyes dancing merrily.

Parts 38 & 39:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3001953/living-without-you-3-link-to-thread-4-part-41

Awesome update.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

res!!! :D :D

*edits*

Khushiii!!! KHUSHI!!!

Worried that someone would kiss her husb. . . whoopsie!! I meant her fiance!!😉

Very light-hearted, and lovely update, Smi!! 😊

hehe she dragged him away from the crowd😆 aww

khushi dragged arnav away from the group...😆😆

awesome update!! last part! lol! 😆